“100 001 is a tepid but musically nice invitation to discover Loom which is the meeting of the beast, the poet and the centaur”
1 The Light that Failed 5:52 2 Sun Castle 4:28 3 On my Way 5:15 4 The Hand of Bosch 3:23 Moonpop LTDCD-003
(EP-CD 18:58) (V.F.)
(E-Rock)
The bonds that unite Jerome Froese and Johannes Schmoelling go back to the time when the latter was a member of Tangerine Dream. Besides, on some photos of this time we saw a Schmoelling very attentive to the young Froese. So, nothing more normal than sooner or later these two ex-members of TD would combine their talents in any project. And it was later than early that this project was born. In fact, the idea was already germinating in 2008 but for various reasons, the Loom project was postponed to 2011 with the performance that the new trio, flanked by Robert Waters, gave at the prestigious Dutch EM festival; the E-Live of October 2011. 100 001 is an EP composed of 4 melodious titles and written in solos by each of the members. Robert Waters, a producer in high demand in Berlin studios who previously worked with Schmoelling, is the most prolific by signing two titles while Schmoelling and Froese share the rest.
Flickering sequences with stealthy and jerky keys open The Light that Failed, a furious and heavy title composed by Jerome Froese. Their lively and sharp oscillatory intertwinings are thrown on solid percussions, carrying the title in a whirlwind fed by heavy riffs of Guitartronica. In full mastery of his pachydermic structures, the young Froese knows how to bring a harmonic trickle to another title in his repertoire of heavy electronica which ends with superb sequences à la Thief. This is very good and by far the most powerful title of this short EP. Sun Castle and The Hand of Bosch were written by Robert Waters. It's the very first time that my ears cross his music and I must admit that I am quite charmed by Sun Castle which begins with a warm breath of a synth which extends accompanies a slightly cadenced pace. This is a good melody sat on an arrangement of sequences and percussions, in a rhythmic crossing between Jerome Froese and Tangerine Dream, which surrounds a synth more romantic than dramatic. The Hand of Bosch is a title that pours a little more towards the New Age with its guitar chords fill of Celtic charms on a delicate structure with rhythm of silk. It's a bit like Mike Oldfield meeting Vangelis. We were all eager to hear new material from Johannes Schmoelling and we are not disappointed with On My Way which is based on a fairly dramatic introduction, but where flows a superb melody which straddles Wuivend Riet and Instant City and which will extend its harmonies towards Time and Tide.
Loom is the meeting of the beast, the poet and the centaur! If it's less obvious on 100 001, which is a lukewarm but beautiful invitation to discover the trio, Scored is unequivocal. As for this first EP, shows great possibilities for hard and heavy electronic rock, and for a melodious vision that flirts more with the world of Johannes Schmoelling. Prospects for better days and EM which may be in line with our expectations? Possible since Scored will fill our ears in a few weeks, if not days. But let's go back to this 100 001 which, as is often the case with the works of Froese junior, is in a limited edition of 500 copies which are, I believe, all sold. We find it today on Spotify…
Sylvain Lupari (June 20th, 2012) *****
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