J21 -
Beyond The Holographic Veil


(CD 2011, 54:18, Voiceprint/Floating World FREEM5033)

The tracks:
  1- 21O West
  2- I Can't remember
  3- The Veil Of Time
  4- The Inventor Of Paradox
  5- Travelling With The Ghost
  6- Beyond
  7- Kneeling
  8- Calm
  9- Shadowlife
10- Perpetuum
11- Last Drops Of Life
12- The Life & Death Equation
13- The Jupiter Trilogy
14- 21O East

J21 Website        samples        Floating World Records


I don't get it. J21, a Barcelona born guitar player completely obsessed with Frank Zappa, has selected all the ingredients for a top record. By ingredients, I mean well-known musicians. Take a look at this: Don Preston, Scott Thunes, Ed Mann and  Robert Martin all played with Zappa, and in addition Reeves Gabrels and Mike Garson of David Bowie fame, and in between Marco Minneman (Eddie Jobson's UK) can also be found. And still, this CD is of an unprecedented flatness. This is partly because the vocals in every song is of substandard quality: not enough energy, always in a low key and a low tempo. In addition, composition-wise, nothing really exciting happens which causes Beyond The Holographic Veil to drag itself to the end, interrupted here and there by a fairly nice guitar solo. What I say: I don't get it: so much talent and so little result.

* André de Waal (edited by Robert James Pashman)

Where to buy?






All Rights Reserved Background Magazine 2013