I find it extremely challenging to keep up with this prolific band with their myriad lineups and bazillions of releases. This time around, the band is Tsuyama Atsushi (monster bass, tortoiseshell...
» Read morePutting cellos and Amy X Neuburg’s amazing voice together seems like a great idea, and by the end of the opening track, “One Lie,” I was hooked. On it Neuburg lays bare the lyrics...
» Read moreSubtitled Missing Links Volume IV, this is the latest in that series, which I suppose supersedes the Private Parts and Pieces series. Similarly, though, this is a collection of...
» Read moreThe opener “Seventh Hell” presents twelve minutes of intensely convoluted frantic bombast, busy and chaotic at every melodic intersection, though sensibly arranged; in short –...
» Read moreBarry Cleveland considers his new album a departure from past efforts. I’d agree, only insofar as many of the songs feature vocals. But for those who recall Cleveland’s lauded 2004...
» Read moreIt’s been a few years since 2006’s Autumn Continent, but this latest release – his fourth altogether – is well worth the wait. Between Interval is the creative...
» Read moreIf his name sounds a little familiar, it may be because many will remember him from his appearance on numerous television shows going all the way back to Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone...
» Read moreWell, I have to be honest right out of the box, here. The lyrical content of this disc is so intense, permeated in dark sexual fetishism and disturbing first-hand details of troubling personal...
» Read moreThis is probably the way all concerts should be released: as a double disk with an audio-only version as well as a DVD concert video. One or the other will likely pop up on a torrent site or...
» Read moreI wrote about this Chinese band’s debut recording back in #36, and their core esthetic...
» Read moreThirty years ago, the US progressive band Cathedral released their first album, Stained Glass Stories. That was it until Tom Doncourt (keyboards) attended a King Crimson concert in 2003...
» Read moreCausa Sui is a Danish powerhouse of spacy, extended psychedelic stoner-rock jams. With two releases to their credit – their previous Free Ride from 2007 received a glowing review in...
» Read moreSo... what to make of this? One of the most famous lead singers in the history of European prog has recorded a solo album... of instrumental music (well, almost – there’s one track with...
» Read moreCoral Caves is an Italian band that proves good solid progressive rock doesn’t have to be overly complex to be good. I hear elements of early Genesis, mid-70s Pink Floyd, Camel, and of course...
» Read moreThe first new set of music in over 15 years from sophisticated pop duo keyboardist Dave Stewart and vocalist Barbara Gaskin is a strong reason for celebration. The two have not lost step with their...
» Read moreParsons is a New Zealand based composer with fifteen or so releases to his credit going all the way back to the early 80s; his work tends to draw its inspiration from his extensive travels...
» Read moreThe worlds in this case are the spirit world and the physical world, the bridge between them according to Native American beliefs are the ritual, the healing and the magic, and on the music...
» Read moreDemon Fuzz was a brass septet hailing from the UK, led by woodwinds man Paddy Corea, who spent time on the UK jazz circuit most notably backing Wilson Pickett on his British tours. An electric fuzz...
» Read moreKeyboardist Alex Maguire's new trio, flavored with the occasional Canterbury tinge, is a testament to the durability of that jazz-rock essence on European musicians. Maguire's insane fuzzy...
» Read moreDrifting in Silence is the electronic brainchild of composer and multi-instrumentalist Derrick Stembridge and Facewithin is his fifth release of ambient-based dance music. The eight...
» Read moreEdward Ka-Spel records and releases two basic types of solo music, songs and experimental music (collages, found sounds, and electronics). O’er a Shalabast’r Tyde Strolt Ay is an...
» Read moreDuring the Legendary Pink Dots 2008 tour they were selling Edward’s The Painted River of Regrets as a limited edition of 399 CDr copies. These were rapidly sold out and...
» Read moreA trio of drums, electric piano and synths, and trombone, although trombonist and bandleader / composer Brent Sroka spends at least as much time creating and processing sounds on the laptop, which...
» Read moreFast ‘n’ Bulbous is one of several tribute bands that Cuneiform has been nurturing in the last few years (along with Mahavishnu Project, Yo Miles, and Ed Palermo’s Zappa tribute...
» Read moreThis Dutch outfit has been active since the early 90s, inspired by both 70s symphonic prog and 80s neo-prog. Their sound straddles the two, though for the most part they echo the warm and engaging...
» Read morePatrick Forgas is a French drummer who has been releasing jazz-rock fusion gems since the late 70s. The latest incarnation on Cuneiform Records finds Patrick and his band mates Sebastien Trognon...
» Read moreAs one might guess from the title, this is a three-in-one – in this case three commissioned dance pieces by three different choreographers (one recent and two a bit older) that coexist...
» Read moreIn 2032, or so the legend goes, Planet Gong finally makes contact with Earth. And I guess that you can consider 2032 to be the fourth part of the Radio Gnome trilogy. This new release is...
» Read moreEven after 40 years it’s difficult to use the past tense when it comes to the work of Henry Cow. Its importance grows and influence continues to be felt. And while it’s absurd to add that “it...
» Read moreIf anything can be said about this long-running Mexican progressive band, it’s to expect the unexpected. The band has been going in various forms since the early 80s, and no two consecutive...
» Read moreThis Polish powerhouse’s earlier album S.U.S.A.R. from a few years ago blew a lot of minds wide open, as did their captivating performance at Baja Prog 2007. This writer was more...
» Read moreFrequency is an important IQ album, since it’s the first time two new band members were on board since the early 90s. But rather than propel their sound forward, as they did with...
» Read moreIt starts out with a loose groove and wah-wah trumpet, so the first impression is of electric Miles Davis, though with more guitar and no keyboards. Later, as more diverse elements show up, that...
» Read moreIt starts with an aggressive riff on the bari sax run doubled an octave lower with a harmonizer; a bit later you get a distorted melody played on an instrument you can't quite identify from the...
» Read moreJon Hassell's first ECM recording as a leader is long overdue, but it is an understated ambient percussion mix consistent with the acclaimed trumpet player’s most pervasive recordings....
» Read moreFor those of you not old enough to remember, Judy Dyble was Fairport Convention’s original vocalist who left after their first album. She then hooked up with Ian McDonald and the original...
» Read moreClassic Kansas with an orchestra! Kansas celebrated their 35th anniversary in February 2009 by appearing with the Washburn University Symphony Orchestra in Topeka, Kansas. Unlike many rock /...
» Read moreFor his eighth album, Richard Wileman has turned to familiar and not so familiar topics, with pieces inspired by vampires, Max Ernst paintings, actor Peter Cushing, and the short fiction of...
» Read moreFans of Kenso will certainly be familiar with the band’s album Sparta from 1989, a bold step in a more jazz-rock / fusion direction following their first three studio and double-live...
» Read moreThis represents the beginning of a whole new chapter in Killick’s body of work, although there have been many chapters before, so one shouldn’t expect that this will be the last....
» Read moreCanadian trio Klaatu was primarily a studio outfit, their only live performances coming in the early 80s toward the tail end of their five album run. So the highlight of Solology is the...
» Read moreThe follow-up to the first effort from the partnership of latter day King Crimson rhythm section (Trey Gunn and Pat Mastelloto) with accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen is a must for fans of Crimson and...
» Read moreLights out. Put your headphones on for this one! Expansive sheets of subtle melodic color and points of sparkling light and empty darkness drift and float in and out of a three-dimensional...
» Read moreThis is the fourth album by Southern California based Lovespirals, a moody, dreamy pop duo featuring vocalist Anji Bee and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Lum, who carried the essence of the concept...
» Read moreListening to the new Magma album is kind of like visiting an old town you used to live in thirty years ago. As you walk around you see some of the old landmarks you used to know, but there are many...
» Read moreBilled as the first collaboration between Kawabata Makoto of Acid Mothers Temple and Michishita Shinsuke of LSD March, it’s no surprise this release sounds like two electric guitarists...
» Read moreMamabaoyou is an instrumental band from Dalian in northern China, which is also home to the more well-known Wang Wen. Oddly enough, although the band’s name sounds Chinese, it is never...
» Read moreSwiss born vibraphonist / percussionist Marc Wagnon is probably best known as a member of Tunnels during their five-album run, or perhaps as a member of Doctor Nerve before that, but all through...
» Read moreIn 2005, five years after their previous, Angels of the Apocalypse, a Mastermind single called “Broken” appeared, featuring three new songs, an extended mix of the title cut,...
» Read moreMoraine is a new Seattle-based five-piece led by guitarist Dennis Rea (please refer to our feature on Mr. Rea in issue 23 for more background), joined by a rhythm section of bass and drums, plus a...
» Read moreThis oddly named band is a mainstay of the Beijing avant rock scene. They take their name (an old song title), and one of their members (guitarist Yang Fan), from Hang on the Box, a pioneering...
» Read moreThe follow up to Panic Room’s 2008 debut Visionary Position builds on their strengths of solid songwriting, intrinsic melodicism, and intelligent arrangements, all supported by...
» Read moreNeo-proggers Pendragon seem to have taken a cue from Yes, with five DVDs on the market since 2002. So why another one? For one thing, this commemorates the band’s 30th anniversary, plus it...
» Read moreI had never heard of this band before I saw them play live, opening a show for Wang Wen, China’s best known...
» Read moreIt’s been a few years since Steven Davies-Morris handed me a copy of Ghost Story on a rained-out Sunday at Baja, but as soon as I listened to it, it was evident that the songwriting,...
» Read moreThe Incident is Porcupine Tree’s tenth studio album. The double vinyl limited edition comes housed in a PVC slip case including a 48-page 12” book with the usual artsy photos...
» Read moreForty years after Quicksilver’s heyday, this 2006 live show recorded at The Sweetwater in Mill Valley featuring original members Gary Duncan and David Freiberg plus four more recent additions...
» Read moreThe band with the awkward name has released an album with a name even more awkward. The band is generally called Re-TROS, and I'll call the album Watch Out. Since their 2005 release...
» Read moreIt seems that every new project that Robert Rich immerses himself in — be it solo or collaborative — adds another level of enlightenment to whatever comes after it, carried forward to...
» Read moreGerman band RPWL have secured a devoted following over the past 10 years and five studio albums, due to a likeable sound that blends Genesis and Pink Floyd inspired prog with a modern aesthetic...
» Read moreThe Human Condition is Saga’s debut release with new vocalist Rob Moratti. Not surprisingly, the group’s sound has changed with Moratti’s addition. After all, in addition...
» Read moreLike the previous Szabó/Kastning duets, Parabola consists of improvisations utilizing different kinds of acoustic guitar other than the standard variety – 6- and 12- string...
» Read moreIs it a dialogue or one-way harangue? That's what you might ask emerging from this full-bore psychedelic freak-out of ferocious proto-metal fighting to stay alive (or conscious) against some...
» Read moreBack in the early to mid 70s Shawn Phillips was in the heyday of his career. This CD presents three different BBC radio sessions (May 10, 1971, March 7, 1973, and October 1, 1974) from this fine...
» Read moreHot on the heels of his Living Contribution concert DVD is Living Collaboration recorded at the Minnesota Zoological Gardens the evening of July 19, 2008. Living...
» Read moreImagine if Enya and Adrian Belew had produced offspring. Annie Clark (St. Vincent is essentially Clark plus guest musicians) has the former’s angelic voice and mesmerizing vocal arrangements,...
» Read moreSteve Roach released these three CDs as an individually numbered boxed set or as separate items. As with any minimalist music, you are not on the fence: as you either love it or loathe it. All...
» Read moreI’m not sure what the dog licking a red popsicle on the cover represents, but this latest release by the full five- piece Strawbs celebrates 40 years since the release of the band’s...
» Read moreThere is definitely something going on with progressive music these days. As we near the end of the first decade of the 21st Century it appears that we are emerging from the doldrums with some...
» Read more“Ambient” gets thrown around quite a lot, and both understanding of the term and of the genre seem to have finally and completely dissipated into catch-all meaninglessness... an...
» Read moreSometimes I put the CD in the car stereo without looking at the titles, and that’s what I did with Eleonore. I like to keep my eyes on the traffic. As the disc played I found a lot...
» Read moreThe Tunnel Singer is Lee Ellen Shoemaker, San Francisco based vocalizer with a long string of releases to her credit, most employing nothing but her voice and lots and lots of reverb, either...
» Read moreHard to believe it’s been 18 years since this band’s first release. While they’ve hardly been prolific – only four studio albums in that time, along with a couple of live...
» Read moreThe Whirlwind was one of the most anticipated CDs of the year and it does not disappoint. Disc one is a 78-minute piece which is broken out into 12 sub-sections. Many people are concerned...
» Read moreFrom the outset this recording sounds like a modern update of Eddie Jobson’s UK on steroids, with a scoop of 21st century Crimson on top. It was arrived at in a fascinating way. Master...
» Read moreThe last time we heard from this excellent Finnish band was their previous album We Just Want to Rule the World from 2003 (review in issue #29). At that point Trusties was a trio, with a...
» Read moreUlysses is a Dutch metal-prog band and The Gift of Tears is their second album. Apparently, The Gift of Tears is a concept album, as Ulysses wanted to share their views and...
» Read moreIf you can imagine a medieval fantasy made for the Sci-Fi Channel – yes, it’s overwrought and romantic in a neo-Gothic sort of way, and frequently anachronistic – this could be...
» Read moreOn the occasion of Magma’s 40th anniversary as a band, Soleil Zeuhl has assembled this excellent tribute compilation featuring an array of artists, including several former members of the...
» Read moreSome five or six years ago, French instrumental quartet Yang released their outstanding debut A Complex Nature on Cuneiform, then promptly disbanded, before playing even a single concert....
» Read moreYūgen is an Italian based chamber rock ensemble (nine members + numerous guests for this recording) led by guitarist Francesco Zago. Another member of the group is multi-instrumentalist
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)
Since the band was founded in the early 70s by ex-Magma members François Cahen (piano) and Yochk'o Seffer (saxes), theirs has been a constant evolutionary path, with no two consecutive...
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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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Zao - Ethnic-3 Live – Since the band was founded in the early 70s by ex-Magma members François Cahen (piano) and Yochk'o Seffer (saxes), theirs has been a constant evolutionary path, with no two consecutive Zao... (2010) » Read more
Zauber - Il Sogno (AKA Zauber) – Here is another rarity from the vaults. Zauber was a five-piece who produced only this single album in the late seventies, until their recent reformation (see Mike's New Italian article in issue... (1995) » Read more
Various Artists - A Saucerful of Pink – With all of these recent tribute releases, there seem to be three types of covers: those which stay true to the original (or at least attempt to), those who take the original concept and try to... (1996) » Read more
Anima - Singularities – While eight musicians are credited here, the music features guitars, bass, drums, and keyboards, and some vocals / harmonies / choirs, and one might suspect this to be a basic four or five piece with... (1997) » Read more
Paul Dunmall Octet - Bebop Starburst – If big band jazz is an acquired taste for any progressive music aficionado, then big band jazz with free jazz overtones is a likely a challenging ordeal. Even for the casual bebop jazz fan it’s... (1999) » Read more