Thank you so much, Music Connection Magazine and Eric Harabadian, for featuring Circuline in your November 2020 Livestream Reviews, for our 15-date, 45-Event NewView Virtual Tour!
We are reproducing the entire article here for your ease of reading:
Material: Circuline is a modern rock band that puts the emphasis on harmony, melody and good song structure. Drawing heavily from the progressive rock tradition, they jam with the best of them. But the melodic essence of their tunes is key, and will resonate with you for some time to come. Shades of YES, ELP, The Moody Blues, early Jefferson Starship, Curved Air, Steve Hackett and many other elements factor into their unique and original sound. The theatrical sci-fi-like “Forbidden Planet,” “Inception’s” stratospheric arc, the jazzy “Summit” and the incredibly cinematic “Stereotypes” display the wide range of this mega-talented troupe.
Musicianship: The merging of several ingredients and disciplines creates their cauldron of creativity. Colyer is a Juilliard-trained pianist who mans an impressive bank of keyboards. His composing, arranging skills and ability to coax a plethora of otherworldly sounds out of his instruments is jaw-dropping. The same can be said for Brown and Spillane’s front line vocals. Their singular and harmonic exchanges provide a rich and exciting choral effect. Brannon’s drumming intrepidly weaves through all the accents and tempo shifts providing back beat, and even stepping out front for a solo spot. Darson comes from the Hackett/DiMeola/Fripp school of guitar and, along with the versatile low end of Simches, rounds out this ensemble in a grand manner.
Performance: From September through early October 2020 the band has been promoting their new album “Circulive” with an exclusive Facebook Live “New View Virtual Tour.” Via their FB site, audiences have been treated to video premieres and behind-the-scenes online chats where the band talks live about the making of the videos. These weekly installments really seemed to connect with fans as the chat room was consistently active and engaged. The video premieres showcase the band performing at various venues in the U.S. and Europe. Throughout these performances there is a true team spirit that is evident. Everyone checks their ego at the door and the result is a shared experience between the ensemble and their audience.
Summary: Circuline is a progressive rock band that seems to really connect with their fans. And, during these unprecedented times, this “New View Virtual Tour” further displays their “out of the box” resolve and approach.
The digital online version of this article was originally published on October 26th, 2020. Here is the link:
Thank you so much, Chronogram Magazine and reviewer Haviland S. Nichols, for the excellent review of CircuLive::NewView!
“Red Hook based Circuline melds new-breed boldness with classic prog rock on this CD/DVD/Blu-Ray digipak. Echoing dynamic masters King Crimson, Yes, and Genesis, this tour de force maintains a flamboyant flavor for the 21st century. Recorded at the first International ProgStock Festival, the gig kicks off with stunning dissonance from bombastic keyboardists/percussionists Andrew Colyer and Darin Brannon, zigzagging between calm and chaos. “Piano Challenge” showcases the two as they duel center stage in a glowing game where everyone wins. Powerhouse Natalie Brown is a refreshing change in a traditionally male-dominated vocal arena. Guitarist/vocalist William “Billy” Spillane, bassist/drummer Joel Simches, and guitarist/percussionist Alek Daron round things out, with each soloist dazzling listeners in turn. CircuLive may be best enjoyed by those familiar with their studio recordings, but in an age devoid of live performances, this weighted release is a clever strategy to welcome fans of cinematic rock and exhilerating soundscapes.”
It’s one thing to be included on a “Best of” Year-End List with the Neal Morse Band (#6), Grave Digger (#3), and Dream Theater (#2). But to be picked as #1?!? HOLY COW!!! We are so HONORED and HUMBLED by VIA NOCTURNA in PORTUGAL to have the CircuLive::NewView CD/DVD/Blu-ray selected as the #1 Live Release for 2020 !!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
“A prog rock based on theatricality and cinematography and which is oriented towards jazz, classical, and metal structures. The melodic lines are delicious, the solos are absolutely fantastic, and the vocal diversity denotes work, competence, and rigor. CircuLive::NewView is a disc that defines a band.”
Thank you so much, Jordan Blum and Rock & Roll Globe for the review of CircuLive::NewView, giving the CD/DVD/Blu-ray product 4.5/5 stars!
“Spectacular ability to merge elements of classic 1970s icons like Genesis, ELP, Yes, and Camel into their modernized edge and efficacy…..a must-own set for fans…..a communal, two-way street sort of vibe between the musicians and audience from start to finish…..performed impeccably…..exemplifying Circuline’s knack for strong songwriting, dense harmonies, and tastefully elaborate arrangements…..how much the band has accomplished in only a few years…..more than worth the price of admission…..a superb document of Circuline’s appearance at ProgStock.”
Thank you SO MUCH, “Poppa Shane” P. Shane McAfee, for this super cool, GREAT review of CircuLive::NewView, on your “Auditorium One channel!!
Here are some excerpts of the transcript……
“…..bands like Rush, Kansas, and the Dixie Dregs have been in my music collection for years.
After a nice introduction, Circuline goes into Soleil Noir which, to my ears, seems like the next stop from Rush’s YYZ and gives a great first auditory view of how well the band members of Circuline mesh together as a unit. Natalie Brown goes into the song One Wish with a voice that is equal parts of Grace Slick, Marty Balin, and Annie Lennox.
Sharing the lead vocals is Billy Spillane whose range and vibrato are somewhat reminiscent of Dennis De Young especially on the song Forbidden Planet which would be perfectly in place on Styx’s album Equinox. This is, of course, in addition to the rhythm guitar layering provided by Spillane throughout the set. Actually, I would say that Forbidden Planet and Summit are two standout songs where the band really shows some of their best work as a unit both vocally and instrumentally.
Bassist Joel Simches leads the listener into the song Nautilus with a cool bass solo intro that is equal parts of Andy West, Jack Bruce, and Jaco Pastorius.
Guitarist Alek Darson provides great layering by instinctively knowing when to lay back and when to lay it all on the musical table. Darson’s guitar work is like listening to Jeff Beck play with Neal Schon.
Drummer Darin Brannon provides great support throughout the set without using a bunch of busy fills or drawing too much attention to himself. This only changes when Brannon and Andrew Colyer do some head cutting on the simply titled Piano Challenge.
At the end of their set,keyboardist Andrew Colyer introduces the band members to the audience, Circuline closes the set with Stereotypes. Every band has that one song that makes a great set closer and Stereotypes is definitely the one for Circuline.So, if one were to ask me what were the standout tracks from New View, I would say that Forbidden Planet, Summit, and Stereotypes were the ones that melted my face off. I would go so far to say that any live concert Circuline does would be incomplete without those three songs in the set list.
One thing that comes across very clearly is the theatrical quality of Circuline’s live sound. New View sounds like it could easily be a soundtrack for a rock musical. This is no surprise given the ties that some of the band members have to the world of theater. This includes their cover of the Sound of Contact song Pale Blue Dot; a song that made me think of Zaphod Beeblebrox entering the Total Perspective Vortex.
Circuline have definitely acquired a new fan in me with the release of New View which I rate as an absolute SMASH! This album will be right at home alongside my other albums such as Dixie Dregs Bring ‘Em Back Alive and Rush’s Time Machine. I have had the digital copy for 3 days now (as of this writing) and I have listened to it every day since I got it. If you are a fan of any of the bands that I mentioned such as ELO, Jefferson Starship, or Kansas, I recommend you go to Circuline’s webs site at https://circulinemusic.com/ and get your copy of New View. If you aren’t familiar with those bands and want a well orchestrated soundtrack to any given day, check this album out!
I want to give a last bit of kudos to the band for the tiered level pre-order bundles they offered leading up to the release of Circulive: New View. It was a brilliant move within the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic to keep their current audience engaged and acquire a wider fan base. The end credits of the Blu-ray as well as the liner notes in the case provide great amusement from serious musicians who don’t take themselves as seriously as they do their music.”
Again – thank you so much, “Papa Shane” and Auditorium One for this FANTASTIC review!
