OCÉAN

Way back about twenty years ago (Has it really been that long? It doesn't feel like it.), I contributed reviews to a progressive rock newsletter called "On Reflection". The main benefit of this was receiving prog releases from around the world, that I would not have discovered otherwise. This was the finest of any of the releases I received and reviewed.

Somewhere between the music of the great seventies fusion bands, and chamber rock groups like Univers Zero, lies the music of Tiemko. The album opens with Épisode, a piece that flows effortlessly between energetic prog fusion that recall some of the upbeat Happy The Man tracks, and UZ style power RIO. And I have to point out that the guitar solos are out of this world.

The second track, Hypercontraste, amps up the style, with the fusion sounding verry Zappa influenced, especially with the tuned percussion. Bonbon Très Sucré is a more traditional fusion piece, based around some fine acoustic guitar work. The piece provides a bit of rest before the energy is back up with Vodka Frappée.

The title track closes the album in a twenty minute epic. It's a more nebulous piece, where the trio provide spacy atmosperic soloing, which somehow manages to remain intense the entire time.

After all this time, I still enjoy listening to this one frequently.

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.

TIEMKO are a trio out of France and this is album number two from 1990 called "Ocean". That album cover is so cool. I have the debut as well as this one and for me this is an upgrade as they have moved into more of a Jazz Fusion style but this is different. Not always good different but this has a unique sound to it. No electronic drums this time around. I'm not always into the stark and cold synth pulses or the upfront acoustic guitar even though it's so well played. Check out that acoustic guitar on "Bonbon Tres Sucre" where it reminds me of another band from France that would come later called SYRINX but that's all they used was acoustic guitar even if it was inventive like here at times. Here we get many styles of electric guitars and tones but they don't always appeal to me. The drummer adds vibes and bongos while the keyboardist adds bass plus we get a guitarist as I just mentioned. It's weird how I get put off yet I'm so drawn by how different it is. And man when it's warm and melodic it's a thing of beauty. The title track is epic at almost 22 minutes as we go for our salt water trip. The opener "Episode" is my favourite. A powerful sound and check out the bass at 1 1/2 minutes. Drum solo after 4 minutes that lasts a minute when huge bass lines return and more. So good. Truly a 3.5 star album for me but I'm bumping it up.