The second volume of acoustic performances by King Crimson lead vocalist Adrian Belew is a different reading than Volume One from a few years ago. No bones about it, Belew is a gifted...
» Read moreWhat's this? Former Police-man Andy Summers fronting what is essentially a power trio? And with a backing band consisting of monster bassist Tony Levin and Gregg Bissonette on drums? Perhaps...
» Read moreApart from his regular gig as guitarist of Versus X (see our review of Disturbance in #13), multi-instrumentalist Arne Schäfer has created a second disc (1995’s The Border...
» Read moreAsh Ra Tempel is one of the core founder bands of the German space rock movement along with Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream. But the group has suffered from less stateside notoriety than those...
» Read moreBanda Elástica seem to have been working largely in a genre of their own making down in Mexico; only the short-lived Nazca was anywhere close to what this band was doing. I say...
» Read moreAmbient music has come a long way since 1978 when innovator Brian Eno drafted his original experiment for use in large international airports. The intent was for passengers to feel good about...
» Read moreThis is a project featuring Keiji Haino (electric guitar, flute, harp, voice), Natsuki Kido (acoustic guitar), and Yuji Katsui (violin) that – despite its release date – was recorded...
» Read moreThe third release from California Guitar Trio finds them on familiar ground and also stretching out a bit. Familiarity is served up on tracks where the trademark CGT formula is in full evidence:...
» Read moreFans of Steve Tibbetts, especially those who prefer the world-beat master shredder of Exploded View (1986) or The Fall of Us All (1993), might be a bit put off by this set, a...
» Read moreTorn again! This guy should need no introduction, he’s played with Jan Garbarek, Bill Bruford, Everyman Band, Andy Summers, Polytown, and has produced a number of exceptional albums under his...
» Read moreAfter a lengthy hiatus, Helios Creed has returned with a new Chrome album. Having never heard a Chrome album before I cannot say if this is representative or not. I can tell you one major influence...
» Read moreSwiss quintet Clepsydra sport your typical neo-prog lineup of vocals/guitar/bass/keys and drums and on Fears they hold true to the neo-prog sound. Early Marillion comes to mind, especially on the...
» Read moreOK, another CD from Angular, yet another German Dream Theater clone. I thought the Germans liked Saga but I guess that was the good old days. Broken Glass covers all the requisite bases: James La...
» Read moreDavid Garland is one of a rather small group of experimental singer/song writers. They are not cut from same bolt of cloth as, say, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell or James Taylor. Instead, Garland,...
» Read moreWell I thought the RIO movement was going trad. on us when L'Ensmeble Rayé's last CD hit the shelves, but now they really have gone and done it. Here is something you would expect to...
» Read moreI know what you may be thinking: Froese's parent group hit the skids ten years ago. But have no fear as Ages is a 1978 classic-TD-era release. So where's all the rejoicing? I feel pretty...
» Read moreHere are three guys who love Rush and decided to record an album together of songs influenced by the Canadian trio. It's a scenario I've seen played out over and over (see Afterlife in...
» Read moreBack in the early 90s, when the Bulgarian Women's Choir was making the rounds, a diminutive but fire-breathing 19-year-old violinist from the same country released this promising debut work....
» Read moreThe new Faith & Disease album is a continuation of the sound set forth on the Livesongs: Third Body album. That is slow, dreamy music, more similar in style to Mazzy Star than Dead Can Dance....
» Read moreSomewhere between Marillion (Season's End) and the SI label bands Lies Five-O-One AM. That is, song oriented pop with elements of prog. Combine that with WMMS's reputation and...
» Read moreFred Frith has always been a very highly respected innovator and collaborator in various new music endeavors, and lately his talents have been sought out more and more for an ever broadening array...
» Read moreThis recording serves two masters. First, it presents soundscape artist G.P. Hall live on stage, and secondly, it demonstrates the binaural recording process. Binaural recording places two small...
» Read moreEnglish archive label Hux Records is slowly building an excellent reputation for having the best BBC tapes for re-release. Out of the Fire fits in nicely into their archive plans...
» Read moreOne of Japan's longest lived symphonic bands, Gerard has produced a long string of albums beginning with their eponymous debut in 1984, featuring an expanded six-piece lineup, which by the...
» Read moreCalima is a collection of mostly guitar-led tracks in the flamenco style. The twist on this record is that there is a considerable amount of jazz influence as well. Nuñez is...
» Read moreProg fans have been enjoying a renaissance of vintage prog re-issues. Albums that either never made it to CD or were transferred poorly to begin with are being released for your pleasure. Premier...
» Read moreGrok is a rather interesting product of the ever-interesting New Zealand music scene. My first reaction to this album was that it reminded me of Sonic Youth (one of my all time favorite bands), but...
» Read moreOne could say without stretching the truth too far, that Consume Red (part one of the three part Project Consume) is basically an hour of pure thrash / noise experimentation,...
» Read moreSpanish guitarist Gualberto Garcia Perez offers up an instrumental album "without commentary" and lets the music do the talking. Gualberto first came into prominence with the group Smash,...
» Read moreThis is the first Hawkwind album with the new band and sets the tone for Hawkwind's entry into the next century (am I profound or what?). Fans will know the band has been losing members of...
» Read moreThis one came out around 1970, a one-off by a New York based band whose members weren't even listed on the LP jacket, and were never heard from again, so far as this writer knows. For some unknown...
» Read moreCan't get enough of that Iron Maiden? Check out Polarized. There is no doubt, as musicians, Ivanhoe are first rate. The singer, Andy B. Frank is very good, if he's a German singing in...
» Read moreJanick is back... The monstrous and legendary bassist of the 1973, 1974 and 1976 Magma issues his first solo effort, after years of session-work with variety singers and composing film scores. His...
» Read moreI would bet money that Jeff Tarlton sleeps with a book of Kirouac's poems in his arms and Morrisons Van and Jim on his turntable (c'mon folks, it is so hip to have vinyl). Tarlton...
» Read moreContinuing in the Musique Concrete experimental mode defined by Rose's last disc, The Fence is less an album of music than it is an aural documentary. In this case, Rose has chosen...
» Read moreI must have been sleeping at Best-of-'97 voting time as this old favorite managed to slip right out from under my nose. Ek-Tunkul was Jorge Reyes' very first (and best) solo...
» Read moreIn the 70s (or was it the 60s? I can't remember...) Jon Hassell came up with his Fourth World Music concept. Soon after, other folks began to carry on in the same general terrain. Michael...
» Read moreRecorded live at Terrastock ‘97, this New England based four-piece improvisational unit takes the listener on one crazy, forty minute, tripped up mind excursion. The building blocks here are...
» Read moreOne might suspect from the unusual title that this is not your usual fare. Indeed, Albert Marcœur is not your run-of-the-mill progressive rock musician, and while this writer can’t...
» Read moreThird Ear/Third Eye is this brazen Japanese quintet's first CD release (following a couple of cassette releases in the late 80s, plus contributions to the Canterbury Edge and...
» Read more"Krautrock, psychedelic and Jazz influences” or so it states in a large orange label on the CD cover. I saw this band open for Kevin Ayers in San Francisco so I was already familiar with...
» Read moreThe cover of the first Niacin shows the venerable Hammond B3, a creature of legend. So you get an idea what you are in for. Who is Niacin? I think this would be called a "pet project"...
» Read moreDespite the presence of guitarist Mike Henderson, this disc sounds nothing like Djam Karet. Rather it is a pleasant if unspectacular acoustic excursion combining the talents of Henderson with...
» Read moreNukli is a psych-rock band who have a fairly long history peppered with only a few, rare releases. Having spent a good part of the 80s gigging in England on the festival scene with the likes of the...
» Read moreMusea continues to unearth the most unknown and rare albums from the annals of obscure progrock history. Outer Limits were a pretty original Japanese band from one of the darkest times in prog...
» Read moreUm. This is not Pink Floyd, it is Pink Filth. The name is not only a clever pun to fool high school stoners into buying the album (if they could find it in any store on this planet) but it also is...
» Read moreThis is progressive rock with a groove. The title Mushroom Jazz is actually a pretty apt name, as this is not too stylistically far away from Acid Jazz. Weird analog synth sounds, funky...
» Read moreHere is the next installment in Robert Fripp’s ongoing Soundscapes series, except this one is surprisingly dull. Here we have a full length disc on which Fripp explores precisely one (1)...
» Read moreVrresto is classic Ruins as we’ve come to know them over the last eight or so releases, a high intensity power duo of drums, bass and operatic vocals that is often compared to Magma...
» Read morePianist Satoko Fujii and her husband, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, belong to a new genertaion of jazz performers and composers whose holistic approach to music seeks to expand the technical resources...
» Read moreI first glimpsed a newsletter by this band at Progfest 95 (or was it '96?), and to be honest I thought it was some form of hate group and didn't give it another glance. The singer was bald,...
» Read moreSerah is an American born composer and singer who has lived in both Africa and France. Her material straddles the boundaries of new-age, world music, and pop, and this is her fourth release. The...
» Read moreSome may remember Kamaki from his days as the finger-blistering axeman in Mr.Sirius, others from his own jazz-rock band Kehell — still together and gigging fairly regularly. Magatama...
» Read moreBe warned, this is not an authorized release — not even close. What we have here is (a) one track ("1984") recorded live in Bremen in 1969 (no further details...), (b) the entire...
» Read moreFrom somewhere between deep space and Austin, Texas comes ST 37. The band is Dave Cameron, Carlton Crutcher, Joel Crutcher, Cisco Ryder G, and Scott Telles. They remind me of Space Ritual...
» Read moreThe last time I had the pleasure of seeing a Steve Roach live show was late in 1996 in Sacramento. Steve's continuous two-hour long set was one of his finest moments for me; the finale of the...
» Read moreJannick is back... The monstrous and legendary bassist of the 1973, 1974 and 1976 Magmas issues his first solo effort, after years of session-work with variety singers and composing film scores....
» Read moreSwedish band Mwendo Dawa inhabit the spacey jazz realm that also serves as home to Weather Report and Earthworks. Saxophonist Ove Johansson is the primary composer, and it is his sound on the tenor...
» Read moreSynergy is, of course the name of the ongoing electronic music project of keyboardist / engineer / producer Larry Fast, also known for his work with Peter Gabriel, Nektar, and numerous other bands...
» Read moreSynthetic Block is not a group, but a cleverly-monikered front name for one-man Connecticut synth battalion Jonathan Block. And quite frankly, this is one of the most exciting one-man homemade...
» Read moreThis duo of Yoshida on drums and vocals and Anderson on guitar and vocals, is rather in the style of Ruins, the group which Yoshida a led, along with various bassists, and occasional guitarists....
» Read moreI've heard this group mentioned in the same breath as The Third and the Mortal, so I decided to check out one of their releases. Hailing from the Netherlands, The Gathering is Rene Rutten...
» Read moreThis heretofore unknown four-piece from Cookeville, Tennessee, employs sophisticated (brilliantly so) rock driven compositions with plenty of mood shifts, meter changes, and insanely clever...
» Read moreGood things are supposed to come to those who wait, and that is certainly the case with this, the fifth release from Sweden's Spacious Mind. Originally recorded in 1996, this LP-only issue...
» Read moreThinking Plague is yet another stunning product of the prolific revolving cast of characters that have brought us the 5uu's, U Totem, and other projects. This particular configuration is led by...
» Read moreIt's been way too long since we've heard a CD from this group, although, fortunately, we get them in bits and pieces from other groups in the 5uu's circle. In This Life was one...
» Read moreNine years since their last album, Thinking Plague is back with a vengeance. Their music is angular, drives hard and is laden with a complex and brilliant precision, one that combines the...
» Read moreIn this album, where one can find all the ingredients of the American new rock and free jazz scenes, we also discover the musical embodiment of an exceptional label, Cuneiform. This large line-up...
» Read moreI was lucky enough to catch Geballe in his opening slot on the recent California Guitar Trio tour. Just one man and his twelve string guitar, an abundance of creativity and invention, and some...
» Read moreEach track on this compilation integrates spoken text and sound manipulation, with results both mysterious and captivating. On "A New Dress" Nurse with Wound layers shifting, hypnotic metallic...
» Read moreInterestingly enough, this excellent – what should be a 2CD set – is packaged as two separate discs with almost identical covers. Only the careful eye will note the small red "Disc...
» Read moreOn the heels of last year's excellent ambient anthology comes a new gallery from Lektronic Soundscapes, a second overview of what is still a unique and inventive genre. There are not as many...
» Read moreWhen is essentially a solo vehicle for Lars Pedersen (half of The Last James duo) in which he explores dark ambient realms. It's pretty hard to believe that this is the same guy who worked on...
» Read moreMagyar Etno is a collection of mostly solo pieces by this renowned jazz saxophonist. Seffer creates melodies in the folk style of his native Hungary, and uses these as starting and...
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2021-01-18
Asia Minor Third Album on the Way –
On January 29, AMS records will be releasing the long-awaited third album by classic Turkish-French band Asia Minor. Released last year in Japan, this will be the widespread debut of Points of Libration. The album features original members Setrak Bakirel (vocals, guitar) and Eril Tekeli (flute, guitar). »
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2020-12-09
Harold Budd RIP –
Harold Budd, one of pre-eminent American composers of avant-garde and minimalism, has died of complications from the coronavirus. Budd came to prominence in the 70s, championed by Brian Eno on his Obscure Records label, with music that blended academic minimalism with electric jazz and electronic music. Much of Budd's best known work was done in collaboration with other artists, including Eno, Daniel Lanois, Robin Guthrie, Andy Partridge, John Foxx, Jah Wobble, and many others. »
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2020-11-20
25 Views of Worthing Finally Gets Released –
A while ago, we wrote about the discovery of a "long lost" Canterbury-style gem by a band called 25 Views of Worthing. And now we're pleased to find out that Wind Waker Records has released their music on an LP. »
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2020-10-14
Audion Is Back in Business –
Our esteemed colleague Alan Freeman has restarted Audion Magazine after a seven year hiatus. The new incarnation is available online on their Bandcamp site. Audion's history goes back to 1984, and included 58 issues up to 2013. Issue #59 is available now, and #60 is in the works. »
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2020-10-06
Romantic Warriors IV – Krautrock (Part 2) Is in the Works –
Zeitgeist Media, the people who have brought us the great series of documentary films chronicling the history of progressive rock, are working on the second installment of their examination of German music. Krautrock 2 will focus on artists from Münich such as Guru Guru, Amon Düül II, Xhol Caravan, Kraan, Witthüser & Westrupp, and Popol Vuh. »
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Il Tempio delle Clessidre - Il Tempio delle Clessidre – If you yearn for 70s Italian prog, rejoice as this genre is alive and well with the next generation of bands. The best is Il Tempio delle Clessidre (Temple of the Hourglass) whose name is a reference... (2011) » Read more
Saturnia - Muzak – Saturnia has been around since the late 90s, and Muzak is the latest release from this little known Portuguese psych-prog band. Saturnia is essentially multi-instrumentalist Luis Simões joined on... (2008) » Read more
Mawwal - This Is All There Is, There Is No Other Place – The first Mawwal release was one of the highlights of 2007, and here they’ve done it again for 2008, and not by simply remaking the first album. While many of the things that made Black Flies so... (2009) » Read more
Earcandy, Mynd Muzic & T-H-C Roller - Space, Time, Imagination & a Joint – Poor Person Productions is an admittedly amateur label dedicated to psychedelic music heavily influenced by the contemporary British scene (Ozrics, Mandragora, Magic Mushroom Band, Freakbeat/... (1995) » Read more
Adrian Belew - Op Zop Too Wah – Op Zop Too Wah is an overview of a little bit of everything Belew's been up to from his work in King Crimson to The Bears as well as his own introspective and energy laden singer / songwriting... (1997) » Read more