Fluctus Quadratum – Laplacian

In the past there have been several great progbands that were dominated by great keyboard players and I can tell you right now that there is a new band with just that. Of course the names of Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman come to mind and they are among the great examples of Jopheus Burtonshaw, who in turn is the leading man behind the band with the mysterious name Fluctus Quadratum. With The first Wave (ep) they had already made a bit of a name for themselves, but Laplacian is actually their full-fledged debut album.

Before I go further into the music, I must say that Jopheus is a really great musician and that his playing on all possible keys is phenomenal. He also plays bass and guitar and is responsible for writing all the music. Oh yes, he is also responsible for the recording and mastering and also does the artwork and layout of the booklet. Yet it is not a complete one-man project because his father Rick is the drummer and the vocals are provided by Curtis Adamcyk., who also wrote the lyrics. Rick is a great drummer and plays disciplined and tight without standing out too much. Still, it's a bit of a one man show.

Is the music also closely related to, for example, Emerson, Lake & Palmer or Yes? Well, that's actually not really so because Laplacian contains much more melodic music than ELP and has no Steve Howe as a counterbalance to the abundant keys. There are guitar parts but not that many and Jopheus is clearly a better keyboard player than a guitarist despite the fact that he plays quite well. There is still a chance for improvement here, a guitarist who masters his instrument just as well as Jopheus masters his keys but it will not be easy to find one.

Adamcyk's voice is good but with a certain way of singing that is not standard. He sounds quite melancholy and doesn't take any risks by going too far out of his reach. Now it is almost impossible to match the level of the keys because whatever Jopheus plays, it is very impressive. The many piano parts are virtuoso, we hear swirling keyboard solos but also heavy, bombastic pieces. He uses a lot of vintage keys and therefore the link with  the 70's is apparent.

The album contains twelve compositions but don't let that fool you. There are two long tracks of well over ten minutes but also three very short ones that serve more as an intermezzo. I won't go into all the tracks separately because we can establish a clear red line without the tracks being too similar. The tempo is often not very high and the atmosphere is often serene and melancholic. Instrumental opener Laplacian is based around a very nice melody with a beautiful middle part on piano. When listening to Inertia the name of Italian No Sound came to mind. I also want to highlight Where the Lack of Logic lies and Direlight because they are not only outliers because of the length but they are also very varied tracks that show Fluctus Quadratum at its best. The latter track has been available for some time and has been played live on a regular basis, as can be seen on various sites. Then with a guitarist. It definitely rocks now and then, but it never gets really heavy, it is mainly the atmosphere that counts. The aforementioned voice of Curtis is warm and therefore fits well in the cosmic, sometimes almost psychedelic atmosphere. He doesn't force anything and that's very nice to hear. The lyrics are very personal and show some melancholy but also insight into the world of thought of Curtis, which seems to be quite dark. As always, find your own interpretation. They accompany the music very well though.

Laplacian is a very long album and that is quite daring for a debut. I might have kept it a bit shorter because it's quite a lot to digest. For keyboard fanatics it is almost a Valhalla and they will feast on all the different sounds that Jopheus conjures up. What a musician. Still, I have the feeling that with a little more counterbalance from an equally good guitarist, a much larger audience can be addressed. Another Point of attention is the recording quality, it sometimes sounds a bit muffled, the drums and guitar could be a bit clearer. But that will have to do with the fact that there were no unlimited funds to produce the album. What remains is the fact that Fluctus Quadratum has made an impressive album that will get them the well-deserved attention among fans of prog in general but certainly fans of prog from the early days. If you are into keyboard driven prog with links to the past this is a must listen. I think though that the best is yet to come.

Music 78

Cover 70