ED MACAN'S
HERMETIC SCIENCE
The verdict is
in from across the globe, and it’s unanimous! If you’re tired of
nostalgia trips and clones of clones, it’s time for a crash course in
Hermetic Science! But don’t just take our word about the CD . . .
Intricate and interesting.
Bill Bruford, drummer, Yes, King Crimson, U.K., National
Health, Bruford, Earthworks, etc.
Truly original . . . a very unexpected mix between jazz
and progressive rock.
Bill Martin, author, Listening to the Future: the
Time of Progressive Rock
For anyone with an ear out for weird fusion that has
a wild nocturnal feel, like a space trip through the cosmos with Frank Zappa
as your guide, Hermetic Science is just the strangeness you ordered. Instead
of the usual guitar god approach, Hermetic Science features vibes and marimba,
backed by bass, drums, and a vast assortment of percussion instruments . .
. Ed Macan’s nimble mallets turn Emerson, Lake and Palmer-style epic
sound adventures into ringing vibrations of dreamstates.
Chris Lauer, Anthem Monthly, May 1996
The sensation of Hermetic Science's music is tremendously
atemporal and creates a dreamy ambience, like an Eastern European fairy tale:
all the more surprising coming from an American musician.
Toni Roig, Lunar Waves (Spain), January 2000
Ed Macan’s virtuosic vibraphone and marimba parts play a keyboard-like role, simulating at times a Hammond organ, while the rhythm section compresses the sound into a solid block, tremendously melodic and brimming with nuances . . . an extraordinary CD that I highly recommend. Its unique nature borders on the historic.
J. J. Iglesias, Atropos (Spain), March 1998
Expertly structured around marimba and vibraphone, which
have been enthroned kings of this sonic landscape, and applauded furiously
by devil-may-care drums and acoustic piano, the eight tracks engraved on this
whirlwind of digital experimentation reveal a truly remarkable maturity of
writing.
Bertrand Pourcheron, Harmonie (France), Spring
1998
If you’re looking for something new and entirely
different—yup, that means "progressive"—check this out.
John Collinge, Progression No. 26, Winter, 1998
This CD is full of some of the coolest and riskiest
music on the market! For someone my age (I’m 43) who remembers the heyday
of progressive rock bands when they were huge (ELP, Yes, Triumvirat, King
Crimson), this disc is both a throwback and a step forward . . . Ed can play
some serious vibes! And his rhythm section churns up a storm . . .
Bill Binkelman, Wind and Wire, April 1998
This is a highly original and promising debut that fans
of mallet percussion surely won’t want to miss. Recommended.
Peter Thelen, Expose No. 14, Winter 1998
Macan creates an intriguing sonic world, ideal for lovers
of tendencies at the intersection of jazz and progressive rock . . . Recommended.
Andres Valle, Mellotron (Argentina), March 1998
A bold proposition, and one that is committed to seeking
the most contemporary terrains of rock.
Rafa Dorado, Margen (Spain), May 1998
An album that seeks to depart from the usual approaches,
propounding something truly innovative.
Ezio Candrini, Paperlate (Italy), March 1998
Finally, for once, someone has attempted something genuinely
new!
Kristian Selm, Progressive Newsletter (Germany),
May 1998
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