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PERERIN

Prog Folk • United Kingdom


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Pererin picture
Pererin biography
PERERIN, meaning "Piligrim" in Welsh, is to Wales what RUNRIG has been to Scotland, only more so. They perform traditional and traditionally inspired original material that combines spiritual and romantic themes with a strong helping of Nationalistic pride and a desire to preserve their own unique culture. They sang only in Welsh, and even English sleeve notes are even hard to find. Their original LPs command a high price, but recent CD reissues have guaranteed their accessibility and their legacy.

Pererin evolved from a more rock-oriented group named BRAN that released three albums between 1975 and 1978, to release four of their own from 1980 to 1985. While PERERIN emphasized the folk element, they were no less progressive, thanks to thoughtful arrangements that featured plenty of string synths and mildly acidic electric guitar, imaginative percussion, ambitious song structures, and various mood shifts. The variety of styles explored was impressive, from very traditional to symphonic to country flavoured to just plain eclectic, so unless you have a real aversion to folk or non-English songs, you will find something to like among Pererin's rich if abbreviated legacy.

Their first 2 discs seem to be equally revered, and are also of most interest to progressive fans. A rumoured 4th album was finally given a proper re-release, thus escaping the confines of fan lore.



Why this artist must be listed in www.progarchives.com :
Excellent late 70's/early 80's progressive folk rock



Discography:
Haul Ar Yr Eira, studio album (1980)
Teithgan, studio album (1981)
Tirion Dir, studio album (1982)
Yng Ngolau Dydd, studio album (1985)

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PERERIN discography


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PERERIN top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.03 | 27 ratings
Haul Ar Yr Eira
1980
3.70 | 21 ratings
Teithgan
1981
3.48 | 10 ratings
Tirion Dir
1982
3.92 | 10 ratings
Yng Ngolau Dydd
1985

PERERIN Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

PERERIN Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

PERERIN Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

PERERIN Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

PERERIN Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Teithgan by PERERIN album cover Studio Album, 1981
3.70 | 21 ratings

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Teithgan
Pererin Prog Folk

Review by apps79
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars Pererin's debut was quite succesful so that their Guerin label gave them freedom for the recording style of the follow up.The band visited the Studio Cain with a new member in the place of Nest Llwelyn, it was female flutist/keyboardist Lilo Haf.Circumstances were not the best during this time, regular visitors of the studio had a word on Pererin's songs, but the shield was the band's producer Anthony Pugh, who supported the band and even took the tapes of the sessions to London for a proper mix.Album was titled ''Teithgan'', released in 1981.

The music remains very ethereal and the tracks are still very emotional, always sung in the Welsh dialect.They seem to move a bit away from the previous GENESIS-styled electric guitar moves for a more MIKE OLDFIELD-like atmosphere, based on soft leads and moving solos.There is some pretty good balance in the bucolic enviromernt they produced, a nice combination of delicate flute parts, pastoral acoustic passages, soft keyboards and shiny electric textures, supported often by a nice dose of percussions.The atmosphere ranges from extremely rural, almost archaic tunes with flutes and acoustic guitars in evidence to more up-to-date soundscapes with the electric guitars and keyboards taking over, always condemned to produce sensitive and harmonic music.Maybe the album lacks in dynamics and the overall result is pretty mellow for the casual prog listener, but the content is well-crafted and detailed.Vocals are excellent and sentimental, like on the previous work, but there is plenty of space for instrumental images, the band was trully professional on creating elegant and melodic arrangements.''Symffoni lawen'' comes a beautiful highlight here, filled with unique vocal lines, smooth organ and fairytale acoustic parts.

Nice, albeit a bit too soft, Welsh Prog Folk.I still fail to compare this band to any other Folk-oriented group in terms of emotional content and that is a good thing.Recommended to all lovers of atmospheric, moving but always well-arranged soundscapes...3.5 stars.

 Haul Ar Yr Eira by PERERIN album cover Studio Album, 1980
4.03 | 27 ratings

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Haul Ar Yr Eira
Pererin Prog Folk

Review by BrufordFreak
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars Except for the last song, the music on this album is not very proggy. The Welsh tongue is interesting, the troubadour-like instrument choice enchanting, but it is the voice, that amazing voice of Nest Llwelyn that keeps me pushing repeat on the likes of "Titwrm Tietwrm" (9/10) and "Gloyn Byw" (8/10), and, to a lesser extent, "Royal Charter" (7/10)--though giving her the lead vocal, as on "Ni Welaf Yr Haf" (7/10) did not please as much as when she's the accompanist. And "Pan Ddaw Y Brenin Yn Ol" (10/10) the album's afore-mentioned finale, is IMHO a little prog masterpiece.

I like the flange effect on the strummed 12-string during the powerful centre of "Dechrau Y Gan" (7/10).

I love the electric guitar solo with pipes and channel-bouncing synth during the middle and end instrumental sections of "Can Y Melinydd" (7/10).

By the time "Royal Charter" rolls around I'm kind of getting tired of the style and format (just as I get tired of The Decemberists after a few songs). (Though I really like the Mike Oldfield-like electric guitar solo in Royal Charter.)

"Gloyn Byw" has a kind of Pink Floyd "Wish You Were Here" feel to it with Nest's awesome b-vox and plenty of Mike Oldfield electric guitar.

"Liongau Caernarfon" (8/10) has a very strong Moody Blues feel to it. Upbeat with a great acoustic-electric mix.

"Hiraeth Y Mor" (8/10) is a beautiful little Alan Stivell-like Celtic steel-stringed harp piece.

"Pan Ddaw Y Brenin Yn Ol" (10/10) is my favorite song overall for its 12-string acoustic guitar, whimsical piano, beautiful flute melodies and breathier vocal harmonies--as well as for the proggy synth and electric guitar and bombastic rhythm section in the second half of the song. Definitely the proggiest of all songs on the album.

Though this is a collection good music and fine performances, it is nothing extraordinary and, therefore, I cannot find myself awarding it anything more than three stars. Prog Folk lovers, however, will undoubtedly love this one.

2015 update: Over time and many more listens I have come to appreciate the Welch Folk traditions trying to be advanced here. I have gotten used to the recording, language and instrumental work to the point that I spin this album fairly often. I've decided that this warrants a promotion to the four star echelon.

 Teithgan by PERERIN album cover Studio Album, 1981
3.70 | 21 ratings

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Teithgan
Pererin Prog Folk

Review by toroddfuglesteg

3 stars More folk rock from Wales.

I had no expectations when putting this, Pererin's second album in the CD player for the first time. But I have grown to really like this album during the customary ten listening sessions.

Teithgan is sung in the Welsh language and the music is pretty traditional folk music. The music is pretty much dominated by flutes, vocals, keyboards, bass and guitars. The flutes are in particular excellent. The music here is also leaning more towards rock than folk music. The musicians is doing an excellent job.

Unfortunate, the songs are still not that great. The albums churns out some really good folk rock, but hardly ventures outside the uncomplicated folk rock formula. I am looking for more from an album than Teithgan is offering me. Those are my gripes.

As a traditional folk rock album, this is as good as it can get. And that is all I can say about this album. I like it very much, but I can also see (make that; hear) it's limits.

3.5 stars

 Haul Ar Yr Eira by PERERIN album cover Studio Album, 1980
4.03 | 27 ratings

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Haul Ar Yr Eira
Pererin Prog Folk

Review by toroddfuglesteg

3 stars This is a very highly rated album by some highly esteemed reviewers......... so trust me to be the one to stink out the party.

This is the debut album from this Welsh band. It is folk music through and through. It is also sung in Welsh, a very inaccessible language. I have had a soft spot for Welsh folk music since I heard Sandy Denny & Led Zeppelin's dabbling with this folk music. And Pererin does not disappoint. When I say Welsh, there is also a lot of references to the Scottish folk music scene here. Runrig and a couple of other Scottish bands, whose names escapes me at the moment, springs to mind. I just calls this Celtic folk music.

Me too is not that fond of folk music. Not even when it is watered out with electric guitars, bass, keyboards and drums as in this case. But the female and male vocals is excellent. The songs are good, but nothing more. But to be honest, I think Led Zeppelin did Welsh folk music better than Pererin has come up with on this album. In Pererin case, the electric guitars destroys what could had been. Too much rock, too little folk. Instead of the electric guitars, more flute would had been better. And more female vocals, please. They could also have spared us for the closing Genesis homage Pan Ddaw Y Brenin Yn Ol.

This is a good album, by all means. But I also finds a lot of flaws in this album. But for the folk music heads out there, this album may be your stairways to heaven.

3 stars (under considerable doubts)

 Teithgan by PERERIN album cover Studio Album, 1981
3.70 | 21 ratings

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Teithgan
Pererin Prog Folk

Review by Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer

4 stars Hey I have a new favourite Folk record ! As much as I enjoyed PERERIN's debut it was their very traditional sound along with the female vocalist that tempered my enthusiasm for it. I grew to like both of those elements but on this their second album they dropped the female singer (there are some female backing vocals at times) and have turned to a more atmospheric sound. It's gorgeous to say the least. It's that atmosphere that can be felt that moves me so much with IONA, and while it's not as strong here it still has the desired affect. This is the kind of music that seems to be inspired by God himself.

"Y Drws" opens with acoustic guitar as gentle flute then vocals come in. Drums before a minute as the sound gets fuller. Electric guitar and synths too. Amazing sound ! Moving. "Y Gwr O Gefn Brith" opens with acoustic guitar and vocals. They both get passionate before a minute. Electric guitar and drums join in. Some flute too. "Ddoi Di Dei" opens with acoustic guitar. Flute and drums after a minute. I like the way it builds. A cool instrumental. "Draw Dros Y Bryniau" has such a beautiful intro. Bass and drums then join in followed by vocals. I'm surprised at how deep the bass is here.The vocals are from above. Flute arrives. Some atmosphere here. A very moving track. "Mae Nghariad In Fenws" opens with acoustic guitar as gentle vocals join in. Flute and female backing vocals too. Electric guitar solo after 2 minutes. Nice. "Symffoni Lawen" opens with acoustic guitar as vocals join in. The vocals are so sincere. Pure emotion. Synths create some atmosphere. Organ floats in before 1 1/2 minutes. Wondrous.

"Teithgan" opens with flute, percussion and guitar. This is more traditional sounding like their debut album. Drums after a minute and chunky bass as the rhythm seems to gallop. A change 2 minutes in as we get vocals and some atmosphere, it's almost spacey. It kicks back in at 3 minutes with electric guitar and drums. Huge bass here. I love it ! I mean this is a Folk album and the guitar is angular and the bass is digging really deep ! Haha.The intro is reprised to end it. "Ble'r Wyt Yi'n Myned" opens with guitar and reserved vocals. It kicks in around 2 minutes. Contrasts continue. "Diferion" is a beautiful but short instrumental. "Mynydd Parys" sounds so good early then it settles with acoustic guitar and vocals. Kicks back in. How good is this ! Contrasts continue.The final minute is pure bliss.

I can only imagine the joy that this band has brought to people around the world. They certainly have shone a light in my little world.

 Haul Ar Yr Eira by PERERIN album cover Studio Album, 1980
4.03 | 27 ratings

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Haul Ar Yr Eira
Pererin Prog Folk

Review by Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer

3 stars First of all thankyou Finnforest for the recommendation. I'll be the first to admit that Prog-Folk is my least favourite genre by a wide margin. I've spent more time with this than I usually would because I felt with all the high praise it gets it's the least I could do. So after 2 more spins this morning i've decided it's time to review it. I must admit this album is so well played and arranged, and with those Welsh vocals it brings a unique flavour. I did think of POPOL VUH a couple of times but really this band has a sound of their own.

"Haul Ar Yr Eira" the title track opens with harp before acoustic guitar and flute comes in. It kicks in with piano and drums before settling again as themes are repeated. Vocals 3 minutes in to the end. "Titrwm Tetrwm" opens with acoustic guitar and flute before male vocals join in. Female harmonies too. Good song. "Dechrau Y Gan" is my favourite. I really like the sound of the electric guitar here. Some organ too as light drums, vocals and flute help out. "Can Y Melinydd" is led by vocals and strummed guitar. Lots of flute later.

"Ni Welaf Yr Haf" features acoustic guitar, female vocals and flute. Sounds like mandolin a minute in as male vocals help out. "Royal Charter" is led by acoustic guitar, flute and male vocals. Guitar after 2 1/2 minutes as it picks up. "Gloyn Byw" features drums, strummed guitar, dual vocals and flute. "Llongau Caernarfon" is another good one with more of the same. "Hiraeth Y Mor" is a short acoustic instrumental. "Pan Ddaw Y Brenin Yn Ol" has some keyboards early and I like the electric guitar after 2 1/2 minutes. Nice. Nature sounds end it.

A good album but the best was yet to come.

 Haul Ar Yr Eira by PERERIN album cover Studio Album, 1980
4.03 | 27 ratings

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Haul Ar Yr Eira
Pererin Prog Folk

Review by apps79
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars Formed out of the ashes of the 70's folk/rock group ''Bran'',PERERIN stumped progressive rock with their unique blend of progressive rock with traditional folk.By the start of the 80's the Wales-based folk-oriented band moved a step further,adding evident progressive elements to their music as shown through their release ''Haul ar yr eira''.

Entirely sung in the Welsh dialect,the album offers the listener some of the very best psych/folk music around,surrounded by beautiful mellotrons,a tight rhythm section and electric guitars.However (and this heads to die-hard rockers),do not expect some heavy musicianship in the vein of ''Jethro Tull'' or something.The main thing here are the splendid acoustic guitars,the superb flute passages and the use of bongos,congas or mandolin to create this ethereal,unique and dreamy atmosphere.But this whole package is surrounded and doubled by extensive yet careful use of mellotron, melodic HACKETT-ish guitar parts and distinctive bass work,when needed.Vocals are split between male and female with strong harmonies and celestial choir-like arrangements,which make the color of this listening even more dreamy and folkish.Anyone who's after some ethereal rock music with folk elements can consider this album as a masterpiece!For everyone else...just give PERERIN a try,you won't regret it...A fair 4 stars rating by my side.

 Haul Ar Yr Eira by PERERIN album cover Studio Album, 1980
4.03 | 27 ratings

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Haul Ar Yr Eira
Pererin Prog Folk

Review by Sean Trane
Special Collaborator Prog Folk

4 stars This Welsh group crawled out of the woodwork when the public least expected it, especially in an unfriendly era for folk rock, the late 70's and early 80's. It's always a bit unclear whether the group was a quartet or including the female voice, a different one on the two releases (out of three historic and a fourth posthumous) that I've heard, given that the recent Cd reissues are entirely in Welsh/Gaelic as were the vinyls back then. Around that closing of 70's era, few places still specialized in local progressive folk, usually backed by a strong independence movement (The Basque, the Quebecois and the Welsh were three case). Backed by an evocative historical artwork and another western coastal picture, Haul Au Yr Eira is probably one of those rare lost gem that

Opening on the guitar arpeggios of the title track, the song takes its time to develop, between tempestuous passages and more medieval moments (flutes, harp, and finishes by a short verse. The following tracks picks up almost where its predecessor had left it, coming close to a cross of Pentangle meeting Genesis, or an early Renaissance. Can Y Mellinyd is again in the Pentangle, but veering Malicorne or Ougenweide, this time, even if a nice Hackett-ian guitar solo and so on for the next tracks. Only the short ninth instrumental track Hiraerth Y Mor differs a bit from the straight 3 to 4 minutes songs (including two traditional songs, superbly arranged by the group), but it leads to a fabulous closing track Pan Ddaw.

Whether or not the Face The Dawn label is legit is rather doubtful, especially when hearing hand-made volume correction in the third or fourth track that are too important to be normal, so most likely it's a boot, but when only that is around... One of those real unearthed gems, along with its younger sister Teithan, the first two Pererin albums are must-haves for prog folk fans.

 Yng Ngolau Dydd  by PERERIN album cover Studio Album, 1985
3.92 | 10 ratings

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Yng Ngolau Dydd
Pererin Prog Folk

Review by kenethlevine
Special Collaborator Prog-Folk Team

4 stars Clearly there must be other nostalgic fools like me around, in sufficient number to foment the release of the final two Pererin albums in the space of months, this being the legendary ultimate recording. Yes it does exist, and the three years elapsed since "Tirion Dir" have changed little for Pererin. They remain more subdued than in the overtly progressive "Haul Ar.." and "Teithgan". Keyboard flourishes are virtually non existent. The mandolin brushes subtle accents upon their delicately ancient sound as before.

Yet this is a more progressive album than its predecessor, thanks chiefly to thickly resonating bass lines especially in "Dacw Nghariad i Lawryn y Berllan" and " Y Ddraenen Wen", and some mysterious strings and flutes here and there, including "Henffych i ti". The vocals are also more reflective. The generally somber tone is punctuated by some of Pererin's most typically Celtic sounding efforts, such as a capable rendition of "All Around my Hat", as well as "Mae gen i farch glas" and "Hogia Llandegai", the latter sounding like the early predecessor of countrymen Bob Delyn a'r Ebillion, and also including the only English words ever uttered, an encouraging "c'mon boys".

The general somnolence that permeated nearly half of Tirion Dir is hardly found here, and although Pererin's swan song cannot compare to their initial efforts, it is an excellent manner in which to bow out, with class but also with risks taken and surmounted.

 Haul Ar Yr Eira by PERERIN album cover Studio Album, 1980
4.03 | 27 ratings

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Haul Ar Yr Eira
Pererin Prog Folk

Review by ClemofNazareth
Special Collaborator Prog Folk Researcher

5 stars Just about everyone who’s ever written a review of this album has given it the highest rating possible for whatever site or magazine they were writing for at the time. I’ve held off putting together my own review for quite a while simply because I didn’t want to be the lone wet blanket with a dissenting opinion. But everything turned out for the best because in that time I’ve come to appreciate this record in a way that I didn’t expect to after the first several times I played it.

Part of the reason is that I’ve spent an awful lot of time over the past year or so really concentrating on progressive folk music in my listening habits, at times almost exclusively it seems. And of the couple hundred albums, singles, samples and demos it has been my pleasure to enjoy in that time, this one ranks among the finest. Not that one’s opinion of an album or a band ought to necessarily be based on comparisons to others, but in the case of this album many of the things that have endeared other bands to me are also present here.

One band that immediately comes to mind when listening to this album is the loosely-coupled Irish collective known as Loudest Whisper. Not that the two bands sound much alike, although I suppose they do a bit. But more importantly, both bands have a knack for taking traditional arrangements and instrumentation and using them to craft beautiful songs that are very relevant in today’s progressive folk environment. The Swedish group Kebnekaise shows some of these same qualities.

Another positive trait is the band’s insistence on singing in their native Welsh tongue. Normally it puts me off a bit when bands sing in their native language, not because I’m xenophobic or anything, but because I’m one of those sort of fans who is as interested in the lyrics as in the music (if not more so). But on this album that isn’t a problem, mostly because the traditional folk themes are fairly obvious even if the subtle nuances of the individual tales is lost on me.

One more thing to point out – the band uses congas, bongos and a Celtic bodhrán for percussion instead of more sterile snare drums or (*egad*) digital drums. That would be unforgivable on an album like this anyway, and the hand drums supplement the earthy and intimate feel of the music in a way that really enhances the experience of listening to it.

And back to the vocals; Nest Llwelyn has an angelic voice that was simply made for folk music, no doubt about it. Her high-pitched lilting on tracks like “Gloyn Byw”, “Can Y Melinydd” and “Titrwm Tetrwm” give these songs a range that lifts them above the ranks of simply good to heights of excellence. This woman has a voice that should be used on as many folk-leaning albums as possible, and it’s a shame she doesn’t appear on more of them. Charli Goodall has a decent folk voice as well, not much on range but a timbre that is comfortable and well-suited to this style of music. Latino folk music fans will recognize the same easy gait to his singing as is heard in so many stellar Hispanic folk bands like Los Jaivas, Congreso, Contraluz and the Uruguayan singer Armando Tirelli.

The band doesn’t play it straight folk completely though. There are spots of mellotron and even electric guitar on tracks like “Can y Melinydd” and “Pan Ddaw Y Brenin Yn Ol”, and they show an ability to shift seamlessly from languid acoustic folk to an upbeat electric tempo on tracks like “Haul Ar Yr Eira”. On the other hand acoustic instrumentals like “Hiraeth Y Mor” are every bit as endearing as the other stuff. It’s all good.

There isn’t a bad song here, and pretty much all of them are uniformly beautiful and very easy on the ears. This is the kind of stuff many progressive folk fans seek out tirelessly, and unfortunately find far too infrequently. I’m glad I waited such a long time to write out my thoughts on this album; otherwise I’m afraid it would not have been given its due. It’s not often I plant the full five stars on an album these days, an unfortunate byproduct of having listened to too much music and perhaps becoming a bit jaded in the process. But this one deserves that mark, and I’m honored to be able to give it. Very highly recommended to all progressive folk fans and lots of other people too. This one is worth seeking out to add to your collection.

peace

Thanks to Sean Trane for the artist addition. and to kenethlevine for the last updates

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