SOMATIC SCHEMATIC

LA HORSA BIANCA belies its true origins with its Latinate moniker but actually comes from Kharkiv, Ukraine, a region of Europe that is much better known for its wealth of internationally known extreme metal bands such as Nokturnal Mortem, Drudkh, Hate Forest and Ygg to name a few. This progressive rock band was formed in 2016 and has already released three strong art rock albums that have captured the attention of psychedelic rock lovers worldwide.

This debut album SOMATIC SCHEMATIC came out in 2018 and follows the trend of capturing the zeitgeist of 70s golden era artists only with a modern sheen and a propensity of snatching lost opportunities that possibly should've occurred during the classic years but for whatever reason didn't. This band features five talented members which includes Eugene Manko (bass, soprano sax, flute, Mel9-o-tron, electric organ, tenor horn, acoustic guitar, tambourine, vocals), Olga Ksendzovska (grand piano, electric organs, synth, alto trombone, vocals), Kirill Gonchar (guitar, trumpet), Andrii Bragin (guitar) and Igor Avdeyev (drums, tambourine, vocals).

While its hard to say exactly which classic 70s bands are the primary influence on SOMATIC SCHEMATIC, it is fair to say that LA HORSA BIANCA is well-versed in the entire gamut of actors that grace one of music history's most prolific eras. The opening "Parachute" for example sort of captures the classic Italian prog scene with those emphatic vocal enunciations in the form of PFM or Banco, a vocal style that despite being sung in the band's native tongue (Russian / Ukrainian) could have you believing you've discovered a long lost treasure from the heart of Italy. Other moments remind me of not only Pink Floyd, but Nektar, Camel and even early Uriah Heep yet sounding like any of those artists.

While steeped in psychedelic touches, SOMATIC SCHEMATIC also delves into outbursts of good old fashioned hard bluesy rock for several bars before jumping back into progressively infused bouts of psychedelic splendor. The strength of this album is from its diversity and the willingness to explore many avenues of sonic possibilities without sacrificing the rather accessible melodic hooks that keep rock music one of the most popular genres ever. The extensive use of mellotrons and vintage keyboard sounds anchors the album's overall feel to the zeitgeist of the mid-70s when prog was enjoying its heyday.

The heavy psych retro scene has really exploded in recent years with many bands jumping on this bandwagon but few manage to emulate those years of yore so elegantly by walking the tightrope act of authentically achieving the status of bonafide retro-naut while capturing those sounds in the context of all the advantages of a modern production job. LA HORSA BIANCA excels on all levels, not only by reengaging in a stylistic approach that would've been appropriate for the early 1970s but also by crafting an overall band sound that doesn't really bring any particular artist of that era to mind. Add to that the stellar production and mixing job of the myriad sound effects on board and it's not hard to fall for this one immediately. Great debut!