Fluctus Quadratum

The Progressive Aspect The 1865 Review by Simon Arnold 13/11/2024

A square wave hit the South Coast as Fluctus Quadratum rolled in to The 1865 in Southampton to open for The Emerald Dawn. This is a band with some story behind it too! It’s not just because it features a father-son combination with dad, Rick Burtonshaw, featuring on drums while his son Jopheus is the de facto band leader on keyboards in the live setting, and much more including composition in the studio. There is inspiration here in that a young man like Jopheus has been moved to emulate many of our keyboard heroes from decades ago and to create work inspired by their masterpieces. He wrote the band’s first ever song, Convergence, when he was just fourteen years of age. This is no easy path that he has chosen and what’s more he has even eschewed the easier route of using the most modern keyboards to replicate the vintage sounds with pure electronics. His live rig is a keyboard nerd’s dream, all manual dials and switches, wiring and wooden panels to boot.

So much for the ambition and the dedication. The acid test of course is whether he can deliver by actually producing music that people are going to listen to, particularly in a live setting. It didn’t take more than a couple of tracks to have that question categorically answered. By the time the band had completed the first couple of tracks, Inertia and Acquiescence 3, the audience at The 1865 felt like they had discovered a new band that was very worthy of attention.

Jopheus himself is clearly a remarkable talent and between his playing and composition I think he is well on his way to achieving the stated, rather bold, aim of taking us “back to the serious progressive rock era, with a considerable modern twist”. Using many of the textures and techniques of the Emersons and Wakemans of this world the band play epic tracks, my personal favourite was Direlight, and if you want keyboard-led epic prog then this band is very much worth looking up. They only played the shortest track, Acquiescence 2 from their one recorded release, The First Wave EP but their new album is due out very soon, so a lot more will be available.

On stage the band is currently a foursome, of course they are, they are named after something square after all! For this gig they were without a bass player and had to rely on backing tracks, not something I am a fan of, but the band do have a plan for this! As plans go it’s pretty impressive too, so I’ll more than forgive them that minor issue. From January, none other than John Jowitt will be joining the band. I think this will be a significant step forwards for their stage presence and possibly vocal harmonies if they choose to go that way. Hmmm, hang on that will make five of them, will they have to change their name to “Fluctus Pentagōnius” I wonder?

That the band is currently taking shape is underlined by the fact that guitarist Mark Worledge was playing only his third gig with the band. His playing made him seem far more established than that and his often soaring solos tied in very well with Jopheus’s more extensive keyboard work. On vocals is Curtis Adamczyk, who is very adept at delivering some of the doom-laden themes of the songs. I preferred him when he was giving it some power, but he seemed to hit the right tone for the songs admirably.

By the time the band closed with Laplacian, the title track from their new album. I think they had won over quite a few new friends which is no mean feat when you consider the audience. The crowd at The 1865 is extremely prog-literate and there can’t be many tougher tests for a band aiming at keyboard-led prog epics than playing in front of an audience waiting to see The Emerald Dawn . . . they passed with flying colours!

The Progressive Aspect NVRF Review by Dave Ridley 21/09/2023

Fluctus Quadratum. Imagine being trapped in a small room with soaring synth riffs reminiscent of Pink Floyd and Marillion, and just as you catch your breath you are hit full in the face with something like "In the Court of the Crimson King". Magnificent.

DPRP.net issue 2023-056 by Greg Cummins 9/10 13/06/2023

Hailing from England, Fluctus Quadratum have released an EP that caught my eye several weeks ago. Being touted as a synth-led progressive rock band, I was naturally curious to see what magic these musicians might unleash upon me. I am pleased to say, they have for the most part, achieved that aim.

The band consists of Jopheus Burtonshaw (keyboards, acoustic guitar, arrangements, mixing, mastering) Curtis Adamcyzk (vocals, lyrics), Alan Trower (guitar), Mark Piercy (bass guitar), Rick Burtonshaw (drums) and Debbie Burtonshaw (lyrics and back-up vocals).

Clocking in at almost 36 minutes, the band have managed to release a lengthy EP that is only a few minutes short of a different LP that I criticised recently for being too short. Considering previous bands from the 70s might have delivered a few songs totalling less than 10 minutes in duration, this is a great achievement because in the space of only three songs, you get an instinctive idea of exactly how good a future album might sound. I for one, certainly can't wait for the album to appear and look forward to the opportunity to review it.

The opening song gave me the slightest initial hint of an Australian band called Flowers, (eventually becoming Icehouse with Iva Davies). Their opening song also began with the brooding sound of the keyboards and set the scene perfectly for what was to follow. Fluctus Quadratum have done the same and done it very well as the accompanying guitar riff, quickly becomes a hypnotic earworm in no time.

Acquiescence brings some delightful synthesizer passages to the fore while shortly after the lead guitar will caress the ears in a way that David Gilmour does so often. Gentle piano follows with soft vocals until the songs builds with strength until its timely climax.

Thankfully, there is no actual crunch from the guitars as they have managed to finesse that instrument perfectly to only enhance the sound rather than creating a predictable wall of sound that is used far too often by other bands. Lead breaks are very emotive, melodically constructed and really well played. They flow so effortlessly and are perfectly accentuated by some truly stunning keyboard wizardry from Jopheus who is an amazing young player in his own right.

I have detected the band have managed to score themselves a number of live gigs already so anyone attending one of their performances will have no doubt enjoyed the clever use of stage costumes used so well by Uncle Peter from Genesis

The band claim Pink Floyd, Marillion and Steve Wilson as influences and that fact becomes quite apparent after only a few minutes of playing the disc. I also hear snippets from an older English band called Druid and Canadian band, Red Sand, regarding the atmospheric lead breaks as all these bands utilise this instrument to take you on that magic journey and back again, song after song.

With only three songs to review, it seems superfluous to give you a blow-by-blow description but let me assure the readers, this is going to be a band to watch in the future. If they can release future albums with the same level of quality as found on their debut EP., they are assured of success. I am being fully enchanted by the mesmerising sounds of the piano, synths and overall majesty of such an appealing release, I can only suggest you do likewise as you may not find anything as instantly accessible as this EP.

A really great effort guys! I look forward to hearing the album soon.

Fluctus Quadratum win band competition to open the Kingfisher stage at Nene Valley Rock Festival 29th July 2023

In late July 2023, we received the news that, facing stiff competition, we had been voted through two stages of the competition and had won the opportunity to open the Kingfisher Stage at Nene Valley Rock Festival. Our sincere thanks go to the founder members and the founders of the festival for voting for us in both stages - we really appreciate the opportunity!

Prog Magazine April 2023 issue 139 - Fusion 4 Festival performance review by Alison Reijman 21st March 2023

“The extravagantly named Fluctus Quadratum flood the hall with darkly brooding sonics as experienced on their EP The First Wave. The cascading synth-led passages on Convergence make their behatted young keyboard player, Jopheus Burtonshaw, one to watch.”

London Prog Gigs Group - Fusion 4 Festival performance review by Lee Mellows 5th March 2023

"Fusion Day 2.2 Fluctus Quadratum. Total Prog. Excellent vocals and musicianship. May well go far."

The Progressive Aspect - Fusion 4 Festival performance review by Richard Swan 4th March 2023

"An exciting first visit to Fusion by this band, and they made an immediate impact from the first note. Grungy bass throughout from Mark Piercy, great to wake people up from the excesses of the night before…… I do like a bit of bass forward in the mix…..

They centred their set on their recent EP, The First Wave, with Jopheus’ Burtonshaw’s progressive prominent key strokes and Ben Ellis on guitar. For a man of his age, Jopheus really is very good indeed. There are lots of apparent influences in their music, from Tangerine Dream to Jean Michel Jarre, and more than a smattering of Marillion, all pinned together with some moments of delightful guitar riffs and delicate yet confident atmospheric vocals from Curtis Adamczyk which are a fabulous throwback to the 80’s style of Neo-Prog.

There are some very cinematic moments, with soaring guitar and piano backing reminiscent of early Steven Wilson work. And even a harpsichord patch. ‘Acquiescence II’ and ‘Direlight’ are truly excellent…..more like that please…..

This was a confident performance and emulated very closely their EP release.

Good job, Fluctus Quadratum….. Keep going…., because I’m looking forward to the next album."

Prog Radar - EP Review by John Wenlock-Smith 22nd February 2023

"I first came across this band whilst browsing another prog website and reading a fellow reviewer’s comments about them. I went to the band’s website and downloaded the free track Portalis, a demo version. I was definitely taken with what I heard there, I contacted the band and asked if I could review the EP as well. Thankfully they agreed and sent me a download to work from with the promise of a physical copy to be sent to me. All of this whilst on holiday in the Canary Islands no less!

Oh the wonders of this modern technological age eh?

This EP consists of merely three tracks with the thirty six minutes of music introduced via Portalis, a song hinged on an really great guitar line with a great tone to it, strong bass lines from Mark Piercy and a syncopated drumbeat from Rick Burtonshaw that slithers around like a snake. There’s lots going on musically with great keyboards and that glorious guitar. A guitar and keyboard interplay section at the 4.05 mark catches the attention before Curtis Adamczyk’s vocals reconvene and a brief but soulful guitar solo leads to a strong keyboard section, all of this with very busy percussion syncopation happening simultaneously. The song, despite being nearly fifteen minutes in duration, moves through several different sections and parts and manages to impress throughout. There’s great performances from all involved, especially the fluid and supple guitar work of Alan Trower and Ben Ellis and sumptuous keys of Jopheus Burtonshaw (who also is responsible for acoustic guitars and writing the music, truly a man of many talents).

The shorter, seven minute, track Acquiescence II follows, which has many nods and throwbacks to 80’s music and also an element of electronic ambient soundscapes with some soaring guitar lines playing their part too. The song moves with a stately pace and with the hint of power and this all works together well, the track shimmering with suppressed energy. It’s a really strong track, the sort of thing Steven Wilson would offer. There is a particularly fine synth melody that takes the song forward and it all ends with strong organ sounds.

The EP closes with Convergence which, at nearly fourteen minutes in duration, is a bit of a monster of a track fuelled by a strong bass line and excellent piano, Curtis’ vocals also being very strong and interesting. The song has lots of keyboards and another fine guitar line with echoes of Pink Floyd, the guitar soaring over everything with great sustained notes and great fluidity. There is then a lute type stringed sound that impresses greatly before a return to the rippling piano lines and synths that dance across the track. I’d say that this track is possibly best heard on headphones or rather loud so you can pick up all the subtle touches and sounds contained within. The band deliver another really impressive track and I think anyone who is going to the Fusion festival in March are in for a real treat as I’m sure they will invariably be making a rather fine impact and impression. The keyboards really impress on this track, especially in the latter section, where an almost military drumbeat ushers in an exciting section where everyone is surging forward, the bass leading the charge strongly.

This is stirring stuff, simply fantastic and invigorating to hear such energy being played out in what is a really epic and strong rhythm. You can hear elements of Pink Floyd, Camel and Marillion here, Jopheus cites Mark Kelly as an influence, along with Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman and Tony Banks, and it shows clearly here, although he puts his own stamp and style to the songs. The whole EP serves as a great introduction to what is a band of real promise and excitement and I personally can’t wait to hear their debut album when it emerges as, based on the promise of this EP, we can hope for something really fresh and inspired indeed."

The Progressive Aspect - EP Review by Richard Swan 14th Jan 2023

"So, what of the sound and style? The band explain that their aim is to revisit “the serious progressive rock era, with a considerable modern twist”. A contentious or provocative statement if ever there was one, but nonetheless very intriguing and it clearly got my attention. They hope to be likened to “the sweeping riffs of Pink Floyd, the technical ability of Marillion and the modern soundscapes of Steven Wilson”. Some flesh on the bones of their opening statement, but I tell you what, they might be right.

This EP, three songs of good progly length, between 7 and 15-minutes and a total length of 36-minutes, is their first salvo into the world of Modern Prog. It’s pretty good, I’d say, and I’m clearly not alone when one sees the likes of Steve Gould, promoter of the truly excellent Fusion Festival in Stourport, offering them a slot at his 2023 festival. Steve knows his onions and only signs the best, either established or upcoming. I think those attending this annual pilgrimage who are not familiar with Fluctus Quadratum will be in for a bit of a treat.

The band should be very proud of what they have achieved as there is a lot of promise here for the future and this is a very encouraging springboard for a follow-up album. They have a challenging test ahead of them at the Fusion Festival on 4th March 2023, but this is a great opportunity for them to shine as one of the new old-school prog bands to hit the scene in front of a large and very discerning audience. I, for one, will be listening intently."