ADRIAN WAGNER

— First review of this album —

Adrian Wagner (mostly known for his collabs with Arthur Brown and Robert Calver) is a very curious and confidential actor in the development of early prog electronic years. "Instincts" delivers an impossible mix between Alan Parson's efforts, Tangerine Dream (Virgin Era) and Cybotron. This one offers an elevated spacey cosmic rock odyssey made of powerful hypno-drums, killer guitar tricks and melodiously epic synth patterns. Extremely fashionable materials with some sweet retro-pop bucolic accents (that almost remind me Cluster at their softest moments in "Sowiesoso") but the result is constantly pleasant and surprisingly diversified. A lot of naiveties and kitchy sounds in some groovy-synth excursions ("waterbrook", "high seas") but also very memorable ultra-catchy, tripped-out sonic themes, like in the plastic and rhythmical introduction track or the sensually floating "An other's summer comin". Instincts certainly did not pass the test of time due to the omnipresence of fashionable synthesized chords, however it remains an important contribution to the electronic prog genre in its most classical side.