ERIK NORLANDER: Review - The Galactic Collective: Definitive Edition

Erik Norlander is our region not known, but is an American progressive rock keyboard player, composer and producer from California.Since 1993, he and his wife, the singer Lana Lane, Rocket Scientists and his band, more than thirty albums composed and produced.His evocative keyboard technique reminiscent of Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, Patrick Moraz and John Lord, while he still retains his individuality. Erik takes a lot of his heroes on classical techniques and find them with a high emotional twist, again. Personally, he has sound design at several big names led synthesizers, and his knowledge of them is high. Although he was born in Hollywood, he studied all of young jazz and classical music. At the University he earned a degree in English literature. In 2007 he joined the supergroup Asia featuring John Payne as keyboard player and toured with them the next two years. In 2009 to 2011 toured with the supergroup Big Noize featuring Joe Lynn Turner, Vinny Appice, Phil Soussan, Carlos Cavazo and Simon Wright. He also works with The Bob Moog Foundation and played with Keith Emerson in 2009 a concert at the exhibition 'The Legacy of Moog' at the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, California, and the epic "Moogus Operandi 'concert in Asheville, North Carolina in 2010, to open. Since 2001, he started out playing solo sets.

The DVD "The Galactic Collective - Definitive Edition 'now comes together with two CDs. On the DVD he plays the complete instrumental "Galactic Collective 'album in the studio. Each track is introduced by a short interview in which he deeper it goes. It includes the best tracks that he played over the years, but now in a larger view. He goes back to 1997 with 'Arrival', 'Neurosar "and" Trantor Station.

In addition there is a featurette on "Behind the Wall of Doom: The Synthesizer of the Galactic Collective'. Erik plays synthesizers, piano and organ and is accompanied by drummer Nick LePar, guitarists: John Payne, Mitch Perry, Mark McCrite, Freddy DeMarco and Ron Redfield, bassist Mark Matthews, his wife, singer Lana Lane and backing vocalist John Payne. All tracks are also on YouTube. The DVD can be heard in 2.0 stereo or 5.1 surround. On the first disc is the original album, while the second disc includes a new studio recording you hear of "Space: 1999".

Impressive progressive rock, interesting for science fiction fans. Patrick Van de Wiele (3 to 4)

And check out the dedicated Gonzo artist page for Asia featuring John Payne, and for Erik solo