The Foundation was founded by keyboardist, Ron Lammers. This Dutch band is releasing their new album “Relations” on June 30th, on Xymphonia Records.
The band’s 2020 concept album, Mask, was well received and with critical acclaim.
The Foundation is made up of members: Mark Smit, on lead vocals and piano; Rinie Huigen, on guitars, and backing vocals; Jens van der Valk, on guitars; Gijs Koopman, on bass, Taurus pedals, and keyboards; Masaki “Makkie” Shimakawa, on violin; Judith van der Valk, on flute; Jan Grijpstra, on drums; and Ron Lammers, on keyboards.
So let’s discuss “Relations”:
The album opens with a powerful story and presence within the song, “Alpha”. It is an almost 7 and a half minute long song, that sets the stage and the table for anyone wondering about the magnitude of this band’s progressive rock chops. Wind sounds, soft flute, and then a sound swell of welcoming keyboards, drums, and guitars. Very Tony Banks’ and Phil Collins era Genesis. Mark Smit’s first vocals remind me so much of a younger Nick Barrett, from Pendragon. In fact, the music sounds a little like their earlier works. Mark sings, “Once I met a traveler in a small village inn. Sitting near the fire, and I sat down next to him. His eyes held the wisdom that time could not fade”. This band creates wonderful stories, like “One for the Vine”, and “Squonk”, just like the Genesis band I grew up with. The guitar work that follows throughout, reminds me of some of Steve Hackett’s early albums like “Voyage of the Acolyte”, “Please Don’t Touch”, or Spectral Mornings”. A wonderful opener that provides a fantastic welcome for this new band.
“Beauty of Nature”, opens with bold deep orchestration before, Judith van der Valk’s warm flute, and the sound of soft flowing water. Like a Celtic classic. Then, Hackett-like guitar and impressive deep bass. An absolute knockout of sounds, that I remember growing up with as a kid. The Foundation has uniquely captured the foundation of sound of that progressive era of music that I remember so well, from my childhood. It is so great for a new generation to compose and share music like this to another generation that may not have experience it. This is a beautiful prog instrumental that people of my generation will absolutely love. It is so nice that a new band, was capable of capturing this well-rehearsed, performed and nature of this intricate music.
“Backbone”, opens with bold acoustic guitars. The perfection in the sound, as layers of violin are added is simply not heard today, as often as I remember from my youth. I am so happy to be introduced to this band and music. The lead electric guitar asserts command with bass and keyboards following. Mark sings, “Somewhere, sometime. You came into my life. Happy to be. Staying by my side. No fear, no doubt. We danced and would stay young forever. Time never ran out. Thinking about those times. I realize”. A wonderful song of love and togetherness. Bonding forever to preserve both for eternity. Who doesn’t like to hear this? Over 8 minutes of happiness, serenaded by flute and the band.
“Ses Lunettes Noires”, (His Black Glasses), is a song, sung in French. The dramatic piano at the opening is beautiful and captures your attention immediately. Almost five minutes of beautiful soft music and a story I cannot translate. Though, you can still enjoy hearing someone sing in another language and appreciate the deep, articulate music.
“Intense”, opens with a deep keyboard sound, before electric guitars, drums and bass are added to the soundscape. Mark sings, “When you’re tasting the sour after all was sweet before. Feeling something is different, but what it is you’re unsure. Those unsettling feelings sometimes turn into fear. What’s the meaning of this all, why are we here?” The questions we all ask from time to time. Mark has returned to that high-pitched Nick Barrett sound in his vocals. The song and story progress from there, set to great music.
“Rubberband”, is the longest song on the album at over 10 minutes. It opens with cool synths, keyboards, and electric guitar riffs. The melody sounds familiar, but this is their unique sound. This is a magical instrumental making use of Taurus pedals, like King Crimson or ELP. It is a wonderful, wordless journey through music and instrumentation you, like me, may have thought was gone forever. But Foundation has resurrected it and placed it on the stage in neon keyboard highlights. What a wonderful treat. Thank you Foundation! You absolutely understand the foundation of progressive rock. Then, just when you thought this would be a synth and keyboard extraordinaire, they replace the power soundscape with flute and acoustic guitar, and it almost brought me to tears. Bass figures prominently and will not be relegated to the background, just like Chris Squire. Mark returns to sing about a child growing, and moving beyond the grasp of home. Addressing the thoughts and feelings on both sides of that relationship; growing into adulthood.
“Life”, is yet another wonderful song and story of how we live. It almost starts like “Guinnevere”, from Crosby Stills and Nash, with soft acoustic guitar, and this song with flute. Mark sings, “Yesterday I thought my path in life was complete. Grown into the man I would become. But today I’m no longer certain. Staring at the mirror on the wall. A person sometimes I can’t recognize. Where did I come from, what will I be?” Great questions we all ask ourselves when we look at our aging self in the mirror. A person close to moving to the other side of the mirror. What are the qualities we take with us or more importantly, how did we live, or get the most out of our lives? Great questions and wonderful music from which to ponder these issues. We absolutely need the Foundation’s influence on modern progressive rock music.
For those who may not know, God is referred to in the Bible as the Alpha and the Omega. So, the band opened with Alpha and then close the album with “Omega”. It is the second longest song on the album, at 9 minutes and 50 seconds. This has so much of the sound of “Ripples”, from Genesis. Mark sings about the returning “traveler”, which I believe, and I recognize as God now. The pictures in the cover book almost spell it out, if you hadn’t figured it out yet. Mark sings, “The traveler watched me with a smile. We stayed silent for a while. Was this the end of his tale? Or did it only seem this way? The fire died in an orange glow. I felt it was time for him to go. In a flash he disappeared. But then I felt something weird. I saw something in my mind. A truth he had left behind. Was it dream or reality? I felt his presence next to me. Then I learned to comprehend. His tale really had no end. It was that night when I could see. That he was and will always be my friend!”
At the end of the album inside booklet, of Foundation’s“Relations”; the band includes a quote from the Bible, with a remarkable message from Ephesians 4:2 & 3. “Be patient. Be Gentle. Be humble. Be loving”. This is an amazing album that I am so thankful for the opportunity to explore and review. The music is absolutely top notch and a return to the seminal progressive rock sound that I remember from my childhood. In case you, like me, had thought no one else was still making this level of progressive rock any more, I have learned, that just is not true. It is still being made by The Foundation, and can be heard on their latest album, “Relations”. An album about the importance of relationships that fill our lives with satisfaction, growth, energy, knowledge, awareness and hopefully kindness. The Ephesian’s quotes are words to live by. I’m sure the Foundation tries as much to live by them, as I also do try my best. We all should be trying, and this album asks us all to re-evaluate the way we develop and foster the relationships of our lives. Thank you Foundation for this reminder of what we sometimes fail to see in our own daily, hectic lives. Take time out from your hectic life and listen to this album and its message. The Foundation’s “Relations”, will help bring all those powerful things you keep to the side of daily life, back to the forefront. Where they belong.
And remember, “Be patient. Be Gentle. Be humble. Be loving”. Nothing more I could add to that.
Theme by Ron Lammers. Music by Gijs Koopman ( 1,5,8 ), Rinie Huigen ( 3,7 ) Mark Smit ( 4 ) and Ron Lammers ( 2, 6 ). All lyrics by Mark Smit (except Ses Lunettes Noires: lyrics by Hugo Asensio ). All arrangements by The Foundation. Produced by Jan Munnik and Ron Lammers. Mixed and mastered by Jan Munnik at M-4 Studio in Noordbroek, The Netherlands, early 2025. Artwork by Douwe Fledderus from Blissy Design.
Track Listing:
1. Alpha (7:21)
2. Beauty of Nature (4:53)
3. Backbone (8:20)
4. Ses lunettes noires (4:59)
5. Intense (5:58)
6. Rubberband (10:15)
7. Life (4:23)
8. Omega (9:50)
Band Website and Social Media Links:
https://thefoundationproject.bandcamp.com/album/relations
https://thefoundationproject.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/TheFoundationProject
YouTube and Music Video Links:
https://www.thefoundationproject.nl/video
https://www.facebook.com/TheFoundationProject/videos/1415921976438328