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SUNRISE AURANAUT

Crossover Prog • Russia


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Sunrise Auranaut biography
SUNRISE AURANAUT is a Russian studio project, led by multi-instrumentalist and composer Vitaly KISELEV, who creates music mainly in the traditions of the classical school of Prog 70s. KISELEV cites the creativity of GENESIS, YES, E.L.P., CAMEL, URIAH HEEP, ELOY and HAWKWIND, as his major influences.

Between 2009 and 2012 he produced three demo albums, Way Of The King'', ''Childhood's End?'' and ''Spirit Of The Rain'', before being discovered by Musea Records.

KISELEV decided to make every effort to implement his debut ''Childhood's End?'', which displays romance, inner freedom and happiness that any human experiences in early childhood. This instrumental album was released eventually in the spring 2013 on Musea Parallele. Here's a contemporary personal vision of childhood, illustrated with the beauty of Nature, a sea of energy, vivid feelings and images, mystical fear, mystery, magic and belief in miracles, linked with a cosmic inspiration.

The very important for Vitaly KISELEV instrumental concept-album Way Of The King was published on Musea Parallele in autumn 2013. Back in 2009, being in the demo, it was very warmly received by the listeners. Way Of The King is mostly in the symphonic Progressive rock genre, with frequent incursions into Progressive heavy-metal territory. Music on this album illustrates stories from the life of the king who, in order to find itself and to be happy, decides to refuse the throne and all riches. He then becomes a wandering musician.

Throughout both albums, quiet and peaceful parts alternate with fast and energetic sequences. Keyboards and electric guitar rule, leaving room for acoustic guitar though. All this is combined with a powerful rhythm section.

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SUNRISE AURANAUT discography


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SUNRISE AURANAUT top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

2.76 | 18 ratings
Childhood's End
2013
2.54 | 20 ratings
Way Of The King
2013
3.09 | 29 ratings
The First Cosmic
2015
2.95 | 25 ratings
The Ocean Of Unspoken Words
2016
2.79 | 25 ratings
Inserter
2018
2.62 | 12 ratings
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
2020
2.29 | 7 ratings
New Breath of the First Cosmic
2021
2.18 | 11 ratings
Sacred Mission
2022

SUNRISE AURANAUT Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

SUNRISE AURANAUT Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

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

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

SUNRISE AURANAUT Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by SUNRISE AURANAUT album cover Studio Album, 2020
2.62 | 12 ratings

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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Sunrise Auranaut Crossover Prog

Review by Steve Conrad

3 stars Rafting on a River of Music

Sunrise Auranaut

Sunrise Auranaut is the studio-project moniker of Russian multi-instrumentalist/composer Vitaly Kiselev, here joined by Alexander Malakhov on synthesizers, and drummer Ilya Blinov. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is the sixth full-length release by Sunrise Auranaut, the third on the Rock Company label.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

The music is presented in instrumental vignettes, for a total running time of 51 minutes, 11 seconds. Samuel Langhorne Clemens, or Mark Twain, wrote what is considered as one of the great American novels, literature that some say broke ground in children's literature, use of vernacular, and frank discussion about controversial subjects.

This album refers in its titles to sections of Twain's book, and its clear much work and thought were put into utilizing the book as inspiration.

The Music

There's undeniable musical mastery on display in this album. The compositions show ingenuity, a cinematic sweep, and sophistication throughout.

Many moods, textures, and moods are musically, imaginatively presented, through playful synths, multiple layers of keyboards, treated electric and clean acoustic guitars, and tastefully supplemented by Ilya's drumming.

I thought I detected hints of folk songs and carnival tunes along with the rich, sometimes symphonic, intricate classically-inspired passages. Melodicism and lyrical sweep are strengths.

Don't Get Comfortable

It might be tempting to relax and sit back as one theme is introduced, but wait! There's more.

Tempos will change. Atmospheres will shift. This acoustic piano passage will give way to flowing organ, only to move into ragtime.

And All Done with Verve

Yes, undeniable musical mastery, with all the components of a musical masterpiece, all of it instrumental.

Yet Here's the Thing

For me, I kept wishing these uber-talented musicians would have pushed on through these vignettes, linking them musically, making of them a whole masterwork.

The vignettes while excellent, soon became distracting, as one would end, and another begin. It seemed choppy. I certainly enjoyed it, and can recommend it.

Yet while it's rafting on a river of music, for me there were too many jolting stops and starts. My rating: 3.5/5 lyrical lines.

 Inserter by SUNRISE AURANAUT album cover Studio Album, 2018
2.79 | 25 ratings

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Inserter
Sunrise Auranaut Crossover Prog

Review by felonafan

4 stars "Inserter" is the fifth studio full-length album of SUNRISE AURANAUT and - simultaneously - second release performed with participation of synth player Alexander Malakhov. Perhaps, his contribution have expanded possibilities of the mastermind, composer and guitarist Vitaly Kiselev. In general, this album continues traditions of SUNRISE AURANAUT. It is harmonious and beatiful music in the traditions of ELOY and CAMEL. This stuff reminds sometimes "musical wallpapers", lacks both some sound diversity and shifts in mood. Lovers of heavy/avant/adventurous prog will be dissatisfied with this release. Furthermore, real drummer could significantly improve the quality of the album. But listeners who prefer music characterized by hasteless development receive chance to deep into the magnificence of symphonic/space sounds and motives. The highlights are meditative "Fog" (it is masterpiece of very beautiful space music) and reminding, to some extent, the Russian classical music "One Strange Morning". This album can be good addition to many prog collections.
 The First Cosmic by SUNRISE AURANAUT album cover Studio Album, 2015
3.09 | 29 ratings

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The First Cosmic
Sunrise Auranaut Crossover Prog

Review by felonafan

4 stars The style of this album - which is the third full-length studio release of SUNRISE AURANAUT - is the combination of symphonic prog and space rock. Imagine journey into the musical universe that exists somewhere between CAMEL and ELOY (but also beyond these "planets"). The album is very integral and coherent. It is about various attractive cosmic mysteries. It is impossible to emphasize both weakest tracks and evident highlights. Perhaps, "The First Cosmic" album lacks some "hooks". Maybe also it lacks some winds and strings. But it is beautiful music. I believe that this album can be considered as the excellent addition to any prog collection. But if you like RIO, it is not your cup of tea.
 The Ocean Of Unspoken Words by SUNRISE AURANAUT album cover Studio Album, 2016
2.95 | 25 ratings

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The Ocean Of Unspoken Words
Sunrise Auranaut Crossover Prog

Review by Aussie-Byrd-Brother
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars After a humble beginning with his `Childhood's End' debut back in 2013, Russian multi-instrumentalist Vitaly Kiselev has been rapidly honing his skills and releasing consistently more complex and lavish symphonic progressive works, with 2016's `The Ocean of Unspoken Words' his most extravagant work yet. It's a well titled set, seeing as how this fully instrumental disc must rely on no vocals whatsoever to carry the keyboard and guitar-heavy vastness on offer, and `Ocean...' takes the most grandiose and bombastic of elements from the music of Rick Wakeman, the Flower Kings, Genesis, Camel, the Par Lindh Project and Karfagen amongst others, delivering a set that symphonic-prog lovers will adore.

Looking at some of the highlights, the piano pomp, chunky bass and ravishing synth runs (Vitaly handing the reins over this time around to keyboardist Alexander Malakhov) of `Perseids' sounds like Rick Wakeman jamming with Renaissance's Jon Camp and John Tout, a strong opener of fancy themes and classical elegance in amongst the whirring electronics. Both `In A Room With Many Mirrors', with its frantic keyboard runs and pounding drumming, and `The Last Meeting's ghostly organ and gothic swoon remind of Japanese all-female trio Ars Nova, and `Who Is There?' is slightly loopy with a quirky Flower Kings-like colour behind some tougher electric guitar bite and keyboard majesty along the lines of the Par Lindh Project.

The title track `The Ocean Of Unspoken Words' is one of the more ambitious pieces of the disc, full of grand orchestration-like synths and dreamy shimmering guitars delivering stirring reprising themes. The first half of `Free Wind And Home Draft' is strident and infectious before floating into mysterious spectral ambience, the reaching electric guitar strains with a touch of blues over superior organ throughout `The Secrets Of Nightlife' could have appeared on the early Steve Hackett solo albums, and the organ-dominated `The Great Dumb (Cinema)' has plenty of brisk and playful up-tempo dashes (and just listen to that tasty spacey gliding synth passage at about the 1:22 mark!). `Late Night Is Early Morning (After The Holiday)' perhaps comes the closest to a Camel-like moment, a more compact rocker that shows off plenty of Vitaly's wondrous guitar variety, ultimately revealing itself to be a frequently joyful and uplifting closer full of hope, and possibly the highlight of the album.

While some sections sound fairly similar to each-other and the music could do with more subtlety and less constant busyness, `The Ocean of Unspoken Words' is complete evidence of a talented artist growing in confidence, maturity and sophistication, delivering an immense work that comes close to being the equal of many of the higher-status acts currently performing in a symphonic style. This is story-telling prog as richly possible without utilising lyrics or vocals, and for fans of any of the above mentioned artists and progressive music proudly in the Seventies Prog tradition, this disc comes highly recommended and is composer Vitaly Kiselev's finest achievement to date.

Four stars.

(Note - Vitaly, if you read this - please don't be discouraged by the instant one-star low votes from a bunch of petty, bitter and inferior music rivals on here. Be confident and proud of your music, continue to compose your superb instrumental works and don't let anyone convince you otherwise of your great worth as an artist)

 The First Cosmic by SUNRISE AURANAUT album cover Studio Album, 2015
3.09 | 29 ratings

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The First Cosmic
Sunrise Auranaut Crossover Prog

Review by Aussie-Byrd-Brother
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars Two years ago, Russian multi-instrumentalist Vitaly Kiselev, under the alias Sunrise Auranaut, released his second album `Way of the King', a humble little do-it-yourself instrumental symphonic prog work with cheerful cover artwork that showed an emerging artist growing in confidence and finding his feet. 2015 has the artist stepping up for his third album `The First Cosmic, an hour long journey overloaded with enough endless ideas and great playing to fill numerous albums! This is proudly symphonic-styled prog in the regal manner of modern groups like Karfagen, Trion or Willowglass, with `Snow Goose'-era Camel, perhaps Rick Wakeman's solo works, Emerson, Lake and Palmer and a hint of Jethro Tull thrown in for good measure, but also given a frequently spacey spin! Deep space keyboard atmospheres and pastoral acoustics make for an interesting mix in this vibrant album, and it's Vitaly's strongest work to date.

Just pay attention to the 10 minute opener `Amazing Universe' - it sets an early template with so many glorious memorable themes and includes everything from cascading church organ, whirring Moog, marching drum pomp, murky electric guitar grunt, harpsichord-like glistenings and flighty acoustic guitar runs, the piece effortlessly gliding between the multiple instruments and passages with a great sense of flow and purpose. The heroic, infectious `Incarnation Calls' and joyfully groovy `Non-Stop' are delirious and up-tempo, `Atmosphere and Vacuum' floats with a gentle hint of eeriness and dangerous outbursts, and the balance of acoustic guitar loveliness and romantic keyboards of `Pristine Planet' bring favourable memories of Camel. `We Will Meet at the Spaceport' mixes in the drifting deep space of Sensations' Fix with organ-driven classic era Genesis majesty, subtle electronic loops and cinematic-flavoured synth flair rises victoriously in `Threshold', and the drowsy acoustic strums and reaching Floydian guitar strains over icy synths of `Lost in Deep Space' remind of Seventies group Pulsar in a few spots.

An hour that contains eleven tracks is definitely too much here (perhaps the old LP length of about 45-50 minutes would be more ideal?), and Vitaly shouldn't always feel the need to overload each piece with multiple direction and style changes, but there's no denying the constant inspiration and growing confidence on display. It truly sees the artist edging closer to the quality of modern symphonic progressive albums like Trion's `Funfair Fantasy', Willowglass' `The Dream Harbour' and Karfagen's `Lost Symphony', not to mention the earlier works of Glass Hammer, and perhaps were it to have been released by one of those more established names it would already be receiving more positive attention. But in a year that hasn't had an abundance of symphonic releases, the well-executed and energetic `The First Cosmic' is definitely one of the highlights, and Vitaly Kiselev should be very proud of what he has achieved here.

Four stars - Symphonic fans and keyboard freaks, be sure to look into this colourful album!

 Way Of The King by SUNRISE AURANAUT album cover Studio Album, 2013
2.54 | 20 ratings

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Way Of The King
Sunrise Auranaut Crossover Prog

Review by Quizzus

1 stars This sounds more like a demo or even sketches of an album/ The biggest gripe for me is guitar - instrument is constantly out of tune, playing is very sloppy and choice of notes is, to put it mildly, questionable. This is especially true for acoustic guitar, which is way out there. Drum machine is also all over the place, and again samples sound and overall balance are not very pleasing. Keyboard-related things are another story, this is done quite well. Compositions are not that bad too, some nice Camel-ish feeling. I understand that this is one man effort, but it MIGHT have been a nice album, but it just not there yet. Just skip it.
 Way Of The King by SUNRISE AURANAUT album cover Studio Album, 2013
2.54 | 20 ratings

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Way Of The King
Sunrise Auranaut Crossover Prog

Review by Aussie-Byrd-Brother
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars `The Way of the King' is a charming instrumental progressive work entirely composed and performed by Vitaly Kiselev, a Russian multi-instrumentalist who goes under the name Sunrise Auranaut. A concept album conveyed purely through musical passages without the use of words, it tells the tale of a king walking away from his life of privilege, status and wealth to become a wandering musician. I'm wondering if the story is a metaphor for Vitaly's own life, either choosing to or wishing to be able to ditch the nine-to-five grind most of us work in for a more artistically satisfying and musically, spiritually fulfilling path?

The tale is told through nine fully instrumental pieces, including a four part title suite, all loaded with vintage keyboard/synth movements, tasteful and heartfelt acoustic guitar with thrilling electric runs and gentle percussion. Full of medieval flavours and madrigal moments, with the occasional regal majesty of Genesis, plenty of the pomp of Rick Wakeman and a touch of the romantic tones of Camel. But while it may sometimes play like a love-letter to it's influences, Vitaly's personal approach always brings a touch of class and sophistication to this smooth and easy-listening journey.

A lovely church organ piece `Prologue/Coronation' opens the album, followed by the wavering Moogs (straight out of the old `Legend of Zelda' games to my ears!) and reflective placid flutes of `Castle Walls...'. Fanfare bluster, urgent electric guitar runs and contemplative acoustic moments feature in the title track, with many romantic and stirring themes worked in throughout. `Young Wind' has an upbeat strolling Hammond melody that will have your foot tapping in no time, while `Minstrel' is a lush symphonic passage with emotional and sweet synth orchestrations galore. Despite a glorious church organ middle, `Who Took - God or the Devil?' brings some unexpected crunching harder rock more reminiscent of Jethro Tull or perhaps even Hawkwind. The prancing melody of `Step By Step' brings to mind the title track of Genesis' `A Trick of the Tail', `Blues of Friendly Heat' (one of my personal favourites) is a dozy jazzy stroll through the woods on playful Hammond, Moog and piano, before `Epilogue: Happy Finale' closes in an epic manner with a reprise of the grand church organ of the beginning.

While the album lacks the dynamics that a full proper group would provide (definitely some live drums would add a lot of warmth and power next time around), there's no denying Vitaly is a talent and very proficient on all the instruments utilised here. Fans of those classic early Rick Wakeman solo works, the first Index album, Karfagen's `Lost Symphony' and maybe even Camel's `The Snow Goose' should give this one a try. I'm a total sucker for these sort of instrumental prog albums, so Vitaly should be very proud of this effort, and I have no doubt we will hear even better works from him in the future. I also feel it's our job to praise and support these sort of little artists who lovingly play progressive music, and besides, anyone who proudly thanks his Mum on the back of the CD booklet is pretty alright with me!

Three and a half stars - great job Vitaly!

 Childhood's End by SUNRISE AURANAUT album cover Studio Album, 2013
2.76 | 18 ratings

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Childhood's End
Sunrise Auranaut Crossover Prog

Review by apps79
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars Sunrise Auranaut is yet another one-man project, this time led by Russian multi-instrumentalist Vitaly Kiselev, who cites Genesis, Yes, E.L.P., Uriah Heep, Eloy and Hawkind as his main influences.Between 2009 and 2012 he produced two demo albums, ''King's way'' and ''Spirit rain'', before being discovered by Musea Records.But while his demos featured a couple of guests on arrangements, Kiselev decided to put an effort of his own on his debut ''Childhood's end?'', dealing with the romance, inner freedom and happiness of any human's early life stages.It was released eventually in early 2013 on Musea Parallele.

While it is rather hard to expect a masterpiece by a single person handling all instruments, the new technology offers so many possibilities, that this effort ended up to be a pleasant and fine listening all the way.Kiselev's influences are evident in a handful of moments in the album, as ''Childhood's end?'' contains plenty of keyboard waves, either in a very flashy and angular way or a more virtuosic, symphonic-oriented mood, albeit performed in a very modern enviroment.Dual and triple synth attacks are all over the place, accompanied by slightly heavy guitars to produce highly energetic and sufficient instrumental pieces with doses of complexity, passionate rhythmic tunes and symphonic interludes.Actually the few organ-based parts recall the music of LE ORME and E.L.P., while another pair of tracks contain mellow acoustic lines along the principles of GENESIS and YES.Other bands that come to mind are IQ or PALLAS in the more synth-drenched offerings, while the album has often a strong spacey/Electronic feeling due to the heavy use of loops and cosmic preludes.More appropriate comparisons would be similar-sounding projects such as NETHERLAND DWARF or BACKYARDS, strongly keyboard-led Progressive Rock, obviously stepping on the traces of old Prog groups but played in a very refreshing way.Most of the compositions are quite great with good guitar riffs, well-played solos and endless, fiery keyboards, split between technique and melody.

Vitaly Kiselev can surely produce some great music, based on his own talent.Although some of the programmed sounds in ''Childhood's end?'' are noone's cup of tea, the overall final feeling is that this is a well-executed and very energetic debut with potential for some better offerings in the near future.Recommended.

Thanks to evolver for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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