Reviews / Interviews

“The music has been brought into the 21st Century with the skillful addition of guitar, flute, bass, keyboards and percussion to create a delicately poised collection of pieces laced with charm and appeal.” – Janet Mawdesley (Blue Wolf Reviews)

The Music of the Wounaan

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What we have here is a truly progressive band, in the truest sense of the word as opposed to following a particular style of music. It has “America” stamped through it all the way, alongside the knowledge that here is a group of guys not trying to be anything they are not, and instead producing music which accurately reflects who they are which means they really do sound like no-one else at all. This is a superb album from a band who would be at home at a rock festival or a bluegrass jamboree, or maybe even The Grand Ole Opry. The songs are wonderful, with great lyrics, and Saskia’s voice is just perfect. Highly recommended.”  – Kev Rowland (Progressor.net)

http://www.progressor.net/review/euphoria_station_2019_2.html

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“This album has been a wonderful surprise. Euphoria Station & The Americana Daydream Revival Orchestra are top-notch musicians and they deliver an uplifting, dynamic, ear-catching musical experience, full of hooks and textures.” – Rock Progresivo

Euphoria Station – «The Reverie Suite» (Album Review)

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“Fantastic album! From front to back it is beautiful to listen to.” – Peter Timmerman (WEEFF Radio The Netherlands)

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“The Reverie Suite by Euphoria Station is an outstanding and extremely unique set of works and arrangements that have been created by a band of individuals who are masters at their own game. The Reverie Suite is an album of pristine and exceptionally produced songs within the progressive rock-folk genre, which are simply outstanding, and unreservedly magnificent in their own right, and collectively as an album. I have yearned for something new and exciting to appear on the scene like this for years, well it seems like my wait is over!” – Steve Sheppard (One World Music)

https://www.oneworldmusic.co.uk/album-reviews/4594779424?fbclid=IwAR3LB6rQZ-3E9OP2nHVby1m5EeGrcXnuGvoSGiEyR00lyms5pJGGjOLx3oI

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“Euphoria Station has the power to hold the listeners well in both the longer songs and the songs of normal length… You just can’t deny the musical skills that can be found on the album ‘The Reverie Suite’. So many styles mixed in this album it is fantastic!”

-Harry Storms (Dutch Hits4AllRadio)

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“It is definitely extremely well produced and something you should add to your collection. It is just so different. I think you’re going to love it.”

-Aiir Geezer (Aii Radio’s The Female Fronted Rock & Metal Show)

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College Underground Radio In Depth Euphoria Station Interview:

http://www.collegeundergroundradio.com/index.php/stuff/blog-the-underground/blog-the-underground/447-underground-interview-with-euphoria-station

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“When I listened to the album, I will say that I thought wow, this is something different.  ‘On My Way’ is a track that instrumentally features the harmonica. ‘Content’ showcases the beautifully crystal clear vocals of Saskia Binder. Paradise is certainly her name for a track like ‘Paradise Road,’ a great track I think you’ll agree. Both ‘Bridge of Dreams’ and ‘Queen of Hearts’ for me, are with classic progressive rock instrumentation.”

Bob Prigmore – Progrock.com’s The Progrock Tunesday Show

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“In an excellent way, sparkling folk rock and solid progrock are mixed together… I am very impressed by this perfect combination of progrock and folkrock!”

Harry Radstake – Bluestown Music (The Netherlands)

Recensie: Euphoria Station – The Reverie Suite

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“The strength of the album is that besides the more elaborate compositions there is also room to keep it nice and radio friendly at times. Euphoria Station succeeds in developing a unique sound and delivers a very strong second album with “The Reverie Suite.”

– Xymphonia Radio – AA FM (The Netherlands)

http://xymphonia.aafm.nl/archive.html

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“The music of Euphoria Station is life-affirming. While listening to it, I feel a strong purpose residing in the hearts of the musicians. It’s about making the world a little bit better by praising the honesty and sincerity. The only way to overcome the difficulties and to make the deepest desires come true.”

Selected Goosebumps

Variety Of The Strings. 5 Albums to Make Your Soul Vibrating

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“Euphoria Station knows how to take the listener along nicely to the American landscape. That makes for beautiful scenes that can come from both the prairie and a smoky rock club. The strength of The Reverie Suite is that the group on the record shows that it is both with powers in songs of radio length and in longer tracks that holds the listener well.

The name recognition of Euphoria Station is growing and will only grow more with The Reverie Suite . This synthesis of prog rock and Americana provides an intense enjoyment of an enormous stratification, whereby every musician is also an actual addition to the sound. The American dream still exists.

-Ralf Wedage White Room Reviews (The Netherlands)

Euphoria Station – The Reverie Suite

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“A bit of everything, with a marked melodic attitude that highlights the singing skills of Saskia and the eclecticism and ability of Hoyt in creating the right atmospheres capable of amplifying the qualities of the partner.” – Arlequins (Italy)

http://www.arlequins.it/pagine/articoli/alfa/corpo.asp?ch=7043&fbclid=IwAR0u3HifHo_Nh6Y-DQrmdQzFxHlEViQKtj9XLdWjSqLkWBnj6DTPMxW-x-U

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“Saskia has a rich powerful voice that pulls you right into the story and holds you. Every track is a musical carpet ride that will capture your imagination. In a word, it is all quite cinematic. Hoyt Binder’s guitar is fantastic. His multitude of talent leads the way, inviting Saskia’s inviting vocals to come out and play with the music making it a complete experience for a listener. Her vocals were giving me goosebumps.

The full instrumental treatment of their sounds encourages you to paint your personal picture on the canvas of their music. The Reverie Suite may take a few listens to get it all into perspective, but I believe that any listener that has an appreciation for rock, prog, Americana, folk, or any combination thereof, will find great value in this album.”

– Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck (ProgRock Music Talk)

https://www.progrockmusictalk.com/2020/04/euphoriathereveriesuite.html

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“Outstanding blues rock.”

– Angel Romero (Progressive Rock Central)

Euphoria Station, Tasty Progressive Americana

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“You really can’t go wrong with Euphoria Station. A beautiful, melodic album that definitely deserves to be heard.”

-Roland Leicht (Prog-rock.info Germany)

http://www.prog-rock.info/html/neue_kritiken.html?fbclid=IwAR0YYNCcisBvZjyDER_oEL5ojx1d3ONob_UcrGzTUhNiX684QeZ0tApc2vg#EuphoriaStation

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“The long duration of the album that exceeds seventy-one minutes is not synonymous with heaviness or useless prolixity, rather it is well arranged and varied, and can be listened to in a pleasant way. What works in the songs of Euphoria Station are the catchy melodies that are easy to memorize and good compositions that have their own well-defined personality. ‘The Reverie Suite’ is a very pleasant album, full of history and beautiful emotions.”

-Salari Massimo (Nonsolo Progrock Blog Italy)

https://nonsoloprogrock.blogspot.com/2020/04/euphoria-station.html

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“The Reverie Suite is something exotic within the progressive scene, precisely because of its sporadic frequentation of certain American-derived sounds”

-Lorenzo Barbagli (Open Magazine)

http://www.openmagazine.info/2020/03/29/euphoria-station-the-reverie-suite-2019/


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“Progressive country anyone? Fiddles blaze, flutes trill, guitars sting and drum thunder and yet there’s bluegrass in them thar hills don’t you know! From Native American sounding beats and melodies rubbing shoulders with Americana and some very English pastoral prog… the results flow and ebb with a natural smoothness that surprises.

The clever use of harmonica whisks us away on the journey our protagonist is recounting – meaningful yet catchy, deep yet airy, memorable yet light of touch. You really do have to wonder at how such a diverse collections of influences comes together in such a coherent manner. The Reverie Suite won’t be for everyone and it does take quite some time to get to know, but the very fact that it is an individual, heartfelt journey makes it much easier to overlook those harder to crack moments and simply basque in this album’s warmth of heart and strength of spirit.”

https://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=22349

-Steven Reid (Sea of Tranquility)

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“Que du bonheur, du grand art.”

– Prog Critique (France)

https://progcritique.com/euphoria-station-the-reverie-suite/

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“If you didn’t know Euphoria Station, as yours truly, you’ll be amazed at the music destinations served by this departure station. So let’s set off for the great American west with this duo of artists formed by singer Saskia and her guitarist husband Hoyt Binder, well supported by a team of musicians with flawless technique. The album is based on Saskia’s life journey, her childhood memories filled with happy or more painful episodes, and her love of nature anchored in her by her Amerindian origins. And the magic works, because her warm and expressive voice magnifies the emotional and nostalgic passages and knows how to become powerful and deep through musical variations.

The undeniable added value of this opus is, in the end, the originality and the personality that emerges from the choice to let so many instruments coexist, and Saskia’s magnificent voice in a balance that maintains the interest of the compositions. With The Reverie Suite, Euphoria Station achieves a positive and inspired musical alchemy that takes us on a true spiritual journey through the great American West at the mercy of authentic emotions; that’s happiness, in fact!”

– 4.5/5 Neoprog (France)

https://www.neoprog.eu/critique/euphoria_station/the_reverie_suite

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“A very dreamy album with American boundlessness in the background.”

MLWZ (Poland)

https://mlwz.pl/recenzje/plyty/22180-euphoria-station-the-reverie-suite

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“Melodic folk rock with progressive accents for the whole family.”

– Babyblaue-seiten (Germany)

https://www.babyblaue-seiten.de/index.php?content=review&left=year&albumId=18653&year=2019

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“As manifold as the influences of EUPHORIA STATION are, the compositions present themselves on their second full-length. On My Way’, for example, sounds like cracking hard rock performed unplugged, ‘Heartbeat’ like a flowery folk rocker and in ‘Reverie’ the seventies prog rock is discovered. The fact that EUPHORIA STATION can’t deny a certain progressiveness can be seen in the extensive solo performances, which even surpass those of Southern Rock, while the connections to the ALLMAN BROTHERS or DOOBIE BROTHERS are also apparent. Singer Saskia Binder has written a concept album from the soul. It describes her roots, her childhood and the departure from her homeland, her growing up. Her dreams show her the goal and the way through America – until the realization of ‘The Reverie Suite’.”

– 7.5/10, Streetclip.de

http://streetclip.de/2020/02/20/euphoria-station-the-reverie-suite/

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“Carried by Saskia BINDER’s bewitching voice with its multiple melodies, with an extended vocal register that easily goes from a relatively low register to the most impressive highs, the music of EUPHORIA STATION is a real spell, the dominant feeling is bliss, doubled by an everlasting energy…a very beautiful album that has risen very high in the hierarchy of incessant releases!”

-Didier Gonzalez (Highlands Magazine France)

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Euphoria Station’s “The Reverie Suite” has a cover that turns the disc into a down-to-earth country record, with the duo Saskia and Hoyt Binder in front of something what could be a general store in the Wild West. You’d be deceived – and yet not. This is great music, rooted in what is so popular today and called “Americana”, at the same time this is a concept album in the best progressive tradition with large brush strokes, about childhood and how grand the country in the west is. Both are old prog fans, so it’s not really that strange, but the design they deliver is pretty unusual. This meeting between country pursuit and a genre born far away from Saskia and Hoyts California becomes, perhaps unexpectedly both interesting, insightful and something you want to repeat to listen to. I love such surprises. A record I won’t forget at first. Here, Disney could learn one thing and another about how to make heartwarming music for real. Bambi goes prog? Snow White and the Seven Mellotrones?

-Universum Noll (Sweden)

https://stigsson.blogspot.com/2020/02/zandersson-febuari-2020.html

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“Saskia’s voice is as magical as it is lovely, which helps her to become the natural guide of a cut that gains energy as it evolves. We love the right balance between melody and strength. The work is unimpeded and the combination of musical trends results in a record of those that are no longer made. Highly recommended for progressive and folk lovers who do not want to resign themselves to hearing more of the same.”

-David Lopez (Rock In Spain)

https://www.rockinspain.es/discos/euphoria-station-sinonimo-de-exquisito-folk-rock-progresivo

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“It is a story so very beautifully simple, one of discovery and choices, that will resonate with everyone who takes the time to read the lyrics. Saskia deserves immense credit for being so candid with the lyrics and being such an immensely gifted lyricist, providing the foundation for her husband, Hoyt, to create such wonderful music to compliment the story. It has been a long time since I have listened to a release where you can feel the love flowing through every note and every word in every song. An easy addition to the forthcoming annual top 10 list .”

– Stefan Hennig (DPRP.net)

http://www.dprp.net/reviews/2019-094?fbclid=IwAR3nctU1i77W9Yo0QTyT_imTNborl58dj4xusZfw46rlykK2tTrQnrX129c

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“A unique band with a unique sound that clearly distinguishes itself from countless other “middle of the road” groups.”

– Rockportaal.nl

Euphoria Station – The Reverie Suite

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“A very interesting and sincere album. Classic, well-made and timeless.”

– 3.5 / 5 François Becquart – Music In Belgium

EUPHORIA STATION – The reverie suite

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“Truly beautiful songs told with heart and passion….Euphoric pleasure, the result of music that gives happiness. Intelligent constructions, musical passages which become addictive after several listening sessions and catchy choruses which become earworms.

These musicians crossed the great West to find inspiration in gold, but they created all these nuggets themselves. If you are a fan of acoustic instruments, looking for authentic sound, simplicity, and real beautiful songs told with heart and passion, you should stop at the EUPHORIA station. “All aboard! ”

8.6/10 – Profil Prog Canada

https://www.profilprog.com/euphoria-station-reverie-suite-revi?fbclid=IwAR2URg93h0u45JTNMMkHQqvbFv3hs6o4o3zkWr4Pvd4gEeOm8H7nW6OQMOg

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“An album for those who want to hear something different than the bands that stay within the beaten tracks”

– iOpages 

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“It’s not an album to dip in and out of as the music certainly works better as a complete experience… one that proves to become ultimately rewarding.”

-Ant Heeks (Fireworks Magazine UK)

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“This music gets into some intriguing journeys and wanders down some cool alleyways. Yet it remains tied to accessible hooks and earthy elements, too. It makes for an intriguing and effective set.”

-Gary Hill (Music Street Journal)

http://www.musicstreetjournal.com/index_cdreviews_display.cfm?id=106931

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“There are some great arrangements and when the flute takes the lead it’s a real treat. Although Mr Binder plays a mean guitar and the Hammond organ and violin flavors really enrich the record. It is one of those albums that bears repeated plays and anyone who likes their prog intensely melodic should be giving this a listen.”

-The Rocker65 (ZeitGeist)

Reviews roundup – Whiskey Myers ~ Euphoria Station ~ Roadhouse Diet ~ Matty T Wall ~ Beer Scouts ~ The Outrider

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​”Musically, you simply can’t deny the work and undeniable skill that went into this album. As many styles as they attempted by the time I got to the end I felt there were a lot of cohesive qualities. This is an album that takes some time to digest but is worth the journey.

-Divide And Conquer

https://www.divideandconquermusic.com/indie-music-album-reviews/euphoria-station-the-reverie-suite

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Prog-Sphere feature  interviewing Euphoria Station about the creative process behind  “The Reverie Suite.”

http://www.prog-sphere.com/interviews/euphoria-station-interview/

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Music Street Journal In Depth Euphoria Station Interview:

http://www.musicstreetjournal.com/interviews_display.cfm?id=100873

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“Just listen to songs such as the beautiful instrumental opener Prelude/ She’s CallingBridge Of DreamsQueen Of HeartsParadise Road (beautiful piano playing and great guitar solo) and Seasons and you know what I mean! A special mention goes out to the beautiful crystal clear voice of the bands female lead vocalist. Her voice has a lot of emotion but also bring so much happiness to the music. Most of all on the more poppy sounding tunes such as ReverieHeartbeat and Content she shines all the way!

If you want something different music wise, please try out the second album of Euphoria Station. You might just like me enjoy the combination of Americana with progressive rock on The Reverie Suite. You won’t regret it!”

-Henri Strik (Background Magazine)

See full review at:

https://www.backgroundmagazine.nl/CDreviews/EuphoriaStationTheReverieSuite.html

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Why listen to this disc? The Reverie Suite is a small nugget coming directly from the United States. Formed in 2015, in Los Angeles, Euphoria Station is a duet with Native American singer Saskia Binder and her husband, guitarist Hoyt Binder. After a first One Heart album in 2017, they offer Saskia’s ambitious, child-centered sequel. If they embarked with them the same (solid) rhythmic as before (Paulo Gustavo on bass and Chris Quirarte on drums), other musicians accompany them as keyboardist Ronald Van Deurzen, Tollak Ollestad on harmonica or flutist Rebecca Kleinman, forming The Americana Daydream Revival Orchestra.

Indeed, The Reverie Suite is not a simple disc, it is above all a musical journey through this vast country that one believes to know by heart, but which does not stop surprising and fascinating. The instrumental opening Prelude / She’s Calling alone condenses this America in its first part on the harmonica, a kind of folk ballad, before turning into metal prog typed Ayreon, then new direction with his tribal percussions Amerindian, followed a new twist rock, sprinkled with a country violin. We have to wait for Reverie, the second track to discover Saskia’s voice, halfway between Heather Findlay and Susie Bogdanowicz from Glass Hammer. In this song, she remembers her child’s play with her best friend, when they roamed wilderness together near Sacramento. Filled with nostalgia (Paradise Road and its bewitching piano, Seasons, Reprise), without sinking into pathos,

The Reverie Suite seduces with its authentic compositions, rich and deep, evoking the Home of Magenta. A hell of a discovery!

– Sebastien Bonnats (Prog Female Voices)

https://progfemalevoices.blogspot.com/2019/10/euphoria-station-reverie-suite.html

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A nice discovery during my random and wandering listening expeditions. I was immediately hooked by the varied soundscape this instrumental song conjures up – folksy acoustic guitar strumming with melodious harmonica and flute parts. Beautiful instrumental folk rock.

Discover New Metal Online

http://discovernewmetal.online/

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“The thrill of it however, is that this is a very enjoyable discovery. There are several excellent songs on the album, and for me no filler in sight. The way their influences and inspirations are used in a prog rock setting has taken me by surprise and I find myself enjoying the album over and over. Great melodies, killer hooks and instrumental sections, dynamics used to perfection, etc… it is fresh, vibrant and authentic. Incredible that this is an independent release. The 71 minutes and 12 racks fly by! Anyone with a love for quality music should at least give it a try.” – Peter Cox (YourMusicBlog.NL)

Euphoria Station, The Reverie Suite, 2019

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“I found myself in for a number of surprises with this CD. Not only is Hoyt Binder an unorthodox and fluid guitarist and writer in the fusion genre, not only had he managed to snag Toss Panos on drums, a cat who’s played with everyone under the sun, but he also grabbed Trevor Lloyd, a SoCal Beach Cities progrock violinist and former member of the way underappreciated and largely unknown Underwater Traffic, and finally bassist Paulo Gustavo. The foursome sinks deeply into prog fusion on Prayrie Go Round, Binder the main voice but embedded firmly in rich dynamics and atmospherics from compeers.

Binder’s absorbed a wide array of influences into his idiosyncratic wont, but he just as often lays back into mello-mode as tears it up, preferring smoothly unfolding tableaus, playgrounds in which he and Lloyd can gambol as Panos lays out ceaseless patterns and variations. Binder sometimes employs guitar-triggered electronics and I have to urge him to consider doing even more so next time out as he is one of the very few legitimating the practice. Hoyt Binder has crafted a very fine set of tunes with Prayrie Go Round. It easily demonstrates yet another side to the man. Clearly his musical creativity is not something that can be contained in just one band. Worth checking out.”

Mark Tucker/ FAME

https://www.acousticmusic.com/fame/p09346.htm

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“Some of you may recognize Hoyt Binder’s name as the brainchild of the pop-prog-rock outfit Primitive Overflow. This release, Prayrie Go Round, is his first solo effort and is a very different animal. It still harbors a distinct prog influence or foundation but is in a broader sense more fusion oriented. Binder has assembled a pretty interesting group of musicians to execute his sonic visions (excuse the mixed metaphor). Alongside his sinewy guitar lines we hear Toss Panos (drums), Trevor Lloyd (violin) and Paulo Gustavo (bass). Listeners to his solo work will be entertained with music of a very different sort.

The music delivered on Prayrie Go Round is performed by a quartet of jazzy, fusion, world-beat influenced musicians. It’s a fluid and flowing musical style where between the guitar and violin we’re treated to music that weaves its way in and out of musical passages much like a boat gliding leisurely downstream, and we’re along for the ride. It’s a distinct jazzy, fusion vibe but not one that will be lost on progressive rock fans.”

JerryLucky.com

http://www.jerrylucky.com/reviews-abc_020.htm

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“From the opening sustained and hypnotic note of ‘This Is Why’ to the extended violin work out on the closing title track,  ‘Prayrie Go Round’ is an adventurous musical journey that meanders its way through multi genres and comes up with deep tonal colours and a proggy undertow. Probably best described as jazz-rock fusion album, ‘Prayrie Go Round’ is much more than that. It’s a big leap of faith in which Hoyt innate sense of the exploratory is matched by the band’s inspired interplay on 10 tracks that come with their author’s brief notes. The album as a whole is anchored by the muscular Robben Ford/Larry Carlton drummer Toss Panos and while there’s no escaping the fact the fact that the project is shot through fusion sensibilities, there’s plenty of fresh ideas and a wide variety of musical pulses.

The band’s clear sense of purpose is backed by intricate interplay and a willingness to improvise that makes this album more than just another fusion album. There are fleeting proggy elements, bluesy edges, plenty of rock bluster, shifting dynamics and an ever present willingness to take a chance. The result is demanding, but rewarding music in which the solos sparkle over a pulsating rhythm section that continually pushes the front line players on to greater heights. And if is hard to know where an album like fits outside of the already over subscribed So-Cal fusion scene, you just hope that that the mix of prog, jazz rock and ultimately guitar driven music will draw people to genuine exploratory album. Hoyt’s restless exploration never settles for the mundane and ‘Prayrie Go Round’ is a fine debut album by and musician constantly in search of musical inspiration.

Pete Feenstra/ GetReadyToRock.com

http://getreadytorock.me.uk/blog/2014/08/album-review-hoyt-binder-prayrie-go-round/

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“The vocal melodies are on the whole very witty and Vie takes advantage of all the years as a singer in the underrated and sly Enuff Z ‘Nuff. The singer’s penchant for the Beach Boys and the Beatles shines through in particular during “Turnin ‘Round”, “Day To Day” and the ambitious “Animation”.

SwedenRock Magazine

https://www.swedenrock.com/index.cfm?xx=magazine

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“As I said at the outset, the music here is pretty slick and well played incorporating a myriad of influences. In the end what my ears were left with was a mix of pop inflected proggy-ness that was intersected by plenty of jazz fusion. Even before reading any of the bio material while listening to this disc I was struck by the very polished L.A. sound created. Primitive Overflow incorporate many diverse influences but the two that keep bubbling to the surface are rock and jazz fusion. Yes there are lots of vocals, but there’s just as much playing and lots of solos with fingers flying on the keys or fret board. Not really symphonic this is progressive rock that relies on solid musical virtuosity. Well played, well produced with only the most subtlest of hints at the past. Check them out.”

Jerrylucky.com

http://www.jerrylucky.com/reviews%20p-t_040.htm

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“The solo’s of Hoyt and Van Deurzen are exceptionally tasteful and technically high-standing. We can say the same about the contributions of Quirarte and Gustavo. Honor Way Down won’t appeal to everyone, but the sheer amount of characteristics present in the music and the excellent craftmanship will provide an adventurous hour of music that crosses boundaries.”

iOpages Progressive Rock Magazine

https://www.iopages.nl/editie/id/112/io-pages-112

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“Primitive Overflow brilliantly integrates Pop-Rock and Power-Pop cuts under the leadership of Donnie Vie‘s vocals. Primitive Overflow compensates the Pop-Rock parts with bombastic instrumental passages that reveal the talent and eclecticism of the musicians. With their Eclectic & Cross-Over Progressive approach driven by high-quality musicianship, Primitive Overflow is highly recommended for the audiences of ‘60s-’70s Pop-Rock and 80’s Progressive Rock, being apt to conquer fans of both sides.”

Progressive Rock BR

http://www.progressiverockbr.com/previews2013.htm

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“The interesting thing in the band’s debut “Honor Way Down” is the presence of Enuff Z’ Nuff front man Donnie Vie at the mic. Marketed as a Prog Rock album, “Honor Way Down” has variations in this genre, but the music here has many influences ranging from Classic Rock to the commercial melodious rock Enuff Z’ Nuff delivered in numerous works. Apart from hear Enuff Z’Nuff’s Donnie Vie singing again, “Honor Way Down” is a good opportunity to discover an interesiting musician in Primitive Overflow’s mastermind Hoyt Binder. Binder obviously has a Prog root, and his playing and arrangements pay tribute to many well known acts in the genre. Complemented by Vie’s melodic vocals they have created a really captivating recording, which demands some attention to be enjoyed plenty. Kudos to Donnie Vie who has taken some risks trying a new genre for him, resulting in a succesful performance. Production is good and organic, with all the intrumentation transparently mixed. Good and Interesting. Buy it!”

0DayRockz.com

http://0dayrockz.blogspot.com/search/label/PRIMITIVE%20OVERFLOW%20%28Donnie%20Vie%29

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Fireworks Magazine InterviewThe Music Is Out There – #58

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“In 2012, Rob Sandoval and Hoyt Binder formed Pain Love ‘n’ War. The duo got Bobby Allbright on drums and they got around to releasing their debut album Over Looking Back a little earlier this year. My first thought when listening to their album was that they sounded like Alice in Chains if they were more into Industrial music. They play a hybrid of industrial, metal and grunge. The metal they infuse from the production to the delivery has the aesthetics from bands like Breaking Benjamin, Evanescence and Korn. It’s more of a contemporary metal sound as opposed to the defining style of metal bands that were playing in the ‘70s and ‘80s.

You can hear the combination of Industrial and metal elements on the first song “Pain in Love and War.” The heavy hitting industrial beat you hear on the verse you can picture being used by KMFDM or NIN (in their more industrial days) while the guitar riffs are reminiscent of Alice In Chains if they palm muted more and put high end distortion on their guitars. It’s a high-energy song that you could picture a UFC fighter using before he or she stepped into the Octagon. I was happy they decided to use electronic elements here and there but they don’t go overboard. This is a guitar album but the addition of arpeggiated synths and pads are a nice treat once in a while like you hear on “Only Time Will Tell.”

The band kind of experiments with “Psycho X.” Some of the atmospheric, ominous moments around the one- minute mark reminded me of Tool. “Taste My Religion” is a constant onslaught of heavy guitar riffs and fills while “Crystal Ball” is a swampy almost drone like song that was a highlight on the album. Some songs like “Strange Morning Light” feel like straightforward metal/alternative songs that will appeal to a wide demographic. Other songs are a bit more experimental like “Torn.” “Torn” submerges you with a mantra like vocal melody and waves of white noise during the verse. The band closes with “Never In This Life” which was a departure from everything else on the album. It’s sparse revolving around guitar and vocals.

Metal has made its way it the mainstream a while ago and I think Pain Love n’ War style will appeal to a large audience because of that . The music feels contemporary and also a bit nostalgic for those of us who remember when harder bands from the ‘90s like Incubus, Slipknot, NIN and  Alice In Chains were huge.”

The Even Ground

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