Absolute Elsewhere-Playground (2024)

It took almost 50 years for the British group Absolute Elsewhere to release their second album. The reason this album wasn't released in the late 70s was due to new musical trends, which led Warner Records to abandon the project, shelving its release despite it having already been recorded. The lineup for this second album was the same as the one for their ambient and progressive debut, "In Search of Ancient Gods", which was discussed on this blog years ago, with the exception of drummer Bill Bruford, who was replaced by former Greenslade member Andy McCulloch. The rest of the band consisted of keyboardist Paul Fishman, bassist Jon Astrop, and guitarist Phil Saatchi, who also contributed vocals, along with guest saxophonist John Savannah. Unlike their debut album, the compositions on this second release moved away from atmospheric electronic sounds, developing a style that fused progressive rock with elements of jazz rock and hard rock. Recorded at CTS Wembley Studios in London during 1977 and 1978, the album utilized cutting-edge recording technologies such as the Neve automated console, resulting in a structured and innovative sound. Tracks like the captivating "Relax", the jazz-rock/fusion "Time to Change", the catchy "Talk to Me", the semi-progressive "The 7 Year Itch", and the ethereal "Tides" are filled with soaring keyboards, dynamic instrumental textures, and a sense of both immense complexity and accessibility, culminating in an album that is both technically flawless and exhilarating.

Absolute Elsewhere-In Search of Ancient Gods (1976)

Absolute Elsewhere was an ephemeral British progressive rock band that had the famous drummer Bill Bruford in their ranks, and with whom they recorded in 1976 the album "In Search of Ancient Gods" which was based on a book by Erik Von Daniken, in a entirely instrumental work, without complexities, quite melodic and symphonic.
Considered a cult album nowadays we can delight ourselves with themes like the glider "Earthbound" the experimental "Moon City" the great "Miracles of the Gods" a a suite composed of 5 parts with a somewhat clonic beginning to King Crimson, which gives way to a more romantic part with a grand piano and a couple of extraordinary Mellotron moments or the experimental "The Gold of the Gods" and "Toktela" where we find magnificent developments of somewhat baroque keyboards and synthesizers.
A great instrumental album that combines simple and accessible passages with a lot of keyboard with experimental and electronic passages, and that has the incentive to listen and enjoy the ever-occurring drummer Bill Bruford.