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LaoZi - Lunatica CD (album) cover

LUNATICA

LaoZi

 

Progressive Electronic

3.49 | 9 ratings

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memowakeman
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
3 stars I really love to belong to this endless progressive rock scene, because it is always a pleasure as a listener and reviewer, to find music from all around the globe thanks to the internet facilities. This time I was contacted by Sandro Tskitishvili who fortunately shares the same love I have for Vangelis' Mask. He is a man from Georgia, something that made me feel even more interested because I didn't know a single person or a single song that came from that country, so talent has no boundaries. He told me about his project called LaoZi and introduced me to it with his latest studio album released in 2013 and entitled Lunatica; an album that features five compositions and a total time of 35 minutes.

LaoZi offers a pretty nice electronic trip full of synthesizers, atmospheres and nuances, I don't know if this is the line that he has been following through his 7 studio albums or if this latest one represents a change on his music direction, I don't know, but I must find it out someday. Lunatica opens with "Set Me Free at Midnight", a 7- minute song in which two guest musicians appear, one playing moog and the other guitar. It starts slowly, creating a relaxing mood in which one can close the eyes and feel at peace. After two minutes and a half there are electronic drums and the music changes a little bit, and all gets better at minute four where the guitar appears. The music might be in the vein of Edgar Froese's solo albums or in some of the Vangelis' ones.

"23" is a short piece that has a completely different feeling. It brings to my mind both classical music and folk, I think it is a cute mixture of those genres. A nice short song that works as an interlude of the opener one and "Radiation". This one has a darker mood, I imagine myself walking inside a dark place where light vanishes and where I have to find out my way trusting in my other senses. There is a soft but deep sense of fear in the first part this track, some tension and constant warning; though after three minutes it changes and now a sense of hope appears, so light can be perceived once again.

"Lightwalk" has a bit of the second song's essence, a folkish atmosphere created by a flute sound and some classical music reminiscences. There is a harpsichord-like sound that can be better perceived, but there is always a soft spacey atmosphere as background. In moments it reminds me of Rick Wakeman's Aspirant trilogy. Finally, the "Lunatica Suite" appears. It is a 13-minute song that starts with the sound of rain and some piano notes giving a sense of melancholy. The music continues with the same mood; after three minutes it stops and restarts with a child-like melody that might be melancholic as well, or even sad. I must say that if you are in the mood, you will like this, otherwise, I think there is a risk for you to skip it or feel it terribly slow, at least in the first five minutes. Later it becomes more interesting with fast piano notes and a sound that now is closer to Vangelis.

Lunatica is a very nice album under the electronic prog label, I think it is easier to enjoy in moments of tranquility, or when you need something to calm down yourself, however, though the third song was my favorite one, I don't think there is a true highlight here. Thanks again Sandro for writing and introducing me to your music, hope more people find it interesting and listen to it.

Enjoy it!

memowakeman | 3/5 |

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