LIFE LINE PROJECT

The Life Line Project was founded in 1988, the name points at the fact that Erik was a teacher who had to arrange a lot of music that was not really his cup of tea. So he started to make his own music that was "his life line project to symphonic rock". Erik writes in the booklet of Modinha (a Brazilian sad song) that the title is the central theme, it changes throughout the album from classic to folk to jazz to metal.

Well, during the years I got a good contact with Erik, as a reviewer of his albums for several progrock magazines, from his very first efforts in the Nineties. But due to a severe illness he got, and other priorities of mine we gradually lost contact, since 2008-2009. Recently I contacted him at Facebook, so after 10 years, I was very glad to hear that his physical illness situation has been stabilized. And that he enjoys drumming jazzrock with his students and recording prog with all kinds of ukuleles (from piccolo and bass to a custom build Les Paul). His latest official CD was the acclaimed Armenia (2013) but I would like to go back in time and have a look at his album Modinha, from 2009.

Listening to Modinha I notice that a lot of the 15 compositions contain fluent rhythms featuring bombastic Hammond organ runs and fat Emersonian Moog synthesizer flights, supported by a propulsive rhythm-section, especially the drumming is very energetic. I was not surprised to read that Erik wrote two songs as a tribute to two legendary names in the progrock history. First Keeper Of The Keys, a tribute to Bob Moog: spectacular Moog sounds, swirling Hammond and swinging piano. And Joy is a tribute to Rick Van Der Linden: it sounds like "ELP meets Europe" with bombastic keyboards and fiery electric guitar.

Along that bombastic ELP/Trace inspired sound, Life Line Project also delivers a lot of variety.

A wonderful build-up from classical (guitar and Grand piano) to jazz in Modinha - Jazz Intermezzo.

A pleasant electric guitar/flute duet in The Chase.

Warm classical guitar (in the vein of Steve Hackett) in the short piece Modinha - Oracao.

Sparkling piano in Song For Lara.

And and a captivating blend of classical and progressive rock in Night On The Freeway.

Also interesting is the use of the distinctive oboe in the dreamy Sonho : wonderful strings and piano and a Roxy Music-like oboe sound. And in Modinha - Final : one of the highlights on this album with beautiful flute play by Erik's wife Elsa, cheerful mandoline and an exciting vintage keyboards sound. And I am very pleased with Jason Eekhout his powerful guitarwork in songs like Dark Procession (heavy guitar play), Stampede (biting wah-wah), Subjective Project (fiery runs) and the exciting track Another Dayride (howling guitar). In my opinion his contributions give Life Line Project their music an extra dimension.

If I compare this new album with the more amateurish recorded music he made in the Nineties, I conclude that Erik's music and recording have very much matured. With the CD Modinha the Life Line Project has delivered a pleasant and varied keyboard oriented progrock album, with a very melodic and accessible sound. I am sure it will please progheads who like vintage keyboards and a blend of symphonic rock with classical - and folk music.

My rating: 3,5 star.

Web information, written by multi-instrumentalist/main composer Erik De Beer: 'This is the re-mastered version of 'The Finisshing Touch'. For this official release some of the songs have been remixed, while three new tracks have been added. The main theme on this album is built rather freely around the charming anonymous melody of a sad Finnish folksong entitled Tuoll On Mun Kultani. The harmonisation of the song is made by me, thus leaving me all possibilities to change it to the different styles of music.'

After a few listening sessions I conclude that the sound on The Finnishing Touch (nice play of words) is in the vein of Modinha: the focus is very much on melody and the harmonic interplay between the musicians, especially Erik his keyboards and Jason his harder-edged guitar work (heavier and more omnipresent than on Modinha). Erik De Beer his way of composing reminds me of other classically trained musicians in progrock bands like Ekseption (featuring Erik's hero Rick Van Der Linden) and Sky (at some moments Life Line Project even sounds similar to Sky like Saudades De Sor).

The music range from mellow atmospheres with instruments like the piano, oboe, classical guitar and flute to catchy and swinging mid-tempo rhythms. And to more heavy and bombastic climates, with biting and distorted electric guitar leads and spectacular keyboards sounds (Emersonian Moog flights and powerful Hammond organ runs). The short title track strongly evokes Steve Hackett his classical guitar sound. While Andy Latimer fans will enjoy the more sensitive and moving electric guitar play in compositions like I Miss You More, Without Tears and the beautiful final track Desire (also featuring warm contributions on oboe, flute, classical guitar along jazzy piano and fat synthesizer flights).

Life Line Project have very pleasantly blended classical, rock, jazz and symphonic, embellished with a lush instrumentation and good work on keyboards and guitar.

My rating: 3,5 star.

The reckless productions of Erik de Beer with Life Line Project continue in 2010 with another self-produced album, ''Distorted memories''.The man eventually got a real Mini-Moog in his hands in able to reproduce the monstrous feeling of 70's Prog bands plus he invited Josine Fraaij, whom he knew since his days with Tempesta Consort, to provide some electric violin in a number of pieces.Once more de Beer would draw influences from Folk Music in one track, while the two longer tracks, ''Life line suite'' and ''The final word'', date from the very early years of Life Line Project and the premature act Brancard respectively.

This is propably one of the most uneven releases of Life Line Project.The compositions are mostly excellent with myriads of keyboards and some nice electric guitar tunes and melodies interrupted by acoustic interludes, fine flute parts and the very good violin solos of Fraaji adding a very OUTER LIMITS/MIDAS-like feel to the material.But the bass and drum parts in particular along with a few piano lines sound so robotic, that apparently lower the otherwise well-composed well-pieces.It's like listening to a collection of natural and digital sounds mixed in interplays and the result is really awkward.About 2/3 of the album follow these stylings, still ''Life line suite'' is a really cool Symphonic Rock opus with neurotic keyboard flashing, folky touches and beautiful guitar solos in the vein of ODYSSICE.The following, rural-sounding ''Frozen heart'' with the decent, dreamy voice of Maruschka Kartosonto in evidence and the elegant flute, piano and guitar plays is also very good, especially if you count the powerful keyboard attack at the end of the track.The rest of the pieces are also in a very Neo/Symphonic Prog vein, featuring lots of Mellotron, synthesizers and Mini-Moog exercises, but not near as good as the aforemtioned pieces.Fortunately the later third of the album is pretty uplifting and more convincing, highlighted by the 13-min. ''The final word'', very suitable title, the last word belongs to this piece, no doubt.Bombastic keyboard-drenched Symphonic Prog with breaks into more ethereal moments, sensitive female vocals and some groovy flute work in the middle, containing also great guitar melodies and grandiose piano parts, very tight composition with interesting instrumental themes and endless changing moods.

''Distorted memories'' contains some of very best as well as some of the very mediocre work of de Beer with Life Line Project.The more satisfying tracks are flirting with masterpieces at moments, the less convincing are rather forgettable attempts on dynamic symph-oriented Prog Rock.Recommended release, at least two or three pieces in here are more than amazing.

It is now exactly one hundred years ago, since the horrible massacre of more than one and a half million Armenians by the regime of the Young Turks during World War I. Still the Turks have so much trouble in recognizing it as a genocide, but how would you call leading away an entire population in order to kill it, other than a genocide. Why do the Turks still have to defend this wrong and why not call heroes those Turks, who risked their lives by trying to rescue Armenian refugees and who were often hung in front of their houses, when discovered.

The Armenia Suite on the album Armenia gives a touching and dramatic musical impression of this horrible event. After a beautiful overture in which the main theme is launched, the impressive march to Deir Ez Zor, the place where so many Armenians left their lives, follows. It starts with a tender melancholic melody on the flute, reminding us a bit of the Armenian duduk, then follows the vocal part, so well sung by Marion Brinkman. The vocal melody starts warm and tender, but becomes more harsh and dissonant in the harmonies as the march proceeds. A violent and fierce part follows and leads us to the theme of the actual march, a cruel but solemn sounding dissonant theme performed on the mellotron, accompanied by several snare drums, discharging in a sad and nostalgic reflective part in which hatred and acceptance of the events are united, an impressive symphonic work.

A very restrained, but beautiful part follows, performed by the oboe and piano alone, over which Marion sings of the hope of a new dawn in which the Armenian people can once more resurrect and find happiness.

The 22 minutes lasting suite ends with a stormy and pulsating finale with a jubilant Moog expressing the will and force to overcome death and defeat, a brilliant conclusion of a true magnum opus.

The other compositions on the album get a bit overlooked by the impact of the Armenia Suite, but compositions like "Dans Le Ciel", sung in French (with a tad bit of Dutch accent) and the heavy "Another Deadline" and of course the Jon Lord tribute song "New Flight" with its heavy distorted organ sound are certainly worthy of being on the same album.

A great album on a sad event.............

Grenadilla (Mats)

5 stars

The game of life is present on Life Line Project's next work.After being diagnosed with cancer and told to have only months left to live, Erik de Beer wanted desperately to finish an ambitious suite, which he started working back in 1978 with his first group J.S. Quasar and then with Zoundworks.The more serious attempts came upon Life Line Project's formation with an early version clocking at about 23 minutes.His backing group now was Ludo de Murianos on drums, Ramon Bergwerff on bass and Bram Vroon on guitars with three guest singers and a small orchestra, featuring classical instruments like bassoon, oboe, flutes and clarinet.By the end of the recording the diagnosis had changed from cancer to sarcoïdose, but de Beer had also to face his wife depression after such an intense period of pressure.He was convinced to release the album, so this would be launched in 2009 after so many years of working and an emotionally very hard period.

''The king'' had now reached the mark of 38 minutes, a long Symphonic Rock opus, divided in 10 variations, presenting the already familiar style of the band, now showered by lovely acoustic Classical sections, which even have a slight MIKE OLDFIELD perfume due to the surprising use of mandolin.Instrumentally ''The king'' is extremely tight and well-composed, some straight rock tunes are a bit out of place, but most of it is solid Symphonic Rock with beautiful keyboard parts, performed on synths, organ and harsichord by de Beer, and a new guitar hero found in the face of Bram Vroon, an excellent player, which could add some furious chops and memorable melodious lines in the process.While the music is pretty great, I can't say the same thing about the lifeless vocals, both male and female, propably de Beer needed a more professional team to sing the lyrics, because the present vocalists had not enough range to support the music.The drumming is also a bit robotic, but fortunately de Beer and Vroon will dominate the composition with their influences from CAMEL, FOCUS and even THE ENID, creating a powerful and talented duo of guitars/keyboards, flavored by the small Classical injections of the suporting orchestra.''The king'' is not the sole piece displayed in the album, there are four more songs offered in the opening minutes, somewhere between Neo Prog and dark Retro Prog, always guided by de Beer's keyboard acrobatics, especially his organ parts are impressive, much in the vein of E.L.P., with his synth flashing showing strong links to the sound of ABEL GANZ and MARILLION.

Had ''The king'' been recorded with a more expressive vocal team and lacking the few yet present straightforward lines, we would be talking about a great Symphonic Rock fest.The album still comes warmly recommended, because de Beer is an excellent composer and player, while Vroon is definitely the most accomplished and passionate guitarist he ever had in his group.Some great dramatic passages and charming orchestrations are the best highlights of the album.

Another great progalbum, heavily damaged by the purplefloydfish, waeguk, daemacho, evolver and marfish lot. In my opinion it takes lots of courage in these days to mention the genocide of over one and a half million Christians by the hands of an islamitic state. Today we have the sad tale of the Jazidi people in Iraq, murdered and persecuted by the henchman of IS, so I think nothing has been learned from the tragedy suffered by the Armenian people by the hands of the Young Turk government now almost 100 years ago.

Life Line Project have perfectly succeeded in capturing the desolation and sadness of this tragic event. The themes chosen are all suffused with feelings of melancholy and abandon. At the same time feelings of hope and resurrection are evoked. The deepest night is reached in "The March" with hammering drums accompanying a desolate and very dissonant mellotron theme, ending in a simple piano chord evoking resignation and hope. The vocals, by Marion Brinkman, are also well-chosen and sung emotionally, but introverted. Probably the most captivating song is "Exile" in which hope is expressed, sung simply but so beautifully over the accompaniment of a grand piano only. A new hope and a new existence are evoked in "Jerevan", a grand finale, full of jubilant keyboards.

The other compositions are all a welcome addition to the main composition. They all show the same warmth and emotion of both the music and the vocals. "Let Your OUtside Show Me" and the beautiful introverted "Moment" are masterpieces.

One can only hope, that the future will give us more peace and less hatred and murdering, but the present time makes my heart shrink and fill with fear of the future. It seems the world is getting madder every day. Meanwhile Life Line Project have delivered with "Armenia" a magnificent piece of progressive rock.

Progpig66.

The latest LIFE LINE PROJECT album is dealing with a very dramatic event, the mass killing of more than one million Armenians, almost hundred years ago in Turkey, during World War I. No surprise, that the music in the four part suite "Armenia", that concludes the album, sounds dramatic and desperate at some spots. Dramatic climax of the suite is part two "The March to Deir-Ez-Zor", a march during which so many perish and at the end of which the Armenians are exterminated like animals. The march, played with several snare drums and with very dissonant mellotron chords sounds chilling. Marion Brinkman is singing this one so great and makes you feel the tragedy and disaster. Still, there are so many beautiful and fantastic symphonic themes to enjoy, especially because feelings of hope and faith, that things may get better, are expressed in the music as well. The last part, describing the resurrection "Jerevan" gives us a jubilant Moog lead, which makes the heart of a true ELP-fan (like I am) go faster.

The album starts with 8 shorter compositions, all full of solid symphonic progressive themes. "Dans Le Ciel" (written in 1975) and "Let Your Outside Show Me" are two of my favourites. "Another Deadline" shows us the more virtuoso side of LLP with an unleashed Ludo de Murlanos on drums and some great guitar solos and some incredible Hammond & Moog solos by Erik de Beer. As always with LLP the woodwinds (flute, oboe & clarinet) are a welcome embellishment of the band sound!

PP (Patty)

My favourite Life Line Project album: true 70's style symphonic rock with long instrumental passages, filled to the brim with beautiful themes, tempo changes and nostalgic keyboard sounds. Several woodwind instruments embellish the grand eloquent LLP sound.

The album starts with 4 shorter compositions of which I particularly liked the fantastic dynamic "Opening" and the more introverted "Dusk" which put you right back in the mid-seventies.

Title piece "The King" is almost 38 minutes long and tells us the dramatic and tragic events of a madman who wants bo be king and doesn't hesitate to abuse democracy and religion to reach his purposes. In the end he is killed without honour and all has been in vain. The music follows perfectly all stages of the rise and fall of the king, there is the dreamy landscape theme, the majestic main theme, reflecting the king, the gospel-like "The Chosen Ones" describing how religion can be used to mobilize a crowd to fight and a village party, full of medieval instruments with flutes, lutes, recorders and percussion instruments. Parts with bassoon, oboe, clarinet and flute are alternated with the densely arranged symphonic parts with solid keyboard parts and beautiful melodic guitar solos.

My favourite is "Doom", a fantastic & dramatic instrumental part, that sounds aggressive and sad at the same time. The album ends in quietness with the beautiful landscape theme.

PP (Patty)

''The finnishing touch'' was the third official release by Life Line Project, written by Erik de Beer during a time he thought was dying of a terminal disease and featuring the same line-up with ''Modinha'' at the time of the recordings, which took place at de Beer's GitaarStudio between October 2007 and May 2009.The main music concept is based on a sad Finnish traditional song, reworked by de Beer, while parts of the composed material is credited to guitarist Jason Eekhout.Moreover a few tracks on the album date back to the days of Erik de Beer with his premature bands Brancard and Zoundworks.

According to de Beer, ''The finnishing touch'' belongs among the most jazzy efforts of the band.Actually the first few tracks contain strong Fusion touches in the guitar parts and, yes, some jazzy influences on the piano parts.I would say though that this was one of the most Neo Prog-sounding albums the band ever produced.Unlike ''Modinha'', ''The finnishing touch'' is heavily relying on de Beer's work on synthesizers, which are executed on flashy solos and very sharp interventions, but the true problem is that the album sounds very thin and ''plastic'' at moments, especially the drum parts and the orchestral keyboards sound extremely fake.There are still plenty of organ and piano runs in here, but the focus remains on synthesizers, bass and drums with an E.L.P.-kind of style mixed with melodic guitar touches.As the album is structured around Finnish Folk, there are also some folky references at moments with the acoustic guitars in evidence, which de Beer cleverly adapted in a Classical-like enviroment.The second half of the album is much stronger with a turn towards a FOCUS-like style, featuring dramatic guitar playing, smooth flute drives and more balanced use of keyboards.The overall sound recalls of acts such as ELEGANT SIMPLICITY, pretty much synthetic, struggling to offer its true symphonic atmosphere, fortunately the music is well-composed and a few tracks really stand out based on their grandiose sound.

A good Neo/Symphonic Prog album, which could have been even better if some instrumental parts did sound a bit more natural.Recommended to anyone who loves melodic, rich Prog Rock and does not care about a heavier dose of synths.

Another very nice album by the Dutch Life Line Project. With this sort of lesser known bands, everyone is immediately trying to make comparisons with other bands, but I think this is a band with an agreable and recognizable own sound. Gentle and warm sounding symphonic rock, full of beautiful melodic and harmonious themes. Those, who are out to discover revolutionary progressive rock, will get disappointed with this one, because Life Line Project are obviously aiming to present us that kind of more romantic symphonic rock, that had its heydays in the seventies.

Main ingredients of this characteristic LLP-sound, are the (often two-voiced) very melodic guitar leads, the intimate and pure voice of lead singer Marion Brinkman, the presence of a superior woodwind section, consisting of flute, oboe and clarinet and of course the omni present analogic keyboard sounds of Erik de Beer.

Main title is the four part suite Armenia, telling the moving story of the (never officially admitted) genocide on more than one and a half million Armenians during World War I. Part 1 is a well-balanced beautiful instrumental, which displays most main themes of the suite and in which the Grand Piano plays a major role. And containing a dark and sombre mellotron part, accompanied by several snare drums. Part 3 is an acoustic song, only accompanied by oboe and piano, in which a perfectly singing Marion expresses the hope on a rebirth of the Armenian people. The suite ends with a jubilant Moog dominatied finale.

Again a well-succeeded effort by Life Line Project & worth checking out!

Sawtooth.