New Album By Krautrock Legends Mani Neumeier of Guru Guru and Zeus B. Held of Birth Control
This is how a spontaneous project came about - long overdue! A colorful bouquet of ideas, rhythms, sounds, images and stories ... They met in 1973 at a Krautrock Festival in Frankfurt - Mani played and was Guru Guru, Zeus was the newcomer to Birth Control on the keyboards. Since then they have met again and again, jammed and played gigs together. Then finally - in the summer of 2019 they went two days to Bernie Michael Land’s Synxxs Studio in Rodgau - a wall of modular synth and wonderful gongs and percussion - this is how the basics of the tracks with Mani’s percussive playing on the “Haken Continuum” and various electronic drum pads came about. Zeus built the chord structures and sequences for this. Then it went to Zeus’ KG Beat Studio in Freiburg, where Mani recorded an acoustic drum kit as an overdub. There were also some outbreaks of poetics - so for some pieces texts were created about the common sound images. Afterwards they started again in Mani’s Odenwald Secret Retreat.
“Discreetly, almost secretly we’ve been putting together a first album – after we’ve known each other as musicians since a long time …”
Released September 18, 2020
All Tracks written by Zeus B. Held & Mani Neumeier
Mani Neumeier: Electronic, Acoustic Drums, Percussion, Kaossilator & Vocals Zeus B. Held: Keyboards, Voice & Production Luigi Archetti: Guitar on A3, B2, B3, B4 & B5 Bernd-Michael Land: Analogue Sequencing Etsuko Watanabe: Voice On B1
Recorded at Synxxs-, Kgbeat & Hilsenhain-Studios MMIX & MMXX Mastered by Lars Lafayette Fasbender
Cover Photo & “Wabi Sabi” painting By Mani Neumeier Postcard Photo by Kamikaze Jane Sleeve & Typography by Percy
Features Hawkwind Alumni Alan Davey, Ginger Baker, Robert Calvert, Nik Turner, Huw Lloyd-Langton, Simon House, Michael Moorcock, Paul Rudolph, Mick Slattery & Bridget Wishart PLUS Todd Rundgren, Mick Taylor, L. Shankar, David Cross, Arthur Brown, Wayne Kramer, Carmine Appice & more!
Los Angeles, CA - Hot on the tail feathers of last year’s debut album from Hawkestrel, the project spearheaded by former Hawkwind bass player Alan Davey, comes this brand-new album from the quintessential Hawkwind supergroup! Made up of more Hawkwind alumni than any previous project, Hawkestrel is truly the next evolution of this legendary British rock legacy. The new album, Pioneers Of Space, continues the sci-fi adventures with a mix of original compositions and bold covers including the wildly adventurous version of Post Malone's megahit “Circles” featuring some stellar guitar work from Hall Of Fame nominee Todd Rundgren. And Rundgren isn’t the only special guest here; also contributing their talents are former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor, prog legend David Cross, electric violinist L. Shankar, wild man Arthur Brown, MC5’s Wayne Kramer, and lots more!
For a taste of what’s in store, the first single from the album “Day Of The Quake” is currently available on all digital platforms. The track is a complete revamp of a rare early ‘80s recording from Hawkwind’s much loved poet laureate, Robert Calvert. Davey enthuses about the track saying, “From the lyrical genius that is Bob Calvert comes ‘Day of the Quake.’ This masterclass of English poetics gets married up to some up-tempo exciting music I wrote with the one and only Mick Taylor guesting on lead guitar and the legendary Nik Turner on sax. Get ready to rumble!”
Pioneers Of Space will be available starting October 16 in a digipak CD and two vinyl configurations: a special double vinyl set with a bonus EP or the single LP set in RED colored vinyl!
Track List: 1. Biometrics 2. Cosmic Divide 3. Day Of The Quake 4. Glass Wolves 5. Atmospheric Window 6. Circles 7. No Doubt 8. Journey 9. Pioneers Of Space
ProgStock Festival, the American Northeast’s Only International Progressive Rock Festival, is proud to bring you the ProgStock Presents Virtual Series.
The pandemic has closed music venues and brought in-person live music performances to a screeching halt. Accordingly, we have had to cancel ProgStock 2020. We don’t know how long we will have to wait before it will be truly safe to stage a festival, but we will be back! Meanwhile, we will be bringing music right to you with some great shows from artists performing live in their homes or home studios. The series is being presented every Saturday night, 5PM – 10PM US Eastern and started on August 1, 2020.
The individual performances on StageIt are separate shows. Audience members will purchase a ticket to each performance individually, not the whole night as a block. Some shows will be 45 minutes and others will be 90 (or longer), so we may have as few as three shows or as many as six each night, with some nights starting at 4PM US Eastern to accommodate artists streaming from Europe.
Shows in October feature District 97, Pinnacle, OVRFWRD, Marco Machera (Echotest), Galactic Cowboy Orchestra, Katie Pachnos, Alan Hewitt and One Nation, and more!
On October 10th and 11th, 2020, ProgStock is taking its Virtual Series to the next level by bringing you Virtual ProgStock 2020. ProgStock, the American Northeast’s only international progressive rock festival, will come to you virtually with full-production, full-band performances streamed live from the Hamilton Stage Theatre of the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway, New Jersey on October 10th, and from the Temple Stage at Tellus360 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on October 11th and will feature Total Mass Retain YES Tribute Band, Solar Federation – A Rush Tribute, Mile Marker Zero, Cell15, Gnarbot, and Crack the Sky!
Show times (all times are in US Eastern): Saturday, October 10: 1PM: Total Mass Retain - A Yes Tribute 4:30PM: Mile Marker Zero 8PM: Gnarbot
Sunday, October 11: 1PM: Solar Federation - A Rush Tribute 4:30PM: Cell15 8PM: Crack The Sky
StageIt is all about experiencing music in the moment, duplicating the live music experience as closely as possible. You have to be there to see it, just like you would in a venue, so shows are only available on their site during the performance window.
The Segue hail from Poland and are the second new Polish band to catch my attention recently. The band comprises 4 members, Robert Wiercioch (guitar), Karolina Wiercioch (piano, grand piano, synths), Marcin Essen (bass) and Szymon Piotrowski (drums) and they are joined on this recording, Holograms, by three guest musicians, Jan Kozlinski (bass), Michal Sarapata (bass) and Maciej Dzik (drums).
I am most impressed with this debut, as I will freely admit that fusion/jazz fusion would not normally be a genre I would listen to, and, it is also an instrumental album, another area I can find less interesting, but The Segue have an interesting sound that takes me beyond any preconceptions. Holograms is a 7 track album with a playing time of just over 45 minutes (45:15), with the opening track, “Segue,” the shortest on offer at 3:55 minutes and the final track, “Time Space Illusion” being the longest, clocking in at 8:14 minutes.
The opening track, “Segue,” bounces into life very quickly and grabs the attention just as fast. Guitar, bass and drums set down an amazingly interesting sound and just after the 1-minute mark, there is a synthesizer passage before the track settles into the earlier style. Around the 2:10 minute point there is a slight change to the guitar which steps to the fore, driving the track along, suitably underpinned by that thumping bass and precision drumming. Just into the 3-minute mark there is a very atmospheric passage before the band wind up and are away. An ideal opening track, highlighting the musician skills and enticing the listener into the sound of The Segue.
Track 2, “Questions” (6:31), starts off much more gently and soon the piano of Karolina takes the track onwards with a very jazzy feel, suitably aided by the guitar, bass and drums. Karolina then moves into one or two different piano passages, complimented by the engine-room of drum and bass. The piano remains the major instrument, although around 3:45 minutes, there is an excellent bass passage which changes the tone of the track. Karolina (piano) and Robert (guitar) take the track on with Robert coming to the forefront, before a very gentle piano/bass passage ushers the track to completion.
The fourth track, “Future Ways” (4:30), starts with a synth passage to which the bass and drums soon pitch in followed by the guitar. Karolina concentrates on the synth on this track, together with Robert’s exquisite guitar playing and the bass and drum foundation is always there, supporting. “Future Ways,” as with all the tracks, gives the individual musicians a chance to step into the spotlight and shows the band to be a unit of very skillful musicians.
Initially I mentioned that jazz and instrumentals do not form a major part of what I would normally listen to, but The Segue seem to be different in that they mix what they do so well. Karolina is as accomplished on synths as the piano, although her style of playing certainly shows a love of jazz. Robert on guitar can throw out jazzy guitar runs with the best of them, but is not averse to suddenly diving into a more prog vein.
I think that it is this versatility that make Holograms so accessible and I have no doubt that many people will think the same. Holograms will be an excellent addition to many CD collections and indeed I still listen to tracks regularly. This is an excellent debut release and I look forward to finding out where further releases will take the band.
Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson -Prog Rock Music Talk Staff September 22, 2020
Tracks: 1. Segue (3:55) 2. Questions (6:31) 3. Torrent (8:05) 4. Exosphere (6:30) 5. Future Ways (4:30) 6. Broken Mind (7:30) 7. Time Space Illusion (8:14)
“The Archaeology Project” is a compilation of prog music artist Tim Morse’s music from 2005-2020. There’s no real concept for this release, given that it is a compilation album, however the title and the artwork ties the music of different eras together.
Says Tim, “It seemed like a good time to reflect on the last fifteen years of being a recording artist. It was fun revisiting these songs and choosing what I consider to be the best examples of my songwriting to feature on this collection. I’ve remastered the older songs with Craig Long and I have to say the music has never sounded better. I was so pleased with the work that I ended up remastering more music than could fit on one CD and so I’m offering five extra songs as a download for no additional charge. There is also a new solo guitar instrumental, a remix/new vocal for the Mangoes song ‘200 Yards’ and my cover version of the classic Pink Floyd song ‘Dogs’ on ‘The Archaeology Project.’ I especially like the imagery that Jay Leek came up with for the project - it has a nice ‘Hipgnosis’ feel to it.”
It was an interesting experience for Tim compiling the album and noting his growth as a singer/songwriter. He felt it was nice to be able to offer a cross section of his music and include a real rarity as a bonus download (the first demo he did with Mark Dean - an early version of “Present Moment”). Says Tim, “The Guitar Etude that opens the album includes a bit of a melody that I wrote in my first song. I was never really happy with my vocals on the original version of ‘200 Yards’ and so it was nice to redo the vocal and remix the song. Lastly, the cover version of ‘Dogs’ is something I’ve wanted to do for years. I’ve always loved that song and it was a fantastic experience to put my stamp on it with a fantastic group of musicians: Bret Bingham, Andrew Glasmacher, Charley Langer and Hope Rogers.”
Tim Morse “Dogs” cover version:
Tim Morse began his instrument instruction at a young age and started composing immediately upon picking up the guitar. He later moved onto the piano and studied as a music composition major, writing extended pieces such as a string quartet and two piano sonatas. During this time Tim performed with various rock and fusion bands and played on many recording sessions. Tim’s first album of original music was entitled “Transformation” and was released in 2005. The album was well received by the Progressive Rock community and recognized as an original voice, in the tradition of Yes and Genesis, yet recorded and performed with a modern edge.
His second album “Faithscience” was released in 2012 and musically it picked up where “Transformation” left off, continuing to explore the best of Progressive Rock. In addition to this release Tim became a member of the Jerry Jennings band and formed The Mangoes with Bret Bingham. The Mangoes released their debut album in 2014 and it was appreciated for its pop sensibility and quirky humor. His latest solo release “III” was also warmly embraced in 2018 by critics and fans alike.
Tim’s recent cover version of the classic Yes song “Awaken” has received the ultimate compliments from members of Yes - Rick Wakeman enthused, “Best YES cover I've heard ...well done to everybody” and Jon Anderson said, “Great job with ‘Awaken’...the fact you sat around and decided to perform it is a treat....not an easy work!” Composer/musician Adam Holzman was so impressed by this performance of it that he offered to do his own remix of the song (both versions can be found on Tim’s Youtube channel and website).
Tim Morse “Awaken” cover version:
Here's what the press has said about Tim Morse’s previous albums:
(Tim Morse III)
“Tim Morse III is an engaging, appealing album that seamlessly bridges melodic rock and progressive influences.” - Anil Prasad, Innerviews
“There’s no doubt fans of symphonic prog will find much to enjoy. Recommended.” - Jerry Lucky, The Progressive Rock Files
“Musically, III is enjoyable - occupying the lighter end of the Yes style spectrum." - PROG Magazine
“Recommended for fans of melodic rock with some progressive touches.” - Jon Davis, Expose
(Faithscience)
“Tim Morse deserves to make it into the mainstream, as he surely one of the greats of the genre.” - John Bollenberg, iO Pages
“A smartly arranged, melodic-symphonic opus.” - John Collinge, Progression Magazine
“Probably the biggest surprise of the year...and highly recommended to fans of classic prog.” - Kinesis
(Transformation)
“Transformation is a work truly realized, an impressive work of creativity that grows on one even more after repeated listening.” - Andres Valle (Mellotron)
“An interesting and expansive collection of symphonic prog songs...it not only rewards repeated listening, it demands it.” - DPRP
Tim is also a published author and his book “Yesstories” has sold over 20,000 copies worldwide. His book “Classic Rock Stories” was published by the St. Martin’s Press and was featured on the Howard Stern show. He has also written for music magazines over the years including Mix, Guitar World, Keyboard and Bass Player.
Tim will be doing videos and PR to support the release of “The Archaeology Project.” He’s also working on a Mangoes EP with Bret Bingham that should be released in the New Year. As for live performance, that is completely up to what happens with the pandemic and the interest/demand for shows.
In closing Tim has this to impart, “I hope that everyone is safe and healthy in these uncertain times. Also, I'm always grateful when anyone takes the time to listen to my music, even if they didn’t like it or were critical of it. In this modern age of endless distractions it is a lovely thing when someone will truly listen to music.”
Release date: September 30, 2020
Purchasing links:
The Archaeology Project is available for preorder on Bandcamp:
Los Angeles, CA - Joey Molland’s Badfinger has been experiencing quite the career revival recently with artists ranging from indie rock icon Matthew Sweet to Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson participating in exciting new versions of Badfinger’s extensive catalog of hits. And now comes one of the biggest hits Molland & company ever recorded - the Paul McCartney-penned pop classic “Come & Get It” reinvented here with a superb contribution from famed piano/keyboard player Rick Wakeman! With Wakeman’s special touch, this tune takes on a whole new life with added melody and bounce, and although Badfinger guitarist/bassist Tom Evans originally sang lead on the 1969 version, Molland ably takes over vocal duties.
Los Angeles, CA - International rock collective Sontaag, whose eponymous debut album is a multi-generic collision of progressive space opera, cinematic ambience and sci-fi storytelling that arrived to significant critical acclaim in 2014, are set to return into 2020’s dystopian new normal.
On September 18th, the band will release their new single “Beyond Forever.” The cast of this particular mission finds original collaborators Richard Sontaag (guitars, keyboards) and Ian Fortnam (vocals) joined by Steve George (Swervedriver) on bass while Dave Barbarossa (Adam And The Ants/Bow Wow Wow) - whose trademark beats propelled Sontaag’s 2019 all-out sonic assault on Hawkwind’s “Silver Machine” (with Youth, Nik Turner and The Orb) - returns on drums.
“Beyond Forever” and its companion track “Back To My Soul (both produced by Richard Sontaag) are available through Cleopatra Records via all digital platforms with cover art by Julie Cunnah.
Ian Fortnam: “Between them, these compositions form the next chapter of the Sontaag story. The conclusion of the album saw our lead character drifting away from a scene of total annihilation into an uncertain future. These songs reflect our hero's innermost thoughts. ‘Beyond Forever’ finds him lost, alone, permanently social distanced, but ultimately optimistic, while ‘Back To My Soul’ has him searching for spiritual redemption while mourning for all that’s gone. If our first chapters were set in outer space, these next instalments play out in a terminally locked-down inner space.”
Richard Sontaag: “‘Beyond Forever’ has a kind of James Bond theme feel to it. Ages ago, I remember going to a film studio in Ealing and watching them cut together the opening credits of a Bond film, and that was a lot of fun. When we were writing ‘Beyond Forever,’ I was thinking of something that could play over a really spaced-out Bond opening. As for ‘Back To My Soul,’ I like riffs, but I’m also interested in the traditional craft of songwriting. ‘Back To My Soul’ is an attempt to combine the two.”
Steve George: “When my best buddy and I experienced the joy of playing an electric guitar for the first time, we didn’t have an amp, so we commandeered his brother Richard’s old Vox AC30. The amp kept cutting out, but that did not ruin the thrill of reproducing the riffs of ‘War Pigs,’ ‘Silver Machine’ and, sadly, ‘Smoke on the Water.’ So playing with Sontaag all this time later means that things have kind of come full circle for me.”
“Progressive restored to its original sense. By referencing the last five decades of music and film, Sontaag create a highly original sci-fi morality tale for the future, and one of the year’s most unusual listening experiences, itself crying out for movie status.” 8/10 - Classic Rock
“Progtastic!” 4/5 - Daily Mirror
“Just download it to your brain from the nearest orbiting space station.” - Huey Morgan, BBC Radio 2
“A schizophrenic head fuck of an album, switching between ambient electronica and crunchy hard rock.” - Detroit-Metro Times
“A spectacular collision of British eccentricity and dramatic storytelling.” - Line Of Best Fit
“Sontaag have created one of the year’s most unusual listening experiences with this 21st century take on a sci-fi morality tale.” - Shindig
VA - Art Rock/Contemporary Jazz artist Potter's Daughter to release EP “Casually Containing Rage” on September 15, 2020! The EP will be released by MRR and available both digitally, and as a CD.
Potter's Daughter released their debut album, “The Blind Side,” in August 2018. In 2019 they released two singles; “Blood and Water,” featuring Annie Haslam (Renaissance) as guest artist, and the holiday single, “This Winter’s Child,” which was composed for the “MRR Holiday” album.
In March 2020 they went on tour with MRR labelmate Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius and Dark Beauty. They were also invited to participate in several online festivals, including The Uncancelled Music Festival (April), The WorldWide Prog and Rock Virtual Festival (May), and most recently, the prestigious ProgStock Festival. (August).
“Casually Containing Rage” features three songs:
1. To My Love - a completely new arrangement of their song from their debut album, The Blind Side 2. Accidentally Like A Martyr- a beautiful rendition of Warren Zevon’s song from his album, Excitable Boy 3. We Could Be - a powerful and moving song dealing with racial injustice, featuring NPR radio broadcasts about George Floyd and Ahmaud Abery.
Filmmaker Serena Künzler has created a striking video for the song “We Could Be,” which was premiered during Potter’s Daughter’s set at ProgStock 8/29/2020.
1. To My Love (DPV, JCV) Dyanne Potter Voegtlin-vocals Amit Chatterjee-guitar Jan-Christian Vögtlin-bass Patrick Carmichael-drums Tom Borthwick-soundscaping
2. Accidentally Like A Martyr (Warren Zevon) Dyanne Potter Voegtlin-piano, vocal Jan-Christian Vögtlin-bass, guitar, drum programming
3. We Could Be (DPV, JCV) Dyanne Potter Voegtlin-keyboards, vocals Jan-Christian Vögtlin-bass, drum programming, guitar synth NPR David Greene-radio broadcast
1. Produced by DPV, co-produced by Amitava Chatterjee and Joseph Wiggy Wegleski 2. Produced by JCV 3. Produced by DPV, co-produced by JCV and Joseph Wiggy Wegleski Mastered by Tom Borthwick
1.3. Recorded at SI Studio, Engineered by Joseph Wiggy Wegleski 2. Recorded, mixed at JCV Sound design
CD, Digital and Double Coloured Eco-Vinyl Gatefold LP with 30cm x 20cm poster
Following the release of critically acclaimed debut album “Origin Of Species” in early 2019, DarWin is set to release the follow up album “Darwin 2: A Frozen War” on the 6th November 2020.
Once more DarWin has assembled a stunning ensemble of musicians. “DarWin II: A Frozen War” continues the core collaboration with Simon Phillips (drums, Toto/The Who/Jeff Beck), Matt Bissonette (Elton John, David Lee Roth, Ringo Starr) and DarWin. Joining them are powerhouse players Billy Sheehan (bass, Mr Big/ Steve Vai/Winery Dogs), Guthrie Govan (guitar, Aristocrats/Asia/Hans Zimmer/Steven Wilson), Greg Howe (guitar, Michael Jackson/Justin Timberlake), Derek Sherinian (keyboards, Dream Theater/Alice Cooper/Black Country Communion) and more…
The second album builds on the themes of “Origin Of Species” - first single “Nightmare Of My Dreams” featured a stunning video centered around the theme of the recent wildfires and filmed in areas of Australia directly affected. The other tracks build on DarWin’s sound - drawing the best elements of progressive rock with a depth of vocal sound scapes and songwriting. There is a generous amount of guitar shred and heavy grooves on display for the rock faithful who demand athletic performances.
First single, “Nightmare Of My Dreams”, available now, also features a video directed by the legendary Nigel Dick (Guns N’ Roses, Def Leppard) HERE
“At the end of it all, DarWin has saved the concept album as well as the planet.” – Classic Rock review of debut album “Origin Of Species”
The full album tracklisting of “Darwin 2: A Frozen War” is as follows:
1. Nightmare Of My Dreams
2. Future History
3. Eternal Life
4. A Frozen War
5. Another Year
The album is also be available in spectacular Double Coloured Eco-Vinyl Gatefold LP with 30cm x 20cm poster. LP1 will be the standard album tracklisting, as above. LP2 features new interpretations of various songs from the first two albums, highlighting theorchestral or unplugged performances of the earlier tracks. They were all mixed and rearranged by mastermind Simon Phillips, and show a more delicate and emotional side to the DarWin recordings.
The full tracklisting for LP2 is as follows
Side A:
1. Escape the Maze (Orchestral)
2. Nightmare of My Dreams (Orchestral)
3. Slowly Melting (Unplugged)
4. Forever (Orchestral)
Side B:
1. One Horizon (Unplugged)
2. Rise (Orchestral)
3. Last Chance (Orchestral)
4. Another Year (Acapella)
DarWin says. “We completed this album under extraordinary circumstances. The writing for the album continued as we wrapped Origin of Species in 2018, and our worlds were turned upside down by wildfires and viral pandemics. We’re grateful to the amazing group of musicians, artists and professionals who participated in this project. Almost no aspect of the creative process was “typical,” with team members spread out around the world, and often under lock down. We had our instruments, our technologies, and a passion for musical creativity. We hope that the emotion and resilience of this time period will come through these recordings.”
“Darwin 2: A Frozen War” was produced by DarWin and Simon Phillips and recorded primarily in Iceland and the USA.
DarWin’s critically acclaimed debut “Origin Of Species ” was the first installment in an epic saga that addresses the challenges of mankind in our coming era. It depicts the role of a changing planet, and the potential, as well as limitations, of technology to help solve mankind’s greatest challenges. A complex project that’s eschews the hollow immediacy of much contemporary art. A story that demands attention and imagination. With music sweeping in scope, at times evoking hard rock virtuoso shredding, alongside grand orchestral compositions, warm harmonies and soaring choruses. A project that is even more relevant in the strange times we live in.
Following his critically-acclaimed album of collaborations, White Knight, released in 2017 on Cleopatra Records, rock legend Todd Rundgren is releasing a new single “Espionage” from his forthcoming album Space Force. In contrast to its futuristic title, Rundgren returns to the days of yesteryear when artists would release several singles first before releasing an “album,” or collection of singles. Thus, Space Force will be released to digital platforms as individual singles, each with its own unique artwork, every 3 or 4 weeks with the entire album coming in early 2021.
First up is a song as adventurous as Space Force suggests, the ambitious collaboration “Espionage” with Muslim hip hop artist Narcy.
“The song is actually an orphan of White Knight. Narcy and I began the colab in the final days of that album and we couldn’t get it finished in time, so in a sense it’s the first song of Space Force.” - Todd Rundgren
Keep an eye out for more Space Force singles including collaborations with Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo and idiosyncratic pop stars Sparks as well as a video for “Espionage.”
In other news, now that the convention has wrapped, Todd’s new re-record of his 1973 anthem “Just One Victory” has been provided to the Democratic National Committee for gratis use by all candidates running for public office this fall, from top of ballot down to dogcatcher .
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Rundgren began playing guitar as a teenager, going on to found and front Nazz, the quintessential 60's psychedelic group. In 1969, he left the band to pursue a solo career, recording his debut offering, Runt. But it was 1972's seminal Something/Anything?, on which he played all the instruments, sang all the vocal parts, and acted as his own producer, that catapulted Todd into the superstar limelight, prompting the press to unanimously dub him “Rock's New Wunderkind.” It was followed by such landmark LPs as The Hermit of Mink Hollow and A Wizard, A True Star; evergreen hit singles include “I Saw The Light,” “Hello It's Me,” “Can We Still Be Friends,” and “Bang The Drum.”
In support of the band’s recent live CD/DVD/Blu-ray release “CircuLive::NewView” modern prog band Circuline are announcing their 15-date New View virtual tour beginning September 9, 2020!
Premiering exclusively on Facebook, every one of these 15 dates has three segments: the Official Video, followed by a new clip from the “CircuLive::NewView” DVD/Blu-ray, followed by a Facebook Live “Story Behind the Song and Video” Q&A session. The band will talk about the writing of the songs, the making of the videos, answer questions from the Facebook Chat feed, and most likely make fun of themselves during the conversation. It’s going to be a lot of fun, and we hope you join us!
Says keyboardist Andrew Colyer, “The Concept behind this 15-date Virtual Tour is to get to know new and familiar fans in the best way that we can, given the world situation right now, and for them to get to know us better. Since you can’t go to the concert, we’re bringing the concert and ‘Meet-and-Greet’ VIP experience home to you! This is the best way we could think of to support the new live CD/DVD/Blu-ray ‘CircuLive::NewView’. We’re releasing five new Official Videos (including one from the new CD/DVD/Blu-ray concert), and it’s a review of our previous ten Official Videos, many of which our newer fans may not have seen. For the past five years, we’ve had worldwide sales in 18 countries on six continents. Most of these fans have never had an opportunity to see us perform live. This Virtual Tour will show the history of the band past and present, allow us to reach people at home, and communicate one-on-one in a way that we probably couldn’t do on tour.”
Drummer Darin Brannon explains, “What we found out after the ProgStock performance is that all the comments about the show included the words ‘fun’ and ‘entertaining’. So with that, we were successful. It’s one thing to deliver stellar performances, but adding an element of fun can help some members of the audience enjoy the show and maybe become a fan. The Virtual Tour is something that we have been wanting to do for some time now. It’s another way for a listener to be introduced to the band or get to know us a bit better. Just with any band that has gone through writing, recording and touring, each of us has grown, which makes the band grow.”
What’s great about being able to do a “Virtual Tour” is that the listener can enjoy getting to know the band and each of the members more. Plus Circuline hope if they like the newest release “Circulive::NewView” they might be enticed to look back into the band’s history and want to explore previous releases.
The NewView Virtual Tour runs from September 9th through October 10th. You have until midnight on Thursday, October 8th to get your Exclusive Pre-Order Bundle over at www.CircuLiveNewView.com, since the release date for “CircuLive::NewView” is Friday, October 9th. Later this fall, the band will be releasing a “Meet the Band” video series, a “Story Behind the Song” video series, and a “Story Behind the Album” video series. They’ve currently started working on their third studio album, with a forthcoming “Making of” video series while they’re doing it. The third studio album is scheduled realistically for a Fall 2021 or Spring 2022 release, with accompanying new music videos before, and live gigs afterwards.
Circuline Andrew Colyer - Keyboards, Vocals, Percussion Darin Brannon - Drums, Keyboards, Percussion Natalie Brown - Vocals, Percussion William "Billy" Spillane - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Percussion Alek Darson - Lead Guitar, Percussion Joel Simches - Bass Guitar, Bass Pedals, Drums
What do you get when you take two theatrical lead vocalists, a keyboard player from Juilliard, a versatile rock virtuoso on guitar, a zany bass player from another galaxy, and a drummer with progressive rock in his DNA? The modern cinematic rock band Circuline. Nominated for PROG Magazine’s 2016 Limelight award for best new band, Circuline has toured with Glass Hammer, repeatedly co-headlined the three-day Sonic Voyage Festival, and toured England in summer 2017 opening for IO Earth. Circuline has performed at RoSfest, Philadelphia's Liberty Music Fest, Chicago's Progtoberfest, and England’s Harmonix Festival.
“CircuLive::NewView” captures the band at ProgStock in an all-newly crafted show that will please any rock fan. In addition to soaring vocals, keyboard wizardry, powerhouse drumming, and virtuoso guitar and bass playing, you will smile and enjoy the “keyboard challenge”, “drum feature”, and other fun and entertaining moments. The album was recorded at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway, New Jersey and was Mixed and Mastered by Alek Darson in Toronto, Canada.
“CircuLive::NewView” will be released on Inner Nova Music on October 9th, 2020.
I had a great time interviewing Kevin Godley an amazing multi-faceted artist that was in 10cc on four excellent recordings, recorded some great music with his band mate Lol Creme and continued on with a solo career and many other projects.
Abel Ganz was formed back in 1980, had a ten-year hiatus from 1996 to 2006, and came back bristling with new ideas. The debut appeared in 1984, Gratuitous Flash, which was remixed, remastered, and re-released in 2016. The album under review is album No 7, The Life Of The Honey Bee and Other Moments of Clarity.
The band has undergone many personnel changes since coming into being in 1980, but original members are still around in various bands. If you want to find out more about Abel Ganz, then check out my pod-cast, “The History Of Abel Ganz”, available as The Ancient One Show No 140 on www.progzilla.com
The band line-up for The Life Of The Honey Bee and Other Moments Of Clarity, the album under review, is now Davie Mitchell (guitars), Jack Webb (keyboards), Mick Macfarlane (vocals/guitars/bouzouki), Stephen Donnelly (bass), Denis Smith (drums/vocals) and David King (guitars/keyboards/drum programming). There were also 9 guest musicians involved. The Life Of The Honey Bee and Other Moments of Clarity is a 6 track release, although there is an extra track on the 2 different digital releases, and has a running time of just over 50 minutes (50:18). The third track, “Arran Shores” is the shortest track on offer at 2:40 minutes, and the fifth track, “Sepia and White” is the longest at 13:31 minutes.
The opening track, “The Life of the Honey Bee and other Moments of Clarity,” the title track starts off with a gentle acoustic guitar riff that morphs quickly into a full band workout on the same theme before the acoustic guitar/keyboard comes back and Mick’s vocals join in just after the 2-minute mark. Mick’s voice is a very characteristic part of the Abel Ganz sound and the powerful voice carries the expression of the lyrics excellently. The listener is drawn into the world of Abel Ganz almost like settling into a favorite armchair and joining the band on the musical journey. Just on the 4-minute mark, we are treated to an unexpected harmonica passage by Alex Paclin, which sounds more like Stevie Wonder than Stevie Wonder does. Another superb instrumental passage takes us back into those wonderful lyrics presented so well by Mick. After 6:15 minutes, there is a second unexpected appearance, this time by Fiona Cuthill, playing superb fiddle, which heads up an excellent passage prior to the keyboards of Jack Webb building up in the background. Just shy of the 9-minute mark there is another directional change, this time the bluesy guitar of Davie Mitchell (I think) before the track seems to settle into an area very reminiscent of Steely Dan, as the opening track moves towards its completion. Before it does so, however, the excellently named Snake Davis adds a superb saxophone ending. The opener has lasted 12:37 minutes and Abel Ganz has nailed it, taking the listener here, there, and back again on the journey and ensuring that they are looking forward to what else this majestic album has for them.
The next 3 tracks, “One Small Soul” (5:52), “Arran Shores” (2:40), and “Summerlong” (5:22) move more into the gentle acoustic environment, ”One Small Soul,” finds Mick again in fine voice, duetting at points with Emily Smith ( a former Scots Singer Of The Year) and producing a superb modern folk-inspired track which has an instantly memorable melody. “Arran Shores” allows David King to show how a simple acoustic guitar number can evoke so many thoughts and memories, especially if you know the Isle of Arran. The third track, “Summerlong” takes the listener on another journey with some beautiful piano and strings, showing different facets of the Abel Ganz sound. In these three tracks, there are wonderful mo-ments with guitars, keyboards, vocals, and the powerhouse of bass (Stephen Donnelly) and drums (Denis Smith) underpinning everything that is going on.
The second of the long tracks, track 5, “Sepia and White” (13.31) starts up like a full-blooded rock workout before dropping into a superb piano passage heralding Mick’s vocals entering the track around the 2:15 minute mark. More guitar riffs appear and carry the track along and into a repeat of the earlier piano/vocal combination, prior to a majestic synth passage which leads into a full band workout led by the guitar. This section is a good example of the band flexing their collective musical muscle. Midway through the track, it is another superb piano passage that links to an almost laid-back section, with a simple melody that hits the listener just right. This track seems to ooze a feeling of nostalgia which is prevalent throughout the album, looking back but gazing forward with hope. The band drives the track to its finale.
The final track, “The Light Shines Out” (6:17), is a very gentle laid-back piece of music with Denis taking over the reins of lead singer, backed by a superb low whistle melody. The vocals are very different from Mick, but seem to suit this particular track very well. As the track progresses, the listener becomes aware of a subtle piano passage behind the vocals and the appearance of some subdued strings. Around the halfway point, there is some excellent bass from Stephen prior to a short melodic passage before the vocals return. Just after the 5-minute mark, the low whistle returns with the earlier motif and the track evolves into a short “funky” fadeout.
Earlier this year in a review, I commented that I had not heard a “perfect album,” but the band in question at that point, Kaprekar’s Constant, had come very close to that mark. Honey Bee exceeds that previous review by a few tenths towards perfection and is certainly my record of 2020.
This is a majestic album produced by musicians who have a vision of where the band is going and possess the skills to take the band there. Credit should also be heaped onto the Abel Ganz guest musicians, some of whom have appeared regularly on previous albums.
My advice is very simple, go out and get hold of this album, although the success since the release has resulted in the CDs selling out and a reprint is now in progress. Don’t lose out again and get one ordered as soon as possible.
Normally I would sum up, but I will let the band do that, as they have done it rather well. “The influences on the new album continue in a similar vein (to previously), further developing the band’s eclectic mix of folk, rock, metal, and Celtic styles. The album’s trajectory shifts between crunching guitars, subtle acoustic instruments, strings, soaring Hammond, and emotive grand piano, all connected by lyrical storytelling plus timeless vocals and harmonies.
Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson – Prog Rock Music Talk Staff August 31, 2020
Due to public demand, Gentle Giant is pleased to announce the very first ‘OFFICIAL’ t-shirt from the band’s own merchandise line. The t-shirt design was inspired by an old poster from a show the band played in Zurich, Switzerland in 1975.
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