Breakthru

Breakthru were a powerful live act who never managed to "break through" into the record charts despite a talented and charismatic line-up. 40 years later, Circle Records has released a compilation of their recorded material that we can now hear and appreciate for the first time. Breakthru never managed to have an album released of their own which was unfortunate as their only record was a solitary single "Ice Cream Tree" that has since appeared on various 1960s compilations.
Now, decades later, the previously un-released recordings they made have been assembled into the one and only Breakthru album titled "Adventures Highway". This collection the band members say, represents how they would like the group to be best remembered…

The unique pianist Ran Blake is heard on this album performing brief versions (all but one of the fourteen songs are under four minutes) of a colorful variety of standards and originals. Blake's emotional playing (which emphasizes the contrast between silence and explosive sounds) is both witty and unpredictable. Among the many short sketches are versions of "You Stepped Out of a Dream," "If Dreams Come True," "Drop Me Off in Harlem," "All About Ronnie," "Tea for Two" and even "Spinning Wheel." Intriguing music.

Hard to describe what’s going on in Triangulus and Björn J:son Lindh. The closest analog - would be what would happen if the Alan Parson’s Project relocated to the island of Majorca and replaced their members with Swedish electro-acoustic minimalists. Imagine a very math-y (complex, musical time signatures galore) version of Balearic music that’s as interested in taking you on a tropical journey as it is into not completely shaking off its progressive Scandinavian experimental heritage. Because that’s basically what it is. A mix of Triangulus’ minimal prog style with the late Björn J:son Lindh’s ambient flute-driven jazz-fusion creating a not so distant kin of Coste Apetrea‘s similar, ruminative ideas…