AKP is BACK to ensure a magnificent finale to 2011 and herald in 2012 with a TRUE MONSTER of a release marking the standard by which all instrumental albums should now be judged. Remember when Tubular Bells challenged and broke all the rules, KALUGIN likewise takes that musical leap.

Lovers of all good music will be engrossed as he ever enriches your enjoyment and challenges the listener to many a "what comes next" moment when arriving at the traditional classic progressive rock point in major tracks that very few are capable of pulling off and onwards to that ultimate symphonic experience.

There are so many styles here you would need a page to just list them all! But put simply KALUGIN just writes plays and produces SOMETHING THAT'S SPECIAL and our music needs leaders. Here he shows KALUGIN IS THAT MAN.

Two long tracks take centre place JOURNEY THOUGHT THE LOOKING GLASS and title track LOST SYMPHONY, complimented by a variety of shorter tracks that explore music to its full symphonic glory making it 64 minutes to savour.

As with SUNCHILD - AS FAR AS accompanying the great man himself the musicians at the heart of the album are Alexandr, Sergey, Oleg and Vanya, alongside an elite array of classical musicians playing Bassoon, Flute, Oboe, Viola, Violin and Cello.

KALUGIN, its evident here, went into the studio on an emotional high fresh from his critical success with the recent AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE plus his performance with legendary ex Uriah Heep's John Sloman at the UK's Summers End festival, producing an album confirming him as a JUGGERNAUT of a musician, a talent likened to a MAGICIAN he creates a Tapestry of Symphonic Art Rock that weave together a maze of Progressive, Art, Heavy, Traditional, Classical, Jazz Rock and so much more, KALUGIN keeps pushing the envelope without sacrificing his trademark rainbow of melodies each playing individually, continually and even alongside each other at times.

Karfagen is the brainchild of the Ukrainian multi-instrumentalist Antony Kalugin. He uses this project/band for mainly instrumental music. This can be specially heard on the debut album Continium (2006), the second releaseThe Space Between Us (2007) and on the compilation album The Key To Perception (2009). The music of bands like Happy The Man, Camel and Focus were important sources of inspiration on these releases, but Mr. Kalugin has also been influenced by the music of jazz-rock guitarist Pat Metheny. The third official release Solitary Sandpiper Journey (2010) contained more vocal parts than the two previous albums, while the jazz-rock and fusion elements clearly decreased. Elements from classical and folk music combined with more vocals had taken over on this album.  

However, the old musical style seems to have returned on Lost Symphony, the latest record of Karfagen. The album is again almost completely instrumental and it strongly tends in the direction of the same type of music you could enjoy on the first two albums. This can be simply explained because in the booklet it is said that the music originates from 2000/2002. Some of the music was even lost for a while, but could be restored thanks to a demo that included 'the lost symphony'. Looking at the back of the CD-booklet you get the idea that you just bought a vinyl album, since Lost Symphony has been divided into 'side one and two' and even a 'third side'. This third side includes the bonus tracks, but I don't think that these tracks were meant to be bonus tracks; otherwise it would be rather strange to name your album after a bonus track which is moreover the best track of the entire album. This lost track belongs together with Journey Through The Looking Glass to the highlights of the album.

A lot of splendid keyboard work can be heard all the way through, just as on the band's first two albums. However, I once again heard influences from the music by Dutch band Focus. You have to listen very carefully to this album a couple of times before you discover what it's all about. All compositions flow into each other like a classical piece of music. This surely is cleverly done, but it means that the listener has to be focused all the time. This way you'll discover new things every time you play Lost Symphony. All details have been hidden in the music and you can only discover them by spending more time on this album. Sometimes you hear traces of Camel, Pat Metheny or Focus; at other times the Ukraine folk music takes over and invites you to enjoy the music of a different culture. 

I would like to advise people who enjoyed Karfagen's early work to check out Lost Symphony. Also those who like the music made by Pat Metheny, Camel or Focus will get a very satisfying album if they decide to buy this release, but beware! Take your time while listening to the music on this disc, since the beauty of it all will only be revealed if you're patient. 

http://www.backgroundmagazine.nl/

Lost Symphony is a huge step forward for the Ukrainian project Karfagen, led by the brilliant Antony Kalugin. The album is completely instrumental and practically every composition on the album is a highlight. You might expect a bombastic and heavy symphonic sound with a title like this, but what you get is a symphony of subtleties.

You will have to listen to the album a couple of times carefully before you get to the structure of it. All compositions flow into each other. But once you have acquired the taste, you just can't stop listening to it. Every time you listen, you will discover new things, new sounds in the background, or little details you hadn't noticed before in the arrangements, which are all meticulously worked out.

To achieve this varied sound, mister Kalugin has once more surrounded himself with a small orchestra of excellent musicians. Apart from the standard band line up, consisting of guitars, keyboards, bass & drums, there can be a enjoyed a small string section and a lavish woodwind section, consisting of a flute, a oboe and a bassoon. As an extra folk element, a bayan, a Russian/Ukrainian sort of accordion is added to the line up. As mentioned, there are no vocals on this album, or it should be the sporadic text less vocal interventions in some of the compositions. I don't think words would have been necessary on this album. The eloquence is in the music.

The sound of Karfagen has always been firmly rooted in Ukrainian folk music, which gives the band a very characteristic sound. The music is very melodious and mixes in a beautiful way jazz, classic, folk and symphonic rock into a beautiful fairy tale-like musical landscape.

Practically all compositions on Lost Symphony are written by keyboard-player Antony Kalugin, with the exception of an acoustic guitar gem by guitarist Alexandr Pavlov, who may be held responsible for most guitar parts on the album and another one by Roman Gorielov, who makes a guest appearance only in that particular piece.

After a short keyboard introduction the music evolves in the up tempo and solid "Salvatore", a very attractive composition, displaying right away the many musical aspects Karfagen has to offer.

The short organ intermezzo "Orgaria" leads to the beautiful symphonic "Cosmic Frog & The Beast". Both the electric and acoustic guitar parts by Alexandr Pavlov are worth mentioning. The gentle melodies played by the bassoon made me unconsciously think of "Papillon" by the Italian band Latte e Miele. It's a miracle that so many fluent and attractive melodies fit in such a short time space. The well chosen keyboard sounds are never intrusive and connect all sections of this modern classical composition, that ends with a smooth chord played by the winds.

I liked a lot the "Journey Through The Looking Glass", a huge musical adventure with lots of tempo and character changes. The subtle acoustic melodies are often alternated by solid band interventions, supported by a very effective rhythm section. The excellent flute playing by Vasya Ivanov reminded me a lot of the Hungarian band Solaris on "The Martian Chronicles" and I certainly think that fans of that band will be pleased with this Karfagen album as well. The bayan carefully placed in the arrangements gives this composition just its necessary uniqueness. Again the subtle keyboard sounds of Antony Kalugin are closely intertwined with the several woodwinds, violins & cello.

The Symphony Of Sound (a bit of a pleonasm there), added as a bonus track (I wonder why) is another great composition, that according to the story in the booklet almost was lost, because the bulk of the arrangement had been erased, but luckily the track could be reconstructed thanks to a raw audio mix. It's a solid piece of music with some remarkable keyboard playing.

The recording is well done, the sound has a great transparency, thus highlighting all details of the arrangements. The beautiful paintings in the booklet by Alla Navrotskaya add a lot to the folk character of the album and fit in with the music perfectly.

I think that mister Kalugin has achieved with his "Lost Symphony" an album that will appeal to everyone who takes the time to listen to details and I would recommend this album in particular to fans of artists like Pekka Pohjola, Solaris, Mike Oldfield and Latte & Miele or simply to those who really love great music.

An album with so many highlights, which provided me with so many happy hours, can only be rewarded with five stars !

http://www.progarchives.com/

Very nice jazzy prog--often sounding like Pat Metheny, sometimes like Mike Post television themes, sometimes like Strunz & Farrah world music, always amazingly melodic and with crystal clear production. The keyboardist, Kalugin, is definitely the show here but all collaborators are good. Amazingly, some of Kalugin's 'keyboards' sound like real woodwinds! (Are they?) And please tell me that's a real accordian! With computer generated music these days it's hard to tell. Anyway, congrats for a imminently listenable and beautiful 'symphony.' Your music will endure! The album is so new to me that I'm not ready to rate it a five star masterpiece but I'm hard pressed to justify why it's not. It is virtually flawless--except that some will miss the vocal/lyrics of this collection of instrumental songs. And some will not like the absence of metal power chords.

http://www.progarchives.com/album-reviews.asp?id=35740

"Lost Symphony" by Karfagen is like an vintage art rock fairytale - something special for those who loves Camel "Snow Goose" and Gryphon "Midnight Mushrumps". It`s an instrumental album that is divided on to three chapters, nearly 22 minutes each. I can clearly imagine it as a sides of a LP. First chapter: "The Frog, the Beast & the Wizard" - starts from lush keyboards - perfect positive intro to a symphonic poem where different characters and landscapes takes you to the fantastic world of adventures. You`ll find eccentric and flashing pieces like "The Cosmic Frog & the Beast" & "Salvatore". Classical Rimsky-Korsakov style "Orgaria" where Antony has painted a wonderful mellow pastoral with the beauty and variety of electric organ and gentle "China Wizard" by talented guitarist Alex Pavlov. "Sylph" has a really catchy tunes - atmospheric and dynamic at the same time. Second chapter: "Mysterious Stories from the Kite Town" (brings me an associations with a Nosov's world-famous child`s book "The Adventures of Dunno and his Friends") centres around epic track "Journey Through the Looking Glass". It`s an art rock jewel - one of my favourite Karfagen tracks - reminds me outstanding epic "Mystery" from the previous album "Solitary Sandpiper Journey". I would like to emphasize the art work and production of the entire cd. So it`s highly recommended symphonic rock statement.

http://www.progarchives.com/album-reviews.asp?id=35740

 I must be missing something. This is pleasant enough but hardly compares to the seismic shift that the arrival of "Tubular Bells" created. There is nothing here that couldn't be heard at any time in garden centres all over the UK = new age music to soothe the phalanxes of frenzied pensioners armed with fearsome elbows in search of that elusive marigold. No real symphonic touches, with the near 20 minute "Symphony of Sound", especially, proving to be more like the Symphony of Relentless Tedium. This said, "Sylph" and "Daydream" hold together nicely in the middle of the work, and there is a quite haunting (and, sadly, very brief) slice of organ music on "Orgaria (Scene 2), but the noodles and doodles elsewhere are not compelling. A (wholly unlikely) "Best of" compilation of Karfagen's output to date (including "Amused fair" and "Silent anger") might result in a half-decent amount of music to listen to as dusk gathers, but this offering alone doesn't do enough to stand on its own two feet.

http://www.progarchives.com/album-reviews.asp?id=35740

Antony Kalugin's impressive portfolio of musical projects threaten to position him as a Ukrainian answer to Steven Wilson - a prolific creative force capable of playing progressive and prog-influenced music in a variety of styles. Here, Kalugin - particularly in his keyboard playing - along with his musical collaborators offers a tribute to the symphonic prog of the past. Alongside Kalugin's delicate playing, Alexandr Pavlov also works in some rather enchanting classical guitar passages which remind me of some of Anthony Phillips' material on his Private Parts and Pieces albums.

If the band has a weakness, it's in editing and trimming the fat off their compositions, often allowing particular musical themes or sections of their compositions drag on somewhat longer than necessary to little useful aesthetic effect. Still, it's a competent job and makes me interested to hear other projects by Kalugin.

http://www.progarchives.com/album-reviews.asp?id=35740

The natural follow up Lost symphony issued in 2011 after the top notch Solitary sandpiper journey, is no less awesome then the predecesor. Keeping the same attitude as before, with splendid passages where Antony Kalugin really shines on every tune, as rest of the musicians involved here. Another long album from Karfagen , over an hour, but is not a problem for me, the album is keeping me conected with every piece. This time all album is instrumental, that is for sure quite great, because the musicnship is excellent as the ideas. Divided in 3 parts, each part aswell divided in small little pieces that flows from one to another very well. The mood is great and is a damn fine captivating journey to my ears. I never though that I'll like so much Karfagen, to me is one of the most acomplished and inventive bands around in prog rock realm. Lots of tempo changes, lots of musical styles combined and melted together, but the result is simply said amazing. For instance the opening part The frog, the beast and the wizard with 6 pieces , really kick ass, going from sections that remind me of Gryphon to symphonic prog a la The Flower Kings (but 100 times more intresting then the sweds) , jazzy passages all with good sense , elegant and inventive. Again recommended, Karfagen , is for sure now, I mean in last years a driving force in prog, that every one intrested in style must check this band because they kick ass all the way. 4 stars easy, nice art work on this digipak.

http://www.progarchives.com/album-reviews.asp?id=35740

The very very impressive output from keyboard wiz Anthony Kalugin, continues as he goes from one album to the other in his various band disguises ( Hoggwash/ Karfagen/Sunchild) this 2011 release, has some very beautiful themes and interesting musical ideas, as he manages to blend symphonic prog and cinematic themes on most of the album, with almost fusion (Pat Metheny) like ("The China Wizzard") tunes. This album are very varied and it has grown on me over the weeks, I have played it several times, actually more than once a day, talking the last few days! It is quite amazing, he is getting away with blending genres, styles and moods, I can easily hear hints of Pat Metheny, Gryphon, Darryl Ways Wolf, folk, blues and even soundtrack-like sequences. It is very well produced by Kalugin & Will Mackie (founder of the excellent Caerllysi Music) and with an hour of brilliant listening, you cant go wrong, its well spend money. So go buy, why don't you?!! Give yourself that extra holiday gift!! Kudo´s the fine musicians here, the main figure being Kalugin, but the guitarist´ (there are several) also shows brilliance- especially the lead guitars are impressive! It's a keeper !!

http://www.progplanet.com/12-reviews/cd-reviews/273-lost-symphony

My opinion on KARFAGEN "Solitary Sandpiper Journey" is that in some moments I felt a strong influence of THE FLOWER KING'S, above all in the keyboard timbres (with melotrons/vocorders use making the harmony) and also in the guitar solos, besides the form of combining the musical passages inside of the compositions. Actually it is big the amount of musical styles that one can find in this disk that mixes FOLK, SYMPHONIC, CLASSIC, RENASCENTISTA and something of JAZZ, forming in certain moments very complex themes. Besides the already mentioned influence above there is other with less evidence, just as JETHrO TULL, CAMEL, GREENSLADE, FOCUS and GRYPHON.

The track 1 "Spirit of Revelation" is fully of "good vibrations" and seems to me a theme which could be used in a soundtrack from childish adventure movies, a very happy melodie and full of variations. The track 2 "Magic Moment" are more bucolic and the absolute detach comes to the charming voice from Marina Zacharova . The track 3 "Silent Anger (part 2)" is a splitting from the previous track and at this time the detach are the great intrumental arrangement. Is very difficult to me says "that track is fairly superior in relationship to another". If you are fan of symphonic prog, you cannot let know this albun. My rate is 5 stars !!!

http://www.progarchives.com/album-reviews.asp?id=28386

Karfagen from Ukraine is one of the best and most intresting bands I've ever heared in last years. Formed in 2002 by the prolific musician Antony Kalugin, Karfagen soon turned to be a real force in prog rock world, with 6 albums released so far. Solitary sandpiper journey from 2010 is a real gem of an album, here we have every ingredients to be a fairly solid and damn catchy album from first note to last. Antony Kalugin is a competend musician who really knew to compose an unforgetable release to my ears and I was very very pleasent surprised by this band when I've discovered them some years back through another bands where Antony Kalugin was involved Hoggwash and Sunchild. Karfagen music is quite complex with many instrumental passages going from symphonic prog with celtic elements thrown in to eclectic parts to jazzy interplayes and folky arranements all wraped in superb final product. Here we have lots of invited musicians, I guess around 20 , each one bringing a special mark to the album. Violins, cello, flute combined with traditional instruments, the result is impressive. Very good the vocal parts, while are not many, are very strong, Marina Zacharova is a very fine and smooth vocalist who fiting here like a glove in the music. All pieces are strong , no weak moments here, captivating instrumental sections, very original and intresting that only few bands are capable to offer in last years. For example ending track Mystery clocking around 23 min is killer, not else, Antony Kalugin is a genius and one important musicin in prog rock world in last years. The atmosphere and overall mood is brilliant.To me 4 stars easy and recommended, truly excellent album, from excellent art work to the music this is a gem.

http://www.progarchives.com/album-reviews.asp?id=28386

The most famous progressive rock band from Ukraine is without doubt Karfagen. You may call Karfagen the brainchild of the excellent musician, composer and producer Antony Kalugin. He also made a name as a solo artist and he recorded albums with Sunchild and Hoggwash. I had my first and pleasant encounter with this talented musician when I heard Karfagen’s debut album Continium (2006) and its successor The Space Between Us (2007). I enjoyed both albums a lot because of the fine blend of prog rock, fusion, jazz rock and elements of traditional folk music. Occasionally the music reminded me of Happy The Man, an American band that also recorded strong instrumental pieces with many tasteful guitar and synthesizer solos. Both Karfagen-albums were released by the Canadian label Unicorn Digital. The poor promotional activities made Karfagen probably decide to release these albums anew on the Caerllysi Music-label. This time as a double-CD, called The Key Of Perception, containing a lot of additional material. For many prog heads, this album is a nice one to get acquainted with Karfagen’s music. Perhaps, this will make listening to their brand-new album Solitary Sandpiper Journey easier.

With a total playing time of 75 minutes, the new album contains a lot of music. Therefore, it wasn’t easy for me to swallow so much music at once. At first, the music didn’t stick in my head, but while listening to it over and over again I realized that Antony Kalugin and his fellow-musicians had created a very special album. The musical style on this album shifts a bit more in the direction of his other projects, but also his admiration for Camel and Focusare clearer. The guitar parts by Alexandra Pavlov proved that they had listened to Jan Akkerman and Andy Latimer a great deal. You don’t hear the marvellous synth solos of Antony Kalugin that much in the beginning ofSolitary Sandpiper Journey, but they soon occur if you take the time to listen to the entire album. Ode To A New Life is a good example of the way I like him to play the synthesizers. In this piece, the many Camel- and Focus-influences are prominent as we can also experience on the opening tune Spirit Of Revelation. However, the regular use of instruments as the saxophone, the flute and the bassoon, for example in Solitary Sandpiper King, made me think of Gryphon, a British band that came back together again lately. Gryphon also blended medieval music with progressive rock elements. Karfagen did it again, and I really love it.

The wonderful female vocals of Marina Zakharova are new on this album. The vocals on the previous albums were not bad actually, but were mostly the weakest part of the compositions. This is probably the reason why Antony Kalugin asked Marina to sing on three tracks. We can enjoy her singing on Magic Moment, Silent Anger and the epic piece Mystery. It certainly lifts the music to a higher quality level. Her voice sometimes gives the music a jazzy touch. For me, the 22-minute epic piece Mystery is the highlight on Solitary Sandpiper Journey. This piece is divided into five parts with many different moods starting as a kind of new version of The Snowgoose by Camel. The many classical influences on this track are just wonderful. The clever use of the cello, the viola and the violin creates an outstanding orchestral sound. Also in this epic, the Camel-influences are evident, but the fusion and jazz rock tricks on bass and electric guitar obviously give the music another twist. I must not forget to mention the superb drum parts by Vadik Samosyuk which give the music a certain ‘drive’. 

Thank goodness, I gave this album enough room to listen to it. Because of that, it revealed its beauty showing how talented Mr. Kalugin is. Writing great progressive rock tunes and playing keyboards seems as easy for him as breathing is for me. Thanks to the wonderful musicians he worked together with on this concept album, he managed to translate his compositions into some outstanding progressive rock pieces. I can only end this review with a strong recommendation to our readers: if you’re a Camel-fan, please, take the chance to listen to Solitary Sandpiper Journey as much as I did. You won’t regret it. 

http://www.backgroundmagazine.nl/CDreviews/KarfagenSandpiper.html

The internet, or the net as many prefer to call it, is responsible for a lot in this world of ours: negative and destructive websites, lesser evils such as illegal sharing and downloading of copyright-protected material and greater ones such as the terrorist handbook. But for all negative aspects of the digital world there's at least one positive to be found that will balance it all out. One of these stories concerns how Antony Kulagin from Ukraine and Will Mackie from the UK got to know each other, the latter inspiring the former to unleash his creativity to record and release his music. In just a handful of years this has resulted in multiple CDs released by the three band projects, and in addition to that Kulagin has a solo album out from a few years back too. As for the latest Karfagen production, it is a disc that to my ears comes across as pretty much the definition of pleasant. The themes and motifs used are easygoing, melodic and harmonic through and through, the tonal ranges most frequently used range well inside the light and positive, the arrangements are silk-smooth, the production is warm and organic, the latter adding a vintage touch to the proceedings, enhancing the impression one gets from the music itself. While only occasionally similar in stylistic expression, the band that I found myself thinking of most often when listening through the 75 or so minutes of the music to be found on "Solitary Sandpiper Journey" is Camel. It too often explored territories smooth and elegant, and, like Karfagen, also had their flirtations with folk music and jazz. In this case these tendencies are taken further, however. Among the minor army of instrumentalists appearing on this production several use analog instruments that fairly often induce a folk-tinged atmosphere, the flute the most striking of these for this detail. Occasionally we're also treated to passages with something of a chamber music feel to them. Plenty of themes throughout take on a slick and sophisticated jazz rock expression as well, the bass and guitar the most central instruments for those endeavors. Those fond of jazz without the rock added in are served a few treats too, the final part of Searching for Love with its fragile foundation and haunting saxophone being probably the best example of that. But while there are flavors aplenty to be enjoyed, this disc is first and foremost one that belongs in the symphonic part of the art rock universe. Keyboards and synths aplenty craft one symphonic delight after another, occasionally backed by darker-toned riffs, but first and foremost lighter-toned and positive constellations, richly layered just as often as more simplistic, gentle and fragile. The organ and Mellotron are well utilized too, the former extensively and the latter sparingly, but for both of the instruments in a fitting manner that does enrich the arrangements. To my tastes, however, this disc is just a bit too gentle and positive, a tad too polished, if you like, lacking something of an edge. Still, it is good music, well-made and well-performed, with a distinctly uncompressed analog-sounding production as a bonus feature I expect many fans of symphonic progressive rock will appreciate.

Conclusion. If you enjoy symphonic progressive rock and have a soft spot for the 70's version of the genre in general and bands like Camel in particular, Karafgen is a band you will most likely want to explore. Their take on this style is more eclectic than Latimer's, including frequent jazz rock and a select few purebred jazz sequences for starters, and the symphonic scope of their repertoire does cover a lot more ground too. The mood, atmosphere and feel of the compositions are more closely linked in, however, which is why I estimate that particular crowd to be something of a key audience.

http://www.progressor.net/review/karfagen_2011.html

Karfagen returns with a new release in 2010 called Solitary Sandpiper Journey. Joining Antony Kalugin this time are Alexander Pavlov (guitars) and Marina Zacharova (vocals). Together they create the next chapter of Karfagen‘s musical legacy. The music is familiar to the first two releases but with a slightly more driving presence.

Some highlights are “Magic Moment” which has a Celtic feel to it. It also contains beautiful vocals by Marina. "Searching for Love", is another vocal based song, this time with Antony on lead vocals with Marina on backing vocals. Nothing against Antony but I think future Karfagen would be better with more vocals by Marina.

Next highlight is the almost 14 minute instrumental track “Carpathians”. There’s an ethnic sound throughout the song. It also has a heavier guitar presence from around the 10 minute mark, which brings even more character to the music of Karfagen.

Ending off the album is the epic 22 plus minute “Mystery” which alone is worth the price of admission. It features both Marina and Antony on vocals, in some places they duet. “Mystery” is also another song that features a heavier guitar presence yet not over powering. At times the song reminds me of Snow Goose which is a good enough reason to put Karfagen in the classic sounding symphonic band camp.

Solitary Sandpiper Journey is a highly recommended release and has effortlessly become a part of my top favorites of 2010.

http://www.prognaut.com/reviews/karfagen4.html

This was an album I bought on impulse based on the blurb that suggested that Karfagen has a good deal in common with a number of bands I like, such as The Flower Kings (TFK), Camel, Focus and Jethro Tull. Essentially Karfagen is actually the musical outlet for Ukrainian artist Antony Kalugin who writes the songs, plays the keyboards and percussion, and provides some of the lead vocals, although essentially this is an instrumental album. In his endeavours he is supported by no less than 17 additional musicians who provide the usual rock instrumentation as well as the less familiar cello, flute, oboe, bassoon, viola and violin.

The bands I mentioned earlier that drew me in are certainly all evident in the sounds generated on this the band’s third studio album, although I might add a few more to the list. Opening instrumental track, ‘Spirit Of Revelation’ has a TFK / Camel feel going on, although I have to say that at times there’s a bit of a dated feel or naivety about what I’m hearing. ‘Magic Moment’ has Marina Zakharova providing the lead vocals, as she does on two other tracks. She has a very nice tone, at times I’m reminded of Annie Haslam (Renaissance) albeit with an accent that can be a tad distracting. The use of woodwinds adds a lovely dimension to the song. ‘Silent Anger (part2)’ mixes any number of Prog influences (Genesis style Mellotron anyone?) and features Lesya Kofanova’s flute in the early quiet section. The tempo increases on the back of Alexandr Pavlov’s delightful guitar refrain. The female vocal here is purely a wordless melody line again, a trait of the aforementioned Haslam. ‘Solitary Sandpiper King’ is another instrumental and sees Kalugin testing his keyboard muscles, initially with some fine organ work. Pavlov then trips out a beautifully observed solo that has all the hallmarks of Roine Stolt (TFK) and when the keyboards return there’s a sound used by Tomas Bodin (TFK). The tempo quickens as the band start to rock. A saxophone solo from Artem Vasylchenko reminds one of Pink Floyd.

‘Searching For Love’ has Kalugin on vocals and it presents an eclectic mix with the woodwinds and accordion, so it comes across like Prog infiltrated by peasant music. ‘Carpathians’ is an epic at over 13 minutes, which in true Prog fashion has a number of different themes with various instruments taking the lead. ‘Ode To A New Life’ is jaunty little number that at one point has a keyboard sound that puts me in mind of Stevie Winwood. ‘Kingfisher & Dragonflies (part 2)’ is a laid back, short piece that sets the scene for the album’s major epic, the expansive 22 minute ‘Mystery’. The dual female / male vocal that opens the song is very pleasant indeed. From this point it’s a journey through the full gamut of the Symphonic Prog armoury. The woodwinds and strings bring Camel’s ‘Snow Goose’ to mind but other sections nod in the direction of their other influences although I’d add Glass Hammer to the mix.

http://www.rocktopia.co.uk/

Niemand soll behaupten, der ehemalige Ostblock (muss man das Gebiet nach so langer Zeit immer noch so nennen?) sei flächendeckend ein Hort für düstere Musik allgemein und akustisch wie ideologisch extremen Metal. KARFAGEN aus der Ukraine scheint nämlich die Sonne aus dem Hintern. Mit ihrem ungemein farbenfrohem Prog ziehen sie nahezu gleich mit den großen Eklektikern und Klangmalern des Genres. Alte CAMEL lassen ebenso grüßen wie skandinavischer Neuprog aus dem Umfeld von KAIPA und Konsorten.

Das lyrische Gitarrenspiel im gut acht Minuten langen Instrumental "Spirit of Revelation" dient als wahrlich sprechende Einleitung. Dazu reichen KARFAGENgeschmackvolle Keyboard- und Bassfiguren sowie beschwingte Leichtigkeit in Gestalt von Handklatschern und unverzerrten Klampfentönen. Marina Zacharova liefert den ersten Gesangsbeitrag im Folgestück "Magic Moment" ab, einem von Klavier und Flöte getragenen Akustikrocker im Radioformat, zu dem Madame neben sehr verständlich dargebotenen Texten auch expressiv lautmalt. Fusionistisch wird es hiernach im zweiten Teil von "Silent Anger" (der erste stand auf dem Vorgängeralbum "Continuum"). Sein Titel täuscht; im Mittelteil kanalisiert man keine Wut, sondern angesichts der wilden Geräuscheffekte wohl eher einen Dschungelstrom, aus dem sich ozrische Tentakel winden. Wie auch im nächsten Lied vernimmt man keinen Gesang. Dafür baut "Solitary Sandpiper King" zwischenzeitlich fast bedrohliche Spannung auf, die sich aber - nur zu angemessen für dem bunten Stilflitter zugeneigte Künstler wie diese - in Wohlgefallen auflöst. Wie passend erscheint es da, dass "Searching For Love" nicht nur einen hippiesken Titel trägt, sondern auch mit allerlei verschmitztem Getröte und Georgel aufwartet. Dazu trällert einer der beiden Herrn Hofnarren ähnlich kauzig, wie Blumenkönig Roine Stolt es manchmal zu tun pflegt. Jazzbezüge stellt das Saxophon gen Ende her, und dennoch wirken die beinahe neun Minuten nicht zuletzt des Stimmeinsatzes wegen keinesfalls sperrig.

"Carpathians" als Heimatode kommt erstaunlich beliebig, fast schon wie Fahrstuhlbeschallung aus dem Quark, bevor Tastenmann Kalugin die Sounddatenbank plündert. Schließlich verstummt er zugunsten einer ostinaten Bassfigur im folkloristischen Rhythmuskleid. Daneben verankert das durchgängige PianoKARFAGEN jedoch weiterhin fest im Prog, woran auch einige Quetschkommoden-Chor-Unisoni nichts ändern. Über 14 Minuten erstreckt sich das Gebirge, ohne den Hörer zu überfordern. Wer sich nicht daran stößt, dass nur selten Gesang erschallt, wird auch mit der stummen "Ode to a New Life" warm sieht sich auch mit dem mehrteiligen Abschlussmonster nur anfänglich für seine Geduld belohnt. Vom Junge-trifft-Mädchen-Schmachtfetzen reitet man zunächst über nur gelegentlich improvisiert klingende Instrumentalspielplätze und ungefährliche Traumgassen, hinter denen umso kräftiger auf den Putz gehauen wird - durchaus schon einmal mit knalligem Bass und flirrenden Soloeskapaden. Folglich spielen sich auch die härtesten Momente der Platte im Laufe dieser 23 Minuten ab, wobei ein mäanderndes Keyboardmotiv immer wiederkehrt und einen Zusammenhang herstellt, der ansonsten ob der Gesangsarmut ausbliebe. Dass man nur mit einstweiligen Kehl- und Klicklauten Vorlieb nehmen muss, weckt doch ein wenig den Eindruck, als beschäftigten sichKARFAGEN nur ungern und im besten Fall um eines Alibis Willen mit Gesangsarrangements. Dabei haben sie doch drei gut klingende Stimmen im Kader …

FAZIT: KARFAGEN feiern ein Fest für Anhänger des klassischen Progressive Rock der Siebziger, dessen Protagonisten besser spielen als singen konnten beziehungsweise wollten. Dabei speist sich die ukrainische Interpretation des Althergebrachten zu gleichen Teilen aus virtuosen sowie einfach nur zweckdienlichen und damit in erster Linie Wonne oder Erhabenheit vermittelnden Passagen. "Solitary Sandpiper Journey" ist Schönklang ohne New-Age-Zahnschmerz.

http://www.musikreviews.de/reviews/2010/Karfagen/Solitary-Sandpiper-Journey/

I had mixed feelings towards new KARFAGEN CD. I remember how euphoric I was with their debut, mostly because it was the first Prog CD from Ukrainian artist I reviewed! But later my euphoria sapped, and I felt awkward with “The Space between Us”.

But they have managed to do their best. Now with bigger line-up, Anton continued to walk the path of their debut (CAMEL meets ALAN PARSONS), but without new-agy approach. This time sound is enriched with accordion and bluesy guitar solos, and some tracks are simply flawless (like wonderful “Retrofall” ballad), while other filled with ridiculous pseudo-intellectual chat samples (didn’t like that trick). Mostly short but varied pieces, some are riff-based, some are not (like that piano-only track that I, to be fairly honest, dislike ), but Anton still proves his melodic gift. Maybe not everyone’s cup of tea due to its easy-listening approach, but still enjoyable and recommended record.

http://www.progarchives.com/album-reviews.asp?id=14861

The Space Between Us ist das zweite Album des ukrainischen Quartetts Karfagen. Nun war die Ukraine bisher für mich ein unbeschriebenes Blatt in Sachen Prog-Rock (oder überhaupt in Sachen Musik), aber gerade auf Bands aus solchen bei uns wenig bekannten Ländern bin ich immer besonders gespannt.

So "exotisch" wie erhofft ist die Musik leider nicht! Das an sich wäre noch nichts schlimmes, aber leider bieten Kafagen über weite Strecken ziemlich Neo-Prog-beseelten, teils auch schon New-Age-angehauchten Schönklang. Es dominieren klar die Tasten, zu oft allerdings mit arg zuckrigen Klängen. Werden die Keyboards mal zurückgenommen und lassen beispielsweise lyrischen Flötenklängen mehr Raum (Sky of Couple Colors), kommt gleich viel mehr Atmosphäre auf.

Ein paar Elemente einheimischer Folklore bringen die Vier auch ein, sparsam und dezent, ach was, zu sparsam und zu dezent! Hier ein wenig textloser Ethnogesang (ansonsten ist die Musik instrumental), da mal eine zaghaft angedeutete folkloristische Melodie - viel zu oft gehen diese Passagen im Tastenkleister unter.

Es gibt aber auch sehr gelungene Stücke auf diesem Album, wie das wunderbare Klaviersolo The Dream Master in bester Keith-Emerson-Manier oder das stärker folkloristische und auch bewegtere Labyrinth. Insgesamt ist mir die Musik aber doch allzu brav und zu sehr in üblichen Neo-Prog-Strickmustern verhaftet. Neo-Proggies können dagegen durchaus ein Ohr riskieren!

http://www.babyblaue-seiten.de/index.php?albumId=8215&content=review

Karfagen returns with their second release on Unicorn Digital called The Space Between Us. They basically continue in a similar style to their debut Continium, which was a laid back variety of progressive rock that reminded me of bands like Pink Floyd, Camel, Alan Parsons Project and similar bands. They utilized a lot of keyboards, a rhythm section kept a mellow backbeat. Just like the debut, the music is mostly instrumental.

While there’s nothing that standout, this is a very solid release. In some ways I like it better than the debut. There seems to be more going on as well with some world music and other elements that keep my interest. I found I had a better experience with this album while listening with headphones.

This band is for those that like to explore via the lighter side of progressive rock and recommended for the fans of the aforementioned bands. This is the perfect relaxing album especially after a long day at stressful social environments.

http://prognaut.com/reviews/karfagen2.html

Ukraine-based band KARFAGEN is a somewhat personal bet of young composer/keyboardist Antony Kalugin,who founded this project in 1997 (at the age of 16!),being himself a student at school.Before the turn of the millenium he started writing material for the first KARFAGEN album and actually the band played a few gigs as well,before they were put on ice with Kalugin following a personal career,mostly composing and participating on new-age albums.By mid- 00's Antony had been a self-employed musician,so he gave birth to his former band and recorded the long-awaited KARFAGEN debut in 2005 on the Canadian Unicorn Records.

His work can be easily compared to these of MIKE OLDFIELD,GANDALF and CAMEL if you add some more passion and energy to the compositions.Having next to him his fellow keyboardist Sergei Kovalev,Kalugin explores and unites the paths of Symphonic Rock,New Age and Electronic in a very adventuruous and highly attractive package.Lots of spacey floating electronics dominate the album along with pianos and some great organ parts,which give the album a grandiose symphonic taste,while the succesful addition of limited parts with cellos,harmonica,flutes and bagpipes give the album a folkier and almost oriental touch in parts.Among those sometimes bombastic themes weird effects (water,birds etc.) are added in order to calm a bit down the dynamics.Electric guitars are much carefully used with a main aim to rise up the energy and nerve of the music between the keyboard-based parts,sometimes also in a jazzy mood.I could say that most of the tracks contain from even a bit to a higher range of Kalugin's classical training,especially on the piano parts...and one more thing:Do not expect the music to be overall sweet and atmospheric.In ''Continium'' KARFAGEN offer a fair amount of complex ELP-ish breaks to make it even more attractive and challenging.

The final taste is more than positive.Intricate,balanced,adventuruous and marvelously arranged,''Continium'' was worth waiting and Kalugin made no mistake on insisting on this band's future.An excellent addition to your collection,especially if you are a fan both of Symphonic and keyboard-driven Progressive Rock.

http://www.progarchives.com/

The debut album from this Ukranian group led by Antony Kalugin is mainly instrumental. The band is being championed by Will at Caerllysi Music, who is a fine judge of good prog music.

The two part "A Winter's Tale" starts off slowly with a gentle synth riff and birdsong, before the drums lead you into the main part of song. Part two starts off with a slightly naff-sounding keyboard riff but soon picks up the pace. An excellent guitar solo is the highlight of this number.

"Silent Anger" starts off as a medieval-sounding number, then changes with the introduction of piano and accordion. This song later features the first (wordless) vocal of the album. "All the time I think about you" is a short solo piano piece, perhaps a tad too Richard Clayderman. "Amused Fair" is the longest track and one of the best, straying into jazzy territory with some nice guitar work. "Marvelous Dance" (sic) is probably the best track here, with an excellent piano riff. It also shows their spelling could do with a bit of work. "Muse" is a nice jazzy guitar piece, which leads us into the only real vocal track - the bonus track "Close To Heaven". This is a slow number, a duet between male and female vocalists.

The album as a whole does betray Antony's new age background , as this album treads the line between prog and new age, occasionally putting a foot over the line but just when you think it's all getting a bit like lift music, they throw in an interesting keyboard riff or guitar solo to maintain the interest. The drum sound, particularly the snare, could do with a bit more of a natural rather than electronic sound as it does not help the new age comparisons but overall a good solid three star debut, recommended for fans of instrumental prog, and I am expecting even better things from them.

http://www.progarchives.com/album-reviews.asp?id=12371

"A Winter Tale (part 1)" is divided in "Out of the Deep" that opens with a slow synth intro with keyboard strings, birdcalls and a melody with flutes and "Into the Light" that has a simple but wonderful melody that slowly builds towards a symphonic climax. Absolute the highlight for me of this wonderful CD. "A Winter Tale (part 2)" exists of "On the air" and "Summer song". The first is a happy up-tempo tune full of delicious keyboard and guitar parts. This keyboard drenched art-rock sounds like the best symphonic rock. "Summer song" starts with a broad carpet of organ and is combined with flutes and a kind of accordion that sounds like Ullian pipes. "Silent anger"has beautiful melodies on the accordion and flutes. The keyboards are divers and piano and acoustic guitar gives this ballad the final touch. "Old legends" is also full of keyboards, flutes and guitars but the main keyboard is the piano. Karfagen makes delicious melodic sympho. "All that I think about you" is a delicate classical piano piece. "Amused Fair" is one of the most divers tracks on this album. You can hear that the band is influenced by the sympho bands of the seventies. Their music sounds fresh and has an own identity. In this track you can hear a beautiful flute part which reminds me of bands like Camel or Focus. "Stone talk" is mysterious."Marvelous dance" is up-tempo and has some nice guitar parts. "Muse" has delicate guitar parts and a beautiful flute. "Close to heaven" the bonus track, is the only vocal track with lyrics. But because the music of Karfagen is so divers, you don't miss any vocals on the album.

http://www.progvisions.nl/reviews_uk/kar_con_uk.htm