Circus - Circus CD
SKU
GAD CHI CD 012
Marco Cerletti – bass, bass pedals, guitar
Roland Frei – vocals, guitars, tenor sax
Andreas Grieder – flute
Fritz Hauser – drums, vibes
From Basel, Circus were one of the key bands in Swiss progressive rock history. Ideally situated near the French and German borders, Circus had much success in Europe, with three studio albums betweem 1976-1980
The band had a somewhat dark and intense progressive rock sound, comparable to Van der Graaf Generator, Gnidrolog and the first two King Crimson albums.
Note that drummer Fritz Hauser later went on to a very well regarded career in improvised music and jazz. All these guys could definitely play!
"A progressive rock legend from Switzerland. This is their debut album from 1976, on which the musicians travel through not always obvious musical lands, equipped with unusual instruments. The material is being released in Europe for the first time on CD.
CIRCUS was formed in 1972 in Basel, evolving from a ten-person big band exploring the borderlands of jazz and rock. Under a new name and with a reduced line-up, they began to create a very individual model of progressive rock that defended itself against comparisons. This was helped by unusual instruments, which lacked space for keyboards and an electric guitar - instead there was a flute, saxophone or vibraphone, as well as an acoustic guitar processed in various ways. The band's debut album, originally released in 1976, is five extensive compositions, which include cantilena vocal parts, bravura solo parts, and surprising twists in the musical action. The musicians wanted to destroy unnecessary barriers and divisions between genres and sounds - the effect is still very intriguing, eclectic and surprising. Elements of folk, jazz and classic progressive rock combine into a completely new whole.
"Circus" is being released in Europe for the first time on CD, remastered from the original tapes by Noah Mintz (Toronto, Canada) in 2021. The booklet includes a short sketch about the music, lyrics and unpublished photos."
- LabelChicadisc
- UPC5903068125522