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Showing items 21 to 30 of 34

Thoughtful Boats and Rocky Oceans —
A Profile of the German Octopus

Cover art Not to be confused with the many other bands of the same name, the German Octopus was perhaps the classic Sky-label band. The band was conceived in Frankfurt, Germany in 1973 by bass player Claus Kniemeyer and guitarist Pit Hensel. Kniemeyer was playing in American G.I. clubs with a commercial rock band at the time. However, he had a desire to make a more heavily conceptual music. Upon meeting like-minded Pit Hensel, who had previously been playing jazz, Octopus was born. With powerful singer Jennifer Hensel (no relation, apparently), organist Werner Littau, and drummer Dieter Becke, they made their live debut in February 1974 at the Fachoberschule Frankfurt.  » Read more
(Posted by Mike Ohman 1996-08-01)

Lengthy Silence Punctuated By... —
A Profile of French TV 1996

Cover art An unlikely name for a collective of progressive musicians from Louisville, Kentucky, French TV is essentially bassist / bandleader Mike Sary and whoever he happens to be working with at any given point in time. From one album to the next, the high turnover rate in the lineup may, at first lead one to believe that French TV is more of a solo project — yet considering the time elapsed between recording of the band's four releases (nearly eight years in some cases), these are only snapshots of what has been a gradual change.  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1996-03-01)

Kenso - Overview of Pre-1996 Releases

Cover art If Japan has the equivalent of a Happy the Man, Kenso is it. Their sound encompasses everything, from polished symphonic prog, to fusion, Canterbury, even touches of Japanese traditional music. The music is (with a couple of exceptions) entirely instrumental, melodically rich, highly spirited, and completely energized. They've been together since the late 70s, off and on, and the lineup has changed over time, but has always centered around guitarist Yoshihisa Shimizu. In addition to guitar, the lineup typically features dual keyboards, bass, and drums — and early on included a flautist as well.  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1996-03-01)

The Zeuhl School —
The Extended Family of Magma

Cover art

When considering the legacy of Magma, which continues to this day, one must recognize the huge wake they left behind: Many of France’s best musicians were once members, or associates of members, or somehow were touched by their influence. Thus, their pervasive effect on the French jazz-rock scene cannot be understated. After Magma it would never quite be quite the same again. In this piece I will attempt to cover (albeit briefly) some of the many spin-offs, feeders, side projects, and solo works by many of Vander’s former and current associates. This overview is not intended to be exhaustive and complete – instead it is intended to establish some of the relationships between certain formations and musicians who carried the zeuhl spirit forward, and give some information regarding them.

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1995-11-01)

Tending the Progressive Garden —
Carl Tafel and Terraced Garden

Cover art Terraced Garden began in early '81 as a solo project by Toronto-born multi-instrumentalist/composer Carl Tafel. Prior to this, he was one third of a band called Cardboard Brains, for whom he played bass and sang, a "demonically heavy" outfit by Tafel's own admission, that was "too far outside for any broad acceptance." He left the band in order to concentrate on writing, playing guitar and keyboards, and developing a more expanded sound. The first recordings began in 1981, but the money quickly ran out. A year later, Tafel went back into the studio, and with the help of some other musicians, finished the recordings for the first album by the end of 1982, and it was finally released in January '83.  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1995-11-01)

Out of the Shadow of Magma —
The Eskaton Story

Cover art Of all the musicians and groups most influenced by Magma and zeuhl music, Eskaton may have been the most impressive of all. While beginning their careers with strong influences by Magma in both name (Eskaton Kommandkestra) and music, the Parisian group slowly and carefully forged their own view of celestial music over three albums and a single.  » Read more
(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1995-11-01)

Once upon a Time in Linz —
The Eela Craig Story

Cover art Possibly Austria's best-known prog band (I'd be very surprised if you can name another that made more than one album), Eela Craig formed in the early 70s in Linz (about 85 miles west of Vienna). The nucleus of the band was pianist Hubert Bognermayr, bassist Gerhard Englisch, and multi-instrumentalist (flute, sax, organ, guitar) Harald Zuschrader. Over the course of the remainder of the decade, they produced four albums that are well-regarded in the progressive rock world, and (like so many bands) went on to record more pop-oriented material in the 80s and beyond.  » Read more
(Posted by Mike Ohman 1995-11-01)

A Short History of Kobaïan-Earth Relations —
Magma in the 70s

Cover art Imagine a world, many centuries into the future, when society as we know it has decayed into chaos and degradation, void of spiritual guidance. The colonization of space is well underway, and space travel has become commonplace. It is in this setting that a handful of enlightened Earth people seeking a better existence finance the construction of a private spacecraft and leave the planet in search of a new world where a new, more spiritually guided civilization can be reborn. They finally find that new home after a long and hazardous journey on the distant planet Kobaïa, where the party settles and begins anew.  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1995-11-01)

Weaving a String of Dreams —
The Hoelderlin Story

Cover art 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)

Riding the Silver Elephant —
Meet Happy Family 1995

Cover art 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)

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