Alters – MILD: Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (2007, CD, Poland)

Tracklist:
1. Outro
2. Psalm
3. Farewell
4. Paul's etude
5. Nasty Languor
6. Michael's etude
7. Calm
8. Lukas's etude
9. Strange Services
10. Robert's etude
11. Dream Bean Blues Bar
12. Mnemonic Induction Of Lucid Dreams
13. IntroLine-up / Musicians

Musicians:
Michał Sołtan - vocal, guitar, grand piano
Paweł Zalewski - synthesizers, viola da gamba, vocal
Łukasz Smoliński - bass guitar
Robert Pludra - drums

ALTERS is a Polish group of appreciated artists, creative musicians and modern rock fusionists. Following a passion in both the traditional and odd grandeur of the XXth Century's music, and also basing their influences (which bring together many innovating and very notable rock, jazz and avant-garde musicians), they skip though much of the conventional shine, being able to bring forth, themselves, a particular assortment of rock, of dark fusion, of sound streaming and of small avant-garde exhibitive flairs - in an artistic, gripping, talented, interesting way.

The band formed in 2001, after some workshop sessions, the members befriending thanks to the feeling that, out of their strict rock devotion, a great musical experiment and exteriorization can be realized. The core of ALTERS is currently formed by four Warsaw artists: Michal Soltan plays piano, guitar and is the vocalist, Pawel Zalewski works with synthesizers, plays sax and (most surprisingly) viola da gamba, Lucasz Smolinski is the bass guitarist Robert Pudra plays the percussions. ALTERS, however, had and still have a lot of collaborators, like trumpeter Rafal Ganko, visual artists Majsen and Tomek Ebert or keyboardist Michal Lapaj, from RIVERSIDE. With powerful and consistent live performances, the ensemble received nice prizes, popular and critical recognition. After a knot of demo music and over five full years of work, their debut, MILD: Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams, centres their fusion, whether odd or dark, and sparkler sound/visual rock triallings.

Influences reflect an important side of ALTERS. Just like they combine the standard with the alternative and the uncanny, the progressive sound comes less from YES and GENESIS, has a natural twist from the mid-period PINK FLOYD, but essentially resembles KING CRIMSON's dark rock inkling. Their power fusion reaches the good quality of SBB and maybe something from MAHAVISHNU, the musician sharing an idol in Miles Davis's full innovations and masterpieces. The Polish prog relation can, in the end, place a straight link to Czeslaw NIEMEN's experimental classic phase or to INDUKTI's contemporary cutting edge of music.

Believing relentlessly and incessantly in their talent of creating modern music that's full of diverse and improvised senses, plus being genuinely tempted by a never-ending fusion of tastes and techniques, ALTERS can have an impressive edge in the spotlight of rock, jazz, indie art and avant-garde. They're prog rock, art rock, modern rock and beyond. (progarchives)