On The Frequency

The standard psyreviews moans about progressive music are that it’s dull, that it’s one-handed melodies, that it’s generic and derivative. Every single one of those moans vanishes in a puff of nag champa smoke when confronted with this utterly lovable album.

On The Frequency has more to do with Rick James than Frank Beckers. It has echoes of psychedelic pre-disco, those early US parties that unwittingly foresaw rave where people used to take acid and dance to something that wasn’t The Grateful Dead.

The basslines are all, without exception, crafted to conspire to make you shake what I believe is commonly referred to as one’s “arse.” While this happens, intricate microsounds and unexpected changes keep your brain interested.

Kiwa fire things up wonderfully: Morphed isn’t just perfectly-pitched progressive music, and it’s not just seriously good fun. The way it unfolds and maintains its energy somehow puts me in mind of vintage Cosmosis. The title track has all the hallmarks of Tribogal Vision standard prog, devastatingly-well executed; while Time Bomb sees them get dirtier, and all the better for it.

My chief point about this album is that it sticks two fingers up in the face of what I’d be inclined to call ‘popular progressive’ (think Behind Blue Eyes / Liquid Soul, that sort of thing). The bulk of progressive music is boring, pretentious, self-important stuff and the way Kiwa respond to this by creating something of this calibre is to be admired.

One of the most important elements of this scene has always been the idea that if you don’t like the way somebody does something – music, parties, décor, or whatever – then get out there and do it better. Top marks to Kiwa for doing just that at such an important time in music.