Erehia plays "machine gun prog" like Simon Steensland and Japanese bands such as Happy Family and Ruins. The comparison with the last mentioned is more than accidental, as Erehia basically is a bass/percussion duo. Admittedly, more instruments are added, like electric guitar and viola (very well played by the way), but the music appears to be written around a percussion /bass core.

We are not speaking solely about "interplay", the labyrinth-sounding patterns show signs of instruments opposing and competing. Everything sounds systematized down to the smallest detail, and this indisputably gives the material a restless and quite strenuous character, another element in common with Ruins. On the other hand, Erehia does not share Ruins’ bizarre harmonic and vocal domain, and this gives Manuzkritoz a darker, more esoteric and delicate "avant prog" expression.

The duo apparently has arranged this demanding music with the ambition of performing it live, for example, programmed drums are used in order to allow percussionist Tizok to add guitar to Jorge Gaitan’s impressive bass lines, in the cases where the double melody lines are too advanced for MIDI system solutions. With the exception of a few background voices, the CD is purely instrumental.

I admit that I initially appreciate true "alternative" prog of this high caliber with regard to composing, technique and preferred "sound". And I have a deep admiration for Manuzkritoz, even if I empathize with those who for one reason or another find this music impenetrable. Avant prog fans, on the other hand, ought to look for this album until they find it, as this is seriously coarse stuff.

© 2001 Tarkus Magazine

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