SKE

It doesn't even matter, if somebody listens to this music. The musician releases it, just like a beautiful bird from its cage. If somebody has seen the bird flying, consider it as a piece of luck. If not, it doesn't matter, the music has fulfilled its global task: helping us to approach the state of the Total Harmony, making the world cleaner, brighter.

Those were my thoughts while listening to the SKE's first album "1000 autunni", released in the spring of 2011 by Fading Records/Altrock.it. I was sure. This music adds to the Total Harmony of the Universe. It is a most beautiful bird, and I was lucky to see it flying. I was also sure of another thing. If I would ever make a movie, I will ask Paolo Ske Botta, the SKE's mastermind, to write the music. His music is not only symphonic or even spherical, but also it tells a story. Or if you wish, it shows you beautiful landscapes, seen, as if from the seat of the train. I guess, this is an imprint Paolo has got after his work on French TV and of course, with another RIO superband ? Yugen. But also, SKE's music has this special, a little iron edge in it. I guess, the term fusion fits most here.

Talking about performance, only superlatives pop in my mind. But my heart is gone to the woodwind, and especially the flute. I will definitely show this exotic bird to my friends. I think, even people who don't dig prog or fusion, will be able to appreciate the beauty if this one.

The roots of this album is in avant-garde. But this album branches out into other directions too and is not a purebred avant-garde album by any means. 1000 Autunni takes a lot of elements from symph prog, eclectic, avant-garde, RIO, zeuhl, jazz, folk and Canterbury. All these elements are put into a blender and given some minutes to fuse together. Don't do this in your own kitchen, btw.

The result is 1000 Autunni. An album that is both majestic and full of life. More life than I would expect from an eclectic prog album.

This is by all means a great album. From the symph prog like opener Fraguglie to the final two Hatfield & The North like closing tracks. This is an unmissable album for anyone into Canterbury prog as well as jazz and eclectic prog. Enough said.

4 stars

"Fraguglie" is almost ANGLAGARD-like in it's most aggressive moments although it does settle before 2 minutes as well as late to end it. Great track ! "Denti" is mellow with flute before kicking in before 1 1/2 minutes. It sounds like mellotron here. The tempo and mood continues to shift on this one. Another excellent tune. "Carta E Burro" has female vocals along with laid back horns and more. It picks up before 3 minutes then settles back with female vocal melodies late. "Scrupoli" has these outbursts of sound that come and go early on and what sounds like mellotron 2 minutes in.

"Delta" is laid back to start and kicks in before 2 1/2 minutes as contrasts continue. "Scogli 1" is a short piece with intricate sounds and synths too. "Sotto Sotto" is a relaxed song but it is interesting. "Mummia" is a dynamic piece with guitar, organ a beat and much more.Violin and synths before 2 1/2 minutes as it picks up some. "Scogli 2" is another short track with piano and synths standing out this time. "La Nefazia Di Multatuli" gets fuller before 1 1/2 minutes as the bass and drums join in. Vocal melodies follow. Nice. It settles after 4 minutes then rebuilds with vocal melodies. A calm ends it. "Scogli 3" is a short laid back piece. "Rassegnati" eventually has this prominant beat then powerful organ 2 1/2 minutes in followed by guitar. It settles after 3 1/2 minutes. We get a beautiful ending on this one.

A solid 4 stars for this accessible yet very interesting record.

For me 1000 autunni is a completely different proposition then Yugen. Although the music is very layered and complex the compositions flow very well. Wonderfull tunes and moods keep popping up all the time. The use of many 'antic' keyboards also gives this album a bit of a retro feel without sounding like any other band at the same time. Sometimes the organ and synths remind me a bit of Keith Emerson in his top years with ELP.

I am glad this album is classified as 'eclictic prog' , rather then avant/rio. Everyone should give this album at least a try, even if you don't Rio/Avant prog (like me). This might even be my favourite album of the year. Maybe I should even give Yugen another chance?

This is my favourite album of 2011 but it wasn't an instant love-affair. 1000 autunni is an album that slowly gives away its secrets. Even after many spins you will still discover new sounds and moods. I think this album will be considered a classic by a wider prog audience in about 10 years from now.

1. 'Fraguglie' (9/10) KING CRIMSON meets BILL BRUFORD's Earthworks meets ERIS PLUVIA meets CICCADA meets MILES DAVIS meets RUSH meets BRAND X meets KITARO'This song has it all!!

2. 'Denti' (8/10) has slower, heavier, almost cinematic feel to it. The presentation of specific and repeated melody lines makes this song feel nearly symphonic. A song with teeth!

3. 'Carta e burro' (9/10) ('paper and butter'?) is a fairly simple, almost nursery rhyme-like song which interweaves the wordless vocals of Roberta Pagani as an added instrument. The song has a lot in common, sound-wise, with Bill Bruford's early EARTHWORKS albums (sans batterie!)

4. 'Scrupoli' (7/10)

5. 'Delta' (10/10) begins with an absolutely gorgeous foundation of arpeggios and melody lines by the woodwinds. The second section--almost an interlude--includes children playground noises in the background over which guitar arpeggios play'very Toby Driver-ish'for a while.

6. 'Scogli 1' (7/10) tuned percussion, electric piano (and, later, other synths), bassoon and electric guitar dance around one another in an avant-KING CRIMSON exercise in polyphonic arpeggio weaving. Reminds me of a classical etude.

7. 'Sotto sotto' (10/10) feels like a slowed down continuation of 'Scogli 1'--making it quite beautiful--including some beautiful Robert Fripp-like guitar sounds and riffs'in a kind of AFTER CRYING masterpiece.

8. 'Mummia' (7/10) brings the listener back into the realm of cinematic soundscapes. It is replete with tension and up- and down- tempo sections. Not my favorite but perfect for a mummy movie'and the song closest to 'mainstream' symphonic (or neo-) prog.

9. 'Scogli 2' (8/10) the second 'rock' or 'stumbling block'--though, IMO, rather more like an 'tude or variation'from the X-Files soundtracks.

10. 'La nefazia di multaulti' (6/10) is another song that tries to use the vocal talents of Roberta Pagani--but this time it doesn't work. Roberta is often off-key and her melody lines are too often following another instrument (usually synth) note for note, making her presence redundant. Plus, the song seems to lack vision and focus. IMO, this is the weakest song on the album despite some breathtakingly beautiful passages (3:45-4:45). The vocals are kind of like a failed version of Burt Bacharach's soundtrack to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

11. 'Scogli 3' (7/10) opening piano arpeggios usher the listener into the best of the three Scogli variations. Organ emerges to take over the center section before woodwinds take us out'and into the album's finale,

12. 'Rassegnati' (8/10) an at-times almost eclectic/heavy prog (think KING CRIMSON on its raw side) end to the album--and what an album it is!

I've been listening to it now for more than two months. This is one for the ages! Melody and technique; harmony with dissonance. 4.8 Stars!

Here you have keyboards player Paolo Ske Botta, of the mighty Yugen, releasing an album of his music and what is in here is bliss for anyone who likes melodic and beautiful adventurous music; real adventurous melodic music, not the regurgitation of previous achievement found in other albums that inundates the progressive rock "scene" nowadays (though I do like and enjoy many of those as well, to be honest and fair).

And what disturbs me is that an album of this caliber gets little recognition and mention, it is hardly celebrated, reviewed and recommended. An album like this should appeal to all those 70s progressive rock golden era fans (as well as those embracing the more "out there" and "experimental" side of progressive rock). Those golden-era fans should like this, not because it sounds like this album is from that place and time, but because it does the same thing the bands of that age did (or tried to): explore various ways of creating music, experiment, mix influences and styles, do some trial and error. In other words, to progress beyond what is done in the general scene and make something unique, creative and (relatively) original (as much as possible).

Granted, this album is influenced by those classic bands, but the key word is influenced, not molded in their form. It brings in a storm of freshness, much like Yugen's Labirinto D'acqua did. It melts the ingredients of its influences and forms a fresh and unique sound and approach that will appeal to both those who like the classic "symphonic prog" and those who like their playful and melodic avant-prog (such as Yugen, French TV and Miriodor). Listen to Mummia and Denti and hear how Paolo reconciles the two, or rather, fuses them together.

1000 Autunni has lush tunes, melodic and seductive, at times angular and in your face (Scrupoli, Fraguglie, Denti), at others soft and comforting (Delta, Scogli 1, Sotto Sotto). The three Scogli tunes will be a test for the more "orthodox" listeners as they explore the "outer rim" and provide a more abstract and calm pace.

A piece like Denti will remind to some of Anglagard in places with its use of flute and mellotron and in others places it will remind others of Yugen. This piece is a great example of a fusion of the "symphonic prog" and "avant-prog" sides, scrambling both in a melting pot and molding them according to Ske's vision.

In Carta E Burro we are graced with beautiful female vocalizations by Roberta Pagani. The piece starts in a laid back mode and in the middle part an increase in tempo as the keyboards and saxophone engage in a superb interplay, only to relax again towards the end of the song. This solo part of the keyboards (which I think is a Farfisa organ), brings me to another point: there is use of a lot of wonderful types of keyboards here, contributing to a somewhat of a vintage-y sound (as well as the occasional reference to the "Canterbury school" sound). However, these different types of keyboards and the vintage atmosphere do not drown out and overtake the album's sound and style, they just make part of it, as is evident once listening to the album.

You are faced with a variety of instrumentation as well as an array of musicians. Paolo's friends from Yugen, Francesco Zago (guitars), Valerio Cipollone (saxophone and clarinet) and Maurizio Fasoli (piano) as well as Camembert members Pierre Wawrzyniak (bass) and Fabrice Toussaint (vibraphone, marimba, trombone, congas) all guest on various tracks here alongside an extended lineup of other musicians.

The musicianship is, as one would expect, top notch and the production crystal clear. I can hear the smallest of nuances and details and thankfull, there's a lot to pay attention to. Multiple listening rounds are needed to get a full grasp of this broad work and in my case, those were very rewarding listening experiences. I particularly appreciate the shift from the subtle and more serene parts to the rhythmic, angular and powerful sections with the always present attention to details and the layering of the instruments one on top the other, without masking them.

Listen with great attention or don't listen at all.