Mugen - Sinfonia Della Luna ,LP,1984,Japan
This Japanese prog rock band was founded in ’78 by Katsuhiko Hayashi (keyboards) and Takashi Nakamura (vocals and keyboards). Not until ’84 MUGEN released their first album "Sinfonia Della Luna", a very mellow CD with classical guitar, beautiful waves of Mellotron and sensitive electric guitar solos. A few accelerations and bombastic movements keep a certain tension in the music. The keyboardplay is very TONY BANKS inspired. The second album "Leda et la Cygne" (’86) sound most alternating but the third "The Princess of Kingdome Gone" (’88) is a bit disappointing, it lacks any tension. Obviously the band ran out of ideas and soon MUGEN disbanded. On all albums the high-pitched vocals are remarkable, a kind of classical trained JON ANDERSON.The second album is considered as their best, thanks to contributions by Takashi Kawaguchi on violin (from OUTER LIMITS), Kazuhiro Miyatake on flute and Ikkou Nakujima on acoustic guitar (both from PAGEANT). The elaborate compositions contain lots of instuments and orchestral keyboards in the vein of THE ENID and some LE ORME ("Felona e Sorona" climate). I’m very pleased with the harmony of majestic Mellotron eruptions, moving violin and distorted electric guitar evoking a very dramatic atmosphere. A good example of the typical Japanese prog rock (sumptuous keyboards, lots of Mellotron and violin and classical influences).
From ProgArchives
Considered amongst the best Japanese symphonic prog LPs!
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5 comments:
A great request for a great blog : HALIM EL DABH. Thanks-ALEX.
Do you by chance have any other Japanese rarities, like the first two by Heretic (lp only) or Dada? The guys in Dada were also members of Kennedy.
Great blog, great resource! Thank you all for your generosity!
Shivering
Shivering-I've got thhe second Dada album, which is nothing like the first on Vanity but which I like quite a bi, though ONLY for the keyboardist's 3 or 4 tracks, which are pretty crazed sounding and not very proggy prog per se. The guitarists tracks leave me dead cold, but it's still well worth posting regardless.
It'll go up soonish...
Many thanks VDO! All I have heard is the Castle Walls cd by Dada, which is good............supposedly leftover bits. Never heard the two actual albums, but I have heard rumours they were limited edition cd reissues a few years ago. As far as I know, the Heretic lps have not been reissued in their entirety, but some bits ended up on an oop compilation cd called 1984-1988.
Thanks again!!
Shivering
It´s a good but a very commom symphonic prog. The last track is teh best: marvelous!
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