EARTH (E)

Product is a Los Angeles based American duo consisting of Arman Christoff Boyles (vocals, keyboards, guitars) and Scott Rader (drums, bass, background vocals). With Earth (2008) they complete their quadrilogy on the four elements: On Water (2000), Aire (2003) and The Fire (2005). The lyrics are inspired by the life of Nikola Tesla, a scientist who played an important role in the development of transmissible energy (AC current). Tesla came to New York as a foreigner. He was looked upon as a magician by some people. In spite of his incredible talents, the importance of his ideas and his invaluable contribution to mankind, he died poor and alone in some hotel room.

The first part of America reminds me of the atmosphere, the instrumentation and even the vocals of the first solo albums by David Sylvian with perhaps a touch of Talk Talk. In Edison the music is more in the vein of singer-songwriter pop music with an intermediate tempo with vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, bass and drums. The music flows right through into America part 2 with a beautiful majestic piece of symphonic music, featuring keyboards and acoustic guitars. Both the title track, with some nice vocal harmonies, and the instrumental 1893 Worlds Fair and Strange Transmission with nice organ sounds, is a mix of Japan, Sylvian and perhaps Steely Dan. Particularly in Strange Transmission there are many changes in style and atmosphere varying between, pop-rock, ambient and symphonic. White Dove opens with acoustic guitar and vocal, in the vein of Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd. Further on also bass, keyboards and percussion and there you can find references to the slower, more symphonic pieces by Porcupine Tree. In that same vein is War Machines although in the latter part of the track, as one could expect from the title, there are more aggressive guitars. Message is one of most beautiful pieces: symphonic, lots of keyboards and almost genuine electronic music. In Bedlam Of The Street some psychedelic pop music with the vocals and harmonies through the telephone can be heard with some percussion and very little instrumentation. The psychedelic Porcupine Tree-influences return in Samuel. More psychedelic music in Valvular Conduit, where you can appreciate a strange mix of Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree and synthi-pop. Sylvian meets Porcupine Tree can be heard in a part of Lost In My Way, but especially the more melodic pieces that sound more like Pink Floyd, are really nice. Closing track is World Of Wonder. It opens with piano and Boyles’ soft emotional vocals. There is some drumming, but the atmosphere remains psychedelic, also because of the addition of floating sounds by synths, than suddenly a superb melodic, symphonic piece with the addition of guitars.

Earth is an intriguing album worth checking out by all fans of David Sylvian and Porcupine Tree, but surely anyone with an interest of more refined, but also ‘more obscure’ progressive music, might find this album quite enjoyable. A worthy successor to the other three albums and it may be noted the references that come into my mind listening to this album are almost exclusively from the UK, which is quite remarkable!