REBIMINE AND VOLTMINE

PHLOX are a six piece band from Estonia of all places, and they play a blend of Canterbury and Fusion. I've said this before and i'll say it again, Canterbury music is the hardest for me to describe because of how much fuzz (distortion) there can be. I mean the bass is fuzzed out, the keys, organ, heck even the guitar is distorted, making it difficult at times to tell what i'm hearing. I love it though, and I love this album.The title of this album means "tearing & folding" in English. By the way the keyboardist had a hand in composing every track.

"Rahn" features these relentless drums and distorted keys. I have to say this drummer really stands out on this recording. Some guest flute on this track as well. Lots of energy and we get some prominant sax as well. The distorted keys are lighting it up before 2 minutes. Guitar and bass sound excellent 4 1/2 minutes in. Check out the drum work before 6 1/2 minutes. Great opening track ! "Kraap" is a live track that i'm sure doesn't mean "crap" in English. This is a short experimental tune with noisy sounds. Ok maybe ? "Habe" is uptempo with drums and keys leading the way. Electric piano and sax join in as it settles some. It's intense again as the contrasts continue. "Hunt" is the longest track at just over 10 minutes. Sax and electric piano to open. Bass and drums join in before 1 1/2 minutes. This sounds so good. It kicks into gear after 2 1/2 minutes with chaos and distortion. Amazing ! It settles again 4 1/2 minutes in. Check out the keyboards before 7 minutes. It settles again. These guys play so incredibly well whether it's fast paced or a relaxed soundscape. Some guest tablas in this song as well. This song really contrasts these two styles well.

"Juulius" opens with some impressive guitar and drumwork. I love when it settles in though with the fuzz as the bass and drums support. This has to be heard. "Kaavjas" has more of a Jazz vibe with intricate drumming, throbbing bass and electric piano. Gorgeous sound 4 minutes in as it settles. Sax follows. "Uhe Poja Toit" is pastoral with liquid keys and sax. Drums and a fuller sound before 1 1/2 minutes. Amazing sound 2 minutes in ! The drummer is so good. "Sojajalgne" turns powerful before a minute with lots of distortion and guitar. Just one big fuzz-fest ! Haha.The song calms right down before it kicks back in with a wall of sound 5 minutes in. "Kurehirm" is live like the last track. It seems like the three live songs are the more adventerous and "out there" songs on this album. This one features smooth sax melodies and piano until it turns avant-garde 2 minutes in and stays there until it changes after 5 minutes back to the sax and piano.

I can't say enough about this album. A must for fans of adventerous Canterbury and Fusion music.

Estonian nu jazz band "Phlox" is country's best kept secret. "Rebimine + Voltimine" is their third album, and from very first sounds the listener receives huge energetic doze of modernized Canterbury sound brewed with electronics. Complex compositions in National Health tradition,guitars fuzz and flute on the front of the sound, regular rhythm changes, alto/soprano sax attacks and elastic electric piano sound all together build multi-layered dynamic musical construction, really heavy in a moments.

This album is band's heaviest release to date with obvious rock influences.Band themselves tag their music as "powerfusion". Very competent technically and perfectly released, this album is one of the best modern releases seriously rooted in Canterbury Scene's legacy, but at the same time with very modern sound. Recommended for every fan of complex jazz-rock related music,searching for more modern sound.

P.S. Good illustration how different Nordic modern jazz could be.

My rating is 3+.

In 2007 Phlox released their second album ''Rebimine + Voltimine'' ("Tearing and folding") with only one line-up change.In the place of drummer Marko Pajula came Madis Zilmer, member of the Fusion act BF.The album was recorded at the MKDK Studios between November 06' and February 07', while three out of the nine tracks were captured live from two performances of the group in the second half of 2006.The track ''Habe'' was included also in the Wayside Music compilation ''Wayside Sampler 3''.

The new album was as powerful and energetic as ''Piima'' with one basic difference: It was well-constructed and fairly oriented Prog/Fusion with structured ideas instead of the directionless, improvised style of the previous one, which was full of Free Jazz moments.Not that this one lacks these moments, but the basic tunes seem to be really worked with tons of interesting instrumental battles and more focused solos.There is a certain KING CRIMSON-vibe in plenty of these pieces, flirting with Fusion-oriented Heavy Prog, as well as links to schizophenic Jazz-tinged Kraut Fusion with frenetic instrumental passages and grooves.Interesting guitar textures, nice electric piano acrobatics and powerful sax intervetions are all over the place, while partially Phlox remind of PANZERPAPPA and their more dramatic Avant-Prog lines with very deep rhythmic parts and a bombastic sound overall.Some Canterbury-styled synth workouts and virtuosic piano solos are also in the menu, while the abstract and pointless passages are quite limited.The performances are very dense and tight, while there are also a few Lounge-type parts with smoother plays and more delicate musicianship to soften things when needed.

Eventually a really good work by Phlox, summarizing their great potential.Fiery, instrumental Prog/Fusion with some impressive executions, showing the group heading into the right direction.Recommended.