“There is not much to say about this Years in Music except that it's Loom and it's very good as usual and as expected”
CD 1 (54:29) 1 Prologue 1:03 2 Polaroids from Anywhere 8:20 3 Cloudwalk 5:56 4 Perpetual Motion 4:16 5 Speech of Johannes Schmoelling 3:00 6 Love Theme (from Logos) 5:41 7 Rejuvenation 8:30 8 Metamorphosis 3:17 9 Cartoony Universe 7:34 10 Tachycardia 6:52 CD 2 (65:47) 1 Epilogue 0:59
2 Emerald Suite 9:33 3 Towards the Evening Star 6:35 4 Time Scanner 5:36 5 Below the Playfield 7:07 6 Piano Improvisation (Kneeplay No. 9) 6:23 7 Excerpt from Force Majeure 3:19 8 Final Theme (from Logos) 5:01 Encores: 1 Time & Tide 7:25 2 The Origin 6:07 3 Choronzon 7:42
(2 CD 110:16) (V.F.) (E-Rock)
Are they still some CDs available? Such is the question with the universe which favors an approach for collectors and retailers over the net that Loom has established with a too much restricted pressing of its albums. If the first live album of the band, Scored, included a lot of reprises of Tangerine Dream mixed with Johannes Schmoelling's titles as well as those of Jerome Froese, this YEARS IN MUSIC shows the real identity of Loom; a good trio of energetic electronic rock strong on melodies. Drawing from their last 3 studio albums of the Berlin trio, 200 002, The Tree Hates the Forest (all 2 released in 2013) and 300 003, which was released at the beginning of this year, this live album redraws the main lines of a memorable concert which made chattered a lot on the social networks. Videos circulated on the Net, and Facebook was fast flooded by those. The Loom fever has just broken out! Long hummings coupled to hearty applause introduce the trio on stage. Quietly and soberly, Prologue is ardently welcomed by a public already won beforehand. Then follow in order the first 2 titles which open The Tree Hates the Forest. All the details are present, and the music is more powerful; Polaroids from Anywhere sets the tone with a just interpretation and a rather aggressive Jerome Froese with his Guitartronica. Moreover, the solo which gets out of this good electronic rock reminds us the good moments of his father.
This title and Cloudwalk introduce us to an excellent 2 hours where the music of yesterday flirts with that of tomorrow at the present moment. The selection of the titles puts us into appetite, if we are a fan of Loom. Everything is performed with the professionalism of Schmoelling and the vast experience of Jerome while Robert Waters follows the pace and completes well the duet. We feel a complicity between these 3 musicians, and it transposes through a music which is warmer than that of you know who. If the titles seem known to us, there are surprises and new music. The great surprise is this very good interpretation of Kneeplay No 9 which leads us towards a short excerpt of Force Majeure which slides towards a stunning finale of Logos and a Jerome very dedicated to the guitar. Very good and we are nailed to our sit! Another extract from Logos, Final Theme, is also played in a sober and rather moving way. Another title of the Tangerine Dream universe is also performed; Towards the Evening Star. And the more Jerome plays it, and the more it gets lively and powerful. It's a very good interpretation with nice melodious nuances and a beautiful play of sequences which parade with a contrasting limpidity. We are also entitled to a first title written by Robert Waters; Metamorphosis. We understand now the complicity which unites Waters to Jerome because his music inhales an approach of Electronica which is reminiscent of Jerome Froese's debuts. I shall talk about his music from his E.P., Time Ahead Time, pretty soon. But that sounds rather promising. The Origin seems to be a new title from Loom. Inserted between 2 Encores, which were also present on Scored, the music makes very Tangerine Dream from the Tyger era. And that always pleases to hear another version of Choronzon, fiery and very rock with a lot of riffs from the Guitartronica, which fits very well here after The Origin.
There is not much to add about YEARS IN MUSIC. This live album is more personal to Loom with a flying over the solo albums of each of its members and a small incursion in the universe of Tangerine Dream which is always pleasant to hear. Everything is well presented. We feel that the energy of the trio is contagious. I only wish you readers and late fans of Loom to be able to find this CD (I saw it on eBay) and to wish us that a DVD will eventually go out to immortalize Johannes Schmoelling in concert. I can put an old 2 dollars on that… After all, money talks!
Sylvain Lupari (November 9th, 2016) ****¼*