Couldn't find a thread pertaining to progressive rock and electronic music so I created one) pretty interested in zeuhl and rio recs particularly, favorite albums/artists etc. but anything prog wil do.
top prog album picks (not including King Crimson):
Atila - Reviure 1978
Biglietto per L'Inferno - s/t 1974
Biglietto per L'Inferno - Live 1974
Campo Di Marte - s/t 1973
Catherine Ribeiro & Alpes - Le Rat Debile 1974 *very cool mellow French prog with a cosmic chanteuse feel; all the albums I've heard are good to great
Golden Earring - Moontan 1973
Group 1850 - Paradise Now 1969
Il Balletto Di Bronzo - Sirio 2222 1970
Il Balletto Di Bronzo - YS 1972
Jumbo - Vietato Ai Minori Di 18 Anni 1973
Kraan - s/t 1972 (mostly for "Kraan Arabia")
Le Orme - Collage 1971
Osanna - L'Uomo 1971
Out of Focus - Wake Up 1970
Phoenix - Cei Ce Ne-Au Dat Nume 1973
Phoenix - Cantofabule (Cantafabule) 1975
Sahara - Sunrise 1973
Spring - The Untitled 2 1973
and this is a recent must-have box set reissue. I've been waiting for this one for several years.
http://www.amazon.com/4-Albums-Originaux-Catherine-Ribeiro/dp/B007FHLTOW/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pdT1_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1D6R97HHZVJO2&coliid=IP62J604S5KSS
Quote from: jesusfaggotchrist on August 13, 2012, 12:37:54 AM
Couldn't find a thread pertaining to progressive rock and electronic music so I created one) pretty interested in zeuhl and rio recs particularly, favorite albums/artists etc. but anything prog wil do.
Great thread. As a first pitch I would like to shed a light on the Swedish prog-psych-folk unit Älgarnas Trädgård and their release "Framtiden är ett svävande skepp förankrat i forntiden" from 1972. A true gem in my opinon. Dark, dissonant, heavy, tripy undercurrents. Textbook.
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WWIy23PK7tM/Smq3airalPI/AAAAAAAABvg/7ae_Ssv113o/s400/cover.jpg)
Listen One // http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76Uy9tBzB7M (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76Uy9tBzB7M)
Listen Two // http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mULKnP5J1fc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mULKnP5J1fc)
Next to MAGMA (obviously), the Zeuhl orchestra that I've enjoyed the most is ESKATON, especially their 4 Visions album. Doesn't fall too much into the jazzrock stuff like DÜN or WEIDORJE, or the spastic Japanese stuff from later years (KOENJIHYAKKEI or even worse RUINS). Recommendations in that vein are appreciated. SHUB-NIGGURATH are too monotonous, EIDER STELLAIRE didn't do much for me either.
been enjoying gentle giant, rush and can. anything that blends the former twos 'classical' approach with the proto-industrial repetitive sound of the latter would appreciate. hawkwind comes close but i want something jazzier.
Here's what I'm familiar with in zeuhl & RIO (and throw in some jazzrock and prog rock):
Magma – one of my favourite bands. Got everything that counts by them and there's nothing I don't like to at least a certain extent (save for some live albums)
Univeria Zekt – only one album (The Unnamables). Recorded, I think, at the same time as the second Magma album, it was pretty accessible jazzrock (which at the time was Magma's style too, although in a strange way) in an attempt to get more Magma fans. It's not a bad listen by any means, but overall a little too commercial (I especially don't like the singing)
Christian Vander – the boss of Magma, his solo albums are also great. They're different from Magma and very hard to describe. He also has jazz albums which are also good, some of them great (the best I think is his Alien trio CD)
Offering – another Vander and Magma-related band with great releases (although there are weaker moments here and there)
Fusion – Vander was involved again; they only have one album (from 1981) and it's great. Not jazz/rock fusion as the title might imply, it's more... electronic/rock jamming (with the occasional violin)
Weidorje – only one album (s/t). Classic zeuhl, but I think only about half the songs are good
Paga/Bernard Paganotti – used to play in Magma; has a few solo albums of which I only know Paga which has some very good zeuhl parts
Shub-Niggurath – one album as far as I know. I find it boring and annoying after a while. Read a lot of rave reviews about it before hearing it and was I disappointed when I finally heard it!
Zao – I believe the founder used to play in Magma. I only know their album Shekina which is jazzrock and has some really good themes. I'd say about half the album is great, the rest isn't bad either, just not very exciting
Univers Zero – love them! Of their second phase (from the 90s onwards) I only know one album (Implosion, I think) but would love to hear the rest.The 70s and 80s stuff is very dark chamber rock. Implosion is somewhat lighter and I've read so are their other newer albums
Daniel Denis – main man in Univers Zero, has 2 solo albums I believe. I know one, it's very good, similar to UZ's Implosion album in that it's lighter than "classic" UZ (it's still not pop music though, of course)
Present – main man used to be in Univers Zero. I have their first 2 albums (available on 1 CD) which are great. Similar to UZ but with more electric guitar
Art Zoyd – only know Symphonie pour le jour où brûleront les cités which was their first album but then a few years later they re-recorded and re-released it under the same title. I have the second version (reissued by Sub Rosa last year). It's somewhat similar to UZ but more classical in approach. I must admit I still don't know how much I like this album, despite having heard it maybe 10 times. It's very demanding and cold, so I gotta give it a few more spins still
Patrick Gauthier – his first album (from 1980), Bebe Godzilla, is one of my favourite albums ever. Discovered it early this year and I already must've heard it 50 times. It's a wonderful mix of zeuhl, prog rock, psychedelic music, beautiful melodies and quirky themes. Gauthier used to play in Magma, Weidorje and Heldon. He made 2 more albums in '93 and '96 respectively, but while they have good moments, they're surprisingly commercial (and crap)
Jean-Philippe Goude – another ex-member of Weidorje. His 1979 album Drones is a great mix of zeuhl and unusual prog rock. Too bad I don't know his other albums
Jannick Top – ex-bassist of Magma. I only know his Soleil D'Ork album which was a disappointment. I remember liking about one song (which was great zeuhl), the rest was uninspired
Benoit Widemann – has 3 albums, Tsunami, Stress and 3. They're solid synth/rock albums with a touch of zeuhl. Some of the songs stand out for having lovely melodies and if they were all like that, his albums couldn't be beat
Heldon – I only know Interface which I guess is their most famous album. I absolutely love the parts with synths or synths & drums, but when the electric guitar comes in, it goes downhill for me. I can't stand guitar wanking and sadly there's a lot of that on this album. Roughly half of it is still awesome
Richard Pinhas – only know some of his solo albums: Rhizosphere and Chronolyse (great psychedelic synth albums, especially Chronolyse), Metal/Crystal (pretty good) and Keio Line with Merzbow (I also remember liking that one)
Ruins – I like them, although not their early stuff which is too spastic for my taste. Burning Stone has some of the best songs I've ever heard (although not the entire album is great) and sadly they didn't continue with that style. However, I like their later albums too (even if I could do without the high-pitched vocals). The Sax Ruins album is especially good (Ruins songs played on saxophone and drums)
Korekyojinn – probably my favourite Tatsuya Yoshida project. They play mathrock, perhaps? (I don't know what that term really refers to). Unusual riffs and rhythms, sometimes very catchy melodies. My favourite album might be Isotope
Koenjihyakkei – I like their first album the most (Hundred Sights of Koenji). It's a bit like a spastic Magma. Later albums are often quite tedious, but all of them have some good parts
Bondage Fruit – I'm pretty sure I've heard all their albums (6 in total perhaps) but I could never get into them. Maybe I'll give them another try
Zamla Mammaz Manna – Schlagerns Mystik is a great album. Quirky, weird, humorous (rock?) music. För Äldre Nybegynnare, on the other hand, is a terrible improvised album that goes nowhere. Don't know their other albums, sadly
Henry Cow – I've listened to a few of their albums but I couldn't really get into them. I don't know why. I'll have to give them another try
A severely underrated band was UR KAOS from Sweden. RIO meets zeuhl and punk. Especially the self-titled debut is highly recommendable.
Ur Kaos are amazing. Kudos to Strömkarlen/Vehm for sending me a tape with their two first albums. The related band Zut Un Feu Rouge is also worth investigating, though it's far less dark, more new waveish & "crazy". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9PNwjD_AFY
Reading the Eurock book, which should be mandatory for anyone into this kind of music. All 30 something issues of the fanzine Eurock, from 1973 to early nineties, an American guy writing about all the new & experimental European bands. First issue has big spreads on Amon Düül (both I & II), Tangerine Dream (who's just signed to Virgin) and Can. Later issues delve into Magma, Rock in Opposition bands, and other far out rock music. Interesting to read about the bands while they were still creating their legacy, rather than the legendary fetishized objects for music nerds & record collectors they are today. The style and approach is the same as fanzines 40 years later - no clueless outsider journalism, but pure passion for great music.
Am moving more and more into the later/post-RIO (avantgarderock) bands; Art Bears are spectacular, as are Thinking Plague and 5uu's (have only heard their last album from 2002 though). Amazing vocalists in all these bands.
Thinking Plague: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOj_FjJlI_w
Art Bears - Dagmar Krause is bloody wonderful in this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYRO5T1voLE
For modern day interpretation of the Zeuhl sound (at least that's what I'm hearing, from esp. the surreal cosmic sound Köhntarköhz and Eskaton's 4 Visions) - check out US band GA'AN. 2 lps out on Captcha records (I think it was), both are highly recommended, "Black Equus" from 2011 especially. They call their own music minimal progressive, but in my ears it's Zeuhl. This track is from the first selftitled album, but re-recorded on Black Equus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkemyhgHnEo
Next to Guapo and Dysrhythmia the greatest band working within this... well, genre I guess you could call it even though the mentioned bands are wildly separated in many ways.
Prog kick lately. Spinning NEKTAR nearly non-stop recently (as well as CAMEL, YES, KING CRIMSON and AMON DUUL II).
This was included on one of the recent King Crimson reissue album box sets; the ones with several mixes, DVD-A, 5.1, added outtakes, rehearsals, videos, etc. I cannot remember which one. I think it was Red. Obviously much better quality there than on youtube, but still a fun watch. 30 minutes of 1974 from French TV.
http://youtu.be/A4rnaPoIv1Q
Quote from: ARKHE on December 20, 2012, 11:17:21 PM
Ur Kaos are amazing. Kudos to Strömkarlen/Vehm for sending me a tape with their two first albums.
I knew you like them!
Some one put the whole first Ur Kaos on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_VFiKU-r50 Great stuff!
Strangely enough there was a little scene of weird kraut influenced zeuhl whatever in Linköping/Sweden when I grew up.
Ur Kaos is probably the best but you shouldn't miss Lachens Songs From Cities of Decay http://www.discogs.com/Lachn-Jonsson-Songs-From-Cities-Of-Decay/master/78899
I have a tape of the extended recording the infamous Watertower sessions. http://www.discogs.com/Organic-Soundscape-Music-Organic-Soundscape-Music-II/release/1192767
I also really like Paradogx (one tape in a minimal edition...) http://www.myspace.com/paradogx
And as usual by scene I mean 5 roughly five people...
Oh, I forgot Kultivator. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn788Y3kZWc
The guys who released most of this stuff are still there http://www.bautarecords.se
Been very interested of what Jonsson is up to nowadays. Apparently just some sound engineering and stuff(?) The last music thing of his I heard about was that he had done something together with the guy from Raison d'Être...
Yeah, he have been running his studio (where also Njurmännen recorded) since the early eighties on his farm.
I think he actually was a teacher on the university when he hooked up with Raison Peter. I have yet to hear those recordings.
I'm guessing you will interested in this as well.
Asken Yggdrasil
The music on this record is from another era, consisting of remains excavated from tape archives. The music was created under the influence of records such as Bo Hansson-Lord of the rings; Instrumental, melodic music with a touch of old folk-traditions and a Nordic atmosphere. Old Norse mythology became the theme for a musical suite, where the predictions of the Voluspa gave the motifs to form an instrumental tale.
Composed and recorded in Skog, Sturefors, 1974-1976, by Mats and Lars Jonsson. Edited, mixed and mastered in The Forest studio, Sturefors, 2010-2011, by Lars Jonsson. Mats Jonsson – electric and acoustic guitar, bass guitar, piano (solo) Lars Jonsson – drums, organ and electric piano, bass guitar, metallophone, acoustic guitar. Hans Bengtén – bass guitar, mandolin (A6, B2, B4), and cover layout.
Lp on Bauta released on the 17 december. There are samples on http://www.bautarecords.se
I really dig Univers Zero, any modern bands that do their style of RIO justice?
It's almost like really demented bossa-nova and tango mixed with 50s spy thriller music
Bumping this very old thread to see if there are any new takes on the discussion.
Though it's already a dangerous term I'd say 'prog' is probably the music I listen to most when push comes to shove.
While always looking for new things to discover, Henry Cow are the band I always come back to and rate higher than all others. After all these years of listening I'm still being constantly blown away and freshly taken in upon new listens. I'm mainly talking about studio albums too and various live/session versions of their compositions. I've not especially delved into any of the extended live improvisations that make up a huge bulk of their back catalogue and fear much of this borders a bit too much on plinky plonky, interesting at the time but not worth hours of listening now improv.
Despite this I feel like I'm moving back into some of the less 'challenging' prog works after long spells seeking the more abstract things. Gentle Giant, Soft Machine, National Health....the death of Phil Miller a few weeks back likely kicked this all off.
Anyway, any new takers on this?!
If Zappa and related Mothers material counts, I've been listening to mostly his/their stuff from '72-'79ish. "Apostrophe" seems to be both a genuine progressive album and a parody/pastiche of what was considered progressive at the time, could probably say the same about Sheik Yerbouti (latter is probably a bit too heavy on the comedy for most folks here, maybe). Both with insane instrumentation and some genuine surprises amidst hard rock sections that give Sabbath and Floyd a run for their money in addition to some bizarre and humorous lyrics and just a touch here and there of sincerity. I dig Zappa's obsessive attention to detail, reliance on editing to produce a final product, and the use of sounds/sound effects "for their own sake."
I've tried to appreciate King Crimson and just couldn't enjoy it, at all.
In many ways Zappa is just totally deserving of his own classification all together but I certainly rank a lot of his work within these criteria. Particularly in the case of those first Mothers of Invention records where things were ever so slightly less all about FRANK.
In so many ways his material can be incredibly frustrating to listen to as far as albums go. Plenty of releases with 2 or 3 utterly phenomenal, pieces dotted in between a load of stupid parody tracks (which, being fair, do have their place) and compositions that lack definitive recorded versions. You see crusty rehearsal/live footage of a 70's era band ripping their way through an incredible version of something only to find the only real studio recording of it is something knocked out on the synclavier during the 80's.
But it doesn't matter. The more time passes the more I just accept it. With a body of work that large you can only hope to just keep trying things out and enjoying it for what it is. I was listening to part of a big box set of orchestral works at a friend's a couple of weeks ago and I'll be damned if a lot of it didn't sound amazing.
I have seen Magma twice in the last few years. The first performance was great but Vander was sick (no Kobian scatting) and the crowd was huge. They played again in a smaller venue with a much more "appreciative" audience and did an absolutely killer set, basically Emehntehtt-Re then MDK and it was just a mind boggling experience. Probably up there with the best sets I've ever seen.
For me these days I seem to listen less to the VDGG side of things and I seem to be way more into Genesis, I used to do "only Peter" era but I've really gotten into the early Phil albums. I also have been reconnecting with my appreciation for Gentle Giant, Spring, etc.
I also periodically go nuts on ELP and recently jammed "Pictures at an Exhibition" 400 times in a row.
My sort of default prog banger is Trettioariga Kriget's first few albums.
yes prog incarnate.
not kraut, not rio, not canterbury, not cool
but better than genesis or elp.
Quote from: david lloyd jones on November 16, 2017, 10:25:18 PM
yes prog incarnate.
not kraut, not rio, not canterbury, not cool
but better than genesis or elp.
Can't fault any part of this statement.
Filled with things that are so over the top and stupid but responsible for close to the edge and fragile.
I think a lot of listening to prog is like learning to ignore the smell of Shit while digging for gold and Yes are still the best example of what that pay off can be like.
there seemed to be 'good' prog-van der graaf generator, king crimson, etc
and bad prog yes, genesis elp etc
kraut was special case. later, better than 'ordinary' prog but usually 'motoric' based and omitting more florid bands like amon duul 2 and more prosiac outfits
While maybe not the biggest prog fan, though I'd probably appreciate it more now as I get older I have a deep affinity for Krautock and 70's Japanese pyschroxk ;which I wonder if could be added in here or people feel is a different beast all together).
For my two cents I'd suggest Eroc 'Zwei' releases in 76' by Brain records...really nice mix of completely serious music meets completely silly. All assembled on reel to reel 4track (I think) blissed out Kominsche moments combining with radio play, incoherent babbles and some children style songs (?) maybe. Highly recommend, you could think of it as a 'we're only in it for the money' without the parody (I don't speak german so maybe there could be).
I unabashedly love YES. Yes Album, Fragile, Close to the Edge, Topographic Ocean's and Relayer are always heavily played. I like Chris Squire's Fish Out of Water as much as any Yes record. I'm all for obscure deep cuts but I don't subscribe to the notion of Yes, ELP, Genesis being "bad prog" at least because they wore capes and sold a billion records. There's some seriously out there stuff. ELPs "The Barbarian" is so tight.
Fans of Magma and Japanese zeuhl bands like Koenjihyakkei would be wise to check out CORIMA, a new US based band with two albums out via Soleil Zeuhl label. A lot of violin and Rhodes, female and male vocals, extremely tight and skilled but with none of the fusion shit or theatrical trappings that too many current bands fall in to. Last year's Amaterasu is a mindblower.
I've slowly been educating myself on prime Spanish prog, after (I think it was, but correct me if I'm mistaken) user Holy Ghost did a little schooling on the political atmosphere and timeline of the 70s. It hasn't been quite as rewarding as I'd hoped, but that likely has more to do with my own expectations than the quality of the work. More symphonic and something, and less aggressive, than I thought.
A great guide to prog/experimental music from the former Iron Curtain countries in Eastern Europe:
http://home.btconnect.com/ultimathule/audion/easteuro.htm
Quote from: breidahl on November 24, 2017, 01:39:00 PM
A great guide to prog/experimental music from the former Iron Curtain countries in Eastern Europe:
http://home.btconnect.com/ultimathule/audion/easteuro.htm
Wow! Excellent.
Funked Up East is a YouTube channel with a lot of stuff like that on it and a very worthwhile resource.
area + eskaton + present + korekyojinn ftw
Lately I've really got into Van Der Graaf Generator. Apparently many prog rock fans don't like them, and although I'm no prog rock expert, they do have a different (often darker) atmosphere than pretty much all other bands I know. I'm currently listening to their Godbluff album, which is insanely good. My other favourite by them is The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other, but almost all of their "classic" albums are excellent. Will listen to their post-reunion albums soon, and then Peter Hammill's solo albums as well (there should be real gems there too from what I know).
HUGE VDGG fan here - I went on a huge bender for The Least We Can Do lately - I used to think H To He and Pawn Hearts were their finest work but TLWCDIWTEO is so full of amazing songs. Godbluff is great as is Still Life. Peter H solo albums I'm never as into as VDGG.
Currently I've been huge into Diagonal - I loved that first S/T LP when it came out of Rise Above - and I've been revisiting it a lot lately. Didn't click with the second album but wanting to give it another shot. And I hear they just released a new LP.
The other newer prog band I picked up a record from was Hällas - I think they're Danish? Really Uriah Heep esque vibes happening. Maybe a bit too mellow for me all the time but they hit a solid groove on a lot of those tunes.
Saw King Crimson last month on the 50th anniversary tour. What an amazing experience. Tony Levin fuckin' slaps so hard.
Quote from: acsenger on October 16, 2019, 05:46:39 PM
Lately I've really got into Van Der Graaf Generator. Apparently many prog rock fans don't like them, and although I'm no prog rock expert, they do have a different (often darker) atmosphere than pretty much all other bands I know. I'm currently listening to their Godbluff album, which is insanely good. My other favourite by them is The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other, but almost all of their "classic" albums are excellent. Will listen to their post-reunion albums soon, and then Peter Hammill's solo albums as well (there should be real gems there too from what I know).
I'm seeing them live next year, really looking forward to it. King Crimson a few years ago was phenomenal.
https://kaleidobolt.bandcamp.com/album/this-one-simple-trick
Kaleidobolt - This One Simple Trick 2022
With each listen, I get more and more into this album. It's hard rock. It's cocaine prog, ala Golden Earring. It's cheesy and accessible. It's really well done prog. There is a hardcore and metal drummer in here too (Foreseen, Yleiset Syyt...the guy is busy). It's on Svart Records, so that would make sense. Had I heard it sooner, it would have been on my best of 2022 list.
oh
that's really good
thanks