Breaking out of your comfort zone
The rebirth of bands that appeared in the 70s and were thought to have disappeared forever is not an uncommon occurrence in the progressive microcosm. Flame Dream's revival is a bit special, though. First and foremost, because their discography (which was actually quite extensive, but which inevitably declined in quality on their fifth (1983) and sixth album 1986) has never been reissued on CD, or at least not officially, because ‘pirate’ versions with a ‚unsatisfactory’ sound (copied from vinyl) have been circulating illegally for years... This ‘invisibility’ has certainly maintained a slight positive mystery surrounding this Swiss band for a long time, but above all it has reduced their music to an obscure paragraph in the progressive encyclopaedias, in the light of streaming, which now makes it possible to enjoy an infinite disc library...
38 years after their previous album (which quickly led to the -temporary- end of the band), Flame Dream have reformed in their historical and original configuration. This is certainly an unusual observation, but it becomes even more remarkable when you discover that the 4 musicians still active worked on the 6 albums (of which only the first 4 were progressive) released during their first artistic existence... And this quartet, visibly united as ever, has decided to link the present and the past with a continuity and obviousness that are quite incredible. Having spoken to them several times on the phone, I can assure you that these sixty-somethings are surprisingly enthusiastic and passionate, as if invigorated by the idea of offering new chapters to their musical history begun almost 50 years ago.
You can rest assured about the content of this new album, because the continuity mentioned above does not apply to Flame Dream's current music. We're a long way from the commercial excesses of the band's previous albums, and they've returned to their first progressive love, with a vigour and purity never before equalled. SILENT TRANSITION, made up of long sequels with twists and turns and consistent quality, makes us realise that Flame Dream's lack of notoriety also stems from the fact that none of their best albums were free of slightly weaker moments. Unlike some of the more memorable bands, whose name resounds from the yardstick of an emblematic album, the Swiss band has not been able to build its aura on a solid foundation recognised as such by the greatest number.
This new album is undoubtedly the most firmly rooted in consistency and coherence. There are no weaknesses to be found here, either instrumentally or vocally. It's worth noting that Peter Wolf's voice has lost none of its tessitura over the years, which comes as no surprise when you consider that the Irish-Swiss singer takes great care of his vocal organ on a daily basis. The vocals, sometimes reminiscent of those of Jon Anderson or Peter Nicholls, provide a convincing counterpoint to the long, rich instrumental blasts. The reference to IQ's vocalist is not accidental, as the music produced by Flame Dream today can sometimes evoke that of the English band, drifting towards a form of sophisticated neo-progressive.
The musicians give this new album another dimension through the variety and relevance of their artistic choices. There are, for example, moments of symphonic fusion to great effect, thanks in particular to the sinuous, melodic guitar reminiscent of Allan Holdswoth. And since the keyboards here are so rich and multi-faceted, it's not incongruous to think of UK from time to time, a rare reference despite the fame of the band that was the last major band of the blessed decade of the progressive movement...
In terms of sound, however, we are well and truly in the year 2024, as SILENT TRANSITION benefits from a modern production, which renders comparisons with the band's previous works somewhat null and void. The essence of this new chapter lies in this duality: evoking its author's past from afar and in fits and starts, while never losing sight of the present and the future... This formal modernity is also maintained by a few pop (Supertramp or BJH) or AOR (Saga) passages, which are never over-emphasised and appear as beneficial breaths in the midst of opulent instrumental cavalcades...
In an apparent paradox, SILENT TRANSITION resembles a first work, the driving force behind which is the rediscovered passion of its protagonists. Inflated with an almost youthful enthusiasm, the four musicians of Flame Dream have transcended the progressive music of their youth, nourishing it with a richer, more varied and above all more solid architecture. The ‘Swiss Yes’ that was wrongly attributed to the band in its early days is no more, and it's now a band of rebellious, sympathetic ‘kids’ who have taken up the torch to give life to a more authentic and personal music. Flame Dream may have tried to do too much here, but this oeuvre is the result of a new-found freshness and is based on exalted, exhilarating talent. Folks, time for your ‘second’ album... (smiles)
Olivier PELLETANT
Interview with Peter Wolf
A new Flame Dream album after almost 40 years of silence: that's a real surprise. What have you been doing all these years and what led you to reactivate the band? We've never stopped playing and creating music. We've taken part in numerous musical projects, theatre productions, soundtracks and music sessions. Pit Furrer, our drummer/percussionist, founded Pit's Drums, a well-known musical instrument shop in Lucerne, and over the years we've received numerous requests for reissues of our previous albums. Our aim was to do this in a creative way. So we came up with the idea of composing and writing new material. So we made this a musical challenge and gave our music and lyrics a new dimension in a contemporary context. The fact that we were able to work with the excellent English guitarist Alex Hutchings (he lives in Bristol) gave us extra motivation. Some of the lyrics were written in Dublin, Ireland (I've got some roots there)...
Incredibly, the members of the band have been the same since you started in 1977 and, from our telephone conversations over the last few weeks, you seem to be a very friendly bunch of people... How do you explain such a long period of friendship? Despite the long break since the previous album in 1986, our friendship has grown and developed; and don't forget that Lucerne, the town where we live, is relatively small. That's why we've always stayed in touch, despite the fact that our lives have undergone a lot of changes. As we all know, life is always full of surprises, both good and bad. So it's very important to play MUSIC and keep the positive vibes going through it all. It's our passion for MUSIC that keeps us going. In any case, I'm happy to hear that this is reflected in you in a lively way (laughs).
Can you tell us a bit about the themes on this new album? Should we see this ‘silent transition’ as a desire to get back into the progressive mainstream by the back door, whereas you seem to want to shout about how happy you are to be back? The title of our new album has several meanings. The lyrics are a reflection on the current state of things. We live and work in an era that is torn apart, on a global scale. Isolation in the digital age, loneliness, the disastrous consequences of polarisation, Covid, the loss of biodiversity... The cover-art of SILENT TRANSITION is a visual statement, with some of the key words standing out. What's more, the CD booklet contains a mention of a special book under each of the musicians' portraits. Why do we recommend these books? Reading is so important... (smiles)
It's often been said in the past that you were the ‘Swiss Yes’, which I think is a very simplistic description. Our musical roots are in classical music and jazz, as well as film soundtracks. Don't forget that we started our band very young. If you play progressive music with long compositions and complex pieces, it's understandable that listeners or the media will put some kind of label on you. So it's not surprising that the best-known bands from that period were used as points of comparison. As we were a very active live band and used visual elements on stage very early on, we were gradually able to establish our own identity. Of course, we were also influenced by Italian bands, the Canterbury School, jazz and contemporary composers...
In any case, SILENT TRANSITION is an album with a personality all its own, and it's hard to pin it down to any one band. Is this a compliment? (laughs) And how would you define your music in 2024? Thanks for the compliment. When you create your own music, it's hard to describe it in words. Our aim is to bring to life an exciting progressive sound with striking rhythms. It's up to the It's up to listeners to explore and discover these musical atmospheres, and of course to experience their own imaginations as they listen to our MUSIC...
This new album is certainly the band's most ambitious, and one might wonder whether you didn't want to make up for lost time and showcase a powerful glimpse of your talent. We're very conscious of the years that have gone by. As a musician and composer, credibility is very important. That's why our aim, after a long time, was to create exciting MUSIC - in a contemporary context. The fact that we were able to integrate all our musical experiences and what we learned about recording techniques, including the use of digital technology, is self explanatory. As we've already explained, it's also a string of luck to have the excellent guitarist Alex Hutchings playing on the tracks of this new album SILENT TRANSITION...
The world of music has changed a lot since the 70s, and dreams of success are now a pipe dream. I imagine that this is a secondary concern for you today, but what do you think of this era of frantic zapping that leaves little time for each oeuvre to be known and appreciated? Good question! Yes, there's no substitute for taking time out to listen to stimulating music and/or read an interesting book. So back to SILENT TRANSITION: the lyrics are a reflection on the state of things NOW. It's up to listeners to think about it.
You have decided to handle the distribution and promotion of Silent Transition. Why did you make this choice? We work as a small, flexible unit, as independent producers with our own label. In this set-up we can do things the way we want to do them and react quickly. That's why our previous progressive albums will also be re-released on our label. Our aim is to concentrate on the MUSIC without any compromises. We'll see how things develop, because there's a lot of work involved.
What are your current projects? I imagine that you're not going to stop there, and take advantage of the positive reviews for this new album to follow up your long career. We're still promoting the new album. In spring 2025, SILENT TRANSITION will be released on LP (high-quality 180g black vinyl with a gatefold sleeve). The previous progressive albums will be reissued ‘step by step’ from summer 2025 on.
Finally, if there's anything else you'd like to add for the readers of Big Bang, I'll leave you with the final word… One world, one voice - passion for music.