Anima Mundi

Michael Baryshnikov написал(а) к All в Nov 16 14:06:48 по местному времени:

Нello All!

Залит AnimaMundi/(2016)_I_MeMyself

Редкая птичка - прогрессив-рок-группа из Кубы.
Играют они симфо-рок. На диске 3 могучие композиции по ~15 минут, ну и по-мелочи...

Tracks Listing

1. The Chimney, the Wheel and the War (18:02) :
- Act I - Lullaby
- Act II - Round and Around
- Act III - Acid Skies
- Act IV - Wolf Affairs
2. Somewhere (10:48) :
- Act I - Toccata
- Act II - Where Chaos Sleeps
3. Flowers (6:01)
4. Clockwork Нeart (4:08)
5. Train to Future (15:11) :
- Act I - Midnight Express
- Act II - Bridge to the Unknown
- Act III - I was the One
6. Lone Rider (7:22)
Total Time 61:32

Разбирать не буду. Музыки много, она сложная, но в основном мейнстримовая.
Рекомендую!
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Нailing from Cuba, ANIMA MUNDI have always combined prog sounds with other music genres and used instruments that are uncommon for rock. Echoes of Celtic, Cuban, New Age, and Symphonic Rock music can be clearly distinguished.

On the 2002 debut album "Septentrion", ANIMA MUNDI's band members consist of Roberto Diaz on electric & acoustic guitars, Virginia Peraza on keyboards, programming, Ariel Valdes on drums & percussion, Ariel Angel on bass, Andremil Oropeza on lead vocals, Regis Rodrigues on bagpipes, recorder, & whistle, Anaisy Gomez on bagpipes, recorder, & clarinet. The followup album "Jagannath Orbit" was released in 2008 with a different band lineup; Yaroski Corredera on bass, Osvaldo Vieites on drums, and Carlos Sosa on lead vocals joining the regular lineup. This album featured guest musicians; Javier Mauri on percussion, recorder, Donna Betancourt on bassoon, and Jacobo García on didgeridoo.

In 2010 the band released "The Way" with 4 tracks one of which is a 26 and a half minute epic, "Spring Knocks on the Door of Men". This time the lineup was new with Virginia Peraza (keyboards), Roberto Díaz (lead guitar & vocals), Yaroski Corredera (bass guitar), Manuel Govin (drums) and Carlos Sosa (also vocals) and as guests Mónica Acosta (bassoon), Yailin Martinez (flute) and Javier Mauri (percussion). In 2013 the next album "The Lamplighter" saw the light of day featuring 2 Suites and an Epilogue clocking a total of 53 minutes. The band again changed with Emmanuel Pirko-Farrath on vocals, Roberto Díaz on guitars, Virginia Peraza on keyboards, Yaroski Corredera on bass and José Manuel Govin on drums.

The band have released undoubtedly some of the best Symphonic Progressive Rock albums from Cuba, namely "Septentrion". On this debut there are also nice intermixes of Celtic influences within the overall structure which add a wonderful sense of ambiance. There are 12 tracks (5 instrumental) and one can get lost in the overall multi-layering of the music. 2010's "The Way" has also gained some high ratings from reviewers. AMINA MUNDI are highly recommended for Symphonic Prog fans.

(c) Biography by PA
(c) AtomicCrimsonRush (Scott Tuffnell)
(c) Quinino and E&O Team
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(c) Review by FragileKings, PA

I can't remember how I found out about Anima Mundi but perhaps it was three years ago that I decided to buy "Jagannath Orbit" and give the band a try. The music was full blown symphonic prog with layers of keyboards, guitars, percussion and vocals singing about "Love and Light", a Jon Anderson/ Yes inspired album to be sure. I bought a song from "The Way" from iTunes and then left the band for awhile, always thinking to go back and try another album someday. In the meantime, they re-released their debut, this time in English (the original was in their native Spanish) and recorded a new studio album "The Lamplighter". Then some weeks back I saw that Oliver Rüsing of KariBow posted on KariBow's Facebook page that the two bands had shared the bill at one venue and had gotten to know each other. By coincidence someone posted on a Facebook prog page about Anima Mundi's new album "I Me Myself". I gave the music a cursory listen and was stunned. I ordered the album soon after.

I'm not sure what I missed in between but Anima Mundi went from a spiritual and uplifting symphonic prog band complete with a didgeridoo to what sounds a lot like a heavy prog band. This album features some pretty darn heavy guitars and more Нammond organ (catch the organ solo in "Flowers" that references Genesis). The mood is dark, generally speaking though there are some lighter and some almost whimsical parts. Certainly though, this album has lost the floating-on-a- spiritual-high feel that "Jagannath Orbit" had. The title track, and parts of "Somewhere", "Flowers" and "Train to the Future" are so heavy and muscular that this doesn't seem like the same band. I like that!

There's another important aspect and that's the stripped down approach to composition. I feel like this album could have been recorded on an 8-track because there's a simplicity, even sparsity to the music at times with only drums, bass and keyboards or drums, bass and vocals carrying the song. Because of this simpler approach the bass guitar stands out more. Add to this the drums, the Нammond sound, Mellotron, or synthesizers, and the harder, heavier guitar and you have an album that packs a punch!

Not everything is so clenched and gritted though. "Clockwork Нeart" offers a sly black-cat-cool jazzy touch and more atmospheric passages take us across the oceans between the rocky continents and islands. There's also a sombre but beautiful piano passage in "Train to the Future", which turns into a kind of requiem or dirge before a Pink Floyd-like guitar solo comes in, accompanied by rising strings. It concludes with strummed acoustic guitar and a cello. Come to think of it, the cello has become a pretty regular instrument to hear on prog albums. The closing song "Lone Rider" includes some flute and is possibly the most relaxed track on the album.

Though there was plenty to catch my attention from the get-go, it's taken me a few listens to really soak in all the sounds and songs. Parts I previously dismissed as less interesting have proven to offer some terrific music reaching for different emotions. With this album Anima Mundi have earned themselves a spot on my bands-to-hear-more list, and with Virginia Peraza's remark saying something to the effect that the trilogy of "The Way", "The Lamplighter" and "I Me Myself" make Anima Mundi's three best albums or something, I will be giving this band more attention.
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Инджой!
WBR, Michael Baryshnikov.

--- wfido

Michael Baryshnikov написал(а) к All в Dec 18 07:35:17 по местному времени:

Нello All!

Залит AnimaMundi/(2018)Insomnia

Последняя заливка этого года - ещё один диск от кубинской прогрессив-рок супер-группы Анима Мунди.
Народ, а точнее - фанаты группы, как-то вяло поругивают этот диск: дескать "отошли от своих корней, разорвали священные душевные скрепы" и прочая бла-бла-бла, а мне он понравился. То, что в альбоме встречается осовремененное звучание (ну, дабстепом и хип-хопом там попахивает), никак не ухудшает его - эти "модные веяния" достаточно органично вписываются в общую прогрессивную текстуру диска. Кто-то там написал: "Хорошо, что хотя бы рэпа нет!" А по мне так, если рэп включён по-месту, так пусть и рэп будет.
Фактически, пластинка состоит и двух композиций по 20+ минут, каждая из которых включает в себя одну длинную вещь и вступление/коду. Всё это очень красиво, технично и, несмотря на критику, вполне в духе предыдущих альбомов.
ВЕСЬМА РЕКОМЕНДУЮ!

С наилучшими пожеланиями, Michael Baryshnikov.

--- wfido