Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
The collective, whether by design or by fortune, is one that can achieve so much more than the individual; together and pulling in the same direction humanity can be seen as outstanding, of placing any slight difference aside and putting the sound ahead of the note. It is in the collective endeavour that makes the ensemble look and feel cohesive and beautiful.
Pure Phase Ensemble 4 takes the songs off the recording Live at SpaceFest! and gives it the edge of perfect madness, of alluding to magnificence and the never ending search for something greater than the individual, anything larger and grandiose, splendid and interesting than a single personal objection can raise.
Featuring the talents of Mark Gardener, Pure Phase Ensemble 4 take Live at SpaceFest! by storm, the feeling of other worldly effects, of being invited to watch a cosmic event ravage the silence on a lonely undisturbed planet, of providing the dramatic music to a star exploding in slow motion; all these thoughts are unhindered, only magnified and given distinct personality.
It is in the personality that the songs capture the peculiar and the universal truth, the songs resonate as much as a planet’s core thumps and spins with the passion of seven billion souls. Personality is everything, personality is the best creature within us, especially if it is sincere and full of empathy for those who share our space and in tracks such as the expansive and wonderfully exuberant Notatki, Zostań na noc and the groovy but hidden layered thoughts of Happy Dancing Woman, Pure Phase Ensemble 4 bring the universe to the ears of the listener,
With the combined talents of Mark Gardener, Ray Dickaty, Jacek Rezner, Kamil Hordyniec, Michael Pydo, Michael Stolc and Karol Schwarz all supplying something of their own souls into the mix but finding that the blend is overwhelming and substantial, the music on offer becomes something worth exploring, to discover bit by bit and find liberty within the space.
Not many bands can carry off such a groove; there are not many bands full of character as to be found in Pure Phase Ensemble 4.
Ian D. Hall