PANGAEA

Mellow mysterious psychedelic avant-world music influenced progressive rock at it's finest, Pangea is the missing link between Meddle era Pink Floyd, the quieter side of Sun Ra, the exotic lounge gypsy ragas of Gabor Szabo, today's 'down tempo' music for chill rooms and the more introspective jazz/folk side of Jimi Hendrix. This is beautiful one-of-a kind music that has to be heard, mere words cannot do it justice.

Recorded on the same night as the Agharta album, Pangea has little of Agharta's cosmic space funk, but all of that album's tense quiet moments and then some. Not all is peaceful here, there are a few sections on Pangea that recall the chaotic free-jazz proto punk of the previously released Dark Magus, but overall, that still ominous mood that only Miles can create dominates here.

The star of this show is the phenomenal Pete Cosey, probably one of the best progressive rock guitarists outside of Robert Fripp and John McLaughlin. Pete's playing is rooted in the psychedelic blues tradition of David Gilmour, Eddie Hazel and Hendrix, but Cosey has a much more practiced technical style that allows him to move far beyond anything that those three could ever do. Although many guitarists rely on riffs and scale runs, Cosey's ability to 'sing' on the guitar like a saxophonist brings to mind similar guitarists such as Terje Rypdal, Steve Vai, Steve Hackett, Carlos Santana, Steve Hillage and Jeff Beck.

This album is highly recommended for people who like mellow psychedelic rock with some world music and avant-electronic influences and the occasional sonic free-for-all.