English band Third Quadrant were formed in those heady days of the early 1980’s when the second wave of prog hit an unsuspecting, and largely unsympathetic, public, although us progheads, of course, loved every minute.
They released two albums, Seeing Yourself As You Really Are and Layered, the latter brought out in 1988, and that was that until in 2012, they reformed, issued a couple of singles and a retrospective compilation and have built themselves a reputation as a highly regarded live act. In 2024, original members Chris Dunn (keyboards & vocals), and Chris Hare (drums) are joined by David Forster on bass, guitars, and vocals and Clive Mollart on keys & programming in releasing Universal Circles.
The obvious question for us is whether the new studio work lives up to the live reputation, and the answer from this reviewer is an overwhelming yes.
We have six tracks to review and a couple to embed for you, and you might then wish to take yourselves over to the Bandcamp page at https://thirdquadrant.bandcamp.com/album/universal-circles to consider supporting them.
We kick off with Relentless, lyrically a very intelligent commentary on the way in which large tech corporations, via social media or their algorithms, drag you away from the traditional privacy and intimacy of a human social life into their relentless chaotic dopamine, something which is clearly inflicting so much damage. From the off, the dual keyboards are rich, and, yes, infused with the spirit of that 80’s feel, but sounding bang up to date in the modern world, and when he enters the fray, Forster is a rich guitarist, the rhythm section promising much for the journey ahead. The more I hear this song, the more I see and hear something which should be at the forefront of the debate on how the modern media landscape is shaping lives, with some cathedral keys exhibiting the power of the giants very well, and the whole track moving to a dramatic conclusion, racing in absolute certainty. An extremely solid start to proceedings.
Delta Passing (sonic mix) follows. It strikes me as being a tribute to greatness, to brilliant minds which inspire. As you hear the thumping bassline to open, and the synths, you get the sense of a mix between eclectic electronica and pop-infused prog rock, with a very catchy groove capable of expansion at the flick of a note switch. I have embedded it below for you, and note the soundscapes created, which are exceptionally rich in parts, the vocals infuriatingly reminding me of Gerry Rafferty in his pomp, the synths then accompanied by the hullabaloo of noisy media voices before the band asserts itself strongly with some cracking riffs. Top stuff.
Spiral means quite a bit to me lyrically.
I spiral
I lose myself in sound
Close my eyes
And leave the ground
When out with friends last week, musician and avid listeners, it was remarked that the worst thing that can happen to a reviewer such as I not relying upon words on music for income is for it to become a job, as opposed to being something you love, a labour of intensive affection, and those comments were absolutely bang on the money. I do this because I love music, and the primal joy of music, how it moves you, how you immerse yourself within it, is at the core of this song. It is just shy of epic length, a nice mix of the symphonic with the classic space rock feel, strong vocal harmonies, the synths majestic, Forster & Hare underpinning everything solidly, at times minimalist, in passages engrossing, urgent, and never anything less than fascinating, a real highlight of my listening year, for sure, best described by the words themselves, primal, as timing takes complete control. A track to wholly lose yourself in.
The Kindness of Strangers is worthy of comment socially. We are bombarded with a relentlessly negative spiral of news cycles and commentary, “Sid & Doris Bonkers” invited to put their tuppence worth on the myriads of interactive media outlets, and it is easy to forget that, at our core, we can be extremely nice, pleasant, caring, and kind. Musically, there is a sparseness to the opening passage, but within that, a lightness in the piano notes providing a hope. Some of the bass work on this is reminiscent of the finest exponents of the craft, the instrument in your consciousness as a lead against the rich soundscapes provided for by the keys and undertones of the drums, the final passage grandiose and filling the senses. This exceptional piece of music is embedded below for you to enjoy.
Dim and Distant Futures follows, the penultimate track here, a contemplative, but warm, piece, affectionate in its treatment of friends, connections made emotionally on walking trails to monuments of our past, singing together laden with warming discourse and drink. Nearly thirteen minutes long, there is some classic Genesis in this, but also what I think the last studio lineup of the band with Wilson might have produced had they had the courage to stick with it, and that contrast makes me enjoy it, that combination of classic Banks-infused keyboards, yet pushing it in to the third decade of the 21st century. A track for progressive rock lovers with decent sound systems to drool over. The room is filled with the most delicious cinematic noise. Exceptional.
We close with Big Circle, another track only marginally short of the epic length, and it is certainly the case that Third Quadrant have packed a massive amount of music into this album. The day is beginning, what we make of it is down to us, and we have a choice in our communication, responses, and decisions. Much of the opening passage is something which fans of both Vangelis and electronic pop pioneers such as Depeche Mode, Foxx & Numan will lap up, the dual keyboards making a tremendous din, with a distinctly funky beat at its heart and then a nice sense of eastern mystery creeping into your mind, Beatles oozing at your listening pores.
How many times have I said that we live in a golden age of creativity? Well, I’ll say it again. Universal Circles is an extremely welcome addition to my collection, an album created by four very talented artists who can provide a work which might be spacey, psychedelic, call it what one will, in parts, but is very much rooted in the real world, taking a raft of influences and producing something quite unique.
Very highly recommended.