Thursday 30 April 2020

Isolation (Jonny Ong, 2020)

It is a pleasure I'll never give up to put into this blog not only straight-prog songs but also open minded tracks like this one coming from Singapore born and London based multi-instrumentalist Jonny Ong. Sometimes such an unusual approach to music is quintessentially prog as Jonny Ong knows no boundaries when it comes to musical genres and moods. "Isolation" includes sad and claustrophobic passages and also sudden melodic openings, suggesting other worlds and brighter skies. Released durng the Covid-19 virus lockdown, those moods were even more widely shared, but they surely belong to every human's wealth of experience.

"Isolation" was released via Sound Portal Studios.

It is a fascinating, spiritual journey where Eastern and Western influences walk side by side, exalting each other. The clever choice of instruments our musician makes is another highlight of "Isolation" and I especially like the handpan, whose celestial sound is simply perfect in this track, setting up a beautiful contrast with the acid bakground. That's why I dare say (relying on Mr. Ong's kind understanding) that where emotions spring from music, there will certainly be prog.