Last years Palace Of Mirrors was an impressive feat of post-Bungle genre hopping that was alot catchier than it really had any right to be, possessing some of the best pop hooks I have ever heard in a newer band that is this unapologetically prog rock. The self-described "psychedelic-sci-fi-gypsy-metal-jazz epic" was also a concept album that was apparently based on a short story called Horse Coffin, and Estradasphere created an entire live show/visual accompaniment that ties in with the story that was projected behind the band during their performances for Palace , where they would perform the album in its entirity. Palace Of Mirrors Live is a DVD document of a complete performance (plus some other stuff) that I have to admit was actually cooler than I thought it was going to be. I really liked the album, and here is what I had to say back when it first came out:

Out of the recent new releases on the The End that have been dishing out confounding, progressive post-Bungle/Naked City genre mashup avant-heaviness (Stolen Babies, Unexpect, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum), Estradaspheres latest is arguably the easiest to wrap your head around, while also achieving an almost symphonic hugeness on Palace Of Mirrors, their first album for The End. That's because as crazed as Estradaspehere get with the construction of their pan-genre compositions, they also have a terrific knack for melody and hooks, and this album is loaded with 'em. This is also Estradasphere's first completely instrumental album since losing their singer, and I think it works great...their appeal is in the rollercoaster ride of eclectic musical styles that transport you to an alternate universe where the A.M. radio dial is still in full effect and is ruled by a virtuosic sextet that is equal parts crushing thrash metal outfit, 60's film score design team, prog rock band, jazz ensemble, and Eastern European chamber folk group. The thirteen tracks on Palace Of Mirrors use a variety of instrumentation (violins, upright bass, accordian, organ, Japanese shamisen, electronics, and more) and carefully splice together complex, densely assembled compositons of easy listening strings and orchestral pop merged with Romanian gypsy tunes and bombastic death metal drumming ("A Corporate Merger"), hard edged 70's funk intertwined with proggy sludge metal riffs, utterly infectious Beach Boys style surf-pop melodies and psychedelic Industrial pulses, circus music and an awesome 70's spy music/ western pastiche played on traditional Japanese shamisen alongside folksy violin and mouth harp ("Those Who Know"), every song a wildly unpredictable and hyperimaginative soundtrack. A freaking amazing album, def in the vein of Secret Chiefs 3, John Zorn, Naked City, Mr. Bungle but way more listenable, and is one of the best avant-fusion albums I've heard for 2006. Highly recommended.

So here we have the DVD, and the main feature is of course the live performance of Palace, performed by the full band and joined by a projectionist who throws the surreal film images above the band as they play. A professional lighting team is involved too, and the combination of creative, expressive stage lighting and the film footage makes for a really neat visual experience. Each song from the album is performed as a seperate chapter of the story, the video projections and prismatic lighting colors that bathe the musicians changing with each new track, creating an abstract narrative using dual screens and still images. A very cool mix of live concert performance and arty cinema that fans of the album should really enjoy.

There is another chapter on the DVD titled An Additional Set of Popular Interpretations , an hour-long live concert of Estradasphere performing music from Bernard Herrman's score for Vertigo, Nino Rota's "Juliet of the Spirits: Faccette Scintillante & Amore Pertutti", Chopin's "Fantasy Impromptu", Bud Powell's "Tempus Fugit", Camille Saint-Saens "Rondo Capriccioso" "Mean Old World" by Sam Cooke and The Soul Stirrers, and the Estradasphere original "Hunger Strike".

Finally, there is a 20 minute production documentary that provides a behind-the-scenes look at the recording of Palace Of Mirrors, a two year process that is told in making-of footage, studio shenanigans, and footage from the road.

For anyone that liked Palace Of Mirrors, this is a terrific companion piece, both for it's extensive performances and the behind the scenes look at the band during the creation of the album. The DVD is packaged in a nice digipack with full color artwork and an eight page booklet that has the complete short story that the album and film are based on and a program guide.