Although
early 70s British Progressive Rock was a child of Psychedelia, it has never
been embraced the same way as the enlightened 60s bands that originally paved
the way for triple vinyl concept albums, double necked guitars and modular
synthesizer rigs as big as a shed. We admit that a great deal of 70s Prog was
truly awful (ELP, Gentle Giant, Camel and the later OTT Yes albums come readily
to mind) but a lot of really good bands were deemed guilty by association and
as an “art-form” it has been unfairly much maligned since its pre-punk heyday. Prog
Rock never really went away and like it’s cousin Heavy Rock (another child of
Psychedelia) it has happily existed away from the spotlight but with an ever
expanding, loyal fanbase………and now it’s got a bit sexy (not sexy enough to lock
up your daughters, some things never change) with new bands like Syd Arthur,
GOASTT and Temples proudly showing off their Prog influences. Juke are a new
French Psychédélique/Progressif band that are also heavily inspired by 70s
Prog/Psych and influenced by bands like Tame Impala, Radiohead (Prog Rock in
Indie clothing) but mainly post Syd Barrett Pink Floyd. Singing in English,
Juke put their own spin on Psychedelia and Progressive Rock giving more of a
European perspective to what is essentially a UK/USA genre in origin. Following
their debut EP Atom Experiment, which included the Floydian 28 minute epic ‘Black
Magic’, Juke have recently released their first full length record………. Chimeras'
Tale is a loosely conceptual album which continues the exploration of an
infinite universe first travelled on the EP, subtly mixing panoramic
soundscapes, tight and urgent hypnotic rhythms and soaring, melodic guitar
playing that together invoke the best of classic early 70s Prog/Psych.
If you are
going to be deeply influenced by anybody then Pink Floyd is not a bad choice………we
can’t think of any band from the late 60s that sounded anything like the Floyd.
From the English whimsy and proto Space Rock of the Syd Barrett era to the gorgeous
soundscapes of Wish You Were Here they were peerless (although they seemed to
lose the plot somewhat when Rodger Waters appeared to wrestle control away from
the rest of the band). With the combined talents of Kévin Toussaint (vocals and
guitar), Lancelot Carré (drums & percussion), Quentin Rousseau (keyboards
& fx), and Théo Ladouce (bass), Juke have taken inspiration from the period
post Barratt where Pink Floyd were jamming live to TV pictures of the first
moon landing, providing film soundtracks for cult European directors Michelangelo
Antonioni and Barbet Schroeder, making innovative post-Psychedelic albums up to
the zenith of Dark Side Of The Moon/Wish You Are Here and although hardcore
Floyd fans will easily spot the musical reference points scattered around Chimeras'
Tale this is a band clearly showing their influences but putting their own brand
on the songs by adding their own unique twist to the music they love. Opening
with ‘Schizarium Odyssey (part I)’ Juke show that they are not shy about
creating epic, lengthy tracks that ebb and flow through both beautifully
constructed, melodic Rock songs and improvised cosmic jams. Stopping the clock
at just over 20 minutes ‘Neptuna’ is a fantastic track that begins with lush
keyboard swirls and fluid guitar playing over a rock solid rhythm section before
breaking down into an extended section of ambient Space Rock which builds into
a mind-melting guitar wig-out……it’s an excellent slice of Psychedelic Rock akin
to great cosmic jam bands like Electric Moon and is certainly one for the
stoners. There is a change of pace for ‘On the Edge’ and with some excellent
piano and organ work mixed with female backing vocals and some searing guitar
it really sounds as if Juke have gone over to the dark side (of the moon). ‘Mister
Mend’ is another lengthy track built around a hypnotic bass line and some
otherworldly sounding bamboo flute……….Building to a climax that is part
shamanistic ritual this is the most Psychedelic track here and no doubt the
most atmospheric as the sound swirls between the speakers (certainly one to listen
to on quality headphones with a well packed “jazz woodbine”). Following the
bubbling soundscape of ‘?’ is ‘Sunset Smile’ a mainly acoustic track of such
simplicity that has the vibe of a blissed out summer afternoon and shows Jukes
ability to not only melt faces with scorching Psych/Prog but to also write
tunes of sublime beauty. Chimeras' Tale
closes with ‘Schizarium Odyssey (part II)’ where you can spot many of the bands
influences with keyboard and guitar parts reminiscent of ‘Shine On You Crazy
Diamond’ and a big finale from Dark Side Of The Moon linked together with a
very 70s Jazz Fusion middle section……..it’s nothing stunningly original but it
is beautifully executed. There is a lot to love on Chimeras' Tale not only for
fans of Pink Floyd (although it helps if you are) and early 70s Prog Rock in
general but also there is lots happening here that is very modern and aficionados
of newer bands that have classic Psych roots will really dig this……….It’s a
fantastic record and we think it is well worth checking out for both lovers of
Classic Prog and current bands on today’s freakscene.
Chimeras' Tale
is out now and is available to buy on CD or as a download (you get the extended
version of ‘?’ with the download). Available from the Juke Bandcamp page here http://jukeband.bandcamp.com/album/chimeras-tale.
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