Ethos I + Ethos II + Vasile Foica / Fojka László - 4LP Bundle

Excess is said to have been the secret ingredient (and downfall) for the progressive scene. If getting three LPs of Romanian prog band Ethos seems like a story to read in its entirety, then have we got news for you: the story would not be complete without the solo LP by Ethos flutist, vocalist, and songwriter Vasile Foica/ Fojka László.

Ethos was one of the prominent prog bands in the Romanian underground of the 1970s and early 1980s. It was made up of students from the Conservatory, it won awards at the main student festivals in Romania during the 1970s, it recorded music for the national radio broadcast, and it even went as far as to put out its own EP at the end of the 1970s. Oh, and, in case you missed it the first time around, it made some of the most challenging and exploring music, even by prog rock standards of the day. Unlike the Q family of Cluj, Ethos was formed in the city of Iași, one of Romania’s foremost cultural citadels. 1974 marked the beginning, bringing together Cornel Cristei (piano and keyboards), Vasile Foica (flute, already a veteran of the scene, after his collaboration with the group Miraj), Valeriu Gâdei (vocals), Iosif Trendler (drums), Doru Sascău (bass), and Laurențiu Gheorghiu (guitar). Other prominent figures would be part of the Ethos story along the way and mark its musical destiny. Among them, Virgil Popescu (vocals), Victor Huminic and Florian Chelu (on bass), Gabriel Bedő and Felix Șipoș on guitar.

Unlike many bands of that socialist era, Ethos actually bypassed the Conservatory graduation challenge which usually ended with the break-up of the band. Enough, however, with historical details, once you get this music on your turntable, you will also have the chance to read more about the band’s mesmerizing story. For now, listen to the music snippets on this page. Try to imagine how “Sinteze polifonice” [Polyphonic Syntheses] on the double LP Ethos I sounds in its entirety. And what musical tropical forests Ethos might have fringed with the machetes of prog, jazz, and classical at their fingertips.

Ethos II offers the draft of what should have been a new chapter in the Ethos story, but only served as a musical epitaph. The snippets from Ethos II are puzzle pieces in Ethos’ last stand with the changing times of the 1980s. While sonically not exactly on par with the band’s professional radio recordings, they more than make up, from a musical point of view: the band had mustered several years of performing and recording, and this is prominent on what you hear. Prog, jazz, and even pop come together in a series of instrumental and vocal pieces that remain progressive in spirit and execution at a time when most Western peers (and originators) had called it quits.

As for Foica’s solo album, it is indicative for the music transformations that swept around the world at a time when rock bands blended symphonic music, jazz, blues, and when classically trained musicians remained rockers at their hearts. Even more, this musical voyage was the undertaking of an ethnic Hungarian in socialist and post socialist Romania and shows the cultural melting pot that Transylvania was and still remains. While listening to this musical portrait, you will hear how eclectic Foica’s voyage has been. From early collaborations with prog bands, former band colleagues, or jazz ensembles, such as the Marius Popp Band & Strings, to contemporary performances of classical pieces of music (Debussy’s pivotal “Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune”) with the Oradea State Philharmonic, this record is more than a testimony to one of Romania’s most accomplished classical rockers and overall (composer/performer) musicians.

*** Are you a true prog afficionado? Then this bundle is exactly made for you. ***

Artwork to vividly match the sonic power of such music is provided by visual artist Barna Fazakas.
The Ethos project is unearthed by Claudiu Oancea (curator, historical research, liner notes) and Remus Miron (producer, audio restoration and remastering).

Vasile Foica’s solo album is completed by accounts written by composer and music critic Zoltán Boros, conductor Ferenc Gábor and historian Claudiu Oancea. Audio remastering and production duties undertaken by Remus Miron.

(promotional text by Claudiu Oancea)

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180gr. DMM (Direct Metal Mastering)
Made in France
MSRP €70