Audiosynchrocy is a progressive rock / jazz fusion band based in southern California. The group has been together since the beginning of 2001 but has over 20 years individually of experience playing in various progressive rock and jazz / fusion bands. Audiosynchrocy is :
Dudley Brooks : guitars & vocals
Trevor Lloyd : keyboards , 5 string electric violin & vocals
Jake Feldman : basses
Rob Canny : drums & percussion
* and Trevor Feldman : vibraphone on ' That Constant Game '
" This 1st release for Audiosynchrocy emphasizes the band's strong compositional style along with virtuoso musicianship. Not being hung up on odd time changes for their own sake, Audiosynchrocy offers an accessible music with enough experimental display for the listener to enjoy. Mixing various progressive styles and motifs of artists such as Gentle Giant, U.K., Allan Holdsworth, Steve Hackett & King Crimson, the band aims to give the listener a wide ranging musical palette. "
" In a nutshell Audiosynchrocy's self titled debut sounds like a cross between Gentle Giant & U.K. with some great interplaying between guitar/keyboard/violin. This combined with some quirky style vocals that are very reminiscent of Danny Elfman. Half the CD is instrumental of which I prefer more than the vocal based songs. Mainly because the vocals do take many listening times to finally warm my ears to.
Audiosynchrocy could go either direction and still be successful. This is one of the best debuts I've heard in years and hopefully these guys will reach more listeners soon. Highly recommended! "
~ Ron for ProgNaut.com ~ March 2003
" Out of the blue comes this very talented California band with monster chops and an addled sense of humor suggesting a cross between Frank Zappa and Mahavishnu Orchestra. Led by Trevor Lloyd's note happy (the kind we proggers drool for) electric violin and keyboards, Audiosynchrocy grabs you immediately with speedy, angular opener, "Merrily Barreling Through Barely". These guys blend melody and dissonance with jaw-dropping precision, their odd-metered vocal phrasing and light, oft-goofy lyrical fare enhancing the disc's gymnastic aural revelries. Hints of the Dixie Dregs and Happy The Man-style quirkiness arise here and there, as during the eight-minute instrumental "Europa". Even then, bright synth leads lend a unique identity. Five of these nine tracks are instrumentals, ranging in tone and structure from aggressive, sinewy fusion to beautiful piano ruminations (" Searching...") and impressionistic soundscaping ("Aerial View"). Rounding out this impressive ensemble are Dudley Brooks on guitar and vocals, bassist Jake Feldman and drummer/percussionist Rob Canny (Lloyd also sings). Trevor Feldman adds vibes to "That Constant Game", and would've been welcome on other tracks as well. "
~ John Collinge for Progression Magazine ~ Winter/Spring 2003
" While I can't say it's uniquely American, there is a avenue of progressive rock that to date I have only heard from American bands. It is a slightly eccentric, jazz influenced, and often pointed lyrically style that I don't doubt has some roots with Frank Zappa - and whomever influenced him. In this category of progressive rock, or, lets not be so precise, progressive music, we find Bubblemath, Krakatoka, French TV, Mike Keneally and now add Audiosynchrocy. There is an energy to the band's music that at times could be described as fervent, except for a track or two, but I'll get to that. You do get some "traditional" prog rock elements, but they are put into a context that takes them out of that "traditional" prog milieu. That is, a particular keyboard passage here, a guitar lead there... There's a lot to enjoy here - and I have been. Many of the albums tracks have been stuck in my head, running through constantly.
Audiosynchrocy are a Southern California band featuring Dudley Brooks on guitars and vocals; Trevor Lloyd on keyboards, 5-string electric violin, and vocals (one whom sounds often like David Bowie, at least on the opening track "Merrily Barreling Through Barely"); Jake Feldman on bass (son of jazz artist Victor Feldman, by the way); and Rob Canny on drums and percussion. That song title in the parenthetic comment above is an apt description for this album (composed by Feldman), as we begin with rolling piano and pleasantly squealing violin. Vocal lines intertwine during the jazzy choruses, that I'm sure is why Gentle Giant has been mentioned in passing about this band. Though I think it's either the keyboards or the violin, you swear there's some brass in the mix, too. And Lloyd has a very sweet sounding violin.
The most eccentric piece is the second track, the paranoic "Turn It Down" (composed by Lloyd) which goes from nearly shouted, agitated parts to some very warm, calm parts - both vocally and instrumentally. And in listening, you get a particularly funky drum rhythm from Canny, and a quietly throbbing bass from Feldman. The tart "That Constant Game" begins with a phrase played on violin, picked up guitar for several measures, and then taken over by keys (that have a symphonic, proggy-Emersonian tone to them), only to be given back to the guitar for the vocal sections. And except for that tart guitar, we might kinda mention Spock's Beard here (early Spock's Beard). Guest Trevor Feldman plays a tinkly vibraphone.
But things aren't all "fun n' games" - though never dull - as the band make some serious instrumental music with "Aerial View" and the sublime "Road To Europa" - both of which seem out of place, in some respects, when set against the other pieces. The first is a smoother, lush instrumental piece... mainly a guitar and keyboard soundscape, that belies more of that Emersonian influence. And that influence is heard elsewhere, only Lloyd's parpy phrases aren't quite as shrill and unpleasantly sharp as found some of Emerson's classic ELP pieces. But Brooks is a great guitar bender, the strings being contorted you can almost see it, and see his fingers work the strings ... a credit to the great production on this CD. "Aerial View" segues seamlessly into the darker, more churning "Road To Europa."
"You, He, She It" is another vocal track, similar to "That Constant Game" - a mellow yet somewhat quirkly piece. It ends, however, with an instrumental section that begins with an aching, sweet violin, on that suggests some underlying sadness. Brooks' quick guitar notes are played like furtive glances in all directions ... An upbeat phrase towards the end, with both guitar and violin together, suggest a happy end. Oddly enough, when I was first making notes, I had this down as "Searching..." and it would fit that title perfectly. "Searching..." however is a somber, and serious, piano based piece, the piano tones warm, thoughtful. It's what might be termed modern classical... of course, names like David Lanz and George Winston come to mind, but only by association, as although Lloyd's playing is fluid, his tone and style is, at least to my ears, much different. A beautiful piece of music, composed by Lloyd.
"Let It Ring" is jazz-fusiony, with impossibly quick violin flutters from Lloyd, backed by what sounds like electric piano, giving it a "classic" feel. The meter is quick and lively, though I'm really bad at quoting signatures, it ain't 4/4. It does going into a more atmospheric interlude - what you might say proggy, in a way, in a classic Genesis/Marillion kind of way. It's darker, slower paced, with Brooks guitar proving sparsing, chiming accents. Here we hear some interesting (more interesting) percussion from Canny - who those I've not mentioned him much, is very much a key in making all this work. If it were to make another - and better - comparision, I'd say Djam Karet, too, especially in the darkness of the music and feel. With the added element of violin.
The album concludes with "House Of Broken Mirrors" a cinematic piece that, with the sustained keyboard notes and "off" violin phrases, would be perfect for a horror film soundtrack. Yes, there's tension there, something is going to happen, and when it happens, it will probably be a little Fellini-esque. It's lasts all of 2:40... but it seems longer, not in a bad way, but like good drama should be... letting you wonder will one survive. It's horror of the classic sort - Lugosi, Chaney, etc. or even... today's current suspense hero, M. Night Shyamalan. "
" Great stuff, this. Highly recommended no matter what your proggy tastes are. Hail California's new avant-jazz-fusion-classical-prog heroes! "
Rating: 5/5
Reviewed by: Stephanie Sollow, July 2004 for progressiveworld.net
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