Man From RavCon - Puzzle Master (2015) RE-UP

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Man From RavCon - Puzzle Master (2015) RE-UP

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A cinematic instrumental journey for the mind featuring elements of classic progressive rock. With his seventh full-length release in six years, The Man From RavCon (a.k.a. Charlotte, NC USA based multi-instrumentalist Mike Brown) invites you along for another journey… this time, the search for a sonic solution. Following the 2013 album, Skyscraper, which was well reviewed by a wide range of websites, blogs, and publications, including the UK’s PROG Magazine, The Puzzle Master further expands The Man From RavCon’s seductively atmospheric brand of instrumental rock.

The thirteen pieces that make up The Puzzle Master are, in fact, smaller puzzles made up of even smaller pieces. You’ll find bits of melodic prog (Pink Floyd, Alan Parsons, early King Crimson), chamber pop (Zombies, Love, early Moody Blues), Kraut Rock (Kraftwerk, Neu!), classic 60s/70s soundtracks (Morricone, Goblin, Isaac Hayes), and touches of the guitar twang popularized by Duane Eddy and Hank Marvin (The Shadows). The Man From RavCon’s signature mellotron enriched arrangements are accentuated by stately piano, organ and harpsichord, and combine with interweaving synths, throbbing bass, and dynamic percussion to provide the scenic backdrop for his melodic, and often understated guitar work.

Although it’s instrumental, make no mistake, The Puzzle Master is certainly not background music, as one listen with a nice set of headphones will readily reveal. Yet, while the pieces that make up this puzzle are complex and multilayered, they retain an openness and accessibility that allow the listener to arrive at their own sonic conclusions by visualizing their own sonic solutions. Thus, ultimately, it is the listener who is The Puzzle Master. Are you game?

~ CDBaby

The Man From RavCon creates melodic instrumental music… music with a strong visual appeal designed to create images in the listener's mind… music that takes the listener away…

Having founded, performed and recorded for over a decade with well respected Charlotte, NC based rock band, The Ravelers, multi-instrumentalist Mike Brown has chosen to take a completely new direction with his latest project. No longer feeling the constraints of maintaining a band with live performance obligations, Brown has taken full advantage of this freedom by pushing his music beyond the expected. As The Man From RavCon, Brown focuses on creating adventurous instrumental music featuring Mellotron enriched arrangements accentuated by stately piano and organ, interweaving synths, throbbing bass, and dynamic percussion, which provide a scenic backdrop for his melodic, tone-ful, and often understated guitar work.

With his first Man From RavCon release, Zombie Pimp Cowboys From Outer Space (January, 2010), Brown drew inspiration from the sounds of spaghetti western, blaxploitation, and B-horror cinema. This multi-genre release earned praise from a wide variety of listeners, and provided a solid foundation for future growth.

The debut was soon followed by the August 2010 release, Everything Is Golden. The focus was guitar-driven surf rock, but the soundtrack element remained in evidence as exemplified by the featured arrangement of Ennio Morricone's classic Once Upon A Time In The West theme.

July, 2011 brought the The Man From RavCon Rides Again, a guitar-based Spaghetti Western effort which incorporated diverse elements ranging from Country Swing to Progressive Rock. Deep surfy single-note guitar melodies, Hammond Organ, and Mellotron orchestration combined to create a sound described as "progressive twang".

Just two months later, The Man From RavCon released Night Of The Beast, a special download only project which payed homage to the atmospheric sounds of 70s and 80s cult horror films. It was quite a departure from the previous two guitar-based releases, but expanded territory originally explored with the debut release.

In early 2012, Brown contributed three new Man From RavCon tracks to the Austin, TX based Deep Eddy Records' release, il Triello: Three Western Tales. This project, which also included tracks from Austin's Nematoads, and Great Britain's Los Fantasticos, celebrated the classic sounds of the Spaghetti Western genre.

August 2012, signaled the arrival of The Traveler. Showcasing an atmospheric blend of Psych-Prog, Surf, Spy, and Spaghetti Western sounds, The Traveler proved to be what Creative Loafing reviewer Patrick Moran praised as The Man From RavCon's "most organic and integrated release to date." The editors at Vintage Guitar Magazine were impressed enough with The Traveler to feature a review in the top slot of the "Hit List" in their December 2012 issue. The Traveler remains a fan favorite.

Hailed as kaleidoscopic, stratospheric, transcendent and euphoric, Skyscraper (October 15, 2013), continued to successfully integrate and transform The Man From RavCon's varied influences into something truly unique. Skyscraper received outstanding reviews from a number of sources, including Grant Moon, editor of the well respected UK publication, PROG Magazine.

Delivering six albums in only five years, it's easy to see why Brown has been labeled prolific, and with the upcoming March 3, 2015 release of his seventh Man From RavCon offering, The Puzzle Master, it appears there's no end in sight to his exploration, expansion and creation of new, exotic and exciting sonic territories.

~ reverbnation.com

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Man From RavCon - Puzzle Master (2015) RE-UP

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Man From RavCon - Puzzle Master (2015) RE-UP

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