ROCKIN’ JAZZ, OR JAZZY ROCK? Hoia: Scavenger, Shumaun: One Day Closer to Yesterday

Back when fusion began in the 70s, it was simply jazz guys plugging in. Now it’s a bit more complex. Here are a couple mixing of colors.

Prateek Rajagopal does all the writing, producing and playing of the guitars and beyond along with drummer Wojtek Ceregowski and bassist Colin Edwin on this 5 song ep. There’s a lot of drama and thunderous drum pounding and synths on the heavy “Write Across” and the pounding “Escape Orb” with Rajagopal’s voice filled with foreboding angst. Some piano leads on the edgy “Electic Wizard” and some thick synth layers create a sonic wallpaper for “Part 2.” Metallica meets fusion trio.

Farhad Hossain sings, plays acoustic and electric guitars and keyboards along with Jose Mora/b, Tyler Kim/g and Tanvir Tomal/dr. The 10 songs hae a pair of moody synth atmosphere’s (“Sensus Divinitatatis” and “One Day Closer To Yesterday”) bookending the pieces, with thick guitars and vocals reminiscent of Deep Purple or Guns N Roses on “The Writing’s on the Wall,” “Nafsi Ammara” and “Go.” Mora’s thick bass line digs deep on “Remember Me and I Will Remember You” and some pretty acoustic strings create a full bodied “Central Station.” Ominous messages on both albums both lyrically and acoustic-wise.

www.rotosound.com/prateek-rajagopal

www.shumaun.com

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