When it comes to Simon Phillips, ambition becomes meaningless, because there’s nothing the famed drummer isn’t able to achieve. Still, when he unveiled a video, or rather a mini-film, to “Escape The Maze” (see below) – a piece anticipating the arrival of the “Origin Of Species” album – it was impossible not to be stunned by the quality of its story and the music per se: if a single had such quality, what could one expect of a full-length record? More so, the website of DarWin, as this project is named, presented an immersive simulator of the earth resources management, and set the bar even higher.

And now, finally, the entire sci-fi concept is ready for exploration, in a digital form, with a CD release scheduled for February 25th, augmented with a comic that tells the story, too. It features, on various tracks, three orchestras, the members of Phillips’ PROTOCOL project – bassist Ernest Tibbs, guitarist Greg Howe and keyboard player Dennis Hamm – as well as another ivories operator, Jeff Babko, and more outstanding musicians. So it’s much more than progressive rock – or if it’s not, it’s progressive in a real sense of this word.

Continue reading →