For several years, Quarkspace has attracted a strong following with their remarkable music, blending psychedelic progrock with spacerock and contemporary electronics with an alluring touch of fusion thrown in for good measure. The band’s finest moments can be found on their Spacefolds series of releases, on which they pursue the vitality of improvised performances.
QUARKSPACE: Spacefolds 8 (digital online album on Eternity's Jest Records)
This release from 2007 offers 67 minutes of dreamy spacerock.
Quarkspace is: Darren Gough (on guitar), Chet Santia (on bass and guitar), Jay Swanson (on keyboards and synthesizers), and Paul Williams (on drums, synthesizers and keyboards). Joining the band on guitar or the epic finale track is Greg Kozlowski (from Architectural Metaphor).
A sense of meandering chaos swiftly coalesces into glistening sonic gems of astral proportion. The instruments mesh with expert perfection, flourishing to produce melodies that astound and mesmerize with dreamy determination.
The guitars provide a bevy of searing riffs, from smoldering chords to cosmic pinnacles to grinding sustains. Growling strings unfurl stunning melodies that radiate excess ardor with each note. Sidestepping the conventional flash of showy solos, the guitars establish their command through quiescent application, captivating the psyche with luxuriant chords of luminous beauty and endearing duration.
The keyboards establish a loving foundation of agile-fingered melodies that wind through the mix like rivers of nectar. Adopting a variety of delivery modes, sometimes the keys resound with the drama of grand piano, while other times they bewitch with the slippery style of classic progressive organs.
A host of synthesizers lurk herein, their issue oozing through the melodies like electronic honey and enhancing all the neighboring sounds with a rewarding shimmer.
Rumbling with subterranean vibrations, the basslines generate an undercurrent of tasty heat.
The percussion pulsates with vibrant beats, entrancing and compelling. The tempos are often submerged, providing a rhythmic presence from an immersed vantage. A mood of on-stage jamming is fostered by the drums’ seemingly detached attitude.
These compositions possess a sedate structure that is seasoned by the vigorous zest exemplified by the performers and the powerful mastery of how they handle their instruments. Dreamy passages seethe with craftily restrained puissance, generating a seductive psychedelic flow of steadfast appeal. The melodies send consciousness soaring to breathless altitudes with their sultry charm.
Releases like this keep alive the heritage of trance rock, evoking a modern incarnation of the Grateful Dead’s endless jams inspired by cosmic starscapes.
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