From the beginning, led by drummer Dave Kerman, 5uu's started out as the west-coast answer to the European RIO music of the day. Their first mini-album Bel Marduk & Tiamat echoes...
» Read more[Musique Intemporelle edition from 1995]
Agitation Free are one of Germany's finest space rock groups, an outfit that launched the careers of many respected musicians like...
» Read moreLead vocalist Baggi Buchmann was a prominent contributor to German keyboardist Ines' Hunting the Fox album a couple years ago. Here he is featured with his regular band, a five piece...
» Read moreNow that nearly all of the classic Italian albums have been reissued, all that remains now is the most obscure material. Case in point... Albergo Intergalattico Spaziale was the duo of Mino di...
» Read moreAmir Cantusio Jr's Alpha III project has been a Brazilian mainstay since the early 80s. Voyage to Ixtlan is Cantusio's eighth album under this name and has gone from independent...
» Read moreIn the early 70s, there were so many great progressive bands on the Italian scene, that even some of the best were overlooked. Case in point: Alphataurus were a five-piece who released their only...
» Read moreAlquimia is a vocalist, composer and multi-instrumentalist who has three previous albums to her credit in the pre-hispanic/new electronic music area, while Fernandez Ledesma is the de-facto leader...
» Read moreAngel’in Heavy Syrup is a four piece band from Japan. The group is composed of Mineko Itakura on bass and vocals, Mine Nakao on guitar and vocals, Fuseo Toda on guitar and chimes, and Tomoko...
» Read moreIn fact what begins as a pretty bizarre sounding album, with the bassist making weird laughs, sound effects, assumed voices, and whispered lyrics for over two minutes, turns out to be one of the...
» Read moreGermany — 1971 — Underground. Those three terms evoke images of the Berlin Wall, intensity, angst, freedom. And no band helped define this milieu more than Ash Ra Tempel. With a long...
» Read moreJean-Pierre Massiera had somewhat of a reputation for putting together one-shot bands that record and promptly die. Another one of his 'projects' was Visitors, which we
Let me just begin this by saying this album is unquestionably the best Brazilian symphonic progressive rock album. Keep also in mind that it hasn't had much competition until the last few...
» Read moreBeequeen is the duo of Frans de Waard and Freek Kinklaar and Sugarbush is their third CD release. Frans is also the erstwhile publisher of the excellent experimental/industrial music...
» Read more[Parts of this review specifically relate to the 1995 reissue on Germanofon. -ed.]
The Germany-based sextet is probably most well known as representing the baby steps of...
» Read moreIn 1991, Mellow released BPI's lost second album, Il Tempo della Semina, which was recorded in late 1974. This sounds like what was probably the final demo tapes, as this has much...
» Read moreHeuzé's stunning electro-acoustic music belongs in the broadest swath of progressive music and can be roughly categorized as techno-tribal, an eclectic mix of eastern exoticism, ambient...
» Read moreOver the years Connecticut-based multi-instrumentalist and composer C.W. Vrtacek has released several solo albums, appeared on numerous compilations, collaborated with Frith, Didkovsky, Biota, and...
» Read moreJust what the world needs, another Swedish prog band! Catweazle are a four-piece of guitar / keyboards / bass / drums with lead vocals by keyboardist Michael Thorne. They seem to be coming from the...
» Read moreCeleste's debut album is one of the very best of the Italian progressives, and was highly regarded enough to have been reissued in three countries. Meanwhile, this CD is supposedly a lost...
» Read moreSeems like we just reviewed Savourey's first album in the last issue, and already he's back with a superb and highly energized follow-up. Okay, this may not be exactly what most consider...
» Read moreThese guys have just about got it right on this one! For the last several years, Christian Vander has been following the spirit of John Coltrane, particularly the Impulse years, Both he and Goubert...
» Read moreHerr Schnitzler is probably the most prolific synthesist (we might as well say musician) on the planet. He has been around since the early days of Kluster and Tangerine Dream (he was a member of...
» Read moreCorte dei Miracoli only released one album on the short lived Grog label in 1976 (reissued on Vinyl Magic) and like Museo Rosenbach, left a series of poorly recorded demos, of which Dimensione...
» Read moreFeaturing guitarists Marcello Todaro of Banco del Mutuo Soccorso and Nanni Civitenga of Raccomondata Ricevuta Ritorno, Crystals were a group of musicians trying to be the next big thing or at least...
» Read moreAccording to the liner notes, Bedford composed these six pieces for the Royal Observatory Telescope room after a modernization upgrade. For those of you who’re unfamiliar with Bedford’s...
» Read moreIf ever there was a band that fit the "love 'em or hate 'em" mold, this is certainly it. Fans tend to be die-hards, and non-fans tend to just ignore this band. So when the fans...
» Read moreProceed with extreme caution. If you love symphonic progressive rock with a nasty, sinister edge, Devil Doll may be the band you've been waiting for. Fronted by the inimitable Mr. Doctor on...
» Read moreI suppose it was inevitable that before long this band would find a concept such as this too good to pass up. Given the countless readings of this medieval concept in classical music, though,...
» Read moreIt's interesting that Cleopatra is releasing ambient electronic music like this, as my initial impression of the label was much different. There’s not an awful lot of information in the...
» Read moreAbout halfway through my first listen to Dr Folamour's eponymous debut, I had to go and find my copy of baG's
Mellow's "New Progressive Series" (a title they tend to put on the newer releases) is a rather misleading category. I don't want to entertain a discussion of what...
» Read moreDweller at the Threshold is a trio of Paul Ellis, Dave Fulton, and Jeff Vasey, on synthesizers, synthesizers, and synthesizers respectively, out to explore the far reaches of a finite universe with...
» Read moreIt's amazing how many great albums are still being reissued from Germany from the early 70s. It seems at times that there is no end to the wealth from that period. Eiliff was another gem of a...
» Read moreFeaturing three respected German new-electronic musicians, Ted de Jong on tabla, Klaus Wiese on zither, and Matthias Grassow on keys, one might hope that the three would use this unusual...
» Read moreElectric Diamond is a trio of keyboards (piano and analog synths), lyricon, and violin. The music is all instrumental, and ranges from analog synth renditions of 13th and 14th Century dances to...
» Read moreSome may recall that we reviewed the original Electric Orange album back in issue #4. That album,...
» Read moreInsubmersible is Exclusive Raja's second album and is a step onward from their debut, Off the Map, of three years ago. This eclectic band shows musical influences of such...
» Read moreAt the core of this classic Finnish prog-fusion unit were two brothers, Pekka and Jussi Tegelman, on guitars and drums respectively. They recorded three albums in the mid-late 70s; the first two...
» Read moreThis Canadian trio is probably best known for their three late-70s LPs Black Noise, Headroom, and Surveillance (the first of which saw CD reissue a couple years ago)...
» Read moreIt sounds like Folli di Dio just missed being on Mellow's Fruit Salad label, as it fits into that most amorphous of genres – neo-psychedelic. Neo-psych is as ambiguous as most genre names...
» Read moreFonya is Chris Fournier, a multi-instrumentalist adept at making instrumental symphonic progressive rock in a variety of moods. The album is primarily keyboard-based, using modern keyboard sounds...
» Read moreEarth Shaper is a travel into a fantasy land. A rather colorful travel where most of the times the instruments are equal in conveying the soundscapes to these imaginary places. It could be...
» Read moreFonya continues to be the solo vehicle for multi-instrumentalist Chris Fournier. His latest release is one that builds well on previous efforts, and is simultaneously familiar and accessible, not...
» Read moreItalian synthesists are a rare breed and only a few of them did anything of note (Cacciapaglia, Baffo Banfi, and very few others). Buccheri was a very obscure musician with a pronounced Teutonic...
» Read morePianist Françoise Toullec leads her quintet through some mellow and mysterious avant-garde jazz on this intriguing album. Accompanied by acoustic bass, drums, saxophone, and voice, she...
» Read moreGenfuoco were one of the last "progressive" rock groups in the late 70s with Zauber and Locanda delle Fate. Genfuoco's music, very much like Zauber, was airy and serene with some very...
» Read moreOne of the better of the new Italian progressive bands, their eponymous debut just escaped the second part of our "New Italian Progressive Rock Scene" overview back in issue #4. So with...
» Read moreGilgamesh's second album is a work of rediscovery for the original two lead voices of the band, Phil Lee (guitars) and Alan Gowen (keyboards). Gowen had just returned from a tour of the U.S....
» Read moreIf you're looking for a good keyboard album, then look no further. Glass Hammer has lots to offer in that department. There are some great keyboard parts on Perelandra and the...
» Read moreMy first impressions of the album were that the music is a trite retread of the same standard progressive ideas, just performed by a different set of enthusiastic fans using weakly written...
» Read moreIt's terribly sad to me that many people's impression of "progressive rock" goes no farther than Yes, Genesis, or their countless soundalikes. I don't want to be too hard on...
» Read moreBlah blah Gong blah Daevid Allen blah space rock blah seminal spiritual gnomepixiebanana. Ahem. OK, now the introductions are over, we now have the latest live Gong installment, three different...
» Read moreMarco Cimino of Errata Corrige mixed this and it says on the back that he wrote the songs, however on the inside it says he didn't write anything and only played piano on one track. In reality,...
» Read moreThis is the second album for this British five-piece with a dedicated lead vocalist, whose style is firmly in the neo-progressive camp of bands like IQ and others who drive their sound with brite...
» Read moreThis is one of Musique Intemporelle's Rainbow series, CDs released with a track of CD ROM on each one. I haven't seen the CD ROM portion of this so I can't comment, but the rest of the...
» Read moreGuru Guru was one of the pioneering German psych rock groups, but by 1977 they had mellowed out with age leaving behind the Neumeier / Trepte / Genrich line up that procured classics such as...
» Read moreGwendal are an amazing group and one of my favorites of the severely underrated French / Breton folk-rock scene. Unfortunately the distribution of any of their albums is uncommonly poor and it...
» Read moreThe "Hampton," of course, refers to the venerable Bruce Hampton, best known for his 90s rock / jazz / funk outfit, the Aquarium Rescue Unit. But back in the early 70s, Hampton was the...
» Read moreThis strictly limited edition private release by Heretic (a.k.a. Hiro Kawahara) represents the work of the last few years with demo versions of two thirty-five minute tracks in multiple parts,...
» Read moreFinally a representative collection of the work of this excellent Irish folk-rock band that doesn't focus exclusively on their hits. This 2CD collection - both discs full length, traces the band's...
» Read moreYs is certainly one of the more controversial progressive rock albums. Many people will tell you not only that it is a classic, but it's often quoted as being the very best of...
» Read moreAround a core six-piece of organ, guitar, bass, drums, sax+flute, and powerful lead vocalist Mirko Ostinet, Il Giro Strano were ex-members of equally obscure bands Tramps and Voodoo. They recorded...
» Read moreCiro Perrino has been Mauro Moroni's right hand man at Mellow Records, so it's not surprising that many of the lost relics released by that label include him and other members of the short...
» Read moreThe first 15 minutes of this album (except the two-minute opener) give the listener no idea of what is to come. If you judge an album based on a cursory listen of the first few songs , this one...
» Read moreReleased quietly at the end of last year, this seems to be the album that will earn Iona the recognition and following they have long deserved. This is clearly their strongest effort yet, touching...
» Read moreWhile this is for the most part an unabashedly pop-styled album, it also happens to be a solid, captivating, and thoroughly enjoyable listen. Similar to Clannad at times, Iona's music is a lush...
» Read moreIvanhoe represent the harder side of neo-prog. That is to say, they incorporate keyboards, a big guitar sound, and dramatic lyrics. On first listen to this album, I whooped with delight as...
» Read moreJ.A. Caesar – this is obviously not his real name – has been an enigmatic figure in Japanese rock and avant-garde music dating back to the early 70s. His music is impossible to...
» Read moreJacula's debut (to be reviewed in a later issue) was one of the rarest (if not the rarest) of the Italian progressive rock albums, and certainly one of the most sinister – or...
» Read moreA most welcome reissue. Drummer and bandleader Prat had worked with his band Masal from the early 70s, yet their first and only release was this two-sided 42 minute instrumental opus from nearly a...
» Read moreThe list above is the entire discography of Jumbo except for two rare singles, one from 1970 and one from 1975, and Vietato Ai Minori Di 18 Anni? which is
Finally Watkins' first two post-Happy the Man/Camel solo albums have received the proper digital treatment. These are two very formative albums that offer a logical bridge between the music of the...
» Read moreThis is the first regular album on the Delerium label for this Italian band (though several private cassettes, two singles, and a double-LP on other labels date back to the mid 80s), a five piece...
» Read moreThis one surprised me a bit – I guess I was expecting it to be much worse. I suppose it's a bit dated for 1973, with definite psych / beat influences and shorter songs. In many ways,...
» Read moreThese albums make up the present archives of previously unreleased Latte e Miele music. Latte e Miele are best described as an Italian ELP and have a very big sound for a trio. They released three...
» Read moreKckck wk zz r ckck! It sounds like the workers at the CD mastering plant took time out to play frisbee with the source LP; you can not only tell this CD was mastered from LP but at times...
» Read moreHow to describe this? Let's first consider the music: although it doesn't say exactly who plays on the album, one may hear synths, percussion, flutes, sax, drums, bass, guitars, plus some...
» Read moreThere’s no question that this electronic ensemble is one of the best exponents of original music around today. This is their third CD after several superb cassettes and is the first release...
» Read moreLisa Gerrard is the prime mover behind 4AD trailblazers Dead Can Dance. Her sometimes spooky, sometimes playful vocals have earned her a modest following in the art-rock crowd, often evoking the...
» Read moreThe last of the original Magma albums to be reissued, Inédits comes without much fanfare — it was after all, something of a bootleg in its day, produced by some slippery...
» Read moreFrom Switzerland, Manœuvres d'Automne is essentially the project band of Gilles Rieder (Débile Menthol, L'Ensemble Rayé), with help from Laurent Viennet and Serge...
» Read moreTen years after it was recorded and released as a cassette, and about six years after its original CD incarnation on ZNR records, Mastermind's debut is finally available once again. It...
» Read moreIf you're craving for more modern rock, find Mayfair's Escape. The music fits snugly in the 80s college radio camp with bands like R.E.M., U2, and the like – except not...
» Read moreMedina Azahara are one of the longest running Spanish symphonic rock bands. If I'm not mistaken, they may still be together. While most of their contemporaries disappeared due to the Spanish...
» Read moreAs the CD liner notes state, Mellow Candle's Swaddling Songs is the holy grail of folk rock. There really is no other album that even compares in this specific genre (Fairport...
» Read moreMichael Stearns is in his own right a pioneer in electronic music and sometimes overlooked. Since his first album, Ancient Leaves in 1977 he has released many albums, several such as...
» Read moreMurple is one of the countless Italian one-shots who released one rare album and disappeared off of the face of the earth. Their style was typical of the era – a classical/symphonic rock in...
» Read moreMuseo Rosenbach's Zarathustra is one of the greatest symphonic/classical rock works of all time and has yet to be surpassed in the genre. These two titles are posthumous releases of...
» Read moreSpanish ensemble Music Urbana are quite an interesting group of musicians, creating a very original music. Their first album, recently reissued showed a band blending a plethora of styles –...
» Read moreIn the vein of bands like Perigeo, Agora, Duello Madre, and Dedalus; Napoli Centrale are an Italian jazz rock outfit playing music quite different from their symphonic contemporaries. They're a...
» Read moreThis Mexican quintet dates to the early 80s, to Mexico City's blossoming underground progressive scene. In 1985, they recorded one side of an album, In Principio / Y Murio la Tarde,...
» Read moreFirmly rooted in the "neo-prog" tradition, No Name delivers an album that should have some appeal to fans of similar bands like Marillion, Saga, and IQ. In fact, "Septagone,"...
» Read moreThough this is only Non Credo's second outing, one listen should erase any question about why it's been so long since their debut, Reluctant Hosts. The Los Angeles duo consists of...
» Read moreNuova Idea are probably best known for being part of Italy's largest family tree, including the New Trolls and Osanna. Nuova Idea's Ricky Belloni (on Clowns) joined the New Trolls...
» Read moreSons of the Sonic Solution is 70 minutes of off-the-wall bizarre and eclectic alternative-styled music. There is a definite element of the low- budget grungy alternative ethos; wailing...
» Read moreOpus Avantra (see overview in issue #7) were quite a unique combo. Led by Alfredo Tisocco and vocalist Donella del Monaco, Opus Avantra have been around since the mid 70s when they released two...
» Read moreOnly their fourth release in 22 years, yet it is surprising to see how this band has stuck to their guns, combining classical, folk, and avant-garde elements, and not given into the temptation to...
» Read moreThe latest from Opus Avantra finds pianist Alfredo Tisocco conducting his ensemble of strings and woodwinds through a variety of modern and avant-garde tinged compositions. Influences range from...
» Read moreBahrain is a small group of islands in the Persian Gulf. Of all the places one wouldn't expect as a source of progressive music, it has got to be near the top of the list. But think about it,...
» Read moreThis is a CD I really expected to like, considering this is an Italian progressive from 1973 live and unreleased. That’s not to say it's bad. It certainly has a lot of typical elements to...
» Read moreBroguière's debut album Brocéliande was one of Musea's brightest promises last year, the multi-instrumentalist (guitars, keyboards, violin, and flute) serving up a...
» Read moreUnlike Marillion, Pendragon have had to slog it out arduously throughout their career in order to achieve their level of success. The latest offering is an ambitious project to say the least. And...
» Read morePendragon's new release, The Masquerade Overture, further proves that this band is one of the better proponents of neo-progressive rock. Not because of any great originality, but...
» Read moreFor 15 years Pendragon has been a fixture on the English progressive scene. They've got solid support from a devoted European fan base, consistent albums, and a refined sound. They've got...
» Read moreMultimood, already surprising us with the well packaged Stringed Works, has done it again with this three albums on 2CD package. Comprised of three of Frohmader's best albums, this is...
» Read moreHere's another work in the "difficult artiste" series from prolific songwriter Peter Hammill. How many releases does this make for him? Over 20, not including compilations? He has...
» Read morePerhaps a bit of history is in order. Philharmonie began in the late 80s as strictly a guitar trio, led by former Shylock guitarist Frederic L'Epée. Their first album, Beau...
» Read moreAn interesting album indeed. Each one of the thirteen instrumental vignettes presented here has its own unique character, all within a more-or-less experimental neo-classical context, with some...
» Read moreVervloesem is a Belgian guitarist whose music is unique and attention grabbing. You have probably never heard anything quite like it, but it fits somewhere in the realm of progressive, fusion,...
» Read moreRecorded in fall 1991, the second release from Pip Pyle’s pet project has only recently seen the light of day on the US import market. On the occasion of Pip’s recent trip to the US and...
» Read moreThis is Porcupine Tree's latest three-song CD EP, appropriately titled I suppose, while we are waiting for the release of their next full length CD Signify this coming fall. The music...
» Read moreA unique blend of many different influences, Prklz mixes their music up with lots of drastically different styles, often within the context of one song. Perhaps due primarily to their guitar / bass...
» Read moreSome may recall the first, very highly regarded Providence CD And I'll Recite an Old Myth... from around 1990. At that point they had already released a couple cassettes, two videos, and...
» Read moreYou want psychedelic? The music here, spread out across five long purely instrumental tracks, each ranging from ten to twenty minutes, evokes a hallucinatory half dreamlike state by offering...
» Read moreAlthough Raison De Plus has been active since the mid-80s – their first recorded work being a single contribution to the Musea compilation LP Enchantement, followed by a single...
» Read moreWalking a fine line between progressive and straight ahead rock, Relayer flirts with both these styles but never strays too far toward the progressive side of the spectrum. Vocalist John Sahagian...
» Read moreHappily, this neo-progressive outfit from London avoids copying the overworked Marillion sound so many neo-prog bands favor these days. Instead, they update their sound considerably, with a big...
» Read moreThis evidently is music for or from a soundtrack to a movie. I'm of the opinion that most music in this vein would do well as soundtrack music so it doesn’t really figure into my...
» Read moreI wouldn't call the first CD by the Rocket Scientists progressive. It is a collection of songs, predominantly vocal. There is a lot of talent here. RS is Eric Nordlander on keyboards and...
» Read moreSagittarian were a Japanese primarily-instrumental six-piece that put out one obscure album in the early 80s (in a limited edition of 100). The dominant sound is a Camel-influenced progressive...
» Read moreMino di Martino was one half of Albergo Intergallatico Spaziale (reviewed
This fourth album by Sithonia, a modern Italian band, brings an up-front approach to their style, underlined by lots of chordal guitar work supported by keyboard pads, contrasting a bit from their...
» Read moreSithonia have actually been around quite a while. This I believe is their fourth album since they started roughly around the same time Nuova Era did. Sithonia are moving more and more into that...
» Read moreSithonia certainly stand apart from their neo-prog contemporaries. Their influence draws mainly not on Genesis, but on classic 70s bands from their native Italy like Metamorfosi and Biglietto per...
» Read moreAnother splinter project of the Soft Machine / National Health ilk, Soft Heap was described as the "living evolution of the Softs" going forward into the present day (even though Gowen...
» Read more[This was written about the original One Way edition. - ed.]
Wow! Another newly found live recording which was previously available only in bootleg format? Unfortunately, the disc...
» Read moreUnless one has been hiding in the forest for a year, it should be fairly well known that The Laser's Edge was planning on releasing this, the tapes of an early band involving Ede Schicke and...
» Read moreDoes Alberto Piras have a twin brother? Spirosfera is an Italian quartet of guitar, bass / keys, drums, and dedicated lead vocalist Nicola Pavan, with regular guests on Hammond organ and saxes....
» Read moreBoth of these groups contain percussionist/synthesist Ciro Perrino in their ranks. These groups were both post-Celeste and showed a vast change in style from that group. You may have heard Ozric...
» Read moreThis new Italian band has a sound that hails unmistakably from the early 70s heavy progressive scene. Though no guitar is credited in the notes, this is classic guitar and keyboard driven, mostly...
» Read moreIt seems Mr. Roach can do no wrong, always working with quality musicians always following different trails into uncharted areas and always sticking to psychosomatic energy in music. Lately,...
» Read moreStearns and Roach have collaborated before on 1989's Desert Solitaire as have Stearns and Sunsinger more recently on Singing Stones. For all three this is the first project...
» Read moreI really like this CD. Musically it's very simple. I am reminded of early Cure and Joy Division music. Progressive? Well, not as I call progressive. The promo statement for the band read...
» Read moreTempest is led by Lief Sorbye (formerly of folk group Golden Bough). This is their first album for the Magna Carta label and their fourth disc overall. Jigs and reels and storytelling: that's...
» Read moreTempest (not to be confused with the ex-Colosseum group) wasn't a group I would have expected to review in Exposé as I considered them a straighter folk-rock band from the...
» Read moreNo, this is not Allan Holdsworth's hard rock band reunited. This is a new band mating Celtic folk and rock, and doing quite a job of it I might add. Comparisons to Jethro Tull (especially...
» Read moreTen Seconds is the duo of Bill Forth (guitars, vocals) and Jeff Fayman (keyboards), augmented by numerous guests on bass, drums, additional keys, and guitar soundscapes (gee, I wonder who that...
» Read moreDon't let the name fool you. The Flower Kings can jam! Take some soulful groove drumming, occasional Frippertronic style guitar, medieval flute-led romps in 7, and a plethora of keyboard and...
» Read moreA collaboration between four diverse and experienced musicians, The Mistakes turns in as fun and challenging a listen as its lineup promises it to be. Virtuoso guitarists Mike Keneally and...
» Read moreThis third album from The Spacious Mind delivers more of their patented spacy psychedelia. Those familiar with their earlier releases know exactly what to expect; Ebowed guitar leads over a...
» Read moreHere's an interesting concept. Take simple folk ideas, add a little psychedelic electronics and synth, add a few flute and bongo lines and some very radio-friendly vocals and brew up some long,...
» Read moreNot long ago, you may recall, this Norwegian band gave us their debut releases: the mini-CD Sorrow and its full-length companion Tears Laid In Earth. These were promising but...
» Read moreScandinavian symphonic rock groups are discernibly gaining their own sound now. Following in the footsteps of groups like Anekdoten, Landberk, and especially White Willow (who could be their...
» Read moreSomewhere between Hawkwind at half speed and Ozric Tentacles at quarter impulse lies The 3rd and ghe Mortal – floating out into space at a pace that'll make you swear you're moving in...
» Read moreBy now everyone should know who these guys are and have some kind of idea what they sound like, even if you've never actually heard anything by them (unless you've been living in a cave, or...
» Read moreApparently this was first available as a vinyl item, and then recently issued as a CD. Treatment is a British five-piece lineup of psychedelic explorers that operate somewhere along the Hawkwind /...
» Read moreSimple song structures, basic harmonic progressions, and weak lyrical content place this release squarely in the dangerously-close-to-cheesy neo-prog category. The music can't seem to decide if...
» Read moreFrom Speyer, Germany, Tyburn Tall were together from 1969 to 1975. During that time they became a well-respected live band, acting as opening act for name European groups such as Golden Earring,...
» Read moreThis is the third sampler in Musea's Meilleur... series, which extracts material from their regular releases and distribute them as low-cost samplers to familiarize new listeners with...
» Read moreAsphodel's sombient collections are amongst the finest in the field today. Compiling both distinguished synthesists and relative unknowns, it's a surprise how coherent and homogeneous the...
» Read moreThe album's subtitle "A Mind Journey of Electronic Ambient Space Rock" pretty much sums it up. Material by fourteen different artists is collected here, representing a wider range of...
» Read moreAt first thought, this disc had the possibility of being not just another tribute album with renditions of classic songs by wimpy bands and weird line-ups. But as with some expectations, they can...
» Read moreSome may have checked out Apogee's The Border of Awareness that we reviewed in the Musea overview a few issues back, which is essentially the solo project of Versus X bassist /...
» Read moreAfter finally hearing this album it became clear why there was so much fuss and commotion about its reissue. Carrycroch' is the self-produced debut album by this instrumental quartet...
» Read moreWorld Trade's second album was released on the new Magna Carta label during the progressive tribute album onslaught of last fall. For those of you unfamiliar with WT, this is the ongoing...
» Read more
2021-02-14
SoundQuest Fest 2021 –
SoundQuest Fest, first experienced as a live festival in Tucson Arizona in 2010 was created by ambient music pioneer Steve Roach. This 2021 event will unite a worldwide gathering of artists and audience members together for a 3-day online event unique in the realm of ambient music. From March 26-28th a continuous flow of streamed performances, audio-video wonder worlds and deep immersion zones will burn bright on Roach’s YouTube channel. »
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2021-02-10
Chick Corea RIP –
The sad news has reached us that Chick Corea has Returned to Forever, so to speak. The innovative keyboardist and composer died on February 9 at the age of 79. With a career that spanned from the 60s until shortly before his death, Corea touched many listeners with the incredible variety of music he produced in his lifetime. »
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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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Jon Rose - The Fence – Continuing in the Musique Concrete experimental mode defined by Rose's last disc, The Fence is less an album of music than it is an aural documentary. In this case, Rose has chosen Fences as his... (1999) » Read more
Frogg Café - The Safenzee Diaries – First things first. This is one of the absolute best sounding live albums this writer has heard, made even more surprising because nearly every track across the 2CD set was recorded at a different... (2008) » Read more
Björk - Medúlla – For a supposed “pop” artist, Icelandic singer Björk has shown a stubborn disregard for the conventions of pop music. From the beginnings of her career as a techno diva, she has steadily pursued... (2005) » Read more
Vidna Obmana - Twilight of Perception – Belgian composer Vidna Obmana has been on the Fourth World electronic scene for quite a few years now, using electronics, percussion, tape loops, and processing to produce music with a rich, dark,... (1997) » Read more
Jan Akkerman - 10,000 Clowns on a Rainy Day – Word is out that Thijs Van Leer has reformed golden age prog band Focus with a flashy new lead guitarist. Clearly, where would Focus be without original shredmeister Jan Akkerman, who earned 70s AM... (1998) » Read more