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Exposé Online

Not just outside the box, but denying the existence of boxes.
Covering music from the fringes since 1993.

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Available online from Issue 29

Ahvak - Ahvak

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Dave Kerman said he was playing with a cool band over in Israel, and they were about to release their first album… but I sure wasn’t prepared for something of this caliber. Ahvak, a...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2004-04-01)

Ahvak - Ahvak

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Ahvak is an Israeli six-piece featuring a mix of newcomers and veterans of the progressive music scene. The two chief composers are Roy Yarkoni and Udi Susser, who both play keyboards (Susser...

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(Posted by Sean McFee 2004-04-01)

Ahvak - Ahvak

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Sometime during recording of 5uu’s Abandonship, it became apparent to drummer Dave Kerman that he could no longer reside in the US and properly incorporate his unique set of musical...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton 2004-04-01)

Amygdala - Amygdala

Cover art The brutal apocalyptic menace of the opener “Utrecht” could be described as a four-way collision between Univers Zero (that “chamber” sound), Magma (the rumbling, growling basses), Present...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2004-04-01)

Ange - By the Sons of Mandrin & Par les Fils de Mandrin Live 77

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Banco and PFM did it, so why not Ange? The world of rock music has always been dominated by the English language, and many of the bands who sing primarily in another language have seen fit to...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2004-04-01)

Bill Nelson - Whimsy

Cover art Keeping up with Bill Nelson is a difficult task. The man is so prolific that new releases seem to be a mere by-product of his breathing. Luckily he’s supremely talented, and apparently has hit upon...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2004-04-01)

Budderfly - Budderfly

Cover art Not content with just Six North as a musical outlet, bassist Hideyuki Shima, drummer Hiroshi Matsuda, guitarists Takuni Seino and Shiju Odajima have come up with this band along with second drummer...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2004-04-01)

Dac Crowell - Harmundum

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What’s a Harmundum? Well, if what’s on this disc defines it, it’s one long beautiful sparkling shimmering chord stretched out to a almost an hour, full of subtle nuances,...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2004-04-01)

Esagono - Vicolo

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Here’s a little Italian gem rescued from obscurity. Esagono apparently only recorded this one album as a group, but members of the band were involved with many other projects, including Arti...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2004-04-01)

Fra Fra Sound - Kultiplex

Cover art Fra Fra Sound is a Dutch band that's been around since 1980, fusing elements of jazz and world music. Founder/bassist Vincent Henar hails from Surinam in South America, and other members of the band...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2004-04-01)

Francis Monkman - A Harpsichord Sampler

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While Monkman may be known to rock audiences for stints with Curved Air and Sky, like many of the keys players in progressive rock, he has an extensive classical background, having come to public...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2004-04-01)

Hedningarna - 1989-2003

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Readers of this magazine have likely noticed over the last few years the fondness that several on the staff have for artists on the NorthSide label, with Hedningarna consistently getting good...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2004-04-01)

John Cale - Words for the Dying

Cover art I have to admit an orchestral setting for a set of Dylan Thomas poems reminded me of many of the criticisms for many a 70s progressive rock concept album. John Cale's arrangement of this collection of...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2004-04-01)

King Crimson - The Power to Believe

Cover art The majority of King Crimson tunes since Vrooom consist of the following sections: interlocking guitar parts reminiscent of the Discipline era, done in varying speeds; chunky,...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2004-04-01)

Kinzokuebisu - Hako-Otoko (Box-Man)

Cover art Back in the late 80s bands like Kinzokueisu were everywhere in Japan, playing a heavy symphonic prog with stylistic nods to a few great british bands of the 70s, accented by 80s stadium rock stylings....  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2004-04-01)

Kit Watkins - Flying Petals

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Haven’t heard much from Kit since Rolling Curve and three related ambient releases in 2001. Flying Petals is one of four new releases for 2004 (this, plus two new ambient...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2004-04-01)

Luminescent Orchestrii - Luminescent Orchestrii

Cover art Luminescent Orchestrii is not the first band to combine Eastern European folk music with punkish energy – Sviraj, Reptile Palace Orchestra, the Ukrainians and others have been there before – but...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2004-04-01)

Martin Barre - Stage Left

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In addition to his twenty or thirty albums with Jethro Tull, guitarist Martin Barre has recorded three solo albums. Each of the 14 tracks on this, his third, features a different instrument —...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2004-04-01)

Men without Hats - No Hats beyond This Point

Cover art Anyone who paid attention to pop music in the 80s will surely remember Men Without Hats. “The Safety Dance” was a bouncy techno-pop gem that insinuated itself into your brain regardless of your...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2004-04-01)

Michel Zenino - Dérive Gauche

Cover art Zenino is a double-bassist, bandleader and arranger, working through a set of French “chanson” pieces arranged for an instrumental jazz quartet (bass, drums, piano and sax). His credentials...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2004-04-01)

Neil Haverstick - If the Earth Was a Woman

Cover art Haverstick is a pioneering guitarist, known for his work in microtonal scales. The two previous releases we have reviewed in these pages —  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2004-04-01)

Oysterband - Rise Above

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Oysterband, né The Oyster Band, has been developing their own mixture of British Isles folk music and rock for more than ten years. Rather than rocking up trad tunes (for the most part...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2004-04-01)

Pineapple Thief - Variations on a Dream

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Pineapple Thief hasn’t changed much since 137, and that’s a good thing. A quartet of guitar / keys / bass / drums, the songs are all written by Bruce Soord, who also sings and...

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(Posted by Sean McFee 2004-04-01)

Pineapple Thief - Variations on a Dream

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I have to admit to being behind the curve on Pineapple Thief, though they are clearly the “next big thing” on the prog scene. To my mind, however, they are following a bit too closely...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2004-04-01)

Richard Thompson - 1000 Years of Popular Music

Cover art When the end of the millennium started creeping up, lots of people started making lists. When it comes to the subject of popular music, most of us are only familiar with that of the 20th Century, with...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2004-04-01)

Robert Wyatt - Cuckooland

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Robert Wyatt is so much an entity unto himself that comparisons to anyone else are more or less useless. Most listeners with a rock background would probably peg his music as jazz, though I suspect...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2004-04-01)

Robert Wyatt - Cuckooland

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Robert Wyatt’s first release of new songs in eight years is a milestone for the composer. From the outset there is a lyrical optimism overshadowed by his preoccupation with bleak world...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton 2004-04-01)

Robert Wyatt - Cuckooland

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With Cuckooland Robert Wyatt changes direction once again, this time toward jazz. Perhaps “Old Europe” is an early clue to the disc’s orientation, with its lyrical jazz...

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(Posted by Mac Beaulieu 2004-04-01)

Rull's Royce - Rull's Choice

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From listening to the music, you would guess that the leader of the band is the guitarist. Not that there are screaming guitar solos all over the place, but guitar does play a significant role at...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2004-04-01)

SanRenSei - Ceremony

Cover art Three players (keyboard synths + voices, guitar synths and hardware sequencer) contribute to the six pieces herein, which fall squarely into the low key floating ambient electro-acoustic zone. The...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2004-04-01)

Satoko Fujii Orchestra East - Before the Dawn

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Reviewing this CD for a magazine like Exposé is a bit of a challenge. On the one hand, it could be described as modern big-band jazz, and is certainly being marketed (if the term...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2004-04-01)

Satoru Wono - Sonata for Sine Wave and White Noise

Cover art Click. Shhhhhsshh. Bleep. The first minute of “Overture” sounds something like a couple of malfunctioning cell phones making random sounds. Then the beeps and hiss begin to take shape and find...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2004-04-01)

Sylvan - Artificial Paradise

Cover art There's lot of music in the land between mainstream and neo-prog, and this is another one. They hail from Germany and this is their third effort. The music is thoroughly composed and produced, still...  » Read more
(Posted by Roel Steverink 2004-04-01)

Tangerine Dream - Mota Atma

Cover art I suppose it goes without saying that since the early 70s Tangerine Dream has been through a lot of changes, both in style and personnel. The 2003 incarnation on this soundtrack features Edgar and...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2004-04-01)

The Blue Series Continuum - The Sorcerer Sessions: Featuring the Music of Matthew Shipp

Cover art Collisions between jazz and semi-classical music structure is the format for this new collective set of twelve pieces. Each new project is based on lessons learned and best-known methods applied to an...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2004-04-01)

The Cheebacabra - Metamorphosis

Cover art An instrumental funk outfit from the U.S. west coast, The Cheebacabra is led by a drummer/keyboardist named Cheeba, who is joined by six other musicians on keys, guitar, sax, and percussion. The...  » Read more
(Posted by Jim Chokey 2004-04-01)

The Deserts of Träun - Part III: The Lilac Moon

Cover art The Deserts of Träun is the musical project of former Estradasphere drummer David Murray. The project name and initial story theme originated from a high school jazz band collaboration between Murray...  » Read more
(Posted by Mike Grimes 2004-04-01)

Thriving Ivory - Thriving Ivory

Cover art It’s been quite sometime since a solo pianist was credited as an alternative rock band’s key instrument replacing loud, overdriven guitars. Such is the case for Thriving Ivory is a five-piece...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2004-04-01)

Väsen - Trio

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I’ll admit that one of the things I normally like most about Väsen is the unconventional use of percussion, so the prospect of a Väsen album without a percussionist was not at first...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2004-04-01)

Väsen - Trio

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Trio is the ninth album by Swedish folk ensemble Väsen. Originally, the group had been the strings-based trio of Olov Johannson on nyckelharpa (a keyed folk fiddle with a...

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(Posted by Jim Chokey 2004-04-01)

Väsen - Trio

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Väsen are one of today’s premier neo-folk ensembles from Sweden, though they offer their renditions of original and traditional songs with a twist. Breaking from their standard quartet...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2004-04-01)

Yolk - Die Dritte, Die Vierte, Oskivinis, This Is Syd & Fuenftens

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This excellent Swiss band has been kicking around since the early 90s (not to be confused with another Yolk from NYC – we reviewed one of NYC Yolk’s live shows back in issue #11) but...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2004-04-01)

 

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