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ook derze is voor waterman  met dank aan souls voor de bron .


While the band's website claims that The Moor is a state of mind, and that Memoirs Of Rossum is a nightmare rather than a conventional album, devotees of science fiction will definitely recognize the reference to Czech author Karel Čapek's play R.U.R. (Rossum's Ultimate Robots), which introduced robots to popular culture, in the title of the Swedish outfit's third recording effort. A concept influenced by the likes of Isaac Asimov and Philip K. Dick, Memoirs Of Rossum deals with such weighty issues as the human condition in a market-dominated society that worships at the altar of productivity. 

Hailing from the Swedish town of Falköping, where they were formed in 1985 by keyboardist Kenneth Magnusson and vocalist Hans Möll, The Moor released two albums in the Nineties (Every Pixie Sells A Story in 1993, and Flux in 1996), before going into a 15-year hiatus. Their current incarnation, revolving around a core quarted of Magnusson, Möll, guitarist Klas Edmonsson and drummer Jonas Fäldt, is international in scope, featuring Hawkwind founding member Nik Turner on saxophone and German writer and media artist Knut Gerwers on spoken vocals, as well as bassist Stefan Renström of symphonic proggers Simon Says; while the album's striking artwork is credited to American web designer Francis Manucci. Memoirs Of Rossum contains material that appeared on The Moor's previous albums, as well as more recent compositions. Basically an EP augmented by two bonus tracks, it is one of those albums that - while intriguing and thought-provoking in terms of lyrical content - may leave listeners baffled as regards the musical aspect. 

Considering the title and subject matter, it will not come as a surprise that Memoirs Of Rossum is heavily biased towards the electronic side of things, with synthetizers and other effects playing a starring role. The extended line-up featured on the album allows for the presence of all the traditional rock instruments as well as saxophone, but it is the electronics that any listener will notice first, and not necessarily with pleasure - since the music possesses a noticeably harsh, industrial quality, intensified by the regular, almost mechanical pace of the drumming and the liberal use of treated vocals. Indeed, "robotic" is one of the first words that will come to mind when listening to Memoirs Of Rossum - which is clearly an intentional effect. The space rock matrix is unmistakable, with nods to such influential bands as Hawkwind (not just on account of Turner's contribution) and Ozric Tentacles - though without the organic, ethnic-flavoured elements so prominent in the latter band's opus. 

The album - to all intents and purposes a glorified EP, barely clocking in at 42 minutes with the addition of two bonus tracks - is structured in a rather peculiar, not particularly cohesive fashion. The eponymous suite, split in three parts, is interspersed by two "vintage" tracks, Candlelight and Neo-Futurist Fantasy, which had originally appeared on The Moor's debut - though with some additional elements written expressly for this album. Candlelight (also included in a longer, "remodelled" version), with its sharp, trance-like beat that made me think of a "dance mix", is softened by the gentle chimes of a glockenspiel; while Neo-Futurist Fantasy, in keeping with its title, is almost pure Eighties-style electronics. The three sections that make up the title-track play the spacey card with eerie, cinematic keyboard layers, plenty of special effects and half-recited, half-sung vocals. Though Nik Turner's atmospheric sax inserts inject a measure of warmth, the music emanates an aloof, almost martial mood, dominated by the whooshing, wheezing sounds wrung out of the synthesizers. 

Though fans of space rock and electronics in general may find Memoirs Of Rossum a worthwhile proposition, the album is very much an acquired taste, and - while it contains some interesting moments - it will feel a bit too chilly and detached to the average prog fan, with its heavy emphasis on robotic, industrial beats and occasionally jarring electronic effects. Moreover, while listening to the album, it is hard to dispel the impression that it has all been done before, and better. Its nature of near-archival document - coupled with the lack of consistent information on the band and its current activity - is bound to create a sense of frustration even in those who may be attracted to The Moor's musical offer. Indeed, Memoirs Of Rossum resembles those "from the vault" recordings that have been unearthed and released years and years after an outfit's demise rather than anything fresh and relevant for today's oversaturated progressive rock scene. 


Tracklist: Memoirs Of Rossum I: Mani.Festo (8:14), Candlelight [From The Rossum.Archives] (5:59), Memoirs Of Rossum II: Re.Seduction (4:16), Neo Futurist Fantasy [From The Rossum.Archives] (6:21), Memoirs Of Rossum III: Finale [Über Alles] (7:35) Bonus tracks (only available on CD): Candlelight.Remodelled (8:36), Alternative.One (2:29)