Arlekin to Release The Secret Garden Nov. 5; New Video Posted
Though best known as the frontman of Kyiv-based heavy rock forerunners Stoned Jesus, guitarist/vocalist Igor Sydorenko always seems to have something going on in addition to that outfit, whether it’s Krobak or stand-up comedy or whatever it might be. Arlekin is a prog-minded solo incarnation, with which Sydorenko debuted in 2014 via Disguise Serenades, professing at the time his love of neo-prog rock, particularly Marillion (also mentioned below) and relating it to his discovery of that music, saying, “This is an attempt to recreate a naïve sincerity of that different kind music, the music that is still around but not really popular. Ok, not popular at all.”
And it’s true, Arlekin‘s kind of prog — pastoral, not overly technical, rooted in folk at least as much as rock, fluid instrumentally and melodically, not shy about throwing some piano or flute or synth in the arrangement, whatever the song might call for — has never been cool. It’s always been too genuine for that. Accordingly, there’s no irony in “In Possession of the Moon,” and even as 12-minute opener and longest cut (immediate points) “Old Mother Europe” pushes some distortion forward in its later moments, there’s never volume expended simply for its own sake. From the playful pop of “Night of Two Knights” to the bassier proto-New Wave of “It Wouldn’t Last,” the organ-meets-mellotron flow of “Mirror of Shadows” and the more directly keyboardian instrumental “Adult’s Responsibilities” at the finish, each piece is in conversation with a different side of what progressive rock might mean, and they’re drawn together by the organic production and performance of Sydorenko himself.
Nov. 5 is the release date for The Secret Garden. More info follows:
ARLEKIN – The Secret Garden
ARLEKIN is a love letter to British neo-progressive rock scene of the 1980s, delivered by Igor Sydorenko, known for his work in STONED JESUS, KROBAK and other projects.
“Hearing Marillion’s debut album, ‘Script For A Jester’s Tear,’ back in 2003 changed my life. I’d been writing and recording music before that, but this particular brand of melodic and emotional song-oriented progressive rock became my jam,” says Sydorenko. “Discovering other bands from the genre like IQ, Pallas, Pendragon and Collage only further cemented my affection toward the style, so it felt natural write some material of my own own in this vein.” With demos surfacing online on prog music forums since 2005, ARLEKIN’s debut LP, ‘Disguise Serenades,’ arrived only in 2014.
Being busy with STONED JESUS, now a household name for heavy and prog rock audiences across the globe, Igor nevertheless found some time last year to dig through and rework old demos to finally bring ‘The Secret Garden,’ ARLEKIN’s second album, to life. Even if you’re not familiar with the genre but enjoy the likes of Genesis, Pink Floyd, Camel or even Tears for Fears, give this short release a spin or two!
Tracklisting:
1. Old Mother Europe
2. Night of Two Knights
3. In Possession of the Moon
4. It Wouldn’t Last
5. Mirror of Shadows
6. Adult’s Responsibilities
Photo by Olha Androsova.
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