Mosaik - Mosaik (Reissue) (1982)

Founded in 1980 - Disbanded soon after releasing the 1982 sole album

MOSAIK was more a collective led by guitarist/keyboardist/flutist Janne Persson than a proper band. It can be partially considered as an ATLAS off-shoot, since Persson himself and three of his collaborators (for two tracks in the entire album) were part of the aforesaid group that released the "Blå Vardag" album in 1979, one of the most brilliant releases ever in the history of Sweden's prog rock. In fact, one of the bonus tracks included in the digital edition of ATLAS' only album also appears here in MOSAIK's eponymous 1982 release in a slightly stripped version. But that's where all relation ends, since the offering of MOSAIK happens to be a mixed bag of pastoral, jazz-prog, acoustic folk and chamber-rock: there is a certain symphonic element in places (the essential element in ATLAS), but it works mostly as a convenient ornament for the moment and not as a relevant sonic factor. "Mosaik" is, as I said, a mixed bag, but a great mixed bag, full of musical ideas that are as good as they are varied. Just like the mother band ATLAS, MOSAIK was short lived and only released one album, which happens to be a potential collector's item in prog circles due to the fact that it hasn't been released on CD format yet.