''Possibly the most well kept secret of the Eastern Europe progressive rock scene (with no wondering surprise for other to surface up, still) is with no doubt the enigmatic group Experimental Q from the city of Cluj in Romania. To set things in order, this is not a compilation, but their very first original seventies recorded material intended for a LP production, postponed and forgotten and never released until 2021. So, for the factual fairness, here we have a valuable cultural restitution of that era. This was until now a wishful thinking of those who remember the past. As well as it is a Canterbury scene, a kraut particular style and a more scented romantic genre RPI one, progressive music from Eastern Europe could have had its particular sound in the area of the progressive music, with bands like Czechoslovakian “Collegium Musicum” or “Fermata”, USSR’s “Arsenal” or “Acvarium”, or the Polish “SBB”, “Ossian” or “Laboratorium”, Hungarian “Syrius”, along with the already known Romanian “Phoenix”, “Sfinx”, Celelalte Cuvinte” or “Progresiv TM”, and now “Experimental Q”. If for a better promotion and the interest from the local production, music of this part of Europe could be very well a particular land mark for the cult of the pop music with an intellectual foundation. Its particularity may reside in the blend of the well known western genre influences of the kind with a local melancholy touch or ethnic inspiration at some point, altogether with the exoticism of a unknown language sound when lyrics sung in that typical language. This is why some will perceive Experimental Q closer to RPI movement as Romanian language is a Latin based one, nevertheless we can hear only one piece (Flori) with a smooth slippery olive oil Mediterranean vocal timbre on this album. The title of the album, “Amintiri despre viitor”, could possibly be much better translated into English as “Remember the Future”. By the time when, the mostly instrumental pieces, were created, the bestseller book of Erich von Däniken, “Chariots of the Gods”, was published in Romania under the title translated as “Amintiri despre viitor”, a translation closer to the one in Portuguese edition as “Recuerdos del future”. The success of that book made a lot to be inspired and become dreaming creative relied on the thematic of the book. I have no doubt that the young musicians were thinking a lot about that, as Nektar did as well on the same period of time when titled their concept album “Remember the Future” (1973) as so. A reference to this album may as well be considered for some musical similarities with it as well. Musically speaking, Experimental Q brings a refreshing and very original sound nevertheless. Hints of Classic Baroque, plenty of jazz touches, energetic pure rock, all wrapped up in a well defined novelty prog sound would describe their music. The craftsmanship of the compositions is perfect and the artistry coat reveals a very well trained musicians in terms of technical details and a fitting perfectly matrix together when swinging. Each player instrument in the band proves strong personalities as musicians with fair room for each to express themselves. Eugen Tunariu’s keyboards can be very classical and jazzy at times, Valentin Farcaș’s guitar could be gentle and flamboyant as well, Nicolae Bocaciu’s bass easily sustains and leads different rhythms, Nicolae Delioran’s drums lays a sustainable carpet sound with colorful nuances when needed, and Gheorghe Marcovici’s flute can be soft and romantic as Debussy’s “Girl with Flaxen Hair” to Roland Kirk’s chaotic vocal flute style playing. Altogether a great pleasure listening to the whole record from start to end. Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection - 4 stars.'' (Review by Daniel Ionescu-Dion)
''Have you ever wondered what King Crimson or Emerson, Lake & Palmer would have sounded like, had they originated from behind the Iron Curtain? This may sound like the usual hype promoters write to draw attention, but click on the audio files from this album’s track-list and listen closely. “Amintiri din viitor” [Memories from the Future] will take you back to a time when progressive music was truly forward looking, experimental, and original. The band Experimental Q was formed in the early 1970s, by a group of music students from the Gheorghe Dima Conservatory, in Cluj (Romania). Eugen Tunaru (keyboards), Valentin Farcaș (guitar), Nicolae Bucaciuc (bass), and Nicolae Delioran (drums) were joined by Gheorghe Marcovici (flute), and this line-up recorded a series of songs and compositions for radio and TV, without ever releasing any album on Electrecord, the sole record company in Romania at that time. Their music was mostly instrumental and featured titles that touched upon intergalactic, or art themes. The band members may have been music students, but while their education was classical, their inspiration drew from pop music’s avantgarde. Prog and jazz-rock fans might find influences and echoes of bands that were carving out new paths in the unexplored music jungle of the late 1960s and early 1970s: King Crimson, The Nice, Jethro Tull, ELP, VDGG. After a few listens, however, it will dawn upon the listener that this music was more than just an East European response to the Western hype of the day. Facing the prejudice of their professors, the skepticism of some of their peers, as well as the numerous material drawbacks and technological limitations, Experimental Q improvised not only musically. In the end, they made their own instruments and adapted what they could get their hands on, to create some of the most intriguing music made on the Eastern side of the Iron Curtain. “Amintiri din viitor” opens the first chapter in this still untold story of one of Romania’s best hidden music secrets. With the approval of and collaboration from the remaining band members, this project features restored and remastered audio, original artwork, as well as an in-depth essay about the band and its musical output in the socialist historical context, with exclusive photos and memorabilia. This project is curated by Claudiu Oancea (artwork, liner notes), Adrian Matala (co-producer) and Remus Miron (restored, remastered audio and producer).''
''Experimental Q, where Q stands for Quintet, are a band originally from Romania and active in the 70s, during which time they won numerous awards at student festivals. Although their sound is markedly Prog and of good quality they have not been able to produce any albums during the period of activity. Recently reformed, they recorded two albums between 2012 and 2014, and thanks to their desire they have recovered and remastered the works of the past that will be released in December 2021 for the DJs Techno Conference Label. Titled “Amintiri Despre Viitor” this collection of trackss recorded between 1974 and 1975 contains long-lasting pieces, which showcase a 70s-style Progressive sound. The influences of the pivotal groups of the genre are felt, but the band is able to express their personal traits, having also created over the years a sort of legend linked to the fact that the tracks only see the light today. The album opens with “Amintiri Despre Viitor = Memories About The Future” which is also the longest track with over 10 minutes in length, immediately immerses us in the atmosphere of the 70s. It begins with phrasing between organ and flute, a massive and intricate rhythmic session, recalling the sound of the ELP and King Crimson and the bands of the Eastern European era. A well-developed and entirely instrumental suite, where the keyboards that intertwine with the electric guitar stand out, giving life to the classic Progressive sounds that lovers of the genre appreciate so much. Long solo sections, dark atmospheres and rapid tempo changes are a constant in the piece, which emphasizes the technique of all the musicians involved. Also pleasant is the use of the flute which gives a symphonic touch to each intervention, adding more melodic features to the sound. The second “Vis Intergalactic = Intergalactic Dream” is slightly shorter in duration than the previous one, as well as not having the presence of the flute inside. Sweet dreamy notes on the piano introduce us to the song with a Jazzy touch that soon flows into the Delicate and Symphonic Prog sound with acoustic guitar inserts on a very pleasant organ carpet. Here too the tempo changes allow different solutions to the band, which mixes darker passages with other more melodic ones with mixes and solos between guitar and organ of a good level. The passages are interesting, it is a pity that the quality of the recording is not impeccable, a song like this would have expressed the maximum with a superior sound quality, I’m sure that the remaster made today has already enhanced the traits. Side A closes with this dreamy and dilated track, showing in this first part a good command of the instruments and clear ideas in composition. The second side of the album opens with the first part of the suite “Atlantida I = Atlantis I” recorded in 1974 and divided into two sections. This initial takes up the sound with which the previous one ended, enhancing the more symphonic and dreamy aspect of the Progressive, with a carpet of keyboards and the guitar in evidence on a striking theme and sweet melodies. The contaminations with classical music are more marked here, as often happened in the ’70s, managing to find the right balance between it and Rock. The rhythmic session outlines and marks the time, enriching the piece with elaborate changes and solutions, leaving the keyboards and guitar free to play with the melodies and intertwine pleasantly. Here the references to ELP music from the Tarkus period are more pronounced, a mystery how a band with this ability has never been produced before. The track ends in crescendo, after a drum solo in the final all the instruments return with the keyboards that stand out and open the way for the second part. “Atlantida II = Atlantis II” begins with a repeated bass line and keyboards on which flute melodies and the electric guitar are inserted later. With the intensity that increases with the passage of the piece, articulated and with unpredictable tempo changes, they show once again that they have good ideas and know how to develop them to the fullest. Continuing the speech of the previous one, as it is linked to it, the sounds are a winning mix of more classical and rhythmic Rock keyboards, recalling once again the compositions of the ELp, with personal traits and their own style. Between more symphonic and other more electric openings, sweeter moments and others more accelerated and powerful, the song flows and we seem to have gone back in time leaving us positive feelings. A track originating from 1975 is “Flori = Flowers,” the penultimate of the record, which begins with a sweet piano arpeggio into which the rhythm session is soon inserted. It is also the first sung song of the album, which showcases a good melodic vocal and a clear 70’s stamp, as well as the flute that gives an extra solution to the melodies. The texts in Romanian are well suited to the music, recalling the first releases of Prog at the turn of the 60s and 70s, with also some good piano inserts in the second part that add a touch of classical music to the sound. The album “Atlantida = Atlantis (* Snippet from the future)” ends with a short passage of just over 2 minutes, perfect to end this good work. Characterized by a long electric guitar solo that takes up almost the entire tempo of the piece accompanying us at the end. A good work that fortunately has been remastered and has finally been able to be released even if in copies limited to 300 vinyls, giving us the opportunity to listen to it. I never thought that after nearly 50 years there were still hidden treasures just waiting to be re-discovered like in this case. The quality of the recordings is not perfect but the work that has been done today to release it is really of fine workmanship and enhances all aspects of the album. A listening recommended for all lovers of the purest sounds of 70s-style Progressive Rock. The recordings date back to 1974-1975 and show a good quality both in the composition and execution phase, thanks to the perseverance and desire of both the band and the record company for having offered us this hidden rarity, a pleasant listening.'' (Review by Jacopo Vigezzi from Progressive Rock Journal)
''On March 26th, 1976 music journalist and concert producer Aurel Gherghel published an article in the “Săptămâna” magazine, entitled “Mai departe...” [Further on…]. In it, Gherghel reviewed the Romanian rock music scene at the time and its progress since the early 1970s. Contrary to what many thought at the time (and still do…), Romanian rock during the 1970s was a vivid scene, synchronized with what was going on beyond the Iron Curtain, despite obvious drawbacks and limitations. Of the many bands Gherghel mentioned in his article, only a handful had had the good fortune of editing an LP with Electrecord, the sole Romanian record company during the communist era. There were, however, other groups that had become widely popular among students and young music fans: Curtea Veche, Modal Quintet, Ethos, Catena... They had managed to record songs for the radio broadcast company and had slowly, but surely, built a reputation for their performances. Whereas the Electrecord gates were often closed because of official restrictions, cultural prejudices, or more personal obstacles, live concert performances were met with less censorship and scrutiny (which is not to say the latter were absent!). Of all those groups, Gherghel wished in particular for one group to strive and release an LP. The group’s name was Experimental Q: “The strong ones will march further on, higher. For now, just a predictable, logical, and optimistic ‘farewell’: before they get their job placements, the five students who are now in their last year of studies at the Conservatory must give us the record they have been dreaming of for so many years. I don’t think there is any other record material that is closer to and more deserving of getting released, than the one by Experimental from Cluj. The album’s name might be ‘Amintiri despre viitor’ (Memories about the Future)...”. “Săptămâna” was at the time one of the main Romanian cultural magazines, published in Bucharest, and one of the very few to pay any attention to the blossoming Romanian rock scene, which officials wanted to call anything else but “rock”: young music, pop music, vocal-instrumental, etc. Gherghel was a dreamer, as the band Experimental Q had just announced their upcoming break up, in a letter addressed to the “Săptămâna”, on February 6th that same year: “This spring, the band members will say goodbye to their student activity and, with it, to their performances as Experimental Q. The event will be marked in April, by a farewell concert at the Sports Arena, in Cluj-Napoca.” Petre Magdin, the author of the article which announced the band’s end, also hoped that there will be more Experimental Q shows. As events would unfold, the band would reunite one more time, at the end of March 1977, for a concert dedicated to the victims of the earthquake that had shaken Romania a few weeks before. The five musicians who comprised Experimental Q would go on with their lives and with their music. Most of them would leave Romania and the band would only reunite briefly in 2010 for one concert in Bucharest’s Big Mamou music club. Their name would become a bitter-sweet memory for those lucky enough to have seen them perform (needless to say, the music journalists of the few Romanian magazines, which hosted pop music articles, would still receive letters from fans asking about the band, years after the break-up). In 1979, Archie Patterson, an American rock music journalist, who ran a fanzine dedicated to rock music in Europe, Eurock Magazine, wrote an article on the Romanian scene. Apart from the Sfinx and Phoenix long-play records, he had also listened to a smuggled bootleg cassette, which featured Experimental Q. The tape made him say: “When they are in full swing they can really get way out there.” But who were Experimental Q, the group that had triggered so many positive reactions? As the name hints, this was a band that made challenging music, in the vein of progressive rock, the genre that was so forward thinking (and fashionable) during the 1970s. Experimental Q took its cue from classical music, but blended it with jazz and rock in a melting pot that paid homage to the great progressive acts of their era, while staying original in its attitude and concept. The band was formed in November 1971 in Cluj, by a group of students from the Faculty of Medicine and from the Conservatory. By 1973, the band line-up had stabilized around the composing duo of Eugen Tunaru (organ, piano) and Valentin Farcaș (guitar), with the rhythm section comprised of Nicolae Bucaciuc (Bocaciu) on bass guitar and Nicolae Delioran on drums. All four were students in music and quickly rose through the ranks of their fellow bands: their performances at various art festivals and competitions made young people pay attention, while others raised an eyebrow (or two!) By 1974 the four members were joined by another fellow music student, Gheorghe Marcovici, a flutist who had already made a name for himself in the local student band ‘Syrinx’, and would go on to win awards at the National Festival of Students from Art Institutes (later, he would even become a member in the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra!). Thus, Experimental Quartet became a Quintet and later shortened the name to the more enigmatic and fashionable Experimental Q. The band’s songs were omnipresent in the weekly music charts of cultural magazines from Romania’s main cities: Bucharest, Cluj, Iași: Săptămâna, Tribuna, and Cronica, respectively. Being in a rock band in 1970s Romania was not exactly a dream job, even though those brave enough could afford some sort of socialist variant of the rock ‘n roll dream. Young pupils and students were eager to listen to rock ‘n’ roll, others not so much. Getting hold of electric and electronic instruments was a task in itself. Romanian made electric instruments even lacked the quality of their other socialist counterparts, not to mention the Western ones. While keyboard player Eugen Tunaru used a Vermona electric organ, made in the German Democratic Republic, and Nicolae Bucaciuc made good use of his Czechoslovakian Jolana bass, guitarist Valentin Farcaș made his own acoustic-electric guitar, with the help of an acoustic one and a custom pickup, while also using a hollow-body guitar, with semi-resonance, made in Poland. Combined with the improvised amplifiers they were using, what you hear on this record is the sound made, first of all, with a do-it-yourself attitude, which was common (and necessary) among Romanian rock musicians of the era. If finding the right instruments was a challenge, so was finding the right audience. Tunaru and Farcaș were both influenced by religion, esoterism, and philosophy. As Valentin Farcaș recalls, the underground in 1970s Romania also meant reading books that were smuggled in, not just getting hold of your everyday life consumer products. In a society which continuously called on its citizens to follow on its sunny ideological path, Experimental Q’s music was a complementary mixture of darkness and light, of serene and aggressiveness, as Eugen Tunaru remembers. On top of that, it was mostly instrumental: the musicians were too proficient not to show off, and lyrics were too often subject to intense scrutiny from cultural activists, always afraid that some hidden message might get through. All this meant that the band took on a long, winding road to get to its audience. At first, they played their original music to pupils and students at the University House in Cluj: more and more youngsters made a habit of going to an Experimental Q concert, whenever they could. The ones in Cluj were luckier. As the band became known around Romania and in Bucharest, larger audiences would become familiarized (or rather spellbound) with this music, that had not been heard before. This is not to say that the band did not employ lyrics, as evidenced by the last song on this LP, the gentle and serene Flori (Flowers), which closes a tight and adventurous musical voyage. Elsewhere, “Amintiri despre viitor” starts the record in menacing mode and goes on through an entire myriad of rhythms marked by flute solo bursts. Farcaș’s guitar is on fire during this first part of the song and its storm is followed by a tranquil duet of piano and flute, before giving way to the piece’s final crescendo and reprisal of the initial, ominous mood. “Vis intergalactic” (Intergalactic Dream) is another showcase for guitar virtuosity, backed by Tunaru’s ethereal, turned eerie, organ. The dream draws to a hopeful, cosmic finale, driven by piano and organ. Atlantida I and II (Atlantis) are a musical journey in themselves: from intricate rhythms and uplifting dances to jazzy bass and guitar solos, from Jethro Tull-like flute attacks to the mandatory drum solo, all punctuated by Tunaru’s abiding organ and piano. Why such music never appeared on a record during the 1970s is anybody’s guess. The band was talented and popular. In another context, such arguments might have been enough to justify an LP. In the end, one can say that the cultural milieu of 1970s Romania was not ready to acknowledge that young music could be taken seriously enough to justify an LP of pop music that broke through musical boundaries with such uncanny ease and self-confidence. [...] Those involved in the making of this record are grateful to Eugen Tunaru (Tunariu), Valentin Farcaș, and Nicolae Bucaciuc (Bocaciu) for their approval and collaboration. We also extend our thanks to Marius “Bubu” Luca, Mihai “Croco” Manea, and Ștefan Faff. This project is dedicated to the loving memory of Nicolae Delioran and Gheorghe Marcovici.'' (Text by Claudiu Oancea)
![Experimental Q - Dans Marțian [Test Pressing Direct Metal Mastering ''DMM'' - Samples]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/qeJCCemqRns/mqdefault.jpg)
![Experimental Q - Dans Marțian [Test Pressing Direct Metal Mastering ''DMM'' - Samples]](/img/tr.png)
![Ethos II - Ethos II [Test Pressing Direct Metal Mastering ''DMM'' - Samples]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/57i5Z9UDUoM/mqdefault.jpg)
''Possibly the most well kept secret of the Eastern Europe progressive rock scene (with no wondering surprise for other to surface up, still) is with no doubt the enigmatic group Experimental Q from the city of Cluj in Romania.
To set things in order, this is not a compilation, but their very first original seventies recorded material intended for a LP production, postponed and forgotten and never released until 2021. So, for the factual fairness, here we have a valuable cultural restitution of that era. This was until now a wishful thinking of those who remember the past.
As well as it is a Canterbury scene, a kraut particular style and a more scented romantic genre RPI one, progressive music from Eastern Europe could have had its particular sound in the area of the progressive music, with bands like Czechoslovakian “Collegium Musicum” or “Fermata”, USSR’s “Arsenal” or “Acvarium”, or the Polish “SBB”, “Ossian” or “Laboratorium”, Hungarian “Syrius”, along with the already known Romanian “Phoenix”, “Sfinx”, Celelalte Cuvinte” or “Progresiv TM”, and now “Experimental Q”. If for a better promotion and the interest from the local production, music of this part of Europe could be very well a particular land mark for the cult of the pop music with an intellectual foundation. Its particularity may reside in the blend of the well known western genre influences of the kind with a local melancholy touch or ethnic inspiration at some point, altogether with the exoticism of a unknown language sound when lyrics sung in that typical language. This is why some will perceive Experimental Q closer to RPI movement as Romanian language is a Latin based one, nevertheless we can hear only one piece (Flori) with a smooth slippery olive oil Mediterranean vocal timbre on this album.
The title of the album, “Amintiri despre viitor”, could possibly be much better translated into English as “Remember the Future”. By the time when, the mostly instrumental pieces, were created, the bestseller book of Erich von Däniken, “Chariots of the Gods”, was published in Romania under the title translated as “Amintiri despre viitor”, a translation closer to the one in Portuguese edition as “Recuerdos del future”. The success of that book made a lot to be inspired and become dreaming creative relied on the thematic of the book. I have no doubt that the young musicians were thinking a lot about that, as Nektar did as well on the same period of time when titled their concept album “Remember the Future” (1973) as so. A reference to this album may as well be considered for some musical similarities with it as well.
Musically speaking, Experimental Q brings a refreshing and very original sound nevertheless. Hints of Classic Baroque, plenty of jazz touches, energetic pure rock, all wrapped up in a well defined novelty prog sound would describe their music. The craftsmanship of the compositions is perfect and the artistry coat reveals a very well trained musicians in terms of technical details and a fitting perfectly matrix together when swinging. Each player instrument in the band proves strong personalities as musicians with fair room for each to express themselves. Eugen Tunariu’s keyboards can be very classical and jazzy at times, Valentin Farcaș’s guitar could be gentle and flamboyant as well, Nicolae Bocaciu’s bass easily sustains and leads different rhythms, Nicolae Delioran’s drums lays a sustainable carpet sound with colorful nuances when needed, and Gheorghe Marcovici’s flute can be soft and romantic as Debussy’s “Girl with Flaxen Hair” to Roland Kirk’s chaotic vocal flute style playing. Altogether a great pleasure listening to the whole record from start to end.
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection - 4 stars.''
(Review by Daniel Ionescu-Dion)
''Have you ever wondered what King Crimson or Emerson, Lake & Palmer would have sounded like, had they originated from behind the Iron Curtain?
This may sound like the usual hype promoters write to draw attention, but click on the audio files from this album’s track-list and listen closely. “Amintiri din viitor” [Memories from the Future] will take you back to a time when progressive music was truly forward looking, experimental, and original. The band Experimental Q was formed in the early 1970s, by a group of music students from the Gheorghe Dima Conservatory, in Cluj (Romania). Eugen Tunaru (keyboards), Valentin Farcaș (guitar), Nicolae Bucaciuc (bass), and Nicolae Delioran (drums) were joined by Gheorghe Marcovici (flute), and this line-up recorded a series of songs and compositions for radio and TV, without ever releasing any album on Electrecord, the sole record company in Romania at that time.
Their music was mostly instrumental and featured titles that touched upon intergalactic, or art themes. The band members may have been music students, but while their education was classical, their inspiration drew from pop music’s avantgarde. Prog and jazz-rock fans might find influences and echoes of bands that were carving out new paths in the unexplored music jungle of the late 1960s and early 1970s: King Crimson, The Nice, Jethro Tull, ELP, VDGG. After a few listens, however, it will dawn upon the listener that this music was more than just an East European response to the Western hype of the day. Facing the prejudice of their professors, the skepticism of some of their peers, as well as the numerous material drawbacks and technological limitations, Experimental Q improvised not only musically. In the end, they made their own instruments and adapted what they could get their hands on, to create some of the most intriguing music made on the Eastern side of the Iron Curtain.
“Amintiri din viitor” opens the first chapter in this still untold story of one of Romania’s best hidden music secrets. With the approval of and collaboration from the remaining band members, this project features restored and remastered audio, original artwork, as well as an in-depth essay about the band and its musical output in the socialist historical context, with exclusive photos and memorabilia.
This project is curated by Claudiu Oancea (artwork, liner notes), Adrian Matala (co-producer) and Remus Miron (restored, remastered audio and producer).''
''Experimental Q, where Q stands for Quintet, are a band originally from Romania and active in the 70s, during which time they won numerous awards at student festivals. Although their sound is markedly Prog and of good quality they have not been able to produce any albums during the period of activity. Recently reformed, they recorded two albums between 2012 and 2014, and thanks to their desire they have recovered and remastered the works of the past that will be released in December 2021 for the DJs Techno Conference Label. Titled “Amintiri Despre Viitor” this collection of trackss recorded between 1974 and 1975 contains long-lasting pieces, which showcase a 70s-style Progressive sound. The influences of the pivotal groups of the genre are felt, but the band is able to express their personal traits, having also created over the years a sort of legend linked to the fact that the tracks only see the light today. The album opens with “Amintiri Despre Viitor = Memories About The Future” which is also the longest track with over 10 minutes in length, immediately immerses us in the atmosphere of the 70s. It begins with phrasing between organ and flute, a massive and intricate rhythmic session, recalling the sound of the ELP and King Crimson and the bands of the Eastern European era. A well-developed and entirely instrumental suite, where the keyboards that intertwine with the electric guitar stand out, giving life to the classic Progressive sounds that lovers of the genre appreciate so much. Long solo sections, dark atmospheres and rapid tempo changes are a constant in the piece, which emphasizes the technique of all the musicians involved. Also pleasant is the use of the flute which gives a symphonic touch to each intervention, adding more melodic features to the sound. The second “Vis Intergalactic = Intergalactic Dream” is slightly shorter in duration than the previous one, as well as not having the presence of the flute inside. Sweet dreamy notes on the piano introduce us to the song with a Jazzy touch that soon flows into the Delicate and Symphonic Prog sound with acoustic guitar inserts on a very pleasant organ carpet. Here too the tempo changes allow different solutions to the band, which mixes darker passages with other more melodic ones with mixes and solos between guitar and organ of a good level. The passages are interesting, it is a pity that the quality of the recording is not impeccable, a song like this would have expressed the maximum with a superior sound quality, I’m sure that the remaster made today has already enhanced the traits. Side A closes with this dreamy and dilated track, showing in this first part a good command of the instruments and clear ideas in composition. The second side of the album opens with the first part of the suite “Atlantida I = Atlantis I” recorded in 1974 and divided into two sections. This initial takes up the sound with which the previous one ended, enhancing the more symphonic and dreamy aspect of the Progressive, with a carpet of keyboards and the guitar in evidence on a striking theme and sweet melodies. The contaminations with classical music are more marked here, as often happened in the ’70s, managing to find the right balance between it and Rock. The rhythmic session outlines and marks the time, enriching the piece with elaborate changes and solutions, leaving the keyboards and guitar free to play with the melodies and intertwine pleasantly. Here the references to ELP music from the Tarkus period are more pronounced, a mystery how a band with this ability has never been produced before. The track ends in crescendo, after a drum solo in the final all the instruments return with the keyboards that stand out and open the way for the second part. “Atlantida II = Atlantis II” begins with a repeated bass line and keyboards on which flute melodies and the electric guitar are inserted later. With the intensity that increases with the passage of the piece, articulated and with unpredictable tempo changes, they show once again that they have good ideas and know how to develop them to the fullest. Continuing the speech of the previous one, as it is linked to it, the sounds are a winning mix of more classical and rhythmic Rock keyboards, recalling once again the compositions of the ELp, with personal traits and their own style. Between more symphonic and other more electric openings, sweeter moments and others more accelerated and powerful, the song flows and we seem to have gone back in time leaving us positive feelings. A track originating from 1975 is “Flori = Flowers,” the penultimate of the record, which begins with a sweet piano arpeggio into which the rhythm session is soon inserted. It is also the first sung song of the album, which showcases a good melodic vocal and a clear 70’s stamp, as well as the flute that gives an extra solution to the melodies. The texts in Romanian are well suited to the music, recalling the first releases of Prog at the turn of the 60s and 70s, with also some good piano inserts in the second part that add a touch of classical music to the sound. The album “Atlantida = Atlantis (* Snippet from the future)” ends with a short passage of just over 2 minutes, perfect to end this good work. Characterized by a long electric guitar solo that takes up almost the entire tempo of the piece accompanying us at the end. A good work that fortunately has been remastered and has finally been able to be released even if in copies limited to 300 vinyls, giving us the opportunity to listen to it. I never thought that after nearly 50 years there were still hidden treasures just waiting to be re-discovered like in this case. The quality of the recordings is not perfect but the work that has been done today to release it is really of fine workmanship and enhances all aspects of the album. A listening recommended for all lovers of the purest sounds of 70s-style Progressive Rock. The recordings date back to 1974-1975 and show a good quality both in the composition and execution phase, thanks to the perseverance and desire of both the band and the record company for having offered us this hidden rarity, a pleasant listening.''
(Review by Jacopo Vigezzi from Progressive Rock Journal)
''On March 26th, 1976 music journalist and concert producer Aurel Gherghel published an article in the “Săptămâna” magazine, entitled “Mai departe...” [Further on…]. In it, Gherghel reviewed the Romanian rock music scene at the time and its progress since the early 1970s. Contrary to what many thought at the time (and still do…), Romanian rock during the 1970s was a vivid scene, synchronized with what was going on beyond the Iron Curtain, despite obvious drawbacks and limitations. Of the many bands Gherghel mentioned in his article, only a handful had had the good fortune of editing an LP with Electrecord, the sole Romanian record company during the communist era. There were, however, other groups that had become widely popular among students and young music fans: Curtea Veche, Modal Quintet, Ethos, Catena... They had managed to record songs for the radio broadcast company and had slowly, but surely, built a reputation for their performances. Whereas the Electrecord gates were often closed because of official restrictions, cultural prejudices, or more personal obstacles, live concert performances were met with less censorship and scrutiny (which is not to say the latter were absent!). Of all those groups, Gherghel wished in particular for one group to strive and release an LP. The group’s name was Experimental Q: “The strong ones will march further on, higher. For now, just a predictable, logical, and optimistic ‘farewell’: before they get their job placements, the five students who are now in their last year of studies at the Conservatory must give us the record they have been dreaming of for so many years. I don’t think there is any other record material that is closer to and more deserving of getting released, than the one by Experimental from Cluj. The album’s name might be ‘Amintiri despre viitor’ (Memories about the Future)...”.
“Săptămâna” was at the time one of the main Romanian cultural magazines, published in Bucharest, and one of the very few to pay any attention to the blossoming Romanian rock scene, which officials wanted to call anything else but “rock”: young music, pop music, vocal-instrumental, etc. Gherghel was a dreamer, as the band Experimental Q had just announced their upcoming break up, in a letter addressed to the “Săptămâna”, on February 6th that same year: “This spring, the band members will say goodbye to their student activity and, with it, to their performances as Experimental Q. The event will be marked in April, by a farewell concert at the Sports Arena, in Cluj-Napoca.” Petre Magdin, the author of the article which announced the band’s end, also hoped that there will be more Experimental Q shows. As events would unfold, the band would reunite one more time, at the end of March 1977, for a concert dedicated to the victims of the earthquake that had shaken Romania a few weeks before. The five musicians who comprised Experimental Q would go on with their lives and with their music. Most of them would leave Romania and the band would only reunite briefly in 2010 for one concert in Bucharest’s Big Mamou music club. Their name would become a bitter-sweet memory for those lucky enough to have seen them perform (needless to say, the music journalists of the few Romanian magazines, which hosted pop music articles, would still receive letters from fans asking about the band, years after the break-up).
In 1979, Archie Patterson, an American rock music journalist, who ran a fanzine dedicated to rock music in Europe, Eurock Magazine, wrote an article on the Romanian scene. Apart from the Sfinx and Phoenix long-play records, he had also listened to a smuggled bootleg cassette, which featured Experimental Q. The tape made him say: “When they are in full swing they can really get way out there.”
But who were Experimental Q, the group that had triggered so many positive reactions? As the name hints, this was a band that made challenging music, in the vein of progressive rock, the genre that was so forward thinking (and fashionable) during the 1970s. Experimental Q took its cue from classical music, but blended it with jazz and rock in a melting pot that paid homage to the great progressive acts of their era, while staying original in its attitude and concept. The band was formed in November 1971 in Cluj, by a group of students from the Faculty of Medicine and from the Conservatory. By 1973, the band line-up had stabilized around the composing duo of Eugen Tunaru (organ, piano) and Valentin Farcaș (guitar), with the rhythm section comprised of Nicolae Bucaciuc (Bocaciu) on bass guitar and Nicolae Delioran on drums. All four were students in music and quickly rose through the ranks of their fellow bands: their performances at various art festivals and competitions made young people pay attention, while others raised an eyebrow (or two!) By 1974 the four members were joined by another fellow music student, Gheorghe Marcovici, a flutist who had already made a name for himself in the local student band ‘Syrinx’, and would go on to win awards at the National Festival of Students from Art Institutes (later, he would even become a member in the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra!). Thus, Experimental Quartet became a Quintet and later shortened the name to the more enigmatic and fashionable Experimental Q. The band’s songs were omnipresent in the weekly music charts of cultural magazines from Romania’s main cities: Bucharest, Cluj, Iași: Săptămâna, Tribuna, and Cronica, respectively.
Being in a rock band in 1970s Romania was not exactly a dream job, even though those brave enough could afford some sort of socialist variant of the rock ‘n roll dream. Young pupils and students were eager to listen to rock ‘n’ roll, others not so much. Getting hold of electric and electronic instruments was a task in itself. Romanian made electric instruments even lacked the quality of their other socialist counterparts, not to mention the Western ones. While keyboard player Eugen Tunaru used a Vermona electric organ, made in the German Democratic Republic, and Nicolae Bucaciuc made good use of his Czechoslovakian Jolana bass, guitarist Valentin Farcaș made his own acoustic-electric guitar, with the help of an acoustic one and a custom pickup, while also using a hollow-body guitar, with semi-resonance, made in Poland. Combined with the improvised amplifiers they were using, what you hear on this record is the sound made, first of all, with a do-it-yourself attitude, which was common (and necessary) among Romanian rock musicians of the era. If finding the right instruments was a challenge, so was finding the right audience. Tunaru and Farcaș were both influenced by religion, esoterism, and philosophy. As Valentin Farcaș recalls, the underground in 1970s Romania also meant reading books that were smuggled in, not just getting hold of your everyday life consumer products. In a society which continuously called on its citizens to follow on its sunny ideological path, Experimental Q’s music was a complementary mixture of darkness and light, of serene and aggressiveness, as Eugen Tunaru remembers. On top of that, it was mostly instrumental: the musicians were too proficient not to show off, and lyrics were too often subject to intense scrutiny from cultural activists, always afraid that some hidden message might get through. All this meant that the band took on a long, winding road to get to its audience. At first, they played their original music to pupils and students at the University House in Cluj: more and more youngsters made a habit of going to an Experimental Q concert, whenever they could. The ones in Cluj were luckier. As the band became known around Romania and in Bucharest, larger audiences would become familiarized (or rather spellbound) with this music, that had not been heard before.
This is not to say that the band did not employ lyrics, as evidenced by the last song on this LP, the gentle and serene Flori (Flowers), which closes a tight and adventurous musical voyage. Elsewhere, “Amintiri despre viitor” starts the record in menacing mode and goes on through an entire myriad of rhythms marked by flute solo bursts. Farcaș’s guitar is on fire during this first part of the song and its storm is followed by a tranquil duet of piano and flute, before giving way to the piece’s final crescendo and reprisal of the initial, ominous mood. “Vis intergalactic” (Intergalactic Dream) is another showcase for guitar virtuosity, backed by Tunaru’s ethereal, turned eerie, organ. The dream draws to a hopeful, cosmic finale, driven by piano and organ. Atlantida I and II (Atlantis) are a musical journey in themselves: from intricate rhythms and uplifting dances to jazzy bass and guitar solos, from Jethro Tull-like flute attacks to the mandatory drum solo, all punctuated by Tunaru’s abiding organ and piano.
Why such music never appeared on a record during the 1970s is anybody’s guess. The band was talented and popular. In another context, such arguments might have been enough to justify an LP. In the end, one can say that the cultural milieu of 1970s Romania was not ready to acknowledge that young music could be taken seriously enough to justify an LP of pop music that broke through musical boundaries with such uncanny ease and self-confidence.
[...]
Those involved in the making of this record are grateful to Eugen Tunaru (Tunariu), Valentin Farcaș, and Nicolae Bucaciuc (Bocaciu) for their approval and collaboration. We also extend our thanks to Marius “Bubu” Luca, Mihai “Croco” Manea, and Ștefan Faff. This project is dedicated to the loving memory of Nicolae Delioran and Gheorghe Marcovici.''
(Text by Claudiu Oancea)