Yuval Ron - 2019 - Somewhere in This Universe, Somebody Hits a Drum

(51:55; Wrong Notes)

Track list:
1. Somewhere in This Universe, Somebody Hits a Drum 7:11
2. Gravitational Lensing 6:44
3. Kuiper Belt 8:28
4. WiFi in Emerald City 9:44
5. The Discovery of Phoebe 9:58
6. I Believe in Astronauts 9:50

Line-up:
Yuval Ron - vocals, guitars
Matt Paull - keyboards
Roberto Badoglio - bass
Marco Minnemann - drums
with:
Dorin Mandelbaum - vocals


Prolusion.
German composer and musician Yuval RON used to head a band called Residents of the Future, and this unit released two albums of which the most recent appeared back in 2009. Ten years later Ron returned as a solo artist with the album "Somewhere in This Universe, Somebody Hits a Drum", which was released through the German label Wrong Notes. A label formed by Ron himself from what I understand, and with this album as the first on the label.

Analysis.
While I understand that Wrong Notes operate more as a marketing tool than as a regular label, at least three albums appear to be official label releases of this operation to date, if Discogs can be relied on as a source. And if this is indeed the first one, as the catalogue number on the CD indicates, it's a very good first release of a label for sure.

All the musicians involved are top notch players, and with drummer Minnemann involved there's a bit of stardust spread across this one as well: His involvement alone will have sent quite a few people looking (or at least listening) to the qualities of this production already I surmise.

Apart from excellent musicianship and top notch production, the compositions themselves are both interesting, intriguing and captivating. At least as long as you like instrumental music, or at least wordless music. There are vocals present here, but from what I can gather they are all nonverbal and use the human voice as an instrument rather than to convey some type of message or story.

As one might gather the instruments are the important bits on this production, and while all instrumentalists get their place to shine it is the guitars and keyboards that are the stars of the show here. From intricate scale-oriented movements to elegant floating and dreamladen solo sections and arrangements, from challenging technical sequences to plucked, elegant lead motifs and solo runs. The guitar can be so soft and careful in it's expression that it can be difficult to separate it from the keyboard at times, but also hard, powerful and bombastic in a manner that shows that Ron is a musician that certainly knows his metal too.

The dominant trait of this album is expressive material however. Sometimes challenging, sometimes elegant, sometimes uplifting and positive, just about always playful. More often than not with at least half a foot inside a jazzrock landscape, but one that by and large will appeal quite a bit beyond the normal jazzrock enthusiasts in my opinion. Melodies are maintained, contrasts are sought out and explored, and when in expressive mode the musicians just about always ensure that they aren't overly so, or at least not for extended periods of time. Expressive in a subtle manner one might say, and with elements of shredding brought in for good measure too. The rhythm section is important too, even if perhaps not as dominant as the title of the album might indicate. Minnemann is an excellent drummer of course, but his main contributions here are perhaps just a bit more subtle than some drum fans might have hoped for. In my book his contributions are excellent though, and adds quite a bit to the enjoyment of this as a total album experience.

One slight detail to mention is that the keyboards as well as the guitars occasionally will hit what I'd describe as a cosmic vibe here and there throughout this album. Which is natural, given the title of this album, but it is also one of those elements that elevates the album experience, at least as far as I'm concerned. If not for anything else than because they add a slight cinematic scope to the compositions, the feeling that this is music that could and perhaps should be used in a futuristic movie of some kind at some point. If they haven't already.

Conclusion.
While Yuval Ron didn't have to involve Marco Minnemann on this album, that he chose to do so is one of several details that elevates the listener experience on to a higher level here. Excellent musicianship all around, and these musicians are exploring an inviting and captivating (mainly) instrumental variety of jazzrock with distinct progressive rock sensibilities to near perfection. An album much more intriguing and captivating than this description manages to convey, and one that should have a broad overall appeal if only people took the time to explore the album. In my book one of those albums to take out when you encounter people that state that "no, jazzrock isn't my thing" that may well change their minds.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, May 2021

Links:
https://www.yuvalron.com/
https://www.facebook.com/WrongNotesMusic