Year : 2022
Style : Progressive Rock
Country : Japan , United States
Audio : 320 kbps + front
Size : 127 mb
Bio:
RYO OKUMOTO was born in Osaka, Japan. He began playing classical piano at the age of three and continued through 13. He became a professional musician at the age of 15 performing at the Live House in Osaka for a year. Because of his great desire to learn more about different styles of music and his strong independence, he moved to Tokyo at the age of 16. Ryo performed in nightclubs and discos for the next five years.Ryo’s first real break started in 1978 when he was 19. He toured with a well-known group called “Creation” and recorded on their album “Best of Creation.” The next year Ryo toured with the legendary Kitaro and recorded on their album, “Live in Parco.”In February of 1980, Ryo’s first solo album, “Solid Gold” was released with Canyon Records. He recorded this album at Air Studio in London with well-known musicians: Richard Baily (drummer for Jeff Beck), Kuma Takeda (bass), Katsutoshi Morizono (guitar) and Delandro Winston (guitarist for Elton John).Two months later in April, Ryo released his second solo album, “Makin’ Rock” with Canyon Records. This album was recorded at Sound Labs Studios in Hollywood. He once again had the best musicians recording behind him: David Foster (keyboards), Jay Graydon (guitar), Steve Lukather (guitar), Jeff Porcaro (drums) and Neil Stubenhaus (bass).Ryo’s third album was released in June that same year with Canyon Records. This was called “Synthesizer” and recorded at Sound Design Studio in Tokyo.The following year, Ryo decided to make the big move to the States and relocated to Los Angeles in March. Tokyo seemed to have become stagnate to him and he yearned to learn more about the different styles of music that L.A. had to offer.Ryo studied at Dick Grove School of Music for the next four years. Upon graduation, his unique style and technique were welcomed by the American music scene and he has been involved in numerous projects worldwide ever since.Some of the artists he has performed with include Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, Aretha Franklin, Barry White, Eric Burdon, Peabo Bryson, and Roberta Flack. Ryo also has been part of countless world tours.It was 1994 when Ryo became part of Progressive Rock group SPOCK’S BEARD. The band quickly hit the top of the prog scene with many successful European and US tours. Their fourteenth studio album “Noise Floor” was released in 2018.Ryo’s skills are internationally recognized now and he is reaching audiences all over the world. He has been featured in many magazines worldwide - Dutch Rock magazine “iOPages,” for example.Spock’s Beard released their most recent album, “Noise Floor”, and have been performing for the past 28 years. Meanwhile, Ryo has been performing with ASIA, Lou Gramm and many more!He has most recently joined the prog supergroup ProgJect, featuring Jonathan Mover, Michael Sadler, Mike Keneally and Matt Dorsey. They started touring in April of 2022.Ryo’s creativity has no limitations and his undying passion for music will always keep him visible, whether it be rock, jazz, R&B or a broadway production. He will always be in the public’s eye.
Keiko Okumoto - Vocals, Trumpet.Keiko was born in Tokyo, Japan. Her parents, a professional Opera singer and an actor taught her music and theater from an early age. After graduating from high school, she joined a very well-known theatrical company in Japan called "BUNGAKU-ZA". She subsequently also joined Shiki Theatre Company, one of Japan's top theater companies, with very difficult entry requirements. Keiko was acting, singing and dancing in a variety of very different productions with these two theatrical groups, often playing the lead.In 2008, Keiko decided to shift the focus of her career from acting to singing. She began singing in many different venues throughout Tokyo, and was very successful. Based on demand from her audiences, she decided to produce a CD of her own original material. At that time, she met producer Ryo Okumoto, a composer and artist known throughout the world. With his help, "Power To Believe" was released in Oct 2009.
Album:
As a key member of cult prog outfit SPOCK’S BEARD, keyboardist RYO OKUMOTO has had a storied and prolific career. Over the last few decades, Okumoto has been a driving force behind a range of instrumentally elaborate records both with and without SPOCK’S BEARD. However, it’s been a solid 20 years since Okumoto released original material under his own banner. Enter The Myth Of The Mostrophus, an over-the-top musical reckoning that is fittingly bombastic for one of the genre’s unsung heroes. Joining him for the ride is a cavalcade of equally virtuosic guests, ranging from the current incarnation of SPOCK’S BEARD to guitar luminaries like GENESIS’s Steve Hackett and Frank Zappa/Devin Townsend collaborator Mike Keneally, amongst others. With such a guestlist, and Okumoto at the helm, The Myth Of The Mostrophus is perfectly set up to be as technically impeccable as it is enjoyably ridiculous.The album certainly starts off as strongly as one would hope with the beguiling Mirror Mirror. The track’s introductory guitar leads are nothing short of joyous, bringing to mind the upbeat jazz fusion of acts like CASIOPEA. When the song begins proper, we’re treated to a piece that walks a fine line between the extravagances of 70s prog and the melodic sensibilities of AOR. The vocals are charmingly smooth and pave the way for multiple harmony parts to intertwine with spacey synths and jaunty rhythm sections. All the song’s various layers snap together, meticulously constructed to complement each other. Even the middle section of guitar and synth solo trade-offs is consistently engaging, avoiding ever feeling indulgent for the sake of it.The album never really falters from the high benchmark it sets with its opener, every song proving its own self-contained suite. Throughout, Okumoto’s frames of reference incorporate both the old and new of prog. The spiralling opening riff of Turning Point has shades of OPETH’s Sorceress, before stripping things back to lilting acoustics and rumbling basslines akin to early KING CRIMSON. Chrysalis on the other hand initially starts with folksy woodwind instrumentation before developing into something more reminiscent of the dreamy haze of PINK FLOYD’s pseudo ballads. Indeed, Chrysalis becomes one of the record’s many high points, slowly and quietly building upon its chorus to create something rousing yet mellow, like a whispered power ballad. The Watchmaker (Time On His Side) not only brags one of the greatest puns in song-writing history, but also has shades of 80s GENESIS thanks to the squelch of its spacey synths. It’s not only a mesmerising musical ode to a time-travelling watchmaker, but also hosts one of the album’s catchiest choruses, its wonderfully layered and polished vocals giving way to a number of incredible instrumental interludes.With every song being its own musical adventure, it’s probably no surprise to learn that there are only six tracks on The Myth Of The Mostrophus, with the shortest timing out at just under six and a half minutes. With that benchmark set, you may innocently ask what the longest song clocks in at. That would be the album’s title track, totalling a leisurely 22 minutes. However, The Myth Of The Mostrophus is nothing short of a musical odyssey (or should that be oddity?), outlining the resurrection of the kaiju-esque titular monster as it terrorises the innocent people of Basingstoke. Delivered with precision and energy by various members of SPOCK’S BEARD, the song manages to incorporate all the trappings and tropes of a prog rock epic by flirting with every genre it can to tell its story – a particular highlight is its absolutely ripping saxophone solo around two thirds through. Inevitably, Mostrophus is thwarted by the dulcet tones of a local prog singer (natch) and Basingstoke is safe once again. The track is impressively well written and attention-grabbing, bringing to mind other similar single-track wonders like DREAM THEATER’s A Change Of Seasons. However, the far less serious subject matter here is a welcome change of pace.While the album’s centrepiece title track is worth the price of entry alone, The Myth Of The Mostrophus taken as a whole oozes charm throughout. RYO OKUMOTO and the prog brethren he has assembled wholly embrace the genre’s reputation of instrumental extremes and out of this world lyricism, wearing it as a badge of pride throughout. The end result is a rare album; one that perfectly amplifies the inherent humour of an often-absurd genre, while sincerely delivering something mesmerising.
Line-Up:
Ryo Okumoto (Spocks Beard, The ProgJect) - keyboards
With:
- Dave Meros (Spock's Beard) / bass
- Alan Morse (Spock's Beard) / guitars
- Nick D'Virgilio (Spocks Beard, Big Big Train) / drums, vocals
- Jimmy Keegan (Spock's Beard) / vocals
- Ted Leonard (Spock's Beard, Transatlantic) / vocals
- Steve Hackett (ex-Genesis) / guitars
- Michael Whiteman (I Am The Manic Whale) / co-writer, guitars, vocals
- Michael Sadler (Saga, The ProgJect) / vocals
- Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, The ProgJect) / guitars
- Jonathan Mover (Joe Satriani, The ProgJect) / drums & percussion
- Randy McStine (McStine & Minnemann, Lo-Fi Resistance, Porcupine Tree) / guitars, vocals
- Marc Bonilla (ex-Glenn Hughes, ex-Keith Emerson, ex-Kevin Gilbert) / guitars
- Doug Wimbish (Living Color, Tackhead) / bass
- Mirko DeMaio (The Flower Kings) / drums
- Lyle Workman (Todd Rundgren) / guitars
- Raphael Weinroth-Browne / cello
- Kevin Krohn / vocals
- Andy Suzuki / woodwinds
- Keiko Okumoto / vocals
- Toshihiro Nakanishi / violin
- Steve Billman / bass
- Rich Mouser / recording, mixing, mastering
Tracklist:
01. Mirror Mirror (9:27)
02. Turning Point (6:53)
03. The Watchmaker (Time on His Side) (6:25)
04. Maximum Velocity (8:11)
05. Chrysalis (7:35)
06. The Myth of the Mostrophus (22:14)
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