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Hermetic Science — Ed Macan's Hermetic Science - 30th Anniversary edition
(Hermeticum CD 105, 1996/2026, CD)

Hermetic Science — The Lost Jazz Tapes EP
(Hermeticum CD106, 1996/2026, CD)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2026-08-31

Ed Macan's Hermetic Science - 30th Anniversary edition Cover artThe Lost Jazz Tapes EP Cover art

I became aware of Ed Macan around 1997, an educator from California’s north coast College of the Redwoods, who’d written a scholarly tome titled Rocking the Classics – English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture. Around the same time, his band Hermetic Science released their debut album, a band like no other, featuring Macan on mallet percussion (mostly vibraphone and marimba) and piano, and two students from his music program on bass and drums, forming a trio. At the time there was nothing else quite like them — all of the music was written by Macan, though the influence of his progressive rock interests were always evident via lengthy tracks (“The Sungazer” and “Fire over Thule” for example) and the complexities therein, as well as being informed by jazz, classical, fusion, and more. In my review of the original release back in issue #14, a comparison may have been made to Pierre Moerlen’s Gong, Maneige, and some of Gary Burton’s early ECM albums, and those comparisons still have validity, but my goodness, what remixing and remastering has done in this thirtieth anniversary edition can’t easily be described! But the depth and power conveyed by these freshly remixed recordings will surely be noticeable by any who have heard the originals. The covers of Curved Air’s “Cheetah” and ELP’s “Infinite Space” have now presented as a remixed medley, much improved over the original Hermetic Science version, and to to top it all off the album now closes with a never-before-released interpretation of “Jacob’s Ladder” by Rush. The original closer “Mars: The Bringer of War” is no longer there, perhaps some issues dealing with the Holst estate, I know other artists (Love Sculpture and King Crimson among them) have had similar difficulties trying to license the same piece. 

When Hermetic Science first started out, the Humboldt County music scene was limited to jazz, country, punk, and in certain areas, reggae. In an effort to get some gigs for themselves, the group recorded a four-song EP of jazz numbers, figuring that would be where they fit in best given the nature of the band’s original music, and as a result managed to secure dates at certain local clubs and festivals, alternating some fairly well known jazz numbers with their original compositions. These tapes were never intended for release, and ultimately forgotten until rediscovered by Macan during the work leading up to the remixing and remastering of the first album. The EP includes around 22 minutes of music, including Luiz Bonfa’s “Theme from Black Orpheus,”  Cal Tjader’s “I Showed Them,” Vince Guaraldi’s “Linus and Lucy,” and lastly Dave Brubeck’s “Blue Rondo á la Turk,” the latter which Keith Emerson reworked as well while with The Nice. Macan’s interpretations are all performed with respect to the originals, using the same sonic palette as the first album (drums, bass, vibraphone (“Rondo”) and marimba (the other three). It’s good to have this early demo available, and although live versions of some were released on Out There: Live 1996-2006, this is the first time any have been available in their studio versions, remixed and remastered as well.

Filed under: Reissues, 2026 releases, 1996 recordings

Related artist(s): Hermetic Science

More info
http://hermeticscience.bandcamp.com/album/ed-macans-hermetic-science-30th-anniversary-edition
http://hermeticscience.bandcamp.com/album/the-lost-jazz-tapes-ep

 

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