|
|
Artist: NEARfest 2005
Album: Rising to the Surface
Label: NEARfest Records
Website: http://www.nearfest.com & http://www.nearfestrecords.com
Reviewer: Bill Knispel
|
Track List:
Wobbler
1. Imperial Winter White Dwarf (18:07)
Frogg Cafe
1. Fortunate Observer of Time (7:35)
2. Creatures (11:05)
3. You're Still Sleeping (13:51)
Present
1. Promenade au Fond d'un Canal (23:00)
IQ
1. Born Brilliant (5:27)
2. The Seventh House (15:43)
Knight Area
1. Conspiracy (6:34)
2. The Sun Also Rises (7:40)
3. Mortal Brow (closing section) (5:20)
The Muffins
1. Intro / These Castle Children (7:14)
2. Captain Boomerang (Excerpt) (7:23)
3. Ugly Buttling (3:38)
4. Walking the Duck (3:03)
5. Stethorus Punktum (4:02)
Matthew Parmenter
1. Lair of the Damned (I Get Scared When It Rains) (2:30)
2. Crutches (The Carrot) (4:20)
3. Rogue (Blush and Rouge) (3:01)
4. Some Fear Growing Old (5:24)
Kenso
1. Sora ni Hikaru (Shining in the Sky) (6:31)
2. Tjandi Bentar (7:10)
3. Echi dal Foro Romano (6:53)
Le Orme
1. Felona e Sorona (20:18)
Following on from an impressive series of audio releases, NEARfest Records makes a move into the video end of the home entertainment
spectrum with this DVD release from the 2005 iteration of the North East Art Rock Festival.
NEARfest 2005 was somewhat of a banner year for the festival; in its second year back at the Zoellner Arts Center in Bethlehem PA, the
festival presented a diverse and exciting mix of bands, ranging from the intense symphonic fusion of Japanese masters Kenso to the lush
Italian progressive legends Le Orme. A team of cameramen were present to capture the proceedings, and nearly 2 years on, the results are
(almost) as enjoyable as being there.
NEARfest 2005 had something to offer most every fan of progressive music. Aficionados of melodic/neo-progressive rock were likely charmed
by Knight Area, a late addition from Holland, while listeners whose tastes lean more toward the avant garde were blown away by the insane
explosiveness of Belgium’s Present. American progressive music was represented by Frogg Cafe, while Maryland band The Muffins presented
a jazzy, fusion influenced breed of instrumental rock. Filling out the roster were Norway’s Wobbler, Friday night headlining legends IQ,
and two solo spotlights by ambient musician Steve Roach and Michigan’s Matthew Parmenter, founder member of discipline.
Every performer save for Steve Roach (whose music is used on the menus) is documented on this single DVD release: at nearly 200 minutes,
each artist gets approximately 20 minutes of screen time. As such, no complete sets are included, but the selections are fairly
representative and among the respective artists’ more solid performances from their sets. Sadly, the entirety of Le Orme’s epochal
Felona e Sorona is not included; the entire first half of the legendary album is included, complete with drum solo, but it
concludes before presenting the intense “Ritorno al Nulla” album closer. Balancing this is the inclusion of Present’s “Promenade au Fond
d'un Canal,” a 23-minute avant freak out complete with Tribal Kilt Wearing Pipe Beater Man, as I have affectionately begun to refer to
him as. On the day of the festival, this piece was greeted with more than a few cocked eyebrows and slack jawed looks of shock; nearly 2
years on, the piece is far more digestible and offers a high degree of enjoyment...dark, insane, off kilter enjoyment, but enjoyment
nonetheless.
Saturday night headliner IQ is represented by a pair of tracks, including the epic “The Seventh House.” The band brought across an
expansive multimedia presentation as well; while not all can be seen in the brief 20 minute excerpt of their set, the fact that the entire
performance has been released by the band on their 2 DVD set Stage is comforting. The same can be said for Kenso, whose three
tracks presented here are supplemented on their own Live in USA DVD. Also worthy of repeated viewings is Matthew Parmenter’s solo
spotlight. While the included material focuses solely on the pieces he performed on guitar, it is a diverse selection, including newer
solo material from astray, an excerpt from discipline.’s epic “Crutches,” and more. This reviewer hopes Parmenter can be
convinced to release the entire set one day, as it is an insightful look at his prodigious musical talents.
Also perhaps worthy of inclusion, yet sadly not on the DVD, is Frogg Cafe’s “Waterfall Carnival,” which featured a reunion with original
guitarist Frank Camiola, who had left the band for health/hearing reasons. It would have been a nice addition to the collection,
showcasing the kind of special event that has been a hallmark of NEARfests past and present. Frogg Cafe is nonetheless represented with
a trio of tracks and the most screen time of any artist, at over 30 minutes, so the complaint is minimal at best.
Photo galleries supplement the main video/audio program. It would have been nice, from the standpoint of an attendee of the festival, to
see some behind the scenes material or footage outside the theatre proper, such as audience reactions or what have you. Inclusion of
that material would have likely necessitated the expansion of this release to 2 DVDs, which may well have been overly cost prohibitive.
The lack of inclusion of such material is not so much a detriment or weakness as it is indicative of the fact that the release is so good
one can’t help but wish for more.
As befits the standard set by previous NEARfest Records releases, video and audio quality are excellent. Even though each band was
individually responsible for mixing their performance’s audio tracks, performances flow naturally and with impressively consistent
quality. 16x9 wide screen video (courtesy of Studio M) has been intelligently and carefully edited, allowing shots to develop naturally
rather than succumbing to MTV-itis. Overall the DVD is a joy to view and listen to. The picture holds up well on large screens (I’ve
viewed this on screens ranging in size from 32 to 82 inches), and through a great set of speakers, the sound mix breathes and has
incredible life. In fact, one might be tempted to play the DVD without the TV on, treating it as one 3+ hour musical experience.
NEARfest 2005: Rising to the Surface is a fantastic video debut from the festival and sets a high standard for future releases to
meet.
|
|
|
