Planeta Imaginario

The band Planeta Imaginario (Imaginary Planet) is an extraordinary eight piece Spanish jazz-rock/fusion group that plays creative, genre bending electric fusions. Founded in Barcelona in 1999, the band is named after a radically creative children's TV show from the early 1980s. In its music, Planeta Imaginario takes listeners on a magical, sonic journey to a musical Utopia, touching like a time capsule on three decades of jazz and rock and creating unique, new musical fusions of psychedelia and progressive rock. On *BIOMASA*, Planeta Imaginario blends geographically and temporally disparate musical influences, from the English Canterbury School (National Health, Gilgamesh, Hatfield and the North) of progressive rock, Chick Corea’s Spanish fusions, American guitar rock (a la The Allman Brothers Band), West African and Mediterranean rhythms into a fantastically creative, imaginative, evocative and uplifting musical brew. A studio recording, *BIOMASA* is Planeta Imaginario’s second album and its first release outside Spain, on Cuneiform. More mature and elaborate than the band’s previous compositions, *BIOMASA*’s songs include a world of musical references – everything from A to Z, Allman Brothers to Zappa, and influences from continents ranging from Africa to North America, Europe and beyond. Fans of instrumental music (especially various fusions, jazz-rock, progressive rock and related musics) are encouraged to explore the work of this remarkable Spanish band, whose music should appeal to listeners of such diverse artists as: Anekdoten, AKA moon, Area, John Coltrane, King Crimson, Avishai Cohen, Steve Coleman, Deus ex Machina, Gabriel Faure, Gilgamesh, Hatfield at the North, Pat Metheny, Nucleus, Soft Machine, Van der Graaf Generator, Frederic Mompou, National Health, Weather Report, Kenny Werner, Frank Zappa, and John Zorn.(about me)WHAT THE PRESS SAID ABOUT PLANETA IMAGINARIO: PLANETA IMAGINARIO QUE ME DICES? MARGEN RECORDS 2004“3/5 stars… this album delivers nine pleasant and varied songs, the climates alternates from mellow and jazzy to up-tempo or swinging. Most of PLANETA IMAGINARIO’s music is based upon the interplay between powerful electric guitar (often Fripp-inspired) and lots of brass, from trumpet and trombone to several saxophones… The rhythm-section is strong and dynamic… A fine debut-CD from a promising Spanish prog rock band. …” – Erik Neuteboom, www.progwalhalla.com“Planeta Imaginario is an all-instrumental, 8-man Spanish band… Recorded in 2002, øQuÈ me Dices? is a progressive jazz-rock built around a powerful brass section, fusion guitar, and symphonic keyboards (Rhodes, Hammond, synths). These skillful musicians combine a strong Canterbury influence (especially Gilgamesh / Alan Gowen) with the best of the Spanish 1970’s fusion bands…a touch of RIO…and other influences into their own distinctive sound.” Kinesis, www.kinesiscd.com“…this is the first time I've heard RIO-related music from a Spanish band… only profoundly thinking and truly masterful musicians would venture into realms of the genre. …the music here…is a combination of both of the classic and jazzy kinds of RIO and Jazz-Fusion with some…symphonic textures… There are many soloing instruments: piano, organ, synthesizer, various brass, electric and bass guitars, interchanging each other at the forefront of arrangements and jamming together as well. While the parts of most instruments are usually typical for both Jazz-Fusion and RIO, those of brass are often purely improvisational in character. The alternation of intensive, highly eclectic arrangements and quieter ones is the essential part of the music, but all the events develop constantly and there is no place for repeats… El Crucigrama (7) is the only number where elements of Symphonic Progressive are immediately recognizable. …however, this is the most polymorphous and, at the same time, the most solidly structured composition on the recording. It represents a complex, yet, very cohesive blend of Symphonic Art-Rock, Jazz-Fusion, Prog-Metal, and classic RIO and is…fantastically impressive stuff. … The band performs music of a highest progressive quality. Naturally, being extremely complex, it needs many listens to be comprehended. …this album…might please most open-minded connoisseurs of music, especially those experienced, covering all the progressive genres. In all, Planeta Imaginario's "Que Me Dices?" is an exceptionally strong and successful debut, at least from a creative standpoint.” – Vitaly Menshikov, Progressor. August 4, 2004. www.progressor.net “If complex music is your thing, then this instrumental octet (keyboards, winds, guitars, bass, drums) will have your head spinning. Powerhouse fusion guitar is blended with symphonic keyboards and wind section into a fusion of powerful arrangements and soaring solos that conjure up the great Spanish band Iceberg and Canadian ensemble Miriodor.” – Eurock, www.eurock.com “Planeta Imaginario: Fantastic progressive rock-jazz fusion band, in the style of the early King Crimson.” – Unoma, www.unoma.net “3.5 stars really! The first record of good new Catalan jazzrock-fusion band with quite big punch of brass. …All in all – good retro-jazz-rock-fusion to listen again and again.” – Rainer Rein, www.progarchives.com “An incredible instrumental record… They are well-trained musicians that combine danger and facility in a block of music that mixes the best of fusion bands from the 70’s…certain connotations and personal portions of RIO…and other influences of symphonic rock and progressive rock to create a distinctive sound. “Que Me Dices?” is a hallucination of vitality with a…impacting, interpretive style. To fans of music from the 70’s and instrumental music, this is a must purchase.”– Trastenda, www.trastenda.com [translated by Tamas O’Doughda]“Fantastic instrumental band that mixes prog/space/fusion/jazz. Recommended!” – Syn-Phonic Music, SPAIN List of Prog Rock Bands, synphonic.8m.com/country/spain.htmCONCERT REVIEW “This month I had the fortune of visiting Barcelona, a city of contrast if there ever was one, and of a contagious livelihood. … BCN has a long tradition of avante garde artistic expression. To mention only one landmark, the city was one of the fleeting seats of the Dada movement during the first World War…and today welcomes a very important scene of experimental music, with Victor Nubla at the head. And like the music they address, listening to the majestic “Tenemos Roads” by National Health reminded me of the concert by Barcelona progressive rock band Planeta Imaginario in a beautiful bar in Cornella de Leobregat, in the outskirts of Barcelona. Embodying the spirit of Canterbury, Planeta Imaginario ventures into extensive compositions and changes that refer to the formidable group of Dave Stewart… The instrumentation is not usual in general (in addition to a quartet of keyboard, guitar, bass, and drums, they use a powerful section of winds, including tenor and alto saxophone, trombone, and trumpet) and they employ it with a clear orchestral feeling. They have a very promising debut CD called “Que Me Dices?” recorded for Margen Records… In the Argentina magazine Mellotron, Chris Cutler…recommends Planeta Imaginario to those that enjoy Las Orejas y La Lengua, or the Chilean Akineton Retard. …” – Siete Octavos, rockprogresivo.blogspot.com [