Herd Of Instinct - Conjure (2013)

Artista: Herd Of Instinct
Álbum: Conjure
Año: 2013
Género: Progresivo ecléctico
Duración: 53:10
Nacionalidad:EEUU

Lista de Temas:
1. Praxis
2. Dead Leaf Echo
3. Brutality Of Fact
4. Alice Krige Pt.1
5. Solitude One
6. Ravenwood
7. Mother Night
8. Vargtimmen
9. Malise
10. New Lands
11. A Sense Of An Ending
12. The Secret Of Fire

Alineación:

- Mark Cook / Warr guitar, fretless bass, guitar, programming
- Mike Davison / guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, guitar synth
- Gayle Ellett / Moog, Mellotron, Hammond organ, Rhodes, dilruba
- Jason Spradlin / drums, programming
Guest musicians:
Joel Adair / trumpet
Joe Blair / lap steel guitar
Colin Edwin / fretless bass
Bob Fisher / flute
Lisa Lazo / keyboards
Steve Tibbetts / percussion sample

Ya les dije que para este fin de año les queremos reventar la cabeza a pura música, así que les dejo uno de los mejores álbums salidos en el 2013, ahora les toca el turno a estos yankys que harán las delicias de los seguidores de King Crimson o KTU... Un disco raro y ecléctico, técnico pero melodioso, atmosférico, denso, experimental, vanguardista, étnico, psicodélico, jazzero... en definitiva, una delicia de puro rock progresivo experimental.

Con una impresionante lista de músicos invitados, y un sonido que reúne rock, atmosféra, ambient, elementos cinematográficos y étnicos, con un gran acercamiento a la música de KTU, King Crimson o Stick Man, este álbum obtuvo una gran cantidad de elogios en la comunidad del rock progresivo. Este trío con sede en Texas está formado por músicos experimentados que merecen nuestra atención, unidos por Gayle Ellett (fundador de Djam Karet y cuarto miembro oficial de Herd of Instinct).

Y luego de un excelente primer álbum en el 2011, este talentoso grupo de músicos vuelve con nuevo álbum este año, un álbum que no solamente muestra una clara evolución respecto a su predecesor, sino también una cierta continuidad: tracks de naturaleza técnica, pero en base a una paleta de estados de ánimo que muestran la mayor diversidad, las percusiones sutiles y fuertes composiciones que no recurren a la estridencia para presentar su fuerza, una variedad de teclados (incluyendo algunos sonidos de Mellotron de muy buen gusto), todo con un sonido nítido y claro.

Y creo que éste es un CD que no se debe perder por cualquier fanático del rock progresivo más técnico e instrumental pero sin perder la emotividad de las composiciones. Nada revolucionario, sin embargo, pero su música demuestra una simbiosis exquisita entre buen gusto / técnica / excelentes composiciones / experimentación que es difícil que a alguien no le resulte un álbum notable. Digamos que hay una gran cantidad de texturas en su música, en base a canciones que son muchas veces desconcertantes y oscuras, tanto que en algunas oportunidades rayan en climas propios de lo que podría ser la banda sonora de una película de suspenso.
Su música es principalmente instrumental, siempre brindando música basada en la improvisación y las discrepancias de instrumentos y estilos. Es una música que obliga a que ampliemos nuestro paisaje musical, a veces desde el más puro progresivo, otras veces están más cerca de RIO, mucha m{usica étnica e incluso con guiños al metal y un sinfin más de estilos juegan y luchan por el protagonismo a lo largo de todo el disco. De hecho y a mi humilde parecer, el grupo exploró un excesivo número de estilos musicales, y a pesar de algunos esfuerzos por mantener la coherencia, esta a veces no se encuentra tan fácilmente, al menos en algunos pequeños pasajes.

Tanto que a algunos el resultado les puede resultar un poco desconcertante y vanguardista, aunque, es solamente en apariencia, basta que le prestes atención a cada canción un par de veces como para que comiences a disfrutar su naturaleza compleja pero atractiva desde la melodía. Más allá de los estilos más evidentes hay un montón de sutiles y distintos elementos en todas las canciones de este disco: post rock, psicodelia, electrónica, avant-garde, heavy prog e incluso algunos elementos sinfónicos que cierran un sonido redondo y amalgamado (debo decir encastran a la perfección, todas menos una, me refiero a "Alice Krige pt.1" que me suena tan demasiado atmosférica que pareciera de otro disco).
Este es un álbum formado por una maraña de texturas y ritmos palpitantes que dejan escapar sonidos de un jazz casi onírico, tracks que son un rock hipnótico, o extrañas música étnicas. Es un disco lleno de sorpresas, invitados especiales (como el fretless bass de Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree), la trompeta de Joel Adair (Legacy Brass Quintet), Steve Tibbetts en looping samples (músico experimental de jazz fusión, world music y ambient), entre otros), emociones y eclécticas fusiones furiosamente audaces.

Vean los comentarios de Progarchives para que se den una idea: http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=40235

Vamos con los tradicionales ("tradicionales" al menos en mis posteos) comentarios de terceros:

No es frecuente que un álbum me enganche desde que lo empiezo a oír, pero éste lo logró. Lo normal es escuchar un disco dos, tres y hasta cinco veces hasta conseguir un comentario sobre él (claro que también están los discos que con una escucha o menos los desecho para el comentario), pero "Conjure" me dio desde su inicio cosas buenas que decir. Bienvenido pues el 2do álbum oficial de estudio (^) de HERD OF INSTINCT, grupo estadounidense alineado con Jason SPRADLIN (batería, programación), Gayle ELLETT* (Moog, melotrón, órganos Hammond, Rhodes, Dilruba), Mike DAVISON (guitarras eléctrica, acústica de 12 cuerdas y synth) y Mark COOK (Warr guitar, bajo ADG sin trastes, guitarra, programación), más el apoyo de invitados especiales: Lisa LAZO (teclados en 5), Bob FISHER (flauta traversa en 1 y 4), Colin EDWIN** (bajo sin trastes en 1 y 11), Joe BLAIR*** (guitarra lapsteel en 4) y Joel ADAIR (trompeta en 4).
Si «Conjurar» es un presagio de lo que vendrá en 2013 en materia de rock progresivo, ¡que gran año nos espera! Y no hablo sólo de la música, sino también de la estupenda relación visual con el concepto y título del disco. Bien anuncia el grupo que su nuevo disco está finamente elaborado, que es una realización destacada, y lo es por más razones que las obvias. Aquí, HERD OF INSTINCT presiona los límites de su creatividad, dibujando con su estilo instrumental una vasta colección de influencias musicales multi culturales, rastros literarios, partituras cinemáticas que incluyen músicas de horror, elementos oscuros de la música rock, avant-garde, electrónica, progresivo y psicodelia musical para crear un estilo único por sí solo (1), que es lo mínimo en justicia que decir de este estupendo disco, que de referencias obligadas uno no puede dejar de citar grandilocuencias a la KING CRIMSON y DJAM KARET. Por ahí se asoman rasgos de guitarra tipo frippertronics y pasajes rudos en cambiantes ritmos muy de djam, los primeros de influencia crimsoniana y los segundos, obviamente, de mirada gaylellettiana… a esas formas se unen densos lienzos de teclados para darle atmósfera soporte a los sonidos, que en sus partes más oscuras, francamente, le pone a uno el cuero de gallina. Así, con músicas tan sugerentes como las mediorientales, tan rebeldes como el rock, tan modernas como la electrónica, tan hipnótica como la psicodélica, tan inusual como la avant-garde y tan cambiante como la progresiva, "Conjure" se contrasta de iluminación y sombras definidas para exhibir con ritmos la peculiar belleza de un arte contemporáneo que destaca por su originalidad e irresistible fuerza de atracción.
Otra cosa a destacar, ahora en su irremediable apego a la modernidad, es el uso de programación de ritmos y sonidos. Que sorpresa para mí fue verme complacido de su uso cuando por lo general despotrico injurias cuando los músicos la usan, pero la razón es simple: SPRADLIN es un gran baterista y, como tal, conoce los límites de la programación para crear los timbres adecuados, generando así los ritmos esperados al ajuste de la concepción y movimiento de la música que crearon. HERD OF INSTINCT es un súper grupo, y lo es gracias a la comunión en la filosofía musical de sus integrantes y a su gran compañerismo musical a la hora de tocar. No me queda más que aplaudir de pie esta realización, primera en recibir el (nuevo) Reconocimiento Manticornio a lo mejor del rock progresivo este año.
Albricias para Firepool Records por esta estupenda realización y gracias a la banda por su excelente música rock progresiva… ¡Ah!, y ¡gracias por las gracias!, me siento honrado.

Alfredo Tapia-Carreto

Hoy es el turno de hablar sobre el grupo estadounidense HERD OF INSTINCT, que acaba de publicar su segundo disco “Conjure” para que suceda al esplendoroso disco debut homónimo de hace un par de años. La asociación de HERD OF INSTINCT con la leyenda viviente del rock experimental estadounidense DJAM KARET no se limita solamente al hecho de que el sello de éstos, Firepool Records, produce y edita sus álbumes: resulta que ahora se une como miembro permanente Gayle Ellett tocando el mellotrón, el sintetizador Moog el piano eléctrico Fender Rhodes, el órgano Hammond y la dilruba (un instrumento de cuerda de la India) a los originales Jason Spradlin [batería y programaciones], Mike Davison [guitarras eléctricas, acústica de 12 cuerdas y sintetizada] y Mark Cook [guitarra Warr, guitarra eléctrica, bajo sin trastes y programaciones].
‘Praxis’ abre el disco con un aura mayormente relajada donde la conjunción de los esquemas estandarizados del ambient y el jazz-rock marcan la pauta de la sonoridad general de la pieza. Los momentos donde los niveles de energía expresiva aumentan están inteligentemente controlados a fin de que se mantenga la coherencia temática con suma pulcritud. Una anécdota interesante es la presencia del invitado especial al bajo sin trastes de Colin Edwin (de PORCUPINE TREE, una presencia que será después repetida en el undécimo tema ‘A Sense Of An Ending’). Otro detalle interesante es el solo de flauta a cargo de Bob Fisher, el cual llena de exótica magia el momento donde aparece. Acto seguido, con la dupla de ‘Dead Leaf Echo’ y ‘Brutality Of Fact’, el grupo explora colores y texturas más sólidamente rockeras: el primero establece un elegante viaje space-rockero bien articulado bajo una arquitectura reconocible que a veces coquetea con el prog-metal, mientras que el segundo se adentra convincentemente en territorios del KING CRIMSON 90ero y GORDIAN KNOT. Durando casi 6 minutos, ‘Alice Krige Pt. 1’ se proyecta hacia una vía sonora muy diferente: calmada, ensoñadora, como reflejando un pensamiento peregrino que no se logra focalizar del todo – más específicamente, el grupo desarrolla un jam fusionesco donde redefine los estándares del World Music bajo una pauta psicodélica de fuerte raigambre ambient. La participación de varios invitados – Bob Fisher a la flauta de nuevo, Joel Adair a la trompeta y Joe Blair a la guitarra lap steel – resulta crucial a la hora de enriquecer la paleta sonora a la par que se mantiene el equilibrio que la amalgama integral exige en un momento musical diseñado para la ensoñación. ‘Solitude One’ también tiene fuertes huellas de ambient y psicodelia flotante en su desarrollo, pero en vez de limitarse a replicar el espíritu general de la pieza precedente, lo que hace es proyectarse hacia un controlado crescendo rockero (al estilo de UPPER EXTREMITIES-con-GORDIAN KNOT) a medida que se va reforzando el motivo básico en su último minuto y cuarto. Los teclados adicionales de Lisa Lazo suponen un buen recurso para llenar espacios. Por su parte, ‘Ravenwood’ instaura una exhibición de refinamiento en su cuerpo central y el arreglo de sus atmósferas, ofreciendo una sonoridad que bien nos puede recordar al DJAM KARET del “Recollection Harvest”, aunque con un vigor más atenuado de acuerdo a las exigencias líricas de la composición en curso.
‘Mother Night’ es una pieza donde el mellotrón ocupa un lugar importante dentro de la instrumentación: denso y tal vez también tétrico a un nivel moderado (aunque sin llegar a los niveles de intensidad de unos MORTE MACABRE o unos ANEKDOTEN), ‘Mother Night’ hace justicia a su título al reflejar un aura de misteriosa nocturnidad en su desarrollo temático. Con la dupla de ‘Vargtimmen’ y ‘Malise’, HERD OF INSTINCT vuelve a generar refrescantes luminosidades sónicas, estando ambas piezas coincidentemente armadas en torno a vuelos psicodélicos de herencia Crimsoniana y dinamismos jazz-rockeros en las estructuras rítmicas: en todo caso, se nota que la primera tiene una tendencia más ceremoniosa en el armado de su cuerpo central, mientras que la segunda ostenta un filo más agresivo. Solo queda un cuarto de hora de disco y la magia progresiva aún tiene mucho combustible que quemar en su camino hacia el final: ‘New Lands’ es exultante (casi llegando a lo Yessiano en algunos pasajes) dentro de la arquitectura de su ágil vibración rockera; ‘A Sense Of An Ending’ enarbola un aura contemplativa que hermana a HERD OF INSTINCT con el DJAM KARET 2001-2005; finalmente, ‘The Secret Of Fire’ porta una calidez robusta en el fastuoso arreglo general del motivo central, concretizando un radiante cierre para el disco con una elegante coda lenta.
HERD OF INSTINCT nos ha demostrado con “Conjure” que tiene bien ganado un sitial dentro de la primera fila de la vanguardia rockera estadounidense del último lustro. La banda se muestra capaz de mantener una lucidez consistente en cuanto a la autocomprensión de su visión musical, a la par que se aventura a explorar y expandir nuevas texturas emergidas de ella, y ésa es la razón principal por la que recomendamos su presencia en toda colección de rock que se precie de buena.

César Inca

Herd of Instinct is an American progressive rock band which released its debut album in 2011. It was considered one of the strongest debut albums ever released and deservedly so. This time round, on their latest release, Conjure, armed with their new full-time member, Gayle Ellett from Djam Karet, Herd of Instinct promise to be better than ever.
The album starts off with electronic, almost techno percussion, but we soon get sucked into a whirlpool of various influences, from progressive rock, hard rock, ambient music, jazz rock, world music, post rock , etc. You get the point. If you listen to two different sections of the album, you might think it’s not even the same band. One second they’ll be playing this quiet meditative keyboard part, the next they’ll be doing some ultra complex progressive rock and then some sizzling hard rock after that. They’re investigating new ground even more than on the debut, but at the same time still making sure the transitions are smooth and the flow very even throughout. There are seldom any rough edges and even if they’re there, they’re there for a reason.
I have to say that at times I was reminded by King Crimson, not so much for the sound but for the relentless passion of discovering new musical territory, the combination of atmospheric moments and heavy hard rock assaults, and for the off-kilter soloing they often employ. Like King Crimson, Herd of Instinct are also successful in presenting their vision in an appealing manner, where the playing is impressive and the compositions extraordinary and attractive.
Herd of Instinct prove one more time that they are fearless explorers of the musical world. Their incredible ability to connect all the various parts and influences into one coherent whole definitely stands out - even more so than on their self-titled debut release.

The rocktologist

In the late spring of 2011, the self-titled debut album by Herd of Instinct – a hitherto unknown outfit named after the only album by Talk Talk offshoot O’Rang - was released on Firepool Records, the label created by Gayle Ellett and Chuck Oken Jr, founding members of veteran US progressive rock band Djam Karet. Based in the Dallas-Forth Worth area of Texas, the idiosyncratic “power trio” of Mike Davison, Mark Cook and Jason Spradlin was augmented by a number of guest musicians – some quite high-profile, such as drummers Jerry Marotta, Gavin Harrison and Pat Mastelotto, and touch guitarist Markus Reuter and Gayle Ellett himself. After a few spins, the album – at first deceptively unassuming – quickly became one of my favourite albums of 2011, also earning and Herd of Instinct my personal “best new band” award.
In the months prior to the release of Conjure, their highly anticipated second album, some things have changed in the Herd of Instinct camp. The trio is now a quartet, with Ellett (an accomplished multi-instrumentalist and composer involved in a myriad of different projects) now a full member, manning the keyboards and providing some exotic accents. While the debut featured vocals on two tracks out of 10, with Conjure Herd of Instinct have chosen a completely instrumental format. The album expands on the ideas presented on the debut, introducing subtle adjustments to the band’s distinctive sound rather than opting for a dramatic change in style – though avoiding the all too common syndrome of the sophomore effort being an inferior copy of its predecessor.
This time around, the presence of guest artists is kept to a minimum – with Porcupine Tree bassist Colin Edwin the only household name on the list – emphasizing Herd of Instinct’s status as a real band rather than a loose group of musicians. With Ellett’s keyboards used discreetly to accent the work of the other instruments, and a smattering of programmed drums to supplement Jason Spradlin’s deft work behind the kit, the musical texture is profoundly atmospheric, often hypnotic and occasionally hard-edged, each instrument meshing with the other to produce an organic flow. On Conjure – even more so than on Herd of Instinct’s debut – the four band members bring their wide range of influences and keenly eclectic attitude to full fruition
Clocking in at around 53 minutes, Conjure features 12 tracks, the longest of which falls short of the 6-minute mark. However, there is plenty of complexity for fans to sink their teeth into, and a lot of interesting details are packed into each of those apparently short numbers. The one criticism I might level at the album is that, though anything but overlong, it temporarily loses steam in its second half. In fact, a couple of somewhat repetitive tracks might have been omitted without any detriment to the rest of the material. On the other hand, the performances of all the artists involved are top-notch, possessing that effortless quality that is not always easy to achieve when playing highly complex music.
Immediately creating a connection with the band’s debut, “Praxis” successfully combines variety and fluidity, its many layers subtly and skillfully rendered. Gayle Ellett’s Mellotron – an essential ingredient of the album’s instrumental texture – fleshes out the sleek, intricate work of Mike Davison and Mark Cook’s guitars, blending with the liquid polyrhythms of the Warr guitar and contrasting with an array of eerie electronic effects, while flute adds a soothing, pastoral note. “Dead Leaf Echo” introduces a keen metal-like edge reminiscent of King Crimson ‘s late Nineties incarnation; the many tempo changes are handled deftly, with peaks of riff-heavy intensity followed by low-key passages dominated by the evocative sound of Mellotron and Warr guitar. Starting out in similar fashion, “Brutality of Fact” soon turns solemn, tapping into that cinematic vein evidenced by the band’s debut, and pushing Mellotron and Hammond organ to the forefront together with the guitars and Jason Spradlin’s powerful drumming.
With the one-two punch of “Alice Krige pt. 1” and “Solitude One”, Conjure reaches its creative peak. The former explores the rarefied, atmospheric territory that had made Herd of Instinct’s debut such an intriguing proposition, with ethereal trumpet and flute complementing the echoing sound effects and sparse lap steel guitar, spiced by warm-sounding percussion; the latter, based on the Indian dilruba (one of the many exotic string instruments mastered by Ellett), juxtaposes haunting ambient and ethnic elements with trance-like electronics. The first half of the album closes with the clear, intersecting guitar lines and wistful Mellotron of “Ravenwood”, accented by a sprinkling of electronic effects.
The Mellotron takes a lead role again in the aptly titled “Mother Night”, a stately, faintly gloomy piece redolent of Scandinavian prog icons such as Anekdoten. “Vargtimmen”, based on a percussion sample from Steve Tibbetts’ Friendly Fire collection, is introduced by recorded voices that intensify its brooding, ominous quality; while the somewhat harsh-sounding “Malise”, rife with buzzing electronics, is in my view the weakest link on an otherwise strong album. Urgent drumming and sharp, assertive guitar lines propel the Morricone-influenced “New Lands, which also features a particularly expressive guitar solo (almost a rarity on an album based on a tight instrumental texture rather than on individual performances). Slow and measured, “A Sense of an Ending” hints at some episodes of Trey Gunn’s output, as well as the more sedate compositions of second- and third-phase King Crimson, while the airy, spacious melody in the first half of closer “The Secret of Fire” leads to an entrancing, almost slo-mo finale enhanced by piano and spacey sound effects.

Raffaella Berry

Celebrated Southern Californian progressive-rock band Djam Karet has extended the scope of its Firepool Records label by signing Herd of Instinct. With the ensemble's sophomore release for the label, Karet guitarist Gayle Ellett augments the core trio by performing on a vast array of keyboards, and uses the Mellotron as a vehicle to summon a classic '70s prog sound, at times sparking remembrances of vintage King Crimson.
This electrifying unit translucently morphs the days of prog-rock yore with an ultramodern scope. No doubt, the artists tread lots of fertile ground and abide by a polyrhythmic manifesto, shadowed by wide-ranging guitar articulations and keys driven textures. The musicians also render wraith-like atmospherics and bone-crunching riffs, disseminated with brief micro-melodies and a soundscape of opposing cadences and shifting paradigms. The outing is supplemented by guest artists, including bassist Colin Edwin of Porcupine Tree fame.
Mike Cook's touch-style, Warr guitar lines are prominent throughout. He either employs streaming, extended notes and legato phrasings or crosscuts through the deep bass parts and variable metrics, but not certain if Cook or guitarist Mike Davidson are responsible for the Robert Fripp-like sustain voicings. Regardless, the King Crimson element veers in and out, yet the band's holistic muse also bridges world music, largely evidenced on "Solitude One, " and features drummer Jason Spradlin's tabla programming that generates a steady Indo-fusion vibe. Here, the band entwines ambient electronica with a pulsating rock groove while implicating a many-sided and borderless environment, surging forth with glittering hues.
"Vargtimmen" kicks off with Cook's slinky electric fretless bass incarnations, followed by a moveable feast of symphonic electronics effects and mystical spoken word. Moreover, Ellett's Mellotron choruses beckon a hint of antiquity within the classic prog vein, equating to an affable vibe that softens the power-packed assault. They finalize the multifarious festivities with the somewhat ominous "The Secret of Fire," rooted on a thriving progression of guitars, synths and keys. Overall, it's a meticulously formulated and superlatively executed engagement that discloses newfound trinkets on subsequent listens. Indeed, a top-shelf product.

Glenn Astarita

Herd of Instinct have also upped the ante in terms of artwork, and Conjure comes with a strikingly sinister cover that suggests one of the Three Fates ready to sever the thread of life. Like its predecessor, the album may be a grower rather than a “love-at-first-listen” affair, and require more than a couple of absent-minded listens to make its full impact. On the other hand, with its sophistication and eclecticism, it strengthens the band’s reputation as one of the most interesting presences in the variegated “instrumental prog” universe, and will not disappoint those who had appreciated their debut. It is to be hoped that some festival organizers – either in the US or elsewhere – will also take notice.

Moshkito

There is nothing routine happening on this jewel. Conjure crosses fine red musical lines as the surreal cover concept implies and the listener is never ready for where or when each composition is going to decide to end. Certainly nothing verse / chorus / verse about this Frankenstein. Dark mysterious forces lurk on this spooky instrumental whose themes and inspirations form sonic images of everything from a Swedish gothic horror movie ( Vargtimmen ) to delving into the supernatural qualities of fire ( The Secret of Fire ). The foreboding blackness of night ( Mother Night ) is explored with Crimsonian mellotron backdrops and gothic synth harmonies which contrast with more soothing overtones that paint a terrible yet sublime portrait of this fascinating time of day when everything that lives seems to undergo enigmatic transformations. The opening track, Praxis seems to draw some cues from Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells intro that was used in The Exorcist horror film which sets the mood for the rest of the album,a precursory for the rest of the work which takes the listener through a mind trip of abstruse fluctuating ideas and moods.
Stylistically Conjure is a hybrid beyond category assimulating eclectic interpretations of electronic, ambient, metal, eastern stylings with tinges of psychedelia and traditional jazz and at times even sounding like a dreamy new age soundscape. Like any cutting edge musical exploration Conjure can take you to many places in relatively short time periods using many different musical devices such as reverse reverb, loops and the use of unexpected instruments such as the trumpet and flute on the smoky Alice Krige pt.1 with it's cool hypnotic electro beats. The meticulously constructed pieces also give the listener the illusion of missing time. I was surprised to find that only 53 minutes had elapsed after the first listen and thought the clock was playing with my head and even then I didn't want the album to end! It is one of those first listens that leaves you aghast, saying to yourself : this I gotta freaking hear again man! It is definitely music for the future while maintaining a conspicuous mystical future/primitive aura throughout. The masterful employment of the Mark Cook's low action Waar guitar and fretless bass lines of Colin Edwin ( from Porcupine Tree ) lend an overall visceral feel and provides a common denominator that fuses the individual compositions together. And when Gayle Ellett's angry synths enter into the fray a legendary sound is created. He audaciously integrates the rather antiquated moog, mellotron, Hammond Organ and Fender Rhodes piano with cutting edge recording technology which make them sound like novel inventions of the 21st century. Conjure might be sporadically compared to King Crimson's later work as well as some of Bill Bruford's solo work ( think : One of a Kind ) but the overall aftereffect emanates from the creative recesses of the individual players that meld as one single entity that give Conjure it's magical preeminence. Despite their intrinsical differences, the 12 tracks each live up to their namesakes and manage to create their own visions within themselves. Even if they are subiect to abrupt mood swings at times the compositions still maintain an individual musical intellection, and though Conjure is not a concept album per se, the result is a circumscribed harmony. I got the impression that the music was actually some phantasmagoric living entity. Solitude One ( my fave ), which also demonstrates the group's ability to adapt to another composer's intentions, reflects this impression magnificently. There is so much happening in this integration of middle eastern / east Indian rhythms and charms with western technologies. The coda simply numbs the mind. While I am not familiar with composer Lisa Lazo she must have arrived from some other dimension of time and space that I don't know about yet. The employment of the traditional bowed dilruba alongside modern guitar loops/synths and keyboards and programmed tabla-like percussion is a perfect marriage that defines the delicate future / primitive intricacy of the music found on Cojure.
Dark & moody as it is, Conjure is a mysterious creature of depthless substance that definitely beckons the headphones. Conjure is not an album to be listened to from across the room or while tinkering with your 1966 Pontiac GTO project car. It requires fully focused, attentive ears or you miss out on subtlties that colour the album. Whether it be the sublime Alice Krige pt. 1 or the furious Dead Leaf Echo with it's poignant intro and Sabbath-like riffing before grinding to a halt. The barrage of changes and suprises on Conjure are not unlike what was being unleashed by Gentle Giant in the early seventies with their incongruous renderings and unresolved musical inversions. The very Crimsonian, conflagrated Brutality of Fact aptly demonstrates this with Mike Davidson's Frippish guitar lines that are constantly persecuted by Gayle Ellett's relentless synths. Conjure is not all that doomy and gloomy though. Upon the arrival of track 10, the evocative New Lands, a sweeping folky tone emerges which is evocative of a quest for discovery. It comes as close to mainstream affections that you're going to hear on the album complete with an almost conventional guitar solo at the conclusion which consolidates and gives the piece a conquering finality.
This is no garden-variety contemporary instrumental album. No showboating here, just solid musicianship and compositional structure. This is one of the most together instrumental groups that I've heard in a long while, tight rhythms, complex musical phrasings and complete disregard for convention. I'll be listening to this baby when I'm in my eighties for sure.

Ian Gledhill

Herd of Instinct's "Conjure" is an instrumental album with some heavy guitars and embellishments of flute, trumpet, fretless bass, Hammond, Moog and Mellotron and some killer drums. Immediately one will recognise heavy influences of King Crimson, especially on the polyphonic time signatures of 'Brutality of Fact', even feeling at one point like guitarist Mike Davison is channelling Robert Fripp.
This leads to the spacier effects on 'Alice Krige Pt.1 ' with a haunting guitar sounding violin style, punctuated by African rhythms and sweeping keyboards. Joel Adair's trumpet is otherworldly and adds a genuine feeling of isolation and shrouds the nocturnal atmosphere. The flute further enhances the soundscape played beautifully by Bob Fisher; a mesmerising track.
'Solitude One' continues the ambient sound, with backwards keys and an Egyptian or Arabic flavour resounding; an incredible atmosphere. Another great track is 'Mother Night' utilising the fretless bass well and swathes of synths that transfix with their beauteous melodies. 'Vargtimmen' has a short narrative then locks into pronounced Crimsonian guitar phrases and grandiose synth lines. 'Malise' is more King Crimson sounds that have a dissonant aroma until breaking into frenetic tom tom percussion and blasts of guitar distortion. There is a heavier feel on 'New Lands' with a driving fast tempo and more aggressive guitar expulsions. The lead break is dynamic and frenetic.
'A Sense of an Ending' slows things down to a simmering keyboard and bold fretless bassline notations. The effervescent keyboard phrases are coupled by guitar glissando and some distorted off beat rhythms. 'The Secret of Fire' closes things off with glistening key pads and phased lead guitar over a relentless bass and drum signature. The melody is more upbeat and it ends with an improvisation of sustained lead and ethereal synth. It is a wonderful journey and one of the better instrumental albums out there.

Scott Tuffnell

Herd of Instinct combines the essence of experimental progressive with obvious recent King Crimson overtones, mixed in with the instrumental creativity of Djam Karet, a legendary US band that has musician Gayle Ellett handling the mellotron and synths. The music is dense, brooding and adventurous, nicely expanding the soundscapes of conventional prog. Essentially a quartet of Mark Cook (Warr guitar, guitars and basses), Jason Spradlin on drums, guitarist Mike Davison and the afore mentioned Ellett, the band has continued its usage of hired guns to perform on various cuts, just like they did on their debut album. The most prominent here is Porcupine Tree bassist Colin Edwin who injects his fretless rumble on a couple of tracks, namely the terrific opener 'Praxis' where the fluid low-end combines nicely with some 'bicycle' guitar motifs a la Fripp, dense ivory atmospherics and solid beats.
The tracks are rather short, mostly between 3 and 6 minutes, which gives an immediate sense of freshness and breath, even though the delivery is rapid-fire and frenetic. The flow of expressive musical ideas certainly provide a sense of direction but this is most definitely an athletic yet musical display of masterful chops with great attention to avoid overtly technical exuberations, sticking to the mind-music philosophy of this interesting band. All tracks are standout pieces of glorious music, a dab of flute here, some trumpet there, pulsating rhythms and deadly soloing.
On 'Alice Krige Part 1' the music gets really spacy and ethereal, firmly anchored in stunning reverie and sonic anticipation, while the magical 'Solitude One' offers some sultry Middle Eastern motifs mixed in with almost electronic beats, a trick that doesn't often work but here it's just plain genial because of the solid percussion work and the dissonant sand storm- like guitar. Herd of Instinct actually deliver a fascinating instrumental ballad on 'Mother Night', with howling mellotrons, nuclear drumming, rollicking bass patterns and shifting contrasts between splendor and palpitation. The serene synth 'led chorus is melancholic to the hilt, a total success story! I mean, WOW! 'Vargtimmen' has Nordic glacial overtones, frozen bergs of mellotron sprawling among the lapping North Sea waves, reverberating bass buoys bobbing frantically amid the crazy guitar sinews, something any progfan would relate to. There is a definite hint of Anekdoten within the grooves. 'New Lands' inquire about more Floydian scapes, with a scratchy guitar barrage, pummeling bass and some sweltering axe solos, while Colin Edwin does a return cameo on the moody 'A Sense of Ending', once again showcasing his fretless magic. If you are fan of the bass like yours truly, you will not be disappointed, the deft finger play is simply staggering! The disc ends with the volcanic 'The Secret of Fire', a spewing musical volcano of sheer delight, showcasing the shifting electric guitar in a most psychedelic spotlight, a tremendous finale!
Moshkito correctly stated that this is highly innovative and futuristic progressive rock, I cannot agree more as the crisp production only highlights the modern feel of the musicianship. Sensational background music but also dense enough for the critical headphone sonic surgeon, there is a lot to admire and enjoy from these new pioneers. Definitely a revelation that will surprise many a skeptic, Herd of Instinct is an avalanche of beastly intentions, set to trample mercilessly every clich' set in its rampaging path. Great artwork to boot!

Thomas Szirmay

"Conjure" es un trabajo progresivo en el sentido más noble del término, ya que logra mezclar una impresionante cantidad de estilos en una (generalmente) brillante fusión, al tiempo que ofrece canciones con un desarrollo armonioso, moderno y decididamente poco convencional.
En definitiva, este es un gran álbum y un buen indicador hacia el futuro de una banda que nos puede causar grandes alegrías en sus futuros trabajos.
Un gran álbum para este 2013. quizás no una maravilla com algunos de los mejores trabajos del 2013, pero sí un álbum que hará las delicias de muchos (yo estoy entre ellos). Consíganlo.

http://www.herdofinstinct.com
http://herdofinstinct.wix.com/herdofinstinct
http://www.djamkaret.com/firepoolrecords/herdofinstinct2/