KARFAGEN - MESSAGES FROM AFAR:FIRST CONTACT (2017 ALBUM)

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Sensational Semi-Instrumental Symphonic Prog of the highest order and ideal for fans of CAMEL, PINK FLOYD, The ENID and everything in-between!

I really cannot heap enough praise on this band … I have been into their music for years and their sensational brand of instrumental Prog just seems to get even better with each new release!

‘XI-Messages From Afar: First Contact’ is a studio recording released at the close of 2017, and this really is a fantastic Prog album - Another set of brilliant, near all-instrumental tracks full of rich keyboards driven melodies, and with all the classic “Proggy” keyboard sounds coming into play alongside classic 70’s/80’s FLOYD/Gilmour-like soaring electric guitar parts (and some a little like Steve Hillage) it’s another brilliant big value-for-money album that I cannot recommend highly enough – Always melodic, thrilling, energetic, exciting and at times atmospheric, once you sample the music of KARFAGEN you’ll be rushing back for more for sure!

Also worth a mention is the beautiful artwork on the Six-Panel Digi-Pak presentation all adding to the feel of quality about this release!

Musician line-up: Antony Kalugin (keyboards / percussion / vocals) with Olha Rostovska (vocals / keyboards), Max Velychko (electric & acoustic guitars), Michail Sidorenko (alto sax), Oleg Prokhorov (bass) and Kostya Shepelenko (drums).

Here is a brief history of the wonderful KARFAGEN…

KARFAGEN is the brainchild of Ukrainian born keyboards player Antony Kalugin. Mainly an instrumental band, they have a unique sound that separates them from most others in the genre.
When vocal parts are used they are in near perfect English is VERY GOOD to say the least, but it’s the instrumental work-outs that this band produce that will really will get your juices flowing – especially if you are already into any of the bands listed in the next paragraph.
They show imaginative use of keyboards and guitars with just odd hints of New Age and Jazz-Rock in places.
Their influences are quite wide ranging, but you will hear references to bands like: CAMEL, IQ, PINK FLOYD, SAGA, FOCUS, The ENID, the FLOWER KINGS and Anthony Phillips in their music.

KARFAGEN (means “Karthago”) is a symbol of glory and wisdom and also a never-ending journey into the world of the forgotten past and un-predictable future. The name was first heard in 1997 when Antony Kalugin formed the band at school, but it was while he was studying at the architectural university in 1998 that he began to record their first album with his close friend Sergey Kovalev (accordion and harmonica).

After making several solo albums Kalugin composed and performed on more than forty other albums between 2003 and 2005. These were all released in Russia and the Ukraine. With those projects, Antony gathered the necessary funds to record the first real KARFAGEN album, and in 2005 the band reformed and went into the studio to record: ‘Continium’, an album which led the band to sign with the Canadian label: UNICORN DIGITAL. After one other album for that label, Kalugin formed a partnership with Welsh based musician Will Mackie and has since released all the KARFAGEN and related titles on his Caerllysi Music label.

Antony Kalugin's main strength is his brilliant, at times delicate keyboard work, and alongside his musical collaborators he offers a tribute to the Symphonic Prog of the past. His impressive portfolio of musical projects threaten to place him as a Ukrainian answer to Steven Wilson - a prolific creative force capable of playing Progressive and Prog-influenced music in a vast variety of styles! As well as KARFANEN and his solo projects, he has interests in projects of SUNCHILD, a melodic, song-based Prog band in which he recruited various Ukrainian musicians. He is also an integral contributor to Will Mackie's band HOGGWASH.

Despite how important those ongoing projects are to him, KARFAGEN is Kalugin's "flagship" Progressive Rock band, the one he instituted and has been working with ever since deciding to pursue a music career back in 1994.

‘XI-Messages From Afar: First Contact’ was released on 5th January 2017.

Also available from stock by KARAFAGEN…
7 (2015 Studio Album / Digi-Pak) CD - Stock # 1790129
ALEATORICA (2013 Studio Album / Digi-Pak) CD - Stock # 1586866
KEY TO PERCEPTION [EARLY YEARS 1997-2007] 2CD - Stock # 1220669
LOST SYMPHONY (2011 Studio Album / Digi-Pak) CD - Stock # 1564210
MAGICIAN'S THEATER (2014 Studio Album / Digi-Pak) CD - Stock # 1703741
SOLITARY SANDPIPER JOURNEY (2010 Symphonic Prog) CD - Stock # 1324913
SPEKTRA (2017 Studio Album / Digi-Pak) CD - Stock # 1915246

KARGAGAN: IX-MESSAGES FROM AFAR: FIRST CONTACT Track List:

01. First Contact (7:14)
02. Foreign Land (7:23)
03. Curious Talk (3:30)
04. Volcano Rabbit & The Frog (5:33)
05. Faces In The Clouds (3:08)
06. Vale Of Dreams (8:34)
07. Golden Fields Of Rye (2:15)
08. Riding On A Rainbow (2:53)
09. Constant Flow (15:45)

TPT - 56:15