ProgSphere’s AwesomeCast: Episode 21 – Spherical

The new ProgSphere’s AwesomeCast episode named Spherical is coming little bit earlier than what you might have been expected. With this one we are making a break from curated podcasts series, not longer than a week, as we will be back with the new curated episode already next Friday (May 24th).

This podcast is comprised of 20 tracks, taken from the bands from the PSPR roster (http://promotions.prog-sphere.com). It’s been a while since we had an insight podcast of our roster, thus this one comes as pretty much introspective. We’ve been quite active with having more and more bands asking for our services and we can’t be any happier to see our clients, but first and foremost friends, being happy with our work.

To make a long story short, look down for the PLAY button, hit it and enjoy!

Update On the CAN’s Lost Tapes

We are getting closer all the time to release of Can, The Lost Tapes and here is your latest update, there is a new clip of music, again featuring Malcolm Mooney, it’s called ‘Midnight Sky’.

There was a great review in The Wire magazine, have a read HERE

Irmin Schmidt & Jono Podmore have been added to the bill of the ATP, I’ll Be Your Mirror. Which is curated by Mogwai at Alexandra Palace London on the 26th April. They will be doing their ‘The Music Of Can: Unreleased Music & Discussion’ performance, which is largely based around The Lost Tapes. More info is HERE.

Stuart Braithwaite from Mogwai had this to say about it: “I can honestly say that there isn’t another band who sound like Can. Their music was of a future that we haven’t yet arrived at. Influencing people with their ambition more than just music we’re incredibly lucky to have found even more of their music to wonder at. God bless Can.”

Also we have just had the proofs of the box in, so we took a picture for you.

Right, that’s it for now, we’ll be back with more news when we have it, Links for further info, social networking and ordering are at the bottom.

Take care
Mute, Spoon & Can

Eidetic Seeing – Eidetic Seeing

How about some heavy psyche hailing from Brooklyn? Yes, this shit is heavy jam rock. Let’s say, put in a blender Naam and Tia Carrera, emphasize its heaviness and you’ll get closer to understand what is the trio about. This is the band’s debut EP, comprised of 5 tracks. The last, fifth track is not included here, and although there is a whole full-length released after this EP, I’ve decided to go with this one, simply as I didn’t have a chance to listen to the album and other than that, this EP is that good that it surpasses the borders of reality.

Acid space heavy psyche with balls, worth checking out.

https://www.facebook.com/eideticseeing

Butcher in the Fog – Butcher in the Fog EP

When a band names band scrabble nights, band spelling bees, band cupcake bake-offs, band outings to the aquarium as their interests, you realize you get some pretty serious player. (sic)

London’s Butcher in the Fog works as a trio comprised of Yanni Georgiou on guitars/vocals, Emmy Porter on bass and Alex de la Cour on drums. The release in question is the band’s second EP release so far (after Bonafide Studio EP), but the latest update says that they are about to release a full-length later this Fall. Musically, these dudes and the dudette strive to somewhat heterogeneous mixtures of variety of genres including punk (crust), metal, stoner rock, grunge… Energetic, in short.

The blinking moments of heavy psychedelia wrapped up with everything previously mentioned sound promising, thus the band’s upcoming full-length will certainly be an interesting listen. Try out!

ProgSphere’s AwesomeCast: Episode 20 – The Essence

The L.A. based progressive, psychedelic, space rock, doom metal monument Ancestors has been around for six years and everything they produced, and that is: three full-lengths (2008’s Neptune With Fire, 2009’s Of Sound Mind and 2012’s In Dreams and Fire (review here)), one EP (Invisible White, 2011) and one single split with Swedish heavy rockers Graveyard in 2010 was followed by deserved praise. The band is certainly one of my favorites, thus having Justin Maranga (guitar, vocals) as a curator of an AwesomeCast episode was kind of obligatory. And here we are. Listen to the Justin’s choice of tracks coming along with the commentary and enjoy.

I fought the urge to put absolutely no prog rock on this at all and just make a playlist of songs that people would never expect me to like (Ancestors fans always seem to expect that we all listen to heavy music and prog rock religiously). Anyway, I’m doing this for Prog Sphere, so I won’t be an asshole. Instead, here’s a playlist of incredible progressive rock tunes (and some stuff that’s not quite prog, but fits). So without further ado…

Agitation Free – First Communication

I’ve always loved this second Agitation Free record. People seem to only talk about Malesch, but I think 2nd is way better.  This opening track is SO good.  It’s only two chords! The bass is doing some great things to disguise that fact. The lead guitar is incredible. It’s melodic and it swings (which is my favorite kind of guitar soloing). I’m also a huge fan of the electronics in this. The little flourishes of what kind of sounds like a Buchla Box really tie this whole piece of music together.

Camel – Nimrodel / The Procession / The White Rider

You’ll notice a theme in the progressive rock that I like. I’m a big fan of strong melodies. I think that anyone can make technically impressive music, but it takes a real songwriter to write a solid melody. The combination of the two is what makes the best prog rock great. For some reason Mirage doesn’t seem to be as loved as some of the other Camel records. It’s by far my favorite. Every song on this album is gold and it was really tough to narrow it down to one. I wish I could make a record that sounded this good. Every instrument is in its right place and sounds so fucking good! The tones are incredible.

Goblin – Aquaman

Goblin are well known for their film scores; particularly for Dario Argento films. However, Roller is by far my favorite Goblin recording. This album is incredible from start to finish.  Massimo Morante’s guitar playing is perfect. And I’d kill for that guitar tone. Strong melodies and a great vibe (if nothing else, this band could create a perfect vibe) make this record a total gem. This was another one where I just picked a random song, but could have chosen any song on the album.

Ave Rock – Let Me Follow

Now we move away from Europe and over to Argentina. This opening track to the first Ave Rock record grabbed me immediately the first time I heard it. I love when the organ holds down the bulk of the chord progression while the guitar plays the melody. We do that a lot and the idea was stolen from bands like this. There’s such a strong sense of melody in this song that you don’t really even notice that it repeats the same chord progression for about 4 solid minutes until it breaks into that killer jammed out hard rock part! I have no idea what they’re singing about because I don’t speak Spanish.

Interesting fact: Guitarist Luis Borda is now a tango guitarist in Germany, and he’s apparently quite well known in the tango community (which I know nothing about).

T2 – No More White Horses

I don’t know a lot about this band. I just know that I like this record a lot. And it’s got cool horns that remind me of a marching band but sound like something out of a blaxploitation film score. Great sound, great melody, great playing…can’t fuck with any of that.

Nektar – Astronaut’s Nightmare

The best Nektar record is without a doubt Journey to the Center of the Eye. It’s also their first record. They went on to make a lot of other great music, but this is such an awesome concept album. When we first started Ancestors, we talked a lot about this album and I think it seeped into our collective subconscious while we were writing music, because it definitely had an impact.

Rush – By-Tor and the Snow Dog

Here’s the more mainstream portion of my playlist. I don’t care what anyone says, Rush is one of the best bands of all time (and without a doubt in my top 5 favorite bands). Fly By Night was their first record with Neil Peart on drums and they went from being a good hard rock band to an incredible prog rock band in one year! Neil sounds like he’s drumming for his life, and yet he never over-plays. Geddy’s bass tone sounds like it’s about to rip through the speakers. Alex (one of the most underrated guitarists of all time…often unfairly overshadowed by his bandmates) fucking kills it in this song. The guitar solo after the break at 6:30 is absolutely perfect. Every time I listen that section of the song, I wish I had written it. Alas, I did not, and I’m going to have to live with that. Sucks.

Neu! – Fur Immer

I know that Neu! isn’t a prog rock band, so I’m cheating a bit here, but I really wanted to include this song. The first two Neu! records are two of my favorite records to put on while I’m driving the van when we’re on tour. Especially when everyone else is asleep. The best driving music ever. Anyway, just put on some headphones and stop thinking for 11 minutes. Then meet me back here.

The Alan Parsons Project – I Wouldn’t Want to Be Like You

Ha! Didn’t think I’d go there did you?! Fuck yeah I put an Alan Parsons song on here. And not only that, I put the most dancey, disco-esque song! Just shut up and realize that you love it. I don’t believe in guilty pleasures. Good music is good music, and THIS is good music. It’s catchy, the production is mind blowing (surprise…dude produced Dark Side), and not everything has to be so damn serious all the time.

Genesis – Dancing With the Moonlit Knight

Honestly, Peter Gabriel has never made a record that I didn’t like. What an unbelievable songwriter. His voice was so good too, and it’s only gotten better with age. I saw him perform with a full orchestra a year or so ago and it was amazing. This early Genesis stuff is untouchable though, especially Selling England By the Pound and Foxtrot. This is the first track from Selling England. Phil Collins used to be quite a ripper on drums too. People sometimes forget that.

King Crimson – Starless

I’m going to close this out with the best. It really doesn’t get much better than King Crimson. I’m one of those people who likes every single record they’ve made. Robert Fripp is inhuman. Sometimes I think Red is my favorite Crimson record, but then I listen to another record and I’ll think that one is my favorite. They’re that kind of band. “Starless” is iconic. It’s one of those songs that I could listen to on repeat all day and never get sick of it. Everything is perfect. Fripp’s Mellotron, Mel Collins’ sax, John Wetton’s voice… Nick from Ancestors has been striving to replicate Wetton’s bass tone on this record ever since I’ve known him (especially the one around 11:38…Jesus that sounds good). No luck yet. Anyway, there are things that this band gets away with that I would never even dare to try, but that they pull off with flawless finesse. Like, for example, that whole section from 4:30 to 9:15. Who would ever think to do that?!  ripp never shied away from anything. He was doing things in 1969 that no one would dare to replicate until well into the ’90s.  I think they call that BALLS.

Anyway, I hope you’ve enjoyed my little trip through prog land. I enjoyed it. It gave me an excuse to listen to music instead of working. Thanks to Nick from Prog Sphere for asking me to do this! Oh yeah, and check out our new record, In Dreams and Time.  We worked pretty hard on it and we’re rather proud of it.  Thanks for listening!

Exclusive Video Premiere of the DARXTAR’s Aged to Perfection

Swedish space rock elite Darxtar is about to release their seventh full-length on May 14^th via Transubstans Records. The album called Aged to Perfection (review here) picks up where previous We Came Too Late left off focusing on great tunes while keeping the band’s initial space rock fundament. Darxtar always strives for full artistic freedom and have once again written, recorded, mixed and produced the album all by themselves.

The video below is the second video single taken from Aged for Perfection after previously released Tired Nature. As Tired Nature, Aged for Perfection was also directed by the band’s keyboardist Per Hillblom. Commenting on the new video, singer/guitarist K. Soren Bengtsson states:

Greetings fellow music addicts!

We are proud to present to you, exclusively this day together with Prog Sphere, the brand new video to the opening track Aged to Perfection, from our new album with the very same title. The song is about our hope, that we all, one day, may wake up and take responsibility for our actions on this planet. To make her spin around for many more generations to come.

Enjoy!

Pre-order Aged to Perfection from THIS LOCATION. For more info visit the band’s official website on: www.darxtar.com

See the Aged to Perfection video below:

Streaming Mårran’s “Mårran” In Its Entirety

MÅRRAN (pronounced aprox. Moron) is a new Swedish rock band with its roots in the 70’s. Singer Göran Edman is well known world wide as the former singer with Yngwie Malmsteen, Vinnie Vincent, John Norum, Karmakanic as well as numerous other metal/hard rock/ progressive bands. Drummer Binge (Björn Inge) used to play in the legendary seminal Swedish hard rock band November (1969-1972), the ”Swedish Cream”. Hammond organist Max Lorentz is a well known musician and producer in Scandinavia. These three distinguished gentlemen has teamed up with the two 22-year olds Morgan Korsmoe (bass) and Ludwig Larsson (guitar) to form a multiple generation band.

The band lists Free, Led Zeppelin, Grand Funk Railroad, as well as November among their influences. The self-titled album was released recently and is comprised of 11 songs with the lyrics in Swedish. With the band’s consent we are streaming the album in its entirety on the player below.

For more info visit the following links:

http://www.mårran.se

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mårran/185886954834035

MoonJune Records Is Releasing 3 New Releases, Officially Out On May 15, 2012

NYC based progressive rock/fusion jazz label ran by Leonardo Pavković (interview here) is about to put out three new releases on May 15th. To be precise, two of these releases are Allan Holdsworth’s re-mastered versions of original the albums, Hard Hat Area and None Too Soon. The third album in question is a new album of the Indonesian guitarist Tohpati, released under the name Tohpati Bertiga called Riot. More info below.

Hard Hat Area, originally offered in very limited print and distribution in the USA, this great effort has been remastered and repackaged in digipak format (with intriguing new liner notes provided by Barry Cleveland). While the music on Hard Hat Area may seem a logical extension of the sophisticated, highly idiosyncratic style of jazz-fusion that Allan developed on his previous seven albums, it possesses a major difference: it was recorded by the guitarist’s touring band, which had refined the material by performing it live before entering the studio. The album was recorded on a 32-track Mitsubishi digital recorder at Front Page Recorders in Costa Mesa, California, not far from where Holdsworth resides. Overdubs and mixing were done personally by Allan at his home. The natural sum of the preparation, performance and recording processes is a more seasoned, organic feel. A truly superb album, from one of progressive music’s all-time greatest treasures – available, once again.

http://moonjune.com/catalog/044_ALLAN-HOLDSWORTH_Hard-Hat-Area_MJR044/

None Too Soon is Allan’s ninth album is a collection of interpretations of jazz standards by John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Django Reinhardt, and Joe Henderson, along with an Irving Berlin tune, two compositions by the late Gordon Beck (the album’s pianist, and Allan’s close personal friend of many years), and an intriguing arrangement of The Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood”. Holdsworth fans are in for a special treat, as the musical settings provide an intriguing backdrop for some of his more adventurous soloing to date. The project’s underlying agenda is revealed in his quote from the reissue liner notes: “… after I’d completed Hard Hat Area, Gordon was visiting again and he said, ‘Maybe you should do a record of tunes that people might be able to relate to.’ He had the impression that my music mostly sailed past people, and he thought that maybe if I played something recognizable, they might be able to appreciate what was going on.” None Too Soon is a modern jazz classic and remains unique among Allan Holdsworth’s many recordings. It also has the noted distinction of being the only Holdsworth album to date to feature the renowned Tribal Tech battery of bassist Gary Willis and drummer Kirk Covington. Presented in digipak format, with fresh liner notes scribed by MJR artist and Guitar Player Magazine editor, Barry Cleveland.

http://moonjune.com/catalog/043_ALLAN-HOLDSWORTH_None-Too-Soon_MJR043/

World-class Indonesian guitarist Tohpati reveals further sides of his diverse musical palette with the debut from his power trio,Tohpati Bertiga. Riot frequently puts the rockier side of Tohpati’s style on display (and in full force!) on this scorching fusion shredfest. Venturing far into uncharted territory, ** Tohpati Bertiga** covers ground where few trios would dare tread — much less in a live performance. All new compositions from Tohpati test the mettle of this trio, and they are most certainly up to the task. Augmented by imaginative melodies, twisting changes, superb soloing and driving, relentless rhythms, this album is a tour-de-force of modern fusion shredding at its most creative. With his gifted playing taking center stage, Tohpati places yet more dimensions of his accomplished guitar stylings on display. Showing that he is just as “at home” with rock and even funk settings as he is with jazz and fusion, this album further cements his rightful place among the highest echelon of today’s guitar giants. Recorded live in sparkling studio-quality fidelity, Riot is a fine addition toTohpati’s already impressive resume.

http://moonjune.com/catalog/045_TOHPATI-BERTIGA_Riot_MJR045/

http://www.facebook.com/MOONJUNERECORDSNYC

Romantic Warriors II – About Rock In Opposition

Zeitgeist Media is proud to present Romantic Warriors – A Progressive Music Saga, a documentary series about Progressive Music. Romantic Warriors I, was released in 2010, and was broadcast in US Public TV nationwide in 2011.

Zeitgeist Media is currently working in the production of the second film, with the title Romantic Warriors II – About Rock in Opposition. This feature length  documentary explores the origins of the Rock in Opposition movement in the late 70s, and how it continues to influence contemporary bands throughout the world.

Five Bands: ‘Five rock groups the record companies don’t want you to hear’. This was the tag in the poster of the first RIO festival in 1978, symbolizing the anti-commercial stance of these bands and the ‘uncompromising’ character of their music. RIO bands embrace musical styles such as progressive rock, Zeuhl, improvisation, noise, avant rock, jazz, classical, folk and often extreme experimentation.

One Movement: United in their opposition to the music industry and the pressures of compromise over art, this collective of progressive bands started a movement that remains one of the reference points that many listeners, musicians, and distributors use to describe a cooperative approach of making and distributing non-mainstream music.

A Legacy: Even when RIO as a movement was short lived at the time, it spearheaded the creation of its own progressive music subgenre, a category called RIO/Avant Progressive that is being used to label contemporary bands from across the world.

The film also highlights eleven active RIO/Zeuhl/Avant progressive music bands from North America, Europe and Japan:

Aranis – Chamber Rock (Belgium)
Guapo – Zeuhl/Post-Rock (England)
Hamster Theater – Avant Folk (USA)
Magma – Zeuhl (France)
Miriodor – Avant Rock (Canada)
Present – Heavy Chamber Rock (Belgium)
Ruins Alone – Avant Zeuhl (Japan)
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – Avant Metal (USA)
Thinking Plague – Avant Rock (USA)
Univers Zero – Chamber Rock (Belgium)
Yugen – Avant Rock (Italy)

Interviewed musicians that were active in the 70s include Chris Cutler (Henry Cow/Art Bears), Gerard Hourbette (Art Zoyd), Marc Hollander (Aksak Maboul), Christian and Stella Vander (Magma), Giorgio Gomelsky, Roger Trigaux (Present), Franco Fabbri (Stormy Six), Lars Krantz (Samla Mammas Manna), Ferdinand Richard (Etron Fou Leloublan), Bruno Meillier (Etron Fou Leloublan), Michel Berckmans (Univers Zero), and Daniel Denis (Univers Zero).

In addition we’ll hear the opinions of many younger contemporary avant-progressive musicians that are members of some of the bands mentioned above, festival organizers, label owners, and fans of the RIO/Avant progressive scene.

Desert Sleep – Desert Sleep

What a find! Been listening to this release of the Lexington, Kentucky based improvisational space ambient jazz progressive trio A LOT last days and it only grew on me by every listen. This is an absolute must-hear for everyone who recognized anything worth listening in the aforementioned categorization.

Desert Sleep is three multi instrumentalists that bonded together with the goal of creating beautiful, groundbreaking,limitless art straight from the soul. The core of desert sleep is the human spirit, and all the warm imperfect spontaneity it carries.

We aim to capture the beauty of the american southwest with our music and we hope that you will embark on this journey with us.

Listen to it yourself from the player below:

Next Page »