Kozmic Muffin - Nautilus (1994)

This is one of the rare jewels coming from the prog art rock scene in Spain. They come from Galicia (NW Spain) but they sing in English. The disc was released in 1994 but it remembers 70's prog/art releases and was widely commented in the european progrock scene. It's a very good one and has similarities with other works from King Crimson, van der Graaf Generator and others. If you're a good proggy fan for sure you will appreciate it.
Unfortunately it's widely unknow and the disc is declassified, initially only 500 vynil copies were pressed, so it's very hard to find. A CD reissue was done later, but a very limited edition. A must hear release! (recommended!). I'm sure you'll not be dissapointed…


Let's go with some comments and reviews both in english and spanish.

+ Kozmic Muffin es un grupo gallego formado a principios de los anos 90. Su vocalista y compositor principal, Pedro Granell, venia de una banda de regusto psicodelico llamada Los Eskizos, con quienes firmaria dos EPs. Esta base se notara mucho en el sonido del grupo en este su primer disco, "Nautilus", en donde hay claros referentes como Pink Floyd en diversas epocas (tanto en la de Syd Barrett, como en la de Dark Side of The Moon o la mas teatral de The Wall), Camel (en la seccion ritmica), King Crimson (y su gusto por la disonancia pesada), o Van der Graaf Generator, Lou Reed y Velvet Underground (en alguno de los registros vocales), todo ello aderezado con un sonido que estaba patente en muchos grupos de comienzos de la decada (que traian esteticas del sonido de Seattle, noise pop o post-rockeras de fines de los 80's y principios de los 90's). Tras la grabacion de este disco, Granell se marcharia del grupo siendo reemplazado en el papel de voz principal y guitarra por Julio Gonzalez, con quien registrarian un interesante segundo trabajo: "Space between grif and comfort" en 1997.

Segun se recoge en la pagina web de Pedro Granell (http://www.pedrogranell.com), el grupo se paso una temporada en un pueblecito de la Costa da Morte gallega para grabar este disco, periodo en el cual, segun se dice, el grupo dio bastantes conciertos muy recordados. El resultado de esos dias intensos se refleja en este album, que obtuvo muy buenas criticas dentro y fuera del pais, llegando a estar en boca de muchos conocedores de rock progresivo europeos. En "Nautilus", el grupo recoge una clara influencia del sonido de los anos 70's, sobre todo en cuanto a ideas musicales (muy marcadas por la estetica que buscaban), pero a traves de la reinterpretacion, experiencia y los medios de la decada de los 90's. Las letras y los titulos son en ingles.

La obra se abre con el sonido de una puerta, que conduce a la primera pieza, "Andrew". Es el tema mas corto del album, pero refleja mucha intensidad ritmica, con abundantes giros instrumentales (como su preludio y la parte central) y la presencia de la voz particular de Granell (con ecos de Hammill, Waters, Barrett y Reed).

"Sun, glass & vacuum" nos envuelve en una especie de atmosfera melancolica que me recuerda mucho al primer album de Camel de 1973 (y a algunos temas como "Mystic Queen"), con un muy buen trabajo del grupo acompanando la voz de Granell y momentos muy sentidos como las partes de guitarras en los solos centrales, incluyendo algunas armonizaciones de las mismas.

"Kozmic Muffin" es uno de los temas mas desarrollados del album (tambien el mas largo). La voz de Granell cobra un timbre distinto, con mas fuerza y brillo, mientras que la musica tambien cobra un aire mas profundo, logrando transmitir multiples sensaciones de ida y vuelta. Tambien es aqui destacable el trabajo de la seccion ritmica, con abundantes fragmentos de aceleracion, retardo, crescendo, pausa… toda una sucesion de eventos que dan cohesion a un tema, verdaderamente, muy "progresivo". Muy destacable el solo de guitarra central, en el primer acelerando, y el recitado final de Granell durante el segundo, que acaba en gritos desgarradores. El final con la secuencia sustractiva de notas me recuerda a "By-Tor & The snow dog" de Rush ("Fly by night", 1975) dandole un caracter epico.

"Bedlam" marca un contrapunto en el disco, con la aparicion de Regas a la voz principal. Es un timbre totalmente diferente a Granell, mas ronco, pero con bastantes dotes dramaticas tambien. La pieza es mas introspectiva y calmada, tras la fuerza de la anterior. Tambien tiene impreso el caracter melancolico y juega con los crescendos expresivos. Musicalmente me recuerda mucho a momentos de "The Wall" (Pink Floyd, 1979) y del "Aqualung" (Jethro Tull, 1971) en el cambio de la parte central, la combinacion de esos crudos riffs, la armonia del Hammond y la melodia vocal de Regas.

"Open minds" vuelve otra vez a la atmosfera oscura de temas como "Kozmic Muffin", en donde se combinan los cambios bruscos de matices (muy acentuados por gritos de Granell a lo Lou Reed), y ritmicos (con una lograda parte central instrumental con toques progresivos y de funk). Los efectos de guitarra psicodelicos y la secuencia armonica del organo final ayudaran a envolvernos en un ambiente lugubre que nos guia a la conclusion.

"Eleusis", tema instrumental grabado "en directo" por el grupo, es decir, todos juntos en el estudio (lo que refleja la coordinacion del grupo y su potencial en vivo). Este gran final muestra diversas influencias, como la psicodelica introduccion, cubierta de diferentes efectos sonoros producidos por el grupo, hasta la superposicion de un vals interpretado por el organo, o los penetrantes riffs guitarreros (algunos de sabor "CRIMSONiaco", "RUSHiano" y hasta "METALLICo") y sus abruptos cambios de tempo. Cuando el caos llega al paroxismo, la puerta del principio del album se cierra de manera inesperada, oyendose la fuerte respiracion de aquel que sale de una especie de pesadilla placentera en la que se veia inmerso.

En resumen, "Nautilus" es un album muy recomendable dentro del panorama espanol de los anos 90's que permite ver como grupos como Kozmic Muffin, en este caso, son capaces de reinterpretar ideas y conceptos musicales de otro tiempo con bastante originalidad y buen gusto. Quiero darle las gracias al amigo Alberto Villarroya (bajista del grupo gallego Amoeba Split, que elabora un rock progresivo de sabor "canterburiano" y fuertemente jazzistico de alto nivel y que actualmente se encuentran grabando en estudio lo que sera su primer album) por darme a conocer a este grupo y sus dos interesantisimos albumes y a Juan Mellado por su apoyo.

Un saludo a todos los cajer@s.

Eduardo Garcia Saluena. www.senogul.tk

+ Another review from progarchives

KOZMIC MUFFIN are a complete rarity in spanish progressive, with only two records, but 'Nautilus' has gained great reputation throughout Europe and is tagged by many as a classical prog piece of the 90s, not only in Spain.

They began their musical history back in 1992 in Galicia (Spain) when guitarist Pedro Granell started to listen to blues, classical music (Satie, Mussorgsky) and 70´s prog like King Crimson, Hawkwind, Manfred Mann, Soft Machine or Pink Floyd. He gave up his relationship with the dark garage band ESKIZOS (after only a couple of EPs) to rehearse and compose music more psych oriented. After some solo work, he got in touch with bassist Javier Vaamonde and drummer Patxi Ortega, both from the band BALOWSKY. After one year of rehearsals, they recorded and edited their first record, 'Nautilus' (1994), a record that became a legend from the very beginning, which sold very well on underground and collector circles throughout Europe. This record was mainly the work of guitarist Pedro Granell, but some problems with the credits of the album and the royalties made him abandon his own band.

For a long time, he has been working as a musical writer and journalist, and he recently edited his first solo record, ('Sils-Maria', 2002). After he left the band, some old songs and rearrengements, along with some new material were used for their last and second album, 'Space Between Grief and Comfort' (1997). Pedro Granell does not appear on this record, and guest singer on the first record, Julio Gonzalez is the vocalist of the songs written by Granell. Because of the new turn the band was taking, acting more as multimedia performers than as a rock band, Julio Gonzalez and Javier Vaamonde left the band in 1999 to form the jammy oriented band TRICERATOPS. Until very recently, the core of KOZMIC MUFFIN was formed mainly by Patxi Valera, Pablo Rega and Enrique Otero, who have been working with lots of collaborators from the avantgarde and multimedia scene in Spain, with two main performances, 'Construccion de un Tinglado Desmontable' (2000) and 'Preterito' (2001), both of them unreleased.

Many of the members are currently performing multimedia and other musical and non musical avantgarde projects, but the lack of other recent works by the band makes us think that they are definitively disbanded and their members are enroled in their solo projects and collaborations.

Victor Rangel

+ KOZMIC MUFFIN´s first record is a great update of 60´s psychedelic rock and early progressive bands. The music on this record is mainly oriented to retrieve those old bands and sounds, althoguh the music on this record is not only a revival, but also a good example of creativity, provided that the instrumental background is not completely new. Far from technological arrangements and instruments, they are based mainly on classic electric guitars and Hammond organ.
The first song of the record, Andrew, is probably the most devoted song to their source of inspiration. Soft guitars and organ with some funky taste introduce the listener to their particular tribute to classic psych rock. But it won´t last too long, becuase Sun, Glass & Vacuum is much more elaborated, with atmospheric organ that creates a very delicate mood, despite the guitar solo in an accelerated middle section. Kozmic Muffin is quite different, very aggressive from the beginning, including distorted vocals at the end of the track, which is one of the most interesting pieces of the record. Bedlam returns to the quiet mood, with a middle section that reminds Kevin Ayers works, more melodic and pop oriented. Open MInds will give us back to the more intricate side of the record, with lots of distorted guitars and an organ that reminds me of Brian Auger in his funkiest way. And the best is yet to come with Eleusis, a lysergic title that properly fits this song: cosmic music meets Canterbury in a real progression from the almost atmospheric start to the fastest final of the song, which is also a great final for the record. The final breath reminds us the great effort they made not only on this song, but also on the whole disc. This record leaves the listener with a great feeling and the sensation that not everything was played in the old days. Although the sound is clearly classic, the overall sound looks somehow fresh and not really repetitive, which I consider one of the strongest points of this record. I strongly reccommend this record, although the vinyl LP version is nowadays a collector item.

Tracks:

1. Andrew (03:52) [Granell & Vaamonde]
2. Sun, glass & vacuum (06:22) [Granell/Rega/Vaamonde/Valera/Otero]
3. Kozmic Muffin (10:29) [Granell & Rega]
4. Bedlam (08:51) [Rega]
5. Open minds (07:14) [Granell & Vaamonde]
6. Eleusis (10:08) [Granell/Vaamonde/Valera/Rega/Otero]

Total Time: 47:00

Musicians:

PEDRO GRANELL: Guitar,vocals
ENRIQUE OTERO: keyboards
PABLO REGA: Guitar,vocals
JAVIER VAAMONDE: Bass
PATXI VALERA: Drums

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Another interesting rarity in spanish prog….

N.H.U. - N.H.U. (1978)