Sympozion - "Kundabuffer" Review

Artist/ Band: Sympozion
Title: Kundabuffer
Label: Unicorn Digital
Year of Release: 2007
Artist/ Band Link (click for details/ ordering)

The Review:

Comprised of musicians from Israeli rock, prog and jazz bands, Sympozion makes a style of music that I’d describe as a ‘happy’ side of bands like Univers Zero and Present. The band incorporates more than that, there’s a jazzy undertone to the band’s complex sound. All throughout their debut Kundabuffer you can hear the band’s various influences mixed together, sometimes more obvious than others, such as Gentle Giant, Frank Zappa, the afore mentioned bands and others.

The eight songs on Kundabuffer are mostly instrumental, except “Bird” and “Zona”, which are sung in Hebrew by Arik Hayat and Dan Carpman. The vocals in my opinion become another instrument as they’re not overpowering the instruments. A side note for those of you RIO fans, Udi Koomran (Thinking Plague, Present, Guapo) produced Kundabuffer. This will give Sympozion some ‘street cred” with the RIO fans for sure.

As for everyone else, if you like more orchestrated complex progressive music that doesn’t follow guidelines previous implanted into the genre, then this is one album you must explore. I’m always hearing new things each time I listen to Kundabuffer . Take it from me, especially since I’m fairly new to the more avant side of prog, this is a must have release.

Reviewed by Ron Fuchs on June 22nd, 2007

Tracks:

1. Patterns

2. Happy War Holiday

3. Bird

4. Grapefruit

5. Six

6. Zona

7. Too Much

8. Grapefruit Variations