MOONWAGON

Suitable for rides on Saturn?

If I ever rent a buggy on a distant planet, I'm thinking of bringing this one with me. You always need an album for smooth rides on zero gravity, gazing at the stars. I think the best word to describe it lies in the cover artwork: a shining diamond, giving an array of colors that succeeds themselves at a high pace. Lots of colors provided by: a vast arsenal of synths, dynamic drumming, busy bass lines and One of These Days guitar tones. This is Moonwagon: the love child of Pink Floyd and Queens of the Stone Age; space and desert rock at the same time.

Very nice space/ desert rock, perfect for interstellar voyages, especially the non-chemically- induced ones. Snatch off one star for the lack of crazyness, a bit more insanity could've give the record a perfect score!

Attention to all space prog cadets, there is a new interstellar voyager that is scouring the farthest reaches of the cosmos, boldly going where some have gone before but with a warp-speed twist that is most exhilarating. From Finland comes Moonwagon, a quartet of fine aural sculptors who have the audacity, the seasoned chops and celestial doses of imagination. The usual crew configuration mans the flight deck but there is little doubt in my mind that the ship Captain is the nasty little bass player, Janne Ylikorpi who leads the others by propulsive inspiration. His monstrous, fluid and devastating bass playing is front and center, mixed high and loud. For a Federation bass fetishist like yours truly, this is something I would "Kling-on", a rambling adventure of the highest order. Some may wonder whether there are strong Pink Floyd, Hawkwind or classic Gong vibes, maybe a little Ozric Tentacles thrown in, but the answer is, not really. Moonwagon have a harder edge, less soporific, perhaps even chaotic at times, they like to log into a specific warp speed, hold onto the groove and let the splashy synths and the gritty guitar shoot off some photon torpedoes, the bombs bursting in deep space air! In fact, there may be a closer association to a more melodic Anekdoten than anything, so it does have that icy Scandinavian vibe we all adore. I strongly advise fans to heed the bass' call and follow it through the entire journey. Janne is a reptilian fast player who has amazing depth and staying power to his playing. Every track is a pure gem, a revelation of style and sound that is universally appealing. The relentless Lemmy-like pounding only enhances contributions from keyboardist Ami Hassinen, whose preference is for extended liquid laser synthesizer runs, as well as bringing that elusive electric piano to the party, while guitarist Joni Tiala carves some creative lines, unafraid to go acoustic when need be, which is becoming such a rarity in the Psychedelic/Space realm. His electric leads are never reliant on effects, he keeps it pretty clean and technical. Drummer Jani Korpi keeps things tight and crisp, as befitting the genre's needs.

There are some scintillating tracks here, such as the opener "Elsewhere" setting the journey's tone, the battering ram effect of "New World Warrior" but none better than "Shadows Whisper Fire", a smoldering meteor of bass-lava fire, if you cannot smile in awe at hearing this, you need medical help! It's almost beyond description, a bass performance for the ages, a mix of Howlett, Wetton and Reeves. "Dawnwind" is simply splendid, a brooding astro-cruise that really hits the mark, as well as the delirious 11 minute+ "Through the Veil of Rain", where the first hints of classic-era Hawkwind appear, laced with some serious and intense Romulan space boogie. "Saturn Summer" will weave rings around your head, a breezy , asteroid-laden affair that has a bright summery feel, led again by you know who , whistling synths on one orbit and raging guitar on the second pass. Some island beats, a percussive samba, man, these lads have a strange universe to evoke and it's just so refreshing. "Past Moves" has a massive organ intro, a classic blues rock based guitar secondo, a shuffling beat a la 70s and you would thing like Booker T and the MGs, 2012 version! Tremendous quality and memorable playing.

To finish off with the extravagant "Tranceport", a title that says it all, is the proverbial Vulkan nerve neck pinch. The band has no qualms about strangeness or charm, laying down a shining cosmic highway to the stars, keeping the pace sprightly and honed to a high level of sharpness. Clanging e-piano, whirling synths, that confounded rambling bass, slick guitar licks and a two-fisted drum attack are what you get as a docking prize.What a brilliant finale ! Amazing slice of astral adventure, fans need to get this ASAP, especially the modern and demanding space traveller. Oh, and anyone who enjoys following the bass .

5 tomorrow's fireplaces

From the western parts of Finnish lands and the town of Kokkola comes this interesting Space/Psych/Prog act, found in 2008 by keyboardist Ami Hassinen (aka Ashen Simian), member of the Electronic group Nemesis, drummer/guitarist Jani Korpi, bassist Janne Ylikorpi and guitarist Joni Tiala.They released their debut ''Night Dust'' indepedently in 2010, while the album was reissued one year later with the support of Running Moose Productions and Presence Records.

At a first listening Moonwagon sound extremely close to the likes of OZRIC TENTACLES, QUANTUM FANTAY or TIME TRAVELLER, playing a genuine Heavy/Space Rock with lots of keyboards/synthesizers and a good amount of guitar diversity.More insisting spins though bring on surface a wide range of influences contained in this spacey jamming.Parts of the album have a strong retro flavor, like the organ washes and funky clavinets on ''Highway to the Orange Desert'', ''Oceans Away'' or ''Super-Altar'', the later being an interesting blend of Acoustic Music with soaring keyboards.A few moments even offer a bit of a Fusion vibe with flexible synths and frenetic playing next to more psychedelic deliveries.Fair enough though the driving force of the album is a pounding, groovy and intense Space Rock with big time Electronic soundscapes, powerful guitars and very edgy synthesizers in a trippy experience full of passion and energy.These elements are perfectly placed in the long instrumental ''Sundown Mountain'', covering a wide range of tempos, cosmic soundscapes and moods.

Very nice and recommended release.Not particularly original or groundbreaking, but definitely dynamic, challenging and passionate, full of Space Prog adventures.

The second album of Finnish group Moonwagon introduces a more organic and acoustic oriented soundrealms than was heard on their versatile debut record, which shimmered colder vastness of interstellar visions with credible force and talent. Beautiful album covers support descripting this transition process neatly, showing group members exploring the surface of new world found after cosmic travelling. After seeing the band performing live on stage here in Helsinki, I first felt that the earlier bit heavier material worked better, but there are certainly merits on this disc with a new angle to the music, and I think the album works as a fully composed entity very well. The acoustic guitars and pianos give more relaxed overall feeling to the music, and allow more dominant role to bass guitar and emphasize arrangement details. The synthesizers are also very strongly present, and work as a melodic lead instrument on the opener "Elsewhere". Their sound brings some pleasant associations of Camel's classic tunes to my mind, and the more hypnotic aural ambiences carry the compositions towards guitar and drums emphasized lounging. Following "New World Warrior" has pleasant vintage heavy rock kick in it, resembling from sound perspective slightly late 70's Uriah Heep with touches of Hawkwind's spacey magic. The group also continues with personal line of mixing more modern and heavier elements to the first presented older themes, staying in touch with their time and reaching more personality than through purist style mimicking. "Dawnwind" was one of the song highlights of the album for me, built from quite simple but well working elements of rhythmic pulse and synth themes, creating a sensation of voyaging in space, and visiting fine guitar solo licks and riff constructions.

"Endless Collision" is a shorter visitation to the acoustic vantage points of this album, and a great place for melodic bass guitar drive also. I wonder if Joni's commitment on folk duo act Vellamo is an effect or a cause to this acoustic direction; Whatever the truth is, the end result sounds sincere and convincing. Both "Through The Veil of Rain" and "Shadows Whisper Fire" are quite relaxed and longer showers of the group's musical kindness, in some parts creating associations to Anekdoten's later songs due union of Mellotron sounds, acoustic guitars and fluidly vibrating audio effect treatments. These compositions also use patiently their duration to morph carefully to several interesting directions. "Saturn Summer" follow is them as quite short but very pleasant piece, basking on the shine of keyboards and calmed by the gusts of refreshing guitar solo weaves. There are also certain proves that some Caribbean culture has been spread beyond the asteroid belt also.

The album starts to close with minor motives of "Past Moves", a song which will find later more upright feelings, slightly resembling the joyful moments from "Machine Messiah" of Yes. This set of maneuvers concludes to "Tranceport", which seems to be the most crystallized compositional effort on the album. From sounds the end result could be compared to early 80's Hawkwind records, the acoustic guitars and more relaxed feelings crafting the visions then towards more personal own sound territories. The dramatic curve flows from open synth space to steadier guitar riff passage, slowly gaining power for a warp drive jump of uncertain future. I hope this transition leap would reveal later more pleasant music on a form of third album from this sympathetic group appearing from hyperspace.

I admit I slightly miss lead vocals from the music, though there are some distant chanting and choirs here and there. This desire rises just from my own personal taste preferences, as I would love to experience stronger human presence from singing. On the other hand, it is better to play instrumentally than ruin a band though bad vocal performance ? a demise I feel witnessed much too often. Also the musicians use plenty of energy to compensate the melodics of the missing vocal lines with their full instrument repertoire. If you like instrumental music and enjoy good quality cosmic space rock with classic progressive rock influences, this album is certainly a worthy target of inspecting.

No i'm not surprised that my Psychedelic / Space brothers Uwe and Eetu have already reviewed this album. I want to thank Classic Rock presents Prog for their interview with the band, much of that info I used in this next paragraph.These guys kind of met haphazardly at this festival where bands would re-create Classic Rock albums.They kind of got thrown together and their goal was to do the first BLACK SABBATH album. It was so much fun for them that they decided to stay together, well except for the Ozzy-sounding vocalist. Most of the songs were done through jamming and improvizing because the band felt it was more exciting to do it this way. Whatever works right ? They're based in central Finland far from Helsinki. Ami the keyboardist describes it as being like the Australian outback, very backwards. Half of the year is dark and darkness is definetly a theme of many of their tunes.There's a cool picture of the band in the liner notes taken in the dark with a lantern at their feet.

"Hoodoo Horizon" opens with a sample of a countdown transmission then this slow and heavy soundscape comes in.The tempo picks up 3 1/2 minutes in then it slows back down to end it. "Highway To The Orange Desert" opens with a beat as the piano joins in. Guitar after a minute as it picks up some. Nice bass with synths before 3 1/2 minutes. Piano and guitar lead before 5 1/2 minutes.

"Oceans Away" sounds really good to start with the bass, drums and guitar standing out. It settles before 4 minutes with water sounds and more. It picks back up after 7 minutes with some excellent guitar. Water sounds end it. "Super-Alter" has these spacey synths and strummed guitar that reminds me of early PORCUPINE TREE. Nice. Organ after a minute then synths again. A definite favourite.

"Starmask" has a heavy beat with heavy guitar early. Spacey synths before 2 minutes. A Gilmour vibe when it comes to the guitar around 4 minutes. Synths a minute later. "Thunderdrift" is uptempo and heavy. It does settle after 2 minutes.

"Sundown Mountain" is the longest track at almost 16 minutes. It's dark and spacey to open. A heavy sound comes in after 2 minutes. Riffs before 5 minutes and some vocal melodies too. A change before 7 1/2 minutes. I like this. It picks up before 10 1/2 minutes with the guitar and drums leading. It settles back around 13 minutes. It's spacey a minute later. We're galloping late.

An enjoyable listen with some variety and I like the fact that they aren't afraid to let it rip once in a while.

Moonwagon's debut album offers visions to the cosmic progressive rock realms observed from Central Finland's starlit winter nights. The first riffs after the ignition made me anticipate quite dark heavy space noodlings, but the vintage analogue synthesizers and other stylistic details from larger palette broadened this perspective. The steady scans of "Hoodoo Horizon" skim to convincing instrumental landscapes through rhythmic alterations and neat solos. I was first little worried about the end of the first track if this would be another sonic volcano eruption in vein of "21st Centrury Schizoid Man", but interestingly the band continues from there dynamically with riff reprisals and finds a controlled endings. Quite surprising and interesting solution, and these voyages do not venture only in cold space, but also to more organic and alive islands of inhabited worlds floating in the void. Some piano themes, percussions and relaxed guitar tones on "Highway to The Orange Desert" give even associations of sensualist touches familiar to me from Carlos Santana and Positive Wave. "Oceans Away" dives in really calm lunar sea, melodies and firm continuum bringing memories from Camel's heyday records. The echoed guitar chords resemble slightly Rush, the song also containing similar neurotic rhythm arrangements from the 1970's albums from that band. "Super Altar" is one of my own favorites on this record, combining Hawkwind-styled acoustic guitar drive and soothing keyboard melodies, synthesizing as lovely hippie cosmic anthem. "Starmask" continues with slightly more oppressing tones, containing strong feeling of movement and travel, leading to culmination of heavier pulses in "Thunderdrift". With this track I think some innovations from the 70's hard rock group have been studied and implemented to the group's sound. The longest final track "Sundown Mountain" revels in abstract sound ambiences and slow rhythms for glorifying the grandiose visions beautifully. The song evolves to more riff-oriented theme for mountainside chanting and synthesizer soloing, the returning to more ethereal beginning theme.

What delighted me in their overall sound was the diversity of musical styles circling around the standards of tonal textures association with space rock, general progressive rock philosophies and flavored with classic heavy rock leanings. The way of expanding the conventional darker psych elements with tones from broader progressive rock sound has created more personal record, slightly similar way than Hypnos 69 has achieved. I admit though, that in my opinion these two bands are not very close relatives with their sound, but certainly share the approach in broad stylistic fusion in psychedelic frame of reference. For me most memorable sounds here were the calmer pretty guitar weeps and powerful vintage keyboard presence. The sounds are in my opinion recorded here quite well, if such quality can be evaluated with my half-deaf ears. I tested it loud on car, and with five speakers system enhanced with additional boost of Bassman 10 amp at home junkyard. Certainly the spheres of cosmos were conjured very pleasantly, all instruments in my opinion at good balance and audible, mutual levels finding full balance in intensity. So, sincerely recommended progressive psych rock record from the land of desolate woodlands and empty grey cities.

Hey, this is another surprise which recently reached me from Finland. MOONWAGON formed in 2008, however, concerning previous years everybody on his own is looking back to some kind of collaboration with diverse music projects. They have thrown this self-produced album across the progressive rock stage last year ... and, no wonder, are signed by a label in the meanwhile. The follower is in the making already ... but let's see what the 'Night Dust' is all about.

'Zero, we have ignition!' ... a quite familiar countdown leads to the band's kick-off and then you'll come upon groovy songs basically, decorated with Ami Hassinen's playful keyboard input plus Joni Tiala's psychedelic and spacey guitar work. Great synergy all the way through and I hope that they are able to transport this to the stage - hence I would love to see them performing their music live one day.

Hoodoo Horizon convinces with alternating tempos which represent either more heavy or rather spheric moments. The following Highway To The Orange Desert is ideally suitable for your next progressive rock party ... or maybe designated to move the crowd during a gig, far away from a simple implementation though. Oceans Away is nicely evolving - at some point they switch into a wonderful spacey mood, partially Pink Floyd reminiscent, tension-filled, the album's greatest aspect in my opinion - this song is a highlight definitely. Some heavier impressions are even reminding of Atomic Rooster due to the organ.

A short melancholic ballad is implemented, on the dynamic Thunderdrift they let it rrrrrrrock again, not missing a mellow interlude anyway. The closing extended track Sundown Mountain finally shines with great variety, something epic. It all starts with an ambient flow for some minutes - cosmic explorations dominate, hypnotic mantra-like vocals appear right in the middle, partially there is dramatic behaviour where they make it big, bassist Janne and drummer Jani come to the point here really.

Congrats, mission accomplished! 'Night Dust' is a bit retro outfitted in the vein of ... yeah I would name Astra and Hypnos 69 at the very front, but Hidria Spacefolk should definitely be mentioned when it comes to some sort of comparison. So this is not something revolutionary new in style, Ami and Joni are complementary though in a special unique manner. All in all I sense a positive, optimistic vibe. With other words: MOONWAGON are on a promising way, no doubt, they carry it out with a fresh and confident attitude. Enjoy it!