GERALD PETER PROJECT - Incremental Changes Pt.2

GERALD PETER PROJECT

Album: Incremental Changes Pt.2

Genre: Instrumental Prog

Release Date: June 24th, 2022

Country: Austria

Label: GRIDMusic

Band Links: WEBSITE / TWITTER / INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK

Having been his creative outlet since 2014 while working as keyboarder on a cruise ship, playing dance and party music every day, Gerald Peter evolved his genre-transcending project over the years, and meanwhile got company by drummer Aaron Thier. Drawing inspiration from a variety of artists as well as gradual and drastic changes in his life, he wrote and recorded an EP in 2017, and now released his first full-length album on June 24th. Both are part of a trilogy with the name “Incremental Changes”, and bring together different elements of prog rock, neoclassical, jazz, cinematic, and electronic music.

Even though the new album starts with a “Prologue”, setting the mesmerizing mood for the rest of the record, it’s the “7th Movement”, since Pt.1 ended with the 6th. It gives a first glimpse on Gerald’s keyboard / piano magic, and also introduces singer Julie Elven, who adds some beautiful melodies over the atmospheric soundscape. The following “Enigma” has a modern, groovy vibe, growing tension through several tempo and time signature changes, which lead us to a marvelous drum solo in the middle, and caught me thanks to its great dynamic and creativity.

“Flow” calms things down in a beautiful, more jazzy way, coming along smooth and atmospheric. Next up is “Transformation”, which is inspired by dark movie soundtracks and paints a picture about a big transformation in a pre-apocalyptic world, wandering between mystical piano and modern, electronic parts.

Over the next songs, they continue their musical journey by skillfully alternating between wonderful calm, classical, jazzy, or powerful rockin’ moments, always in an incredible flow, and mesmerizing in composition and melody. The focus is clearly on the key instruments, perfectly supported by the versatile drumming.

"Incremental Changes Pt.2" closes with the great “Finale”, which can be seen as a movie or game show-down equivalent, and Gerald once more brings in all of his creativity during this 10 minutes opus - complex, playful and virtuoso. It's my favorite song on the album, and a positive as well as hopeful end, leaving space for the final part of the trilogy.

The work of GERALD PETER PROJECT is another exciting discovery for me in the middle of a year, that already had some excellent instrumental releases in store for us prog-lovers. There's not a weak moment during this journey, the music just flows naturally, growing and falling like waves, carrying the listener away. They clearly convince with overwhelming creativity, impressive musicianship, and a detailed, well-balanced production, but caught me with the amazing feeling in their playing and compositions. Recommended to close your eyes and drift away for a while.

Written by Katha