782 - Nova Collective - The Further Side (2017)

01. Dancing Machines (00:00) 02. Cascades (09:46) 03. Air (16:41) 04. State of Flux (23:32) 05. Ripped Apart and Reassembled (33:13) 06. The Further Side (38:55) Nova Collective began in 2014 when bassist Dan Briggs (BTBAM, Trioscapes) and guitarist Richard Henshall (Haken) began exchanging emails about music in general and before long a few demos were being exchanged and fleshed out into full arrangements. Drummer Matt Lynch (Trioscapes, Cynic) and keyboardist Pete Jones (ex-Haken) came on board shortly after to finish writing the album. The Further Side was written on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, with Briggs and Lynch in America and Henshall and Jones in England, sharing session files until the group could get together at the beginning of 2015 to record with engineer Jamie King (BTBAM, The Contortionist). The album was mixed by Rich Mouser (Neal Morse, Transatlantic). Nova Collective's music can be described as fusion, weaving progressive rock influences with world music, jazz and classical. Songs like "Dancing Machines", along with the accompanying video, display the band's dizzying prowess and ability to beautifully weave multiple influences into something entirely new and it is simply pure aural candy for fans with prog/jazz leanings. It is immediately clear that this album is a labor of love for all involved, and that enthusiasm shines throughout.