Baris Dai was for me until the early start of 2023 an unknown independent musician. But it appeared he also lives in the Netherlands just like myself, and is nowadays based in Eindhoven. He is a multi-instrumentalist who works within the progressive rock genre and offers his stories to the public instrumentally. He contacted me and asked me if I was interested in reviewing his two Ambient Conditions releases. Well, after checking his excellent compositions on the internet I couldn't refuse his request. He sent me a compact disc on which both Ambient Conditions part 1 and Ambient Conditions part 2 are included. The EP Ambient Conditions Pt. 1 was released March 2021 and was his first release as a solo artist. On this release he mixed progressive rock and metal with ambient elements. This way he created his own musical landscapes all by himself. Taking care of all the instruments such as guitar and keyboards. The electric guitar is his main instruments that becomes clear right from the start. The tracks The Days Get Longer After All, And A New Cycle Begins and Then Warmth Of Scarce Sunlight are certainly worth listening to. Tracks on which he easily moves from mellow parts to more up tempo parts. The EP Ambient Conditions Pt. 2 was released December 2022 and can be seen as a concept album consisting of three linked compositions. According to Baris it features a broad spectrum of progressive music. From Symphonic Prog to Progressive Metal. He mentioned influences of acts like Camel, Dream Theater and Haken. That's certainly true. But on the tracks When Nature Wakes Up, Vivid Green And Birds Singing and The Rebirth Is Complete it becomes very clear that guitar players such as Steve Vai and Joe Satriani have been an inspiration as well. Also on those tracks he moves easily from mellow parts to more up tempo parts. Of course instrumental music isn't always easy to digest for everybody. But the way Baris lets his guitar speak made me forget the vocal parts which you normally find on most progressive rock related releases. So bravo to him for keeping you focused throughout all of the six compositions. The future certainly looks bright for Baris Dai if he continues releasing such strong instrumental pieces of music as found on Ambient Conditions. **** Henri Strik (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
