High Castle Teleorkestra’s debut record, The Egg That Never Opened – a mind-melting record fusing everything from Eastern European folk, swing jazz, technical metal and much more.
Assembled remotely by a roster of acclaimed international musicians, High Castle Teleorkestra (HCT) compensates for unlikely touring chances by turning out enigmatic, immaculately produced recordings. Comprised of members from multiple ground-breaking acts including Estradasphere, Mr. Bungle, Farmers Market, Umlaut and more, HCT’s prodigious musical talent is matched only by their compositional finesse.
Fans of non-traditional uses of metal – such as were in play in their previous bands, or in the Baltic-esque stylings of Igorrr – will find themselves right at home within the thundering aural cosmos borne by The Egg That Never Opened.
The unorthodox sonic landscape traversed on this 48-minute musical odyssey is not entirely unexpected from a roster with this collective musical résumé. Yet it is somehow fresh, vibrant, and, dare we say, mature in its eclectic cadence. HCT makes music that is experimental but catchy; intense yet fun without being sophomoric, and deftly avoids the pitfalls of uber-technical progressive music.
On The Egg That Never Opened, listeners will be treated to densely layered orchestrations, starkly unrelated genre superimposition, tasteful and energetic virtuosity, a narrative based on the book Radio Free Albemuth by Philip K. Dick, Eastern European folk music set to polyrhythmic death metal, innovative use of odd meters, 50’s-style surf guitar ballads, the unmistakable nod to the Beach Boys Smile-era, stunning string sections, a kooky and morphing assortment of oddball synths & lo-fi keyboards from asynchronous eras, final mixes mastered from ¼ inch tape, other-worldly productions of astounding density and intrigue a variety of composition and arrangement styles, and so much more. High Castle Teleorkestra takes the listener on a blustering ride across the universe atop the pink beam of an ancient satellite.
“Tim, Timba, and Dave have a history of making innovative music that incorporated disparate genres,” begins guitarist and co-producer Chris Bogen”. “So it is only natural that High Castle would explore similar territory and push those boundaries even further.”
High Castle Teleorkestra’s premier single and video, Mutual Hazard is an intense fusion of Romanian folk, polyrhythmic metal, and an other-worldly string arrangement.
“This tune is in the 7/8 time signature, not uncommon in progressive and certain folk musics, but played at a blazing 300 BPM, making it very difficult to count and feel,” adds chief producer and bassist Tim Smolens.
“Timba Harris put together a very unique, multi-timbral string section for this tune that adds an almost sci-fi element, something clearly not found in traditional Romanian Folk music! Drummer Dave Murray played a pivotal role in the arrangement and added interesting polyrhythmic metal concepts that make the timing even harder to count. All of this is played atop a more traditional foundation of warp speed accordion, ornamented solo violin, galloping cimbalom, and slapped upright bass. Although Estradasphere has explored a similar amalgamation of styles, there is something magical and new about the way it has come together in this particular rendition.”
Gently playful in certain places, exhilarating in others, and even teetering on the brink of cacophony at times, High Castle Teleorkestra’s The Egg That Never Opened is truly a dynamic and engaging listening experience for lovers of avant-garde, experimental and progressive music of all shapes and sizes. Witness and listen as dignified chaos is unleashed upon the world in the Mutual Hazard single and video.
High Castle Teleorkestra’s new single Mutual Hazard is out now on Art As Catharsis.
