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THE
SUNSTONE
The
Sunstone
 of
5
Drew Fisher
The mysteriously
anonymous artist who chooses to let his
projects attract their own merit without
name associations under the title The
Psychedelic Ensemble has released his
fifth concept album in six years under the
title, The Sunstone. Based upon legends
and mythologies that have emerged from
sea-faring cultures (mostly Viking)
revolving around the mysterious
navigational aid known as "the sunstone,"
the gifted and eminently skilled
composer/performer behind The Psychedelic
Ensemble once again draws from universal
archetypes to offer entertainment and
meaningful lessons to we, the people.
Three things are particularly noticeable
upon listening to this new TPE album that
make it stand out as a bit different from
previous releases. First is the way in
which the presence of the orchestral and
chamber instrumentations and arrangements
are much more foundational and integral to
the overall sound of The Sunstone's
music--on virtually every song. This
artist is above all quite accomplished as
a composer and arranger of symphonic
sounds and structures; TPE's song
tapestries are always interesting and
complex in a multi-layered way that is
strikingly similar to symphonic structures
from 'classical' music. The second thing
that is noticeably evolved from previous
TPE recordings (at least the previous two
albums) is that the soloing weaves of
multiple instruments that we've come to
know and be awed by are somewhat tempered
and not always delivered at such breakneck
speed. It's as if TPE has let go of a
desire to impress in lieu of allowing more
emotional content to be delivered. I am
still amazed by how he can create and
perform these three-, four-, and sometimes
five-instrument "duels." The third thing
that I've found so noticeable is the way
TPE has committed to sharing the lead
vocal duties with his relatively new and
quite talented female vocalist, Ann Caren.
She is given lead opportunities in no less
than three songs. And I hear more of Ann's
own imprint on her vocal delivery than on
her performances on The Tale of The Golden
King. . . .
1. "Prologue - The Voyage" (2:14) opens
with a wonderful display of the potential
of full orchestra to set a mood. By the
time TPE's electric guitars and
synthesizers join the party there is a
wonderful feeling of excitement--and
perhaps a little bit of Blade Runner or
Harry Potter-ish foreboding. (10/10)
2. "The Sunstone" (5:32) Moving straight
from the Prologue, "The Sunstone" enters
familiar TPE territory in that the drums
and magical weave of multiple stringed and
keyed instruments present themselves with
the immediate joinder of the soothing
voice (multiply layered) of TPE. The
vocals are nicely harmonized and kind of
held back within the instrumental
mix--which sounds really fresh and
demonstrates that restraint I mentioned
above. Great TPE song! (9/10)
3. "The Siren's Spell" (4:17) opens with
organ, synth and dirty distorted guitar
setting the stage for Ann Caren's first
vocal performance. Again, restraint rather
than flamboyance seems to be the modus
operandi here as Ann's vocal is never 'in
your face' strong. The mid-section of soli
is also much less flashy and
feverous/high-pitched than we've come to
respect--again to great effect. The song's
acoustic guitar coaxed outro is very
nice--and a perfect segue into the next
song. (8/10)
4. "The Storm" (4:50) is an instrumental
in which we see a return to a weave of
more rapid-fire instrumental solo melody
lines--though this time in the form of but
two instruments--at least for the first
2:15. Then the Hammond organ gets a turn.
Back to original two 'dirty' instruments,
then electric violin to make it a
threesome. . . (8/10)
5. "A Hundred Years On" (8:04) opens with
some gorgeous orchestral play--like
watching a sunrise through music! After
two minutes the song shifts into medieval
acoustic folk with some acoustic guitars,
harpsichord, double bass and drums while
TPE sings. The fourth minute opens with a
new feel--some great vocals and Hammond
organ with full band and some chamber
support. Really beautifully constructed
song--with great effect! The final minute
sees an awesome atmospheric section in
support of Ann Caren's lovely voice. I
love this one! One of my favorite TPE
songs ever! I wish every band could afford
the support of such a wide range of
instrumentalists--and compose with the
maturity and sophistication that TPE does!
(10/10)
6. "Sun Mad" (6:59) is kind of a
continuation of the previous song's
storyline but it brings the pace and tone
down a bit--allowing piano, jazzy lead
guitar, emotional vocal, and orchestral
support to come shining through. Such a
brilliant weave of melody lines, start to
finish! Awesome chord progressions and key
changes. Great choice of instrument
sounds. Quite a beautiful song. Definitely
a favorite of mine. (10/10)
7. "Digging Up the Past" (5:45) At the
1:30 mark the song is established. I love
the three or four bass melody lines
interweaving at the bottom of the song
with drums and Hammond organ. Hypnotic in
a kind of TANGERINE DREAM way but
amazingly mixed into a 60s blues- rock
song. Awesome song! (9/10)
8. "The Quake" (5:42) opens with a kind of
jazz fusion soup with some wonderful vocal
inputs trying to steer the song onto its
proper course. Once established, it
becomes a very solid instrumental display
of jazz fusion. The sound and instrument
choices are definitely meant to capture
the sounds and stylings of 1970s fusion.
Like something from JAN HAMMER or
electro-funkified STANLEY CLARKE, even a
bit of WEATHER REPORT. Incredible song!
(10/10)
9. "Gaze" (7:43) is a sensitive, emotional
song constructed mostly of orchestral
instruments in support of a wonderful
vocal of Ann Caren. Synths and electric
guitar enter in the third minute; drums,
fretless bass, and Hammond organ in the
fourth. I love the JEAN-LUC PONTY-like
electric guitar arpeggios providing the
glue to the song throughout the second
half. Awesome bass play (including a brief
solo) in the sixth minute traded with
synths and guitars. . . (9/10)
10. "Endgame" (4:07) features Ann Caren
and TPE trading vocal duties in a
conversant kind of way over an often
rhythmic KING CRIMSON like weave of
arpeggios coming from multiple
instruments. A very familiar sound from
previous TPE releases. (8/10)
11. "Back to the Sea" (7:19) opens with
ocean waves and a bit of a folk sound with
acoustic guitar, mandolin, recorder
weaving behind TPE's light IAN
ANDERSON-like vocal. In the second minute
Ann Caren takes over the lead vocal--this
time with additional support of folk
electric guitar and slide synth sounds
giving it more of a Nashville sound. Light
and upbeat though--kind of like a 60s
Flower Child song of total optimism. The
church organ opening the fourth minute,
coupled with the chunky bass notes, gives
the song more of a YES "Your Move" feel to
it. Then the fifth minute sees a shift
into more of an ominous tone with
horn-synth taking lead over some minor key
chords. At 6:00 we re-enter the sunlight
and hope with the church organ--which then
gives way to the original light folk feel
and its instrumental support. The final
minute sees the return to ominous and
heavy as the soloists vie for supremacy
and dominance. The song finishes with the
dominant church organ and folk voice
harmonies claiming the title. Definitely
the most mood-complex and song on the
album. Nice to end the album on a bit of a
quieter if still dramatic note. (9/10)
TPE believes that this is his best release
yet and I agree. The variation and
maturity of presentation on The Sundstone
coupled with the slight evolution of
soundscapes and slight pullback from the
previous tendency to be a bit
over-dramatic puts this one ahead of his
previous masterpieces, 2013's The Tale of
the Golden King and even my previous
personal favorite of his, 2011's The Dream
of the Magic Jongleur.
Denmark
The
Sunstone
4.5 of 5
Tonny
Larsen (Denmark) June 2015
Excellent. . .
is the only word that covers!!
Once again this "band" (rumour has it,
it is a one man venture with invited
guests!) amazes me, with the sheer
brilliance, ingenuity and delivery
displayed here, as with their former
work, see review elsewhere on these
pages, they totally blow my mind to
that famous jaw dropping extent! While
the main character stays anonymous,
under the moniker,Psychedelic
Ensemble, there are mention as to whom
delivers the beautiful female and male
vocals, the Electric violin, The
Hammond B3 and the cello!
The grand opener: "Prologue-The
Voyage" is a very cinematic
instrumental with a lot of feel and
emotion, that will give most of you
visions of a filmic scenery.
The following track, the title tune,
reveals what comes in terms of
brilliant music in the realm of
symphonic prog...what an opening to an
excellent album!
The next tracks are a display of
excellence and brilliant musicianship,
with some very great guitar playing
and compostions some prog bands I
could mention, would die for!
Track 5 "a Hundred years On" could
have been out of a mid period Jethro
Tull album, yes well maybe bar the
beautiful female vocals! But the male
vocal has an uncanny, though brief...
resemblance to that of a certain Ian
Andersson.
So yet another near masterpiece from
TPE!!
Beautiful themes, cinematic at times,
very complex themes, some fusion rock
tinged tunes a la Colosseum II and
even magic sequences in laid back
folky tradition for you to enjoy, when
you purchase this fabulous album and
you MUST!! You will agree with the
superlatives above, while you push
that replay button and enjoy another
drink of your choice!
So not a dull moment, not a boring
second.. Just superb music, perfectly
delivered!!
Now go out and buy this fine release
from a really superb band.
You wont regret...promise!!!
The Sunstone
Marty
Dorfman (U.S.)
"I
continue to be more and more blown
away by “The Sunstone”- the fifth
album by The Psychedelic Ensemble.
Pure Progressive Perfection."
The Sunstone
8 of 10
Joel Atlas (The
Netherlands) Issue 2015-43
The Psychedelic Ensemble is not
an ensemble at all but is instead a
one-person "band." The musician, a
composer, music educator, and
multi-instrumentalist, has chosen to
remain anonymous. He writes the music
and lyrics, performs all of the
instrumentation, sings and serves as
producer. He also maintains a
thorough, well-organised web site that
includes the story underlying each
release plus interviews, reviews and
more.
The Psychedelic Ensemble's four
previous releases have received
superlative reviews on DPRP. Like
these, the new CD, The Sunstone, is a
concept album. The theme centers
around a gem with refractive powers,
called a sunstone, and thus used by
Viking mariners for navigation. In
addition to a small orchestra,
appearing on the CD as guests are,
most notably, vocalist Ann Caren (a
veteran of The Psychedelic Ensemble)
and, on one song, organist Michael
Wilk (of Steppenwolf). Atmospheric
cover art depicting the CD's concept
was provided by Sam Del Russi.
Given the orchestral flair and female
vocals sprinkled throughout the
symphonic prog on this album, a clear
reference would be to Glass Hammer and
more specifically to that band's The
Inconsolable Secret, although there
are also hints of Emerson Lake and
Palmer and Return to Forever. The
keyboard-heavy music here is complex
and active. Throughout the CD, a high
level of musicianship is readily
apparent on all instruments
(especially keyboards), a remarkable
fact given that this is a one-person
band.
Although, as is usual for concept
albums, the songs tend to run
together, a few songs deserve
individual mention. The orchestral
opener, Prologue-The Voyage, portends
good things. It's mostly
straight-forward classical music that
is gradually laced with electric,
progressive aspects. The title tune,
The Sunstone, is a catchy one indeed;
you might be singing along as soon as
round two. The mid-tempo Sun Mad has,
in parts, a haunting quality and
throughout, some stand-out vocals.
Digging Up the Past moves along
notably well and showcases aggressive
keyboards that jive nicely with the
fine vocals. Nods to 1970s jazz fusion
are prominent on The Storm (which
highlighting a frenzied violin, evokes
the Dixie Dregs) and The Quake. . . .
In short, with this ambitious and
engaging project, The Psychedelic
Ensemble has created yet another
winner. Let's hope that this "band"
keeps them coming.
The Sunstone
Pierluigi
Daglio (Italy) April
2015
Translation
. . . The fifth
studio album by The Psychedelic Ensemble,
a solo project of the talented musician
who remains anonymous, but that appears
overwhelmingly on center stage in
neo-progressive in 2015 with this
wonderful album entitled "The Sunstone" ,
which is decidedly modern progressive but
with some reminiscence of the seventies.
The atmospheres created by this one-man
band are placed in a perimeter ranging
from progressive rock and classic
symphonic style, with occasional
incursions into jazz fusion. The five
discs produced to date are all concept
albums seamlessly moving between one song
and the next, and seek to address real
musical journeys into uncharted territory.
. .
Presumably the sophisticated and cultured
music of The Psychedelic Ensemble can not
be aimed at all types of listeners, but
surely will appeal to fans of progressive
music and not just those.
The multifaceted style, sometimes
symphonic, the variety of compositions,
and driving solos of the different
instruments will hit the connoisseurs of
good music and especially so-called
educated music lovers of symphonic
progressive. A great album, well
constructed, with eclectic musical
solutions and much to hear in one breath,
that will surprise listeners. This disc
will probably be one of the best and most
original surprises of 2015 as part of the
neo-progressive and symphonic [genres].
A beautiful album, especially the first
part, which is pure progressive, complex,
and sophisticated but at the same time
enjoyed by all for its pleasantness and
its smoothness. All songs are beautiful
and meaningful, with compositions of great
depth and variety. Absolutel, lovers
of progressive will want to buy and
possess this album but it is also for
connoisseurs of good music.
The Sunstone
9 of 10
Jose Luis Martinez (Spain)
May 2015
I
was eager to hear the new album of this
old friend who hides behind this
magnificent nickname that has already
passed several times by these pages. And
I do not understand how continues to
produce as exquisite works from the
shadows when it should belong to a great
company with media support, promotion
and such, to soar to the top of the
progressive genre, not American, but
global ...
The truth is that it is a pity that
musicians like the present one have to
fight so strenuously against all odds to
gain a foothold in the independent and
progressive scene of the century in
which we live.
On this occasion, TPE presents another
mature and cultured work since the
beginning of [the project's] origins to
present a story that will serve as a
thread to this great music, The
Sunstone, which if it had been published
in the middle of the glorious seventies
last century, today would be a
referential masterpiece of the genre. I
believe that with this I have said
everything.
This time the story is based on the
so-called 'sunstone' that the Vikings
used to navigate and dominate the North
Atlantic without having knowledge of the
compass. Under this guise TPE is
spinning the yarn to introduce a new
conceptual work, halfway between Jethro
Tull and Rick Wakeman (without
forgetting classics echoes of Camel,
Pink Floyd or ELP) in a dynamic and
beautiful, full of electric moments and
essences of melodic work, powerfully
reminding us of those classic and pure
sounds of the heyday.
We witness a work of enormous, complex
magnitude, with elaborate arrangements
and no less elaborate instrumental
performances, with breathtaking duels of
male and female voices and dressed, in
many cases, not by imposing analog
sounds, but by a full orchestra, which
provides a exceptional magnanimity.
This is one of the great albums, no
doubt. Before one of the most talented
musicians of all time, intelligent and
knowledgeable about music, composing for
both electric combo as acoustic and for
symphony orchestra. Who dares to
include folklore, classical music
and progressive rock to bring forth one
of the works that will be key in the
future of this entire year, I
anticipate, good independent progressive
work.
Delicacy and strength, emotion and
thought, literature, legend and art,
music and profound lyrics, comprise this
new masterpiece of the American who
gives us, again, a real piece of
progressive treasure in this latest
work, a classic of our times.
Go ahead and grab it with all previous
albums. You'll thank me.
4 of 5
Denis Boisvert (Canada) May 2015
The sun stone is a
gem that helped Viking navigators to
find the sun in a completely
overcast sky. Already a 5th
installment for the mysterious
American composer we will call TPE,
who created the genre 'progfusical'
(prog / fusion / classical). The
studio project continues to develop
positively. On this iteration mostly
the beautiful voice of Caren is
included to increase rather
ordinary voice of the artist
himself. The battery seems more
'live' too. Finally there are more
guests and classical instruments
including a full orchestra. The
theme is both more folk . . . and
classic at the same time if that is
possible.
. . . The creator is
undeniable in his ability to lay a
deep album with themes that range
from madness, the medieval, through
death is a sign of genius also
recognized by numerous awards
received by the progressive
community. . .
"Sunstone" gives us
a beautiful time of complex music,
evocative and well reflecting the
Nordic maritime folklore (like a
parallel with The Death Defying
Unicorn Motorpsycho has just arisen:
shipwreck, hurricane, fusion and
jazz and classical musical maelstrom
but also some difficult access).
Very inventive, very symphonic,
beautiful orchestrations, layers and
layers of epic pro and certainly
colors. My favorites: 'The Quake',
'Gaze' and 'Back to the Sea'. A
Hammond contribution was appreciated
(a Steppenwolf touch via Wilk).
If you like
symphonic prog, with cinematic
orchestral touches done right, a
flagship addition in the work of the
enigmatic TPE. . .
Highlands
Magazine, France
After five albums unanimously acclaimed
by international critics, the mystery
remains unsolved of who is THE
PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE: no way of knowing
what multi-instrumentalist and composer
is behind this identity. A mystery that
is matched only by the constant quality
of the albums made by this mysterious
person who we only known is American.
In 2009, THE PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE
offered his first album at Muséa,
entitled THE ART OF MADNESS. In 2010,
the second album, THE MYTH OF DYING was
already published. In 2011, came the
release of the third album THE DREAM OF
THE MAGIC JONGLEUR previously chronicled
in these columns. 2013, came the
release of the fourth installment in the
series: THE TALE OF THE GOLDEN KING
which we have also reviewed. Prolific,
THE PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE, is back in
2015 with the publication of THE
SUNSTONE, his fifth album, a shiny new
artistic success. Although the name of
the musician ["Psychedelic"] seems to
give us an indication of the genre, it
is not so because it is the symphonic
genre that is the expressive domain of
THE PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE. A sound very
orchestral conferred by an extensive
combination of keyboards in
perfect combination, accompanied by the
strings and woodwind arrangements. The
sound is Episodically completed by
brilliant synthesizer sounds, chosen
with the most exquisite taste, while
here and there appears a rhythm section
more voluble, pulsing at a dizzying
pace.
The music of THE PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE is
a turbulent maelstrom of notes,
sparkling, still played in harmony with
grace and elegance, it is the reign of
muted tones. Further, the electric
guitar is heard in most exquisite
complement (A Hundred Years On),
accompanying a singer (Ann CAREN).
Accompanied by a delicious piano, THE
PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE utters his voice
softly, muted tones too - albeit without
burrs true character - but very
pleasant. In addition, the intelligence
of the composer / performer,
it is also remarkable that he managed to
maintain balance throughout the 11
compositions which are the 62 minutes
and a half in this collection.
Swirling music, mixing classical and
symphonic rock with supreme skill, THE
PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE provides us with
this fifth opus THE SUNSTONE, a finished
work, creating elegant print, refinement
where inspiration is present at multiple
intersections of its labyrinthine music.
THE PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE is the ALAN
PARSON'S PROJECT GENESIS meeting meeting
meeting FRIPP and CAMEL. Melodic,
symphonic, ambitious, stunning in the
end, THE PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE's music
never stops captivating you and seducing
you. Let yourself be tempted! 17/20
. . . TPE is now
an established name within prog.
Supplemented by a number of guests,
including the excellent singer Ann
Caren, the unknown musician still
shows in this fifth work all of his
qualities: fine compositions,
impressive keyboards, soothing
orchestrations . . .
The
Sunstone
Matt
DiGiordano
(U.S.)
About a year and a
half-ago The Psychedelic Ensemble (TPE)
offered an incredible conceptual album in
the form of The Tale of the Golden King.
Well, TPE shows no signs of slowing down;
fast forward to 2015 and we have yet
another release to take in. TPE’s latest
effort, The Sunstone, once again offers a
fantastic tale with allegorical leanings.
This time around he turns to medieval
folklore and constructs a story inspired
by sunstones, crystals that vikings used
to aid them in crossing the sea. Once
again, the result in both the lyrical and
musical departments are stunning,
bringing to the table the high caliber of
symphonic rock that I have come to expect
and love from The Psychedelic Ensemble.
The album opener, simply named “Prologue,”
throws us instantly into a symphonic dream
where darkness and magic strike the
perfect balance. From the first moments of
the album it’s clear that TPE continues to
step up his game on the symphonic side of
things, paying close attention to both
orchestration and use of motif, something
which is very evident early on as the
brass brings in the main theme before
being restated with choirs and passed
around through woodwind variations. At
this point the ensemble picks up the pace
with pounding timpani while the strings
section grabs onto the theme amidst a
whirlwind of blazing guitar and keyboard
runs. The intro is, quite frankly,
phenomenal, setting high standards for the
whole record right off the bat. From here
TPE takes it into the title track, “The
Sunstone.” Immediately we get all of the
recognizable TPE flare: a bit of funk in
the bassline, vocal lines that are
separated by fierce guitar/keyboard runs
and drum fills, etc. The chorus offers
dense harmonies spinning all around,
followed by some nice interplay between
piano and synth prior to a bout of TPE’s
signature soloing. Then comes the real
treat, a break where chiming bells
separate interweaving lines of clean
guitar melodies, icy synths, and plenty of
leads to create a distinctly magical
atmosphere. What’s even better though is
the next break where plucking acoustics
under pianos are a bed for mysterious
vocals singing “guide us” and doing the
perfect job at setting the tone for the
story.
Since the album is very consistent
overall, I want to focus here on the
strongest tracks. First is what I would
consider as potentially the best song on
the album: “A Hundred Years On.” This
pieces opens up with some extremely
dramatic orchestral tension. The magical
feel is present once again as harps pluck
and pianos interject to increase the sense
of mystery. The strings bring in the first
melody and then combine delicately with
brass harmonic work before introducing an
eerie choir. After some nods to the
prologue the piece dives into some tick
tension through brass dissonance before a
breathe of release when a sweet melody is
introduced over acoustic guitars. At this
point the vocals enter and we get a slight
Jethro Tull-esque vibe in the distinctly
folky flavor of the rhythm and melody. The
refrain, “a hundred years on,” really hits
the sweet spot and will echo in your head
in the best of ways. After building the
piece up with, growing the dynamic under
the vocal line with the support of the
strings section, the drums eventually
break in and we head to a theme
introduced on synth, followed by brief
guitar meanderings, before heading into a
gorgeous interlude. This piece really
stands out in its morphing of sections,
the trade offs between cello, violins, and
sparkly guitar. The return to an eventual
repetition of the verse, stripped down to
guitar and Hammond, is magnificent, and
the outro that thematically recalls “The
Siren’s Spell” by the return of Ann
Caren’s gorgeous vocals calls for a
mysterious closure where you can really
imagine the screaming sirens of the sea.
From here, “A Hundred Years On” directly
links us into “Sun Mad,” a piece with
music to really pull on your heart
strings. The juxtaposition between the
bluesy vocal line and a dark, melancholy
piano accompaniment with powerfully
arranged strings is absolutely killer.
There is so much weight behind the
orchestra parts here, knowing precisely
when simplicity should give way to
mezmerizing dynamics. After the 2nd verse
the mood picks up a bit with some
odd-time-play. It gets very groovy at this
point and features a playful chase between
guitar and keys before eventually
returning to the somber mood set forth at
the beginning of the track. All in all,
the combination of “A Hundred Years On”
with “Sun Mad” makes for one of the
absolute highlights of the album.
Speaking of highlights, I’m sure all
listeners will be delighted to have Ann’s
voice back on this latest TPE record. She
floored me with her performance on “Queen
of Sorrow” on the previous album, and her
presence on The Sunstone is a joy. In
particular I want to mention the track
“Gaze,” which I consider to be the perfect
type of piece for Ann’s voice. Her sense
of expression is extremely subtle and are
immaculately performed. She has this
unique way of singing her lines fairly
straight on this piece but capturing loads
of emotion nonetheless. This works
perfectly with the slowly moving
orchestration as the bits of weaving
violin and chiming of bells add a deep
sense of sorrow to her delivery. The
lyrics are perfect for the mood,
expressing solitude in the darkness and
nothingness of the self that couldn’t be a
better fit for the music. Even with the
groovy drums and bass come in the piece
remains quite dreamy in this track where
mood is everything. Ann and TPE really
nail it here.
Finally, I’d like to close off with two
more standout tracks from The Sunstone:
“Digging up the Past” and “The Quake.”
“Digging Up the Past” may very well be my
favorite track on the record and it’s hard
to put my finger on why. On it’s own it’s
clear that it’s a great song, but it
certainly isn’t the most ambitious piece
on the record. All the same, this song is
ridiculously catchy, so much so that
you’ll find yourself listening to it over
and over, regardless as to whether or not
your stereo is actually on. Objectively
it’s hard to say what makes it tick. I
like the light cymbal-work throughout, the
constantly moving basslines during the
verse, the absurdly catchy chorus, and the
blend of guitars and Hammonds (plus a
great solo by Steppenwolf’s Michael Wilk).
In the end though, “Digging Up the Past”
simply nails it in the creation of a
divinely catchy melody, and that’s not
easy to do (kudos to TPE). Similar to the
“Hundred Years”/”Sun Mad” combo, “Digging
Up the Past” dives right into another
brilliant piece: “The Quake.” The intro to
this one is dramatic, featuring a tone
which with both desperate and mysterious,
fantastically augmented by the slowly
moving orchestra and soaring vocals. TPE
brings in skilled references to main
themes of the records before diving into a
flurry of fusiony playing where guitars,
synths, and piano whirl around each other
with the support of powerful basslines and
drum fills, recalling a bit of a Return to
Forever dynamic. The piano solo that
enters around 2:30 is dreamy and colorful
and the interactions with the drums are
just perfect. This piece features so much
amazing dueling between instruments that
you’ll just find yourself smiling til the
end, wondering if it’ll ever let up but
while never being disappointed that it
doesn’t.
The Sunstone definitely will not
disappoint fans of The Psychedelic
Ensemble nor those of symphonic prog in
general. What really catches my attention
is that it has a lot of familiarity but it
doesn’t fall into the trap of sounding
like a repeat of the last couple of
albums. While remaining distinctly TPE,
The Sunstone takes on a much darker, more
mystical musical direction, which I
absolutely love. The balance between
orchestra and band is just as good as
ever, and I would say that TPE one-upped
himself in terms of dynamic delivery and
emotional weight. In the end, The Sunstone
comes highly recommended and will
certainly be a solid addition to your
collection.
Fantastic
I am familiar with the work of the
psychedelic ensemble. Their last two
albums are among the best modern
progressive rock releases. I'm writing
''their'' but the impressive info about
this project is that everything is
arranged and composed by one mysterious
musical genius behind the moniker of the
psychedelic ensemble together with
additional female vocals provided by Ann
Caren (Also present on ''The Tale of the
Golden King''. A perfect fit for this
musical style).
The music itself is top-notch progressive
rock, more symphonic driven, so the Yes
comparison is inevitable. What impresses
me the most is that the composition is on
a such high level that you cannot really
talk about typical ''one-man'' band flaws
as the often noted lack of compositional
skills on some area, rhythmic or melodic.
The psychedelic ensemble is really
something else, he is well crafted on
every possible instrument. I'm not talking
about shredding here but how intelligent,
focused to have a complete and great
sounding song than giving us a bunch
memorable moments. The production has also
a great 70-ies feel but what stands apart
from other ''classic'' modern symphonic
progressive bands is the very modern
rhythm section.
This is for sure one of the best release
of the year, give it a chance.
Progpratt, The
Netherlands
The
Sunstone
Rinco Ennema, April 2015,
The Netherlands
(Translation)
'The Sunstone' is
a concept as it fits in the line of albums
that were previously released by The
Psychedelic Ensemble, as in 'The Art Of
Madness', 'The Myth Of Dying', 'The
Dream Of The Magic Jongleur' and 'The Tale
Of The Golden King', this album is full on
and around the theme written and certainly
in this case in a particularly clever way.
The album takes you into the experience
that evokes the music and keeps the
attention fixed on the listener,
captivates, maintains and fascinates. . .
I sincerely enjoyed this album. The
original concept, the history that lends
itself to a beautiful legend, the vocals
and the music ... Brilliantly done by The
Psychedelic Ensemble and I therefore think
that this album deserves a lot of
attention. . .
The
Sunstone
Raphael Päbst (Germany)
(Translation)
THE PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE is back. The
man, who is a whole ensemble, but still
brings an orchestra and such sweeping,
progressive concept albums fabricated
tales like "The Sunstone", the sequel to
the strong "The Tale Of The Golden
King".
Nothing has changed in the sound of
the one-man ensemble. Again, there
is progressive rock, which is dominated
by playful synthesizers, enhanced by
some jazzy drumming, and seasoned with
beautiful guitar solos. Furthermore the
protagonist sings, again supported by
guest vocalist Ann Caren, rather
discreetly about the history of the
sunstone.
The album . . . offers some truly
magical moments. These include the
haunting 'The Storm' that perfectly
captures the title in guitar and
keyboard sounds. The use of Ann Caren
must again be emphasized here because
she is significantly more present on
"The Sunstone" than on the
previous albums and with greater
liberties.
Thus, the new album continues in the way
of THE PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE, who
consistently delivers very detailed
progressive rock, and who time and time
again explores and who is always
complete with new surprises, nooks and
crannies. This is music in which to lose
yourself, and which is full of beauty
and delicate variety. If you like
symphonic prog and love extravagant
synthesizer, "The Sunstone". is highly
recommended.
The Sunstone
12/15
Jürgen Wissing
BetreutesProgge
(Germany)
In Association with Progressive
Newsletter
(Review
translated)
The great individual player and
multi-instrumentalist "Mr. TPE " from the
land of the unlimited possibilities
brought us to his fifth album in just six
years, a very special concept or topic. It
is based on the -- some proven, partly
legend-like adoption, that the Vikings had
used for maritime navigation at night, on
cloudy days, or in fog a so-called
"sunstone" crystal that served as
reflectors and so lead the way. It tells
about such scientific evidence and
archaeological remains always at once
mystical stories that a TPE adds to one's
taste.
The musical realization is, as usual of
TPE, highly varied. Beneficially complex
it comes to the length of the track
carries up to eight minutes before doing
this, as did the instrumentation by
RetroProg - is beefed up items such as a
"classic" used Hammond and even by a
well-appointed orchestra. As usual, Mr.
designed TPE text and music itself and
recorded up to guest posts by vocalists
and orchestra by Michael Wilk
(Steppenwolf) on Hammond [track 7 solo].
Compared to previous albums, the
proportion of symphonic prog rock has
risen only by incorporating orchestral
parts, but which are innovative…The
special and appealing part is that TPE
incorporates a variety of styles that
appear throughout the entire time of the
CD combining fusion, retro and Symphonic
Prog or orchestral film-like music work
not against each other, but they merge
into one great whole, which after only
after several listens is disclosed. Not
because it is about complexity, but
because there is so much to discover. The
transitions between tracks carry one
pleasantly on a journey through the cosmos
of sound of TPE.
The pace is maintained instrumentally is
consistently very high, very good and
balanced vocal performances of TPE and his
guests (some polyphonic) complement
exciting duels between keyboards and
Hammond or sometimes jazzy-inspired piano
sounds. Solos are none less than feisty,
sometimes almost hyperactive drumming
falls - oh yes, and here Mr. TPE is
personally at work - positively.
The album sounds more like RetroProg than
previous works, but is not necessarily
intended for pure "nostalgia", but it is -
thank God - too modern and too
independent. TPE succeeds in almost the
perfect blend of style characteristics
with very high variety and a
correspondingly high entertainment value.
The
Sunstone
12/15
Siggy
Zielinski (Germany)
(Review
translated)
Again on
his fifth album, the mysterious
Mr. Psychedelic Ensemble remains
largely loyal to
Retroprog-Concept.
What is striking is mainly the
increased proportion of
progressive jazz-rock that
recalls the Mahavishnu Orchestra
and Return to Forever.
The very impressive orchestral
opening of the album with the
participation of The Psychedelic
Ensemble Orchestra revealed the
expected fact that an journey
towards an epic symphonic
concept album was in store. The
operatic design of "The Quake"
may be regarded as a short
culmination of this concept
work. . .
The recurring and intervening
Psychedelic Ensemble Orchestra,
conducted by Jonathan Roberts,
consists of real musicians and
not samples. Almost everything
else, such as string
instruments, is performed by the
anonymous The Psychedelic
Ensemble. I note that Mr. TPE
has not forgotten Emerson and
Wakeman. . .
On "The Sunstone", the concept
implemented in the texts and in
the artwork revolves around the
mysterious stones that may have
helped the Vikings on their sea
voyages. In keeping with
the concept, the music now and
then sounds a bit exotic and
psychedelic .... The finale,
"Back to the Sea", will
especially appeal to YES fans
within the prog fan base.
The bottom line, the followers
of TPE get a resourcefully
composed and richly arranged
work with impressive orchestral
passages. The Psychedelic
Ensemble has once again
generated a CD that will make
friends of symphonic retroprog
happy.
The
Sunstone
12/15
Jochen König (Germany)
(Review
translated)
The fifth album by THE
PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE begins
like a monumental
fantasy/horror film
soundtrack. Orchestral
soundscapes are designed,
and they are brewing up
something on the horizon.
Beyond the horizon the
Vikings could gaze and sail.
So they would not get lost
without a compass at sea,
the Northmen needed
something to navigate. The
position of the sun is
helpful, but even better if
they used legendary
sunstones, to which the
mastermind behind the
pseudonym of THE PSYCHEDELIC
ENSEMBLE has devoted the
concept of his album..
I am excited to note as well
that . . . Ann Caren . . .
and C. Francis . . . sing
excellently, which does not
seem so simple in the
complex, varied music of The
Psychedelic Ensemble. Which
brings us to the soundtrack
again. After the short
introduction, he creates a
course for a collective,
that he hits with verve and
enthusiasm between a load of
symphonic prog keyboards,
fusion-like jazz, and rock.
Michael Wilk of STEPPWENWOLF
sometimes on the Hammond
organ makes for a classic
hard-rock feel.
The real orchestra, of
course, also adds meaning. .
.The guitars set relatively
sharp accents on the other
hand. . .
"The Sunstone" does
not become a polyphonic,
avant-garde spectacle. THE
PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE is not
afraid of oblique passages,
but can also draw air and
rest and shift down one or
two gears. Also available
are pastoral, folky, and a
little wistful quieter prog
for soulful minutes. Never
being too long, these
sections provide no chance
for rust.
The KING CRIMSON influences
of previous albums are a bit
faded into the background,
but instead find themselves
in some vocal parts.
References to JETHRO TULL in
the late seventies ("A
Hundred Years On", "Back To
The Sea"), YES during their
"Close To The Edge "/"
Relayer " phases, as well as
jazz-rock from the
MAHAVISNU ORCHESTRA or
RETURN TO FOREVER . . . All
of these parts, including
the orchestra are
harmoniously woven into a
complex body of work that
certainly moves between jazz
and prog, aware of the past,
without becoming a mere
citation cemetery.
CONCLUSION: On "The
Sunstone" THE PSYCHEDELIC
ENSEMBLE navigate between
full-blown retro prog,
jazz-rock, soundtrack,
knowledgeably and
whimsically bonded back and
forth without getting lost.
A special thanks to the sun
stone.
The
Sunstone
4.5
of 5
Jon Neudorf (Canada)
Since The
Psychedelic Ensemble has been
making discs I have been
reviewing them and each album
has been a revelation in this
world we call progressive
rock. TPE is a one man
ensemble with a little help
from his friends . . .
Each album TPE has released
has an underlying concept and
that trend continues with The
Sunstone. According to
Viking mythology, medieval
mariners used crystals to
navigate the seas. There may
in fact be scientific evidence
of their use but we will save
that for another discussion.
It is this myth upon which TPE
spins yet another wonderful
tale.
The first track "Prologue –
The Voyage" is an instrumental
where TPE unleashes all his
musical tricks creating an
orchestral symphony of pure
delight. When the guitar
enters, a cacophony of sound
builds into a resounding and
dramatic climax.
Next up is the title track
featuring blazing guitar and
synth runs and layered harmony
vocals. For those familiar
with his music, you know what
I'm talking about. His playing
here is simply outstanding,
bursting with energy and
melodic intensity.
"The Siren's Spell" is one of
the album's heaviest tunes
featuring razor sharp guitar
leads and sizzling synth solos
to go along with the
occasional Hammond outburst.
This one has a darker tone and
is followed by "The Storm",
another heavy offering. The
guitar and synthesizer rock
just as hard and TPE's Hammond
gets a justifiable workout.
The electric violin throughout
is an album highlight.
"A Hundred Years On" is a prog
rock tour d force venturing
from heavy prog to acoustic
folk-like moments. This one
reminded me a little of Jethro
Tull at times as TPE's lead
vocals carry a hint of Ian
Anderson. Ann Caren also adds
some angelic crooning meshing
nicely with the song's more
pastoral moments.
So, through the album's first
five tracks the highlights are
really too numerous to
mention. This is one of those
discs that will keep your head
reeling all the while putting
a smile on your face. I used
to think music was dead in the
water but thanks to artists
like TPE nothing could be
further from the truth. For
that I am truly grateful.
The
Sunstone
Volkmar
Mantei
Ragazzi
(March 2015), Germany
Die Welt des Psychedelic
Ensemble ist besonders und
eigenartig. Zugleich schwerelos und
wuchtig, direkt und bombastisch,
wirken die Songs unnahbar und
flutschig, als seien sie nicht zu
greifen. So wie Fisch im Wasser. Das
‚psychedelische' Element ist
ausgeprägt, als wäre das, was hier
zu hören ist, aus unwägbarer Sphäre.
Dabei spielt sich das fünfte Album
des unerkannt arbeitenden Musikers
ebenso im symphonischen Progressive
Rock ab wie seine vier Vorgänger.
Instrumentale Interplays haben
oftmals eine fast fluchtartige
Schnelligkeit, wobei die ausgeprägt
komplexe Schlagzeugarbeit, deren
Sound wie programmiert klingt, die
rasante und ungreifbare Hektik in
Zusammenarbeit mit der direkten,
hintergründigen Bassarbeit ungemein
unterstützt. Sobald ein hektisches
Thema genommen ist, fällt ein
schöngeistig symphonisches Motiv ein
und mildert die Pingpong-Dynamik. Um
gleich wieder von erneuter überaus
fluchtartiger Dynamik eingeholt zu
werden. Es braucht eine Weile, sich
in den Kosmos des Mannes einzuhören,
der sich The Psychedelic Ensemble
nennt und außerhalb dieses Projektes
vermutlich bekannt ist und seine
Interessengebiete nicht
überschneiden will. Solistisches ist
rar gesät, so gibt es keine
ausführlichen, nur hier und kurze
Gitarrensoli zu hören. The
Psychedelic Ensemble arbeitet
konzertant mit strengen Arrangements
ohne lose Enden oder emotionale
Einzelausflüge.
Symphonisch elegische Passagen
klingen Klassik-nah, im fülligen
Klang der Tasteninstrumente ebenso
wie im Arrangement der klassischen
Instrumente. Romantische Bögen
schweifen ins Weite, raffiniert
konzentriert komponiert, mit
gefühlter Leichtigkeit groß
angelegt. So wie die hektisch
rasanten Komplexpartien
Holterdiepolter schießen und
viertelnotenstarke Stakkatos
zelebrieren, fließen die
symphonischen Reigen weich und
lyrisch wie in der romantischen
Klassik.
The Psychedelic Ensemble, der ein
umfangreiches Instrumentarium
spielt, alle Facetten seiner
Komposition ins rechte Licht zu
rücken, singt seine eigenen Texte,
überlässt jedoch überwiegend Ann
Caren das Mikrophon. Die Dame hat
eine entrückt schöne Stimme, die
sehr angenehm zur instrumentalen
Wucht passt und ebenso zerbrechlich
und unnahbar klingt, wie das ganze
märchenhafte Werk.
Gäste an Rockinstrumenten sind hier
und dort aktiv geworden, Michael
Wilk (Hammond B3) etwa, oder Davis
Brooks mit den großartigen Beiträgen
an der (Jazzrock-)Violine. Zudem
gibt es das Principal Orchestra als
markanten, steten Part des Werkes.
Da ist der ‚Conductor of The
Psychedelic Ensemble Orchestra'
(Jonathan Roberts), der Leiter des
zehnköpfigen klassischen Ensembles.
Die Orchestration schrieb der Mann
namens The Psychedelic Ensemble
selbst, die Obacht der Einspielung
der klassischen Parts übergab er
Amanda Smith Roberts, die als
Konzertmeisterin die Umsetzung der
klassischen Arrangements übernahm.
Die klassischen Musiker sind
vielfach in allen Songs zu hören.
Ihr Anteil macht die Songs reich,
überraschend wohlklingend und
klassisch. "The Sunstone" wird durch
die klassischen Instrumente, die
klassische Notation spielen, was
perfekt ins Rockarrangement
eingearbeitet wurde, besonders reif,
hat eine ausgenommen professionelle
Note, was im Progressive Rock nicht
immer der Fall ist.
In 11 Tracks, die 62:34 Minuten
füllen, wird das fünfte
Konzeptprojekt (als märchenhafte
Wikinger-Geschichte, deren Text samt
einer Einführung im Booklet
abgedruckt sind) erzählt. Neben den
hektischen Parts, dem
Rock-symphonischen Anteil und den
eindrucksvollen, professionellen
klassischen Parts ist nicht nur
partiell, sondern tragend und
überaus präsent Jazzrock im Stile
des Mahavishnu Orchestra zu Zeiten
des Albums "Apocalypse" eingebaut
(was nicht nur am ‚Jazzrock-Einsatz'
der Violine liegt, sondern in der
Komposition). Gewiss klingt das, was
The Psychedelic Ensemble
komponieren, eigen und wenig
vergleichbar mit anderen Bands wie
ebenso wenig mit dem Mahavishnu
Orchestra (wie ebenfalls das
Mahavishnu Orchestra ein
unvergleichlicher Klassiker ist).
Aber die Parallelen sind eindeutig,
wenn The Psychedelic Ensemble auch
viel hektischer und
rocksymphonischer arbeitet, und das
Mahavishnu Orchestra diese
besondere, erhabene Eleganz
zelebrierte. Elegant ist "The
Sunstone" auf alle Fälle auch, auf
seine Weise. Wie oft im Progressive
Rock, hier aber markant und auf
unnachahmliche Weise, wirkt es, als
sollten so viele Noten wie nur
irgend möglich untergebracht sein.
So machen selbst Parts, die nicht
per se auf Speed sind, den Eindruck,
wuchtig und beinahe überladen zu
sein. Und gleichzeitig scheu,
verträumt und unwirklich.
The Psychedelic Ensemble ist etwas
Besonderes. Zum einen qualitativ.
"The Sunstone" ist professionell
(hört euch nur "Prologue - The
Voyage" an), gleichzeitig fast
unwirklich. Wer auch immer hinter
dem Namen steht, was nicht größtes
Interesse ist und der Musik
nachsteht, möge unbedingt im Sinne
dieses seines Projektes
weiterarbeiten.
Wie würde unser Mann mit dem
Fotoapparat und der stets guten
Laune sagen: "genau mein Ding!".
The
Sunstone
Esther
Kessel-Tamerus (The Netherlands)
The man behind The Psychedelic
Ensemble (abbreviated TPE) is
already 35 years in the profession.
He has often appeared as a
multi-instrumentalist, singer, and
writes and composes his music. TPE
is a pseudonym. He wants people to
appreciate his music for the music
itself, not its image. The Sunstone
is his fifth anonymous album.
The album is about sunstones. In
legends are already talking about
this transparent crystal. They were
also used to navigate at sea in bad
weather. Only a few years ago, it is
scientifically proven that these
stones even in the dark to locate
the sun. The fifth album tells a
devised by TPE, story about a
mischievous nymph. She has charmed
the stone. ('The Sunstone "). With
her beautiful voice and she lures
sailors to her island (Siren's
spell). But it turns out to be their
downfall. Because it creates a storm
('The Storm').
Rapids
The music of “Proloque- The Voyage"
has to immediately grab you. The
beginning is quiet. Instruments are
slowly added. This continues for a
while murmuring quietly then
afterwards the momentum builds.
There is pleasant too similar to
listen to this instrumental track.
Without a break is about to 'The
Sunstone. But I do hear clearly the
turning point in the music .. the
transition from one to the other
number.
The color of the TPE of voice fits
well in the music. Singing and music
are intertwined. The beautiful
dynamic drums fit in perfectly with
the music. Of course there are
twists in volume and tempo.
And now there is, without a break, a
transition to “The Siren's Spell"
which begins with the sounds of a
storm, waves and organ.
The beautiful organ lines are
perfectly combined with the
percussion with many dynamics. This
provides quite a bombastic music.
Ann Caren’s voice sounds clear and
yet mean, matching a vicious nymph.
The tension is built up in music and
singing. If stress is mitigated
later, the voice of Ann clear. The
sounds of the storm and the waves
come back.
Emotional melody
Without looking at the cover, I know
pretty quickly that we will
encounter 'The Storm'. Because this
song is built like a strong wind
that turns into a storm. Violin and
guitar especially are played with
incredible speed. Moments later, the
organ plays very fast and once again
the extreme dynamics in the
drumming. All this sounds restless
as it should in a storm. For a quiet
storm does not exist.
Suddenly it is a lot quieter as we
enter "A Hundred Years On”.
The bass is classic, but there are
many additional details. The vocals
are small but warm. The vocal and
instrumental pieces alternate. Then
the music gets busier, faster, and
more, without being over the top.
Beautifully the music turns to a
quieter area with compelling melody
which the strings nicely bring
forth. The vocal here is slightly
theatrical. The vocalists colors go
well together, and with the music.
Everything is put down to
perfection.
“Digging Up The Past” has a very
nice and quiet start. Beautifully
building to raucous music. Many
drums, not only with much dynamism,
TPE also plays tight at the high
hats. Michael Wilk (of Steppelwolf)
here provides a nice up-tempo
Hammond solo.
Sounds of the sea and the cracking
of a sailing ship. If the music and
vocals come in, it sounded almost
cheerful. As in "The Voyage
Proloque” music remains in' Back To
The Sea 'as by lapping. Slow build
to a bombastic whole. Enjoy a little
... because just before the song
ends, I know that the CD is almost
over, I hear just the music.
Not the most accessible album
because there is so much to listen
to. Yet this is the very appeal of
“The Sunstone”. These are not just
11 individual songs, this album
tells a whole story. Everything fits
perfectly in all, it plays like a
good book.
The
Sunstone
Ages
of Rock (March 2015), Italy
It 's true that you never stop
learning ... even when you feel
quite updated you discover with
guilt that you have left something
behind and so, thanks to the timely
cue of a friend, I put my ears on The
Sunstone, the new album by The
Psychedelic Ensemble, a dynamic
American band classified as neo prog
but also able to present different
styles.
The debut dated 2009 was followed by
a steady crescendo of what is in
fact, rather than a real group, a
constellation of musicians and a
female voice that revolve around an
anonymous multi-instrumentalist.
The Sunstone is thus the fifth work
of this eclectic and imaginative
musician. The usual brilliance, the
usual dynamism of the American
musicians are enhanced by sonic
turbulence, passing through fusion,
symphonic prog, the use of strings
and powerful orchestrations, some
passing classic rock; a bold use of
long instrumental segments often
directs the music. . . .
Michael Wilk [contributes a solo on
track 7] on Hammond, C. Francis and
especially the incisive Ann Caren
provides lead vocals, other
musicians take care of the
strings. . . The Psychedelic
Ensemble, the anonymous mastermind,
plays keyboards, guitars, bass,
drums, mandolin and vocals. . . .
THE
TALE OF THE GOLDEN KING
 The Tale of the
Golden King
10 of 10
Gert Hulshof
Some four years
ago now I did my first review of a
Psychedelic Ensemble album, at that time
his debut album. If you do not know The
Psychedelic Ensemble yet, TPE is a one
man band - a musician extraordinaire.
Four years ago I started my review with:
"If you are looking for a band or music
that is in a league of its own, go out
and find yourself the music of The
Psychedelic Ensemble. This band, or
better still one man show, really rocks
the house”.
Since then there have been two further
albums and now a third, TPE's fourth all
together. Once again a concept work of
high level and superior class, I know
some of you will now put aside the
review because of all the bombastic
words that I have started with. Your
choice all together as long as you do
try and give TPE's Golden King a
spin to at least confirm to yourself you
do not like it.
I do like the album - you probably
noticed that from my words already.
Again I can say that TPE surprised me
with this album, so much so that I dare
to state that he has really outdone
himself and compiled, composed, produced
and arranged an even better work than
its predecessors. Some of the
arrangements have a familiarity to them,
stating the original sound that TPE has
created with his music.
Multi-instrumentalists, or musicians of
creative mind producing music all by
themselves are a strange breed I guess,
not allowing anyone to interfere with
their works, at least not within the
arrangements and production. At times
they seek help from others to create
just that piece of music that they hear
in their mind. For the Golden King,
TPE has made use of a real orchestra,
albeit a chamber orchestra, but
nevertheless an orchestra of real
instruments and not one conjured from
his synthesizers.
Also a female
voice is used for the vocal parts of
the Queen in "The Queen of Sorrow".
The voice and timbre of this vocalist
has a resemblance to Annie Haslam of
Renaissance fame. Introducing the
chamber orchestra and female vocal
adds a new dimension to the music on
this album.
Words fail to describe the intensity
and beauty of this musical
extravaganza. You could call the
concept a 'rock opera' but in my eyes
this does little justice to what this
musical experience really is. At times
rocking, then going into the smoother
works of neo progressive, a little
psychedelia here and there, but to my
eyes most of the time an eclectic work
of art made by a creative mind
extraordinaire.
Yes I know I use a lot of Superlatives
in this review once again but I cannot
help feeling that way. Each track is
literally full of creativity with lots
of different instruments used, too
many to mention in a review. Once
again I am overwhelmed by the
creativity, but most of all by the
sheer unlimited musical talents, of
TPE.
The album comes nicely packaged with a
short introductory tale on the inside
of the booklet along with all the
lyrics so you can read along with the
songs as they progress.
To conclude, I can only state to all
of you once again, try this album -
you will not be disappointed. But one
remark also needs to be made; take
your time, you will need it. Listen
but listen closely, not once
but...you'll be as overwhelmed as I
am.
Denmark
Tonny Larsen
Finally I get to hear this
much talked about ensemble, which
actually and most impressively is a
one-man band and this multi-talented
artist/musician has chosen to be
anonymous. All very intriguing,
mysterious and really the stuff
legends are built upon! Already at
first listen I was blown away by the
sheer brilliance, the grandeur and
excellence this magnum work offers. I
actually couldn't believe my ears,
this is what real prog/symphonic prog
is all about, old school prog renewed,
refined and fresh blood infused. Think
early Renaissance, early Yes, slight
ELP, then add chamber orchestra,
invited guest on superb female vocal,
great compositions and excellent
musical delivery and you are almost
there!! I promise you are in for a
very special treat. I haven't heard
such excellence/brilliance in a very
long time. The superb arrangements,
musical brilliance, beauty and complex
time signatures just oozes and floats
from this masterpiece. So there is
hope after all, real prog is not dead
and believe you me this is the real
deal!! Let me explain, many new bands
claim to be (crossover/blend/hints and
allegations to) prog music, I guess it
is due to the renewed popularity of
prog these years, but a certain tag is
not always valid, is it? This however
is genuine prog music in the retro/old
school super class. If you don't like
this album, I dare say you are not a
real prog fan! There is not a dull
moment on this album (despite its
duration of 72 minutes plus) it
absolutely brims with fantastic tunes,
brilliant musical ideas, loads of
keyboard play, fine vocals and great
lead guitars, adding to the whole
picture of symphonic prog, pompous
rock, even cinematic sequences, folk
and art rock combined, to mention just
a few of the musical idioms herein!
Highly recommended to every serious
prog collector! Needless to say (even
though I do) this one goes straight
into my private collection! A fine
release that will return to my
cd-player ever so often. Thank you,
Psychedelic Ensemble, for this
masterpiece!! Now someone please tell
me who this musical genius is!
MAGAZINE-GREECE
The Tale of the
Golden King
of 5
John Zoin
Two years after The Dream of the
Magic Jongleur (2011), that
we ranked among the best records
of that year, the mysterious
American The Psychedelic Ensemble
returns with his fourth album, The
Tale of the Golden King. The
Tale of the Golden King is their
most ambitious, rich regarding the
orchestration and production, and
more conceptually complete
work. The use of the word
“work” is not coincidental – this
is how the punk fanatics used to
call the progressive achievements
35 years ago even if the post punk
scene (besides a few exceptions)
never succeeded to produce equally
marvelous music and restricted
itself in constructing
“situations”. Here we are
dealing with . . . a
“work”. As a matter of fact,
the revival of prog is, of course,
a reality since the 80’s but the
pop and metal conventions and
restrictions have always
underlined it. The
Psychedelic Ensemble, however, has
shown and continues to show that
he doesn’t feel the need to “put
water in their wine” and follow
the conventions of our time.
He does what he really feels like
doing, deep from his heart.
The Tale of the Golden King is a
typical concept album. The
ten pieces, besides being played
as parts of a complete musical
work that lasts 72 minutes (a
suite in terms of classical music)
without pause, narrate linearly
the episodes of a story of
medieval imagination with sleeping
kings, civilizations that are
attacked by barbarian hordes and
magical mountains that is given in
the booklet of the record which
also contains beautiful pictures
and all the lyrics.
Musically we could talk of
symphonic rock since, besides the
usual guitars, keyboards,
percussion bass, mandolin that one
of the musicians who is hidden
under the name TPE (and who
insists on not revealing his
name), there is in the project the
sound of a regular string
orchestra with 20 woodwinds.
Like the the previous albums the
music is not experimental,
everywhere there are echoes of the
classical style of prog from from
Genesis and the ELP and Caravan,
but this time the timbral palette
is much richer, while the female
voice of Ann Caren next to TPE
gives the project an ethereal and
“polyphonic” dimension.
With The Psychedelic Ensemble one
has the impression of the total
revival of 70s art rock, that
irrefutably have been, from the
musical point of view, the peak of
rock creativity and which, for
those who haven’t experienced
them, is mythical and for us who
have experienced them as the Lost
Earth of rock Blessedness.
Given that the calendar shows
“2013”, if this is not by itself
an achievement, what else is it?
 ! of 6
Olav Bjornsen
Prolusion. The
US project THE PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE
appeared more or less out of thin air
back in 2009, and has since then been an
active contributor to the progressive
rock universe, fairly steadily recording
and releasing new material. "The Tale of
the Golden King" is the fourth full
length studio production to be released
under this moniker, and was commercially
available from the fall of 2013.
Analysis. One of the intriguing
aspects about The Psychedelic Ensemble
is that few know who the person creating
and releasing this music is. He prefers
to stay unknown for personal reasons,
and so far he has mostly catered for all
aspects of his productions by himself as
well. This latest production does see
the man behind this project expand his
creative borders dramatically however,
with a handful of guest musicians
involved as well as employing an
orchestra to record classical symphonic
passages used throughout this CD. And as
far as changes go, this one is all for
the better as far as I can tell.
Symphonic progressive rock of various
kinds has been the chosen field of The
Psychedelic Ensemble throughout, and on
this occasion this is taken to a whole
new level entirely. We do get plenty of
the features we kind of expect from an
album released under this moniker of
course – swirling, flamboyant keyboards
aplenty, majestic organ textures, dark
and dampened guitars, and more often
than not arrangements with a distinctly
dramatic nature either as a dominant
trait or as a more dampened
undercurrent. Especially the keyboard
arrangements are of a kind and nature
that should make most avid fans of this
brand of progressive rock salivate,
richly layered, complex and quirky,
often with a feeling that these could
very well be rearranged to be performed
by a full scale classical symphonic
orchestra. The manner in which the
classical symphonic recordings are
utilized throughout this production adds
a certain emphasis to that point of view
in my opinion: The transitions between
the classical and the rock based
sequences are seamless, and there are
moments where both of these aspects are
tightly interwoven as well, and so
tightly that separating one from the
other when listening to these passages
is a challenging task indeed. The
stylistic palette utilized is a fairly
broad one, too. And while The
Psychedelic Ensemble never strays from
the symphonic progressive rock
territories, he does include a fair
share of details from other genres, such
as folk music tinged instrumental
details, occasional psychedelic touches
and quite a few instrumental details and
movements with a distinctly
jazz-oriented sound to them. As far as
in-genre references go, I did note some
tendencies towards Yes first and
foremost. Not in any major way, but
occasional details here and there struck
me as familiar sounding in that specific
context.
Conclusion. "The Tale of the Golden
King" comes across as an impressive
production through and through.
Excellent compositions, excellent
musicianship, superbly assembled and
with a quality production to boot. While
it may not hold a universal appeal, this
album should most certainly be of
interest to those with an affection for
symphonic progressive rock, and then
most of all to those who cherish music
of that kind made with a high degree of
sophistication. A truly superb
production, and just about as close to
perfection as you can get in my point of
view.
The Tale of the Golden
King
Drew Fisher
He's done it again, folks! TPE has created
another masterpiece of progressive
rock--this time a "prog rock drama"
telling an original story synthesized from
medieval sleeping hero and mountain king
legends, The Tale of The Golden King. A
benevolent, Arthurian-like king is
rewarded by the gods by being turned into
a gold statue with the attached promise to
his sad reverent subjects: When the time
comes your king will return. The Great
King's disappearance results, of course,
in the invasion of a greedy and oppressive
lot, "The Henchmen." Fear and despair fall
upon the citizens until finally a revolt
is planned--with the ensuing battle,
victory and celebration. The "return" of
The Great King, however, is not as one
would expect, which is the clever twist in
this allegory for a new age. Musically,
TPE has surpassed all previous work by not
only expanding upon his multi-layered,
multi-instrumental wizardry but also by
exploring a broader variety of musical
genres than previously . . . Also, TPE has
expanded his horizons by incorporating
orchestration in the form of The
Psychedelic Ensemble Orchestra and guest
vocalists, including the crystalline voice
of Ann Caren for female leads and
background vocals. And, as usual, the
artwork of TPE's CD and booklet are
breathtaking . . . .
TPE's unique multi-layered
multi-instrumental sonic weave and
sophisticated composition skill always
make for a listening experience that I
highly recommend for all music and prog
lovers. The music TPE creates is
fascinating, creative, and intricately
worked--and masterfully performed. Check
it out!
Another masterpiece of music that is
difficult to compare and categorize and
yet awesome to behold.
The Tale of the
Golden King
20 out of 10 Stars
Jose Luis
Martinez (Spain)
Translated
by Emily Everett
The anonymous
multi-instrumental group, “The
Psychedelic Ensemble,” recently
released its fourth album of pure
symphonic conceptual rock, in which
all the themes tie together to create
an assemblage of coherent
narratives. The new album, full
of dramatic spirit, is loaded with
progressive ideas not only in its
structure but also in its depth.
Its spectacular and magnificent
compositions, developed from a melodic
and dynamic feeling, are full of the
heaviest and most legendary symphonic
rock references. What’s more,
touches of religious and classical
renaissance arrangements, epic vocals,
exquisite and highly technical
performances built on long
instrumental progressions, spirited
keyboard solos, skillfully played
electric guitars, attractive
traditional instruments not only
enrich the music being expressed but
also, like never before, portray an
epic poem of an infinite genre of
possibilities.
It’s just that the music, in an
illustrious and intelligent way, knows
how to construct themes from melody
and musical drama to produce symphonic
rock of the highest quality.
Perhaps we have before us one of the
greatest composers since the 1970s
that, on top of everything, does not
blush at any moment because of his
approach to progressive rock of
authentic and traditional academic
taste.
We are allowed to depart from a
sensationalist concept that not only
serves as a pretext for an
instrumental exposition of supreme
magnitude that flows from a perfect
narrative that is both of sensitive
and technical execution that
transports us to a world of
unsuspected labyrinths where abrupt
musical landscapes rule, diabolical
technical rhythms continuously break
the compasses of musical developments
in the most tasteful way, but we are
also afforded, more than anything, a
great intelligence that sustains the
gorgeous and beautiful compositions of
this fabulous piece of work.
Without realizing it, we have entered
a time machine, and it has transported
us to that long-lost nostalgic era of
musicians that told us stories.
We are before tales from the
Renaissance or the times of Rick
Wakeman, Le Orme, Pink Floyd, ELP,
Jehtro Tull, or PFM that seem to have
been forgotten, but from a modern and
new perspective that, more than
anything, accentuates the longing and
hope of such a dismissed genre.
There are a lot of progressive
musicians that shield themselves
behind a cinematographic sound to
recreate sonorous spaces that guide
their music, but The Psychedelic
Ensemble does not need such excuses to
show a raw and authentic progressive
sound in which their music is worth
exactly what it is: emotion,
sensibility, virtuosity, tenderness,
delirium, enthusiasm, and, on top of
everything, heart.
I listen, astonished, to one of the
greatest instrumentalist and one of
the greatest publications of our time
and I surrender admiringly at the
splendid and flawless music.
Wonderful work, that, I feel, could
never be forgotten. An
indisputable genius. Twenty over
ten.
Lady Obscure Magazine, UK
The Tale
of the Golden King
4.5/5
Martin
Hutchinson
I
started reading at an early age
and it was obvious from those
formative years that heroic
fantasy was going to be my genre
of choice. I tried Michael
Moorcock, Isaac Asimov, Arthur
C. Clarke and other science
fiction authors but, it was when
turned the first page of The
Hobbit and read novels by Terry
Brooks, George R.R. Martin and
Raymond E. Feist that my
imagination took fire. My
interest focused on heroic
fantasy, sword and sorcery if
you like and I really enjoy
reading novels by the likes of
Conn Iggulden, R.A. Salvatore
and Bernard Cornwell, a solid
base in history but with a
liberal licence taken and drops
of magic and mystery thrown in,
perfect for me! So, it would
seem a perfect fit for me to
enjoy listening to progressive
music that relates to these
kinds of literary genres and
novels, generally concept albums
as the whole story would be seen
as a concept in any case.
When I was asked to review The
Tale of the Golden King by The
Psychedelic Ensemble I was intrigued
by the description of ‘a 72-minute
concept presented in 10 gapless
tracks. The concept is based on
medieval sleeping hero and mountain
king legends’. To me, this was
progressive heaven, as you probably
know, I’m a huge prog rock fan
anyway but, to find an album that
was based around fantasy legends,
swords and sorcery et al was like
nirvana to this reviewer. Before we
get onto the review of the album,
let us find out more about The
Psychedelic Ensemble.
The Psychedelic Ensemble is
actually a misnomer being, in
reality, a one-man,
multi-instrumental enigma. TPE (as
we shall call him) has garnered
numerous awards including more than
20 ASCAP awards and many others.
Having worked as a performer,
composer, and arranger with many
preeminent musicians worldwide, The
Golden King is the fourth solo album
released under the moniker of The
Psychedelic Ensemble. In 2009, Musea
Records released the debut album,
The Art of Madness, which received
many nominations for various
progressive rock awards, this was
followed in 2010 by The Myth of
Dying and, in 2011, by The Dream of
the Magic Jongleur, both of which
were garnered with extensive praise.
For The Tale of the Golden King, TPE
is joined, on certain tracks, by a
full chamber orchestra conducted by
Jonathan Roberts and featuring
Amanda Smith Roberts as principal
violinist and concertmaster.
Furthermore, Ann Caren provides lead
vocals for Queen of Sorrow and
backing vocals elsewhere and Kurt
Fowler is the cello soloist on Queen
of Sorrow. As an aside, I have to
mention the amazing artwork on the
album booklet by Yimin Lee which is
totally in key with the concept of
the album and adds to the whole
package.
As is the norm with most
progressive rock epics nowadays, the
album opener is an overture,
Overture – Our Great Kingdom to be
exact, and it is a huge behemoth of
an opening song, the intro just
builds up the intrigue with layer
upon layer of intricate and
spellbinding music before the superb
vocal kicks in. I am dumbfounded
that one person can produce this
astonishingly complex mix of sound,
keyboards swirling here, classic
guitar soaring high and, in keeping
with the concept, there is a
definite mediaeval feel to
proceedings, expertly emphasised by
the clear as a bell organ sounds and
harmonised vocal. The complex guitar
notes and keyboards lead you on a
fast paced, meandering journey away
from the real world, superb from the
first note until the last. There is
a gentle acoustic guitar and
keyboard introduction to The
Prophecy of the Seer- The
Transformation of the King that
leads in a vocal that is more
focused on the narrative and telling
a story. There are hints of Yes,
Rick Wakeman and prog legends of the
70’s flying around with the
intricate time changes and
convoluted keyboard sections. Whilst
being a concept album, each
individual track is given its own
chance to shine and this song goes
heavy on the 70’s psychedelic
keyboards and quick fire guitar runs
to produce a sophisticated
smorgasbord of musical delights.
The Golden King starts
delicately with a delightful
orchestral introduction, fans of
modern progressive stalwarts Glass
Hammer will be very much at home
here. The music has a lilting
quality to it, dancing on your aural
receptors, before a vocal glides in
with a delicate timbre, adding to
the fantastical feeling that is all
pervading. The vocals offer a
narrative as the principle and
secondary voices converse back and
forth. There is an incredible
lightness to the proceedings
emphasised by the nuances of the
songwriting and expert musical
ability on show, another admirable
part of the ever impressive whole.
Captive Days takes the listener on
an instrumental journey though the
world of The Golden King giving, as
it does, a feeling of movement,
perhaps a journey. The musical
arrangement is a delight, the whole
piece having an ethereal quality
that, rather than making it feel
like an interlude or break in the
main composition, gives it a life
all of its own.
Now to one of the masterpieces
of the album, Queen of Sorrow is a
quite breathtaking song, the angelic
vocal of Ann Caren providing beauty
and soul which gives this track a
folk rock feel. The guitars, cello,
flute and piano all take their place
in the musical majesty on show.
There is definite melancholy feel to
the song, hinted at by the quality
of the vocal and, especially in the
low key, almost sinister section
where the vocals become eerie
whispers and the instruments take on
an almost chaotic, distorted sound
with staccato keyboards and guitars
firing back and forth. The
superb orchestral backing to the
final vocal section is bordering on
genius, giving this song the finale
that it deserves.
Save Yourself moves away from
progressive rock to a very modern
jazz feel, funky basslines and
rat-a-tat drum beats backing an
ululating vocal. The virtuoso
keyboard playing is a fine touch and
adds to the ultra smoothness of the
groove and the catchy chorus. The
music strays into fusion territory
in places including some stylishly
imagined jazz piano, a super-smooth
insert into the continuing
narrative. In a clever contrast,
Make a Plan – Golden Swords takes on
a laid back blues mantra with a cool
blues guitar in combination with a
sultry piano note. The keyboards
take on a mind of their own but work
well with the more intense vocal
eventually performing an intense
duet with the scorching licks from
the guitar. A lot of that chaotic
intensity finds itself flowing over
into The Battle, a raging
instrumental that evokes the chaos
and disorder that happens in war.
The time changes come thick and fast
imbuing a feeling of discord and
even anarchy. If I have one small
criticism it could that, on these
three tracks, there is a feeling of
smugness and cleverness, of being
abstract for abstract’s sake, only
my opinion but, it does detract from
the whole very slightly.
We return to the calm and
harmonious theme that runs through
the rest of the album with the
heavily Yes influenced, Great Day.
The acoustic and 12 string guitars
glide in with an all encompassing
feeling of serenity, ably aided and
abetted by the serene synthesizer.
The vocals are silky and polished
hitting a higher range than
elsewhere on the album and
harmonising with great effect. There
then follows a section of intense
competition between the instruments
as, one after the other, they come
forth to burst into life with a
brief solo before the song is lead
out by a precisely harmonised choral
section that harks back to the
initial part of the track.
This fantastical concept is
brought to a close by Finale –
Arise! – Great kingdom, the
recurring orchestral themes are
brought back into play with
increased grandeur and meaning.
There then follows a dazzling,
multi-layered vocal section with
energetic, vivid instrumental
interludes that, rather than
detracting from the vocal sections,
add subtle overlays and nuances to
the overall sound. The frequent solo
incursions are precise and delicate
incisions in a complex piece of
music that seeks to give an overview
of what has gone before, a précis of
the whole story in instrumental
fashion, and the energy and
enthusiasm are superbly judged. The
finale is another excellent
combination of the orchestral and
vocal that comes to a flamboyant and
grand close.
To be fair, The Psychedelic
Ensemble has been hovering around
the edges of my consciousness for a
while and yet, I have never had the
foresight to listen to any of their
work, more fool me! The Tale of the
Golden King is an epic piece of work
in more ways than one, a superb,
engrossing story told with amazing
skill and musicianship. It is 72
minutes that just fly by, immersed
in the music as you are and is not
just a glorious piece of music but a
complete listening experience that
makes your life just that little bit
better.
The
Tale of the Golden
King
Matt
DiGiordano
Two
years ago I was taken by
surprise when I first became
introduced to The Psychedelic
Ensemble (TPE) through the album
The Dream of the Magic Jongleur.
Upon interviewing TPE I found
out about his next album in the
works which would feature not
only all the goodness that this
one man mystery exhibits, but
would raise the stakes even more
by including an orchestral
ensemble. Needless to say the
expectations were high and I’m
glad to say that high
expectations were met by the new
release, The Tale of the Golden
King.
What perhaps pleases most
about The Tale of the Golden
King is that it is basically
everything we already love about
TPE with bigger sounds, grander
orchestration, and more nuanced
writing. The record kicks it off
with “Overture: Our Great King,”
a piece that demonstrates
stunning arrangements from the
start, offering mysterious
moods, dueling guitars and keys,
and some of the best narrative
vocals ever by way of the “Enter
all who with to hear the tale”
segment which presents some
fantastic church organ and bells
before diving into a nicely
executed fugue. “The Prophecy of
the Seer” offers great dialogue
between principle and secondary
vocals, a sort of call and
response if you will.
Additionally, the
instrumentation on this piece is
a real gem, with loads of
acoustic instruments that are
subtle yet powerful. The
dreamlike section about two
thirds into the piece is
absolutely killer as the church
organ presents descending
patterns flanked by fluttering
chord changes while blasting you
with bursts of aggressive
keyboards; one of the coolest
moments on the album from where
I’m sitting, and that’s saying a
lot.
Those who heard the sample
tracks on TPE’s webpage should
be well aware of the glory of
“The Golden King” and “Queen of
Sorrow,” some of the absolute
highlights of the album. The
former shows TPE taking full
advantage of the orchestra to
lay down a beautiful intro
followed by and an epic, almost
cinematic, outro. In between we
see all the melodic phrasing,
weaving synthesizers, solid
groove, and catchy vocal lines
which have become trademarks of
TPE, all presented on a superb
level. “Queen of Sorrow” shows
itself to be a stand out track
as well, this time due to the
gorgeous vocals of Ann Caren who
demonstrates vocal, angelic
beauty this a sense of power and
melancholy worthy of the title
“Queen of Sorrow.” Musically
speaking, this, like “The Golden
King” stands out at the top of
this album, taking full
advantage of piano,
acoustic guitars, cello, and
horns to create a distinctive
atmosphere, particularly in the
uber eerie middle section in
Ann’s voice takes on a ghostly
whisper which is highlighted by
echoing strings and fading
voices before diving into an
aggressive array of guitar and
key solos. To cap it off, TPE
leads us toward a final verse
and chorus which opts for
orchestral arrangements to back
up the main vocal lines,
providing a somber and majestic
ending to one of the
strongest pieces on the record.
In a word: breathtaking.
While the middle section
just described was most
definitely the highlight of the
album for me, the rest of the
album continues in the tradition
of strong tunes. “Save Yourself”
and “Make a Plan” constitute a
perfect complimentary duo both
in terms of music and lyrics,
with “Save Yourself” offering
funky, jazzy basslines, solid
groove, and one of the catchiest
choruses around, while “Make a
Plan” does it up nicely with
some fine bluesy vocals and
organ, and an eventual shift
into a storm of scorching guitar
and keyboard solos, more of
which can be found on the
rhythmic instrumental storm
known as “The Battle.”
The closing track,
“Finale: Arise, Great Kingdom”
is determined to give us a
grandiose closing to this
wonderful tale. After opening
with a fantastic, album
encompassing orchestral
arrangement, TPE launches us
into a multi-layered vocal
arrangement that recalls Yes in
the most wonderful of ways, with
a nicely added pastoral touch. I
must also say that as so often I
feel with TPE’s music, I am
impressed by the delicacy of
instrument treatments on this
piece, both on the lighter vocal
sections as well as those that
might conventionally be called
more busy; we simply get what
seems like an infinite number of
instruments coming and going,
but never feeling forced or like
they’re just making an
appearance for the sake of it.
Furthermore, unlike many
artists’ albums which seek to
make grand use of motifs by
merely rehashing themes in the
most banal ways throughout the
album, this finale truly weaves
together the best melodies of
the album while finely
portraying the spirit of the
complete work. Finally, I must
put in a plug for the solo
sections on this piece,
particularly the one that starts
as we approach the seven minute
mark; they’re remarkable, and
capitalize not only on the
treatment of leads and phrasing
themselves, but are skillfully
supported by the entire
arrangement. After hearing the
climactic closing of “Finale,” I
marvel at a piece which so well
captures the essence of The Tale
of the Golden King and sits
among the strongest of songs
that I’ve heard all year.
Just in case I have to
spell it out more clearly, The
Golden King is a remarkable
album that should grab up some
great attention for The
Psychedelic Ensemble. While the
last album was good, this one
really went all out, demanding
many a thorough listen due to
its complex arrangement,
variety, and skillful
performances. In reality, The
Tale of the Golden King takes
everything I love about TPE,
crafts them to near perfection,
and still manages to give you
more. There have been a number
of brilliant albums that have
come out this year, and I
suspect there’s still a few more
to come, but as for myself I
think I can safely say that this
one will find its way among them
as a memorable release of 2013.
The Tale of the Golden King
Rating: 4.5/5
Jon
Neudorf
The Tale of the Golden
King just might be TPE's
best album yet. For those of you
unfamiliar with the band, TPE is
essentially one musician who
prefers to remain anonymous.
There is the occasional guest on
vocals as well as the TPE
orchestra. His previous albums
are conceptually based and that
trend continues here. The
concept involves a magical
kingdom and it's great king who
is transformed into gold and the
kingdom laid to ruin. A time of
darkness descends over the land
until one day the kingdom arises
once again. The music meshes
beautifully with the lyrics and
concept, making for an absorbing
and intriguing listen. This is
complex stuff and the music
often careens in different
directions but never at the
expense of the wonderful
melodies found throughout the
disc.
The CD begins with "Overture –
Our Great Kingdom". The moody
section at the start carries a
darker motif. One gets the
feeling the music will burst
forth as the orchestral
instrumentation continues
onward. A myriad of instruments
join in, including pretty
acoustic guitar and intricate
synth work. The melody is one
those that you want to hear
again and again. Eventually the
intensity level increases as
organ, synths and frenetic
guitar passages take hold,
almost reminding me of the Yes
classic Relayer. This leads
directly into the second track
"The Prophecy of the Seer – The
Transformation of the King"
where delicious acoustic guitar
and synth work ensues. Yes and
ELP fans will love the intense
orchestral moments and as the
electric guitar took on more
bite, my mind wandered back to
those glorious '70s prog rock
epics that we all know and love.
"The Golden King" starts in an
orchestral vein with a myriad of
instruments making for a
breathtaking intro. The softer
tranquil moments will make fans
of the Moody Blues happy before
the music gets heavier turning
into a full blown prog rock
epic. "Captive Days" is one of
two songs under five minutes,
the other being the frenetically
intense instrumental "The
Battle". The former has a somber
feel, with splashes of piano,
synths and other orchestral
flourishes. The synthesizer work
is particularly spellbinding.
Other moments of excellence
include the wistful "The Queen
of Sorrow" with sublime lead
vocals courtesy of Ann Caren. I
really dig how TPE injects
heavier organ and guitar parts
into the mellower acoustic
framework. The album ends with
the equally satisfying "Finale –
Arise – Great Kingdom". Melodies
and themes are revisited closing
the album in grand fashion. The
other tunes not mentioned are
also superb with not a duff
track in the bunch.
The Psychedelic Ensemble is able
to weave rich sonic tapestries
of complexity and melody like
few others can at the moment. To
put it simply, The Tale of
the Golden King is one of
the best modern symphonic
progressive rock albums I have
heard in a very long time. This
is without question an
outstanding work of art that
needs to be in every progressive
rock collection.
The
Tale of the
Golden King
Rating: 4.5/5
Richard
Hawey
(Translated by
Marc Fromm)
The spectacular
compositions are developed
from a very acute sense of
melody. They are full of
references to legendary
symphonic rock . There are a
few influences from classical
music and also those from the
Renaissance in the
arrangements, with the
addition of memorable and
highly technical vocal
performances. The vocals are
inserted into long
instrumental developments,
full of solo keyboards and
electric guitars that are
played with ease. Also
included is the appearance of
The Psychedelic Ensemble
Orchestra, conducted by
Jonathan Roberts and its
traditional instruments enrich
the music of "The Tale of the
Golden King." I wouldn't
describe the album for you
piece by piece, but I must
tell you about some.
"Overture --Our Great
Kingdom"-- sets the tone for
what is to come, and this is a
title that offers magnificent
orchestration, and with the
inclusion of flute and
guitar, creates an atmosphere.
The vocals enter accompanied
by synths and drums. " The
Queen Of Sorrow " begins with
acoustic guitar and a sound
that approximates the time of
knights and castles. The voice
of ANN CAREN presents this
melancholy melody. "The
Battle" is an instrumental
and, for those who know THE
PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE, is the
trademark of the group. Guitar
and keyboards, and in fact all
instruments involved in the
confrontation, go a little
crazy and bring joy to the
heart. "Great Day" brings a
more sedate pace with the
female vocals. Here you will
recognize slight parallels
with YES and the voice of Jon
Anderson. The instrumental
section gives us the
impression of participating in
the celebration after the
victory. "Finale -
Arise! -Great Kingdom" ends
the story with the longest
piece, about 12 minutes. There
is heavy orchestration early
then the guitar emerges. The
song begins with a festive
atmosphere that is felt
throughout the room. The sung
parts come and go and contrast
with up tempo instrumental
explosions.
This album
confirms the talent of the
musician and anonymous
protagonists that accompany
this project. "The Tale of the
Golden King" is unquestionably
the most ambitious of all the
band's discography. If you do
not know THE PSYCHEDELIC
ENSEMBLE, this album is, in my
opinion, a great way to get
acquainted with this group. I
invite you to participate in
this adventure of medieval
times.
The Tale of the Golden King
Rating: 9/10
Raphael
Päbst
I'm
in an
orchestra? I
am an
orchestra!
THE PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE is
the name of a
single
musician who,
despite the
name of the
project, has
played,
recorded, and
composed an
album
single-handedly
for the fourth
time. All
alone? No,
because this
time he has
brought
support from a
singer and an
orchestra that
make "The Tale
Of The Golden
King" a
bombastic
experience for
the fan of the
sound of prog
and art rock.
In keeping with the fantasy
concept and
supported by
the sweeping
orchestration,
the album
develops
parallels to
classic film
soundtracks
that are only
strengthened
by the fact
that there are
no real song
transitions.
Thus the
listener from
the first note
dives into the
world of the
Golden King in
which acoustic
guitars,
virtuoso
keyboard and
charming folk
melodies rule
while the
title's hero
stews in the
dungeon. From
the first note
it is clear
that the
orchestration
is extremely
successful and
goes far
beyond what
one hears in
most cases in
this style.
The individual
classical
instruments
are used
competently,
and receive
all the space
to unfold and
are not wasted
as just
harmony-supporting
strings, but
act more like
guitar riffs
played with
their own
timbres. THE
PSYCHEDELIC
ENSEMBLE
understands
his craft,
also one hears
keyboard and
guitar duels,
which create
another
cornerstone of
the album.
Here friends
of straight
Heavy Metal
may be quickly
bored, but
they probably
do not listen
often to
orchestral art
rock. The
diverse styles
of music are
played here
skillfully and
varied,
sometimes one
hears jazz
elements, then
again blues,
before they
all burst into
a
neo-classical
soloing.
We repeatedly see the
various main
themes of the
album, which
are not only
presented in
their main
songs, but
alluded to
again and
again. For
example, the
theme of the
title track
["The Golden
King"] you
have already
heard
presented
before the
actual song
appears, and
that emerges
time and again
in the later
stages. Thus,
one of the
highlights of
the album is
the title
track, the
other title,
'Queen Of
Sorrow', lets
guest vocalist
Ann Caren play
out all her
charm.
The result is deeply
emotional . .
. distorted
guitars are
almost
exclusively
used for
solos,
extensive
acoustic
passages
through many
of the pieces
ensure a
fantastic folk
atmosphere.
But even without the
intertwining
and
playfulness in
the
songwriting
and musical
implementation
"The Tale Of
The Golden
King"
consistently
captivates,
and is a
beautiful
album, in
whose depths
there is
always
something new
to discover.
Highlands
Magazine-France
The
Tale of the
Golden King
17/20
Jean
-Pierre Schricke
. . . We still do not
know who is behind this
project, only that it is
an American, in his the
fifties, and he has been
in the business for a very
long time . But the main
thing is the music . . .
already his fourth album.
The Dream of the Magic
Jongleur, his previous
record chronicled in our
columns, dates back to
2011.
THE PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE
is back with The Tale of
the Golden King, a refined
and lengthy album
accompanied by a symphony
orchestra. Another concept
album, this time drawing
its source from the middle
ages, oh what a
fascinating and mysterious
period. The CD begins with
a sensational introduction
where we are immediately
plunged into the medieval
era, only the flaming
electric guitar comes from
our time embedded in
multiple synthesizers and
Hammond organ, and the
voice of our mysterious
storyteller.
The truth is, it is quite
dramatic, with a taste of
well-pronounced YES and
even the electric guitar
style of STEVE HOWE. An
acoustic guitar on
synthesized background
followed by a cavalcade of
electric guitar introduced
the opening of "The Golden
King", accompanied by the
symphonic orchestra with 2
piccolos, 2 flutes ,
clarinet, 2 bassoons, 2
trumpets , trombone,
cello, bass , the whole
being conducted by
JONATHAN ROBERTS. "The
Golden Kin"g is a
masterpiece of mastery
with acoustic guitars, its
strings, cello,
synthesizers, the voice of
our unknown being
supported and accompanied
by vocals from ANN CAREN.
There is a great electric
guitar solo, the end from
the large orchestra and
flute, dazzling.
Another high point, "The
Queen Of Sorrow", with ANN
CAREN singing the role of
the queen, displays a
graceful voice. It has
also made an important
contribution to the
creative process of the
album by being more
choral.
"Save Yourself" highlights
a talented bass with a
jazzy funk style . This is
also the whole title is in
the jazz movement, in
short, here's a one-man
band , a kind of MIKE
OLDFIELD. The Battle
sounds like an epic ELP …
with debauchery guitar,
organ and orchestral fury.
The ANN [Caren] voice is
back on "Great Day", pure
YES or PFM. Returning
forces on the last track
the 12 ' Finale titled -
"Arise - Great Kingdom"
concludes the album in a
mix of influences between
the medieval and
progressive …. The Tale of
the Golden King is a gold
album by a goldsmith, 72
minutes of musical
success. ... A tour is in
preparation, will it be
hidden? Add a beautiful
cover produced by YIMIN LI
.
The
Tale of the
Golden King
4 of 4
Progressive
Area-Canada
In
the purest tradition of
concepts albums of
large-scale, "epic"
proportion, we arrived at
this year-end album from The
Psychedelic Ensemble, which
is a project of several
musicians who have
collaborated in this grand
sonic fresco. As the name of
the group suggests, The
Psychedelic Ensemble
produces a music that
returns to what many regard
as the golden age of rock:
the dawn of the progressive
music and to its first
glorious years. The main
musician, a
multi-instrumentalist, as
well as all the other
musicians (with a few
exceptions) prefer anonymity
so that their musical
project can be taken
directly and without being
associated with a person who
may or may not be well known
... "The Tale Of A Golden
King", packed full of
dramatic spirit, is in
charge of
"progressive" climates, not
only in its structure but
also in its depth. The
compositions are spectacular
and grandiose, and developed
from a melodic and dynamic
feel, and full of the
heaviest and the most
mythical of references to
symphonic rock.This
collection of songs will be
appreciated in a dreamlike
vein, this new PSYCHEDELIC
ENSEMBLE album is full of
dramatic spirit. There is
also a certain mysticism and
great references to
symphonic rock, but that
seems appropriate in this
type of album. In addition,
arrangements in a
renaissance tone presented
by superb female or male
voice (the fact that they
are not mentioned thus
prevents me from telling you
who they are) are perfect
and the technique of using
long instrumental sections
is masterful. Long dialogues
with keyboard and other
synths (ubiquitous and full
of absolute lyricism) are
fiery allies to devastating
and skillfully played
guitars, and give a
fascinating side to this
work of the highest caliber,
depicting the long epic
poem, all that makes this
album a major attraction
that will satisfy the most
jaded of us. I can not
conclude without mentioning
that the keyboardist is an
absolute virtuoso. Listening
to this great disc there is
little doubt that the future
looks bright.
The
Tale of the
Golden King
Tempi
Duri-Rome, Italy
Pierluigi
Daglio
The
fourth studio album by
The Psychedelic
Ensemble, a solo project
of a talented musician
who wishes to remain
anonymous, but who
stands strongly at the
center of the
progressive scene in
2013 with this
interesting album titled
"The Tale of the Golden
King" much appreciated
by both audiences and
critics alike. The
atmosphere of this
one-man band lies within
an area that ranges from
symphonic progressive
rock to the classic
styles, with occasional
incursions into jazz
fusion. The four discs
are all concept albums
that move seamlessly
between one song and
another and seek to
address true musical
journeys into uncharted
territories. In
particular, in this
fourth album, you will
enter into a mythical
and magical realm…Truly
impressive about the
work is the
compositional
arrangements on this
disc…The multifaceted
style, sometimes simple,
sometimes symphonic
tracks, the variety of
compositions, solos and
combinations of the
various instruments will
strike music
connoisseurs and music
lovers, especially the
so-called educated,
symphonic, progressive
listeners. A great album
with eclectic musical
solutions and much to
hear in one breath that
will surprise the
audience. One of the
best records of the year
in the area of new
progressive music.
The
Tale of the
Golden King
Nik
Brückner -
BabyBlaue-Seiten
(Germany)
Wonderful album! Quite
wonderful album! …this
man is a seasoned
composer, who knows what
he's doing: it is
obvious that he knows
well the genre of
musical and operetta,
all right, and opera . .
.
Robert
Sargent
At last . . . waiting for this piece
of art . . . and [it] arrived . . .
this masterpiece at last. So beautiful
and complex compositions . . . so well
recorded . . . with great instruments
and performance . . .
The
Tale of the
Golden King
12 of 15
Thoralf
Koß
A
miracle has happened! A miracle
has happened again!
The mysterious and exceptional
talent behind THE PSYCHEDELIC
ENSEMBLE, an American
multi-instrumentalist, composer,
producer and songwriter, strikes
again. This time with the story
of the "Golden King ", which,
like the three previous albums,
again wrapped in a concept, is
rich and very demanding,
illustrated with the help of
YIMIN LI. And just as in the
past four years and three
albums, the progressive music is
is again awesome, more awesome
than what the FLOWER KINGS or
SPOCK 'S BEARD are producing
nowadays. And always just when
you think retro prog is playing
itself out, then out of nowhere
appears a new album from THE
PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE and turns
it at 70 minutes!
The musical jack of all trades,
"Mr. Anonymous " puts the
venerable prog - gods of PINK
FLOYD on YES to EMERSON, LAKE
& PALMER in a modern style
and breathes new life into our
memories of " Meddle ", "
The Gates Of Delirium" and "
Brain Salad Surgery " . .
.
. . . our solo multi -wonder
instrumentalist gets help
from many professional string
players who bring a fresh new
element to the music . Exactly
the ingredients that could be
the newest album by CHRIS, but
we are surprised to find it is
the exceptional
neo-progressive work of
the anonymous U.S.
prog-musician.
Then there are the many refined
vocals from "The Tale Of The
Golden King." For example, "The
Prophecy Of The Seer " is like a
combination of floydian "Great
Gig In The Sky" , "Pictures" of
ELP and TANGENT. No wonder,
since the story behind this song
and the entire album is the
struggle of the great king and
his golden kingdom when
threatened and despite all his
wealth, and is just as
exciting as the music.
Medieval sounds are in this
release, of course. After the
threatening beginning in "
Overture - Our Great Kingdom"
with strings, acoustic guitars
that give way to electric
guitars and keyboard bombast
plus clear YES connections, the
story really begins to gain
momentum and move towards the
big battle. Woodwinds and brass
indicate this (battle), as well
as the driving percussion
rhythms. The captivating vocals
of ANN CAREN, who somewhere
inherited ANNIE HASLAM'S vocal
cords,as convincingly
demonstrated in "The Queen Of
Sorrow " and " Great Day ", even
set a RENAISSANCE feel and makes
this CD not only fun but
deserving of respect.
The influence of musical ideas
of primarily YES permeate
the entire album. But also
flutes and horns, which rise in
" The Golden King" to a
classical symphony with strings,
giving the music an
extraordinary appeal. " Save
Yourself " then surprises us
with a heavy psychedelic
broadside, which is reminiscent
of very early Pink Floyd .
And after the great battle is
over, we find the "Great Day",
which sounds like RENAISSANCE
with RICK WAKEMAN on keyboards .
In the three -part "Finale " it
seems like we are listening to a
"MikeOldfield goes classic"
album, . . .
. . . a stunning retro-prog
album full of secrets.
CONCLUSION: Welcome to
the house of the King,
who only through the
exceptional progressive rock of
The Psychedelic Ensemble reaches
his true power and glory!
The really neat thing they
accomplish, though, is having
the music of the album flows
smoothly from section to
section, so the dipping into the
styles of past bands don't feel
artificial or forced - they
arise naturally from the
direction of the overall
composition, and so they feel
much less gratuitous than they
otherwise might. This puts the
Ensemble well ahead of much of
the retro- prog crowd, and it's
excellent stuff.
The
Tale of the
Golden King
Siggy
Zielinski
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