en-Dimensions_comment | Electric Asturias

*The following is a translation using translation software. I hope you can understand.*

We started our activities as "Asturias" in 1987, and have created a new path for progressive rock in three different forms: "Acoustic Asturias", which started in 2003, and "Electric Asturias", which started in 2009. Asturias continues to pursue activities. Electric Asturias (rock band style) that has become a regular at festivals overseas and is steadily gaining popularity, will finally release their long-awaited 4th album with new member Eiji Nakamura.

The unique world of melodious and dramatic prog rock with a sense of sadness is alive and well, filled with a new spirit of exploration, and the ambitious work "Dimensions'' aiming for the next "dimension'' has finally been completed.

The main piece, the over 20-minute suite "Fourth Dimension'', is a work that focuses on the fourth dimension and develops various elements of prog rock in four parts, aiming to be as enjoyable to listen to as the great prog songs of yesteryear. A journey to another dimension through music that unfolds dramatically. The six carefully crafted songs transcend eras and genres and invite you to the universal "world of rock instrumental music." I would be happy if you could fully immerse yourself in that worldview.

I started composing a song with the aim of creating a song with a hard impact that would be suitable as the first song on the album. I think that while incorporating elements of dark music and progressive metal, the song has a complexity and uplifting melody that gives you a feel of Electric Asturias. The image is based on sculptor Rodin's masterpiece, "La Porte de l'Enfer'' I have seen it many times at the National Museum of Western Art since I was a child, and although I was overwhelmed by its powerful and eerie sculptures, for some reason, even at a young age, I felt a mysterious fascination that I couldn't take my eyes off of. I worked hard to express that feeling of awe through sound. In the middle part, the gates of hell gradually open. New member Eiji Nakamura's organ solo explodes, the opening theme is reproduced, and the song concludes, making it a spectacular opening song.

This song was originally requested as BGM for a certain game, but due to various circumstances, it has not been released yet. After receiving permission, I recorded it as an Electric Asturias song. The image is of Stonehenge in England (although I have never been there...). Ancient ruins arranged in a circle. Three rotating piano riffs transport you to a beautiful and mysterious era of ancient times. Electric Asturias' new killer tune, with the violin singing freely and the beginning, development, turn, and conclusion compactly organized.

<Karma>
This is a work that incorporates an exotic feel (some say it feels French) that Electric Asturias has never had before. In my opinion, this song is strongly influenced by Egberto Gismonti, who mastered Western music and sublimated it into his own Brazilian music. At first listen, the melody sounds dull and harsh, but it develops into a prog rock-like song structure and becomes a huge song lasting nearly 8 minutes. In the middle and final chapters, rock elements are added, and an improvisational solo expresses an explosion of emotion. It's a song that always makes me feel excited and excited when I play it. The title "Karma" means karma, destiny, etc. It doesn't have any religious connotations, but I hope the listeners can feel something.
　

A song created as the BGM for the final chapter of the Mary Skelter series, "Mary Skelter Finale". It's a battle song that starts with an intense violin riff and continues with a passionate performance. It's an intense band performance led by Kiyotaka Tanabe's metal drums, and it's a straight-up hot song that hasn't been seen before. Synth solo ⇒ Violin solo (it looks like a distorted guitar, but it's actually a violin) has been added, creating a new repertoire to liven up the live performance.

This is Electric Asturias's first suite of over 20 minutes, and is the highlight of this work. Up until now, there have been suites composed of individual songs, but none of them were longer than 20 minutes to match the length of one side of an old LP, so I decided to take on the challenge of making my fourth work. I considered what kind of structure it would be while referring to past progressive rock, and combined various progressive rock elements, aiming to create a 20-minute piece with a beginning, development, development, and conclusion like no other.
The theme of our 4th album is the number 4.The title refers to the fourth dimension, but there are various theories that the fourth dimension is one level higher than the three dimensions we live in, with the addition of the concept of time. However, no one actually understands it, and it is not a concrete representation of the fourth dimension through music. However, I created this song with the desire to take it to a higher level as a band, and to let people experience a different, evolved sound and world.
From the feeling of floating in an alternate dimension at the beginning, a theme with an odd time signature, similar to the Gates of Hell, appears. The song develops as this changes over and over again, leading to the guitar riff in part 2. After the second theme sung melodiously by the violin, various elements change rapidly. I just hope that you can surrender yourself to the series of sounds. In a complete turn, Part 3 is overdubbed guitar by Satoshi Hirata with a solemn pipe organ in the background. I would be happy if I could convey the confusion, sadness, and despair of being lost in a different dimension. From Part 4 onwards, Tei Sena's violin plays the leading role. It is no exaggeration to say that I created this suite to express the development of the violin's detailed phrase that appears one minute later. I am overwhelmed with emotion as everyone's performance comes together as one, giving me a sense of elation that is appropriate for the final chapter. This song was created with the idea of being the culmination of Electric Asturias, 14 years after its formation, so please listen to it to the fullest! Then, the violin plays the reenacted theme loudly, and the suite comes to a grand finale.
I feel like music in the world has reached its limit. Also, it's deplorable that we live in an era where short songs are so popular (you can only listen to a few seconds on streaming...and you don't buy CDs). I want to leave this wonderful culture of concentrating on music for 20 minutes to the next generation, and I want to share this song with the world.

A secretly popular song sung by Kanako Ito that was released in 2004 as the theme song for a game called "Shinju no Yakata." This is a personal favorite of mine, with its intricate chord progression and key changes that express a mysterious worldview. When we participated in Cruise to the Edge in 2019, Kazuhiro Watanabe, who is fluent in English, accompanied us, and we arranged the song for men's keys and band, and recorded it as Electric Asturias's first song with lyrics. Mr. Watanabe also wrote the English lyrics, and it's amazing how the song's feelings of loneliness are conveyed through his soulful singing. The album ends with a unique floating feeling that makes you think of another dimension.

After a change in members, Electric Asturias has made a new start and will continue to pursue their own music. Thank you for your continued support. 　　　　2023.8.29　　Yoh Ohyama