21.10.2009.
Asia Minor - Crossing the Line (1979) (@256)
(Review from progarchives.com)
Asia Minor is a solid symphonic ensemble formed by two Turkish musicians residing in France. They take a more unusual twist on the sound popularised by Camel, with a mostly instrumental rock, an eerie ambience with folk and ethnic influences, featuring much flute, guitar and keyboards.
Their debut was recorded in a time when the genre was starting to face a serious decline in terms of commercial attention and artistic relevance. All compositions are penned by the Turkish duo Bakirel/Tekeli.
The opening "Preface" is a patchwork of the rest of the album. Nice flute moments, strange vocals and complex tempo. The group shines best when the middle-eastern influences are most apparent, the best of these being "Landscape", the oddly pronounced words only adding to the charm of this deliciously sinister tune. The shorter vocal tracks seems somewhat undeveloped, almost ideas that didn't pan out, but the brief instrumental "Mystic Dance" lives up to its name, showcasing the woodwinds of Eril Tekeli.
Line-up :
- Eril Tekeli / flute, guitars, bass
- Setrak Bakirel / lead vocals, guitars, bass
- Lionel Beltrami / drums, percussion
- Nick Vicente / keyboards
Track List :
01. Preface - 4:23
02. Mahzun Gozler - 8:19
03. Mystic Dance - 1:45
04. Misfortune - 4:38
05. Landscape - 4:01
06. Visions - 5:43
07. Without Stir - 1:55
08. Hayal Dolu Gunler Icin - 4:46
09. Postface - 2:11
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