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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 32

(I Am) One - The Gates of Industry

Cover art Despite evident talent, this Dutch group has made some unfortunate choices. The first is their name. The second apparently was their original German label, which crashed and burned while this album...  » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2005-09-01)

['ramp] - Doombient.One - Verbrannte Erde

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Deep space music has a lot going for it in the modern music world. There are many viable variations to explore and expand on as well. Stephen Parsick and Frank Makowski are composers whom make...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Aera - Humanum Est / Hand und Fuß

Cover art Who knows why it was that German bands in the 70s so often brought in influences from around the world, but it certainly seems to have been a trend. British and American bands may have dabbled with...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Ahleuchatistas - On the Culture Industry & The Same and the Other

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Of all the genre labels ever devised, math rock has to be one of the most annoying. It’s an insult both to rock and to math, and seems to me borne of two mistaken beliefs. First, that math is...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Ajalon - On the Threshold of Eternity

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Randy George (who may be more widely known due to his recent work with Neal Morse) is the leader of Seattle-based Ajalon. Vocalist Will Henderson is also an important focal point for this...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Alexander Vogel & Collaborators - Eight Releases from 2004

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Alexander Vogel is your atypical teenager with an affinity for percussion and English improvisational icons. In late 2004 he took it upon himself to begin solo home recordings which soon evolved...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Asia - Live in Buffalo & Hyogo

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Asia’s first tour of the US in 1982 was one of discovery for fans. From the ashes of Yes, Steve Howe and Geoff Downes merged musical intentions with John Wetton and Carl Palmer and a new...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Atoll - Musiciens-Magiciens, L’Araignée-Mal, Tertio & Rock Puzzle

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I always thought of Atoll as being the number two French symphonic rock band in the 70s, after Ange. Like Ange, they applied the ideals and techniques of progressive rock to French culture and came...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Austin Bridges - Awake the Day

Cover art Austin Bridges is a Christian rock band, who use music to contemplate the mysteries of the universe. I also like to contemplate the mysteries of the universe, which include why Austin Bridges sent a...  » Read more
(Posted by Sean McFee 2005-09-01)

Avi Bellili - The Power of Balance

Cover art Composer Avi Belleli is perhaps best known as the mastermind behind Israeli band Tractor's Revenge and also for his collaborations with drummer Dave Kerman (Present, 5uu’s etc.). Co-produced and...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Barclay James Harvest - ...BBC in Concert 1972

Cover art Part of archivist Mark Powell’s job has been digging through the vaults at the BBC to locate the master recording tapes for Barclay James Harvest. In the process of uncovering several live tapes he...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Barclay James Harvest - Time Honoured Ghosts

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After leaving the Harvest label, BJH met up with U.S. Producer Eliot Mazer (Neil Young) who recorded the band in San Francisco in the summer of 1975. The quartet was on the upswing with bassist Les...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Basement 3 - Fuzzyland

Cover art Multi-instrumentalist Kenny Schick does a valiant job of making Basement 3 not sound like a solo project. His guitars, bass, saxes and vocals are frequently augmented by live strings, horns, and...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Big Brother & the Holding Company - Be a Brother & How Hard It Is

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This band will forever be remembered as Janis Joplin’s backing band, though their relationship with the singer only lasted two years and two albums. After Joplin’s departure, they...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Bill Bruford's Earthworks - Random Acts of Happiness

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It has been said that jazz is all about Swing. I’ll go along with that — as long as I get to define Swing my own way. Swing is more than just a particular rhythmic feel; Swing, to me,...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Billy Currie - Still Movement

Cover art Billy Currie’s most recent solo album can be categorized as being squarely in the new age/techno bordering on ambient but within in a slightly more favorable light. Currie has continued to...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Blow up Hollywood - Fake

Cover art I’m sure they intend the band name to be interpreted as a command to attack Hollywood with explosives (sort of like “Kill Your Television”), but I choose to take the other meaning, imagining a...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Bob Nell - Soft and Bronze

Cover art Bob Nell has been playing jazz piano for nearly 30 years (mostly with drummer Brad Edwards) supporting jazz icons such as Ray Brown and David ‘Fathead’ Newman. His latest set of eight pieces...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Bouchard, Dunaway and Smith - Live in Paris

Cover art Take the rhythm section of the 70s Alice Cooper band and the front end lead guitar from Blue Oyster Cult, and what do you have? You get a pretty tight hard rock act that relies on honest riffing and a...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Bruford - One of a Kind

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After UK’s rookie tour of the US, Eddie Jobson and John Wetton fired Bill Bruford and Allan Holdsworth, thus removing the pervasive jazz element from their soon-to-be transitory super group....

 » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Bumble B - Flight of the Bumble B

Cover art Bumble B is the female lead singer for The Smell of Incense. When they performed at the Herzberg Open Air festival in 1999, Bumble B entertained the audience with her unaccompanied Norwegian folk...  » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2005-09-01)

Chris Béya Atoll - Illian, J’entends gronder la Terre

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There are several reasons to expect the worst from this release. Many “reunions” and “reformations” of bands from the 70s have not turned out well; a look at the credits...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Christian Décamps et Fils - Murmures...

Cover art Whatever Ange may have been through in the years since their progressive heyday in the 70s, it is clear from this release that lead singer Christian Décamps has found a way to translate this artistic...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Cinematik - Cinematik & One Full Moon Away

Cover art Home grown rock and roll products usually have a lifespan of their own which explains in part what Cinematik is about. Drummer Neal Smith’s resume includes stints as the former skin beater for the...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Colosseum - Valentyne Suite

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Like so many British bands of the 60s, Colosseum suffered from label meddling when it came to the release of their albums across the Atlantic. Their first album, Those Who Are About to Die...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Cornerstone - Once upon Our Yesterdays

Cover art Vocalist Dougie White and bassist Steen Morgensen form the songwriting backbone of progressive metal act Cornerstone, which hails from Denmark. White comes from the UK, having spent time in local...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Daevid Allen Trio - Live 1963

Cover art The fruitful seeds of the Canterbury sound have always been traceable back to the Wilde Flowers. So what if a valid live document of beat poetry just happened to suddenly surface as part of Rob...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Dark Sanctuary - Thoughts: 9 Years In The Sanctuary

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From the name of the band, you would probably guess they have Gothic tendencies, and you’d be right. But rather than the heavy, depressive kind of Goth you often hear, this French band has a...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Earthmonkey - Audiosapien

Cover art If you take the free-festival space jamming of Ozric Tentacles and add a healthy dose of the psychedelic audio-collage work of Nurse with Wound, you end up in the land of Earthmonkey. There are...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Elton Dean - QED

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Elton Dean’s recent associations with Hammond organ specialist Alex Maguire (as heard on HUX’s excellent release Psychic Warrior) have been gradually building over time....

 » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Fast 'n' Bulbous - Pork Chop Blue around the Rind

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Led by former Beefheart guitarist Gary Lucas (Doc at the Radar Station, Ice Cream for Crow) and saxophonist / arranger Phillip Johnston (NYC downtown scene regular), Fast...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2005-09-01)

Fear of Flying - More Attempts at Perfection

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In 1988, this upstate NY trio (then a quartet with dedicated vocalist) released their debut album Parents Tend to Oxygen First, a fairly typical slab of late-80s keyboard strong...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2005-09-01)

Free - Songs of Yesterday

Cover art The roots of popular blues based rock and roll are firmly tied to that of Free, a four piece act from the late 60s that had both singer and composer Paul Rogers and drummer Simon Kirke (later of Bad...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Gentle Giant - 2005 DRT Remasters

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[Note: This review was written upon the release of the albums on DRT in 2005.]

DRT is Derek Shulman’s US based label, which has taken ownership of the band’s North America CD...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Groovector - Darklubing at Tavastia

Cover art From time to time I see a band criticized for not realizing what their own strengths are, for moving out of the area where they shine. I’m wary of that kind of reasoning, as it should be the...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Halloween, Alaska - Halloween, Alaska

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I try to maintain a certain openness about the various musical genres, feeling that quality is a factor only marginally related to style, so I’m happy to find something good where it’s...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Herbie Kritzer - The Tree Lizard

Cover art Californian Herbie Kritzer is clearly someone who enjoys having fun with music. Even his name sounds a bit cartoon-ish, and there’s certainly a streak of sly wit and boy-ish playfulness to many of...  » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2005-09-01)

Inquire - Melancholia

Cover art The second CD on this 2-disk set is devoted to a lively and entertaining rendition of Louis Verne’s 3rd Organ Symphony. Fans of Keith Emerson’s various classical interpretations, or...  » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2005-09-01)

Jack Bruce - Out of the Storm

Cover art Continuing further into the back catalog of bassist, singer and composer Jack Bruce, Out of the Storm offers up a creditable Mark Powell sound update from 30 year old studio sessions in LA....  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Jasun Martz - The Pillory - The Battle

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Some 28 years ago Martz released his first epic, The Pillory, to great critical acclaim, with its massed Mellotrons and dreamy atmospherics, and then he drifted off the screen for all this...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2005-09-01)

Jasun Martz - The Pillory - The Battle

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Ex-Zappa sideman and painter Jasun Martz is also a semi-classical electro-acoustic composer who has been operating under your popular music radar for sometime. His initial recording, The...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Jasun Martz - The Pillory - The Battle

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This 2-CD set is supposed to be a sequel to Martz’s original Pillory album, which I have not heard (anyone want to send me a copy?). This ambitious undertaking, split into the CDs...

 » Read more
(Posted by Sean McFee 2005-09-01)

Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius - Live Wires

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Count me as a supporter of the proposition that the world needs more hot electric violinists playing jazz-rock fusion. Jean-Luc Ponty has moved on to other things, and someone has to take up the...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Kinzokuebisu - Momijigari

Cover art When one band traverses a wide variety of styles, there’s always the danger that diversity will dissolve into chaos, leaving the listener more confused than intrigued. This Japanese band inhabits...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Kit Watkins - World Fiction

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This may be one of Kit Watkins’ most sensual efforts to date. The creative foundation for most of the album’s 12 tracks is a percussion and synth track or groove that Watkins then solos...

 » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2005-09-01)

Luminos - Seize the Day

Cover art Seize the Day is the debut from this quartet from northeastern England. Musically, they fall roughly into the same realm of symphonic- and neo-prog-lite as Guy Manning or Mostly Autumn (sans...  » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2005-09-01)

Marty Walker - Dancing on Water

Cover art Marty Walker has been a contributing member to the Cold Blue catalog for several years. Appearing as the label clarinetist he has added the occasional melodic interval here and there to recordings by...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Marvin Ayres - Cellosphere

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Marvin Ayres is a string player (cello and violin here) who specializes in using electrified instruments to build ambient clouds of sound (see

 » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Marvin Ayres / Pete Gomes - Neptune & Sensory

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Marvin Ayres has a different approach to ambient music, using electric violin, viola, and cello instead of keyboards (with the exception of a bit of organ on one track). I suppose it’s a bit...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Matraz - Tiempo

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By now I guess it’s safe to say more people know Matraz from their second album (Gritaré, reviewed...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Mindgames - International Daylight

Cover art Mindgames is yet another new neo-prog band from the Low Countries, Belgium in this case. This is their first full album, following a 1999 demo release (a new release is supposedly on the way). The...  » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2005-09-01)

N.R. Hills - Strange, Like a Scented Stone

Cover art This is English musician N. R. Hills’ 4th album by my reckoning, and it seems to be along the same lines as previous releases. He’s a tough cookie to track down and his label has no web site so...  » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2005-09-01)

Nicholas Greenwood - Cold Cuts

Cover art Nicholas Greenwood’s name, if it is known at all, is remembered from the credits of albums by Khan and Arthur Brown’s Crazy World, where he played bass. Until this reissue arrived, I had no idea...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Nyl - Nyl

Cover art This prog rock quartet from Russia aims at two often hefty contrasting concepts: commercialism and ingenuity. It’s amazing how a complex structure flows out in a sing-song refrain. You can’t...  » Read more
(Posted by Roel Steverink 2005-09-01)

Opeth - Lamentations - Live at Shepherd's Bush Empire 2003

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This concert focuses mostly on Opeth’s “mellow” album Damnation. For the first set, it is performed in its entirety in order (with one other song interpolated). Then they...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Opossum - Bear's Banquet

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Opossum is another of Garden of Delights’ wonderful finds. The band was a precursor to Morpheus, and never actually released any recordings during their existence (1971-75), though these...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Phoenix - Renascent Phenomenon (Archives 4: 1970-1971)

Cover art Supposedly this album of songs was written back in the early 70s for the original version of Dutch group Phoenix, which included Jos Hustings who, along with partner in crime Mathilda Roza, is...  » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2005-09-01)

Ray Charles - Ô Genio Live in Brazil

Cover art Not long after releasing one of the signpost LPs of modern pop crossover, Ray Charles took his big band to Brazil and filmed two television programs featuring his live stage set. Charles was just as...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Red Pocket - Thick

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Fans of the wonderful Charming Hostess can now rejoice. While this is not a Charming Hostess album, it does feature Jewlia Eisenberg in a somewhat similar setting. Her vocal foil for this outing is...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Roger Chapman - The Legendary Funny Cider Sessions/Swag

Cover art Family’s Roger Chapman is somewhat of a workaholic. His departure from Family only saw him tirelessly fronting bands under a number of other names including his own. This package of two albums...  » Read more
(Posted by Mac Beaulieu 2005-09-01)

Shingetsu - Live

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I haven’t heard Shingetsu’s studio album, so this concert recording is my introduction to their music, and it’s quite a surprise. And like many surprises, it has both good and bad...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Simon Dupree & the Big Sound - Part of My Past - The Simon Dupree and the Big Sound Anthology

Cover art There’s no doubt that a complete collection of the recordings of Simon Dupree and the Big Sound has historical value. Aside from being a curious footnote in the story of the psychedelic 60s with...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Slava Ganelin and Ned Rothenberg - Falling into Place

Cover art Pianist and composer Slava (Vyacheslav) Ganelin is known for his assertive power trio in Russia and his leadership within the Israeli free jazz scene since emigrating there in 1987. In contrast, New...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Sonus Umbra - Spiritual Vertigo

Cover art I really want to like Sonus Umbra. They have so many elements I like – a combination of electric and acoustic instruments, judicious use of modern technologies, complex song structures with varying...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Stella Maris - To the Promised Land

Cover art It can be difficult to review something like this latest offering from Germany’s Stella Maris. The musicians sound so sincere and believe in what they’re doing, and put a great deal of craft and...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

Tangerine Dream - Bootmoon Live Series

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1977 was the year that Edgar Froese, Chris Franke and Peter Baumann conquered North America and Canada with a massive twenty-plus city tour (and on select dates performing with Laserium). The April...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Terra Ambient - The Gate

Cover art The name sums it up – spacious electro/ethnic/ambient soundscapes, complete with moody, Porcupine Tree-like architectural cover imagery. Terra Ambient is Pittsburgh based Jeff Kowal’s solo studio...  » Read more
(Posted by A Skeoch 2005-09-01)

The Black Noodle Project - And Life Goes On...

Cover art I’m not above enjoying a good clone band. I quite enjoy a lot of them. And Black Noodle Project may not necessarily be a complete Pink Floyd clone, but in the world of clonedom, some of these songs...  » Read more
(Posted by Mac Beaulieu 2005-09-01)

The Collectors - The Collectors & Grass and Wild Strawberries

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The Collectors hailed from Vancouver, Canada, not exactly a hotbed of the worldwide psychedelic scene, which maybe helps explain why they didn’t make a bigger impact. Their two albums, though...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

The Decemberists - Picaresque

Cover art This Portland, Oregon band has been the subject of a lot of buzz in the American indie rock community, and for once the praise is well-deserved. Far from being a trendy neopunk band or lo-fi...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

The Owl Watches - Tales from the Inflatable Forest

Cover art Multi-instrumentalist Phil McKenna is The Owl Watches. This is his first sometimes meandering solo endeavor by a composer who has proactively adopted the "do it yourself at home" option to recording....  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

The Residents - WB:RMX & 12 Days of Brumalia

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If you need a Christmas album to scare your family and friends, look no further. The 12 Days of Brumalia was released as a downloadable album on the Residents web site in December of 2004,...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2005-09-01)

The Tractor's Revenge - Othello

Cover art Tractor’s Revenge is a four piece act which embraces the darker side of gothic progressive rock much in the vein of Belgium’s Universe Zero. Led by Avi Bellili, the twelve pieces on this recording...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Tim Berne - Science Friction

Cover art The current direction of modern saxophone icon Tim Berne began in 2002 with this eight piece CD featuring his world class multi-talented quartet. Studio versions of “Huevos,” and “Manatee...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Tim Burness - Finding New Ways to Love

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Tim Burness is an English neo-progressive composer who has existed under the threshold of most music consumers’ radar. The childlike toy count into the first piece, “Open Man,” is...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The Lost Christmas Eve

Cover art It’s hard to imagine that the core members of metal band Savatage would take a musical U-turn and arrive with a huge money-making project that has nothing to do with their previous incarnation....  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2005-09-01)

 

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