Ominox - Contemporary Past (2004)Liquid Note Records

You can infrequently learn about the bands of this sort as the project above. I hope the situation undergoes changes, that's why I have devoted DoV to most ingenious groups and artists in the world. Ominox are faithful to fusion music, that is an attempt at mixing jazz, rock with other genres. It doesn't matter that fusion isn't numbered among most popular subgenres at present. Most of listeners prefer "one-way" (one-directed) music to becoming engrossed in the secrets of different styles. Some of them are also afraid that won't be able to understand such a music, so I will try to dispel all these concerns.

A Swede Lale (actually Lalle) Larson is most often associated with a band Karmakanic, but his musical adventure was started from another point. To deepen his knowledge and improve abilities, he studied at American Institute of Music (Vienna). Lale got to know Jerry Ericsson there and decided on founding a fusion group after homecoming. Its name was Virtual Reality in the year 1995, but it was renamed for Ominox with time. Obviously, the line-up was being changed in the course of a few years. I'd like to mention all the members: Fredrik Möller (guitar, bass), Bo Eriksson (guitar), a jazz guitarist Krister Jonsson and American musician - Jimmy Lou (guitar). But the foundation of Ominox are three instrumentalists: Lale Larson (keys), Bengt Johnson (drums) and Jerry Ericsson (bass). They recorded some demo tapes, but couldn't manage to publish them officially. Finally, they came across a passionate fan Matt Williams who released their material under the banner of his Liquid Note Records.

Aforementioned CD consists of tracks that were recorded even a dozen or so years ago when Lale was seventeen. I'd like to point out that "Contemporary Past" isn't his solo release. If you want to listen to a music composed for a solo piano, I send you to his "State of Mind". Moving directly to the contests, I admit that such musicians like Lale Larson don't play the music, but go in for a "musical painting". They are capable of "painting" something of impressionistic picture's sort with their instruments. Therefore, we can't simply describe Ominox's music as a traditional jazz/fusion. Lale managed to smuggle a great deal of his original conceptions (clearly audible in interludes) and movie accents. It's also important that Lale's improvisations aren't tiresome because of their melodiousness.

I attach a great importance to the fact that 99% of the material was recorded live, not on the stage in front of the audience, but at one go with a little amount of corrections and patches at the studio. It just goes to show that the Ominox crew are very gifted and professional. I put "Contemporary Past" close to such names like Tribal Tech, Coste Apetrea (De Gladas Kapell), Hans Lundin (Kaipa) and Chick Corea. I assure you that Ominox's tones are capable of making a great impression on every sensitive listener.