        |
Gli Yesterdays nascono alla fine degli anni '90 nella regione romena del Cluj, popolata da una cospicua minoranza di etnia ungherese a cui i componenti della band appartengono. Il progetto nasce dalla mente del polistrumentista Bogáti-Bokor Ákos, autore di tutte le musiche, chitarra solista nonché secondo tastierista in forza al gruppo, inizialmente come cover-band degli Yes, origine scritta a chiare lettere nel nome scelto. Non sara' prima del 2006 che la band avra' finalmente l'occasione di entrare in studio e registrare questo "Holdfénykert" (titolo inglese "Moonlit Garden"), successivamente rimasterizzato e riedito dalla Musea nella versione oggetto di questa recensione.
YESTERDAYS est une formation actuelle de rock Progressif, composée de musiciens issus de la minorité hongroise de l'ouest de la Roumanie. Ce qui explique pourquoi la chanteuse Kinga JANOSI, outre quelques titres dans la langue de Shakespeare, a choisi de s'exprimer en Magyar. Musicalement parlant, il n'est question ici que de luxe, calme et volupté: voici une oeuvre raffinée et colorée, atmosphérique et gorgée de soleil. Quelque part entre rock atmosphérique, ambiances latines et jazzy, Ecole de Canterbury, symphonisme précieux, Mellotron langoureux et flute enchanteresse, "Holdfenykert" présente une vision rafraîchissante du rock Progressif. L'on pense parfois au remarquable travail de la chanteuse polonaise Anna Maria JOPEK avec Pat METHENY ("Upojenie", 2002), parfois a MAGENTA lorsque le chant est en Anglais, parfois au trop méconnu "Jumping From Springboards" (2003) de la formation brésilienne ECLIPSE. Souvent, l'on ne pense a rien d'autre qu'a se laisser bercer... Originellement auto-produit en l'an 2006, et précédé d'une flatteuse réputation, ce premier opus est aujourd'hui réédité par le label Musea. Indispensable ! YESTERDAYS is a present Progressive rock band composed of musicians belonging to the Hungarian minority of western Romania. This is why the vocalist Kinga JANOSI, on top of a few titles in English language, also chose to sing in Magyar. Musically speaking, the atmosphere is quite mellow: this is a refined and colourful opus, bursting with sunshine. Somewhere between atmospheric rock, Latin and jazzy sounds, Canterbury School style, with languorous Mellotron and enchanting flute melodies, "Holdfenykert" presents a refreshing vision of Progressive rock. One may think of the remarkable work of Polish vocalist Anna Maria JOPEK with Pat METHENY ("Upojenie", 2002), or the undervalued "Jumping From Springboards" (2003) from the Brazilian band ECLIPSE. Quite often, there's nothing to think about, but just indulge that kind of lull... Initially self-produced in 2006 and announced with a flattering reputation, this debut album is reissued today by the Musea label. Essential !
3. Dutch Progressive Rock Pages
Tracklist: I first became aware of Yesterdays whilst researching for the review of Flamborough Head's excellent Live In Budapest album. They had invited the Dutch proggers to play at the 2007 Hungarian Miniprog festival and also shared the bill with them. My interest was further sparked when I discovered that their music (in addition to their name) was influenced by a love of all things Yes. Starting out in 2000 playing Yes covers, after a series of unofficial releases their first album proper Holdfénykert (Moonlit Garden) debuted in 2006. Taken up by Musea, it has been remastered, enhanced and given an international release which thankfully brought it to the attention of the DPRP. Founder member Bogáti-Bokor Ákos (guitars, keys, vocals) is joined on the album by a sizable ensemble including Kozma Kis Emese (flute), Jánosi Kinga (lead vocals), Kósa Dávid (percussion), Csergő Domokos (drums), Enyedi Zsolt (keyboards), Vitályos Lehel (bass), Fülöp Timea (vocals) and Bazsó Tibor (sound engineer, vocals). The bands website shows a couple of new names suggesting that the line-up is continually evolving. Although the introductory instrumental Sunlit Garden is a little under two minutes long, it captures the essence of the bands sound perfectly. A dominant and bubbly flute melody sets the scene with chugging acoustic guitars against a hazy Mellotron backdrop. It's overlaid by a neat Spanish guitar break complete with flamenco rhythm handclaps. My initial thoughts were this is more Manning than it is Yes. Likewise the exquisite Infinite is more in the vein of early Genesis and Camel taking the acoustic, pastoral prog route with a warm bass line pulsating throughout. Jánosi's beautiful voice has a floating dreamlike quality, singing in her native language of Magyar as she does on this song or in accented English as she does later. Don't Be Scared has a light jazzy vibe with electric piano, classical guitar and expressive drum work. The ever present flute makes a cheeky reference to the main theme from Close To The Edge followed by a prominent bass and Mellotron part that could have come from Fragile. The moody guitar synth towards the close is a reminder that there has been very little electric guitar thus far with acoustic instruments seemingly Bogáti-Bokor Ákos' preferred choice. Speaking of which, the aptly titled If Ever starts out sounding very close to the intro to And You And I before developing into an evocative acoustic guitar solo complete with the obligatory squeaking strings. It sounds like a cross between Mood For A Day and Masquerade (one of the few highlights of Yes' Union album) and is clearly a Steve Howe homage. The upbeat It's So Divine continues the mood of the earlier songs with a breezy vocal reminiscent of Judie Tzuke enhanced by engaging harmonies. Where Are You? is a song of two halves that starts out reflective and thoughtful with a laid back flute solo completing the mood. It becomes more strident around the halfway mark with rhythmic piano chords and an atmospheric Robert Fripp flavoured electric guitar break. Just Stay has a romantic quality thanks to fretless bass, lyrical flute, Mellotron strings and delightful harmonies. It also includes a compelling neo-prog style synth solo that could have come from the fingers of Martin Orford or Clive Nolan. At the end there is another sly reference, this time with flute and voice briefly quoting Strawberry Fields Forever. The title track Moonlit Garden is ironically one of the shortest being a delicate and beautiful Steve Hackett tinged classical guitar and harpsichord duet. In a similar fashion to Genesis' Horizons it sets the scene for the albums token epic, the two-part Seven. If the band has been relatively restrained up to this point, they pull out all the stops making this easily the most proggy offering. Part one Your Colours is introduced by a sparkling Moog theme in the vein of Gordon Giltrap's Heartsong and Beggars Opera's version of Classical Gas (both hit instrumentals from the 70's) which gives way to the song section with a simple but memorable chorus. Superb counterpoint, a cappella harmonies make way for part two My Words which opens with a bittersweet vocal melody that owes a debt to The Beatles' In My Life. The instrumental interlude that follows features some great edgy guitar, flute and Hammond dynamics in The Tangent mould before reprising the strong chorus from part one. Infectious cascading piano and guitar play out to round off an excellent track. In contrast the concluding Somewhere In Space has a more contemporary sound, with spacey guitar, a looped rhythm and hypnotic multi-tracked voices. The best part is an all too brief but stunning Howesque slide guitar coda. A pity that autumn is just around the corner because this is perfect music for a summer's day. Although amplified instruments are never far away it has a sunny, acoustic vibe for the most part which is a far cry from the subject of my previous review, After Forever's dark metal laden Prison Of Desire. It only goes to prove that it?s virtually impossible to pigeonhole prog music no matter how much people try. The CD enhancements I mentioned earlier include a video to accompany the song Somewhere In Space, pics of the band members and links to related websites. There are already several other projects in the pipeline for Yesterdays including a second album due later this year plus two lengthy pieces recorded for Colossus? forthcoming Inferno and Spaghetti Epic III albums. In the meantime this slice of 70's influenced melodic prog is here to enjoy. Conclusion: 8 out of 10 GEOFF FEAKES
Prolusion. YESTERDAYS is a band based in Cluj, Romania, and was formed in 1998. The band members are ethnic Hungarians living in Romania, not far away from the most famous geographical location in this country, Transylvania. Several members have a background in the Hungarian symphonic rock band You & I. "Holdfenykert" is the debut album by this outfit, first released in 2006. After being signed to the French label Musea Records, the band's CD was remastered and subsequently re-released in 2008. Analysis. Yesterdays have Yes as their first and foremost influence, and do not hide the fact that '70s symphonic rock in that vein is precious to them. Their main ambition is to create a fusion of this style of music and traditional Hungarian music, where layered vocals and the sounds from vintage '70s keyboards are prominent elements. While getting familiar with this release, for quite a long time there was a whole different category of music that struck me as influential to this band though, as especially the first 6 compositions on this album are quite heavily tinged with jazz. Drums and percussion in particular come across as played in this manner, but also the bass and guitars have some rather jazzy touches at times. The more symphonic dominated part of this album will be found on tracks Where Are You, Just Stay and Seven, with the middle of these being the most symphonic tune on the album. The guitar is an important instrument in this setting. In the first half of the album, as well as on selected tracks and segments in the second half, the acoustic guitar is allowed to shine. The opening tracks feature careful, fragile licks, driving and evolving the mellow tunes to some extent, slowly increasing in pace, strength and intensity. The themes and motifs appear simplistic in style; the main focus seems to be to convey memorable melody lines rather than to showcase virtuosity. On the compositions with stylistic emphasis on symphonic rock, the electric guitar is utilized to some extent as well, mainly to provide drawn out chords. This adds dark, heavy textures to these particular segments, indeed adding the rock element to the symphonic setting. The flute has a minor but important role in the music, adding a distinct folk music touch when used. Never dominating any tune, it's still an integral element in adding diversity to the songs, as well as giving them an extra dimension. The vintage '70s keyboards have much of the same role, but for these instruments adding symphonic touches to the textures is the given role, carefully in the mellow compositions and more bombastic in the symphonic ones; in the latter case it will more often than not be used extensively, adding multiple layers of sounds and motifs, at times combined with more modern synthesizers. The drums, percussion and bass add rhythm, and in the mellower compositions these instruments also tend to be played in a jazz-tinged manner, to the extent that some songs sounds like slick and mellow jazz more than anything else. Fans of female vocals will have much to enjoy on this album, as single and multiple layers of female vocals are something of a trademark for this band, with an emphasis on a careful, melodic performance. On a few tunes we're even treated to Gentle Giant style multiple layers, which should please aficionados of more complex vocal performances. "Holdfenykert" comes across as a strong release overall. Personally I didn't find it spectacular by any means, but a strong, solid and quite above average release with excellent performances all around. The only weakness - if one may even call it that - is the lack of universally appealing compositions. Conclusion. This fine release by the Romanian-based band Yesterdays should appeal strongly to followers of '70s symphonic rock, in particular the second half of the album. Followers of folk and jazz-tinged mellow rock should find the first half of this release to be quite fascinating too, and people enjoying both styles of music on this album will probably see this CD as a top 10 release in 2008.
YESTERDAYS - Holdfenykert Yesterdays est une formation roumaine, dont la chanteuse Kinga Janosi s'exprime forcément en... hongrois !!! Ces musiciens font en fait partie de la minorité hongroise de l'ouest de la Roumanie. Ce groupe compte une flopée de membres que je me garderai d'énumérer ici sous peine de rendre cette modeste chronique indigeste. Je me contenterai de citer les personnages les plus en évidence. Outre Kinga Janosi, jeune chanteuse a la voix douce, reposante a souhait (je me permettrai l'une ou l'autre comparaison plus loin), il convient de citer :
* Akos Bogati-Bokor : guitares, voix et claviers additionnels, compositeur des chansons
de l'album et auteur de la majorité des textes, "Holdfenykert" est le premier opus du groupe. Ce disque est d'abord sorti, auto-produit en 2006, et le label Musea le réédite cette année en version internationale, la réputation flatteuse (et justifiée) de cette ouvre ayant largement dépassé les frontieres roumaines et hongroises. Les titres ont été traduits en anglais, mais l'essentiel est chanté en hongrois, seuls "If ever..." et "Seven" sont interprétés dans la langue de Shakespeare. Cela donne un côté exotique qui cadre bien avec la musique. Cette musique est catégorisée Rock Progressif, puisqu'il faut classer les groupes par genres, paraît-il (est-ce vraiment nécessaire ? enfin je n'irai pas plus loin, je m'en tiendrai a la chronique). Ce qui frappe des la premiere écoute c'est la virtuosité des musiciens : Emese Kozma a la flute, qui agrémente tous les morceaux de l'album. On est bien plus pres des ouvres classiques de Steve et John Hackett que de Jethro Tull ou Genesis. Akos Bogati-Bokor : formidable guitariste (surtout acoustique), dont le jeu vous rappellera Steve Hackett, Steve Howe, Pat Metheny, ou (soyons chauvins) Jacques Stotzem et Philippe Catherine. Vous l'aurez compris, la tonalité de l'ouvre est tres jazzy. Kinga Janosi chante admirablement , et les titres interprétés en anglais ne sont pas sans rappeler l'ambiance de "Eden" d'Everything but the girl ou encore de "Café Bleu" de Style Council. Treve de comparaisons, Yesterdays est un groupe a part entiere, qui possede son propre style. Cet album est une petite friandise, un petit cadeau estival, a savourer sur sa terrasse. Des le premier titre, l'instrumental "Sunlit Garden", vous vous retrouverez entraîné dans un univers musical tout en finesse et subtilité dont vous ne sortirez qu'apres la derniere note du disque. Je vous ai émis quelques réserves quant a la classification progressive du produit, c'est peut-etre un peu excessif. En effet, sur les derniers titres, Zsolt Enyedi nous offre des accents de clavier (orgue Hammond notamment) qui se rapprochent du style de Tony Banks. En écoutant attentivement, vous retrouverez également le theme de "Close to the edge", joué a la flute (un hasard ? je ne pense pas). v En résumé, voici un album plein de fraîcheur, original, et qui mérite largement qu'on s'y intéresse !
Laurent
Published on: 24 Dec 2006 Yesterday's - Holdfénykert or Moonlit Garden, as this reviewer would prefer, has a bit of a confusing background I guess, apparently they are a band of Hungarian musicians living in Romania as Romanians, so with that said, let's stick with the easy stuff. The go by the name Yesterdays, and my guess is that name is an allusion to the impression the band Yes has on the members of the band. In any case, this appears to be true to a slight extent, but not so much that one would feel that this band is cloning, or even trying to sound even vaguely like Yes. They are a symphonic prog band, but very laid back, almost so much so, that the word 'rock' really doesn't fit their overall sound, although they are indeed progressive. One of the most unique things I discovered about the band is that they have no less than three female members performing with them, having one female in a progressive band is nearly unheard of, let alone three. Enough on the history and bio of the band, the music this band plays creates a mellow mood, acoustical, softer tones on keyboards and guitars, fluid bass work, and multi-harmonied female vocals make up their sound, they opt to sing in their native language, as well as English. They are skilled musicians that pay homage to the great progressive rock bands of the olden days. Each song leads the band into a grand setting of symphonic music. While Yes is a nice reference, I don't hear as much of that as I do other bands like Renaissance perhaps, in that there seems to be a prominent flute, acoustic guitar, and female vocal presence. Yesterdays clocks in at just over 54 minutes and it's a very mellow, laid back, almost dreamy cd. With me being a fan of harder, more complex prog, I found this one difficult to really get into, but I do think those that appreciate the beauty of folky, female prog would find this a great addition.
YESTERDAYS - Holdfénykert - Enhanced and Remastered 4 stars (out of 5) Intriguing debut album by this band based in Cluj, Romania. The first six tunes are for the most part mellow, slick compositions dominated by acoustic guitar licks, with some use of flute to add a folk feel to the songs, some addition of careful floating keyboard layer in the back of the soundscape to add symphonic elements - with a most times jazz tinged drum or percussion pattern as the foundation for the tunes. Then in the 7th and 9th tune we're treated to songs much more symphonic-dominaated, with layered keyboards, some drawn out guitar chords at times, as well as flute and acoustic guitar licks combining to make 70's influenced symphonic songs. A mostly mellow release that will reward the liberal-minded symphonic prog fans as well as the crowd more interested with folk tinged compositions.
YESTERDAYS - Holdfénykert - Enhanced and Remastered 4 stars (out of 5) A young band with a great future After several months of delay, due to the fact that the Symphonic Team expert from Romania left Prog Archives, and with the invaluable help of Zsolt Enyedi (Keyboardist of YESTERDAYS) who supported us with the language barrier, the band was finally added to the Symphonic and last Friday I received my autographed copy of "Holdfénykert Enhanced" (Which I treasure) in the office. The first thing I did is to exchange a CD from the cartridge in the car and replace it for this album, being that in the more than hour journey to home, I had enough time to listen it. The first surprise (Unexpected in a new band) is the fantastic production, the sound is pristine clear, to the point that you can listen clearly the fingers Bogáti-Bokor Ákos touching the nylon chords of the guitar, so with that technical quality, there are no excuses to avoid writing a fair review of this album based exclusively in the music. The album is opened with the fantastic "Napfénykert ~ Sunlit Garden", an acoustic guitar intro, soon followed by accurate drums and the excellent flute of Kozma Kis Emese, who leads the band with unusual dexterity for such a young woman. The song flows gently through the 2:11 minutes that seem too short. "Végtelen ~ Infinite" starts again with an acoustic guitar solo, but this time with the fantastic vocals of Jánosi Kinga or Fülöp Tímea (The album doesn't specify, but the important thing is that each time I heard double vocals, the two ladies have a fantastic voice) and the unique style of Zsolt Enyedi in the keyboards, who manages to keep hidden in the background but manages to make explosive appearances when required. It's also impressive how YESTERDAYS manage to blend a Symphonic structure with Transylvanian/Hungarian Folk, some Jazz end even a bit of Bossa nova. The lyrics in Hungarian seem very similar to Portuguese what enhances the Brazilian elements. "Ne félj ~ Don't Be Scared" has a long Synth intro which is joined by the acoustic guitar and drums, then comes the Latin percussion and of course the flute, wonderful synchronization, again the way they blend a mainly Classic Symphonic structure with all this different sounds and flavors is simply delightful. "It's So Divine" Starts with Jánozi Kinga on the lead vocals and backed by Fulop Timea and Bogati- Bokor Atos adding the main backing vocals to create a wonderful work and interesting contrast, while Zsolt Enyedi gives us one of his most memorable Moog performances, the whole band is at the peak, they sound better than ever. "Ha majd egyszer ~ If ever" Now it's the turn of the talented "Bogáti-Bokor Ákos" to present us a pure acoustic guitar track, despite the references to "Steve Howe", his style is very peculiar and original, very beautiful. (The album edition seem to mistake track N° 4 for track N° 5, because the lyrics are clear) "Hol vagy? ~ Where Are You?" begins with a keyboard and guitar intro that leads to a vocal section of amazing sweetness which morphs gently into a more mysterious sound, again the two female vocalists give a strong performance. "Várj még ~ Just Stay" is another keyboard oriented track but well supported by a solid vocal work, percussion and flute, up to this point I was ready to say that this was the weakest track but then a great Moog section that changes the mood and the musical approach of all the previous track. Simply amazing and unexpected, Powerful and dynamic. "Holdfénykert ~ Moonlit Garden" is the only track we can see in the Bonus section as a video, starts with a keyboard section "a la" YES (Going for the One era) and then the guitar joins to create a semi unplugged memorable track. Now it's the turn for the epic, the track "Seven" is "la piece de resistance", during 11:48 minutes the band hits us wit all they have, radical changes, lush keyboards, electric guitars and everything you can imagine is present, trying to describe it is futile, better get the album and enjoy it. "Valahol a térben ~ Somewhere in Space" closes the album, more melofdic than the previous and much softer but the beauty replaces the frantic and breathtaking sections, great closer, if you get this version of the album, you can see this track in a video as bonus material. What else can I say? Excellent production, great presentation, bonus material and better music, the album is complete, but won't give them 5 stars, because it would mean YESTERDAYS has reached their peak, and I'm sure they have much more to offer, they are skilled and very young, we will be seeing them for many years. Four very solid stars.(out of 5)
YESTERDAYS - Holdfénykert Yesterdays is a Hungarian band with mainly Romanian musicians, the current line-up features 10 band members including 3 women. Yesterdays is rooted in early 2000 and has already made a demo tape (entitled Come Dream With Me from 2002), a serie of CD's and even a DVD. During the first part of this CD their sound is pleasant and folky inspired featuring lots of acoustic guitar and flute along a wonderful female voice with echoes from Annie Haslam. I am delighted about an acoustic guitar duet (twanging and solo) and the omnipresent violin-Mellotron waves. The second part of Holdfenykert delivers a way more symphonic rock sound featuring fluent Moog runs and again beautiful Mellotron work. But we can also enjou pure folk and I was very pleased with a duet from acoustic guitar and harpsichord, that distinctive vintage keyboard. My highlight is the long and alternating song entitled Seven: it starts with a fluent rhythm, Moog flights and Mellotron waves and mellow parts with warm female vocals, then a compelling piece with sensitive guitar and lush Mellotron. The final part begins with a flute solo and howling guitar runs and finally a sumptuous eruption with a swirling Hammond solo. To me this sounds as a wonderful blend of folk and symphonic rock, very tasteful, this band will please both the prog-folk - as the symphonic prog fans. Two years ago we talked about adding this band to Prog Archives, I am sure the band members (a salut to Zsolt from here) are very glad that in the end they are part of PA! My rating: 3,5 stars (out of 5)
10. BABYBLAUE-SEITEN Von: Christian Rode Mit dem Album Holdfénykert liegt das Debut der bereits 1998 gegründeten Band Yesterdays vor. Yesterdays sind in Rumänien, präziser noch: in Transsylvanien beheimatete Ungarn. Bogáti-Bokor Ákos, der Gitarrist der Band, war bis zur Auflösung der ungarischen Progband You and I ebenfalls dort Gitarrist. Von You and I stießen zur Produktion des Debutalbums auch noch die Flötistin Kozma Kis Emese und der Percussionist Kósa Dávid hinzu. Charakteristisch für den Sound der Transsylvanier ist eine deutlich akustisch orientierte, luftige Produktion, bei der viel mit akustischer Gitarre, leichten Percussions und vor allem einer schwebenden Flöte gearbeitet wird. Weite Mellotronflächen runden den instrumentalen Klangkörper ab. Hinzu kommt der einnehmende, weichfließende, wundervoll harmonische, vielleicht sogar etwas jazzige Gesang der Sängerin Jánosi Kinga. Die Band selbst bemüht Vergleiche zu Renaissance. Wenn man sich den Renaissance-Sound weniger sinfonisch, mehr pastoral vorstellt, kommt das auch irgendwie hin. Jánosi Kinga hat allerdings durchaus ihren eigenen Stil. Und wie der Bandname schon verrät, soll auch ein starker Einfluss auf die Band bei Yes liegen, was mir persönlich beim Hören aber nicht ganz so deutlich wird. Holdfénykert, was auf englisch "Moonlit Garden" bedeutet, ist ein Konzeptalbum über eine unmögliche Liebe in inneren Monologen. Dadurch, dass die Texte meist auf ungarisch gesungen werden, entsteht noch einmal eine gewisse Verfremdungswirkung, die vorzüglich zur introvertierten Stimmung des Albums passt. Vor allem der synthielastige Longtrack "Seven" setzt stellenweise andere, rockigere Akzente. Wer von einer Band aus den Stammlanden des "Fürsten der Finsternis" heftige, düstere Töne erwartet haben sollte, wird also enttäuscht sein. Aber wer es gerne melodisch und melancholisch mit folkigem und klassischem Retroeinfluss mag, darf sich hier verzaubern lassen. Wunderschön. Die CD ist momentan auch bei der Band leider ausverkauft, soll aber bei Musea wieder neu aufgelegt werden. Bei You Tube gibt es allerdings einige Live-Videos dürftiger Qualität zu sehen (u.a. auch das Spock's Beard-Cover "June"). Live kommen Yesterdays dabei wesentlich rauer rüber. Am ehesten trifft noch "Ne Felj" vom Progfarm-Auftritt 2006 die Klangfarbe des Studioalbums.
11. BABYBLAUE-SEITEN Von: Horst Straske Samtweiche Melodien leiten das Debüt der ungarischsprachigen Rumänen Yesterdays ein und zeugen schon zu Beginn von einer Vorliebe für einen anmutig-romantischen Progressive Rock. Quirliges Flötenspiel und akustische Gitarreneinsätze bilden das fein gesponnene Grundgerüst für ein stimmungsvolles Album, das von der samtweichen Stimme der Lead-Sängerin Kinga Jánosi geprägt wird, die besonders in den ungarisch gesungenen Titeln für bezaubernde Momente sorgt. Um ihre zartgliedrigen Vokaleinsätze herum türmt sich besagtes Flöten- und Gitarrenspiel zu einem verspielten Wohlklang, der von breitflächigen Mellotronflächen noch gebührend verfeinert wird. Der Song "Ne félj" markiert einen frühen Höhepunkt und setzt nach bedächtigem Einstieg in der zweiten Hälfte auf ein lebhaftes Rhythmusgerüst, in dem sich kurzzeitig zartgliedrige Mellotroneinsäze, ein knackiger Bass und lebhafte Percussioneinlagen beschnuppern. Auch ein bisweilen poppiger Unterton wie in der Nummer "It´s so divine" steht dem Sound von Yesterdays gut zu Gesicht und verwässert den Gesamteindruck keinesfalls. Wer dem früheren Stil der Polen Quidam nachtrauert, wird ohne jeden Zweifel Gefallen an dem Debütalbum von Yesterdays finden. Vor dem inneren Auge des Hörers enfaltet sich regelrecht ein in weichen Pastellfarben gestaltetes Gesamtbild. Die schroffen Zacken der Karpaten sind in der weiten Ferne zu erkennen, wobei die Kompositionen aber dem lieblichen Hügelland jenseits der rauhen Gebirgswelt gleichen. Der zartgliedrige Melodienfluss schlängelt sich wie ein glucksender Bach in einer von zartem Licht durchfluteten Auenlandschadt. Solch eine Musik ist Balsam für die Seele eines vom Alltagsstress geschundenen Musikhörers. "Valahol a térben" lässt das Album in ungewohnt moderner Rhythmik ausklingen und verabschiedet sich vom Hörer mit in einer wundervollen Ohrwurmmelodie.
12. (#67) of Koid'9 Magazine By: Renaud Oualid
Yesterdays Vous ne connaissez surement pas Yesterdays, formation roumaine... ou hongroise ? Enfin, oui et non, car les musiciens résidant en Roumanie sont plutôt hongrois (ils font partie de la minorité hongroise qui se trouve a l'ouest de la Roumanie). C'est bien dommage car ce premier disque est sorti en autoproduction en 2006 et c'est grâce a des labels défricheurs comme Musea qu'il nous est donné aujourd'hui de le découvrir, en version remasterisée, de surcroît ! Le chant, assuré par la belle Kinga Janosi est d'ailleurs en hongrois. Le groupe, comme souvent avec ceux venus de l'est compte beaucoup de membres (j'en dénombre huit) mais les plus influents sont sans contexte, outre la chanteuse déja citée, Akos Bogati-Bokor, qui tient les guitares, voix et claviers additionnels, est le compositeur des chansons de l'album et l'auteur de la majorité des textes, Zsolt Enyedi aux claviers et la flutiste Emese Kozma Kis. Si les titres de l'album ont été traduits en anglais sur la pochette, il n'empeche qu'ils sont majoritairement chantés en hongrois (mis a part 2 morceaux). Nous sommes ici en présence de musiciens ayant surement fait des écoles de musique, comme c'est fréquemment le cas dans ces pays, car il y a de la virtuosité dans l'air. Tous les musiciens sont en effet des maîtres dans leur spécialité. Ce qui est étonnant, c'est que tout ça est tres bon enfant et personne ne semble frimer ou tirer la couverture a lui. On est loin de la démonstration de virtuosité, c'est clair. Et pourtant, nos amis connaissent leurs classiques, en témoigne cette tres courte reprise d'un theme de « Close to the edge » de Yes a la flute sur le morceau « Don't be scared » ! Ca y est, vous avez compris pourquoi le groupe se nomme Yesterdays ? Le guitariste est tres nettement inspiré, avec un jeu a la Steve Hackett ou Steve Howe et meme quelques réminiscences de Pat Metheny. La flutiste, tres présente, est absolument craquante dans ses interventions a la Hackett (John, le frere de...). Les morceaux chantés en anglais sont assez inhabituels, a la Everything but the girl (le hit n'est pas loin mais qui va passer ça en radio, je vous le demande ma bonne dame !). C'est formidablement chanté et l'accent anglais est parfait. Je dois dire que tous les musiciens sont au diapason, avec une section rythmique tres jazzy, qui assure bien et qu'il ne faut pas oublier dans le concert de louanges. Un mot aussi sur le claviériste Zsolt Enyedi en retrait durant une bonne partie de l'album et qui prend sa revanche a partir du 7e morceau. Jusque la plutôt discret, se contentant de parsemer le son de nappes de synthés, il va prouver qu'il n'est pas manchot a l'orgue Hammond notamment. Ses interventions solistes rappellent furieusement un autre fin mélodiste, j'ai nommé Anthony Banks (on croirait entendre par moments des passages inédits de la genese). Un disque tout ce qu'il y a de plus rafraîchissant, a la Renaissance, et qui fait du bien en cette fin d'été. A déguster sur la terrasse, avec une bonne boisson fraîche a portée de main (évitez la biere, ça fait grossir et c'est pas dans l'esprit du disque, buvez plutôt un cocktail de fruits exotiques)! Renaud Oualid
Outre son origine géographique (la Roumanie), Yesterdays a de nombreux atouts pour surprendre le mélomane un peu distrait qui tomberait par hasard sur Holdfenykert. Ce dernier est en effet le fruit d'un métissage musical assez typique des formations des pays de L'Est de l'Europe. Et passée l'adaptation initiale (tre's relative, rassurez-vous) que ce genre de musique nécessite, ce premier album délivre un rock progressif raffiné et chaleureux, gorgé de superbes séquences symphonico/atmosphériques qui se nourrissent parfois d'éléments folk et jazzy pour un résultat qui pourrait de temps a' autres évoquer Renaissance (le chant féminin y est aussi certainement pour quelque chose), notamment si Annie Haslam et ses amis étaient nés en Roumanie... A découvrir, car Holdfenykert a un large potentiel, apte a' lui apporter de tre's nombreux suffrages parmi les fans de rock progressif.
14. Rock-Serwis Yesterdays to progresywny zespół, który tworzą muzycy należący do węgierskiej mniejszosci zamieszkującej zachodnią Rumunię. Dlatego własnie wokalistka Kinga Janosi w kilku utworach spiewa po węgiersku. Całosć tworzy wyszukane, barwne i pełne słońca dzieło mieszczące się pomiędzy nastrojowym rockiem, latynoskimi i jazzowymi brzmieniami, szkołą Canterbury z sennym mellotronem i uroczymi granymi na flecie melodiami. Polskim słuchaczom bez wątpienia skojarzy się z płytą "Upojenie" Anny Marii Jopek i Pata Metheny'ego.
15. Empire Magazin (3/2008, Juli Nummer 86)
By: Jürgen Meurer
16. Carpe Diem Magazine (2008, Germany)
17. Muzici si faze By: Mihai Plamadeala
Dintre formatiile care activeaza in momentul scrierii acestor randuri in Romania, Yesterdays reprezinta cel mai bine dimensiunea old prog. Faptul de a canta precum "in ziua de ieri" sau "in maniera Yes" este o alegere deliberata, pe care au luat-o Bazsó Tibor - inginer de sunet, voce; Bogáti-Bokor Ákos - chitara, bas, voce, clape (aditional); Csergő Domokos - percutie; Enyedi Zsolt - pian, Mellotron, Hammond, Rhodes, Moog; Fülöp Tímea - voce; Jánosi Kinga - voce; Kósa Dávid - percutie, voce; Kozma Kis Emese - flaut si Vitályos Lehel - bas. In aceasta ordine sunt trecuti pe albumul Holdfenykert / Moonlit Garden cei de mai sus.
A spune progressive este ceva mult prea general. In muzica compusa si interpretata de Yesterdays pot fi semnalate elemente de jazz, folk, rock, Canterbury, sau chiar de muzica clasica. Acusticul si electricul se imbina intr-un discurs de tipul celui de la After Crying, Asia Minor sau Parzifal. Nu insistam insa pe semnalarea similitudinilor cu stiluri, curente, idei sau formatii anterioare. Vom spune doar ca ceea ce se aude pe Moonlit Garden se incadreaza in neoprog mai mult prin perioada decat prin atributele acestuia, ramanand in zona clasic & standard. Sunetul este soft, melodios, ambiental. Experimentul sonor, de care abuzeaza numerosi muzicieni ce "ataca" zone mai elevate ale muzicii, lipseste cu desavarsire. S-a evitat si spectaculozitatea. Piesele vocale sunt in proportie de 90% cantate in limba maghiara.
"Napfénykert - Sunlit Garden" (1) este o piesa introductiva scurta si concisa, in care rolul principal apartine chitarii si flautului. Sound-ul de tip Oregon sau Aera este un semn promitator.
"Végtelen - Infinite" (2) anunta un album sweet & clean. Intentiile sunt etalate inca din start: vocea intra dupa patru masuri si dupa inca patru are loc prima schimbare ritmica, precedata de o gradatie gandita secvential. Elementele acustice sau cele latino, flautul si vocea panoramata "in fata instrumentelor" sunt recurente pe intreg albumul.
Piesa "Ne félj - Don't Be Scared" (3) este instrumentala - optiune pe care semnatarul acestor randuri o considera inspirata. Cu riscul asumat de a nu fi pe placul formatiei si publicului fidel, introducem in discutie ideea ca tipul de muzica practicat de Yesterdays "cere" mai mult decat voci placute. Comparatia cu Jon Andersen de la Yes, Annie Haslam de la Renaissance sau cu Christina Maria Booth de la Magenta este dificil de evitat. Faptul ca se canta in maghiara este salutar; cum ar suna oare Yesterdays cu Andrea Gerak solista vocala?
"Ha majd egyszer - If Ever" (4) este o piesa pentru chitara acustica. Chiar daca nu avem de-a face cu Nikita Koshkin, o asemenea compozitie inseamna pentru muzica prog - rock cam ceea ce reprezinta poezia lui Endre Ady pentru literatura maghiara. Nu putem spune decat: excelent!
"It's So Divine" (5) revine la ritmuri latino discrete via jazz. Aici este folosita limba engleza. Flautul detine un rol important. Moog-ul intervine aditional, doar pentru cateva secunde, ca element de culoare, ceea ce este semn de maturitate artistica.
"Hol vagy? - Where Are You?" (6) si "Várj még - Just Stay" (7) sunt piese melodioase, de atmosfera, care urmeaza acelasi template. Corecte si oneste, acestora le lipseste un centru gravitational in sfera compozitiei. Solo-ul de Moog din "Just Say" este deosebit de interesant, dar acesta a fost introdus in piesa ca simplu insert. Locul sau putea fi plasat oriunde altundeva.
"Holdfénykert - Moonlit Garden" (8) este un moment instrumental liric, pe cat de scurt, pe atat de interesant. Ambientalul joaca un important rol, intr-o piesa care face trecerea spre punctul maxim al albumului, "Seven" (9), cu cele doua secvente ale sale, "Your Colours" si "My Words". "Seven" este o veritabila mostra de prog. Distantarea relativa de sunetul latino & jazzy este benefica. Piesa poate fi privita drept cascada de citate Yes, Spock's Beard si Magenta. Unul dintre albumele acesteia din urma se intituleaza chiar Seven. Vocea este aici ueber cool. Pasajul de fuga pe patru voci din "Your Colours" aminteste de "Thougts" - part three de pe albumul V - Spock'. Suita de solo-uri instrumentale recomanda niste muzicieni de clasa, care, spre lauda lor, au lasat ideile comerciale sa se odihneasca in proiecte paralele alternative & indie.
"Valahol a térben - Somewhere in Space" (10) este, pana intr-un anumit punct, o piesa a la Mike Oldfield cu ceva accente Floyd, prin care se incheie in mod inspirat un album intr-adevar mare. Holdfenykert / Moonlit Garden poate placea oricui si oriunde. Aparitia la casa de discuri Musea nu a fost intamplatoare. Cunoscand miscarea muzicala de expresie rock din aceasta parte a Europei, consideram albumul discutat drept una dintre marile reusite ale deceniului, daca nu exclusiv din motive muzicale, cel putin prin intentie.
Realizarea formatiei clujene ramane de referinta pentru muzica din Romania. Daca in Ungaria, trupe sau interpreti precum Korai Öröm, After Crying ori Barabás Tamás au abordat si abordeaza in mod constant directia, sa-i spunem in discutia de fata, conceptuala, la noi muzicienii valorosi tind mai degraba sa se apropie de publicul existent decat sa incerce a forma unul nou, dupa chipul si asemanarea a ceea ce apreciaza ei.
18. Www.ProgGnosis.com by Nuno Hailing from Romania (yet comprised by ethnic Hungarians), Yesterdays plays a very 70's reminiscent symphonic progressive rock. Very smooth and relaxing sympho, to be accurate! Largely and notably influenced by bands such as Yes, Genesis, Steve Hackett, Jethro Tull & Gentle Giant but also showing textures that brings us to Solaris or other Hungarian prog outfits, Holdfenykert is an album where the band is capable of showing that they not only master the ability to transpose all those references to their music, but they do it in a most personal way, adding value to the result. This is an album that touch all the right buttons for the vintage prog lovers, as the band explores the symphonic meadows with confidence, showing an interesting interplay, a very good use of the flute (though only occasional), a very jazzy rhythmic section, an enjoyable duet of voices that, though not something special, are competent. The guitars, both electric and acoustic, are always well placed as the other instruments, showing a good understanding of the band in combining the various elements to construct a solid piece of music, filled in little details and surprises. The symphonic styling is sometimes similar to that of early Steve Hackett, but Yes references are also to be found aplenty. The more jazzy touch is majorly found from tracks 2 to 6, after which the album gets increasingly proggier in its essence. This is a good and solid album for a relatively new band on the block, from a region that has proved to spawn tremendously good bands throughout the years, I assume that Yesterdays will be a name to reckon in the next years.
19. Www.ProgArchives.com by Adam Hearst Holdfénykert is a strong first album for this Romanian band, which plays a modern interpretation of classic Symphonic Prog. Inspired strongly by 70's Genesis, Camel, Gentle Giant, and Yes... this band still manage to forge a unique sound of their own. Mellotron sounds lie in the background of nearly every song and add heaps of halcyon atmosphere. There is often a strong flute presence as well, which is usually synthetically harmonized by the excellent keyboardist (Enyedi Zsolt) on his Strawberry Fields-ish flute-mellotron. Occasionally a Mini-Moog lead will surface, but not nearly often enough... as good as this keyboardist is he should be featured more prominently. The vocals are the strong suit of this band. The female vocalist provides very pure and enchanting leads, while (the band's mastermind and lead songwriter) Bogáti-Bokor Ákos provides excellent harmony and counterpoint. There are a few very good songs, but also a couple of clunkers. 'Végtelen', 'Ne félj', and 'It's So Divine' are all excellent songs in the first half, but the second half of the album drags a little. The albums's epic centerpiece 'Seven' has some very good synthesizer moments, but is too long and drawn out. There are three instrumentals: opener 'Napfénykert' is a magical piece of music, somewhat similar to Camel with it's beautiful flute melodies. 'Ha majd egyszer' is an acoustic guitar instrumental with a bit of a folk feel to it: it reminds me of Led Zeppelin's acoustic solo songs, like Bron-Yr-Aur, but isn't as good and basically feels like filler on this album. 'Holdfénykert' is a classically inspired acoustic guitar piece, which also seems like filler and only serves to lengthen this already too-long album. 'Valahol a térben' introduces an electronic beat which gives the song an almost Trip Hop feeling, which i like. I'd like to see the band expound on this style on future material as i really like the effect it generates here. The band have a strong Pop sensibility and many tracks are very catchy and stay with you a long time... especially the amazing Végtelen. Sometimes they remind me of a Proggy version of the Aussie Indie-Pop band 'Frente'. There are sometimes Jazz progressions as well... this band likes to mix a little of everything into their sound; sometimes i even feel an Astrud Gilberto-esque samba undercurrent, which i love. I hope this band stays together and releases more albums. This is a good debut, but you can tell there is plenty of room for growth. They are still probably an album or two away from their masterpiece. 3.5 stars (out of 5)
| ||
 |