Issue 7

What's old

Exposé print issues (1993-2011)

Available online from Issue 7

July 1995

60 Pages

Phish, Area & Demetrio Stratos, Happy Family, Hoelderlin, Vinyl Magic (Part 2), Artis/Cramps label, Lost Vinyl (Part 2), Stefan Dimle of Landberk, David Kerman of 5uu's

Showing items 1 to 20 of 146

A Beginner's Guide to 5uu's —
The Dave Kerman Interview

It certainly was a big surprise to discover that 5uu's would be playing here in Grenoble! They were one of the bands I had always dreamed of seeing on stage, even though I had kept my expectations low that I might ever see this Californian band in France. Grenoble would be their only French date of this six week European tour so we were lucky not to miss it. The "102" is used to program experimental, industrial, concrete music and underground movies. It was the only venue that could have invited a band like 5uu's over here but compared to some artists that the "102" usually features, the American quartet is nearly a pop band. Mastermind David Kerman kindly spent some time chatting with me before the gig, a perfect opportunity to get more information about a band we don't know much about. » Read more
(Posted by Jean-Luc Putaux 1995-07-01)

A Phenomenological Phishing Expedition —
A Profile of Phish 1995

The phenomenon of Phish is a bit of an enigma. Playing music that for the most part ranges from not-particularly-commercial to wildly eclectic to seriously challenging, they are selling out large venues and even setting concert attendance records across the country. But while their fanbase has grown exponentially over the decade or so of their existence, they continue to receive little more than token mention in the music press, and what mention there is often tends to be horribly misguided and misinformed. So what is it about Phish that fans find so addictive yet critics and the music community as a whole seem to find so ungraspable? » Read more
(Posted by Rob Walker 1995-07-01)

Kunst macht frei —
A Profile of Area

1973 was a fertile time for music and musicians. As in any period of time, there were many minds questioning the so-called conventions of music and the music industry. The time was ripe for experimentation and the combining of disparate sound and styles in ways never before imagined. However, in the early 70s in Italy, artists did not automatically consign themselves to obscurity by doing so. Area was born of a strong political commitment, largely due to the polarized, fragmented political climate in Italy. Their political message was not hidden in comfortable and familiar pop-song structures; instead they challenged the listener with music as unsettling and difficult as their radical social ideas. » Read more
(Posted by Mike Borella 1995-07-01)

Removing Borders from Music —
The Landberk Interview 1995

Berkeley, California. In the middle of a long day of shopping for rare and unusual vinyl artifacts, we pause at a sidewalk coffee stand and catch up on the latest news of things musical and progressive from both sides of the Atlantic. Stefan Dimle is the bassist and a founding member of the Swedish band Landberk, whose latest release One Man Tell's Another is selling well and gaining respect for the band worldwide. » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1995-07-01)

Riding the Silver Elephant —
Meet Happy Family 1995

While Sweden has taken off as a hot spot in recent years, with new young bands like Anekdoten and Änglagård which have rightfully found a lot of attention and praise from prog fans worldwide, there has been an even more vital resurgence of prog bands cropping up on the other side of the world, namely in Japan. While the new Swedish bands are heavy on the classic sounds of the 70s and are largely focused on revitalizing that approach, the most recent outbreak of Japanese talent have pursued the loftier goal of creating new, fresh, and avant-garde forms of progressive rock that combines a multitude of influences into something completely revolutionary, something completely exciting. » Read more
(Posted by Dan Casey 1995-07-01)

Weaving a String of Dreams —
The Hoelderlin Story

Hoelderlin are not generally mentioned in the same breath as Grobschnitt, SFF, Novalis, Wallenstein, and the other leading lights of German symphonic rock, but they should be. Their brand of progressive music, while distinctly German, was unlike any of their aforementioned peers. Hoelderlin's style is altogether mellower and more pastoral, drawing influence from rock, jazz, folk and the music of the Romantic era. The result is a lyrical, melodic music distinct from anything else happening in Germany. Perhaps this is why the recent reissues have not received the attention they deserved thus far. » Read more
(Posted by Mike Ohman 1995-07-01)