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Thread: FEATURED CD: Itoiz - Ezekiel

  1. #1
    Moderator Poisoned Youth's Avatar
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    FEATURED CD: Itoiz - Ezekiel



    Very nice album.

    Review from ProgVisions (Jose Nafria)
    At the end of the 70s, in the beginning of the punk era, an excellent group was born in the Basque Country, with clearly influences from progressive, folk, and jazz, the wonderful and inimitable Itoiz. As most of their contemporaries in the region, they sang in Basque, and they published their albums in local labels as Elkar or Xoxoa. The leading figure of the group was its singer (beautiful soft and elegant voice), guitarist and composer Juan Carlos Pérez.

    The first three albums of the group ("Itoiz"-1978, "Ezekiel"-1980 and "Alkolea"-1982) are a pure delight, a gourmet dish for lovers of the more folkie progressive rock. In these albums, Itoiz displays a scorching imagination and an own sound impossible to copy, with influences of Fairport Convention, Renaissance or Incredible String Band, as well as multiple references to Basque folk music and jazz-fusion. You should not expect of Itoiz a resemblance to classic groups of the progressive genre, except maybe in some fragments a la Camel for the softness and elegance of the compositions. The lyrics of the albums, always sung in Basque, are clearly inherited from the surrealist movement (in fact, the translation of the lyrics of "Ezekiel" into Spanish are quite difficult to understand).

    Later on, the band evolved at the beginning of the 80s into a soft and happier pop-rock with influences of reggae (London Calling of the Clash or Police) and soul that I particularly find boring, although surprisingly, the albums from that time were a real success in the Basque Country. After the disappearance of the group at the end of the 80s, Juan Carlos Pérez has continued in the music world, being devoted to compose classic music and sound scores.

    Of the three classic albums of the more progressive Itoiz, the original vinyl release of which you can end up paying many thousand pesetas (although they have been reissued in CD by Elkar and Lost Vinyl in Spain in the last years), I have chosen to revise in detail my favorite, their second album "Ezekiel". The first "Itoiz" is another marvel, although in my opinion, somewhat less mature and creative and more rock, while "Alkolea" begins to show dangerous symptoms of their later change of musical direction).



    "Ezekiel" is one of those albums I would carry with me to a desert island. In the progressive world, I would only compare its quality to "In the Court of…" of King Crimson, "Heresie" of Univers Zero and "Hosianna Mantra" of Popol Vuh. The album is a joyful orgy for the senses, a concept album that recreates the existential doubts of a 17 year-old boy. In my view, the group is able to transmit a magic folk and progressive sound identity, with a smaller preponderance of rock sounds, and plenty of imaginative touches and variety, with a jazz and fusion angle. In this album the group included Juan Carlos Pérez (voice and guitar), Joseba Arteaga (flute), Antton Fernández (keyboards), Fran Lasuan (mandolin and bibolina), Mitxel Logaron (percussion), Carlos Jiménez (saxo and piano), and Shanti Jiménez (bass and voice), with the collaboration of the impressive singer Itziar Egileor and Joseba Beristain at the "cuatro".

    The album starts with "Ezekielen Prophezia" (5.02) a prodigious piece that begins in a rock style, with an excellent guitar and a fabulous sax. Then we enter into the three vocal sections of the piece, a very soft first one, with Juan Carlos' beautiful voice, then a wonderful violin and flute passage linked to the second section, quicker, and finally a third vertiginous one. Then we move into an instrumental section of sax and repetitive guitar. The last fragment of the song, amongst children's voices in the school, is led by the flute and the guitar in a section that reminds me from Jethro Tull or my loved Tanahill Weavers, Labanda or Gwendal. As you see, a marvelous song, with different styles perfectly merged.

    "Ezekielen Esnatzea I" (6.00) is a more folk-progressive piece, with a beautiful acoustic beginning, and with excellent rides of keyboards, pianos, and guitars that give an acid atmosphere to the song. It is worth highlighting an excellent display of power from the piper (very a la Tull) and the sax, completely worthy of the best seventies rock. One of the best pieces in the album, without a doubt.

    "Ezekielen Esnatzea II" (4.34) presents an exquisite start based in Basque folk and medieval sonorities, with a wonderful vocal registration that slowly takes us to a jazz rhythm, with the sax in a fleshy sad ballad. We then move into another folk section led by the piper a la Incredible String Band, which concludes with the irruption of an incredibly well played acid hammond.

    "Ezekiel" (2.53), the central piece of the album, begins as a soft acoustic ballad, with some wonderful guitars, to which an impressive choir of children intoning the word Ezekiel is added, amongst applause and whistling. Pure folk.

    "Ezekielen Ikasgaia" (6.24) delights us with Itziar Egileor's wonderful feminine voice. The song starts as a sweet folk ballad of acoustic guitars and piano, goes into a fabulous intermediate bluesy section driven by Carlos Jiménez's hot sax in between flute notes and a nightly piano, above an excellent rhythm section, ending with the wonderful voice of Itziar torn between folk and jazz sounds.

    "Ezekielen Ametsa" (6.05) is divided in two parts. The first features a delirium of children voices singing a school playground song amongst dissonant piano notes, in what becomes an excellent second section, with a progressive folk sound with exquisite violin, sax, and guitar solos over a beautiful mattress of keyboards, and with Juan Carlos Pérez’s beautiful vocal intervention. The beautiful ending bars of the song show fusion sonorities again.

    "Ezekiel: Ia maitasun kantu bat" (5.47) finishes the album, with the sound of a train that comes closer to the station, amongst the folk sound of a violin and a harrowing flute, progressive keyboards and guitars, and tribal percussion. The last part of the song is the best I have ever listened to, a perfect mixture of the specific Basque sound of the group with folk, progressive and acid, the union of witches and angels, of heaven and hell. Without a doubt, my favorite song of the album.

    In conclusion, if you wish to discover a new, interesting, magic and fabulous world, you should buy the wonderful second album of Itoiz. Then, you will run like crazy to search for the two other classic albums of the group. If you want to know more about the discography of other groups in this style, look for the CD reissue of other Basque groups as Haizea, Errobi, Lisker. Izukaitz or Embor (I have not heard anything of other supposedly fabulous groups as Koska, Sakre or Itziar). Progressive Basque from the end of the 70s was one of the most interesting substyles in our favorite genre, and it deserves to be well remembered.





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  2. #2
    Member helicase's Avatar
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    Has its moments, but for me it's one of the weaker Basque folk(-prog) albums.

  3. #3
    I think this is their finest hour altogether, although it doesn't contain anything like "Lau Teilatu" (their most famous recording by far, from the debut album).

    For the curious:



    To me personally, the Basque progressive/folk masterpiece will always remain Errobi's Ametsaren Bidea.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  4. #4
    I didn’t care for this much at first, for whatever reason it didn’t touch me the way the debut and Alkolea did. The former seemed to have a more “symphonic” feel, while the latter was more rock-y and seemed to have more memorable songs. This is probably their most low-key and folky. I have to say this one has grown on me a bit, maybe because I came back to it after a bit of overplaying the aforementioned two albums. I suppose I’m now allowed to hear it with fresh ears; it’s almost like hearing a whole new album. Incidentally, this one went on the MP3 player recently, before this FCD feature was posted.

    -------------
    MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

    "Siento que debemos saber para el sueño de quién brillará esta luz
    o consagrar una propia estrella" --Alberto Felici

    N.P.:“Wild Child”-Savage Rose

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    Quote Originally Posted by Progbear View Post
    I didn’t care for this much at first, for whatever reason it didn’t touch me the way the debut and Alkolea did. The former seemed to have a more “symphonic” feel, while the latter was more rock-y and seemed to have more memorable songs. This is probably their most low-key and folky. I have to say this one has grown on me a bit, maybe because I came back to it after a bit of overplaying the aforementioned two albums. I suppose I’m now allowed to hear it with fresh ears; it’s almost like hearing a whole new album.
    I’ve had a somewhat similar experience.

    Itoiz is my favourite Basque album, a wonderful symphonic and folky album (and of course it has “Lau teilatu”). Ezekiel seemed less compelling, perhaps due to arrangements, which emphasise saxes, and, as you said, less immediately memorable songs. But I’ve come to appreciate it more over the years, as it has a very strong, energetic and earthly vibe. I’m still trying to get Alkolea.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Kai View Post
    I’m still trying to get Alkolea.
    Maybe listen to “Hire bideak” on repeat, it’s arguably the “prog epic” of the album. Though it was originally “Ixilik egon hadi...ixilik!” (those mandolins, that title!) and “Marilyn” (more of a slinky jazz-pop number, but so catchy!) that drew me into the album.

    -------------
    MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

    "Siento que debemos saber para el sueño de quién brillará esta luz
    o consagrar una propia estrella" --Alberto Felici

    N.P.:“Third Rendez-vous”-Jean-Michel Jarre/Rendez-vous

  7. #7
    Member helicase's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor View Post
    the Basque progressive/folk masterpiece will always remain Errobi's Ametsaren Bidea.
    Couldn't agree more.

  8. #8
    Member Septober Energy's Avatar
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    Had it. Tried to like it. Ultimately got rid of it. Not bad, it just never really impressed me.
    "Incredibly dismal, pathetic chord sequence..."
    http://discogs.com/seller/septober_energy

  9. #9
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by helicase View Post
    Has its moments, but for me it's one of the weaker Basque folk(-prog) albums.
    Quote Originally Posted by Septober Energy View Post
    Had it. Tried to like it. Ultimately got rid of it. Not bad, it just never really impressed me.


    Bbbbbbut, you guys didn't give this a good shot did you...

    Look at Gnosis... Ezekiel is slightly better-rated than their debut (they're both above 10.5 ave)


    perrsonally I find Ezkiel a much superior album, because there is a jazzy element on top (or replacing the sumphonic elements of the debut)


    Quote Originally Posted by Kai View Post
    I’ve had a somewhat similar experience.

    Itoiz is my favourite Basque album, a wonderful symphonic and folky album (and of course it has “Lau teilatu”). Ezekiel seemed less compelling, perhaps due to arrangements, which emphasise saxes, and, as you said, less immediately memorable songs. But I’ve come to appreciate it more over the years, as it has a very strong, energetic and earthly vibe. I’m still trying to get Alkolea.

    Alkotea is still relatively good, but its gnosis ave is almost a full point below...

    Whatever you do, don't go further... unless you like third-rate U2-styled pop...
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

  10. #10
    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    Kind of OT here but is Basque pronounced with a flat a as in apple or an ah sound like hot. Just wondering.
    Last edited by Digital_Man; 03-30-2013 at 01:48 PM.

  11. #11
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Digital_Man View Post
    Kind of OT here but is Basque pronounced with a flat a as in apple or an ah sound like loaf. Just wondering.
    flat a
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Progbear View Post
    Maybe listen to “Hire bideak” on repeat, it’s arguably the “prog epic” of the album. Though it was originally “Ixilik egon hadi...ixilik!” (those mandolins, that title!) and “Marilyn” (more of a slinky jazz-pop number, but so catchy!) that drew me into the album.
    Sorry, my sentence didn't come out right. I meant that I'm still trying to get a copy of the album. I haven't heard it at all. I stopped after Ezekiel, thinking that first two were the only worthwhile Itoiz albums, but later Alkolea piqued my interest.

  13. #13
    To whet your appetite:



    -------------
    MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

    "Siento que debemos saber para el sueño de quién brillará esta luz
    o consagrar una propia estrella" --Alberto Felici

    N.P.:nothing

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Trane View Post
    perrsonally I find Ezkiel a much superior album, because there is a jazzy element on top (or replacing the sumphonic elements of the debut)
    I agree. Ezekiel is their most adventurous effort, musically and artistically. The parts with the children's choir are unusual but highly effective, and the use of flute and sax in this album makes for some very peculiar nuances.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  15. #15
    online from time to time Czyszy's Avatar
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    Sorry for the necromantic bump but as I was listening to Ezekiel today, I noticed that the bass guitar is a little out of tune with the other instruments (maybe 4-8 cents). That isn't a problem but actually it creates a very unique almost home recordingy atmosphere. Overall, the basslines on this album are really melodic and almost lead-like. I like em.
    NG ~ BC ~ PA

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