Far East Family Band, Parallel World

Just take a look at that beautiful cover, go on and just take it in for a minute. It's filled with all the right promises: From a foreign land the band are armed with  old and new technology and they're in space. That space capsule in the background places them in the present, but they're travelling by wooden ship and surrounded by a blue aura and they seem to be headed to the rainbow. The Scifi is heavy on this one.

Parallel World is Far East Family Band's third release from 1976. They are originally from Japan and feature prominent members Fumio Miyashita and Mansanori Takahashi, both were keyboardists and both would go on to produce wonderful synth music. Takahashi would later take on the name Kitaro and would continue to produce imaginative music up to this day. The album is produced by German musician and former Tangerine Dream member Klaus Schulz.

The album is made up of four tracks, but the play time is an hour. The general atmosphere is spacey and at times washed heavy synths and keyboards, but for the most part it is a laid back affair. The tribal drums of 'Metempsychosis' kick things off and lead into the first lengthy track 'Entering-Times'. The band take their time adding layers of sound, keeping the pacing and tone steady before shifting into overdrive.

Courtesy: Last.Fm

The third track 'Kokoro' is about where one would draw comparison between the band and Pink Floyd. With it's haunting keyboards and soaring guitar it isn't a bad thing. Finally the title track 'Parallel World' starts with a pretty funky bass line quickly met with guitar and synths. The band ride this vibration for the most of the thirty minute track, but as it began Parallel World fades away, they deconstruct the artifact and place it back to its source.

Here is some great footage of The Far East Family Band live in Los Angeles in the late 70's and the Parallel World track.