HIPGNOSIS

In addition Hipgnosis was also from 1968 to 1983 an English graphic design collective, known for having among others under the leadership of Storm Thorgerson created the covers of historically famous albums like "Atom Heart Mother", "Dark Side of The Moon", " Animals "," Houses of The Holy "or the first two Peter Gabriel, sorry ...

But let's come back to our sheep or rather to our Polish quintet which works more in experimental cosmic rock (rce), a rather rare branch of our big progressive family. HIPGNOSIS cites among its influences the historical Teutons like Tangerien Dream and listening to the second disc "Traveler Part 2" and its almost forty-five minutes, hard not to agree with their meaning, to put in the background while you go about to other occupations.

Disc 1 is much more interesting, at least to my personal taste and this from the inaugural title "Macbeth" and its ten minutes, it is calm, soft, somewhat adventurous, the aerial song of Ania Batko a little shrill by moments goes very well with the "electronics" of Seq Ziemislawski, we don't know it yet but it will be the best track on the album. "Love" is shorter and more energetic, a little popisty ritornello, nothing more pleasant. "Hyde Park" the third track, also a good format, highlights the bass guitar of Piotrek Nodzenski and the tribal percussions see technoids of Seq in its second part, again, like "Macbeth" c ' is evanescent sweetness, ultra melodic, we can even say a dream piece set to music. "Puls Life" begins with a space guitar on the backdrop of keyboards of the same ilk, real space rock in the first degree.

Let's move on to the second half of this "Valley of the Kings" with "Heavy" which, as its title suggests, is more violent than the rest of the record, a hawkinesque piece with brilliant percussions which takes it to the heights of the world. spatio-temporal psyche genre, a guitar which slips to Dave Brock, the song of Ania Batko which ignites strongly, the second track that I really appreciate of the album. "Depart Like a Tree" with a double male / female vocals will not be remembered in the annals at least not in mine. Let's finish with the third epic of the disc "Traveler Part 1" which also puts forward abundant percussions on an accelerated rhythm of spatial keyboards, not fundamentally original but easy to approach between HAWKWIND and the ULTRAVOX of 1983, a track which lights up with the enchanting vocals although a little pushed from Ania for the last four minutes, a good summary of the space rock of HIPGNOSISHIPGNOSIS a 't' fond' ' CRACOVIE en 2004, ils commencent leur carri're par un album studio en 2006 pass' inaper'u puis un enregistrement public en octobre 2007 qui contient une brillante reprise du ''Careful With That Axe Eugene" de PINK FLOYD. Second album studio en 2011 "Relusion" nettement plus consistant avant ce "Valley of the Kings" en cette fin 2021, un titre qui me rappelle bien 'videmment le premier album d'ARENA en 1995 mais ceci est une autre histoire et la musique d'HIPGNOSIS n'a rien ' voir avec celle du combo britannique.

Par ailleurs HIPGNOSIS fut aussi de 1968 ' 1983 un collectif de graphisme anglais, connu pour avoir entre autres sous la houlette de Storm THORGERSON cr'' les pochettes d'albums historiquement c'l'bres comme "Atom Heart Mother", "Dark Side of The Moon", "Animals", "Houses of The Holy" ou les deux premiers Peter GABRIEL, excusez du peu...

Mais revenons ' nos moutons ou plut't ' notre quintet polonais qui lui 'uvre plut't dans le rock cosmique exp'rimental (RCE), une branche assez rare de notre grande famille progressive. HIPGNOSIS cite parmi ses influences les teutons historiques comme TANGERINE DREAM et ' l''coute du second disque "Traveller Part 2" et ses presque quarante-cinq minutes, difficile de ne pas abonder dans leur sens, ' mettre en fond sonore pendant que vous vaquez ' d'autres occupations.

Le disque 1 est bien plus int'ressant, du moins ' mon gout personnel et ce d's le titre inaugural "Macbeth" et ses dix minutes, c'est pos', doux, quelque peu aventureux, le chant a'rien d'Ania BATKO un peu aigu par moments se marie fort bien avec les "electronics" de Seq ZIEMISLAWSKI, nous ne le savons pas encore mais ce sera la meilleure pi'ce de l'album. "Love" est plus court et plus 'nergique, un peu ritournelle popisante, agr'able sans plus. "Hyde Park" la troisi'me plage, d'un bon format 'galement, met en valeur la guitare basse de Piotrek NODZENSKI et les percussions tribales voir techno'des de Seq dans sa seconde partie, l' aussi, ' l'instar de "Macbeth" c'est de la douceur 'vanescente, ultra m'lodique, nous pouvons m'me dire un morceau de r've mis en musique. "Puls Life" d'bute avec une guitare spatiale sur fond de claviers du m'me acabit, du vrai space rock au premier degr'.

Passons ' la seconde moiti' de ce "Valley of the Kings" avec "Heavy" qui comme son titre l'indique est plus violent que le reste du disque, un morceau ' tendance hawkinesque avec des percussions brillantes qui l'entraine vers les sommets du genre psych' spatio temporel, une guitare qui d'rape ' la Dave BROCK, le chant d'Ania BATKO qui s'enflamme fortement, la seconde plage que j'appr'cie r'ellement de l'album. "Depart Like a Tree " avec un chant double masculin/f'minin ne restera pas dans les annales du moins pas dans les miennes. Terminons avec le troisi'me 'pique du disque "Traveller Part 1 " qui met aussi en avant des percussions foisonnantes sur un rythme acc'l'r' de claviers spatiaux, pas fonci'rement original mais facile d'approche entre HAWKWIND et le ULTRAVOX de 1983, une plage qui s''claire avec les vocaux enchanteurs bien qu'un peu pouss's d'Ania pour les quatre derni'res minutes, un bon r'sum' du rock spatial d'HIPGNOSIS

"Macbeth" begins the album, the only track played before pandemic for a symphonic entry, a melting pot between advanced new age and dance breaks, yes you read that right; the synths give their touches, Anna des Albion her organ and a final on the 'Ushuaia' to show the diversity. Love 'for a short, sung, rhythmic piece, giving space to synths and metronomic drums. 'Hyde Park' on a latent track, an atmospheric ballad at the beginning that will start with Schulze sounds and then a Peter Gabriel finale where gripping percussions combine with a squirting guitar. "Puls Life" on a Tangerine Dream base, an atmosphere of the 70s merging synths and bringing on Schulze, a more revival track. 'Heavy' on Look for the Boy 'just for the key, plus prog on On The Run' by Pink Floyd; we approach the dark wave, a sound that leads to trance; 3 minutes and Anna finally appears her voice, beautiful, a bit on Lisa Gerrard, that's telling you the tone, the vibrations! A brutal finale with percussions, synths coming out all over the place. "Depart Like A Tree" and a soaring intro, male voice, come on we rock to a tune Peter Gabriel could have created; Anna then comes to push the song on an air of musical comedy, cabaret genre, the most pop title in the end; Anna then returns as a liberator for this swing ballad.

'Traveler Part 1' and the return to the electronic / psychedelic atmosphere, a bit on Quantum Fantay and of course the fathers Ozric Tentacles, a bit new age / dark age for this long sequel which finally deposits and descales. The ardor of the record and its dark, lugubrious side engages in the 2nd part on the same tune "Traveler Part 2", well there it is "Atem", "Zeit", "Black Dance", oppressive and regressive atmosphere; 30 minutes to donf for a hypnosis without drugs, without suspect spirits, those which make you see the purple night; a cacophony orchestrated on a long explosive crescendo by the contribution of the drums; the last quarter of an hour with that ultimate break, soaring where Anna's voice is magnified; a sort of mantra of the new millennium, where Schulze recalls his association with Lisa Gerrard, here it is Anna who orchestrates and melts the most recalcitrant of you.

Hipgnosis continues its slow definition of cosmic, electronic rock and religious limit with their latest avant-garde opus. Slawek took 10 years to release this long, dark, bewitching and symphonic opus; 10 years to take you to scorched lands where every sound can no longer be stopped, an album without concession where you have to be able to still love traveling for a long time.

Being fans of the analog Space Rock period, Hipgnosis didn't want their debut to exceed the 41-min. mark as a tribute sign to the vinyl period.However their sound is very modern, while the album was only released in CD format.The style is trippy Space/Electronic Rock full of electronics, samplers and ethereal female vocals, having the basic problem of all these records, which is the repetitive grooves and some hypnotic segments.The tracks are quite long with few variations, the atmosphere on the other hand is quite impressive, filled with spacey textures.After the middle there is some strong presence of powerful electric guitars in an overall very Metal-like delivery and the sound becomes more bombastic and haunting, even more with the presence of distorted male voices.''Ummadellic'' is propably the most vintage- sounding track.It finally shows the love of the group for old-styled Space Rock, featuring the constant offering of a dramatic organ sound next to the powerful grooves and the futuristic electronics.

I do not see much of a great record here.But I definitely see lots of potential.With some care and a more flexible sound Hipgnosis can come up with a trully innovative release and who knows, sky maybe the only limit for the group.As for this album, this could be a good listening fro Space Rock and Electronic Rock freaks in the vein of PINK FLOYD or TANGERINE DREAM...2.5 stars.