Art Griffin’s Sound Chaser: Approaching Translucence

Art Griffin’s Sound Chaser are back with their latest release Approaching Translucence. Guitarist Kelly Kereliuk and Violinist/Secret Weapon Victoria Yeh are the core of Art’s band and are joined by an impressive list of guest musicians. Griffin carries a heavy load, not only playing multiple instruments (Bass, Keyboards, Electric & Acoustic Guitars), but wrote all the songs and wears the hat of Producer and Mixer of the album.

All-instrumental music leans more to the Progressive realm with touches of Fusion mixed in. Chris Squire heavily influences Griffin’s bass style, that throaty rattle of his Rickenbacker bass is immediately recognizable. Yeh and Kereliuk trade off impressive solo’s during the title track. Keyboardist extraordinaire Derek Sherinian adds his growling Hammond B3 to “So Fine�, while Randy McStine (Steven Wilson) adds a great solo of his own. Griffin mentions in the liner notes that “Your Personal Panacea� has a Jean-Luc Ponty feel, and I’ll admit I thought the same before I even read the liner notes. Kereliuk and McStine work well together in this one, and Yeh rips. The album also offers two 10+ minute tracks in “Stormbringer� which features Marco Luciani’s terrific grand piano and the closing “Chordal Mover�.

If I have one critique to give, I would like to have Art bring in an outside producer. I’m not always happy with how the instruments sit in the mix, at times I may find the keyboards are too loud, or the guitars are not loud enough. I like when they use the more organic sounding keyboards like in “The Yin and The Yang�. I also think sections could use a bit more punch than the mix gives. I like that Art provides his thoughts on each track in the liner notes, hearing the artist discuss a track’s development or inspiration is always interesting. Sit back and enjoy some excellent instrumental music with Approaching Translucence.

Favorite Tracks: Your Personal Panacea, The Yin and The Yang

Track Listing
1. In The Grand Scheme Of Things
2. Approaching Translucence
3. So Fine
4. Your Personal Panacea
5. Stormbringer
6. Approaching Translucence 2
7. The Yin And The Yang
8. Chordal Mover

Added: September 26th 2026
Reviewer: Eric Porter
Score:
Related Link: Art Griffin's Sound Chaser @ bandcamp
Hits: 3
Language: english

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