IN SPE II [AKA: TYPEWRITER CONCERTO IN D]

In Spe was a cult musical project during 80-s in Estonia. They released just two albums, both with different leaders and quite different music included. Common base between two works was their experimentation trying to melt neo-classic and rock.

This, second album, is recorded by band, led by music student, keyboardist Aloe Mattiisen. Differently from their debut, this work contains similar components, but in much more easier form, often with "musical joke' elements. Real mechanical typewriter is used as drumming instrument, and all other music is melodic symphonic prog ( with some jazzy bass) and neo-classic pieces in 50/50 proportion.

Quite interesting idea and some very competent musicianship is destroyed in part by two reasons: pure producing and recording quality and very bad mixing. In fact, you can imagine whole recording as roughly fixed between each other quite independent pieces of electric guitar/bass based jazz-rock pieces, keyboards-led symphonic rock pieces and some modern classic chamber pieces. Almost without any connection between each other. And with very plain, uninspired total sounding.

So, this album could be evaluated as rehearsal of very interesting, but raw material, demo tape,etc. And possibly ,its better place is avant prog, not symphonic. I own quite rare LP version, so am not sure, if later CD release has any sound improvement.

In whole, album for collectors and researchers, but hardly for symphonic prog regular fans.