Jazz-fusion of the early 70s used to get such a bad rap for self-indulgence and excess, almost as bad as the progressive rock camp. With the help of producer / bassist Bill Laswell, progenitors of...
» Read moreI’m still pinching myself to prove it is no dream: an American label actually has released a CD collection of recordings by Miss Bittová, the Moravian violinist / vocalist...
» Read moreArktis have a style like a mix of Cream, Black Sabbath, Steamhammer, and German bands like late Frumpy or Atlantis. Unlike some of the sub-par bands on Garden of Delights, Arktis make up for a...
» Read moreRecorded one night in Cozmoz, Sweden in 1996, this short EP is a solid testament to the raw power Anekdoten exude in the live setting. Four tunes are included: "Nucleus," "The...
» Read moreLate last year Black Widow Records reissued Il Segno del Comando’s debut self-titled album. The reissue contains the entire album plus the bonus track “Magia Postuma.” I guess...
» Read moreListening to the 1980 album of Rascal Reporters after such a long time is a fascinating glimpse into the beginnings of a weird and (usually) wonderful musical world populated by exactly one band....
» Read moreLucifer Was is a cult proto-metal band from Norway that formed in 1970 in Oslo. They lasted until 1975, gigging at local venues and some festivals, but never got a recording contract. They were on...
» Read moreCleopatra keeps churning out these space compilations — they are getting a lot of mileage out of their acts and property. Area 51 features all the same bands you've seen the...
» Read moreA healthy variety of spaced-out entries makes the grade for inclusion on this intriguing package. Take the same basic style as Hawkwind (captured here by a lengthy one-chord wonder), but add two...
» Read moreI must have been sleeping at Best-of-'97 voting time as this old favorite managed to slip right out from under my nose. Ek-Tunkul was Jorge Reyes' very first (and best) solo...
» Read moreI've been reading about Cast for a while in Exposé, but the arrival of this disc marks the first time I've actually heard them. So going into it, I knew they were a...
» Read moreOriginal Dixie Dregs drummer Rod Morgenstein and new Dregs keyboardist Jordan Rudess have teamed up to produce this album of all-instrumental music exclusively using keyboards and drums. ...
» Read moreThe Scandinavian psych scene seems to be alive and well as the end of the millennium approaches. Tangle Edge is back in business, Spacious Mind has a new one on the way, the Kundalini album is...
» Read moreSometimes something comes along that totally defies categorization and comparison, like music from some other universe — or music from this universe turned inside out. Such is the music of...
» Read moreMr. Moe likes to bang on metals, and just about anything else he can get to sit still long enough in a room with him. There was a guy named Z’ev back in the 80s who perpetrated similar...
» Read moreTreading on the remnants of your Crimson past can be a vain attempt to recapture or rejuvenate interest in your modern endeavors. Happily I can relate David Cross' new solo work, Exiles...
» Read moreFrench TV is a real American anachronism: a complex unit (with their unique brand of improvisation) based in the heart of country music land: Louisville. Live they play their own refined style,...
» Read moreThis is the kind of review that, were I reading it, would piss me off. Showing my age, my know-it-all smugness. Can you judge a band on work twenty years old? Surely the band must evolve, progress....
» Read moreThis is the kind of review that, were I reading it, would piss me off. Showing my age, my know-it-all smugness. Can you judge a band on work twenty years old? Surely the band must evolve, progress....
» Read moreThis is the second album with Ann-Mari Edvardson on vocals. If you have been a fan for a while, In This Room may throw you a bit. If it does, get right back on. When you first hear...
» Read moreIt's been a few years since this promising British neo-psych band put out their debut on Delerium (though I think they have a couple cassettes before that), and in the time away the band has...
» Read moreAlways of interest, the Norwegian trio Tangle Edge has been around for quite a while now putting out great instrumental rock. Tarka is a worthy comeback from a band we haven't heard...
» Read moreAlien Planetscapes proudly proclaim to be the oldest space rock band in America. An admirable distinction that at 17 years I certainly can't discount. The only argument I might present is that...
» Read moreFor all of you who are trying to one-up your friends by having the weirdest music in your collections, buy this and win big points. Though each track on this compilation wields a very different...
» Read moreSpace rock devotees listen up! After their performance at the Strange Daze festival I was hot to pick up something by this band and this new album actually exceeds my expectations. There are...
» Read moreThis is one of those albums that nobody ever seems to know anything about. Presuming that to be the case with most of our readership, the best thing to do would be just to describe the music. From...
» Read moreWith a line-up of flute, trumpet, cello, and rhythm section, this album delves unapologetically into free jazz and avant-garde experimentalism. Frenetic bebop energy mingles with mellow atonal...
» Read moreIf Macan's name sounds familiar, perhaps it's because you've seen or read his book Rocking the Classics (Reviewed in Issue #12). Macan's three-piece band Hermetic Science...
» Read moreProject Lo is essentially Bon Lozaga’s unit for more introspective work. While the material on Black Canvas is composed, it seems to be a lot more open to the creative impulses of...
» Read moreThe de facto brain behind Art Zoyd since 1975, Thierry has now gone AWOL from that French institution, and seems to have spared nary a moment in rushing headlong into a solo career. Still, this...
» Read moreLast issue you read about Silver Apples being active and touring again, now there's a brand new record by the trio of Simeon (oscillators, keys, voice), Xian Hawkins (keyboards), and Michael...
» Read moreOne of the best surprises in the latest batch from Cuneiform, and a major step forward from their debut album is this second release by French chamber-rock band Volapük. The instrumentation of...
» Read moreThis instrumental quartet first came to this writer's attention a few weeks before their appearance at ProgScape '94 — they were called Cloud Nine in those days, and their four song...
» Read moreMexico in the mid-80s was a fertile breeding ground for all kinds of new and unusual progressive music; bands like Iconoclasta, Nazca, Banda Elastica, Nirgal Vallis, Decibel, Delirium, and others...
» Read moreI was really looking forward to this one, and when I laid my eyes on the cover, a collage of artwork from various Italian rock albums, the first thing I though was, "Cool, Semiramis...
» Read moreIn the annals of American garage rock, My Favorite Martian is an interesting footnote, and this archival release serves to illuminate a little-known corner that deserves to be remembered. Al Bloch...
» Read moreNukli is a psych-rock band who have a fairly long history peppered with only a few, rare releases. Having spent a good part of the 80s gigging in England on the festival scene with the likes of the...
» Read moreTwo additional albums from John Greaves' European catalog are now available from Voiceprint. Accident is his first solo album from 1982 and features literally a bizarre set of songs...
» Read moreTwo additional albums from John Greaves' European catalog are now available from Voiceprint. Accident is his first solo album from 1982 and features literally a bizarre set of songs...
» Read moreBack in the early 90s, when the Bulgarian Women's Choir was making the rounds, a diminutive but fire-breathing 19-year-old violinist from the same country released this promising debut work....
» Read moreRecording their second album in 1978, Île de Fièvre, Shylock finished their musical career with a tour de force. The six tracks from the original LP are a collection of...
» Read moreFinally, this reissue has arrived. Rumors of Musea releasing this French symphonic masterpiece can be traced back to as early as 1992. When Shylock's first, Giarlogues, was reissued a...
» Read moreA Gothic Opera? This is some trippy stuff, my friends. Autumn Tears is Erika and Ted; Erika sings, Ted plays keyboards. Being an opera of sorts, there is a story with several characters. Erika is a...
» Read moreGoing to knock off three with one go here. So I think the first Coltrane I heard that grabbed my attention was the double LP The Other Village Vanguard Tapes, and then of course from there...
» Read moreQuad was the solo project by Gary Ramon of Sun Dial. He recorded this self-titled album in 1997. Now 20 years later Sulatron Records has reissued this disc. Quad contains three long...
» Read moreStinkhorn is a Seattle jazz group with more than a little rock in their stylistic bag. Not quite as much as Kilgore Trout (
Pianist Satoko Fujii and her husband, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, belong to a new genertaion of jazz performers and composers whose holistic approach to music seeks to expand the technical resources...
» Read morePianist Satoko Fujii and her husband, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, belong to a new genertaion of jazz performers and composers whose holistic approach to music seeks to expand the technical resources...
» Read morePianist Satoko Fujii and her husband, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, belong to a new genertaion of jazz performers and composers whose holistic approach to music seeks to expand the technical resources...
» Read moreOriginally released in 1984, a pretty dark time for all types of prog, this Japanese symphonic outfit put out a release that shines like the moonlight its title refers to. Mellow, smooth, and...
» Read moreThe first Cos album, Postaeolian Train Robbery, was rereleased by Musea several years back. With its zeuhl-inspired sound, offbeat jazz sensibility, and the amazing vocal talents of...
» Read moreAt last, one of the last touchstone albums of British symphonic prog makes it to CD. Oh, there was a bad vinyl transcription on the Japanese Edison label a few years ago, but now the master tapes...
» Read moreGuitarist / bandleader Nick Didkovsky's latest Dr. Nerve offering is something of a live retrospective of the band's various musical personalities. While many of the tracks on Every...
» Read moreThe quartet of Frith, René Lussier, Nick Didkovsky, and Mark Stewart is one of high interest to the RIO enthusiast — all are big time players here. Lussier's old Quatuor...
» Read moreThis Swedish duo may be known to some for their featured participation in the 1991 Zappa's Universe performance. On this new 2CD set, Mats Öberg, on keyboards, and Morgan Ågren, on...
» Read moreAfter having released the last real Ruins album in early 1998 (the incredible Vrresto featuring a new bassist and even more craziness), this young French label issues another true...
» Read moreThere is something eminently fascinating about East European culture, where the simple human voice in their command becomes a monolith — transmitting the pathos of an entire civilization (one...
» Read moreSadhappy has been one of Seattle’s quietly active units for the last few years. The group has undergone some famous personnel changes (in particular the departure of key saxophonist, Skerik...
» Read moreOne of the better English Canadian progressives, this one has had a lot of attention amongst progressive collectors for its rarity and quality. I had heard that there were going to be bonus tracks...
» Read moreThe Doors, you ask? Can one appreciate modern rock poets like Peter Hammill and the Fish-fronted Marillion without acknowledging the influence they received from the charismatic vocalist Jim...
» Read moreSabah Habas Mustapha is (so the story goes) the Western-educated younger brother of the more famous (at least within Indonesia) 3 Mustaphas 3. He’s basically a singer / guitarist / songwriter...
» Read moreAn unusual fusion of musics from across a wide variety of influences, The Reptile Palace Orchestra seem an anomaly for an American band. They draw their repertoire of melodies and stylisms from...
» Read moreTeru's Symphonia is a Japanese band lead by guitarist and composer Terutsugu Hirayama, but it's the vocals of Megumi Tokuhisa that get your attention. She's a great singer. On...
» Read moreWhen I reviewed Channel Light Vessel's recent disc, Excellent Spirits, I...
» Read moreAlbums this peripheral and ambient are rather rare in my opinion. Roach and Rich have both done albums in this vein, the latter in his early days, and of course Brian Eno did his pioneering work in...
» Read moreBorn in 1932, accordionist / musical philosopher / teacher Oliveros has been hailed a champion of the avant garde in America, ever since instigating the field of meditative music. Founding the Deep...
» Read morePrior to Khan’s death last year, several artists were at work remixing several groundbreaking pieces that Khan and Brook together had recorded on their last successful album from 1996,...
» Read moreForget that you ever heard of Virgil's last Cuneiform outing Distracions on the Way to the King's Party, because this album simply has nothing to do with that whatsoever. Virgil is...
» Read moreIt's a prog chill-out! Phew! I made it. The disc is over! God be praised! What we have here is a techno / ambient version of Gong's masterpiece, You. 16 different "bands"...
» Read moreSpace-rockers from Columbus, Ohio, Quarkspace are back with volume three in their Spacefolds series. This four track EP, while rooted in traditional space rock a-la Hawkwind nevertheless...
» Read moreFor quick reference you might call this "Gothic Ambient". Amber Asylum is Kris Force (Swans), Martha Burns, and Annabel Lee, but Force is the major songwriter. Several other musicians...
» Read moreThose who have checked out Escapade’s previous two releases, Searching for the Elusive Rainbow and Inner Transluscence, may have some idea of what to expect from this...
» Read moreThose of us who grew up listening to Popol Vuh in the 70s recall a sound that was at times haunting and other times shimmering and uplifting. Regardless of the album, Popol Vuh created atmospheres...
» Read moreHollmer has been producing solo albums long enough to garner him attention beyond that of being Zamla's keyboardist and one of their main writers. His music still, after all these years, defies...
» Read moreSadly this will probably be the band’s swansong, as they played their final concert on March 13, 1998 (yes, Friday the 13th) in San Francisco. But if all one ever knows of this band is their...
» Read moreIf Holger Czukay continues to bring forth projects of the caliber achieved here, he will continue to keep my attention. For Moving Pictures is much more delicate on the sensitive ear than...
» Read moreLydia Domancich is a pianist whom most zeuhl fans around the world should be acquainted with. Sister of Sophia Domancich (who leads an intimate post-Coltranian jazz trio), Lydia formed this quartet...
» Read moreHave you ever heard Japanese cult band After Dinner? Not another (neo-)prog oriented band from Japan, I reassure you, but one of the most simply beautiful melodic RIO and avant-garde groups from...
» Read moreA new Peter Frohmader release is always a welcome event, but this is one which is rather special; it features live performances of his group Nekropolis, which recorded one live album, released...
» Read morePerhaps Strawbs is one of the most widely misunderstood bands that ever confused and confounded fans for not conforming to preconceived (and often wildly inaccurate) expectations. When Yes fans...
» Read moreThanks a lot — trying to sum up Alan Stivell's career in a paragraph is like summing up World War II in a book — there’s too much to say and where do you start? I have all...
» Read moreHere's one of the latest of the Canterbury music resurrections. Brian Hopper, brother of former Soft Machine bassist Hugh, was a key member of the "original" Canterbury band, The...
» Read moreHard to believe it's been 30 years since the Summer of Love, and also since the lone greatest single in the history of Procol Harum, "A Whiter Shade of Pale," but it's sadly true....
» Read moreThere were three CDs floating around as imports of early Santana recordings entitled Persuasion, Latin Tropical, and Acapulco Sunrise which were roughly of the same...
» Read moreIona have lately been receiving a lot of attention from the prog community, particularly due to their association with such luminaries as Robert Fripp and Rick Wakeman. But that is not to say that...
» Read moreHere we have Musea’s reissue of the second Cos album, recorded in 1976. In addition to the original album Musea included four bonus tracks recorded in Cos’ rehearsal room on a 4-track...
» Read moreVersus X is German guitarist Arne Schafer's band. Schafer was known for his solo album, The Border of Awareness, on Musea in which he delivered a thoughtful music maybe a bit in the...
» Read moreAfter the opening track, "You Know The Way," a rather commercial sounding Alan Parsons like song, this writer wasn't really expecting a whole lot from the rest of the disc by this...
» Read moreSeems like just last issue we reviewed Gerard's latest, The Pendulum, and already there's a...
» Read moreRight from the beginning you will realize this is not the same Marillion we've heard on the previous two albums. "Man of a Thousand Faces" opens with a simple three-chord acoustic...
» Read moreThis is the second time out for this German neo-progressive four-piece, operating in a similar territory as their debut Stories from a couple years ago. At the heart of their sound is a...
» Read moreAngular is a German based arm of the Musea label, specializing in a more commercially viable neo-progressive sound, and unlike WMMS — which seems to have trouble staying focused —...
» Read moreFish’s fourth studio solo album is out (as an import, domestically available sometime in July along with the new Marillion as well) and this is the one he has promised his fans for a long...
» Read moreThis year marks the 20th anniversary of Saga. Pleasure and the Pain marks their 12th studio album, and in many ways is an apt title. This release marks a return to the 4-5 minute rock song...
» Read moreJudging from the information on their web page, Southern California-based Ten Jinn has been through several changes in the last few years. Happy the Man fans might recall that former HtM guitarist...
» Read moreSix long tracks and a sound that could pass for mid-70s, this writer had to do a double-take on the liner notes to confirm this is indeed a 90s band. Six they are, from Italy — a dedicated...
» Read moreAmoeba is a side project by Robert Rich with Rick Davies on bass and guitar. Rich told me several years ago that Amoeba was a project that fell in line with some of his influences in the industrial...
» Read moreThere was a Materiali Sonori CD of the same name by the Third Ear Band in 1989, a disc that's kind of hard to find and one I've never heard unfortunately. I do know, however, that this has...
» Read moreI’m truly listening to live recordings from the nearly legendary inventors of German minimalism on their first tour of America? I’m truly dumbfounded! It was hard for me to grasp that...
» Read moreThe swirling multicolored psychedelic booklet cover belies the playful avant strangeness of this, the first release on Gazul, Musea's new side-label for more 'challenging' music. Trap...
» Read moreForrest Fang is a musician who's been around for a while releasing albums that vary in focus, yet rarely in quality. His newest shows Fang moving in a much more esoteric direction than before,...
» Read moreThis Finnish six-piece definitely has some idea where they are going. The five songs on this 22 minute EP include three originals, a Hawkwind cover ("Levitation") and another, "And I...
» Read moreThere’s been a lot of speculation and internet chatter leading up to the release of this one. Certainly, with three musicians of this caliber one might be inclined to expect something special...
» Read moreOnce upon a time there were a bunch of session musicians with too much time on their hands, having some fun between gigs, among them drummer Phil Collins during a period when Genesis' future...
» Read moreThose who are looking for great guitar chops in a free form jazz-rock format need look no further than this new release by New Jersey guitarist Scott McGill and his trio; a casual listen to any of...
» Read moreHere I am beset by another serious classical work by guitarist Steve Hackett on the new classical label, Angel (which also released Jon Anderson's Change We Must and Ian Anderson's...
» Read moreMake no doubt about it, this is a sound track album for Kevin Spacey’s stylish modern film noir of the same name. I’ve not had the fortune to check out the flick playing at my local...
» Read moreScandinavia continues to be a fertile breeding ground for outstanding musical endeavors and talented musicians. Last issue we brought you The Last James' Kindergarten from Norway. This...
» Read moreErratica is essentially the solo project of multi-instrumentalist David O'Neil, one third of San Jose trio Industrial Soup. Much of the madness of that band's Flagrant Display of...
» Read moreLike an artist's sketchbook; that is, in essence, what Transformations presents itself as. Most of the titles were written for small groupings of winds, piano, etc., but are rendered...
» Read moreBelle Antique have really come full circle now, with this release — a solo keyboard work from Hosokawa, a native Japanese composer. The album consists roughly of six solo piano pieces,...
» Read moreIs this Magical Mystery Tour Vol. II? Kindergarten is a brilliant concept album of intense psychedelic pop, loaded with Mellotrons, great vocal harmonies, song-to-song musical...
» Read moreIt is with great pleasure that I announce Renaissance live at the Royal Albert Hall with Orchestra. Recorded live on the King Biscuit Flower Hour on October 14, 1977, this is a far better...
» Read moreIt is with great pleasure that I announce Renaissance live at the Royal Albert Hall with Orchestra. Recorded live on the King Biscuit Flower Hour on October 14, 1977, this is a far better...
» Read more1986: a transitional year when two frustrated but previously successful English guitarists decided they would pool their talents and start a new project. The focus for this group would be on two...
» Read moreAfter a minute or so of chanting, wind-sounds, and church bells, the mighty Hammond organ casts its spell, followed by dual guitars, drums, and bass, marching onward into the title track (named...
» Read moreHmmm? A new release from Area? Yep. Fariselli, Capiozzo return with bassist Paolo dalla Porta for one of the strangest releases in a long time. Tic & Tac this is not, but it has a...
» Read moreWhile the material on Quarkspace's CD release (see review in issue #11) has more of a song focus, these...
» Read moreAfter an almost seven-year hiatus since Paradise of Replica (After Dinner's last, and only second full studio release), songstress and presumptive After Dinner leader, Haco resurfaces,...
» Read moreNeed to get rid of unwanted in-laws? Need to lose all the listeners of your radio show? Want to clear a party that's gone on too late? Enter Koenji Hyakkei, the royal family of bombast, the...
» Read moreThis tight Japanese zeuhl band is led by none other than Yoshida Tatsuya (drums, keys, vocals), leader of the zeuhl punk band Ruins since the early 90s. I have to say that although Ruins invited...
» Read moreTatsuya Yoshida is one busy dude. In addition to being one half of the constantly-touring constantly-releasing Ruins, working in several collaborative musical units, being the drummer for Japanese...
» Read moreA founding member of Yes, guitarist Peter Banks was unceremoniously dismissed after two albums and replaced by Steve Howe. Banks’ creative muse was still on the rise, however, and soon there...
» Read moreEx-Soft Machine bassist and composer Hugh Hopper steps out again in another of his many group collaborations, this time with Portland based Caveman Shoestore (Elaine de Falco, Fred Chanelor). This...
» Read moreThis heretofore unknown four-piece from Cookeville, Tennessee, employs sophisticated (brilliantly so) rock driven compositions with plenty of mood shifts, meter changes, and insanely clever...
» Read moreSome may remember Kamaki from his days as the finger-blistering axeman in Mr.Sirius, others from his own jazz-rock band Kehell — still together and gigging fairly regularly. Magatama...
» Read moreGrok is a rather interesting product of the ever-interesting New Zealand music scene. My first reaction to this album was that it reminded me of Sonic Youth (one of my all time favorite bands), but...
» Read moreRarely does one uncover psychedelic music from the late 70s or early 80s, so when one finds a pair of albums as anachronistic as these, and as good as these, one is obliged to wax superlative....
» Read moreExpose #12 featured a review with background information of the worthwhile, if a bit patchy, previous outing by Ledesma, Motivos para Perdere. This time around the former (?) Nirgal Vallis...
» Read moreThe last time I had the pleasure of seeing a Steve Roach live show was late in 1996 in Sacramento. Steve's continuous two-hour long set was one of his finest moments for me; the finale of the...
» Read moreBanda Elástica seem to have been working largely in a genre of their own making down in Mexico; only the short-lived Nazca was anywhere close to what this band was doing. I say...
» Read moreFred Frith has always been a very highly respected innovator and collaborator in various new music endeavors, and lately his talents have been sought out more and more for an ever broadening array...
» Read moreMagyar Etno is a collection of mostly solo pieces by this renowned jazz saxophonist. Seffer creates melodies in the folk style of his native Hungary, and uses these as starting and...
» Read moreGood things are supposed to come to those who wait, and that is certainly the case with this, the fifth release from Sweden's Spacious Mind. Originally recorded in 1996, this LP-only issue...
» Read moreAfter a lengthy hiatus, Helios Creed has returned with a new Chrome album. Having never heard a Chrome album before I cannot say if this is representative or not. I can tell you one major influence...
» Read moreUm. This is not Pink Floyd, it is Pink Filth. The name is not only a clever pun to fool high school stoners into buying the album (if they could find it in any store on this planet) but it also is...
» Read moreThis is the first Hawkwind album with the new band and sets the tone for Hawkwind's entry into the next century (am I profound or what?). Fans will know the band has been losing members of...
» Read moreHere is the next installment in Robert Fripp’s ongoing Soundscapes series, except this one is surprisingly dull. Here we have a full length disc on which Fripp explores precisely one (1)...
» Read moreThis excellent Swiss band has been kicking around since the early 90s (not to be confused with another Yolk from NYC – we reviewed one of NYC Yolk’s live shows back in issue #11) but...
» Read moreThe second of two tributes to rock's most misunderstood progressive band is another hodgepodge of tracks from the Gentle Giant catalog. Most bands seem to adopt the policy of covering the...
» Read moreDuring ELP’s heyday they never made it to South America, though they had a relatively huge fan base there. 23 years after forming and well past their prime, ELP made their first tour to South...
» Read moreI was lucky enough to catch Geballe in his opening slot on the recent California Guitar Trio tour. Just one man and his twelve string guitar, an abundance of creativity and invention, and some...
» Read moreThe last time I played this CD wasn't too long ago, around the time the band's long awaited (and fantastic) To Shatter All Accord came out. Unfolded Like Staircase is...
» Read moreBe warned, this is not an authorized release — not even close. What we have here is (a) one track ("1984") recorded live in Bremen in 1969 (no further details...), (b) the entire...
» Read moreOne could say without stretching the truth too far, that Consume Red (part one of the three part Project Consume) is basically an hour of pure thrash / noise experimentation,...
» Read moreThe Allman Brothers in their prime were no doubt one of the best American rock bands of the early 70s, covering a little bit of everything and doing it all extremely well — never a shortage...
» Read moreSugarwood have been kicking around parts of the UK for a few years now, and seem to have gathered a following (if internet activity is any indication). They fit in more or less with the current...
» Read moreTake a woodwind player and the early 80s rhythm section for Peter Gabriel (circa Security), put them together in a cave and you'd be surprised what they come up with! The second...
» Read moreI suppose there's a large segment of the record-buying public (not many Exposé readers among them) for whom the concept of The Best of Mother Gong would be a strange...
» Read moreMost people who are aware of Richard Thompson would probably not consider his music 'progressive,' and they would probably be right on most occasions. To be sure, he was a key player on...
» Read moreMuch activity has been transpiring in Belgium as of late. First there was Univers Zero, Julverne and Present. There followed a whole slew of groups in the chamber/neo-classical/jazz-rock vein...
» Read moreIn some ways, Mormos can be seen as an American equivalent to the Incredible String Band. They have a similarly free-wheeling take on folk music, infusing it with flower-power enthusiasm and...
» Read moreIn some ways, Mormos can be seen as an American equivalent to the Incredible String Band. They have a similarly free-wheeling take on folk music, infusing it with flower-power enthusiasm and...
» Read moreFans of Steve Tibbetts, especially those who prefer the world-beat master shredder of Exploded View (1986) or The Fall of Us All (1993), might be a bit put off by this set, a...
» Read moreBirth Control have been around a long time, beginning in 1970. They produced 17 albums and, along with Amon Düül II, are one of the more prolific bands from Germany. The first Birth...
» Read moreRevisited Records continues its reissue of the Klaus Schulze back catalog with another 12 CDs. I haven’t quite figured out their rationale, but they are releasing 12 a year covering the...
» Read moreRevisited Records continues its reissue of the Klaus Schulze back catalog with another 12 CDs. I haven’t quite figured out their rationale, but they are releasing 12 a year covering the...
» Read moreRevisited Records continues its reissue of the Klaus Schulze back catalog with another 12 CDs. I haven’t quite figured out their rationale, but they are releasing 12 a year covering the...
» Read moreSince forming in the early 80s, The Legendary Pink Dots have been quite prolific in their recorded output of 60+ releases. Initially they were part of the cassette culture releasing quite a few...
» Read moreStand Up nicely sums up the Final Conflict modus operandi. Out front are the dual lead guitars and vocals of Brian Donkin and Andy Lawton (who I swear is Sean Bean’s long lost twin...
» 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 moreFrench Canadian label, Ambiances Magnétiques released a second sampler of their diverse artist's work in 1997. The disc focuses on various combinations of personnel ranging from solo and...
» Read moreWasn't XfactorX the name of some Marvel comic way back when? Anyway, this album would be progressive metal if it were progressive. As it is, XfactorX has the typical hard rock/ heavy...
» Read moreOliver is the eldest of the Wakeman boys, and seems to have appeared on the scene virtually overnight. He first appeared with Clive Nolan on the Jabberwocky album. Heaven’s...
» Read moreSo here are two samplers chock full of French hard rock and heavy metal. Why should you care? Well, I guess cuz it comes from Musea’s hard rock offshoot label, Brennus. But then again, a...
» Read moreThe inaugural event which was covered in Exposé issue 14 is captured here on 2 CDs. If you have any aversion to space rock at all, keep away. The Gaia Avatara, Red Giant, and...
» Read moreJannick is back... The monstrous and legendary bassist of the 1973, 1974 and 1976 Magmas issues his first solo effort, after years of session-work with variety singers and composing film scores....
» Read moreCould this be a flashback to 1972 Berlin? Nope, it's actually 90s Indiana. But this two-woman, three-man combo certainly have that classic, droney Krautrock sound down pat. It could be the...
» Read moreI would bet money that Jeff Tarlton sleeps with a book of Kirouac's poems in his arms and Morrisons Van and Jim on his turntable (c'mon folks, it is so hip to have vinyl). Tarlton...
» Read moreAs best I can tell (my Hungarian is a little rusty) this release is an archive recording from 1975 that was originally a Hungarian radio broadcast. The band has a "big band" line-up,...
» Read moreI first glimpsed a newsletter by this band at Progfest 95 (or was it '96?), and to be honest I thought it was some form of hate group and didn't give it another glance. The singer was bald,...
» Read moreParadox is entirely composed and performed by Dave Russell with the exception of a guest drummer on a few of the tracks. Most of the sonic landscape is painted with a variety of keyboard...
» Read moreFor 20 years now, California's Rova Sax Quartet has been unrelentingly pursuing the ambitious task of inventing new music from the most traditional instrumental family in jazz history –...
» Read moreThis takes me back to 1987! Long live big hair! Introspect by The Quiet Room is a teasingly good CD. Sans the reference to 80s-style grooming, "teasingly good" is a serious...
» Read moreThis is progressive rock with a groove. The title Mushroom Jazz is actually a pretty apt name, as this is not too stylistically far away from Acid Jazz. Weird analog synth sounds, funky...
» Read moreThe cover of the first Niacin shows the venerable Hammond B3, a creature of legend. So you get an idea what you are in for. Who is Niacin? I think this would be called a "pet project"...
» Read moreHow this one was missed by Exposé’s radar when it first came out is still a mystery to me, having only been brought to our attention earlier this year. The six tracks herein...
» Read moreDespite the supposed 1986 release date on this, it must have languished in total obscurity for several years. The first this writer ever heard of this duo was on the Margen sampler, reviewed a...
» Read moreThird Ear/Third Eye is this brazen Japanese quintet's first CD release (following a couple of cassette releases in the late 80s, plus contributions to the Canterbury Edge and...
» Read moreCan't get enough of that Iron Maiden? Check out Polarized. There is no doubt, as musicians, Ivanhoe are first rate. The singer, Andy B. Frank is very good, if he's a German singing in...
» Read moreIrrgarten is part of the new wave of Québec prog that surfaced in the 90s, and will be familiar to those who attended ProgEst 1997, where they were one of the eight bands performing. This is...
» Read moreWith Sanity and Gravity UK session drummer Gavin Harrison steps up to the lead role with his very first album. Harrison is known for accompanying many divergent artists such as Iggy Pop,...
» Read moreThis recording serves two masters. First, it presents soundscape artist G.P. Hall live on stage, and secondly, it demonstrates the binaural recording process. Binaural recording places two small...
» Read moreIn the middle of his work as a keyboard player (with Queen, Mott the Hoople, and others) and as a producer (Allan Holdsworth), Morgan Fisher came up with two albums worth of oddities called...
» Read moreIn the middle of his work as a keyboard player (with Queen, Mott the Hoople, and others) and as a producer (Allan Holdsworth), Morgan Fisher came up with two albums worth of oddities called...
» Read moreLindsay Cooper has been well known for her obtuse compositions (including the acclaimed The Gold Diggers and Oh Moscow projects) as well as her groundbreaking work with Henry Cow....
» Read moreSwiss quintet Clepsydra sport your typical neo-prog lineup of vocals/guitar/bass/keys and drums and on Fears they hold true to the neo-prog sound. Early Marillion comes to mind, especially on the...
» Read moreWhat's this? Former Police-man Andy Summers fronting what is essentially a power trio? And with a backing band consisting of monster bassist Tony Levin and Gregg Bissonette on drums? Perhaps...
» Read moreThe strains of an acoustic guitar, a soft vocal, then comes the barrage. If I were to contain this review to only word, it would be: Metallica. Ancient Curse do not appear to make any claims at...
» Read moreAt its core, Cherno is the duo of Shin Sugawara (sax, wind synth) and Junichi Kishimoto (guitar, guitar synths, drum programming), sometimes joined by other players, track and disc depending...
» Read moreIn the 70s (or was it the 60s? I can't remember...) Jon Hassell came up with his Fourth World Music concept. Soon after, other folks began to carry on in the same general terrain. Michael...
» Read moreOne of the few Greek progressive bands that were on a fairly big label, Akritas (the English spelling) was in spirit probably closest to the rich and fertile wave of the 70s Italian scene. Close to...
» Read moreThis hard-to-find treat was released after the live album Coma Divine but prior to the latest album Stupid Dream as a limited edition gatefold double 10" vinyl-only release....
» Read moreThis 1975 release by Scottish folkster St. Field was released only in Spain, originally on the renowned Movieplay label. I don't know if St. Field actually lived in Spain (all the musicians are...
» Read moreEkkedien Tanssi was the second album by this Finnish five-piece who created a type of mellow, melodic prog not unlike the music of Camel. Indeed, this album is comparable in both style and...
» Read more1976 was a transitional year where Brian Eno changed his context for working with electronics to an ambient perspective. This was due in part to his meeting with synthesizer duo Cluster (Moebius...
» Read moreMcLatchey's Second Tier
I remember that back in the day you could find this LP in used record stores pretty easily but not so much in perfect quality as everyone who owned one...
» Read moreMcLatchey's Second Tier
Sporting another brilliant Mati Klarwein gatefold, this is another of the great electric Miles albums and the one where Hermeto Pascoal's short...
» Read moreAs 2005 neared its end, Manuel Göttsching released three new CDs: Die Mulde, Concert for Murnau and E2-E4 Live. Die Mulde is a composition Manuel recorded...
» Read moreWhen is essentially a solo vehicle for Lars Pedersen (half of The Last James duo) in which he explores dark ambient realms. It's pretty hard to believe that this is the same guy who worked on...
» Read moreMusea continues to unearth the most unknown and rare albums from the annals of obscure progrock history. Outer Limits were a pretty original Japanese band from one of the darkest times in prog...
» Read moreBefore hooking up with Peter Blegvad and Dagmar Krause to form Slapp Happy, Anthony Moore was experimenting with some very innovative musical techniques. Reed, Whistle and Sticks is one of...
» Read moreFormed from the ashes of Subject Esq., Sahara got lost among the mass of other mid-70s German prog groups (Grobschnitt, Novalis, SFF, et al.) in spite of their good distribution, though they didn't...
» Read moreGentle Giant was at its best when adding polyphonic arrangements to aggressive rock music. Determining who was responsible was merely a scan of the writing credits, where "Shulman, Shulman and...
» Read moreEach track on this compilation integrates spoken text and sound manipulation, with results both mysterious and captivating. On "A New Dress" Nurse with Wound layers shifting, hypnotic metallic...
» Read moreI know what you may be thinking: Froese's parent group hit the skids ten years ago. But have no fear as Ages is a 1978 classic-TD-era release. So where's all the rejoicing? I feel pretty...
» Read moreBreathe deep the gathering gloom, watch lights fade from every room, and for the next 50 minutes The Smell of Incense will transport you to hidden and fantastic realms! To speed you on your journey...
» Read moreLuz is the instrumental solo project of keyboardist Alejandro Lomelin, of the Mexican band Caja De Pandora. For the most part this is a work of simpler repetitive piano figures and...
» Read moreThis one came out around 1970, a one-off by a New York based band whose members weren't even listed on the LP jacket, and were never heard from again, so far as this writer knows. For some unknown...
» Read moreWhen Bill Bruford is on break from his drum duties with King Crimson, what would you expect him to do? Should he go on vacation or work in another less hectic, but rewarding mode? If Summer Had...
» Read more
2021-04-01
New Aristocrats Live Album on the Way –
No foolin'! These supreme musicians toured Europe early in 2020, just before touring ceased to be a thing musicians could do, and there were some hot performances captured. On May 7, some of these will be releases as Freeze! Live in Europe 2020. »
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2021-03-25
Return of Jerry Lucky's Progressive Rock Files –
After much consideration and surprisingly, positive feedback, Jerry Lucky is announcing the launch of the progressive Rock Files podcast, featuring the latest progressive rock music from around the world. »
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2021-03-14
Jewlia Eisenberg RIP –
The sad news has come out that Jewlia Eisenberg has died. As a founding member of Charming Hostess, Eisenberg changed the face of music, bringing together Balkan klezmer, American folk, and experimental rock in a distinctive blend that garnered much praise. »
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2021-03-11
RIP Roger Trigaux –
The sad news has come to our attention that Roger Trigaux, the guiding force of Present and former member of Univers Zero, passed away on the evening of March 10, 2021 after a long ilness. »
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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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Scenes - Call Us Now at the Number You Provide – Swedish prog metal protagonists Scenes are not a well known commodity on the international scene yet but they are making substantial inroads in that direction with this first label release. The... (2006) » Read more
Buckethead - Monsters and Robots – For readers of superhero comics, the Origin issue was always a treat. How did Radioman develop the ability to project radio waves from his eyes? How did Buckethead get his name and strange persona? On... (2000) » Read more
Ibis - Sun Supreme – The New Trolls Family tree is a convoluted structure – if you piece it together, it includes most of the well known Italian rock groups of the 70s whether closely or barely related. Ibis was the... (1996) » Read more
Thistle - Thistle – What a pleasant surprise I had the day when I found this treasure in my mail box! Thistle is the latest release of mysterious-cosmic-eerie female vocal-electronic music from Ventricle. Up until now... (1997) » Read more
Anekdoten - Official Bootleg: Live in Japan – Recorded over two nights of the band's recent trip to Japan, this double-CD live set captures perfectly the confident and relentlessly energetic live sound Anekdoten has developed. The set... (1998) » Read more