OCÉAN

While ''Espace fini'' was far from being a masterful album, it was a decent attempt on intricate Progressive Rock, making Musea upgrade Tiemko in one of its most consistent products over the next years.A second album by the French trio was recorded in 1989 at Adam Studios, produced by the veteran sound engineer Phillipe Beaucamp, known for his past work on albums of Tai Phong, Patrick Forgas, Treponem Pal and Wooden Ear.Under the title ''Ocean'' it was released in 1990.

Four mid-length tracks introduce the listener to Tiemko's dissonant world of Prog Fusion with Electronic touches, tortured between electrified textures and more experimental moods and featuring striking ALLAN HOLDSWORTH-like complex, rhythmic guitar moves and atonal parts with pounding bass lines and dark keyboard tunes.The drums are half natural, half-programmed and remain Tiemko's most weak point, maybe next to some questionable keyboard effects.On the other hand the music still has a charming, obscure aura, dominated by its shifting moods, its Avant/Fusion atmospheres, some excellent jazzy guitar hooks (especially on the acoustic-driven ''Bonbon tres sucre'') and the changes from dramatic guitar-driven instrumentals to the atonal, keyboard-based soundscapes.Leaving these first four tracks behind, Tiemko attempt to deliver a long composition of their own with the 22-min. title piece of the album.Regarding its style, this comes as combination of cinematic Electronic Music with powerful Fusion, offering the strongest and weakest elements of the group.The rockier and more Fusion textures contain great guitar work again along with complex drumming and the spacey, electronic waves are trully atmospheric and intelligent.However, some flat keyboard themes and the average connection between the different variations rise question about this composition's consistency.Some passages are way too long and minimalistic, others are pretty stunning with tight interplays and competent performances, especially during the closing moments with the furious guitar/synth/organ battles.

Tiemko insist on playing an experimental type of Prog/Fusion with contemporary elements and a wide range of haunting atmospheres, lacking to come up with decent melodies, but delivering some impressive and captivating instrumental music.Recommended, especially if you love complicated and slightly experimental Progressive Rock.