Fantasia EP, 2019

"In any case, Japanese pop / rock fans love art rock. Likewise in the Japanese progressive rock scene. Some Japanese 'so-called-progressive-rock' projects run towards kinda artistic style, along with superficially complicated rhythm and melody lines, and eventually end up with unoriginal collectives. Sorry I do not know the reason KIKU LATTE (formerly known as CICHLA TEMENSIS) have experienced 4-year hibernation from 2012 until 2016, but surely they've revived due to admission of Kazumi (flute, ex-Naikaku), Hiroyuki (guitars), and Shingo (drums) ... and finally last year their third album titled "Fantasia" was released. Guess they would have squeezed all of their musical / artistic pleasure into this 22-minute creation. It's good you can find their pleasure itself easily via this opus full of acceptable phrases and reasonable movements. Yes, they keep the flautist Kazumi upon the front line like other combos featuring flute, but such delightful atmosphere should never exist without a decent, consistent rhythm section.

The first shot "Sorairo No Geranium (Sky-Blue Geranium)" has superbly cheerful disposition. Sounds like all of them be frank, positive and optimistic. Complex melody lines based upon eccentric rhythm nation can be digested easily. Uptempo favourable soundscape is immersive. In "Aoi Komichi (Green Lane)" Yusuke's keyboard works are fantastic. Quite impressive despite the fact this track is the shortest in this album. On the contrary, a slowtempo ballad "Mikazuki Ko (Crescent-shaped Lake)" sounds like an elegant social dance of flute and acoustic guitar. Wonderful the lines are not inorganic nor artificial. "Doors" would remind you that they lean musically towards Citizen Cain or so. It's excellent they play altogether pretty smoothly without any deviation. The last suite "Ibis" is the most powerful and exciting one, filled with heavy, explosive moments and sub-improvised outbreak in the latter phase. Wondering if they might intend to grab the similarity to progressive metal like Dream Theater ... another enjoyable minute really. Although no Neues nor innovation can be heard, I'd like to say their audible fantasia in a natural manner is fantastic. Above mentioned, do hope they will never get caught up in so-called progressive rock."