Flame Dream: "Supervision" (1981-2026) Digitally Remastered

Listening to Supervision (Remastered) today feels like opening a carefully polished time capsule. Flame Dream’s album breathes again with a clarity that does not betray its era—it embraces it. The tone is reflective, almost confessional. The remaster does not show off technical muscle; it simply brings light where there was once shadow, restoring depth to an album that always looked forward without completely severing its ties to the symphonic past.

Released in 1981, Supervision inhabits that borderland shaped by Drama-era Yes, UK, the debut of Asia, and the technological elegance of The Alan Parsons Project. Post-progressive, yes, but without cynicism: keyboards that already smell of silicon, more direct rhythms, and a melodic sensibility that never abandons thematic development. The remaster balances this pulse beautifully—synthesizers gain air, the rhythm section becomes firmer without hardening, and the vocals sit up front with a natural presence that was previously slightly veiled.

As for the songs and the musicians, the album stands on a band chemistry very much rooted in the Central European school: precision, economy of gesture, and a musical narrative that unfolds in layers. Nothing feels superfluous and nothing is rushed. The shorter pieces act as waystations, refining the emotional climate and preparing the ground for the final act.

That final act is “Paradise Lost,” the EL&P suite that alone justifies this reissue. Here Flame Dream looks classic prog straight in the eye, without complexes: an atmospheric introduction, contrasted sections, leitmotifs that return with genuine dramatic purpose, and a conclusion that seeks not easy applause but the inner resolution of the journey. The remaster does justice to the entire arc—solid low end, rich midrange, and a stereo image that lets every transition breathe. It is the kind of suite that does not impose itself; it reveals itself, gaining weight with each listen.

The opening track “Blackmail” also deserves mention, with its highly rhythmic, unmistakably early-’80s sound, somewhere between Drama-era Yes and, thanks to the vocoder touches, ELO’s Time.

The title track “Supervision” lays out Flame Dream’s sonic identity and musical intent in its purest form: dense, complex, and wrapped in an unsettling atmosphere. After the ballad “Signs of Solitude,” which closes with an energetic, very Genesis-like ending, comes “Tragedy,” an extremely slow and sorrowful piece with a solemn, almost classical compositional undercurrent. “Time for a Change” brings clear echoes of Drama-era Yes and UK, even bearing a certain resemblance to “The Only Thing She Needs” from UK’s Danger Money.

In sum, Supervision (Remastered) does not try to rewrite history. It orders it. It returns Flame Dream to that precise moment when progressive rock was learning to coexist with modernity without losing its soul. Heard today, it sounds less like nostalgia and more like historical coherence: that of 1981, when drama, melodic ambition, and studio engineering found a fragile yet beautiful balance.

It’s always a real pleasure to listen to and share Flame Dream’s music through these carefully prepared reissues, which allow the albums to be rediscovered from a fresh perspective

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In spanish...

Escuchar Supervision (Remastered) hoy es como abrir una cápsula del tiempo cuidadosamente pulida. El disco de Flame Dream vuelve a respirar con una claridad que no traiciona su época: la abraza. En el tono reflexivo, casi confesional. El remaster no presume de músculo técnico; se limita a poner luz donde antes había penumbra y a devolver profundidad a un álbum que siempre jugó a mirar hacia delante sin romper del todo con el pasado sinfónico.

Publicada en 1981, Supervision pertenece a ese territorio fronterizo que dejó Drama de Yes, UK, el debut de Asia y la elegancia tecnológica de The Alan Parsons Project. Post-progresivo, sí, pero sin cinismo: teclados que ya huelen a silicio, ritmos más directos y un gusto melódico que no renuncia al desarrollo temático. El remaster equilibra ese pulso: los sintetizadores ganan aire, la base rítmica se afirma sin endurecerse y la voz se sitúa al frente con una naturalidad que antes quedaba algo velada.

En cuanto a los temas y los músicos, el álbum se sostiene por una compenetración de banda muy propia de la escuela centroeuropea: precisión, economía de gestos y una narrativa musical que avanza por capas. Nada sobra y nada se precipita. Las piezas más concisas funcionan como estaciones de paso, afinando el clima emocional y preparando el terreno para el gran acto final.

Y ese acto final es “Paradise Lost”, la EL&P suite que justifica por sí sola esta reedición. Aquí Flame Dream se permite mirar a los ojos al gran prog sin complejos: introducción atmosférica, secciones contrastadas, leitmotivs que regresan con sentido dramático y un cierre que no busca el aplauso fácil, sino la resolución interna del viaje. El remaster hace justicia al arco completo: graves firmes, medios ricos y una escena estéreo que deja respirar cada transición. Es el tipo de suite que no se impone; se revela con cada escucha, ganando peso con el tiempo.

No podemos dejar de mencionar la inicial Blackmail con un sonido muy ritmico y ochentero, entre los Yes de Drama y quizas por los vocoder a la ELO con su "Time".

El tema que da título al álbum "Supervision" manifiesta el sonido y apuesta musical de forma clara en estado puro de Flame Dream, un tema denso y complejo con una atmosfera inquietante. Tras la balada "Signs of Solitude" con un final energico muy a lo Genesis, viene "Tragedy", una canción extremadamente lenta y triste con un transfondo de composición solemne de música clásica. "Time for a Change" es un tema con reminiscencias al Yes de Drama y UK, de hecho tiene cierto parecido a  "The Only Thing She Needs" del Danger Money de UK.

Siempre es un verdadero placer escuchar y compartir la música de Flame Dream a través de estas cuidadas reediciones, que permiten redescubrir los álbumes desde una nueva perspectiva.

Temas:

1 Blackmail 4:41

2 Dancing Into Daylight 2:11

3 Supervision 5:19

4 Signs Of Solitude 4:11

5 Tragedy 5:12

6 Time For A Change 5:40

7 Woman's Art? 3:04

8 Paradise Lost 12:08

Musicos:

Bass, Guitar, bass pedal – Urs Hochuli

Drums, percussion – Pit Furrer

Keyboards, piano, organ, sequencer, vocoder – Roland Ruckstuhl

Voice, flute, saxophones, percussion – Peter Wolf

Analogue recordings and mixing: John Acock (October 1981)

Digital mastering: Michael Brändli (2026)