Here we have a brand spanking new full length album from Acid Mothers Temple featuring their recent addition of female vocalist Kitagawa Hao. AMT front man Kawabata Makoto claims, half-jokingly,...
» Read moreThis California trio seems to have sprung fully formed from the brow of some musical god. The music is undeniably "progressive" in a number of ways, but rarely reminds me more than very...
» Read moreMaybe I'm just imagining it, but I swear this time out Ahleuchatistas are sounding more accessible than ever. Still crazy as hell, but maybe a little less abrasive. Or maybe I'm getting...
» Read moreOne of the big surprises of Baja 2008, Alonso Arreola and his band/project LabA tore up the opening slot at the theater on the first night with his funky 8-string bass maneuverings and avant-garde...
» Read moreSubtitled “Electronica Ragas of the 70s” Le Temps des moissons was Ariel Kalma’s first solo recording. Ariel had spent a lot of time in India learning the basics of modal music and...
» Read moreWhen Asia’s debut hit turntables in 1982 it quickly became clear that this was not the next coming of progressive rock many had hoped for. The names were familiar: John Wetton, Geoff Downes,...
» Read moreAmong the finite number of prog fans who are Asia fans there is a subset that enjoys the lineup with singer/bassist John Payne (i.e., the non-original Asia that’s been on tour recently). This...
» Read moreThis may be a Projekt release featuring a female singer and guy playing all the instruments, but if you’re expecting another Dead Can Dance clone think again. Ablaze is a collection...
» Read moreAvi Belleli has been on the Israeli fringe working with the likes of Tractor’s Revenge as well as doing stage and soundtrack work for quite some time. Longtime friend and collaborator Udi...
» Read moreThe Barock Project is the name of a relatively new Italian progressive rock band led by keyboard virtuoso Luca Zabbini. Their desire is to promote baroque music in a progressive rock context with a...
» Read moreSteve Wilson of Porcupine Tree has his hands in any number of diverse musical projects. One of them, Bass Communion, is his ambient drone explorations with Theo Travis. Bass Communion has been...
» Read moreKeyboardist Bernie Worrell is no stranger to making friends while making music. Since his initial ground breaking work as keyboardist and synthesizer innovator for Parliament / Funkadelic, the...
» Read moreDrawing a British folk icon out of semi-imposed retirement can seem like an impossible task. But contrary to many fans’ expectations, Bert Jansch not only demonstrated the delicate finger...
» Read moreThis Indiana based quintet led by singer, guitarist and songwriter Joey Welch caught this writer's ear a few years ago with their debut EP Novelties, Addenda and Ephemera, five songs...
» Read moreSometimes I think that every tradition of folk music must at some point have its own Fairport Convention. Of course it’s an oversimplification, but in broad terms we can say that FC melded...
» Read moreClive Nolan (Arena, Shadowlands, Pendragon, etc.) rarely does anything on a small scale, and elements of theatricality and drama have appeared in much of his past work so it seems only natural that...
» Read moreThese two closely related bands represent Beijing's current underground rock scene quite nicely. Both are trios, and they share two musicians: Li Weisi (bass) and Li Qing (drums in Carsick...
» Read moreFor their latest, Mexican proggers Cast have delivered a super-sized collection of 16 songs spread across two CDs – a Flower Kings-like effort, with similar strengths and weaknesses. For some...
» Read moreThe Projekt label has been searching beyond US shores for new groups to host on their label, one example being Chandeen from Germany. This trio was formed around keyboard player / programmer Harald...
» Read moreChris Squire's second solo album since 1975's classic Fish out of Water is actually the third Christmas album from a Yes alumnus... In tow is ex-Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett who...
» Read moreBilly Sherwood’s plan to get some kind of Yes-related project into play resulted in this DVD from one of the band’s first performances. On board are Yes stalwarts keyboardist Tony Kaye...
» Read morePractitioners of electronic or space music can often times be seen as little more than technicians with the knowledge and ability to produce interesting sounds from arcane and complex synthesizers...
» Read moreCronico is a promising new entry in the classic symphonic proggy-prog field from Mexico City. A five piece featuring bass, drums, acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, and a female vocalist,...
» Read moreIt may have been close to ten years since DFA’s last studio album, but this band has certainly not lost their edge; in fact, if anything the intensity and passion in this new set makes up for...
» Read moreSo there I was, driving across northern New Mexico and Arizona in a car with no air conditioning. Did I mention it was June? As I was sweltering, windblown by the hot desert air and traveling at 75...
» Read moreCousins' latest two solo releases have the masterful Strawbs leader and songwriter in two very different settings, yet his muse is entirely comfortable in both. Throughout these two discs, his...
» Read moreOpening with an unadulterated nod to the analog synth sound, The Range lets loose with some overtly modulated white noise, trailing into trilling piano and finally settling into a pleasant...
» Read moreThe subtle influences of the Soft Machine’s legacy are inherent in many European acts from Bill Bruford’s Earthworks to Theo Travis’s working ensembles. The Delta Saxophone...
» Read moreThe Divine Baze Orchestra is a new Swedish heavy progressive rock band with a 70s retro sound. Oliver Eek (guitars, backing vocals) and Christian Eklöf (drums, percussion) formed the band in 2003....
» Read moreOpera comes with all sorts of preconceptions: large women breaking glass with their voices, too much vibrato, bombastic music. Edward Artemiev's opera Crime and Punishment (based on...
» Read moreWith Exchange, California singer/songwriter/keyboardist Emily Bezar has produced her definitive (so far) musical statement. The elements that have contributed to her past releases...
» Read moreWe’ve covered bassist Erik Baron’s releases in these pages before, and all have been exceptional, but there’s never been one quite like this. Here he has assembled an army of...
» Read moreRevisited Records has now released the fourth Eroc solo album, recorded in 1982. For those of you who don’t know, Eroc is the pseudonym of Joachim Heinz Ehrig who was Grobschnitt’s drummer...
» Read more2007 has seen some interesting musical pairings of young and old. First there was Acid Mothers Temple and Mani Neumeier (Guru Guru) and now we have Faust and Steven Stapleton (Nurse with Wound)...
» Read moreHere’s a tasty slice of instrumental progressive guitar rock, borne of the idea that lyrics and voices are unnecessary – and in fact only get in the way of the delivery of a strong...
» Read moreIf you like more rock with your progressive, this is the album for you. Dutch band For Absent Friends’ eighth album is 45 minutes of solidly played (dare I say it?) neo-progressive that is...
» Read moreThis could be almost any album in a lot of respects except one – the drummer is Furio Chirico, and this is his concept album dedicated to Chirico’s son Stravos (who died in 2005). Most...
» Read moreThese two surprising releases come to us by way of Poland, both prominently featuring violinist, vocalist and songwriter Tylda Ciołkosz, who is also a member of the more keyboard oriented group...
» Read moreHmm, Golden Death Music. Not your usual Black Death Music, or any other color, but Golden. There is a certain glow to the sound, and while it’s not exactly morbid, it’s certainly not...
» Read moreThe Crescendo festival from 2006 featured several of today’s best prog bands, including Quebec’s Hamadryad. This album captures Jean François Désilets (bass, vocals),...
» Read moreThe Texas band Hands has been around in some form or another since the mid-70s, during which time they’ve only managed to produce a handful of albums, all of which are of consistently high...
» Read moreGuitarist Henry Kaiser is heavily steeped in the allure of classic jazz. As proven by his Yo Miles! joint projects with Wadada Leo Smith, Kaiser has been on a mission to find the essence of the...
» Read moreIt’s been close to forever since Hermetic Science’s last album of new material. In fact, one listen to this new disc might offer some partial clues as to why it took seven years....
» Read moreHugh Hopper hardly ever misses an opportunity for a group improvisation. Given his time spent with sax player Simon Picard doing Soft Machine tributes and keeping tabs on keyboardist Steve Franklin...
» Read moreHumi is the duo of Hugh Hopper (electric bass, electronics, loops) and Yumi Hara Cawkwell (voice, piano, keyboards, percussion) working in an ambient improvisational avant-garde jazz space. The...
» Read moreBrian Haas and Reed Mathis are back on board with their first new studio recording in two years. This time out the duo has chosen to emphasize the improvisational aspect of collective live jams....
» Read moreJade Warrior is one of those musical enigmas that has been nearly impossible to pigeonhole. Founder members Jon Field and vocalist Glyn Havard resurrected the band in 2007 meeting up after a long...
» Read moreHere we have a brand new full ensemble live recording and a piano solo reissue from 1984 together in the same package, on separate discs no less. Langlois was a multi-instrumentalist (mainly sax...
» Read moreEvery new release by José Luis Fernández Ledesma seems to be like none before it, and his latest solo disc, Híbridos, is no exception. Primarily a solo venture, with...
» Read moreSkrzek is forever full of surprises, and this disc containing material hand-picked from three live performances with his East Wind quintet is certainly one of those. Most will probably know Skrzek...
» Read moreWhat is Roine Stolt doing? First he leaves The Tangent and now he's flown the coop from Kaipa, a band he helped form in 1975. I can only guess he's focusing his efforts on getting Flower...
» Read moreKarfagen (means Carthage) is a Ukrainian band that plays an odd mixture of New Age, cabaret, jazz fusion, and TV variety show instrumental music. The Space between Us is their second...
» Read moreMusically speaking, it’s a big world out there, and there are lots of different instruments that have been developed over the centuries to fill it. But that doesn’t mean there’s...
» Read moreThe four latest Klaus Schulze reissues include one from the 70s and three from the new millennium, bringing the total to 34 and closing out the first 21 Schulze albums. As Virtual Outback...
» Read moreConsidering this Holland export’s inauspicious debut at NEARfest, I was a bit reluctant to investigate the group’s latest recording – I was underwhelmed with what I perceived as...
» Read moreKollektiv, an obscure Krautrock band, released their self-titled album in 1973. Three months later they recorded an hour-long session for SWF radio in Baden-Baden. Long Hair released this session...
» Read moreKucharz' latest work is split between seven softer flowing ambient pieces composed or reworked in 2007, most somewhat reminiscent of the work on some of his earlier 'Electrochoral' and...
» Read moreOriginally from El Paso, Texas (and at one time based in Seattle), Little King is a power trio formed around singer / songwriter / guitarist Ryan Rosoff. This is the band’s fourth album since...
» Read moreIn the midst of all the noise found on the Beijing music scene, where feedback reigns and screaming is preferred to singing, there is one band that stands out from the crowd. Lonely China Day...
» Read more“Psychedelic rock group.” Those words can describe a lot of different bands: Strawberry Alarm Clock, Hawkwind, Amon Düül, Pink Floyd, Gong, Iron Butterfly, Ozric Tentacles....
» Read moreMagenta have all the right things going for them: talented musicians, good label support, a loyal fan base, and an intelligent approach to surviving as a prog band. They’ve carved out a niche...
» Read moreThis is one very strange band. And that’s strange in a good way – interesting, unusual, even unique in some respects – something completely new, not more of the same; and after...
» Read moreWhen you hear the name Mani Neumeier you think of his body of work with Guru Guru and his zaniness in concert. In addition, when you hear that he has released his first solo album,...
» Read moreGuy Manning’s latest collection of nine semi-autobiographical songs finds the English singer-songwriter consolidating his position among the current crop of Brit prog as this...
» Read moreMarble Sheep is a Japanese psychedelic rock band playing wild, ecstatic, hypnotic, psychedelic, and noisy rock who were formed in 1987 by ex-White Heaven guitarist Ken Matsutani, the owner of the...
» Read moreAs a follow-up to their previous disc All Intertwined from a couple years ago, Wood Knot shows a definite growth and maturation for this excellent Maryland based instrumental...
» Read moreMikhail Chekalin is a Russian keyboard artist and a composer who has an impressive body of work dating back to the early 80s. He has been called the Russian Klaus Schulze, but these three new...
» Read moreMirabilis is a project that pairs singers and musicians Dru Allen and Summer Bowman. Each is involved with other projects, This Ascension for Allen and The Machine in the Garden for Bowman, though...
» Read moreMircan Kaia belongs to the Mingrelian people, a South Caucasian minority living in northeastern Turkey, in a region bordering Georgia. She is fiercely linked to her roots, but she is not a folk...
» Read moreThe compositional premise for The Music of Stars is not as rigorous as Cage’s Etudes Australes or as evocative as Ligeti’s Atmosphères. Pert simply...
» Read moreMotis is a talented French group who create what might be called medieval progressive rock. They are deeply influenced by the literature and myths of the Knights of the Round Table, the...
» Read moreUmami is Turkish musician Murat Ses’ seventh solo album. Umami is a Japanese word meaning savory, which this new release is, not too sweet, not too sour, tangy but just...
» Read moreAfter our feature interview with drummer Pat Thomas in issue #32, all readers should be at least be aware of Bay Area psychedelic jazz-rock improv ensemble Mushroom; trumpeter Eddie Gale is...
» Read moreFor some there seems an inseparable bond between sound and place. For the avant and drone practitioner this tie is usually realized through field recordings and subsequent signal re-coding –...
» Read moreNexus are a very strong rock quartet with standard guitar / keyboards / bass / drums instrumentation. The idea of the Buenos Aires Free Experience series is to place musicians in an...
» Read moreAbout fifteen seconds into the opening cut (or maybe even sooner), the astute listener will be reminded of the great Happy the Man, and for good reason – two of that band’s main...
» Read moreBaltimore based Oho doesn’t put out a lot of product, but when they do, they do it right. Their latest offering is a combo CD+DVD covering material recorded over a 24-year period, although...
» Read moreThey call it a Mini-CD, not because it’s smaller than a normal size CD, but because there is only about 15 minutes of music on it. But it’s among the coolest 15 minutes of 2007 releases...
» Read moreThe Øresund Space Collective (ØSC), Sweden’s answer to Acid Mothers Temple, offers up a succulent three course culinary feast of improvised space rock on their third studio...
» Read moreMany bands who were part of the 80s neo-prog movement are facing the reality that even though their popularity is holding steady and it’s easier than ever to record albums and perform live,...
» Read morePanic Room is a new Welsh group featuring members from Karnataka, Mostly Autumn, and Fish’s band: Paul Davies (guitars), Jonathan Edwards (keys), Anne-Marie Helder (vocals), Gavin John...
» Read moreIs there anyone out there who does not know what to expect from a Planet X album? Insanely complex instrumental music that melds metal, prog, and fusion, played with precision that would put to...
» Read morePre-Med is a space rock band that formed in 2004 by Danny Faulkner and Hawkwind’s bassist Alan Davey. The Truth about Us is their second release and it features the talents of Eamon...
» Read moreQwaarn is an extremely odd name for a band, and they provide no further explanation in the package. I think that Qwaarn is supposed to be an alien; and I guess it is his picture on the CD cover....
» Read moreGuitarist Richard Leo Johnson has again created a mythical context for the material on this latest disc, a story about a young boy who was transfixed by an old guitar-playing hobo at a church...
» Read moreSpace is the place for this live set – marking the 30th anniversary of Chuck van Zyl’s Star’s End. Synthesized voices overlap lap steel guitar phrases that sometimes...
» Read moreRotor is a power trio (drums, bass, and electric guitar) from Berlin who play aggressive hard-hitting instrumental music that is a mixture of Starless era King Crimson and stoner rock....
» Read moreRPWL is a German band and even though The RPWL Experience is their fifth studio album, they are new to me. My first impression from hearing the opening song “Silenced” is that...
» Read moreRufus Zuphall is a German band from Aachen that first hit the stage in 1969. They released three albums in the early 70s and then disintegrated. Because of reissuing their albums on CD, there was...
» Read moreA new French band, right? Not exactly, although this Japanese quintet of guitar, piano, violin, accordion and contrabass could give many a European folk-jazz-RIO band a surprisingly good challenge...
» Read moreThese are two collections of duos featuring New England based Kevin Kastning and Hungarian born guitarist Sándor Szabó, the latter with a number of previous releases to his credit....
» Read moreSatellite are a Polish band who try to fuse modern rock and production methods with prog of the not so distant past. The songwriting has powerful dynamics and moments of clarity in the melodic...
» Read moreIt’s good to see some new releases on SZ again, after what seems like a long hiatus. Setna is a French six-piece of drums, bass, soprano sax, two keyboards (Rhodes and Mini-Moog), and female...
» Read moreSigns of One is yet another industrious band trying to make a name for themselves in a crowded and competitive prog market. Innerlands is their second album, and with it they’ve...
» Read moreThe Mandolinquents are an acoustic, mandolin based (how did you guess?) quartet that’s been playing together off and on for a dozen years or more, and this – documenting one of their...
» Read moreMusea does it again! They have found another exciting and superb band worthy of your attention. Soma Planet (Andreu P. Méndez on guitar, keyboards, Theremin, and effects; Marc Prat on bass; Furmi...
» Read moreSometimes music is a journey. Sometimes it’s maybe even more a journey than it is music, as is the case with Soriah’s work. He (I think that’s the appropriate pronoun) is credited...
» Read moreSpace Ritual is a new band formed from the remnants of Hawkwind. Consisting of Nik Turner (sax, flute, and vocals), Dave Anderson (bass, electric guitars, acoustic guitar, and vocals), Terry Ollis...
» Read moreTypically, the first thing that comes to mind when one hears the name Spaced Out is the superhuman bass playing of Antoine Fafard. Make no mistake, band mates Mark Tremblay (guitar) and Martin...
» Read moreSome may remember Wishart from her brief tenure as a member of Hawkwind in the early 90s (she was featured on the Space Bandits studio album, and the live Palace Springs and...
» Read moreDuring the last decade many British rock musicians either went classic or strengthened their classical roots: examples range from Jon Lord to Roger Waters, from Mike Oldfield to Sting. Steve...
» Read moreThe double set covers two decades of work from composer, guitarist, and programmer Steve MacLean. The pieces run a gamut from completely computer-based programmed compositions to a five-piece band,...
» Read moreOne usually thinks of the trombone in its more typical context as an essential part of a jazz ensemble, filling in the melodic low end parts between blazing trumpets, saxophones, and such. On its...
» Read moreBrothers Alan and Steve Freeman have been long time fans of Krautrock etc. as well as record shop owners specializing in this and similar music, and publishers of Audion magazine. This...
» Read morePicture if you will that it is harvest time in the heart of Appalachia. Leaves are blowing, acorns are falling, pumpkins are ripening, and all manner of woodland critters are scurrying about. That...
» Read moreOver the last ten years or so, Strawbs have toured and recorded in various configurations, from a three-piece acoustic trio to a fully amplified five-piece electric band. The Broken Hearted...
» Read moreIn 2002, Russian guitarist Nomy Agranson and keyboardist Doran Usher formed The Gourishankar, a Russian neo-prog band that now also includes vocalist Vlad MJ Whiener and drummer Cat Heady. 2nd...
» Read moreNeil Campbell is a talented composer, virtuoso classical guitarist, and multi-instrumentalist (acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, synths, glockenspiel, and harmonic vocals). Particle...
» Read morePlatform One from last year is properly credited to The Wrong Object featuring Annie Whitehead and Harry Beckett, British jazz trombonist and trumpeter respectively, continuing this...
» Read moreHmmm… programmed drums transmitting from another planet, ghostly atmospherics, trance-y scraps of electronica, crunchy guitars… do I detect the hand of Porcupine Tree? Germany has...
» Read moreThrough a Glass are a young (as in still in high school when this was recorded), Tennessee-based rock band. That’s rock as in two guitars, bass, drums, vocals, and lots and lots of youthful...
» Read moreTime’s Forgotten is a new progressive band from San Jose, Costa Rica. Formed in 2004, the band consists of Juan Pablo Calvo (keyboards, samples, background vocals, programming), Jorge Sobrado...
» Read moreEver since his 1998 debut, From the Inside, English guitarist Tony Harn has demonstrated a keen knack for creating densely layered instrumentals revolving around his harmonically nuanced...
» Read moreLundvall seems stubbornly drawn to subject matter already covered. His 2006 Empty City drew context and settings from a topic covered by composers as disparate as Aaron Copland and Henry...
» Read moreTZGIV is a band led by Swiss saxophonist Markus Strauss; the band’s name stands for “Trank Zappa Grappa in Varese?” so one might take a wild guess at who one of their chief...
» Read moreTurn to Fall is a Seattle-based band that falls into the same general category of contemporary alternative prog that houses The Mars Volta (though less frenetic), Coheed and Cambria (less emo and...
» Read moreHow do you celebrate Easter in rural Finland, especially when you are a foreigner? All the shops are closed and the locals are home spending time with their families. It so happened that three...
» Read moreMore Than a Dream is probably the best of the recent Unicorn Digital releases, and that is saying a lot! Unitopia hails from Down Under and they independently released More Than a...
» Read moreThis archival collection presents the music of 24 Finnish bands, most unknown to Western ears. Disc One contains 19 psychedelic/progressive rock songs and Disc Two contains ten experimental/avant...
» Read moreIn #34, I likened Volcano the Bear’s previous outing, Classic Erasmus...
» Read moreWadada Leo Smith is known to many fans as the joint leader of the Yo Miles! projects that spawned a new audience for heavy groove inflected fusion. Tabligh is a cousin of that...
» Read moreOne of Seattle’s finest composers, Wayne Horvitz, has crafted a new ensemble album for his main quartet. Horvitz’ signature technique translates into imploring melodic constructs within...
» Read morePerhaps I’m just overly influenced by the artwork in the booklet, but it truly does seem like this music conjures up imagery of scenic rural England in times long gone by – green grass,...
» Read moreXinema is a three-piece group from Sweden; the members originally played in a band called Madrigal in the mid-80s (not to be confused with the current band of the same name). Basic...
» Read moreNot to be confused with Bernard Szajner’s dark and ominous band Zed from the late 70s, this Colorado based jazz-rock quartet has a positive outlook and a bright, colorful collection of styles...
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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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Dave Weckl Band - The Rhythm of the Soul – Back when I was in college, Weckl was God to every star-struck drummer who ever picked up a pair of sticks. His years behind the kit in both of Chick Corea's bands allowed him ample opportunity to... (1999) » Read more
Chris Béya Atoll - Illian, J’entends gronder la Terre – 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 shows... (2005) » Read more
Mark Ceccotti - Still at Large – Most will be familiar with Ceccotti as the guitarist and chief composer of Edhels, a band that released a number of LPs and CDs from the mid-1980s right up through 1999. Since that time he has... (2009) » Read more
Alan Gowen / Phil Miller / Richard Sinclair / Trevor Tomkins - Before a Word Is Said – For those of you still unfamiliar with the Canterbury musical legacy, Alan Gowen, a keyboardist of some renown, died of leukemia in 1981. In his short career, he notched up quite a few noteworthy... (1996) » Read more
If, Bwana - I, Angelica – The latest release from Al Margolis and company is a sprawling ambient-industrial noise opus spanning 10 tracks over 2 discs. The program is varied, some parts leaning more toward electronic and... (2003) » Read more