TRANSPORT AERIAN

Transport Aerian has always been the vehicle for multi-instrumentalist Hamlet, but over the years he has brought in more people so that for this album it is actually a band for the first time as opposed to Hamlet and associated guests. Rachel Bauer (additional vocals & narration) is back for her third album, and they are now joined by Umut Eldem (keyboards, organ, piano), Paul De Smet (drums) and Stefan Boeykens (guitar), while Hamlet provides vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass, and programming. I was a huge fan of the last release, 'Theriantrope', so was looking forward to this album, but I must confess that after the first playthrough I really wasn't sure. Part of that is due to the sheer contrast in the styles being provided within the space of 43 minutes, and there are no doubts that certain sections work better than others, but I must confess that by the time I worked through it for the fourth time I found there was a great deal on here to enjoy.

It is a concept release, whose main themes are focused on the tragedy of an ordinary loving couple caught in the turbulent events of the world preparing for the war and standing on the brink of the global catastrophe. I was struck at just how strongly this is neo-prog at times, and if they have not been influenced by Credo I was would be quite surprised, yet there are also sections where they move strongly into prog metal, and allows the guitars to really shine. It is when they veer into a more electronic style, such as on "Latgalian Gothic" where my attention starts to wander, as the programming is far too much to the fore. Hamlet's vocals don't work as they should, and it sounds as if they are deliberately stepping away from what might be expected to create something which at times is more atonal and experimental.

When they are in full flow then that is when they are at their best, creating large sounds which are modern anthems, but while I enjoy experimentation as much as the next, there are times when what they are doing really does not gel in terms of the rest of the album. The result is something which is interesting and intriguing, as opposed to essential, but if Hamlet keeps this group of musicians together I am sure they will become more organic over time.

***Originally written for theprogmind.com

8.5/10

I always wrestle with words for a new Transport Aerian record. The band has its own sound and its own way of doing things, and they don't care if you like it or not. Or, maybe they do, but they aren't going to change based on your feedback. Anyways, the album releases today, October 29th, and is called Skywound. I like it.

Transport Aerian hails from Belgium. The mastermind and founder is Hamlet. I'm fairly certain that isn't his real name and that he's just playing all of us. He handles vocals, bass, guitars, and programming. With him is a new lineup, namely Stefan Boeykens on guitars and programming, Umut Eldem on keys, Paul De Smet on drums, violin, and programming, and Rachel Bauer on additional vocals and narration.

The band has an unconventional sound. The bio that came with the promo describes them as progressive rock with classic prog elements and a post-modernist bent. The latter is definitely true, but the band plays something I can't describe that well. It is "progressive" in the true meaning of the word, being ambitious, maybe a little odd, and maybe even a little scary. There are crazy rhythms and atmospheres all over the place, and it can take a few listens to process what they play.

This album is probably the heaviest of the Transport Aerian records thus far. I first started listening to the band in 2013 with the dreamy Bleeding, solidified my adoration of their sound with 2015's Darkblue, and was completely blown away by their masterpiece, 2017's Therianthrope. This album, as strange as it might sound, is possibly the most accessible of them all. It has heavy, driving guitars on several tracks, some catchy choruses, and some bright and addictive electronic moments that I love.

In fact, there is something notably "grunge" about this record. Hamlet might crucify me for saying that, but it's true. There is a grit and grime here that sounds amazing with his intelligent lyrics, wild vocals, and reinvigorated sound. Look, I'm the first one who would say that Hamlet's voice is an acquired taste and that some of the off-tone moments in the album make it difficult to love immediately. I get it. But I think this band is worth the time and patience, and the grungy approach makes that a bit easier, I think.

I also think that kind of melancholy and cynicism are purposeful. The album follows tortured lovers as they wade, or maybe drown, in the sea of calamity, political bull[&*!#], and ruin that is the human condition. It is a far-reaching album, one that hits close to home, and one that has some biting things to say.

The album has 13 tracks, all of them playing into each other almost seamlessly. The flow is part of the overall goal here. There are some truly great songs on here, too. "Shall Not Be" is the opener with a vivid, almost Gothic sound to it. Its driving guitars sound great with Hamlet's voice. There is a four-part suite of interlude-type tracks, called "Fracture", that are strewn throughout the album. I really like these songs, ranging from ballads with Rachel on vocals to acoustic guitar musings to my personal favorite, "Fracture II", which has an addictive electronic rhythm. I absolutely love that track. It is crisp, robust, and so much fun to hear.

There are other highlights. "Lunatic" is a track with transitions, especially of the loud-soft kind. It actually sounds a bit "classic rock" in how heavy it is. Actually, maybe it sounds more like classic metal, such as Black Sabbath. I love the grit it has. Another favorite is "Latgalian Gothic", an abstract and even muddled song that explores both electronic and piano. The piano is beautiful, especially the stilting rhythm near the end. I like the single "Falling 20", a bit of a Tom Waits-esque experience at first with gravelly vocals and a sauntering beat. It takes off near the end, though, with all the blurry, darkened fervor that Transport Aerian typically offers. I also love the title track, "Skywound". This is the closer, and it is a pretty crazy piece. While it might sound reserved at first, Hamlet sort of unleashes his vocals in the second half, and it is both terrifying and also awesome. The song overall is subtle and gracious between the moments of mighty singing, though, especially the ending, which it nails perfectly.

This might not be the same level of masterpiece as Therianthrope. I'm not sure Hamlet can ever top that vibrant, peculiar, and haunting work of art. But Skywound is probably my second favorite of his. Transport Aerian sounds fresh and revitalized for a new chapter, and this album has excellent material, especially for a live performance. I'm looking forward to digging into it more as time passes.

Belgian band Transport Aerian started off as a solo project by multi-instrumentalist Hamlet Tinae, but by the time he had reached this his fifth album in 2017 he was still providing much of the instrumentation, but this time around he decided to bring in many guests to help him fill out the sound. To say this is dark, complex, ethereal and majestic actually doesn't do justice to the music. It feels fragile, as if the glass has been shattered but not all pieces have fallen yet, and when they do then the listener will be required to walk barefoot over the shards. The themes of the album are dedicated to the emotions of the mind, torn by different assets of mental illness in the context of quickly developing the world on the brink of the war, social and economic catastrophe, and it certainly feels like the output of a broken mind.

It also feels incredibly cinematic, and it wasn't a surprise to discover that one piece of music, 'The Abstract Symphony' (here in five parts) was a set of songs and instrumental pieces based on blind improvisation by those involved. Nobody knew what the other musician would play, as they were only given a theme to describe and photographs to emphasize the visual in the sound. These musicians include Paul Sax (Curved Air, Praying for The Rain), Elvya (Ayreon, Elvya), Marco Ragni (solo), Peter Matuchniak (Gekko Project), JoJo Razor (Gekko Project), Stef Flaming (Murky Red, Ocean 5), Darren Brush, Stefan Boeykens and Rachel Bauer. I know quite a few of these musicians, at least by their work, and found it hard to recognise their individual inputs such is the way their normal playing has been distorted by the demands placed upon them.

If there was ever an album to describe mental illness, then it would be this, as it moves and jumps from one place to another, always making sense but often on its own and with no relationship to what has gone before. Due to this it is a hard album to listen to, and there will be far more who feel this is beyond them than those of us who have stayed the course and end it wondering what on earth is going in the head of Hamlet. Not for the faint-hearted, if ever there was an album to hear before purchasing then it has to be this, but I found it compelling.

Hamlet Tinae. I had no idea who he was but somehow we connected on Facebook. It turns out, a couple of musicians I know collaborated with him on this album and I guess that's how he found me. Since I was seeing all these cool photos of this guy who, in one photo at least, looked like he was from a vampire movie and also appeared with an intriguing band called Fabulae Dramatis, I thought I should check out his music. I ordered this album blindly. Or rather deafly because I had at least seen how Hamlet looks but never heard anything other than a short clip from Fabulae Dramatis.

Sometimes it's really great to get an album that totally surprises you in a good way. I mean, it might not be what you're into at the moment but it lands in your aural lap and throws cold water in your audio processors and makes you go, "Woah!" and then fall off your spinny chair. If you have one.

How to concisely describe the music on this release of Transport Aerian (I haven't heard others but I am certainly interested now!) was eluding me, Sunshine, so I went to the profile page on Melodic Revolution Records (home to so many unique music projects!) and found this description:

"Transport Aerian is essentially a one-man prog noir project led by a producer and multi-instrumentalist Hamlet. It sets no strict genre borders, knows no musical or spiritual limits. At the different times, the project had been working with different musicians, always changing and shifting its live and studio experiences depending on what the current creative state demands, performing drastically different kinds of music, yet always staying in the shape of poetic, sharp-edged artistic kind.

"The project's philosophy is closest to those, calling themselves expressionists in poetry and fine arts, therefore, the inner side of the emotional expression is what Hamlet intends to bring through project's music to whoever who is willing to hear the word said."

That is a pretty good explanation. This album is dark, brooding, deep, and murky. It's heavy at times but in a forboding kind of way. It's industrial at times with that air of dark poetry that often comes with industrial music. It's mysterious. It's haunting. It's beautiful. It's profound! "I've got a problem with survivour's guilt. I've got a problem dealing with it. I've got a problem with a herroine whore, staring at me from the record in a vinyl store." (from the first track "Smirking Sirens")

Hamlet has created an album of two approaches. First is the traditional approach of writing songs and composing music. Well, okay, the sometimes clashing notes and dischordency or the unusual blend of instruments is not exactly traditional. But these are lyrics and music created by one man. Then there's the Abstract Symphony. For these five tracks, Hamlet sent the concept of each track to several outside musicians and asked them to play and record whatever they imagined from the title alone. The five titles are "Information Field", "Saturate", "Lovemeat", "Poor Things Need", and "Immortals". From their contributions, which were made without the musicians having any idea of how the final piece would sound, Hamlet created these five diverse tracks. I'll say that the experiment worked successfully!

One point I really like is the spoken words by Rachel Bauer. With her accent, the quality of her voice, and the enigmatic words she speaks, and the music accompanying her, there is a special delight for me to hear her.

Transport Aerian's "Therianthrope" is not going to be an album for people who are more into crossover prog or popular song-writing styles. It may be too weird for some and there's quite a range of instrumental sounds that are outside the traditional rock band format. However, this is an album that some people need to know about. You! You should know who you are. This album has a message for you types. Hamlet Tinae is communicating with people like you through his music. Won't you listen?

Belgian project TRANSPORT AERIAN was formed by composer and musician Hamlet back in 2003 as a creative outlet and solo venture for his music. The debut ablum "Blessed" was released in 2009, and since then three more studio productions and one live CD have been released under this moniker. "Darkblue" is the most recent of those, and was released in 2015 by Melodic Revolution Records.

"Darkblue" is an album that will appeal to those drawn to darkness, those who manage to understand and cherish the beauty of horror, the aesthetics of bad dreams, the stark brilliancy of brutal honesty. It probably also calls out for listeners with more of an introverted nature and personality, as the atmospheres and feelings explored won't be those you'd bring over to friends to chit-chat over. Progressive rock fans of the kind that frequently have artists like Nine Inch Nails and perhaps also Gary Numan on their playlist come across as a key audience, I imagine most of those who recognize themselves in that description will appreciate the relative charms of this disc.

In between 2013's Bleeding, and what would eventually become Darkblue, Transport Aerian released Love.Blood.Live, a compilation of live recordings made during live shows on Bleeding. The idea was to give fans world wide, who would not be able to attend shows in Europe, a feel for what Hamlet and his accomplice at the time Stephan Boeykens were capable of live. In doing that, they also created an nice introduction into the repertoire and style of Transport Aerian at the time.

From the opening track Love it is clear that Transport Aerian is not about party music. The atmosphere is gloomy and dark. The music, minimalistic - a pulsing bass, with (percussive) noises around it gives it an industrial feel, perhaps even more postrock, with some interesting guitar work by Stephan Boeykens near the end. The spoken word vocals of Hamlet tell of someone looking desperately for love in a voice that seems to be on the edge of breaking...

Inspire shows a different face of Hamlet - loose piano notes are the basis of the song, which features a higher pitched, singing vocal, but still with a desperate ring to it. Drums and guitar loop kick in half way to make it more powerful, and near the end we get a haunting guitar and bass piece that is replaced by a horror movie like piano crescendo to finish the track.

With Fog Vision, another post rock like track appears - this time a bit faster played, and with an almost whispering vocal. A vocal that disappears completely for 2 minutes on the instrumental Float - a track by Stephan Boeykens, featuring a single guitar and a loop station, playing picked melodies.

This guitar seems to return briefly at the beginning of Nightsky, but switches to strumming when the vocals come in. In between verses, the guitar plays a simple 3 or 4 note repeating tune, which draw attention in a weird way. When singing on this one, Hamlet suddenly adds an aggressiveness to his vocal that wasn't there earlier. Involuntarily, in some places he manages to sound like a hoarse version of Klaus Meine - but only if one wants to hear that.

The aggression gives way to melancholy on the slightly sad, moody Winter, which also contains some nice, haunting postrock guitar work.

After this, its time for another instrumental by Stephan Boeykens, once again guitar and loop station, Minor Moody. A moment of peace in between the darkness of the other tracks.

And then, the two closing tracks Triangle Town and Radio Void bring us back to the opening - spoken word, dark music and a stronger beat than elsewhere on the album. Triangle Town also shows a little bit of jazz influences, when the bass and piano join the guitar and speed things up a bit halfway the track.

As I wrote in my review for Darkblue, this is not music to be played as background noise. No music ever should be, but in this case its impossible - you have to listen to be able to appreciate this, and that is what music should be about. Even though it's dark and gloomy, there are times when this is worth putting on and sitting down for - even if only once, to get a feel for what Transport Aerian is about.

When I was in high school, I always looked at the aspiring musicians in my school (some got quite far with their aspirations too) as if they were some sort of mystics. They always had this sense of being untouchable, impossible to understand around them. That feeling disappeared over time, as I kept in touch with some of them, and it turned out that they were just moving into the same musical areas where I ended up (albeit I started as a listener and became a player only much later). End of 2014, in the chatroom of House of Prog, I ran into Hamlet, the man behind Transport Aerian, and that old feeling returned. This man seemed to be very intelligent, open for communication, but also somehow distant, almost unapproachable. Now, half a year later, I know that the latter is not true, Hamlet is indeed intelligent, but certainly open for communications. However, unlike my old school mates, he is much less moving into the mainstream (or mainstream prog) direction than many others.

When I started reviewing his new album Darkblue, I was thinking of writing a double review for that album and the live album Love.Blood.Live, which preceded it last year. That wouldn't do justice to Darkblue however, because this is vastly different from Transport Aerian's earlier work. Where, as Hamlet wrote in his blog himself, Bleeding (studio album) and Love.Blood.Live are more song oriented, Darkblue is a surrealistic movie expressed in music and the visuals of the accompanying artwork. To that will, as plans are being announced now, the visuals of a live performance will be added later.

This album for sure is what the title suggest, dark, but not pitch black (although Jim Morrison's work with The Doors is almost white compared to this). The music is haunting and minimalistic (Sand Horizon), experimental at times (Black), leaning towards industrial in places (Full Body Access, ), while building almost psychedelic soundscapes in others (Epitaph) - and then there is something close to hard rock or metal as well (Crossbreed).

The lyrics, spoken and sung by Hamlet and his accomplice for this album Rachel Bauer (also responsible for the mystic photos in the album booklet) tell a story of, in Hamlets own words 'exile, self-isolation and love' - in a dialog between two people. As explained on the Transport Aerian blog, this "is the one-piece musical diary that tells the surreal love story, which is being recited throughout the album's temporal and spatial space from the face of two main characters". A concept that makes it nearly impossible to do a track by track review. In all honesty, I see no point in listening to individual tracks anyway - this is indeed a single piece of music. Thus, I'll hold back on that and just recommend anyone who's in for something non-conformist, experimental and as true to art as art can be, to give this album a try and experience for themselves what Hamlet felt when writing this music, and what Rachel Bauer and him made out of that when recording.

I really hope I'll be able to catch a live performance of this album, if only to see if my own visualisations match those of the artists. Hamlet announced working on the scenario for a live performance as I write this, so perhaps see you there, dear reader?

(also published on my blog www.hulshout.nl/rfm)

4.5 stars

I'm so proud of Hamlet. I really am. I originally discovered his unique music with 2013′s 'Bleeding' and again with his spectacular live album 'Love.Blood.Live.'. Hamlet is one of those musicians that manages to keep my interest by being completely out of his mind, but totally focused and brilliant at the same time. His project, Transport Aerian, is finally making some real headway of late, and their new album 'Darkblue' might be Hamlet's best work to date.

This time around, Hamlet handles everything from vocals and guitar to bass and programming; however, Stefan Boeykens also steps in on guitars, and, in what I found to be a surprising move, he also added the beautiful voice of Rachel Bauer, too. These three have created something truly special that is dark (obviously), murky, effervescent, and stark. There is a poetic motion that occupies this album in full, with rhythm and flow, ugliness and sadness, abrasion and melancholy. Yet, the album features bright keys, incredibly groovy moments, and, dare I say, very catchy sequences that seem pop-ish in some ways. Now, I know Hamlet will hate me for saying that, but the album is the better for it.

This isn't happy music. If you think you will be uplifted and edified, you'll be sadly mistaken. Hamlet's music absorbs his own natural cynicism and sarcastic nature: a kind of frustration with society and people in general. Not only do his lyrics reflect this, but the music itself is rarely structured normally, and that's a good thing. As for Hamlet himself, he does a great job on vocals, as I feel that he's really gotten past some of the snarkier moments that were a bit difficult in past albums. Rachel, too, is a wonderful counterpart for him, adding warmth and psychedelia to an already crazy album.

Without a question, my favorite track on 'Darkblue' is 'Black'. Honestly, this might be one of my top tracks of the year, too. It transitions from subdued and poetic to climactic and breathtaking in the blink of an eye. It gets me every time. Other favorites are the sensual 'Full Body Access', the warmly abrasive and bleak 'Sand Horizon', the instrumental 'Sniper', and, my second favorite, 'Epitaph', where Hamlet gives us probably his best vocals on the album.

Buy this album. You will not find anything else like Transport Aerian's 'Darkblue' this year, or any year, really. Hamlet has managed to best even his incredible live album by creating real texture, very human relatability, and haunting musical atmospheres. Give into the darkness.

Originally written for progulator.com

Transport Aerian's 'Bleeding' is the solo project of a young belgian multi-instrumentalist, known as Hamlet. Just like in the cult fantastic movie of 1962 "Carnival Of Souls", where the main character wanders from the world of the living to the world of the dead, we have the feeling, when listening to the album, to step from a reassuring universe to another one that sounds much more frigthening. The first owes a lot to a beautiful clean voice akin to the "Less Is More" style of Mariusz Duda (on "Score" for example). At times, the timbre is more unexpectedly closer to Scorpions' Klaus Meine (it is blatant on "Nightsky" for example). This "first world" is also embodied by cozy ambiances borne by a somewhat light piano, a vaporous flute ("Inspire"), aquatic guitar licks ("Score", "Nightsky" and "Winter"), some lazy cymbals (weaving the canvas for the spacey world of "Triangle Town"), and last but not least the always appropriately brought in silences. The second world is represented by a chant either angry in a hardcore vein ("Mortals") or haunting in the spirit of Nick Cave ("Fog Vision", "Edges"). Drums are slow in this other world, guitars sound threatening, distorted or weeping ("Love") and keyboards (be it piano, or Rhodes, or Dulcimer samples) quite frightening. On a musical level, we are close to the dark world of Nick Cave or Diamanda Galas, with hints of Neurosis-like post-hardcore here and there. Notes of dry "tribal-ambient" jazz in the line of Torn Karn Bozzio project, and echoes of movie soundtracks, from the piano notes of Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" to the haunting musical landscapes of David Lynch's movies, also spangle the album. Guitars, on the other side, can be dyed with the colors of Arto Lindsay's no- wave, or wander in the meditative and weeping garden of Robert Fripp, or even burst into the excessive "wah wah" whirlwind of The Cure's "The Kiss" ("Mortals" and the closing section of "Edges"). Very personal and highly original work, "Bleeding" should satisfy all music-lovers looking for versatility and unusual atmospheres. Noteworthy, the band was recently signed to the Melodic Revolution Records label and a remastered version of the album is now available.

True artists are difficult to find nowadays. I don't mean people that can simply make music, even well. I mean the real deal, those people that are saturated with eccentric-ism, and those people around the world that have an aura of creativity and imagination in everything they do. Hamlet Transportinae is one such individual, and he is rather proud of that fact. His 2013 album "Bleeding" was an excellent example of his eclectic, unique style, and that album even received an HD re-release through Melodic Revolution Records a few weeks ago.

So, on the heels of all that, Transport Aerian has released his first live album, "LOVE.BLOOD.LIVE". As you might have guessed, this isn't your normal live album. There are no cheers, applause, or any crowd noises at all. Plus, the entire show is put on by only two people: Hamlet and his friend Stefan. These two put on a fine show that includes plenty of real-time triggered programming, but also plenty of amazing instrumentation and splendid vocals. Like I said, "LOVE.BLOOD.LIVE" is not your normal live album.

But how does all this translate? Incredibly, the show goes on without a hitch, and it's often difficult to tell where the programming starts and ends. Another thing I've noted on each listen is how different the music sounds. Transport Aerian's sound is a rather unique mix of darkness, melancholy, wonderful guitars that range from riffing to soaring solos, synth that sounds unlike any I've heard, and Hamlet's accent-laden, rich voice. Yet, he messes with the structure and sound of many of the tracks, to great effect. The music sounds warmer, more inviting, and incredibly sophisticated. There is a poetic vibe to the whole "LOVE.BLOOD.LIVE" experience that sucks you in, and I think much of that may even come from the excellent sound and mix.

The track list is also a real treat. Some of my favorites off of "Bleeding" make an appearance, such as "Love", "Inspire", and "Winter", but also tracks that I'd never heard, such as "Minor Moody" and "Radio Void". The former three are tweaked and polished to perfection. Of greatest note is "Inspire", an excellent song that has been made into something even more spectacular through the use of a great mix, awesome programs, and a rethinking of some parts. It may be my favorite on this live album, especially because I appreciate the incredibly unique synth solo that is simultaneously catchy and hard to follow. The latter two tracks range from atmospheric to astonishingly bold and even heavy at parts. All the while, Hamlet excels in the vocal department, as his live voice seems to have even more personality and depth.

Transport Aerian's first live album, then, is a true success. "LOVE.BLOOD.LIVE" is interesting, never dull, and keeps even the fans on their toes. Whether it be the poetic readings of "Triangle Town" or the meatier version of "Winter", this album mixes up everything to a level of elegance, maturity, and refinement. If you are interested in unique, fresh progressive rock, I highly recommend this fine live album.