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Onségen Ensemble — HottoïzzoH
((Not on label) no#, 2007, CD)

by Jon Davis, Published 2008-10-01

HottoïzzoH Cover art

They call it a Mini-CD, not because it’s smaller than a normal size CD, but because there is only about 15 minutes of music on it. But it’s among the coolest 15 minutes of 2007 releases I know of, just kicking prog butt at times, then cooling off for a bit, then surging forth to kick more butt. And speaking of butts, these talented Finns need to get off theirs and put out a full length CD. In 2005 they put out a “demo” CD with two tracks (again in the neighborhood of 15 minutes – see the web site for downloads), but they have yet to manage anything beyond a tantalizing taste of their sounds. The core is a basic guitar / bass / drums trio, with guests filling in on vocals, keys, sax, and so on, and they work in a dark, foreboding area of aggressive riffs and complex arrangements. If you like Red era King Crimson, you should find this music quite enjoyable, both for the heavy parts and for the contrasting lighter moments, when jazzy drums and Rhodes back a female voice, but the sense of ominous things lurks just at the fringes. I have no doubt that when they come out with a full album, it will rank with the best of its year. And I hope that year is soon.

Filed under: New releases, Issue 36, 2007 releases

Related artist(s): Onségen Ensemble

More info
http://www.onsegen.com

 

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