Initially, it wasn’t Astra’s sound that put them on my radar – it was the pale blue landscape from the cover of The Weirding. It looked like a Roger Dean landscape that had burned to the ground, and I couldn’t resist checking it out. When it finally made it into rotation, I consistently enjoyed its idiosyncratic mellotron-drenched approach to retro-prog. Overall, however, it was a bit overlong, oblique, and, unfortunately, it fell through the cracks in the long term. Still, Astra presented themselves as the kind of adventurous underground group that I like to adopt and promote.
With the Year in Rush project over and the artistic success of Clockwork Angels, my ear for fresh, satisfying progressive rock was wide open, so when Astra announced The Black Chord earlier this year, I took notice. The initial promo clip for Quake Meat was particularly fulfilling, if visually underwhelming.
It seemed that Astra had not given up on their space-rock leanings, but this track’s melodic aspects lent it a noticeable focus that I was missing on The Weirding. Pennies were juggled, and The Black Chord made its way into my player towards the middle of last month. It was my intention to make it the soundtrack to summer camp. Several times in my hotel room, I was caught up in its aggressively swirling tapestry as I recovered from a long day of practice and test preparation, but my sleep-deprived, exhausted state made it impossible to get through a focused, uninterrupted listen without nodding off. The Black Chord did not really begin to take root until I “came down off the mountain,” so to speak, and restarted my humdrum commute to prepare for the upcoming school year.
My initial inability to stay awake during The Black Chord had nothing to do with the album itself. It’s quite exciting and harbors multiple twists and turns. Where The Weirding had potential, I think The Black Chord succeeds, solidifying Astra’s significance in contemporary progressive and psychedelic rock.
There is a thin line between these two genres that Astra treads most effectively, and in doing so, they confound the monochromatic tendencies of most retro-prog. Although they retain their predilection towards non-standard song forms, the energy and melodic content of the album provides a sense of direction that holds the listener’s attention more effectively than its predecessor. The Black Chord's succinct running time also contributes to its success. Although a lot of “space rock” and “psychedelic” music thrives in extended forms, classic progressive albums were most successful when they generally hit the 45 minute mark (a constraint also levied by the space limitations of 70s vinyl).
What makes The Black Chord so intellectually engaging is a melodicism that is clearly inspired by early 70s King Crimson and Yes. Certainly, with a stack of Moog keyboards, Hammond organs, mellotrons, and a predilection towards sixteenth note triplet ornaments, Astra’s keyboards are clearly set to “Wakemanize.” This technical drive, however, stands out on a background of hues reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s pre-Dark Side work, and their deeply textured riffing is a hypnotic spiral that plainly refers to Hawkwind. Richard Vaughn’s “Ozzy-esque” vocals also provide dark outlines that further focus The Black Chord’s broad palate.
I am indulging in these comparisons because, like any retro-project, Astra is easily described by their references – perhaps too easily. Because of this, it is problematic to describe them as “unique,” but I can say with all confidence that Astra is a distinctive iteration of progressive and psychedelic music. By recombining the sounds of the past, they create a moving commentary on an adventurous era of music that isn't tied to a particular version of it. Astra is their own group, and The Black Chord is relevant progress for them, times gone by, and the present moment. Fans of this kind of music could not do much better than to pick it up.
Showing posts with label Astra. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Astra. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Monday, February 7, 2011
Astra's "The Weirding" and Musical Patina
It seems like have been I emphasizing a lot of high-polish pop music. I don’t want to give the wrong impression about my interests - although the last post focused on a couple of bands that play on the 80s, that’s not the only flavor we got on tap at this yogurt shop. Additionally, I don’t want to drone on and on about nostalgia, because it’s probably only interesting to me, but I’d like to use the band Astra, another current favorite, to illustrate what I mean by the term "patina."
Patina refers to the process by which a piece of art is distressed to give the impression of antiquity. For example, say you purchase a new Victorian-style table. Initially, because it comes from the present, it looks new. When it is “antiqued,” however, it is sort of beat up in a specific way that makes it seem like it comes from a different time. It makes the table seem more authentic, even though in truth it is a contemporary work. It has been patinated.
Since nostalgia is a longing for an idealized past in the present, the idea of patina is important, and I think that music can also have a nostalgic patina. I initially came across "The Weirding
" through the Dutch Progressive Rock Page’s review section. It was when it caught my eye again and again during my regular Waterloo Records walkthrough, however, that my well documented past of prog-rock snobbery kept me circling like a shark. Seriously, check out the cover:
Despite its 2009 release date, "The Weirding" looks like a post-apocalyptic 70s Roger Dean cover on a terrible trip. Any prog-rock nut would be bonkers not to give this a second look. Still, I am a cynic, and it took the independent suggestion of a couple of well-versed music fans who were complimentary of Astra’s live show to get me to move in for the kill (you know who you are - thanks, guys).
Astra is a pretty underground group at the moment, so they don’t have many high-end performance videos floating around. Check out this really interesting fan-made video to “The Rising of the Black Sun” to get an idea of where they are coming from.
Patina refers to the process by which a piece of art is distressed to give the impression of antiquity. For example, say you purchase a new Victorian-style table. Initially, because it comes from the present, it looks new. When it is “antiqued,” however, it is sort of beat up in a specific way that makes it seem like it comes from a different time. It makes the table seem more authentic, even though in truth it is a contemporary work. It has been patinated.
Since nostalgia is a longing for an idealized past in the present, the idea of patina is important, and I think that music can also have a nostalgic patina. I initially came across "The Weirding
Despite its 2009 release date, "The Weirding" looks like a post-apocalyptic 70s Roger Dean cover on a terrible trip. Any prog-rock nut would be bonkers not to give this a second look. Still, I am a cynic, and it took the independent suggestion of a couple of well-versed music fans who were complimentary of Astra’s live show to get me to move in for the kill (you know who you are - thanks, guys).
Astra is a pretty underground group at the moment, so they don’t have many high-end performance videos floating around. Check out this really interesting fan-made video to “The Rising of the Black Sun” to get an idea of where they are coming from.
This particular track has a Hawkwind-ish vibe to it, but the entirety of “The Weirding” is almost like a “Where’s Waldo?” of psychedelic and progressive references. I can pick out traces of Pink Floyd’s “Echoes” and “Journey to the Center of the Earth” – era Rick Wakeman, just to name a couple. The patina I hear on this recording comes from the production, especially as it relates to the drums. They sound a little boxy and flat by current standards, but are very reminiscent of way the drums sound on the 1969 King Crimson track “In the Court of the Crimson King.” I suspect that this is an intentional decision to lend "The Weirding" an atmosphere of authenticity.
Although the sound quality of this next clip is a little blown-out, it provides an idea of what Astra is up to in a live setting.
Here, the patina is more visible. Sure, they look the part of the space rockers, but check out that pretty white thing under his right elbow – the mellotron. The mellotron was and is an unwieldy and fragile pre-moog keyboard instrument that was the cornerstone of the Moody Blues’ early sound. Why use an actual mellotron, though, when modern sampling makes lugging such a beast around and keeping it in tune a moot practice? For musical patina: to give the impression of antiquity and authenticity, despite the fact that Astra is a contemporary band that is referencing a certain stylistic period.
Please keep in mind that none of this is supposed to be a slam on Astra. I am totally invested in the era of psychedelic prog that they are so effectively playing with, and I like the way that they are doing it. It is because they are so good at it that I can hopefully make sense of this patina idea and refer to it later.
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