Review By Rhonda Readence - Rating: 5 stars (out of 5 stars)

Euler's Number is the creation of solo artist Giuliano Vangelista, a self-taught Italian keyboardist, writer, composer and master of controls. Vangelista recorded, mixed and mastered the concept album Escape To Eurybia, which showcases the well-rounded skill and talent of this artist. The album itself is a story and listeners should listen to it in its entirety to get a full scope of the masterful technique Vangelista uses to take us on a journey to Eurybia.

From the opening notes of "The Museum," we are transported into another dimension of sound and brilliance. This track sets the tone for the rest of the album, giving us some background information into the story that Vangelista has so artfully composed. The second track, "Gettin' Ready To Leave," continues the introduction into Escape To Eurybia, giving more information as to the events unfolding within the story. It is at this point that listeners will be intrigued by the otherworldly soundscapes and the direction that the album is taking. Clearly, this is not going to be your every day kind of music. This is going to be a Journey.

The album continues with "The Journey Begins," and this is when it truly gets underway. There is a jazzy element to this piece and Vangelista's keyboard playing is smooth and has an elegant appeal. Many of the tracks on Escape To Eurybia are short narrative pieces, and they all compliment each other and blend smoothly into the next. There is much variation between songs, as the jazzy essence turns to electronic synth with a space-like vibe, and then back to jazz. As the album continues, it is narrated by Giorgia Rambelli and the space odyssey grows ever more pleasing to the ear and mind.

In between the shorter narrative tracks, Vangelista showcases his unbridled talent as a musician. One of the more standout pieces on the album is "Event Horizon," which is rife with out-of-this-world sounds and some of the most brilliant keyboard playing of the modern time. Other pieces that make this album an intricate and masterful work are "The Long Space Journey, Part II," which is a terrific example of this artist's ability to transcend not just tempos and rhythms, but entire dimensions. Likewise, "Terraforming" brings with it skillful composition and masterful keyboarding. The sound quality throughout the album is absolutely stellar, which simply adds to the essence of brilliance found within each offering.

Escape To Eurybia is truly a journey, and the narration keeps it moving along well, succinctly keeping listeners up to date as to when and where the album is going. Concept albums are not always easy to create in a way so as to keep listeners interested and engaged, but Vangelista does it well. "Landing On A New World" takes us to this new place within the album, a soundscape of epic proportions and intricate melodies. This artist has a wonderful knack for transcending tempos within a piece with perfect ease and lucidity. His melodic keyboard playing is truly fantastic. "Settlement" carries more of the jazz vibe that Vangelista does so well, but this one has an edge that is more along the lines of rock. Deep Purple comes to mind.

The album continues its deep space journey with other standout offerings such as "Lullaby Of The Hero" and "The Battle Of Xerom," both incredibly well-written pieces with elements of prog rock throughout. The closing track, "Raze To The Ground!" concludes this epic masterpiece with dramatic keyboarding, an urgent rhythm, and Vangelista's signature smooth jazz style. Escape To Eurybia is by no means a standard album in any sense of the word. It has a distinct style and it is a mesmerizing journey into the world of music and the mind of Giuliano Vangelista, who calls his project Euler's Number. Aficionados of fine music will adore this album and sound engineers the world over will find chills racing along the spine when they hear the absolute perfection that this album was recorded, mixed and mastered with.

Rating: 5 stars (out of 5 stars)