Hyacintus - Sinkronos (2007)

Artista: Hyacintus
Álbum: Sinkronos
Año: 2007
Género: Rock Sinfónico
Nacionalidad: Argentina
Duración: 54:24

Lista de Temas:
1. Mission Dada andante (4:49)
2. Hipno Délfico adagio (5:55)
3. Ritual Lunar (El Fraude) allegro (4:48)

Sueño 1
4. Shakespeare! (Ethical) andante (4:46)
5. Explore (Plan SEA) largo (4:34)
6. Implacable Kronos presto (5:51)

Sueño 2
7. Asoma (SErA) allegro (4:50)
8. Heart Place lento (3:56)
9. Mission Recordada vivace (10:09)

10. VESENEVI largo (2:59)

Alineación:
- Jacinto Miguel Corral / Electric, classic and acoustic guitar, voice, keyboards, bass and acousic instruments
- José Luis Hernández / Drums
- Daniel Sánchez / Stick and bass
- Victor Sánchez / Percussion
- Ada Guitart / Vocals
- Ana Tirigall / Vocals (7)
- Ed (Charlie Watts) Martínez / Drums (2 and 6)

Con este disco Sandy completa la re-subida de la discografía de Hyacintus, proyecto musical que seguramente ha sorprendido a más de un desprevenido,
Tengamos en cuenta, antes de comenzar a hablar de esta obra, la última del talentoso multi-instrumentista Jacinto Corral, que lleva un desarrollo filosófico detrás, además de un concepto musical.
Quienes gusten de Keith Emerson, Wakeman, Olfield deberían conocer estos trabajos, generalmente difundimos más en el exterior que en su mismo país de origen.

Notable álbum, el mejor de este músico según Progarchive... muy buen rock sinfónico desplegado con mucho musicalidad, conózcanlo si les gusta Wakeman, Oldfield, Camel y el rock sinfónico en general.
Para mayor información, lean el siguiente texto de César Mendoza:

"Sinkronos" es la tercera obra discográfica de Hyacintus, el talentoso multi-instrumentista argentino del cual no sabíamos mucho desde los días de "Fantasia en Concierto", su excelente segundo disco que supuso un pico dentro del rock sinfónico latinoamericano en el nuevo milenio. La línea de trabajo aquí plasmada se aparta un poco de los climas preferentemente épicos a los cuales el mencionado segundo disco había dedicado un importante espacio, pero recoge del mismo un gusto por ambientes sonoros modernos dentro del estándar del rock progresivo. Como siempre, "Sinkronos" es un disco conceptual centrado en la misión que recibe un individuo, la misma que solo puede cumplir si deja que la dicha sea su guía: tenemos aquí una estructura narrativa subyacente de manera similar a como operaba el repertorio del disco debut "Elydian".
El disco comienza abriendo las puertas de la extroversión con un pegadizo ritmo de rock blueseado, sobre el cual se explayan los guitarreos y las orquestaciones de teclado con un claro acento estilizado: ‘Mission Dadá’ está diseñado para llamar la atención de manera directa sin apelar a lo pomposo. ‘Hipno Délfico’ torna hacia un aura ensoñadora y evocativa, marcada principalmente por las elegantes bases de piano y guitarra acústica en triangulación con las coloridas texturas de teclado: aquí hallamos un híbrido entre Wakeman y el Vangelis contemporáneo. ‘Ritual Lunar (El Fraude)’ retoma el ambiente solemne de la pieza precedente y lo lleva a una dimensión más marchosa, similar a la faceta más fastuosa de Alan Parsons Project. Personalmente, hubiese preferido que la producción de sonido y los arreglos instrumentales hubiesen creado una sonoridad global más llena, pero definitivamente no cabe duda de que se trata de una composición bien lograda: el uso de una guitarra acústica a lo bosanova en la coda es un simpático adorno inesperado. Después siguen dos series de tres temas cada una, ‘Sueño 1’ y ‘Sueño 2’. La primera de estas trilogías comienza con un ejercicio de rock sinfónico más sólido en comparación con ‘Ritual Lunar’: en ‘Shakespeare! (Ethical)’ hay una bien lograda integración de compases étnicos en la sección rítmica. ‘Explore (Plan SEA)’ tiene una solemnidad conmovedora a pesar de su sobriedad: los evocativos fraseos de piano y las dinámicas cortinas de teclado apelan, me parece, a una sensación de soledad. ‘Implacable Kronos’ se explaya en el dinamismo rockero, instaurando un ambiente de rock duro melódico con varios ornamentos de raigambre orquestal. A medida que nos acercamos al final de los 6 ½ minutos que dura esta pieza, las cosas se ponen gradualmente más pomposas, antes de que llegue una hermosa coda de guitarra clásica de tonalidades barrocas.
’Sueño 2’ comienza con un ‘Asoma (SErA)’ que recoge mucho de las cadencias y ambientes ya plasmados en el tema de entrada y ‘Shakespeare’, aunque se reconoce un tenor sinfónico más pronunciado. ‘Heart Place’ establece una envoltura pomposa para los retazos melancólicos dibujados por la guitarra clásica y las diversas capas armónicas de teclado. La naturaleza envolvente de la pieza la hace sobresalir dentro del repertorio. También sobresale ‘Mission Recordada’, primeramente por ser la pieza más extensa con sus 10 minutos de duración, pero también por su inteligente armazón de motivos y ambientes sinfónicos. El despliegue de lucidez creativa no tiene ningún altibajo en el largo espacio destinado a esta pieza. La serenidad etérea de los últimos momentos se condice perfectamente con ‘Vesenevi’, la cósmica cantata de menos de tres minutos con que se cierra el disco.
Aunque en comparación "Sinkronos" no me llega a impresionar tanto como en su momento lo hizo "Fantasia en Concierto", aprecio sus cualidades artísticas con suficiente convicción para advertir que confirma a Hyacintus como un importante creador de rock sinfónico para nuestros tiempos. Los temas 2, 4, 8 y 9 son mis favoritos de "Sinkronos".

Cesar Mendoza

Recently received a copy of "Sinkronos" by courtesy of Viajero Inmovil Records and even when I'm busy with other issues, I felt the urge to review the album, due to the fresh and innovative approach, that marks a new stage in HYACINTUS career.
Usually the band presents a traditional 70's Symphonic approach, but in this case they also explore the Rock oriented side of the band, with blend of different Classical eras, adding wonderful guitar fantasies and very well developed choral works, which make of "Sinkronos" a very interesting project for those of us who believe that Progressive Rock bands should re-invent themselves but showing respect for their roots.
For what I read, "Sinkronos" is a conceptual album about a being who is sent to earth to fulfill a mission, but when he reaches or planet, the environment, family, friends and real life makes him forget the reason of his existence. It's divided in three trilogies plus a short epilog.
The album is starts with "Mission Dada", a track that starts with a clear Blues approach and a very interesting guitar work, but still you can feel the Symphonic structure floating all around, some vocal effects complete the oneiric atmosphere, very solid opener.
"Hipno Délfico" is a return to the symphonic roots of the band, the majestic chorus and impressive piano work are simply delightful, specially when blended with classical guitar, reminds me a bit of some of the best "VANGELIS" works but without the New Age component. Very dramatic and obscure with some electric guitar fugues that remind us that Progressive Rock without Rock is incomplete, excellent song.
"Ritual Lunar (El Fraude)" is a strange song that starts with clear ALAN PARSONS PROJECT reminiscences, not my favorite track being that is a bit too poppy for my taste, but the constant changes and the excellent production manage to keep my interest. Not the best song but neither weak.
The second trilogy starts with "Shakespeare (Ethical)", more oriented towards Hard Rock, despite there are lyrics that can be understood, the vocals seem more like an extra instrument because the distortion gives this feeling, nice and different with interesting changes, aggressive and dark simultaneously.
"Explore (Plan SEA)" starts with a piano introduction that leads to one of the most beautiful melodies I ever heard, melancholic and dramatic, reminds me a bit of "Felona e Sorona" by LE ORME because of the sad atmosphere, simply delightful.
"Implacable Kronos" starts faster with a very good guitar, percussion and keyboard interplay, less Symphonic and more Electronic than the previous, this intro is followed by percussion and vocals based melody clearly reminiscent of ALAN PARSONS PROJECT, "I Robot". In this track Ada Guitart adds some weird vocals in English, with evident accent but very listenable.
"Asoma (SErA)" starts again with a blues based intro, not very complex development, until more or less 1:30 minutes when a typical 80's synthesizer is added, then some sound effects and the guitar continues in the Blues mood with chorals. Nice tune, but not in the level of the previous.
"Heart Place" is the first ballad in the album with a very nice acoustic guitar and keyboards intro, a dark mysterious voice a bit distorted adds more dramatics, somehow in the mood of Russia or Eastern Europe Folk. The song continues in a more calmed but mysterious mood, really good stuff.
"Mission Recordada" is the last track of the second trilogy and it's extremely good, there's a fusion of almost everything, from Symphonic to electronic and Rock with classical guitar, trying to describe it futile, because there are very few references to something like this, maybe MIKE OLDFIELD in "Tubular Bells Part I" because the structure is also consisting of variations over one theme that goes "in crescendo" until the end when the dark soft sound returns, 10 minutes of pure Prog.
The album is closed by "VESENEVI" which acts as a epilog for the album, this rime recorded in an almost religious Baroque mood, and a weird finale.
It's interesting how the author has added the tempo to the name of each track, which is useful as an indication to what you can expect. Very careful production and incredibly clear sound, makes the listening experience much more pleasant.
Not a masterpiece, but close to this status, so I will rate "Sinkronos" with 4 solid stars, because despite some weaker moments, the band never loses the interest of the listener, and the strong moments are outstanding.

Ivan Melgar

"Sinkronos" is the third opus by the talented Argentinean progressive multi-instrumentalist Hyacintus - a long overdue follow-up to the splendid "Fantasia en Concerto". If the aforesaid sophomore Hyacintus effort was a real highlight in the recent history of Argentina's symphonic rock due to its accomplished epic atmospheres, "Sinkronos" manages to distance itself a bit from the epic framework in favor of the elaboration of a modernized approach to the standards of symphonic prog. As usual, "Sinkronos" was conceived as a concept-album, this time revolving around the mission undertaken by a man who has to let joy and good feelings lead the way so he can properly fulfill it. The album kicks off on a quite extroverted note with 'Mission Dadá', with a stylish accentuation on guitar harmonies and keyboard orchestrations: it is appealing without getting really that pompous. 'Hipno Délfico' goes for dreamy atmospheres, mainly dominated by the dialogues between piano and acoustic guitar; here we find a sort of mixture of Wakeman's romantic side and early 80s Vangelis. 'Ritual Lunar (El Fraude)' brings back the solemnity that had been so patent in the opener, with a catchy vibe that may remind us of The Alan Parsons Project at its best (circa "Pyramid" and "Turn of a Friendly Card"). Personally, I would have enjoyed this track more had it explored a fuller sound in its global framework, but overall, it shows a well accomplished compositional work. The use of a bossanova section featuring acoustic guitar in the coda makes an unexpected, effective adornment. The following tracks are distributed in two groups of three: the groups are 'Sueño 1' and 'Sueño 2' 'Shakespeare! (Ethical)' starts 'Sueño 1' with full symphonic splendor, including the use of ethnic cadences in the rhythmic basis. 'Explore (Plan SEA)' combines sobriety and emotion: the evocative piano phrases and the ethereal synth layers convey a sense of loneliness. 'Implacable Kronos', on the other hand, states a rocking dynamics verging on the standard of melodic hard rock. As we get closer to the end, the track evolves into bombastic grounds before the arrival of a classical guitar coda on a deep Baroque tone. 'Sueño 2' begins with 'Asoma (SErA)', which restates many of the ambiences and moods that had already been present in tracks 1 and 4, albeit set on a stronger symphonic trend. 'Heart Place' remains on eerie moods, featuring melancholic lines on classical guitar and subtly complex keyboard layers. This is arguably the most beautiful composition in the album, certainly that's what it seems to me. 'Mission Recordada', lasting 10 minutes, is the album's longest track: the linkage between various moods shows a powerful consistency through the constant symphonic moods that successfully articulate the whole architecture. The dreamy serenity in the final moments makes it easy for the emergence of 'Vesenevi', the cosmic cantata that ends the album in a ceremonious fashion. In comparison, "Sinkronos" does not get to impress me as much as "Fantasia en Concerto", but I regard it as an excellent prog item, all the same. Hyacintus is an important name to be considered when we think about South America's contemporary prog rock - tarcks 2, 4, 8 and 9 are my personal favorites out of "Sinkronos".

César Inca

Years ago I worked a temp job where I was responsible for scoring standardized high school writing tests. I would score them in three domains, composition, written expression, and usage and mechanics. Argentine prog band Hyacintus composes well and utilizes usage and mechanics well on their release Sinkronos, but does not quite hit their stride in the written expression domain.
The band is made up of Jacinto Miguel Corral on electric, classical and acoustic guitar; vocals, keyboards, bass, and acoustic instruments; Jose Luis Hernandez on drums, Daniel Sanchez on stick and bass, Victor Sanchez on percussion, and Ada Guitart on vocals. Ana Tirigall and Ed (Charlie Watts) Martinez contribute vocals and drums respectively on a couple of tracks.
Regarding the music - the well-produced CD veers from genre to genre and with so many twists and turns it’s hard to keep the continuity together. You get Deep Purpleish grunge on Shakespeare! [Ethical], big band jazz on Ritual Lunar [El Fraude] and some ambience on closing track Vesenevi. A vocoder choral effect colors many of the tracks, and from the multi-talented Corral you get classical as well as bluesy electric guitar on Asoma [SErA] and some keyboard stylings evoking Keith Emerson on Mission Dada. The same keyboard sound reappears on Mission Recordada, linking these two tracks with a common theme. Too much commonality, however, is repetitive, as is the case with the CD’s overall melancholy and melodramatic arrangements.
On the theme of, well, themes - Sinkronos is presented as a concept album. If you listen to the CD and wonder what the concept is, check out the notations on the CD’s packaging as you listen. Here are some of the notations, excerpted:

A mission was given to him, and with the running of time, he had forgotten it.
He asked for help, and he was told: “Your guide, is your happiness. . .”
When he reached it, he said: “ The mission is done. . .”
And so that happened. . .

From the back of the CD package: “S.E.A. Triangle. “S” for swing, “E” for emotion, and “A” for Argument. Swing as an effect for rhythm. Emotion, in its different qualities. Argument, the character of the work, its meaning. These were the 3 aspects that have been taken into consideration for this work.”
The lyrics are not prominent; they seem to appear on at least six of the CD’s ten tracks. They are sung in Spanish, but are not printed anywhere in the CD packaging. So one can be at a loss when trying to grasp the CD’s theme, however at the same time things are left open to interpretation. Sinkronos will appeal to anyone with a taste for eclectic music. On the band's next release they may want to include a lyric booklet and go for a more focused sound.

Jim Corcoran

There's much to take in with Hyacintus's Sinkronos. This is music that demands and rewards your attention, becoming more enjoyable on repeated, attentive playings. I'm not going to pin a genre on it for the simple reason that it comprises many genres rolled into one. Here you have everything from jazz to classic rock, to progressive and symphonic rock, to swing, to Argentinean influences and possibly others beside. On their MySpace site they classify themselves as "progressive/classic rock/indie". I hate that term "indie" - can anyone conjure up in their minds what it means soundscape-wise? I doubt it, it covers virtually everything. Thinking of the other various factors I've mentioned as influences, the music becomes difficult to define. It becomes, simply, Hyacintus.
So...Hyacintus...an Argentinean band hailing from Buenos Aires that is the creative vision of its leader Jacinto Miguel Corral. You begin to appreciate that the vision is more than simply the music as you pick up and study the CD case. Its back presents their S.E.A. Triangle:- "S" for Swing, an effect on rhythm; "E" for Emotion, in its different manifestations; and "A" for Argument, the character of the work and its meaning. "These were the three aspects that have been taken into consideration for this work". Then you notice the track listing...it's subdivided into four sections: an unnamed first section of three compositions; a second trio entitled "Sueno 1" (First Dream); the third trio is entitled "Sueno 2" (Second Dream) and there is a final, short, piece on its own "Vesenevi". Yes, it is a concept album and there is a story to be told through the music. Inside the gatefold cover you are told "A mission was given to him and with the running of time he had forgotten it. He asked for help and he was told 'Your guide is your happiness...'. When he reached it he said 'The mission is done' And so that happened..." The CD sleeve gives further clues as to how the story enfolds: for instance, for the opener "Mission Dada" we are told that "A mission is given. He'll have privileges that will help him execute the mission". You get the idea - you are given clues for each of the 9 pieces; the exception is the closing composition "Vesenevi" - roll the credits! If I also tell you that Jacinto Miguel Corral lists Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" as an influence then you can begin to develop mental images which help to see what Hyacintus are trying to do.
You definitely get more from this music if you combine the aural experience with the feeling of allowing yourself to be transported into a mythical world. This is Jacinto's intention and this is how you will get the reward that Sinkronos can definitely deliver.
And so to the music. Like I've said, it's difficult to pin a specific genre onto it. It has the feel of an album of instrumental pieces. There is occasional singing both in Spanish and in English and also some incantation-style vocalizations but as far as I can tell most of the human voice is produced through filters such that there is a slight distortion. Combine that with Jacinto's penchant for using choral synthesizers and the overall effect is that the vocalizations have the feel of being another instrument. Certainly, if you are not into instrumental music, you would struggle with Sinkronos; and there are no lyrics as such to help you picture the mythical journey you should be embarking on.
Hyacintus are not quite a one-man band: Jacinto himself plays electric, acoustic and classical guitars, bass guitar, a range of keyboards and other acoustic instruments and vocals. However, he does have Jose Luis Hernandez on drums; Daniel Sanchez on bass; Victor Sanchez on percussion and Ada Guitart on vocals. Ana Tirigall and Ed Martinez also help with vocals and drums respectively on a couple of compositions.
The music is always pleasant and enjoyable to listen to, never discordant, irrespective of the style of the particular composition. The range of instrumentation used is complex, not just throughout the album but also within individual compositions; the musical texture is virtually in constant flux. The playing is first-class, one of the highlights of the album. I've read a review of one of Hyacintus's earlier works (previously one studio and one live album) that I haven't heard myself suggesting that some of the drumming sounded as though it was synthesized and was poor - well, it isn't on Sinkronos - far from it, the drumming was excellent throughout, intelligently adding to the compositions and helping the various changes in mood and texture.
To give you an idea of some of the compositions and their variety: "Mission Dada" opens impressively with jagged guitar and choral synthesizer chords, develops a jazzy foot-tapping rhythm, has some super electric guitar work, and briefly touches on funk and symphonic elements. Somehow it all works together. "Ritual Lunar" (where, in the story, "he is seduced by the material world") has brass synthesizer sounds that swing, then you get some r+b in there too - party time!; "Explore" is very romantic, classically symphonic, very melodic, becoming mournful - "now he leaves his love, he must reach the mission"; "Heart Place" has some beautiful classical guitar playing, developing ethereal symphonic moods ("he enters 'no time space'").
Sinkronos is an enjoyable album but it does demand your attention, it does not work as background music and, as I said before, you should treat is an instrumental work. Recorded over a three-year period from 2005, the production (by Jacinto) is first class and it sports an excellent sound. A drawback that it suffers for me, as an instrumental album, is the lack of a consistent musical thread or feel; there is little feel of constancy, the textural flux that is a strength also acts as a weakness, leaving the album slightly weaker as a whole. Overall. though, one can say that Mission SEA was successfully accomplished.

Alex Torres

Para escuchar temas de Hyacintus antes de bajarse el disco:
www.myspace.com/hyacintusmusic