Inner Drive's Oasis, from Russia 2014, by request

 

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Inner Drive is a progressive rock band from Moscow formed in 2006. The band started out as a trio of keyboards, bass and drums but later expanded with instruments like violin, flute and guitars and recorded their debut album in 2014 recommended to fans of eclectic fusion.

A review from progarchives in my opinion doesn't quite do it justice:

Inner Drive from Russia, this totally unknown band even in their country released the debut in 2014 named Oasis. Formed around 2006 they come up with a beautiful art work ,but the music is no less chalenging and beautiful in same time. The album is entirely instrumental and is on eclectic side, from symphonic prog to prog folk and even some fusion moments are present all done with skills and good taste, keyboards, flute, the violin parts, all are well organized delivering some intresting chops from start to finish. The head of the band Sergey Bolotov gathered around him talented musicians who know to handle the instruments, creating a good towards great release in today prog realm. All in all intresting album by this russian band, I think they need far more exposure. 3 stars rounded to 3.5.

First of all I would give it far more stars. No question the composition shows a very deep musical education, but I would prefer to describe it as European chamber music with fusion, rhythm section, and prog influences.  Many tracks feature acoustic piano plus violin and flute for example, so recalling the type of stuff later Gotic did, in their second unreleased album, or more recently the great band Kotebel.  On this blog there have been many posts like this, most recently the Japanese band TEE or the French Syrinx, or Aurora Clara, or my old favourite is Brazilian Ramo.  Amongst the classics from the 1970s, this harks back to the French masterpieces Carpe Diem and Shylock.

If you take a look at the tracklist you'll for sure notice the one called Inspired by Pink Floyd:

 

Not sure what is the inspiration here, it's a bit confusing.

The title track:

You can really appreciate the beauty of the combination of electric piano (Fender Rhodes?) with acoustic flute soloing above, plus digital strings giving it a kind of video game theme music sound by the end, on something called Transience:

Sometimes a very deep and sentient delicatesse permeates the performance, which is really evocative and transcendantly played.  In the end I would say that if you are familiar with Kotebel's work, they are most similar to that Spanish band.  A wonderful suggestion without a doubt for me, and hopefully for many others out there.  Too bad there isn't more output from them. Thanks again for requesting.

A bunch of Rob Mounsey: 1987 Local Color (with Steve Kahn), 1989 Dig, 1993 Back in the Pool, 1998 You Are Here

 

Information here.

American keyboardist, producer, arranger, composer, musician, and conductor, born 2 December 1952 in Berea, Ohio, USA. Owner of Flying Monkey Productions, Inc., Flying Monkey Studios, and Flying Monkey Music.

I checked out his stuff because he was responsible for some of the great compositions on the preceding post, Joe Cool.  

Local Color (from 1987) with guitarist Steve Kahn comes together very nicely, and is quite similar to the stuff I posted from Khan before here and here.  The delicacy of Blue Rose is very reminiscent of classic 1970s Euro-fusion:

Later albums begin to have more of the classic 1980s new age and Pat Metheny / Brazilian influences which may or may not be appealing to you.

From Dig, however, consider a truly lovely track that closes it out, Gratitude:

1993's Back in the Pool starts to sound very much more and overwhelmingly like Pat Metheny.  The Sand Covers Everything:

Nonetheless, there are great ideas throughout, scattered amongst the commercial throwaways. 

As late as 1998's You Are Here, Still Life with Mockingbird:

There's a lot to enjoy here for sure. The standout is Local Color from 1987.

Joe Cool's 1980 Party Animals, by request [FLAC limited time only]

 

Information to be found here. Light fusion with slapped bass, synths plus funky guitars, no vocals, very much typical of the times.  Well composed and enjoyable though, and highly exquisitely played.

A very typical composition would be their Freedom of Assembly:

For their softer slower stuff, consider Borderland:

Here and there one can detect influences from the 'funky prog fusion' style of Brecker Bros, and Steps Ahead going way beyond the American generic light fusion style.  And luckily I don't hear any sax, meaning none of that high-pitched squealing screeching Sanbornian influence. 

All those who were (un)fortunate to be there in those 1980s, will remember vividly the long hair and the mullets, the t-shirt under a blazer fit, and the inescapably popular David S...

Cosmic Debris Compleat: ST (1980), While you're Asleep (1983), On the Shores of a Different Time (1986)

 

 

 

 

I posted their most progressive opus, While You're Asleep, more than 10 years ago back here, and I still think it's amazing because it eschews the one-chord drony electronic format that is typical of the ST or 3.7K release from 1980.  Then I found out they also released a cassette subsequently (no cover to post for that one), but it reverts back to the old drony electronic style. Hard to listen to when the tracks get overly long. Information here.

Mr. Motaba by request, from 1997

 

Sparse information here. Was it their only release?  It's typical late instrumental guitar-based fusion like so much other stuff posted here recently.

Efoiaqui: