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ENSEMBLE NIMBUS

RIO/Avant-Prog • Sweden


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Ensemble Nimbus picture
Ensemble Nimbus biography
Founded in Uppsala, Sweden in 1992

ENSEMBLE NIMBUS is a Swedish quartet (keyboards, clarinet, viola and percussions) that belongs to the tradition of Scandinavia's orchestral-grade progressive-rock with a touch of UNIVERS ZERO. A very modern and lively twist on the Zamla/RIO/Zeuhl type sound, but high-tech and very very lively, featuring Hasse Bruniusson (ex-ZAMLA MAMMAZ MANNA) on drums. Bruniusson is also a member of the better known Roine Stolt's FLOWER KINGS where he is the bands percussionist. Within ENSEMBLE NIMBUS he also plays acoustic & electric drums as well as adding the percussion. This band, yet another Swedish band, is described as the "second generation of European ... RIO.

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ENSEMBLE NIMBUS discography


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

3.67 | 20 ratings
Key Figures
1994
3.84 | 20 ratings
Scapegoat
1998
4.17 | 50 ratings
Garmonbozia
2000

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

4.00 | 3 ratings
Ensemble Nimbus Live
1995

ENSEMBLE NIMBUS Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

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

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

ENSEMBLE NIMBUS Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Garmonbozia by ENSEMBLE NIMBUS album cover Studio Album, 2000
4.17 | 50 ratings

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Garmonbozia
Ensemble Nimbus RIO/Avant-Prog

Review by Thiago Hallak

4 stars 4.5 star actually.

Different from typical swedish progressive music, Ensemble Nimbus hasn't symphonic elements or uses keyboards structure or even sounds like instrumental genesis. Contrariwise, it sounds avant, merging fusion, psychedelia and experimental rock.

Funny songs are found such as "Ducks in Paradise", "The Arrow of Time" and "Spacegoat" (this one is kind diabolical).

The band almost doesn't use vocal but there are lyrics on "Tornado Hunting" and all the uses of vocal are experimental, unusuals.

The best ideas of the band is to use the line clarinet-violin to play jazzy and erudi themes and use electric guitar only on solo or arpeggio.

A non-materpiece but that worths a lot!

 Scapegoat by ENSEMBLE NIMBUS album cover Studio Album, 1998
3.84 | 20 ratings

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Scapegoat
Ensemble Nimbus RIO/Avant-Prog

Review by rataypargo

5 stars This CD will please those interested in progressive rock but also jazz fans and everyone looking for music outside conventional categories. The Ensemble Nimbus, a Swedish band of great performers, uses an interesting array of instruments (from guitar, drums and keyboards to clarinets and sample loops) and blends complex and intriguing arrangements, beatiful melodic lines and occasionally hard rhythm sections and vocals. The result is a haunting and powerful collection of songs and instrumental pieces.
 Scapegoat by ENSEMBLE NIMBUS album cover Studio Album, 1998
3.84 | 20 ratings

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Scapegoat
Ensemble Nimbus RIO/Avant-Prog

Review by Sean Trane
Special Collaborator Prog Folk

3 stars While a logical continuation of their debut album, this sophomore effort is definitely more complex and is has a harder edge. The level of energy is about the sale as on the previous album, but it is less festive/happy and more serious. You might want to compare this album between Von Zamla and Miriodor with a slight Hoyry Koyne twist.
 Key Figures by ENSEMBLE NIMBUS album cover Studio Album, 1994
3.67 | 20 ratings

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Key Figures
Ensemble Nimbus RIO/Avant-Prog

Review by Sean Trane
Special Collaborator Prog Folk

3 stars Ensemble Nimbus's debut album is certainly a small tour de force with its mostly instrumental (only two of the 11 tracks are sung) avant/prog displaying a lot of modern classics and acoustic jazz and eastern influences.

The music on this album is very festive and upbeat, with plenty of Gypsy influence - greatly induced via the acoustic instruments, the violin and clarinet - comparing with Finnish Uzva band or even some of the easier Samla/Von Zamla records. Although they can also be compared somewhat to their other countrymen Into The Labyrinth, Ensemble Nimbus is less influenced by world music. The two tracks that have signing are correct, with guitarist/bassist Almkvist's voice being somewhat a bit rasp, even if E S understand it is not their forte. But Almkvist shines as a good bassist and can rip your brains with his deadly guitar lines. Also in the same style of music, Miriodor is not far away, but the Montrealers are more energetic and change rythms more rapidly. Most of the album flies by fairly quickly with all tracks being relatively even in quality and none standing out, until the final track raises your eyebrow: a slow developing 8min+ track which clearly delves into adventurous developments that announces what their next album will be.

Although this album should not be recommended to every progheads (the electric drums are slightly deranging), there are many facets to this album that make it endearing. Greger speaks much better about this band than I do.

 Garmonbozia by ENSEMBLE NIMBUS album cover Studio Album, 2000
4.17 | 50 ratings

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Garmonbozia
Ensemble Nimbus RIO/Avant-Prog

Review by Greger
Prog Reviewer

5 stars ENSEMBLE NIMBUS third album, the second on the Record Heaven label, follows the same musical direction as we're used to hear with elements from Zeuhl and RIO. There are reminiscences to ART ZOYD, ETRON FOU, HENRY COW, SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA and UNIVERS ZERO. If ENSEMBLE NIMBUS weren't signed to the Record Heaven label, they would've been perfect for the Cuneiform label. The music on "Garmonbozia" is recorded, mixed, edited and mastered simultaneously as their previous album "Scapegoat". I think that "Scapegoat" and "Garmonbozio" were intended to be a double album in the beginning. The only disappointment is that the cover art is almost the same as on "Scapegoat". The painting on the last page in the CD-booklet for "Scapegoat" is exactly the same as the front cover of "Garmonbozia". You get the impression that it was quickly put together just before the release. Strange, because to me Record Heaven is known for high quality. But I guess there's an explanation, perhaps it's because of the two albums musical resemblance to each other. The album is all-instrumental, and the highlights are the 12 minute opening track "Three Stories From The Blue Cage", "Ducks In Paradise", the chaotic "Turmoil" and "The Arrow Of Time" where Hasse Bruniusson, known from SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA and The FLOWER KINGS, has the chance to show his talents. I think that Hasse has to be one of Sweden's top drummers today within the progressive genre. Overall this album is more complex than both their previous albums and I guess that's why it has become my favourite ENSEMBLE NIMBUS album so far. Highly recommended!
 Scapegoat by ENSEMBLE NIMBUS album cover Studio Album, 1998
3.84 | 20 ratings

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Scapegoat
Ensemble Nimbus RIO/Avant-Prog

Review by Greger
Prog Reviewer

4 stars This is the second album from the Swedish band ENSEMBLE NIMBUS. In the line up you can see the drummer from SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA, Hasse Bruniusson. Hasse is well known in the Swedish progressive scene as well as abroad for his work with SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA and The FLOWER KINGS. Stefan Carlsson was one of the main members on the debut CD, but here he's only stated as a guest musician. This CD was planned for a release through the label APM (Ad Perpetuam Memoriam) but was finally released on the Record Heaven's label. The best track is "Empty Chairs" where you can hear Tomas Bodin from FLOWER KINGS on keyboard. The cover art by Eva Källander is very good and it's suits the album just fine. This is very exciting and intriguing music and very challenging to listen to for those who's not used with this kind of music. The music is at times reminiscent to SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA, and I guess that if you're into SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA you'll love this CD as well. Highly recommended!
 Key Figures by ENSEMBLE NIMBUS album cover Studio Album, 1994
3.67 | 20 ratings

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Key Figures
Ensemble Nimbus RIO/Avant-Prog

Review by Greger
Prog Reviewer

4 stars ENSEMBLE NIMBUS "Key Figures" are the third release from the excellent Swedish Ad Perpetuam Memoriam label (APM). They are mixing 70's influenced Zeuhl and RIO and obviously there's reminiscences to SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA, UNIVERS ZERO and VON ZAMLA. The interesting line-up includes among others Håkan Almkvist who's responsible for the compositions and the SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA drummer Hasse Bruniusson on Electric Batterie. APM is responsible for many interesting releases and this isn't an exception. Recommended!
Thanks to ProgLucky for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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