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PROG ROCK KEYBOARDS - HEAVY
METAL ATTITUDE (Los Angeles, 26 January 2003) When it was originally released in 1997, Erik Norlander's debut solo CD, THRESHOLD, turned heads and gathered praise from the press and fans alike. With liner notes and a glowing endorsement from prog keyboard guru Keith Emerson, THRESHOLD stood apart from the many other solo keyboardist albums that flooded the market. Erik's strong compositional vision, state-of-the-art production sensibility, command of vintage technology and masterful keyboard technique permanently burned THRESHOLD into progressive rock history. Virtuoso keyboardist Erik Norlander was joined by drummer / percussionist Greg Ellis (The Matrix films, Vas, Steve Stevens) and bassist Don Schiff (Lana Lane, Rocket Scientists) to create a prog rock power trio whose depth and range matched past greats such as ELP, Rush and Cream. Now for 2004, Erik has assembled an astounding 2CD reissue of THRESHOLD complete with 10 (!) bonus tracks and a high-resolution Quicktime video of Erik performing his legendary "Trantor Station" live at the California ProgWest progressive music festival. In addition, the Special Edition package includes an ultra-deluxe 20-page full-color CD booklet with extensive liner notes by Erik, Keith Emerson, the contributing musicians and numerous others contributors. The whole album has been remastered for 2004 using the world's best studio equipment including vintage Telefunken and Pultec devices collected and meticulously restored by Erik. |
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Still image taken from the Quicktime video of "Trantor Station" recorded live at ProgWest 2001 and included on Disc Two of the Threshold Special Edition release.
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INTRODUCTORY LINER NOTES FROM
ERIK
NORLANDER PREFACE I am quite pleased to welcome you to this rather nice Special Edition of my debut solo CD, Threshold. This album was made back in 1996-1997 with the sole intention of doing something FUN. But perhaps that's indeed the magic. In the years since, Threshold has happily been embraced by fans and critics alike ... much to my surprise! When I started these recordings, I had no idea that others would enjoy this music which to me is often experimental, sometimes indulgent and always progressive (there's that word again!). However, in recent years, I have made it a point to include at least one song from Threshold in my live performances either solo or with Lana Lane or Rocket Scientists. And many times I end up playing more than one song. So this FUN music has by evidence stood the test of time ... at least so far, anyway. I brought in friends Don Schiff and Greg Ellis to expand the sound of Threshold with a real live pro rhythm section, and I have to admit that I was a bit shy about asking them. After all, this was a FUN recording, remember? But I was again surprised by the enthusiasm they had for this music, and the two pointed out unique elements and interesting dichotomies that I had not seen myself. Perhaps the most interesting is the contrast of man and machine. This is, for all intents and purposes, a synthesizer album. But it is indeed NOT a mechanized, quantized, soulless blob of techno glop. Quite the contrary, on Threshold you will hear three actual musicians playing real music. And musically speaking, the fact that my instrument happens to be the synthesizer is almost beside the point! For this Special Edition reissue, I have asked some friends to write their thoughts about Threshold and perhaps provide some perspective and insight that I wouldn't be able to recognize myself. In addition, I have made some comments on each song throughout the booklet as well which you will see in this groovy handwriting font. Hey, and there's a whole bunch of bonus tracks, too! Erik Norlander |
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LINER NOTES FROM KEITH
EMERSON ERIK NORLANDER'S THRESHOLD Just why so much controversy surrounds people that play this sort of music is beyond me. PersonallyI think they deserve a medal for dogmatically persevering with virtuous style while struggling obstinately with antiquated, vintage keyboards that require the steady hand of a Chinese artist painting on a grain of rice, to operate. Although Threshold does not set out to be controversial it nevertheless enjoys taunting it's edges while remaining firmly inside the boundaries of acceptability. As a result new life flows through the veins, valves, oscillators, and acoustic hammers of Erik Norlander's circuitry. Drama punctuates Threshold's opening statement with "Neurosaur". Complete with quasi gothic introduction followed by a menacing minor riff that develops some interesting time shifts - so subtle they go by without a major disturbance in the scheme of things. Have no doubt. There is a scheme to the whole thing. Evident by re-occurring motives and sounds that come back to haunt you like a long gone, loved relative. There are suggestions towards folk elements-particularly in the fourth track "Neuro Boogie" which employs the use of a modified Hammond Model D. There are suggestions towards Latin elements and Heavy Metal. If this sounds eclectic, Norlander manages to be so without the whole thing becoming contrived. When Threshold leans, it's towards an impetuous insistence that there can be repetition that's mercifully not of the Philip Glass variety. "Viva le difference". The album completes itself as majestically as when it came in with the conclusive "Critical Mass". As the banners fly, let 'em fly gloriously over the 'Threshold'. Keith Emerson
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Erik Norlander - Threshold Special Edition track list:
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DISC ONE 1. Arrival 2. Neurosaur 3. No Cross To Carry 4. Threshold 5. Neuro Boogie 6. Trantor Station 7. Waltz of the Biots |
8. Critical Mass 9. The Long Ion Train * 10. Hyperspace ** 11. Solace * 12. Return to the Ruins of Trantor *
* previously unreleased bonus track ** bonus track to 1997 Japanese pressing
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DISC TWO 1. Threshold Medley 1999 - Live at The Cadillac Room * 2. Trantor Station 2001 - Live at ProgWest 3. No Cross To Carry - QCard Version 4. Neuro Boogie - QCard Version 5. Waltz of the Biots - Machine Mix * 6. Neurosaur - Machine Mix *
Quicktime video: Trantor Station Live at ProgWest 2001 |
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Erik Norlander - Threshold Special Edition release dates: Worldwide: January 27, 2004 on Think Tank Media, USA There is only one version of this release. |
Listen to mp3 samples from this album on the audio files page.
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