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Review:
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This musical project is by former Background Magazine
reviewer Erik De Beer. The Life Line Project was founded
in 1988, the name points at the fact that Erik was a teacher
who had to arrange a lot of music that was not really his
cup of tea so he started to make his own music that was
“his life line project to symphonic rock”. Erik writes in
the booklet of his new album entitled Modinha (a Brazilian
sad song) that the title is the central theme, it changes
throughout the album from classic to folk to jazz to metal.
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Well, listening to Modinha (2008) I notice that a lot
of the 15 compositions (total running time around 52 minutes)
contain fluent rhythms featuring bombastic Hammond organ
runs and fat Emersonian Moog synthesizer flights, supported
by a propulsive rhythm-section, especially the drumming
is very energetic. I was not surprised to read that Erik
wrote two songs as a tribute to two legendary names in the
progrock history: Keeper Of The Keys is a tribute to Bob
Moog (spectacular Moog sounds, swirling Hammond and swinging
piano) and Joy is a tribute to Rick Van Der Linden (it sounds
like “ELP meets Europe” with bombastic keyboards and fiery
electric guitar). Along that bombastic ELP/Trace inspired
sound, Life Line Project also delivers a lot of variety:
a wonderful build-up from classical (guitar and Grand piano)
to jazz in Modinha – Jazz Intermezzo, a pleasant electric
guitar/flute duet in The Chase, warm classical guitar (in
the vein of Steve Hackett) in the short piece Modinha –
Oraçao, sparkling piano in Song For Lara and a captivating
blend of classical and progressive rock in songs like Night
On The Freeway and Modinha – Final. Also interesting is
the use of the distinctive oboe in the dreamy Sonho (wonderful
strings and piano and a Roxy Music-like oboe sound) and
Modinha – Final (one of the highlights on this album with
beautiful flute play by Erik's wife Elsa, cheerful mandolin
and an exciting vintage keyboards sound). And I am very
pleased with Jason Eekhout his powerful guitarwork in songs
like Dark Procession (heavy guitar play), Stampede (biting
wah-wah), Subjective Project (fiery runs) and the exciting
track Another Dayride (howling guitar). In my opinion his
contributions give Life Line Project their music an extra
dimension.
- If I compare this new album with the amateurish and
simply recorded music he made in the Nineties (when I wrote
for SI Magazine), I conclude that Erik’s music has very
much matured. On Modinha the Life Line Project has delivered
a pleasant and varied keyboard oriented progrock album with
a very melodic and accessible sound that will please progheads
who like vintage keyboards and classical music.
www.progwalhalla.com
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