Alan Case - Dark Matter (1999)

Alan CASE, born Ernst van der Kerkhof, is a multi-instrumentalist who's been making music since 1989. His material, similar to KAYAK and The ALAN PARSONS PROJECT, is basically good symphonic pop: a mixture of straightforward rock songs, dreamy ballads and lots of melodious, catchy tunes - some of them with a decidedly proggy flavour. Sadly, his solo work was completely ignored by the music industry in his native Holland and he ended up with a Japanese label who released several of his songs on compilation albums.

The two albums credited to his name ("Wide Awake" and "Dark Matter") are actually one and the same, only the second contains three extra tracks. CASE surrounds himself with 7 musicians and shares the vocals with three other vocalists. Although most of the 16 tracks on "Dark Matter" are short, their quality is undeniable. However, the album also contains an epic 11-minute song featuring an impressive variety of tempo changes, complex passages, elegant arrangements and absolutely beautiful melodies. The production is very good and the only flaw may be the sound of the drums, which come out a bit flat at times.