Throughout the seventies Australia had some pretty heavy loaded hardware, namely the power shifting Buffalo, which Ozzie Osbourne will never forget, but when it came to Prog royalty Sebastian Hardie could send tremors through the best of the West.
Sebastian Hardie was the ultimate ethereal Prog band giving influence to jazz guitarists as far afield as Pat Metheny. The group evolved from the Sebastian Hardie Blues Band somewhere in 1966 comprising of bassist Peter Plavsic, ex Zenith guitarist Jon English, guitarist Graham Ford, keyboardist Anatol Kononowski and Alex Plavsec drums. During these heady times Australia was being dazed and confused by the likes of Taman Shud, Spectrum, Aztecs and the prolific Kahvas Jute that put out this great freakbeat single “Free”.
Kahvas Jute boasted ex Riddles axeman Dennis Wilson and bassist Bob Daisley who would go on to play with Ozzy Osbourne, Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore & Gary Moore. In the early days Sebastian Hardie were employed as a backing band for Australian rock legend Johnny O Keefe with Jon English on guitar/ vox. Jon then defected to the Sydney band Tapestry where he met keyboardist Steve Dunne resulting in the formation of Sebastian Hardie, once blues man Graham Ford left. A Prog edge erupted with keyboardist Toivo Pilt and guitar extraordinaire Mario Millo when taking over from Jon English who was recruited for the role of Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar.
Jon went on to success putting out his solo Wine Dark Sea and a cover of Mike D Abo’s “Handbags And Gladrags” plus healthy soundtrack scores with Ned Kelly and Against The Wind that included Mario Miller. Against The Wind was basically a true frontier tale of how the British caste settlers upon the rough shores of Australia and forced them to farm in impossible conditions. The TV soundtrack also had earthy appeal in South Africa where a similar experience transpired. Jon English again hit the charts with the medieval “Six Ribbons” as Against The Wind sailed successfully to other destinations.
Sebastian Hardie’s 1975 debut Four Moments reflected a display of outstanding musicianship on Mario Millo’s needle spinning fretwork. Fom the misty opening “Glories Shall Be Released” Toivo Pilt’s Moog influence is felt, specifically “Dawn Of Our Sun” which sweeps into the red shades of the outback, tranquil and hazy. The songs wash with influences of Tangerine Dream condensed by Mario’s subtle guitar, reaching into the cumulus stratus. This arrangement carries it’s brushes into “Journey Through Our Dreams” where slow angular leadbreaks swirl and swivel in the same spacey drift as the German group Jane. Mario Millo reaches an uncanny level of guitar that is eventually condensed by Toivo’s moog beaming dream music and the escalating drums of Plavsic.The Sebastian opus runs through Millo’s 19min “Rosanna” - “Openings” carrying all the wonderment of guitar/ moog that any Prog lover would want. It’s something Pink Floyd would kneel to as Mario bends and bows his axe to the azure blue reaching dimension after dimension. The closing piece “Openings” has a defined motif that circles the heavens with Mario’s breaks becoming more urgent as it reaches the journey’s end.
The album rested for 322 weeks at #12 while the 1976 Windchase was far more revolutionary than all previous landscaping with its choral bridge and hymn like ambience.” Windchase” is a healing experience that can bring tears to your eyes. The second entry “At The End” depicted by the cover, a painting by Bryan Westwood is perfectly attuned to an apocalyptic aftermath. The uptempo “Hello Phimistar” has Alex applying stealth licks compared to the the placid “Life Love and Music” or “Peaceful” -’imagine driving through the desert late at night just dingoes, the occasional wallaby and Sebastian Hardie, what more’.
After the album Sebastian dissolved and Milo & Pilt formed Windchase with Galadrial drummer Doug Bligh and bassist Duncan McGuire for the 1977 Symphinity until their astounding Sebastian Hardie Live In LA.
Excerpt from “Seekers Guide to the Rhythm of Yesteryear” by Shiloh Noone
