Detailed Reviews [Roger Universe - 2022 - "Earth Express"]

Prolusion. German artist Roger Universe was the creative vehicle of composer Ulrich Muehl, who had been working at creating music for several decades but without ever releasing any of it commercially from what I understand. He started working on material for a debut album a few years back, but sadly he passed away before he could complete this task. With the finishing touches applied by his friend Geral Arend, the album "Earth Express" was posthumously released by German label Spheric Music in the late summer of 2022.

Analysis. While this isn't a production I'd classify as progressive rock as such, this is a creation that will be of interest to some progressive rock fans, with some of the compositions here featuring elements one will otherwise find among artists typically described within a progressive electronic music context. Electronic music is otherwise the key description here, and it is worth taking note of this being an instrumental production. It is of course rather common that albums within the electronic music sphere are instrumental, but the factor that makes it information to emphasize that aspect is that there are compositions here that also include a fair few synth pop elements, and to the point that a couple of the songs here reside more within a synth pop context than anything else. Otherwise this is an album that explores landscapes I assume many fans of electronic music will find familiar. In the minority department we have some material that appears to include references back to the great Isao Tomita, with more of an elegant and subtly dramatic inclusion of classical music elements in an electronic guise, while other creations are closer to the landscapes explored by the likes of Tangerine Dream, Vangelis and possibly even Jarre. Often with trace elements of two or more of these present. We also get quite a few compositions that have more of an ambient core intent, but with the landscapes explored given a more majestic and sometimes sacral sounding arrangement than what one might find in music more typically described as ambient in nature. It is a compelling and appealing blend of different music elements we have here, with a lot of work being done to make the soundscapes here come across as appealing as possible: This album sounds like a production given a fairly liberal budget in the mix and production department with clear and vibrant sounds being a defining feature. That the landscapes explored tend to stay within the boundaries of a cosmic and futuristic sounding framework is perhaps as expected, but also a fact worth taking note of. This is music that sends you soaring through galaxies rather than being companion pieces for internal journeys of the mind, so to speak.

Conclusion. This posthumous production of Roger Universe documents the skills of a composer that combine different facets and elements of electronic music with ease, and is perhaps one of the relative few albums out there were you could reference Pet Shop Boys and Gandalf with the same natural ease as with Jarre, Tangerine Dream and Tomita. With Vangelig being perhaps just as natural a reference too. If a production that mix, nip and tuck elements from the back catalogue of those artists sounds interesting, and listening to the end result of such a wide blend in a high quality mix and production sounds enticing, then this is a production that merits an inspection. This is a solid and accomplished creation in my book.

Progmessor: January 2023
The Rating Room