{"id":10908,"date":"2025-04-17T17:40:27","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T15:40:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kessel-tamerus.nl\/Esthers_Blog\/?p=10908"},"modified":"2025-04-17T17:40:35","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T15:40:35","slug":"karibow-panterrania","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kessel-tamerus.nl\/Esthers_Blog\/cd-recensie\/karibow-panterrania\/","title":{"rendered":"KariBow \u2013 PanTerrania"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In its almost 30-year existence, Karibow has released quite a few (double) albums. Some of these are true one-man projects, as founder Oliver R\u00fcsing is a singer and multi-instrumentalist. Moreover, he always wants to learn to play new instruments and likes to experiment with sounds.
Fans of prog\/melodic rock and AOR, among others, had to wait a bit longer for the new double album. But ‘PanTerrania’ is out now, and one can enjoy over 100 minutes of music. On this album too, he has largely sung and played everything himself. Again he again used several \u2018unusual\u2019 instruments, including kalimba, and yangqin (this is a Chinese stringed instrument that you play with \u2018sticks\u2019.
Without perhaps knowing it, we have all heard this instrument before). Guest musicians are among others: guitarist Ian Crichton and singer Monique van der Kolk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CD1 Worlds of Illusion:<\/em><\/strong>
This one opens calmly with ‘PanTerrania’. The melange of sounds, instruments and orchestral elements is extraordinary.
\u2018Simplify Yourself\u2019 is a bit more poppy, but this too is clearly Karibow. The (stacked) vocals come from Oliver. Moreover, he has played all the instruments himself, the bass is pleasantly present and contrasts beautifully with the piano playing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver is an all-rounder, which can be heard in, for example, \u2018Ordinary Gods\u2019: drums and percussion, (bass) guitar and organ, everything is well played. This really is a monster job to play so much by yourself. Only the keyboard solo features Andy Tillison. The subdued part is beautiful, the unusual vocals and sounds giving a surreal atmosphere. Slowly this feeling disappears, but the twists and turns that follow remain captivating. This epic is fantastically constructed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In \u2018Tangram\u2019, you hear not only the usual instruments, but also the lyre, Kalimba (thumb piano), and the steel tongue drum (played with sticks). The blend between these is carefully chosen; the ending is special.
There is so much to listen to from the music and the way it is sung that you might hardly get around to absorbing all the lyrics right away. Yet Oliver sings clearly enough, besides, you can read along in the lyric booklet.
Ian Crichton played the guitar solo in \u2018Genes from Another World\u2019. The sensitively sung words of \u2018Behind My Eyes\u2019 combined with the subdued music touch me. This is about self-reflection, authenticity, and the fact that Oliver cannot lie to himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018In the Fragments\u2019 starts fairly calm, tempo and volume increasing. Later, (hard) rock elements follow, but the balance is maintained.
Both instrumentally and vocally, there is a lot of variation in \u2018Heaven\u2019. For the music moves from subdued, through mid-tempo to catchy rock, and back again. The minimalist part is sensitively sung and played. \u2018Albedo\u2019 too has both, calm parts and some more heavy elements. The low, slightly raspy vocals match the heavier rock (metal) sounds of the music. So do the whispered words. At times, the music is a bit hectic, but that too fits everything. Again, Oliver’s (screaming) guitar playing stands out positively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CD 2 \u2018The Last Illusian\u2019<\/em><\/strong> is actually one track spread over 10 chapters. This is a comprehensive “statement” on what can become of your dreams. Without frustration, this is an acceptance of reality, which is not easy for a perfectionist. He\/she cannot let go his\/her dreams, even if they are misguided.
\u2018One Touch (Part I)\u2019 starts with gentle sampled sounds, spherical music, and subdued vocals. There are no mega unexpected things, but certainly enough twists and turns. Non-stop follows the largely instrumental \u2018Blossom Black (Part II)\u2019. At one point, \u2018The Leak (Part III)\u2019 seems to end, but it’s twist. Philipp Dauenhauer (of Karibow’s live band) played the guitar solo.
Monique van der Kolk is guest vocalist in \u2018Illusian (Part VI)\u2019. You can hear her voice both in the subdued parts, and in pieces with more power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The subdued \u2018A Little While (Part VII)\u2019 includes beautiful saxophone playing. This short track continues into \u2018Cupid Calling (Part VIII)\u2019. Here, a sunny reggae atmosphere is interspersed with rocking elements. John Jagger’s voice colours beautifully with Oliver’s voice. There are several twists and turns including minimalist sections. For a moment there is a kind of drop out, the sound seems to come from a bit further away. After subdued vocals, the seamless transition follows with \u2018Lords of the Big Shame (Part IX)\u2019. Nic Koray’s voice melts together with the (calm) sounds of the instruments. There is a lot of diversity of tempo and volume. Moreover, there is a delightful melange between Western in Chinese instruments, and\u2026 there is choral singing. Yet it all remains in harmony with each other.
Also the final track \u2018Nothing Shall Remain (Part X)\u2019 has numerous twists and turns. The melange between the three vocalists themselves, and with the music, is fine. The sampled sounds are related to the first track. This calm section is clearly the build-up to the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is impressive what Oliver manages to accomplish. He continues to develop and with that, he has delivered another very good album for Karibow. Is there actually a nomination list for best multi-instrumentalist? Because Oliver R\u00fcsing definitely belongs on this one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(92\/100) (Own Management)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social media<\/strong>:
Facebook: KariBow<\/a>
Website: KariBow<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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