Mã¼nchner Merkur Vom 31. August 2010

A good mix of classic Southern fried rock with space/psych prog.
Hypnos 69 was founded in 1994, Diest, Belgium. When Steve and Dave Houtmeyers decide in the summer of '94 to found a band with Tom Vanlaer, also the story of a band that would bring new life to the '60s and '70s psychedelic underground rock-scene of today began: Hypnos 69. The name was appropriately taken from the ancient Greek god of Sleep and Subconsciousness. The number 69 stands for equilibrium and stability; properties that can be retrieved in the marked sound of the band. Thanks to the cooperation with Orange Factory, Hypnos 69 developed a very powerful live-reputation, which placed them at the top of the contemporary psychedelic rockscene…

The multi talented musician Jens Buchert from Stuttgart is one the most popular international producers from the German Downbeat, Ambient, Lounge, Chillout scene. He is known for his ambient and electronic music projects Space Night, Café Solaire, Pacha compilation, Ibiza Chillout, Sunset Chill, Savannah Beach Club and last but not least the Café Abstract series. As a musician, graduate of film and media science, video producer, sound engineer and music designer, Jens Buchert can be called a multimedia wizard. For more than 20 years he has been soaring and uniquely creative in his line of business - and there’s no end to his artistic energy. His delicious work wants to continue to shine into the bright future.

Antonin Dvorák's Piano Quartet No. 2 is one of the greatest chamber works of the 19th century (as are many of Dvorák's chamber compositions). Written in 1889 at the request of his publisher Simrock, it is a big, bold work filled with the Czech master's trademark melodic fecundity, harmonic richness, and rhythmic vitality. The first movement is a soaring, outdoor allegro with an assertively optimistic main theme accented by Czech contours and Dvorák's love of mixing major and minor modes. The Lento movement's wistful main theme is played with a perfect mixture of passion and poise by cellist Yo-Yo Ma. The music alternates between passages of drama and delicacy in this, one of Dvorák's finest slow movements in any medium. The Scherzo's stately waltz is contrasted by a lively, up-tempo Czech country dance. The finale is a high-stepping, high-spirited allegro with a strong rhythmic pulse that relaxes for the beautifully lyrical second subject.

Apocalyptica was a cool concept to begin with: four classical cellists playing arrangements of Metallica songs. But that was their first EP, and that was a long time ago. Now they play instrumental hard rock and bring in guest vocalists, and the returns have diminished. "End of Me" features former Bush vocalist Gavin Rossdale. Brent Smith of Shinedown shows up for "Not Strong Enough," a power ballad that sounds like a performance from a televised country music awards show. When the cellos are fed through pedals, the sound can be quite impressive, like a guitar, but five times more room-filling and powerful. And the members of Apocalyptica do use many different effects on their instruments, occasionally creating sounds not unlike those you might hear on a Sunn 0))) album. The best track on 7th Symphony is "2010," which features a guest performance by Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo…