EDGAR'S HAIR

Self-released for the Clear Spot Int. distribution in the formats of 2LP/2CD/MC, "Jonathan's Dive" is not your average conceptual prog-rock epic. This is literally a 93-minute audio-visual soundtrack-screening to the iconic fable "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" by Richard Bach. The original structure of the book - four parts, three of which were first published in 1970 while the fourth part was added in 2014 - are carefully preserved in the album. It's interesting that "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" was first cinematized in 1974, and the soundtrack for the film was written by Neil Diamond. However, EDGAR'S HAIR have absolutely different and original vision of the Bach's bestseller.

They offer complex and dramatic, highly nuanced and detailed, multi-leveled and poly-stylistic, yet very cinematic in its nature music with extended instrumental passages interweaving various Progressive, Experimental, Fusion, Psychedelic, Neoclassical and Worldmusic trends. The dramatic focus in on the internal fragility and vulnerability of a human to the challenges of life. It explains the titles of the four album parts: "Awareness", "Conflict", "Succeeding" и "Emptiness". Each album's part takes a side of the 2LP edition and reflects a particular part of the book. The music is generally unclassifiable in traditional categories. It can be described as Experimental-Prog, Post-Jazz, Neo-Kraut- Psychedelia but the most adequate definition would be Cinematic-Rock which absorbs a variety of influences, and utilize particular stylistic elements to create a specific dramatic character. The authors stress that no samples and no loops were used in creating the musical content. Each track on this album including pure ambient pastoral soundscapes - there are totally 13 pieces on the album - can evoke very personal associations which can vary from listener to listener.

Overall, EDGAR'S HAIR's debut album is grandiose and majestic work. The only problem with it is that in order to understand it properly you'll have to listen to it from the beginning to the end at once, and one single listening is definitely not enough to catch all nuances and feel overwhelming beauty of the album. Highly recommended for lovers of inventive Modern-Rock beyond the trends.

The album is available via Hoor'75 Records label as double LP and CD ... and yes, even on music cassette! This is not a quick shot from one weekend filled with jams. Maybe when it comes to the basics, moreover though conceived with patience right down to the last detail due to a vivid exchange via internet. According to the main frame the sound of the sea, seagull samples especially moreover, won't be missed here of course. At the latest the atmospheric Stratosphere empathically will confirm - this is an album where headphones (respectively an isolated private listening area without any distraction) are strongly required in order to reach for a higher level. Brussee is serving a bunch of beautiful soaring guitars. Theremin, moog as well as diverse gongs are responsible for a hallucinogenic feel in between.

Furthermore, not only on The Messenger, the echoing trumpet turns out to be a very spacey instrument. On the other hand we are experiencing some heavy outbursts too. And you see, track titles are not accidentally chosen. I mean Speed Of Life for example, which appears in a really rushed, rather heavy and biassing manner. The album's title track should not be left unnoted, somewhat special for sure. A range from expressive to screaming vocals, contrasted by nice piano licks, would you like to have much dramaturgy? Now coming to my personal favourite, the opener Glitterings Height marks a fantastic space rock tune which gradually and carefully unfolds. Trumpet or didgeridoo? Whatever, this makes my day. A really well-made debut which was issued at the end of the last year.