THE ECLECTIC MEASURE

Hypnos 69's latest album is easily the proggiest to date, while keeping their stoner rock origins almost intact. Marked with a very strong prog artwork, the Eastern Flemish quartet has definitely reached the age of maturity and transformed the Southern/stoner rock-type music into a modern prog bands, the easiest to compare them with being Anekdoten. Indeed it seems that the addition of Steven Marx on winds instruments and keyboards helped them offer more of a musical palette to offer.

Plagued with one of those tacky filter effect voice over some conventional and crescendoing background, the opening track And You And Me is just a trampoline for the supercharged-up guitars of the great mellotron-laden 7-mins title track, complete with an epic guitar solo courtesy of singer/guitarist Houtmayers. Forgotten Souls is a mid-tempo starting loudly, but Marx's superb clarinet, then his unfortunate Genesis reference on Mellotrons lower the tone. The same clarinet is the main feature for the very classical-themed instrumental Ambiguity Of Reality.

The album seems t reach a second stage with a charged-up Antagonist, where the Porcupine Tree-like rhythm guitars and the Mel Collins-like sax occupy the foreground. Halfway To The Stars is a quiet acoustic ballad but like its predecessor fail to sustyain the hypnotic quality of the first part of the album. This feeling won't last long because the album catches its second wind with the second part (and much lengthier) of the I and You and Me (the opening track), which brings the excitement back, especially coupled with Ominous with its Schizoid Man feel. The Anekdoten sound references comes back with the 7-mins Point Of No Return with trons of mello, while the Deus Ex Machina is a fitting exit for a rather impressive end of the disc.

While a bit too derivative of the Crimson/Anekdoten realm, Hypnos 69's The Eclectic Measure is a great first full-fledged progressive album, and no doubt my compatriots will find their way

During the second edition of the Dutch Symforce Festival this weekend I enjoyed the gigs by Magic Pie, The Watch and Alquin but only one band really blew me away, the Belgian formation Hypnos 69, what a dynamics and enthousiasm. Soon after the concert I rushed towards the Hypnos 69 'stand' and bought their latest effort entitled The Eclectic Measure. Initially Hypnos 69 has disbanded but due to the many positive reactions on their latest album the band decided to re-unite, we should be glad about that and I am gonna tell you why.

Listening to The Eclectic Measure I notice obvious hints of the pivotal first King Crimson album (from dreamy with Mellotron to violent with propulsive interplay, fiery guitar and powerful saxophone), the track Ominous (But Fooled Before) even sounds like a variation on 21st Century Schizoid Man but the blend of Hammond organ, violin-Mellotron and Glockenspiel gives this song a special flavor. During my first listening session Hypnos 69 their sound reminded me not only of KC but more and more of (King Crimson inspired) Swedish formation Anekdoten because of the tension between mellow, compelling and violent interludes, the intense vocals, the fiery guitarwork, the propulsive rhythm-section and the frequent use of the Mellotron. But these are subjective musical observations, I would like to emphasize that Hypnos 69 delivers very pleasant and varied, often compelling and dynamic progrock. On this CD we can enjoy 10 strong and varied compositions: between propulsive and compelling with wonderful Hammond and Mellotron waves and splendid guitar (from bluesy to Cry Baby wah-wah drenched guitar solos) in the alternating titletrack, bombastic with a heavy rhythm-section, powerful saxophone, fiery guitar and a lush Hammond organ sound in The Antagonist, warm acoustic guitar and vocals, majestic violin-Mellotron and a Lucky Man-like synthesizer solo in Halfway To The Stars, from dreamy and compelling to bombastic with a surprising piece of flamenco guitar and howling electric guitar in the exciting The Point Of No Return and a great build-up and grand finale in the mindblowing final song Deus Ex Machina, from dreamy with Fender Rhodes electric piano and spacey slide guitar to breathtaking interplay between sensitive electric guitar and violin-Mellotron, goose bumps!

I am very glad that I was able to visit the Hypnos 69 gig, otherwise I still would have been unaware of this outstanding Belgian band that has made captivating progrock on their fourth album, highly recommended to King Crimson and Anekdoten fans and Heavy Prog aficonados!

Unfortunately I've only recently discovered Hypnos 69 with this, their most recent album, The Eclectic Measure, the first four having passed me by. But better late than never and I'm very pleased to have made the acquaintance.

Hypnos 69 produce very dynamic music helped by a myriad of influences in their sound - King Crimson and not surprisingly, Anekdoten combine with retro psychedelia. Pink Floyd and stoner bands like Monster Magnet also appear to have been digested.

I and You and Me is a rather subdued, primarily acoustic intro to the album and is gone in just over a minute but serves its purpose well making the arrival of the title track even more explosive. Things quieten down as the vocals arrive before a wonderfully drawn out instrumental section with some nice guitar work (reminiscent of Dave Gilmour in the more restrained moments) underpinned by a swirling Hammond. My favourite track on the album.

I enjoy the band more in full throttle explosive mode than the more reflective moments. For this reason the driving The Antagonist appeals to me but following track Halfway to the Stars is a lovely acoustic guitar dominated track with a strong melody proving that this diversity is one of the keys to their appeal.

I and You and Me makes a return but this time it sticks around for over six minutes and from quiet beginnings builds to a cacophonous finish. Apart from the already praised title track it's the last three tracks that really grab my attention the most, The Point of No Return being particularly impressive. At almost eight minutes it gives the band plenty of opportunity to spread their wings with some very good instrumental interplay. Deus Ex Machina makes a fine album closer, starting quietly with slide guitar and fender Rhodes piano (I've always had a soft spot for that fender Rhodes sound) making a strong presence, it has a slow build to a climatic finish.

I'd really love to see Hypnos 69 live because the structure of the songs offers ample opportunity for extended jamming and for me this is where the band are at their best here, on the longer tracks.

Overall a very good album with much to recommend though a couple of weaker tracks restrain me from stretching to a full 4 stars, but a very strong 3 ½. A band to keep an eye on.

I guess that this band belongs to the new wave of "space and psychedelic" bands like "Oceansize" for instance.

Strong and heavy sounds combined with pleasant melodies, even spacey moments (but not too much of these). The title track is therefore very instructive of their style. A highlight. This album flirts with heavier sounds ("The Eclectic Measure") and at times with some Van Der Graaf Generator ones ("I And You & Me" part two).

The beauty and grandeur of a song as "Forgotten Souls" will leave you breathless as I am, I guess. Whispering vocals à la "Riverside", superb bass (but this is one of their TM). Great mellotron lines (I guess that "Anekdoten" are not alien to the renaissance of this great instrument).

A short instrumental break featuring sweet sax will be your transition to "The Antagonist" which is rather .different. Wild, wild, wild. But the band has already cope with these violent moods. If ever you like some energetic beats, you'll be lucky. Almost hard-rocking. And good one. Dynamite, my friends!

If ever you happen to like "Schizoid", then check out for "Ominous". Vocals especially. This is another of their powerful piece of music from this album which shares many of them. These guys are quite interesting and should deserve more of your attention. Only for reviews for this very good album is not fair. And half of those come from Belgian reviewers.Come on!

And the next "Point Of No Return" has more to do with PT than with "Kansas" of course (this should have been Know Return otherwise.). And those mellotron sounds during "Deus Ex-Machina" (no relation either with this Italian band) are so glorious, beautiful, splendid.OK, I'll stop here. Well, just let me tell you that the finale is fantastic.

If ever "Oceansize", "Porcupine Tree" or "Anekdoten" are amongst of your fave bands, this Belgian one needs your attention (and I'm not telling this because "Hypnos 69" is one of the very few good bands currently available form my musically desert country (but we do have beers, chocolates, Bruges, Justine Henin, Jacques Brel, Eddy Merckx etc.). I haven't listened to such a good Belgian album since "Jester" from "Machiavel". But this was in 1978.

Four solid stars.

This is my first Hypnos 69 experience, and how pleased I am, let me tell you: "The Eclectic Measure" is a perfect example of how creative can a retro-psychedelic band be when the obvious influences used in compositions and arrangements are managed with stamina and a special secret ingredient of original emotion. This album is as sonically powerful as it is emotionally-driven, and the fact that it is (or so I read somewhere else) a concept-album revolving a person's journey into their own self in order to face their demons and transcendence, makes it clear to my mind why I feel this way about the album. I'm not the first one to point out the influences from early KC, pre-"Mountain Grill" Hawkwind, pre-"Pawn Hearts" VdGG, 69-71 PF and T-Rex, and nor am I the first to point out the family air with Anekdoten and PT's psychedelic side. These points of reference are valid for description, and it's OK, and no one should make much fuzz about it. Let's go to the album's repertoire itself, shall we? The opener 'I and You and Me - part I' is very much inserted in the spirit of a "Floydized" Major Tom-era Bowie, an effective anticipation for the explosion of somber emotions comprised in the title track, which alternates between acid introspective nightmares and ethereal proto-prog moods. 'Forgotten Souls' begins and end in a very Graffian way, with an effective spacey interlude inserted for good effect. The brief instrumental 'My Ambiguity of Reality' bears a warm lyricism that may remind us of McDonald KC's era and Gnidrolog at their most delicate: the clarinet lines steal the limelight with its evocative lines. That is, before 'The Antagonist' arrives with its full frontal power, like a hybrid of old Hawkwind and contemporary stoner with a reasonable dose of Scandinavian Crimsonism. The melodic basis bears a patent hook, but the rhythmic structure includes some structural complexity, in purely prog fashion. Halfway to the Stars' is just like a night camping on the beach, with the guys of CSNY doing an acoustic- driven impro and a couple of guys bringing in some effects from a basic console mixer. 'I and You and Me - part II' develops the emotional outburst partially announced in the album's prologue: with a proper expansion, the 'I and You and Me' idea reveals itself as a powerful combination of Vdgg-meets- T-Rex watered by streams of wild post-rock (a-la Explosions in the Sky). The last two minutes exploit the track's expressiveness adequately, with the Hawkwind-inspired spacey synth layers enhancing the overall mysterious mood. IMHO, the last 3 tracks represent the album's highlight. 'Ominous (But Fooled Before)' is an amazing exercise on Crimson-related heavy psychedelic rock, augmented by stoner accentuations and some jazzy ornaments (especially during the excellent sax solos). 'The Point of No Return' bears a compositional basis that is basically a jam through which the band explores and arranges mood variations. At times, I notice confluences with Metrognome (another great current psychedelic prog name from Europe). The way that the rhythm duo's adds tribal cadences to the jam's development proves effective as a sustainer of the track's constant intensity. 'Deus Ex Machina' moves toward a different timber, languid and serene (like the positive side of melancholy): this piece stands in the crossroads of PF's meditative side and post-rock's autumnal vibrations. The jazzy allusions on the electric piano solos add some interesting colors to the general sense of foggy intimacy. For the lat two minutes, a very interesting climax is built up on evolving mellotron layers, increasingly expansive guitar riffs/phrases and pompous tympani beats. I wish this closure had been a bit longer so the resulting aggressiveness could have been taken to a higher level eventually, but all in all, this last track's conclusion is great. "The Eclectic Measure" is a very vital album, with a sonic power that goes beyond the easily noticeable vintage influences - Hypnos 69 has really impressed me in a great way, which motivates me to investigate in the back catalogue and wait for the band's next release.

HYPNOS 69 are a Psychedelic band from Belgium who blend the old and the new styles to their sound. Lots of sampled mellotron on this one too.This one still hasn't clicked with me and I must admit i'm not fond of the vocals. Lots to like here though.

"I And You And Me (I)" is laid back with strummed guitar as reserved processed vocals join in. "The Eclectic Measure" is uptempo with heavy drums. It settles with vocals quickly. A nice laid back guitar solo arrives before 3 minutes. It turns aggressive a minute later as he rips it up. Contrasts continue. "Forgotten Souls" is a top two for me. I like the mood and the tone of the guitar. Check out the ANEKDOTEN vibe that changes right into a GENESIS flavour 2 minutes in with mellotron.Themes are repeated. Excellent track. "The Ambiguity Of Reality" is a short tune with strummed guitar and clarinet. "The Antagonist" hits the ground running. It settles with bass, vocals, organ and drums as contrasts continue. Sax 2 minutes in followed by a guitar solo.

"Halfway To The Stars" opens with theremin followed by an electronic beat. Guitar then vocals follow then mellotron. "I And You And Me (II)" features vocals with strummed guitar after a minute. It starts to build before 2 1/2 minutes then settles back again. Some crazy sax late. I like the sax in the next song "Ominous (But Fooled Before)" but not the vocals so much. "The Point Of No Return" is my other top two. Just a great sound to this one. It settles with vocals after a minute. A dark calm 3 minutes in with bass. Mellotron follows. It kicks back in before 7 minutes. "Deus Ex Machina" is dreamy and spacey to start. A lazy tune with vocals and laid back guitar. The guitar does become aggressive before 6 minutes though.

3.5 stars. I can see why this is getting some good reviews here, but I have to many issues with it to offer up 4 stars.