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BAKU LLAMA
German pop / Psychedelic / Progressive



California
United States

Profile Views:  25522




Last Login:  7/13/2009
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   BAKU LLAMA: General Info
Member Since1/7/2007
Band Websiteamazon.com/shops/57recordsco
Band MembersAnn Bernath (drums vocals) & David Bernath (guitars) and Rick Whitehurst (Keyboards)
InfluencesEveryone who played a song, long before we came along.
Sounds Likeerisss The second and last official Baku Llama release "ERIS" (2007) is our favorite. Very well recieved by critics and listeners alike, ERIS was an honest attempt to do something different with music, it is an album about changing moods, tension, and reflexes.. We enjoyed playing it and recording it on our Saturdays together over the course of one year. It's all improv with vocals and bass added afterwards. It's a very simple album committed to digital recording on Davids Mac straight off of the instruments in a suburban California bedroom. No practicing or planning. Some cutting & editing. We hope you like it. Buy Now
Record Label57 Records
Type of LabelUnsigned


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BAKU LLAMA's Latest Blog Entry  [Subscribe to this Blog]

DPRP dutch progressive pages review ALEX TORRES  (view more)

ProGGnosis.com review! (Michel F.)  (view more)

gnosis review by Richard Poulin  (view more)

Hande Burg @ progfiles.com  (view more)

Epileptic Gibbon weighs in on "ERIS"  (view more)

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   About BAKU LLAMA
“New music is dead. You must go backwards to hear something new”. That is the intriguing statement under the “influences” section of Baku Llama’s MySpace page. I’m not too sure if I agree with it wholeheartedly but, in one sense, it does apply to their own music as evidenced on Eris. I’ve not heard anything exactly like it before and yet there are references aplenty to old music, for instance the persistent use of space-rock riffing, à la Hawkwind, pervading the album. I’ll come back to genre definition later, as it’s a debatable issue at the best of times, and Eris is not so straightforward to define. Irrespective of genre definition, I found it a very pleasing album and one that withstands, and indeed repays, repeated listening. The soundscape is both rich and mundane at the same time, and it’s that apparent contradiction that makes Eris so absorbing. Why exactly does it sound so good? I would say that there are two main elements to Eris’ soundscape: firstly, the very “bassey” (even when played on the guitar rather than the bass, it’s the lower register of the scale that is used) and repetitive space-rock riffing that infiltrates its way into the greater part of these 61 minutes; and secondly, the equally persistent timbral exploration, often sounding improvised, undertaken on electric piano and other keyboards/synthesizers. This latter feature is exclusively undertaken in the upper frequency ranges and its juxtaposition with the bass-region riff sound is quite fascinating. It sounds almost like listening to two bands at the same time, neither of which on their own would be particularly appealing but, bring them together and you have something quite special. Baku Llama - Ann Bernath (drums, keyboards, vocals); David Bernath (guitars, bass) and Rick Whitehurst (keyboards) - hail from the USA. Eris is their first “proper” album, following a trial run with Devour My Evil Dream, an effort the band were not entirely happy with, to the extent that they lifted the compositions they felt worked onto Eris. The last four tracks are taken from the debut. Eris was released as long ago as 2007 and it is not entirely clear to me why they are now promoting it by sending out copies for review: perhaps they are entering a new phase of activity and wish to increase their public profile. Let’s hope so - I want to hear more from this band! There are other aural colours mixed in with the main soundscape elements of this intriguing album. The three compositions on which Ann sings - in particular Betrayed and This Time - develop a different character entirely, despite retaining shadows of the main elements described above. This is due to the melodic phrasing written for the vocal line, absent elsewhere. They are simple melodies, probably written that way to suit Ann’s limited vocal range, but are pretty nevertheless and well sung; in fact on This Time delivering some powerful emotion. Eris itself is slightly different in this regard because some of the short vocal part is spoken: however, the piece retains a different aural character to the totally instrumental compositions. There is more structure, more composition. Punch It also comes in a different flavour, its vocalisations and catchy rhythm, featuring handclaps, sending it headlong into “art-rock” territory. Discord, Discord Resolved and Tragic Mask act as the short album introduction, (pretty) linking piece and coda respectively. Although Discord introduces the two main aural elements, they do not dominate in these short, fairly conventional, compositions. On the remaining compositions the main aural elements - the riffing and the timbral exploration - dominate. Through the keyboards and synthesizers we hear a range of sounds being explored: nothing unpleasant or extreme - we go from straightforward electric piano, through harpsichords to xylophones, flutes, choral synths and more, jamming away with that riff. The music is almost certainly often improvised, in particular on the keyboards, but it is never rhythmically or stylistically jazzy, this sounds more like a free improvisation “rock” jam. Somehow, the space-rock rhythm knits the whole thing together, allowing the ear to not only tolerate but take enjoyment from the twinkling on the various “ivories”; it’s the root that allows the improvisations to flower. It’s actually a remarkably pleasant album as a whole: despite the “cobbling together” of the remnants of Devour My Evil Dream onto the end, causing a slight imbalance; the dominant sonic elements are strong enough to hold everything together within the framework of the Eris “album”. The lighter “art-rock” compositions also help to sustain interest in the improvisations that permeate elsewhere, almost as if letting the concentration take a breath and regain its strength. So what is it’s genre then? Does it matter? It’s definitely “progressive” for its adventure and experimentation and that really should be enough definition. However... whilst there are elements of space and art-rock in this soundscape, there is enough to suggest from the other aspects that this sits more neatly in an “experimental” category. As such, it may not appeal to everyone, but fans of classic progressive bands, and their descendants, that have never been afraid to broaden the palette of their instrumentation and compositional structures - your King Crimsons, Van der Graaf Generators, Gongs, String Driven Things etc - may well enjoy it. Having heard it many times and thought hard about the ranking, I’ve decided that there is enough of interest here to warrant a ranking worthy of a “recommendation” tag. Had this been a 2009 release, it would have made its way into my list for this year’s best. Conclusion: 8 out of 10 ALEX TORRES Dutch Progressive Rock Pages. NEW MYSPACE LAYOUTS!
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   BAKU LLAMA's Friend Space (Randomized)
BAKU LLAMA has 1069 friends.
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BAKU LLAMA's Friends Comments
Displaying 25 of 172 comments  ( View All | Add Comment )
Ödland





Jun 10 2009 3:17 PM

Dear friends, our first EP is out.
Chers amis, notre premier EP est sorti.
Ödland


beth





Jul 4 2009 11:00 PM

Thank you!! I'm excited about getting something new out there since it's been awhile and our new song is bringing me many smiles. Have a wonderful Fourth!
Marie





Jun 10 2009 3:27 PM

BRAZIL

               Thanks for the add peace and blessings to you all
                                   Marie
                        
VESPERO





Jun 4 2009 12:22 PM

"Surpassing All Kings"


OUT on June 05, 2009 - "One listen to this musical outfit from Southern Russia known as Vespero was all it took to make me begin thinking about the great things that must be happening in Russia…" - by Ryan Sparks, Sea Of Tranquility.
RAIG is proud to announce Vespero "Surpassing All Kings" (R041, CD), the second studio album by psychedelic/progressive/space rock band from Astrakhan.
Live Looping Festival "in Rome"





Jun 3 2009 10:58 AM

Photobucket
Crystal Lake





Jun 2 2009 2:13 PM

Hello!
Thanks for adding us , greetings from Poland.
Welcome to our profile!
 
Crystal Lake  (prog rock band from Poland)
 
Ödland





May 24 2009 7:26 AM

Thanks for the add.
Merci pour l'ajout.



Under Ossana Ghost





May 23 2009 9:22 AM

Hey, new sound on our profile called "U-TURN" wich will be available on our upcoming 1rst Ep! hope you'll enjoy!

JACK DUPON





May 8 2009 4:33 PM

issue du célèbre

Chipitos studio

et en attendant le prochain clip,

Jack Dupon

vous offre une petite sucrerie...

Born in the famous

Chipitos Studio

and waiting for the next Clip,

Jack Dupon

offers you a little sweet...

Chipitos Studios

sinon, JACK DUPON en concert avec LE K MORLOT jeudi 14 mai à la SCÈNE BASTILLE Paris 11ème

Hande Burdg TheProgFiles





May 7 2009 3:54 PM

Thanks Rick,

Hope all is well....
Quadrance





May 7 2009 12:34 AM

HELLERKIN THE KORE CD
OUT NOW @ CDBABY
Produced by David Chetkin with assistance from Bill Davidow @ Virlouise
Recorded in High Definition Audio

http://cdbaby.com/cd/hellerkin
http://www.myspace.com/hellerkin
Faber Optimé





May 4 2009 5:18 AM

Hey there,

Here's one from left field...

Ever wondered what to do in the event of a nuclear threat?

A while ago I found stuff that inspired me to make this film:

Living Under the Shadow of the Nuclear Umbrella

Both artistic (ensure you get the background music!) and educational, it primarily comprises official British government civil defence advice.

Though source materials are quite aged, much remains relevant today.

I encourage all to visit the YouTube page to learn more (Show support! Rate! Comment!) and responsibly circulate as widely as possible, here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaIim3Rj7L4

Help to raise awareness.

Say have you checked out my web site recently?

Take care and keep in touch.

Best,
Faber.

"Just a guy trying to make the world a better place."

Kateri Photography (is in the Florida Keys)





Apr 28 2009 2:14 PM

:D whats up
Progressive rockfan





Apr 27 2009 7:00 PM

Thanks for the add and your comment, you rock! Best wishes from The Netherlands. Cheers, PRF.
TEE





Apr 22 2009 2:27 PM

Thank you for the add !!

Cheers from Tokyo,
TEE
Amadeo





Apr 23 2009 12:05 AM

Susie Sioux





Apr 18 2009 10:11 PM

Thank you :) I dig your music!
Rogue Wilson





Apr 12 2009 8:44 AM

Hey man nice to hear you like our jams.


I friggin dig Six to Midnight. The piano is exquisite.
Faber Optimé





Apr 7 2009 10:00 PM

Click here to go to the Faber Optimé web site in a new tab/window.

Good to have you as a friend!
So great to see the internet in action this way, shortening distances between people.

I hope all's well with you and that you enjoy checking out my web site some time.

For occasional, new, refreshing, insightful and (possibly?!) valuable content, I encourage you to sign up for my free newsfeed/email newsletter (using the form on site at page right - high quality, low quantity, no spam!).

You might enjoy watching some of my films (use the on screen controls to skip between them):

More (Rate! Comment! Favorite! Subscribe!) on my YouTube channel - http://www.youtube.com/faberoptime.

Take care and keep in touch.

Best,
Faber.

"Just a guy trying to make the world a better place.
"

Bushplant





Mar 22 2009 4:49 AM

Love your sound, some thing like Hawkwind mid 70's without the "swoosh's" great stuff.
Edensong





Mar 11 2009 3:04 AM

Thanks for the friendship! Let us know if you like the music! If you are interested in a digital or hard copy of the debut album, "The Fruit Fallen," you can get it here --> cdbaby. com/cd/edensong
Traversing The Dream





Feb 18 2009 4:02 PM

Thanks for the kind words, we hope all is well with you!!!

John & Beth
Ana Genes





Feb 12 2009 2:11 PM

Gemma Woods Illustration





Feb 10 2009 1:39 PM

HI BAKU LLAMA. THANKS FOR ADDING ME. X
Photobucket
Melodic Revolution Records.





Feb 2 2009 5:38 PM

Just dropping in to listen to some great music.
peace love and revolution
nick

Check out this cool new site and set up a free profile.



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