Byzantium (Deja-Vu, 1988)

This is by far my favourite track from "Baroque in The Future", the sole album by Deja-Vu, a Japanese band not to be confused with the metal-prog Norwegian act bearing the same name. Based on Motoi Sakuraba's keyboards (you'll find him as a solo artist elsewhere in this blog), this is a trio melting ELP's powerful approach and an '80s airy neo-prog.

Great rythm section too :Tetsuya Nagatsuma and Genta Kudoh. 

Sometimes the resulting music is a little too artificial, but not here, in this well balanced and classically set up instrumental. The baroque-like themes are perfectly interweaved, and the tempo changes liven up the music, avoiding any pomp temptations. A pinch of Eastern sounds and a good deal of Bach-inspired progressions enrich the track and frankly treat my ears. An excellent choice for a dully day.

Beyond The Clear Air (Midas, 1988)

I'm in love with Midas' debut album, a Japanese prog pearl, from which I introduce here the epic title track. It's a rather long suite (some 18 minutes) starting with a slow, evocative intro played by keys and electric violin, both essential instruments in Midas' music. The following sung section goes on the same melancholy vein, with a hint of celtic atmosphere in it. Then the giga comes in and Eigo Utoh's violin gets fast and furious. All this section is high tempo with keyboardist Eishyo Lynn on the forefront. He also rules next atmospheric long bridge, something midway between space rock and pastoral folk.

This album was re-released by Musea  in 2009 with a bonus track.

Actually these musicians made up their own kind of prog, winding and arcane, just like some old Japanese paintings. The finale includes a sweet sung passage - I also like the piano here - and a fully symphonic wall of sound, plus a coda reprise of the intro. I bet you won't regret the minutes you'll spend listening to this. Maybe you'll try the whole album then. Good idea.

Thoma (Fromage, 1988)

Don't be fooled by this band's name: they don't come from the French prog scene, they're one of the first Japanese acts and most of Fromage's member were going to play a prominent role in their Country as founders of more recent and equally important bands. This charming track comes from the group's second (and last) studio album, called "Ophelia"and sung in Japanese Language, a choice I usually appreciate.

Japanese bands seldom choose poetic cover arts that I happen to like.

A keyboard background, a high-pitched voice and an excellent bass guitar work are the main features of Thoma, but I also recommend the sensitive drumming, the ethereal flute and the well found melodies. As the song is rather long (some 9 minutes, in fact), another winning point here is its diversified and coherent architecture, where atmospheric passages and up tempo breaks are set to please any prog lover. And if you liked this one, please try the whole album, that's worth your attention, IMHO.

Révolution Industrielle (Jean-Michel Jarre, 1988)

Jean-Michel Jarre signed so many electronic suites that I couldn't easily choose my favourite. But this one surely is a strong contender in such a competition. Coming from the album "Révolutions", this track - also known with the international title of "Industrial Revolution" -  is divided into four parts, the Ouverture, followed by Parts 1, 2 and 3, for a total running time of 16:49 minutes.

This was Jarre's ninth studio album, if you include the

mysterious "Music for Supermarkets".

All the main features of Jarre's style are there, including the lushing effects and the visual sound, but here you'll find a little more up tempo passages and a strong, articulated architecture we can easily label as symphonic. The different parts build up a  powerful, still also sensitive track, ruled by the Roland D-50 synthesizer and by many excellent melodic inventions. If you like Jarre and his colourful world, this is definitely for you.

To Die in Avalon (Galadriel, 1988)

I've rarely listened to a more sophisticated prog song than this one. Full on shadows and light flashes, it's a classically inspired 10 minutes track taken from "Muttered Promises from An Ageless Pond", Galadriel's debut album. The piano and the vocals are the main characters of this musical romance, but the whole band is there to charm and disquiet the listener. Nothing is trivial in "To Die in Avalon" (maybe just the title is...), certainly not the slightly dissonant piano solo, nor the mystical sung sections.

The cover art is as liquid and disquieting as the music inside.

Definitely, this Spanish fivesome try to create something new. And this is not a minor virtue and surely it wasn't during the '80s. This music is like a spiritual wave, coming in and out from a distant sea. Galadriel succeed in being both innovative and pleasant, uncompromising and never boring. If you feel like exploring the inner side of yourself, you might try this...

Boarding Pass (Edhels, 1988)

I think this is the only prog band born in the Principality of Monaco... but maybe I simply ignore the Monégasque prog scene. For sure, Edhels are an interesting band, something totally different from the main French models, such as Ange, Atoll or Mona Lisa. Edhels' prog is an instrumental one, with strong new-age tentations and a spacey keyboards background. This "Boarding Pass" comes from "Still Dream" and dreamy it is, but if the rest of the album is rather cold and affected, this track has its own soul, mostly provided by Jean-Louis Suzzoni's Latimer-esque electric guitar.

"Still Dream" is the band's third album.

 

This is languidly spread over Marc Ceccotti's keys and Noël Damon's piano, while Jacky Rosati drums on slowly and effectively. Well, don't take my word for the musican's role here: those are multi-instrumentalists playing practically everything, so I'm just guessing or so. Anyway, this is a good, relaxing track with a feeling. Definitely, a "boarding pass" to an open blue sky.

2 am (Pendragon, 1988)

Coming from Pendragon, this is a very unusual song. Warm and lazy, sax driven, short and compact. Well, all the "Kowtow" album is a chapter apart in the band's career, but this is a very good song (alas, I couldn't say the same for all the tracks in this record...) and certainly deserves a presentation in this blog, for what it's worth. I don't know why, but "2 AM" has a hypnotic lure on me. Maybe it's because of its airy melody or the passionate vocals, or even the desperate lyrics. It doesn't matter to me.

Nick Barrett and Clive Nolan in concert.

For sure, if ever I listened to a great intimate prog song, this is the one. Its plain structure exalts one of the most important Nick Barrett's features: his feeling. That's why this track flies high above the genre and the period and lingers on in my memory and in my very heart.