DE LORIANS

This is probably the finest Canterbury album I've ever heard that wasn't a British band and wasn't from the 1970s. A Japanese band of twenty-somethings really pulled it off and created nothing short of a masterpiece every bit as great as their 1970s UK counterparts. Upon listening to this, I can't help but be reminded of Soft Machine circa Third. A lot of that same Elton Dean-type sax (and saxello), Mike Ratledge-type organ and electric piano, that strange fuzz bass. While Third concentrated on lengthy jams, De Lorians tended to a more compact approach, with a quirkier approach that many would compare to Zappa. I guess a lot of wind instruments have a lot to do with that. The album does provide a nice challenging listen. At times Hyozo Shiratori would play keyboards in the Dave Stewart circa Egg vein. Guitar playing reminds me of Phil Miller. There isn't a single note wasted. If you didn't know any better, you'd think this came out in the early 1970s or it was some sort of lost Soft Machine recording, taken from the Third sessions. Japan certainly had its share of RIO type groups and even Zeuhl, but surprisingly few bands in that country playing Canterbury but De Lorians is that one example. This album, is simply nothing short of a masterpiece. Those who want a new band playing classic Canterbury, but not bothered that they're not British, this album is a total must have!