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EXPERIMENTAL QUINTET

Eclectic Prog • Romania


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Experimental Quintet biography
Back in 1970s, those of us living in Bucharest, all working as journalists, had heard about some students from the Conservatory in Cluj playing in a band in a unique formation ? Experimental Quartet, a band that won quite a number of prizes at student music festivals. At that point, I hadn't had the chance to listen to their music. A work colleague of mine who used to send me recordings from Radio Cluj sent me a piece played by those guys and I was electrified. I started a national crusade promoting them; their song ?Memories from the future? stayed for 54 weeks in the most influential top at that time in Saptamana Magazine and also on the Radio. Despite being a mysterious band, I managed to invite them to Saptamana Gala in 1974, where I introduced them together with Aurel Gherghel. I think those were their golden years ? with Jenu Tunaru on keyboard, Vali Farcas on guitar (the two of them also being the song writers), Nicky Bucaciuc on bass, Puiu Delioran on drums, then Gigi Marcovici on flute. Their track ?Flowers? came out on the ?Pop Bands vol.1? vinyl (the text on the cover was written by my brother Octavian). They changed their name to Experimental Quintet or just Q, only to find out a little bit later, not without sadness, that they stopped playing. I was glad when then reformed in '77, naming themselves Q2 and I saw them again at the Club A '79 Festival, Farcas alone remaining from the old members, the most insistent player who in the meantime had become a well-known performer of academic guitar music. Those were glorious years for progressive rock with EL&P, YES, King Crimson, Wakeman. The Cluj experiments, with their beautifully mixed jazz and classical elements easily met those standards and even topped them. They scattered to the four winds, and it seemed that all trace of their existence disappeared in the same way as with so many Romanian bands. There were just a few radio recordings with Experimental Q, although later on as many as 12 recordings appeared on the Internet (where from, I wonder?), but the band had published no official record, so the mystery remained. Eventually, the ?Swedish? Nicola Bocaciu had the strength and perseverance to gather his former band mates, with the exception of Gigi Marcovici who seemed to vanish from the face of the Earth, and they put together a live concert at Big Mamou. Their ambitions seemed to resurface with the help of young Dominic Csergo (replacing Puiu Delioran, who passed away) and here they are com...read more

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EXPERIMENTAL QUINTET discography


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

4.05 | 11 ratings
Atlantis
2012
4.00 | 3 ratings
Experimental Q2: Reflux
2014
4.33 | 3 ratings
Dans Marțian
2022
4.33 | 3 ratings
Q2
2023

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

EXPERIMENTAL QUINTET Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

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

4.08 | 3 ratings
Experimental Q: Amintiri Despre Viitor
2021

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

EXPERIMENTAL QUINTET Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Experimental Q: Amintiri Despre Viitor by EXPERIMENTAL QUINTET album cover Boxset/Compilation, 2021
4.08 | 3 ratings

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Experimental Q: Amintiri Despre Viitor
Experimental Quintet Eclectic Prog

Review by dion

4 stars Possibly the most well kept secret of the Eastern Europe progressive rock scene (with no wondering surprise for other to surface up, still) is with no doubt the enigmatic group Experimental Q from the city of Cluj in Romania. To set things in order, this is not a compilation, but their very first original seventies recorded material intended for a LP production, postponed and forgotten and never released until 2021. So, for the factual fairness, here we have a valuable cultural restitution of that era. This was until now a wishful thinking of those who remember the past.

As well as it is a Canterbury scene, a kraut particular style and a more scented romantic genre R.P.I. one, progressive music from Eastern Europe could have had its particular sound in the area of the progressive music, with bands like Czechoslovakian "Collegium Musicum" or "Fermata", USSR's "Arsenal" or "Acvarium", or the Polish "SBB", "Ossian" or "Laboratorium", Hungarian "Syrius", along with the already known Romanian "Phoenix", "Sfinx", "Celelalte Cuvinte" or "Progresiv TM", and now "Experimental Q". If for a better promotion and the interest from the local production, music of this part of Europe could be very well a particular land mark for the cult of the pop music with an intellectual foundation. Its particularity may reside in the blend of the well known western genre influences of the kind with a local melancholy touch or ethnic inspiration at some point, altogether with the exoticism of an unknown language sound when lyrics sung in that typical language. This is why some will perceive Experimental Q closer to RPI movement as Romanian language is a Latin based one, nevertheless we can hear only one piece (Flori) with a smooth slippery olive oil Mediterranean vocal timbre on this album.

The title of the album, "Amintiri despre viitor", could possibly be much better translated into English as "Remember the Future". By the time when, the mostly instrumental pieces, were created, the bestseller book of Erich von Däniken, "Chariots of the Gods", was published in Romania under the title translated as "Amintiri despre viitor", a translation closer to the one in Portuguese edition as "Recuerdos del future". The success of that book made a lot to be inspired and become dreaming creative relied on the thematic of the book. I have no doubt that the young musicians were thinking a lot about that, as Nektar did as well on the same period of time when titled their concept album "Remember the Future" (1973) as so. A reference to this album may as well be considered for some musical similarities with it as well.

Musically speaking, Experimental Q brings a refreshing and very original sound nevertheless. Hints of Classic Baroque, plenty of jazz touches, energetic pure rock, all wrapped up in a well defined novelty prog sound would describe their music. The craftsmanship of the compositions is perfect and the artistry coat reveals a very well trained musicians in terms of technical details and a fitting perfectly matrix together when swinging. Each player instrument in the band proves strong personalities as musicians with fair room for each to express themselves. Eugen Tunariu's keyboards can be very classical and jazzy at times, Valentin Farcaș's guitar could be gentle and flamboyant as well, Nicolae Bocaciu's bass easily sustains and leads different rhythms, Nicolae Delioran's drums lays a sustainable carpet sound with colorful nuances when needed, and Gheorghe Marcovici's flute can be soft and romantic as Debussy's "Girl with Flaxen Hair" to Roland Kirk's chaotic vocal flute style playing. Altogether a great pleasure listening to the whole record from start to end. Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection - 4 stars

 Atlantis by EXPERIMENTAL QUINTET album cover Studio Album, 2012
4.05 | 11 ratings

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Atlantis
Experimental Quintet Eclectic Prog

Review by apps79
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars Formed in the city of Cluj in 1973 and originally named Experimental Quartet, this Romanian group consisted of Valentin Farcas on guitar, Nicolae Bucaciuc on bass, Eugen Tunaru on keyboards and Nicolae Delioran on drums, before adding flutist Gheorghe Marcovici to the line-up and becoming the Experimental Quartet.This formation lasted until 1977, when several members moved abroad.Farcas continued the legend of the band with a vastly different crew under the name of Experimental Q2, apparently until early-80's, when he emigrated to Germany.After several tracks surfaced in the net from a rumored, never released album around 1975 and a huge interest in this obscure group, in 2010 Nicolae Bucaciuc gathered Farcas, Tunaru and new drummer Dominic Csergo (original drummer Nicolae Delioran had passed away) to reform the band.Two years later reworkings on the band's old material along with a few new tracks were released as ''Atlantis'' on the Romanian label Soft Records.

An excellent and 100% progressive band, Experimental Quintet had to be among the best well-kept secrets of 70's East European Prog, fortunately this album would unleash the majesty and talent of this magnificent group.I challenge you to encounter any bands from the 70's to play diverse Prog Rock with symphonic, jazzy, spacey and folky vibes with a succesful result.Because Experimental Quintet did so and ''Atlantis'' is the best proof.An accomplished group of musicians, which could combine spacey keyboards with psychedelic and folky overtones and then suddenly perform Heavy/Romantic Symphonic Rock in the best Italian tradition or put up a fest of jazzy workouts in a Prog Rock package.Although the present material was more recently recorded, the 70's spices are all over the place, from the delicate, vintage flute parts to the Teutonic-sounding synthesizers and from the dominant presence of the organ to the careful and refined sound of the guitar.The arrangements are largely instrumental, passing from soft electric textures to powerful executions with keyboard and guitar interplays or from rural soundscapes with the flute in evidence to supertight Fusion exercises.I can also hear a certain psychedelic influence in most of the tracks, which is very well adapted by the stylistical flexibility.Tracks are quite long with beautiful thematic changes, a very strong jazzy content, big time Classical flavors with an Italian aura and some occasional breaks into Heavy Rock.

Releases like this one make me wonder how many bands have been sacrified in the name of commercial failure by record companies or get buried by their own, amateur profile during the 70's.Imagine that these tapes would propably remained dusted on a shelf if it wasn't for internet.Superb, technical and grandiose Prog Rock of an excellent quality.Highly recommended.

 Atlantis by EXPERIMENTAL QUINTET album cover Studio Album, 2012
4.05 | 11 ratings

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Atlantis
Experimental Quintet Eclectic Prog

Review by LetMeRoll

4 stars Experimental Quintet - under the name stands for one of the squandered opportunities for global career . The team was composed of professional musicians and worked at the Music Conservatory of Cluj. Their music based on free improvisation -based jazz -rock aesthetics. Unfortunately, the conditions in the home country not allowed to succeed at what they deserved.

In several places on the Internet you can find mp3-album released allegedly still in the 70 '- " Amintiri despre viitor " (literally . The memories of the future) . In fact, it is a conglomeration of radio recordings , never released as a regular album.

Thus, the presented plate is first recorded by the band in all of its activities . Gentlemen gathered after nearly 40 years of re- recorded old material plus a few new compositions . Without a doubt very interesting proposition for jazz-rock fan. The album which you can safely put next to the greatest works of Western European jazzrock .

Thanks to epignosis for the artist addition.

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