Garmonbozia is the third album of the Swedish band Ensemble Nimbus, whose first two works, Key figures from 1994 and Scapegoat from 1998, were very well appreciated by the progressive rock and RIO scene. The Swedish formation offers a very optimistic and certainly cheerful vision of this last genre, as direct heirs of the sound of the great Samla Mammas Manna that derived in Von Zamla on time, and to which we can also find references. 

The music of Nimbus is very complex and with rapid and frantic rhythm changes. In spite of this, the pieces present a strong melodic component and are quite more affordable than those of the darkest bands in the RIO like Univers Zero, Art Zoyd, Present and others. The components of the band are Håkan Almkvist (guitar, bass, keyboards, tapes, loops, FX, voice), Lars Björk (clarinet, bass clarinet, altered clarinet, loops), Kirk Chilton (viola, violin) and Hasse Bruniusson (acoustic and electric drums, percussion, voice), a former member of the best Samla Mammas Manna, as well as collaborator in the first works The Flower Kings. The band has had two important collaborators: Stefan Carlsson at the keyboards in the pieces 2 and 7, and Tomas Bodin, linked to the band of Stolt, who contributes keyboards in the pieces 3 and 4 and participates in the composition of 4 and 5. Logically, the work of Bodin is not same he develops in his usual group, since he abandons the most symphonic-progressive developments to go into in an urgent world of colour and constant rhythm changes. 

The fact that the illustration of the cover of Garmonbozia is the same one that the one contained in page 7 of the booklet of the previous album Scapegoat, as an amplification of a fragment of the cover of this one, is not casual. This album was initially to be published in a double CD format, but due to diverse circumstances they could not publish it in this format. In this way, the disk that we comment is that second unreleased CD that was left away in spite of having music of the same high quality that the album we already knew, maybe even more varied. The old pieces were recorded and rearranged again, and more current compositions were also added as well as an increased involvement of Bruniusson in the project.  

The first track of the album (52:40 minutes in total) is "Three stories from the blue cage" (11:59), divided -as its name indicates- in three parts, well differentiated as for their sound and musical soul. The first one presents a frantic and almost hypnotic rhythm, with constant and very marked rhythm changes. It is a long and luminous development, but savage, in the most optimistic and powerful side of RIO, thanks to a brutal work of fast electric guitars with Fripp reminiscences. In the most melodic fragments it is possible to find a relationship to the most paranoiac The Flower Kings, although the link is more to the common references of both bands with Samla Mammas Manna. The second part begins with a doubled clarinet that intones a jovial melody in an environment of strong instrumental complexity but with the melodic component classic of the Scandinavian music. The violin and violas enlarge the sound of music with big arrangements. Finally, the third part appears after a rhythm change that presents a dark RIO landscape, with a brutal work of the clarinet and some impressive string arrangements that give form to a melody filled with diverse percussion games. The final fragment is almost camera music and it is very well orchestrated, with a very marked syncopated rhythm. A piece of jovial and cheerful music, a jewel. 

The second piece, "Song for Salman" (2:11), invites us to a trip to India and other neighbouring eastern countries, beginning with a Hindu chant and developing through typical Asian melodies. This topic is directly related with Orient Squeezers's work, the brilliant and innovative solo project of Almkvist. The chorus is very dynamic, presenting well arranged instrumental games. "Specific curtain" (3:18) starts with a guitar that reminds from the circular sequences of the eighties Fripp, moving into atmospheres close to Univers Zero in some moments and boasting an enormous work of the clarinet and percussion. The chorus is almost chamber music, enhanced by the work of the strings and guitar, and other instruments that combine powerfully at all moments. 

"Radiant brains" (2:51) is a piece with a very dynamic sharp rhythm and the presence of a corrosive and frantic guitar. The song is developed with certain urgency with psychedelic references and a great interplay of the musicians. The fifth piece is titled "Emergency landing" (1:38) as an improvisation in which the piano, moving atonally, drives the rest of the instruments. The sound has a direct fusion link with bands like Hatfield And The North or Brand X. "Ducks in paradise" is developed for the most part in a circus atmosphere, although there are also references to the world of music hall and silent comedy movies. It is a more symphonic piece, with big guitar treatments and a strong component of repetition. The seventh track, “Absolute zero" (3:41), reminds from the former song with big interventions of the viola, the clarinet and an excellent, very well achieved percussion. It is a very beautiful piece with symphonic and chamber music touches, as well as diverse rhythm changes. 

"Turmoil" (0:49) is a short interesting improvised cacophony that opens the way to "The arrow of time" (4:23), another of the best moments in the album, with a clown atmosphere and a brilliant work of the clarinets, a la Samla Mammas Manna. It incorporates vocal effects as if there was an audience reacting to the show of the musicians that ends up merging with the melody in a very natural way. The percussion is amazingly good and towards the half of the track one can enjoy a feminine voice soprano that intones a melody that increases its rhythm until the end. "Rouge Moon" (1:23) it is a topic that remits to Tween Deck 2, the group of Almkvist and Björk, with electronic treatments in ambient landscapes, lots of loops and links to noise. The following piece is the link amongst the last two works of the band, as it is titled "Scapegoat" (4:20). This is almost chamber music, with good instrumental developments, a great work of the violin and almost classic fragments with modern percussions. 

"Tornado hunting" (6:01) is contemporary classic music. The rhythm is a cadence and the sound presents many effects and an excellent guitar that combine in a music with a paranoid atmosphere. "Anita's scarf" (4:19) is more RIO, with influences of Daniel Denis's band in a more luminous way. The percussive developments are spectacular, as well as the guitar and the interplay of the musicians. The work closes with “Nose painting" (2:54), an autumnal melody elaborated with the piano as the main instrument and effects and background noises. It is a perfect conclusion to the album as it offers a slightly different vision of the music of the band, as well as opening new roads for development. 

I would only like to add that if you like advanced, instrumental progressive rock with a strong dose of complexity and risk, Garmonbozia will make you travel far away and will be a perfect introduction to the RIO style if you ignore the genre. A great album that I have liked a lot. 

Jaume Pujol - May 2000