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Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Suggest New Bands and Artists
Forum Description: Suggest, create polls, and classify new bands you would like included on Prog Archives
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=87344 Printed Date: April 18 2024 at 02:39 Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Pandora Ensemble (Netherlands/Eclectic?)Posted By: Guests
Subject: Pandora Ensemble (Netherlands/Eclectic?)
Date Posted: June 03 2012 at 13:24
Released privately in 1978, here is short info from a re-release in 2012:
Originally released privately in 1978 and long sought after by
collectors, III was the one off album by this Dutch progressive rock
band. The dual guitar driven quartet injected a touch of anarchy into
their mix of improv and Crimso influenced prog. This release marks the
first time it has ever appeared on CD. It comes with extensive
unreleased bonus material, detailed liner notes and unpublished photos.
The album was mastered by audiophile engineer Bob Katz from the original
analogue master tapes. This is a strictly limited edition of 500 copies
and arrives housed in an old style mini-LP tip-on sleeve.
From http://www.lasersedgegroup.com/modulus/hetpandorra.html" rel="nofollow - here.
Original track listing 1978: 1. Voor Mekaar (10:33) 2. Kanon Pittoresk (11:07) 3. Ritme 7000 (2:41) 4. Drei (4:58) 5. Karotten (15:19)
Here are some samples, more detailed biography is below.
Experimental group led by the Planteijdt
brothers that started around 1972 and ended in 1978. At the same time
they played in the popgroup Door Mekaar. After the group broke up all
the musicians played in numerous bands, both as member and guest.
Gert-Jan Blom played in bands like Bauer, Fay Lovski and The Beau Hunks.
Wilfrid Snellens played in Black Slacks but sadly died in 1997. Dolf
Planteijdt became a well known producer of punk bands, but also played
in Morzelpronk. And Wouter Planteijdt was a member of (a.o.) Corry &
De Grote Brokken, Morzelpronk, Sjardin’s Terrible Surprise and Sjako!.
Let
me start by saying that this album is Holland’s best kept secret. It is
an excellent album that contains some of the best progressive music
recorded in the Netherlands. It is experimental, complex and very
exciting. The Pandorra Ensemble was an experimental band led by the
Planteijdt brothers, who both played guitar. The music is completely
instrumental, and except from one track, it is bass (in the style of
Chris Squire or Peter Vink), drums and lots of guitars. If compared to
other bands, they have something in common with King Crimson. This shows
in their avant garde type of rock and also in the guitar playing of
Wouter Planteijdt which resembles the style of Robert Fripp. If Crimson
had recorded an album in 1978, this is how it could have sounded. Other
references are Djam Karet and mathrock from bands like Don Caballero.
The
album consists of three long tracks and two shorter ones. The first
track is Door Mekaar. The main feature of this track is two guitars
playing together and against each other. The opening has a Canterbury
feel over it. After a quiet center part the song is build up again with a
bass solo and ends with a fantastic guitar solo. A great track that
realy defines the sound of the Pandorra Ensemble. The second track is
Kanon Pittoresk. With it’s repetitive themes the start of this track it
is the closest they come to mathrock. Halfway the most breathtaking
minutes of the album pass you by. The rhythm of the song changes and a
guitar solo that bring tears to your eyes start. At the end the same
solo is played again, but this time up-tempo.
To slow thing a bit and
or the listener to take a deep breath, the album follows with two
shorter tracks: Ritme 7000 and Drei. The first is guitar and bass and on
top of that a flute, played by Roland Brunt. It is a nice little tune.
The second is best compared to the opening of Crimson’s Lark’s Tongues
In Apic, part 1. In the middle a few people shout number in German,
although almost not audible. This is a sort of intro to the closer of
the album, Karotten. This one starts very quiet but soon they pick up
some sort of groove with a heavy bass guitar and some great soloing ( a
mix between Akkerman and Fripp). When the song becomes quiet again and
you think the album is over, they play a sort of reprise with a very
beautiful and melodic piece of music.
The musicianship of all players
is very high. But a special word goes out to guitarist Wouter
Planteijdt. He can easily be added to the list of great dutch guitarist,
where he completes the top three with Jan Akkerman (Focus) and Joop van
Nimwegen (Finch). The production of the album is also very good. There
is one point of criticism about this release: this album should be
released on cd as soon as possible. And not some vinyl rip, but a proper
remastered album. And then everybody who wants to add an excellent
album to it’s collection can get it. (Agemo, Dutch Progressive Rock of the Seventies)
Replies: Posted By: Finnforest
Date Posted: June 18 2012 at 21:23
Cool stuff. Sent to the Eclectic team for eval. Thanks for the suggestion.
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Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: June 06 2013 at 12:30