Spaced Out - Spaced Out - 2000
intro
Under a cover a la Asia style but darker, Spaced Out, band of Canadian origin whose force resides in its capacity to generate a music sustained on a powerful rhythm section in which the bass becomes the instrument around which rotate all the compositions, releases its debut album.
review
But if we speak about Spaced Out we speak about Antoine Fafard, composer of all the tracks and the authentic heavy weight of this line up. His skill with the bass, instrument that is dominated by this guy with an infinity of resources; in the same way, his contributions with the programming allows him to confront the challenge of composing diversity of tracks with different dynamic. Martin Maheux is the drummer in all the tracks while the electric guitar relapses in the hands of Mathieu Bouchard in most of the tracks. Only in two songs collaborate Louis Côté (electric guitar) and Éric St-Jean (keyboards). Personally the only thing that I toss in lack in this line up is the presence of some more consistent keyboards.
Spaced Out offers us a music where the structure, frequently rigorous, allows the different players in certain moments to express themselves with complete freedom. In a general way, the rhythmic, harmonic and melodic aspects have been thought and composed having the concern of making evolve this musical gender. So, Spaced Out´s music could fit inside the jazz-prog label, with references such as UK, Passport-Doldinger, or Zappa and, in certain moments, some sounds a la ELP, but with reservations.
So "Spaced Out" is a 54 minutes CD, where all the topics are instrumental and with developments of electric guitar and scarce keyboards on the base of a restless and impressive bass. The length of all tracks are between 4 and 6 and a half minutes. The most interesting tracks are "Toxix" with an intense beginning a la "Tarkus", but quickly it is derived to experimentation's with diverse guitar and bass developments. "Delirium Tremens" is another track with several atmospheres, from pleasant evocations of keyboards and bass until sound experimentation's, all of them with continuous rhythm changes.
"Futurosphere" is the only track different from the general and dynamic style of the whole CD, and it has an experimental atmosphere in which programmed percussion and drums confront a challenge that is favorable to this last one. "Furax" has a powerful rhythm and lots of changes of rhythms that will make the delights of the lovers of this kind of music. "Glassosphere", my favorite, conjugates the great skill of the instruments with a more melodic composition, creating rich atmospheres in details and forms.
conclusion
In short, a good beginning for this new band, with very good instrumentalists and where the protagonism of a leader doesn't eclipse the rest of the components.