PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE

I just knew a new Brainticket album would come my way. After all there was the Space Rock Invasion tour that included them, Huw-Lloyd Langton (ex-Hawkwind), and Nektar, so it was time a new Brainticket album came our way. After all 15 years passed since the last one, Alchemic Universe, while welcomed by many, many did not take to well to its techno leaning. I'm happy to report with Past, Present & Future, the techno approach has thankfully been ditched, in favor of real drums, again! Members of Die Krupps, UK Sub, and Nik Turner's band, and local musicians from the Oakland, California area, are in this version of Brainticket, along with (naturally) Joel Vandroogenbroeck, now 76. The album was recorded mainly in Oakland, but also parts of it in Pinar Studio, Joel Vandroogenbroeck's home studio in Mexico (where he's resided since 1984). It's Brainticket, I hear elements of the Brainticket of old, like Cottonwoodhill, Psychonaut, and Celestial Ocean, but they don't rehash that, and bring in something new as well. I also love the production, no loudness wars that make listening a headache regardless of quality (go listen to Eloy's The Tides Return Forever or Ocean 2, great music, but that loudness war makes listening to them a headache due to unnecessary volume). Also the fact the music doesn't sound overly contemporary, but not overly retro either (I do hear both analog and digital synths). Kyrsten Bean (I believe) sounds so unbelievably like Carole Muriel you'd think it was her under an assumed name. Just one listen to "Dancing on the Volcano Part 1" or "Egyptian Gods of the Sky" and you'll see what I mean! "Dancing on the Volcano Part 2" features an extended funky jam that gives way to an ambient part, and some nice flute playing from Joel Vandroogenbroeck. "Reality of Dreams" has a more Eastern feel to it, complete with sitar. A couple cuts venture more into '70s-like prog instrumentals like "Reality of Dreams" and "Proto Alchemy", while "Egyptian Gods of the Sky" will remind you of Celestial Ocean with the spoken dialog and Egyptian theme. Then there's "Brainticket Blues" I get a kick off! Blues does Brainticket style, you will never mistake this for BB King or Muddy Waters. First you have Joel Vandroogenbroeck's flute playing. Then you have Kyrsten Bean's spoken dialog sounding like Carole Muriel, and it sounded like it was lifted right off Celestial Ocean. You obviously hear the blues style, but nothing like regular straight-up blues (which usually bores me). Usually Brainticket takes themselves seriously, but "Brainticket Blues" shows that rare not-so-serious side. To see 2015 gets started off with some this good, I'm happy to see a new Brainticket album. Just what I needed, and if you like Brainticket, this one should be in your collection.

Riding The Comet ...

Chapeau! Aged 77(!), Belgium-born keyboardist Joel Vandroogenbroeck, known as the mastermind of BRAINTICKET, risks a new attempt. Hereby he has the complete Hedersleben core at his side, speaking of Nick Garratt (guitar), Bryce Shelton (bass), Jason Willer (drums), Kyrsten Bean (vocals, guitar) and Kephera Moon (vocals, keys). This altogether will guarantee a technically skillful presence, just for the record. For those who didn't know that beforehand, Vandroogenbroeck himself is one hell of a krautrock iconic figure, highly praised for the debut album 'Cottonwoodhill' in particular, which was released in 1971.

Nearly 45 years after that the krautish attitude hasn't faded away, though overall the music is more sophisticated and accessible for sure, not that raw anymore. Thus the extended suite Dancing On The Volcano in two parts appears as a spellbinding progressive amalgam of space, electronic, jazz and funk, this on top of that presented with a proper amount of jamming over the course of thirty minutes. Especially Joel's flute performance is striking as a matter of fact. For some time my focus has been here solely ... but it actually gets better futhermore! The following seven compact songs are proving them even more inspired, varied, playful.

And then - with the final Brainticket Blues on top - we're seemingly goin' back to the roots. While deriving from the blues origin this is something hypnotic spacey, which excellently mirrors the conversion from standard Rhythm & Blues to the experimental krautrock phase around the switchover of the 1960s to the 1970s, just decorated with a few narrations provided by Kyrsten Bean. Mixed by Jürgen Engler (Die Krupps) the album truely matches your prog collection. Joel Vandroogenbroeck is on his way beyond space and time, yes, still! With 'Past, Present & Future' he has administered a very fruitfull musical collaboration where all participants are acting on eye level.

... Is There Any More Of This To Expect?

Better than any of Brainticket's last efforts but then again....

"Past, Present & Future", 2015, is by far more focused and mature and shows Joel Vandroogenbroeck's (BRAINTICKET'S mastermind) best music writing attributes as some of his unmovable influences from earlier times, when Krautrock or to be geographically accurate "SwitzRock", met the USA's Jazz/Rhythm & Blues scene and revolved, as many other countries and popular musical styles, around it.

"Dancing on the Volcano pt.2", this release longest track (21+- minutes) is full of these blast to the past kind of outdated Funky influences and sadly it is just a long jam whose scarce highlights are overshadowed by quiet cliched improvisations.

Now kind of removing this track's unmemorable aftertaste and recovering track one "Dancing on the Volcano pt.1" which is proportionaly opposite and memorable than its second part, this release will satisfy most Krautrock followers who were into this 60's & 70's eclectic synth/space-Rock/Blues-Indo/ Raga style.

As for me, this release promises so much but actually stays short of being ground breaking or really daring in its entirety. Its closeness to the "past" instead of "present or future" serves as a tribute or memorabilia but also shows clearly a void of new musical ideas.

Truly memorable and proposing as daring compositions: track one "Dancing On The Volcano Pt.1", track 7 "Singularity" and "Egyptian Gods of the Sky" track 8.

***3 PA stars.