Progressive Jam-Fusion Supergroup PAKT Featuring Brand X Bass Legend Percy Jones Heading To West Coast USA Tour To Promote New Album “No Steps Left to Trace”

PAKT, a true super group of master musicians merging & colliding new music in the realms of progressive rock, electric jazz, experimental, ambient, psychedelic and beyond, is an experience as much as a musical project. An IMAX film for the ears, PAKT takes its listeners on an improvised sonic voyage with no preconceived destination, minimal pre-planning and little use for forms and conventions. Rare is the musician who can thrive in such a spontaneous environment but Percy Jones (fretless bass guitar), Alex Skolnick (guitar), Kenny Grohowski (drums) and Tim Motzer (guitar and electronics) are all up to the task. Armed with enough tastefully used effects to stock a small music store, Motzer and Skolnick create sounds so atmospheric and ethereal that one might not guess their source is a guitar. Meanwhile, Grohowski and Jones approach their instruments in textural manners that seamlessly intertwine with each other and the quartet as a whole. The music runs the gamut from highly sensitive to intense, with all four musicians’ listening skills so strong that their collective playing is as cohesive as it is unpredictable. Welsh bassist Jones (now a New York resident) is known for his tenure in the legendary jazz fusion group Brand X (whose classic lineup included drummer Phil Collins, yes that one) and extensive studio work (especially with Brian Eno). Skolnick is a diverse improviser whose jazz and world playing and instrumental associations (including bass virtuosos Stuart Hamm and Michael Manring) forms a Jeckyll & Hyde dynamic with his high profile as lead guitarist of the metal band Testament. Grohowski's many recent associations include John Zorn, a reincarnated version of Brand X and masked avant-metal outfit, Imperial Triumphant. Motzer has a long background in free improvisation, including the bands Bandit65 (with fellow guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel) and Orion Tango, plus many other recorded collaborations for his 1k Recordings label.

Before this album, all of PAKT’s releases had been taken from live performances. This studio session took place during the band’s East Coast tour in December, 2021. Primed from several successful shows in Upstate New York (including musician Daryll Hall’s thriving venue in Pawling, NY, Daryl’s House), the band took the day off in the Catskills Mountains, where they tracked live at NRS Studios. NRS is located in the home of musician/recording engineer Scott Petito, whose studio has hosted such luminaries John Scofield, Chick Corea and James Taylor. The PAKT musicians set up in a circle, all in the same room and performed, just as they would at a live concert. This began in the late morning and continued past dusk. By day’s end, they had accumulated a bunch of material—quite a nice document of where the band was musically back in 2021.

Tim Motzer, who produced this recording as well as providing artwork, says the following: “One of the things we all realized is that this band isn't going backward...it may be fueled by what we've done in the past, but really it’s a forward-evolving band composing in-the-moment, finding new language, and discovering our music as we go along. It's in that feeling that the title, ‘No Steps Left To Trace’, came to me because our music is a continuum, and more like a journey or an experience. We are, in a sense, tunneling or boring through the musical abstract toward and through to the ‘other side’.” Skolnick adds “From the moment we did our first performance together, it was clear that this project had a special chemistry that doesn’t happen all that often. The fact that we found this chemistry in our favorite Brooklyn venue, called Shape Shifter Lab, is fitting. It being the height of the 2020 Pandemic, that first show was streamed, with no audience present. Our first studio album ‘No Steps Left to Trace’, is a return to us just playing to each other, only this time, we have a number of live shows and touring under our belt, recorded in a high-quality studio. It’s a great document of PAKT in 2021.”

Live, of course, they have an audience that takes the ride with them. It is a real shared experience in that regard. Motzer curated five such journeys for the Live CD, one from Buffalo, three from NYC (Nublu), and one from Philadelphia. Adding the live album to the double release shows the growth and evolving chemistry in PAKT from the 2021 studio recording to the newer live recordings in 2023. It's a nice contrast with a lot of great interplay and listening happening from all the players. It also makes the album an excellent introduction to the band’s music for anyone new to it, as well as a fine addition to their discography.

PAKT
with
PERCY JONES - bass
ALEX SKOLNICK - guitar
KENNY GROHOWSKI - drums
TIM MOTZER - guitars, electronics

“PAKT recalls the fearless attitude and daring approach that originally defined progressive music: where the magic of the moment always triumphed over preconception. Templates be damned ... this music blazes its own path! This is truly exquisite fare, serving as a reminder to aficionados of what initially drew them to this most creative, visionary of genres.”

WEST COAST TOUR DATES
Feb 01 - Seattle, WA (Funhouse)
Feb 02 - Portland, OR (Alberta Abbey)
Feb 03 - Eugene, OR (WOW Hall)
Feb 04 - Redding, CA (The Dip)
Feb 06 - TBA
Feb 08 - Mill Valley, CA (Sweetwater Music Hall)
Feb 09 - Fresno, CA (Fulton 55)
Feb 10 - Los Angeles, CA (Baked Potato, 2 shows)
Feb 11 - Los Angeles, CA (Baked Potato, 2 shows)
Feb 12 - Costa Mesa, CA (Wayfarer)
Feb 13 - Phoenix, AZ (The Rhythm Room)

To purchase PAKT “No Steps Left to Trace” (2CD, 2LP, 24bit Download):
https://pakt-moonjune.bandcamp.com/album/no-steps-left-to-trace

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Italian Prog Legends Syndone To Release New Concept Album “DirtyThirty”

Sit down, make yourself comfortable. This is the story of an artistic journey, a 30-year parable.

Listen. Immerse yourself. Eliminate all distractions; let the music speak to you, like it used to do. “DirtyThirty” is the culmination of a class struggle, of the utopian ideal of those who stubbornly cling to a model of the world that still embraces thought, wonder and the courage of art. Syndone is a vision, a nine-album journey, the desire to make a mark in the world. Syndone is a shapeshifter, a band that’s changed its skin and its musicians without ever changing its soul: swimming against the tide, defying fashion and the decline (not only musical) of an era in which you can be successful only if it pleases the powers that be.

Yet there was a time when record albums were capable of transporting us, starting with the artistry of the album covers, of breaking the rules, crossing boundaries, with a whole set of atmospheres, sounds, and thoughtful, refined, stylistic constructions. Those were the days of progressive rock; at the time it was simply called ‘pop’, because it was popular. Today there’s very little left that’s progressive: there’s no thrill of discovery, we’re no longer open to wonder and amazement, we don’t deviate from the idea of an increasingly standardized and replaceable human being.

Nik Comoglio, the musical heart and soul of this story, has never surrendered to that reality; flanked by the vocal and conceptual talents of Riccardo Ruggeri, the Turin-based keyboardist and composer has truly succeeded in making his mark. Syndone, with their erudite, impeccable rock, as violent and energetic as they are melancholic and orchestral, are a dare, a counterpoint, a raised middle finger to the devious strategy of collective narcosis slyly dropped from above in the Kali Yuga of Western civilization. They’re an antidote.

“DirtyThirty” is their crowning achievement, the (perhaps) final chapter. Enjoy it like fine wine, in small sips, and remember to stay human.

Track list:

1. DirtyThirty - the end of my love - (Comoglio/Ruggeri)  [5’06”]
2. Fight Club (Comoglio/Rubinato/Ruggeri) [3’08”]
3. The Angel (Comoglio/Rubinato/Ruggeri) - quoting the track “Il fiele e il limite” from the album “La bella è la bestia”, 2012 [4’19”]
4. Valdrada’s Screen (Comoglio/Ruggeri) - restyling the track “Spleen” from the album “Spleen”,1992  [3’46”]
5. I spit on my virtue (Comoglio/Rubinato/Ruggeri) [4’40”]
6. I only ask for a super glue (Comoglio/Ruggeri) - quoting the track “Eros & Thanatos” from the album “Odysséas”, 2014 [5’02”]
7. Mary Ann (Comoglio/Ruggeri) - restyling the track “Marianne” from the album “Spleen”,1992   [5’57”]
8. René (Comoglio/Ruggeri) - restyling the track “Magritte” from the album “Melapesante”, 2010   [4’25”]
9. God’s will (Comoglio/Ruggeri) - restyling track “Inca” from the album “Inca”, 1993  [5’30”]
10. Thousand times I cried (Comoglio/Ruggeri) - restyling the track “Proverbi” from the album “Inca”, 1993  [2’11”]
11. Evelyn Japanese version (Comoglio Ruggeri) translation of the track “Evelyn” from the album “Mysoginia”, 2018   [4’21”]
12. So long everybody - the time has come and I must leave you - (Comoglio) - restyling the track “Penelope” for full orchestra from the album “Odysséas”, 2014   [4’46”]

Bonus track
Evelyn Japanese version (Comoglio Ruggeri) translation of the track “Evelyn” from the album “Mysoginia”, 2018 [4’21”]

Total time running 48’03”

SYNDONE Line up:

Nik Comoglio - composition, orchestration, hammond, juno dist. moog, mellotron, keyboards
Riccardo Ruggeri – composition, vocals, lyrics
Marta Caldara – vibraphone, marimba, keyboards
Gigi Rivetti – ac. piano, el. pianos, hammond, moog, accordion
Simone Rubinato – bass, fretless bass, el. baritone guitar Ciro Iavarone - drums, percussions

Guests

Tony de Gruttola – electric guitar & ac. guitar (on “DirtyThirty”)
Andrea Carbone – electric guitar (on “Mary Ann”)
Pino Russo – classic guitar (on “René”)
Gianluca Cagnani – pipe organ (on “Valdrada’s screen”)
Kaori Tsutsui – clarinet in Bb (on “Evelyn”)
Rebecca Onyeji - backing vocals
Charlie Poma - backing vocals

String Trio (on “I spit on my virtue”) – Valerio Iaccio (violin), Roberto D’Auria (violin), Michelangiolo Mafucci (cello)

Budapest Scoring Symphonic Orchestra conducted by M° Francesco Zago

Fabrizio Argiolas - sound engineer
Valentina Fornacca – artwork cover: “folli eroi e sognatori” (oil on canvas)
Eugenia Brini - layout and booklet project

To purchase: http://store.maracash.com/product_info.php?products_id=799&osCsid=n5r7g884nhrv8lm38p12vncf6p

For more information:
www.syndone.it
www.facebook.com/syndone

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (USA), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Bruford “One Of A Kind” 12” Vinyl Edition Available November 24, 2023

Definitive vinyl re-release re-issued on Bruford’s own Winterfold Records and overseen personally by drum legend Bill Bruford

• Bill Bruford is the original drummer in YES and was a long-term member of King Crimson.

• The band Bruford recorded this album in 1979 and it went on to achieve critical acclaim and commercial success.

Bruford “One Of A Kind” 12” vinyl reissue will be available November 24, 2023!

The line-up on this album is: Bill Bruford – drums, percussion, Allan Holdsworth – electric guitar, Dave Stewart – keyboards, Jeff Berlin – bass

This 12” vinyl re-issue has been mastered from the original 1979 mix, taken from the original 1979 analogue tapes, and comes housed in a replica sleeve.

Mastered from the original tapes recorded and mixed by Stephen W Tayler in 1979

This definitive vinyl re-release is re-issued on Bruford’s own Winterfold Records and was overseen personally by Bill Bruford.

“It's music that breathes... played by empathetic, truly virtuosic musicians. But is it rock, jazz, prog or fusion? Who knows, but it's some of the greatest British instrumental music of all time”. Sounds of Surprise

“… despite a landscape of constantly-shifting meters and tempi, the magic of One of a Kind is that it remains compelling and accessible”. All about Jazz

“This collection of ten tracks stands as a maelstrom of chops, arranging skills and inspired ensemble playing... the dynamics between drums, keys and fretless bass provide a high profile, capable structure for Holdsworth's top-flight soloing ability”. Exposé Online

Photo by Pascal Devillers

TRACK LISTING

Side 1
1 Hell’s Bells
2 One Of A Kind – Part One
3 One Of A Kind – Part Two
4 Travels With Myself – And Someone Else
5 Fainting In Coils
Side 2
1 Five G
2 The Abingdon Chasp
3 Forever Until Sunday
4 The Sahara Of Snow – Part One
5 The Sahara Of Snow – Part Two

To pre-order: https://burningshed.com/store/billbruford/bruford_one-of-a-kind_vinyl

Bill Bruford official website: https://billbruford.com/

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (USA), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

King Crimson “Larks' Tongues In Aspic” The Complete Recording Sessions - Dolby Atmos 2023 Mixes Blu-ray/2CD Now Available!

• 50th anniversary edition of King Crimson’s classic 1973 album
• Blu-Ray I features all-new 2023 mixes in Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD MA 5.1 Surround Sound and Hi-Res Stereo by Steven Wilson
• Blu-Ray I also features the new Elemental Mixes by David Singleton
• Blu-Ray II contains the complete recordings of every session recorded for the album. All of this material has been newly mixed from the original performances and is presented on disc for the first time in Hi-Res 24/96 stereo.
• Additionally, Blu-Ray II includes Hi-Res stereo mixes of the original stereo masters & David
Singleton’s audio documentary of the album recording “Keep That One, Nick” previously included on the 2012 boxed set. These are the sole inclusions to have been issued previously.
• CD1 includes the 2023 stereo mix and instrumentals of the album.
• CD2 includes the elemental mixes and selected master reels.
• Presented as a 2x gatefold sleeve edition containing the individual discs plus booklet with new sleeve-notes by King Crimson biographer Sid Smith packaged in a rigid slipcase

“This band is more King Crimson than it’s ever been. All the original ideals and aspirations are there – love, respect and compatible ideas. It’s a magic band!” – Robert Fripp, July, 1972

Bill Bruford ~ David Cross ~ Robert Fripp ~ Jamie Muir ~ John Wetton

When, in July 1972, Melody Maker revealed that Bill Bruford & John Wetton were joining King Crimson – from Yes & Family respectively, it was front page news. Also joining were Jamie Muir – a key figure in London’s jazz scene & David Cross – from the band Waves. Fripp’s claims about the band’s ‘magic’ were to be put to the test that autumn when, following a three-night stint at the Zoom Club, Frankfurt & TV appearance on Bremen’s Beat Club, the band undertook an extensive UK tour, which ran from the end of October through to mid-December. With the exception of the encore “21st Century Schizoid Man”, the material was all new, with a heavier emphasis on improvisation than had ever been utilized by any major UK rock group on a headlining tour. The developing material for “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic” was premiered to a succession of audiences who, for the most part, had bought tickets expecting to hear something else entirely (encore notwithstanding) but who responded to the challenging set with enthusiasm.

Recorded from mid-January to the beginning of February & released in late March of 1973, “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic” became one of the most acclaimed of King Crimson’s albums as well as establishing its reputation as a key album from one of rock music’s most significant years. After a handful of further UK concerts, Jamie Muir left the band with the remaining quartet working with ever greater success until Summer 1974 when Fripp placed the band on indefinite hiatus.

Almost half a century after its release, Steven Wilson undertook the job of mixing the album for Dolby Atmos and, in the process, prepared new stereo & 5.1 mixes. The new stereo & 5.1 mixes – no doubt informed by the more adventurous mix techniques allowed by the Atmos process – are quite different in approach, more expansive than the earlier mixes as released in 2012, while still retaining and enhancing the core power of the original material.

The Atmos mixes allow a fresh glimpse of the vast scope of the individual material & performances as recorded for the album. The key to understanding this album, which Atmos illustrates most obviously, but is also present in all of Steven’s new mixes, David’s Elemental mixes & Alex & David’s mixes of the sessions material, is that this music was always this big, complex, interwoven series of soundscapes & while it was, in 1973, released in stereo on vinyl, CD & 8 Track cartridge, it’s only in recent years with, first the 2012 stereo & Surround mixes & now the Atmos/Elemental/Complete Sessions mixes that the available mix options & domestic consumption audio options have grown sufficiently to both contain & present the material to its fullest possible extent.

While Steven was working on this aspect of the material Alex R. Mundy and David Singleton at DGM were mixing every single take of the original studio sessions. These unreleased early takes are presented not as traditionally blended pieces, but with maximum separation, mimicking the experience of sitting in the studio with the individual elements being performed around you. The “Elemental mixes” apply this same approach to the main album takes. An excitingly fresh view on the familiar, with the focus often falling in unusual places, some originally hidden, some unused. Four of the album’s core tracks feature: extended mixes of “Larks’ 1” and “Talking Drum” along with “Easy Money” & “Larks’ 2”.

This material is all presented on Blu-Ray I of the set. Blu-Ray II presents every single session recording from the original studio dates, all newly mixed from the multitrack tapes and presented in date of recording order, in Hi-Res 24/96 stereo – a vast collection of previously unheard studio material from the seminal recording.
Also included on this disc are the original album mix (30th anniversary master) & the audio documentary “Keep that one, Nick” – as compiled by David Singleton for the 2012 boxed set. These two inclusions are the only previously released titles on this set.

It’s no coincidence that many of the pieces from the album became staples of performance for the most recent King Crimson line-ups (2014 – 2021). The material first performed to unsuspecting concert attendees in 1972, first recorded & released in 1973 & beloved of King Crimson fans ever since, has aged remarkably well. That material is now presented in its most complete edition to date, with all of the material on the CDs & almost all of the material on the Blu-Rays (see track-listing below), previously unreleased. In 2023, it still has the capacity to astound the ears.

Track List:

Blu-ray I - NTSC, All Zones (ABC), playable on all BD players & drives Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD MA 5.1 & LPCM Stereo 24/96, all previously unreleased:
Larks’ Tongues in Aspic - 2023 mixes. Dolby Atmos, DTS HD-MA 5.1 Surround, LPCM 24.96 Stereo
1. Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part One
2. Book of Saturday
3. Exiles
4. Easy Money
5. The Talking Drum
6. Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part Two

Elemental Mixes (24/96 Stereo)
1. Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part One
2. Easy Money
3. The Talking Drum
4. Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part Two

Instrumental Mixes (24/96 Stereo)
1. Book of Saturday
2. Exiles
3. Easy Money

Blu-ray II - NTSC, All Zones (ABC), playable on all BD players & drives Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD MA 5.1 & LPCM Stereo 24/96, all previously unreleased except*

Original Masters (24/96 Stereo) *

30th Anniversary Master
1. Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part One
2. Book of Saturday
3. Exiles
4. Easy Money
5. The Talking Drum
6. Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part Two

The Session Reels
1. “Keep That One, Nick” *
Complete Recording Sessions (24/96 Stereo)

January 16th, 1973
Larks’ I - Takes 1 to 10
Larks’ I - Takes 12 to 18 & 20 to 22
Larks’ II - Take 1
Book Of Saturday - Take 1
Book Of Saturday - Take 1 Overdubs & 2nd Main Vocal Take

January 17th, 1973
Larks’ I - Edit 2 Takes 1 to 11
Larks’ I - Edit 2 Take 12 & Overdubs
Larks’ I - 4/4 Section Remake Takes 1 to 4
Larks’ I - 4/4 Section Remake Takes 5 to 9 & 11 to 17
Larks’ I - 2nd Edit Takes 1 to 6
Larks’ I - 2nd Edit Take 1 with Overdubs

January 18th, 1973
Larks’ I - Bill Drum Check
Larks’ I - Jamie Drum Check
Larks’ II - Takes 1 & 2

January 19th, 1973
Larks’ I - 7/8 Section Remake Takes 1 to 5
Larks’ I - 4/4 Section Remake Takes 1 to 9

January 20th, 1973
Larks’ I - 4/4 Section 2nd Remake Takes 10 to 20

January 21st, 1973
Larks’ I - 4/4 Section 2nd Remake Takes 21 to 26

January 23rd, 1973
Easy Money - Takes 1 to 9
Easy Money - Takes 10 & 11
Jamie Various Atmosphere Takes
Jamie More Atmosphere Takes

January 24th, 1973
Easy Money - Remake Takes 1 to 6
Easy Money - Remake Takes 7 to 9
Intermezzo Takes 1 to 6
Intermezzo Takes 7 to 16
Intermezzo Takes 19 to 25

January 25th, 1973
The Talking Drum - Takes 1 to 3
The Talking Drum - Take 3 (Complete)
Larks’ I - 2nd Edit Takes 1 to 5
Larks’ I - Final Edit Remake Non Takes

January 26th, 1973
Exiles - Takes 1 to 3
Exiles - Takes 5 & 6
Exiles - Master Reel Take 4 Backing
Exiles - Master Reel Take 4 Overdubs 1
Exiles - Master Reel Take 4 Overdubs 2
Exiles - Master Reel Take 4 Vocal Overdubs

January 30th, 1973
The Talking Drum - Remake Takes 1 to 6
Larks’ I - Master Bass Drums Percussion 4/4 section
Larks’ I - Master Bass Drums Percussion 7/8 section
Larks’ I - Master Guitar 4/4 Section Pass 1
Larks’ I - Master Guitar 4/4 Section Pass 2
Larks’ I - Master Guitar 4/4 Section Pass 3
Larks’ I - Master Guitar and Violin 7/8 Section
Larks’ I - Master Intermezzo Part 1
Larks’ I - Master Intermezzo Part 1 Overdubs
Larks’ I - Master Intermezzo Part 2
Larks’ I - Master Introduction David & Jamie
Larks’ I - Master Introduction Overdubs
Larks’ I - Master Last Section Newspaper Readings
Larks’ I - Master Lead Guitar Overdubs
Larks’ I - Master Opening Bass, Drums, Guitar, Percussion
Larks’ I - Master Opening Violin and Guitar
Larks’ I - Master Last Section Violin And Guitar

January 31st, 1973
Easy Money - Master Ambient Overdubs to the End
Easy Money - Master Backing Track to the End
Easy Money - Master Intro Backing Track
Easy Money - Master Intro Jamie Overdubs
Easy Money - Master Intro Vocal Overdubs
Easy Money - Master Vocal Overdubs to the End
The Talking Drum - Master Reel Backing Track
The Talking Drum - Master Reel Overdubs
Larks’ II - Master Reel Backing Track
Larks’ II - Master Reel Overdubs
Larks’ II - Master Reel Violin Solos

February 1st, 1973
Book Of Saturday - Takes 1 to 3 & 5 to 10
Book Of Saturday - Master Reel Bass Pass 1, Guitar, Violin
Book Of Saturday - Master Reel Guide Vocals, Guitar, Violin Overdubs
Book Of Saturday - Master Reel Bass Pass 2, Vocals with Vocal Overdubs

CDs: All material newly mixed/released

CD 1 Larks’ Tongues in Aspic (2023 Mix and Instrumentals)
1. Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, Part One
2. Book of Saturday
3. Exiles
4. Easy Money
5. The Talking Drum
6. Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, Part Two
7. Book of Saturday
8. Exiles
9. Easy Money

CD 2 Larks’ Tongues in Aspic (Elemental Mixes and Selected Master Reels)
1. Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, Part One
2. Easy Money
3. The Talking Drum
4. Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, Part Two
5. Exiles - Master Reel Take 4 Backing
6. Book Of Saturday - Master Reel Guide Vocals, Guitar, Violin Overdubs
7. Book Of Saturday - Master Reel Bass Pass 2, Vocals with Vocal Overdubs

To purchase:
Blu-ray/2CD: https://burningshed.com/king-crimson_larks-tongues-in-aspic_2cd_2blu-ray
DBL Vinyl: https://burningshed.com/king-crimson_larks-tongues-in-aspic_double-vinyl

For further information please contact: info@panegyric.net

www.dgmlive.com

Press Inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

King Crimson’s “In The Court Of The Crimson King – King Crimson At 50” Documentary By Toby Amies Coming To Select US Theaters Opening November 3rd!

OPENING IN OVER 70+ US THEATERS NOVEMBER 3RD

King Crimson’s “In The Court Of The Crimson King – King Crimson At 50” documentary By Toby Amies is coming to select US theaters opening November 3rd!

Just as King Crimson has been, for more than half a century, an atypical rock band, this film is a refreshingly atypical music documentary. A film about the sacrifices we need to make to bring things of beauty and meaning into the world. But with jokes.

Toby Amies’s film “In The Court of the Crimson King – King Crimson at 50” provides a unique insight into the working process of a complex touring band, interspersed with contributions from previous band members to provide a contextual backdrop to the band’s past, as the most recent (2014-2021) line-up tours the world just before and during its 50th anniversary.

As King Crimson producer and band manager, David Singleton observed of the film: “All of life is here, not just music, and certainly not just rock. It has rightly been described as going beyond King Crimson into a ‘universal, inspirational study of what it is to work or dream to work as an artist.’”

While director Toby Amies writes of the experience: “In the Court of the Crimson King is not a film that wants to tell the audience what to think, rather it presents several different points of view about the creative process and what it means to be in this most unusual band; leaving the audience with a sense of both how complicated it all is, but also just how incredibly rewarding the King Crimson experience is both for the musicians and its fans.”

Robert Fripp announced that King Crimson had “moved from sound to silence” on social media after their final date in Japan in December 2021, making this release all the more poignant as a unique record of the band’s longest lasting line-up with tantalizing glimpses of the band’s history.

Watch the promotional video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg3osMG5yK4

photo by Tony Levin

Here’s what the press has said about “In The Court Of The Crimson King – King Crimson At 50”:

“The film is angular and abrasive, exacting and playful, extremely funny and achingly melancholy.” - THE OBSERVER

“This unflinching portrait of the prog rock band is like an episode of The Office but with huge drum kits, grizzled roadies and rapturous fans” - THE GUARDIAN

“By turns comical and melancholy, it may be the most revealing film about working life in a band since Spinal Tap.” - THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

“A fascinating look at both a venerable institution, the dynamics of working as a multi-limbed unit that’s ruled by a single iron fist, and what it takes to play this type of music.” - ROLLING STONE

“Doc about a Prog-Rock Perfectionist Is Nearly Perfect Itself. About as good as Rock documentaries get.” – VARIETY

“Revelatory” - UNCUT

“A compelling insight into the tetchy men of prog rock. Their dedication to music is a joy, the persistence of Toby Amies ranks alongside Nick Broomfield. Even if you go in knowing next to nothing about King Crimson, you will leave feeling like lifelong enthusiasts.” - BBC RADIO SCOTLAND / RADIO TIMES, Siobhan Synnot

“The film ponders mortality, why music matters, and the sacrifices that bringing difficult art to the stage entails.” - THE TIMES

“In The Court of the Crimson King : King Crimson at 50 goes straight into the pantheon of those documentaries which enable us to appreciate the painful truth of what being in bands is actually like...there is no higher echelon.” - MOJO

COMING TO SELECT THEATERS INCLUDING LA & NY
New York City - November 3rd @ Alamo Drafthouse
Los Angeles - November 3rd @ Alamo Drafthouse  
San Francisco, CA - November 3rd @ Roxie Theatre
San Francisco, CA - November 3rd @ The Castro Theater
Larkspur, CA - November 3rd @ The Lark Theater
Vancouver, WA - November 3rd @ The Kiggins Theatre
Hartford, CT - November 3rd @ Cinestudio
San Francisco, CA - November 8th @ 4 Star Theater
Ann Arbor, MI - November 8th @ Michigan Theater
Bellingham, WA - November 8th @ Pickford Film Center
Santa Ana, CA - November 8th @ Frida Cinema
Seattle, WA - November 8th @ Grand Illusion
Camas, WA - November 8th @ Liberty Theatre
New York City - November 8th @ Rosendale Theater
Des Moines, IA - November 8th @ Fleur Cinema
Austin, TX - November 8th @ Moviehouse & Eatery NW Austin
Austin, TX - November 8th @ Moviehouse & Eatery SW Austin
Columbia, SC - November 8th @ BTM Dutch Square Cinema 14
Richmond, VA - November 8th @ BTM Movieland at Boulevard Sq
Irvine, CA - November 8th @ Irvine Spectrum 20 IMAX & RPX
Knoxville, TN - November 8th @ Pinnacle Stm 18 IMAX & RPX
Atlanta, GA - November 8th @ Regal Atlantic Station
Chicago, IL - November 8th @ Regal City North
Cleveland, OH - November 8th @ Regal Crocker Park
Albany, NY - November 8th @ Regal Crossgates
Syracuse, NY - November 8th @ Regal Destiny
Los Angeles, CA - November 8th @ Regal Edwards Long Beach
San Diego, CA - November 8th @ Regal Edwards Mira Mesa
San Francisco, CA - November 8th @ Regal Hacienda Crossings
Portland, OR - November 8th @ Regal Lloyd Center
Nashville, TN - November 8th @ Regal Opry Mills
Las Vegas, NV - November 8th @ Regal Red Rock
Los Angeles, CA - November 8th @ Regal Sherman Oaks Galleria
Miami, FL - November 8th @ Regal South Beach
Charlotte, NC - November 8th @ Regal Stonecrest
Seattle, WA - November 8th @ Regal Thornton Place
Philadelphia, PA - November 8th @ Regal UA King of Prussia
New York, NY - November 8th @ Regal Union Square
Albuquerque, NM - November 8th @ Regal Winrock
Lowell, MA - November 8th @ Lowell
Foxboro, MA - November 8th @ Patriot Place
Providence, RI - November 8th @ Providence Place
Warwick, RI - November 8th @ Warwick
Farmingdale, NY - November 8th @ Farmingdale
Holtsville, NY - November 8th @ Island 16
Holtsville, NY - November 8th @ Broadway
Springdale, OH - November 8th @ Springdale
Cambridge, MA - November 8th @ The Prattle Theatre
Beverly, MA - November 8th @ Cabot Performing Arts Centre
Inglewood, CA - November 8th @ Cinepolis
Del Mar, CA - November 8th @ Cinepolis
San Mateo, CA - November 8th @ Cinepolis
Dallas, TX - November 8th @ Cinepolis
Austin, TX - November 8th @ Cinepolis
Austin, TX - November 8th @ Cinepolis
Coconut Grove, FL - November 8th @ Cinepolis
Gaithersburg, MD - November 8th @ Cinepolis
Sedona, AZ - November 8th @ Mary D Fisher Theatre
Minneapolis, MN - November 8th @ Riverview Theatre
Cleveland, OH - November 8th @ Cedar Lee Theatre
Bantam, CT - November 9th @ Bantam Cinema & Arts Center
Chico, CA - November 9th @ Pageant Theater
Eugene, OR - November 10th @ Art House
Dallas, TX - November 12th @ The Texas Theatre
Portland, OR - November 12th @ Cinema 21
Los Angeles, CA - November 13th @ Orpheum Theater
Somerville, MA - November 13th @ Somerville Theatre
Maitland, FL - December 18th @ Enzian Theater
Sacramento, CA - November 22nd @ Crest Cinema
Pittsburgh, PA - November 28th @ Harris Theatre

Synopsis:
What began as a straightforward documentary about the cult rock band King Crimson as it turned 50, mutated into an exploration of time, death, family, and the transcendent power of music to change lives. But with jokes.

Directed by:
TOBY AMIES

Featuring:
ADRIAN BELEW
SISTER DANA BENEDICTA
BILL BRUFORD
MEL COLLINS
ROBERT FRIPP
MICHAEL GILES
TREY GUNN
GAVIN HARRISON
JAKKO JAKSZYK
TONY LEVIN
JAMIE MUIR
IAN McDONALD
BILL RIEFLIN
PETER SINFIELD
JEREMY STACEY

Produced by:
TOBY AMIES
NICK FREAND JONES
DAVID SINGLETON

Executive Producers:
KAT MANSOOR
DAVID SINGLETON

Running Time: 86 minutes

**SCREENERS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST FOR INTERVIEWS AND REVIEWS **

To request a link please contact: crimsonking@mprm.com

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (USA), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

MAGMA 50th Anniversary Vinyl Box Set of “Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh” Release Delayed Until October 27

The release of MAGMA's birthday present in celebration of their iconic third album, which arrives as a lavish box set limited to 2,000 copies, is being delayed due to a manufacturing issue. This has been solved by upgrading the paper quality of the included artbook to an even higher standard. "Une histoire de Mekanïk – 50 Years of Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh" will hit stores three weeks later than originally announced on October 27, 2023.

Those customers, who ordered a box set directly from MAGMA's shop or the SPKR and Prophecy label shops can currently expect their copy close to the original release date around October 6, 2023. In case there are no further unexpected delays, MAGMA will also be able to offer boxes at their next live events. Please see below for all currently confirmed dates.

On "Une histoire de Mekanïk – 50 Years of Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh", the French avant-garde pioneers and inventors of zeuhl follow the trail of their classic third full-length from the remastered original recording through decades of various incarnations on 7 vinyl LPs!

Please see below for cover art, tracklist, and full details of "Une histoire de Mekanïk – 50 Years of Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh".

Please note that due to the singular nature of this release neither promotional copies nor sound will be provided by the label.

Release date: October 27, 2023
Style: Avant-garde rock
Label: Prophecy Productions

MAGMA comment: “With this box set, we want to take you all right into the heart of the composition of our most emblematic work, which allows you to follow its evolution throughout the 50 years of its existence”, mastermind Christan Vander explains. “When we performed ‘Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh’ for the first time, we did not imagine even in our wildest dreams that people would still want us to play this album more than 50 years later. This anniversary deserves to be celebrated, and this edition is a gift for us as well!”

Iconic French avant-garde rockers MAGMA have joined forces with Prophecy Productions to create a lavish boxed set under exclusive license from Seventh Records to celebrate the 50th anniversary entitled “Une histoire de Mekanïk – 50 Years of Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh” of their legendary milestone release and third studio album “Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh” (1973).

Apart from a number of special collectors’ items, this box set limited to 2,000 copies contains seven vinyl LPs ranging from the original album to live recordings and other rare materials related to “Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh” (henceforth abbreviated as “MDK” in this text), of which several were previously unreleased and/or appear on vinyl for the first time.

The albums are numbered in chronological order:

LP 1 “1972 – Paris ORTF”
This is definitely one of the first recorded live versions of “MDK”; and it might even be the first – if anybody could exactly remember this after 50 years. At that time, the masterpiece was still a work in progress.

LP 2 “1973 – Choeurs de la Storchhaus”
This studio recording can be regarded as a demo and it features the choir that played “MDK” live at the SIGMA festival in November 1972. It was first released on CD in 1989 and now appears for the first time on vinyl.

LP 3 “Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh” (original version)
Despite more than 30 published studio and live recordings, many consider this album to represent MAGMA’s ultimate masterpiece. At the time, Christian Vander had taken the artistic destiny of the French band fully into his hands. The most striking development was the massive impact of the vocalists and choir. This classic was carefully remastered for this edition.

LP 4 (Side 1) “1994 – Les voix de Magma”
This previously unreleased track was recorded live with the addition of a 60-piece choir.

LP 4 (Side 2) “1995 – Babyaga la sorcière”
This surprising adaptation of “MDK” was recorded at the Espace Lumière in Epinay-sur-Seine, France on October 15, 1995 during the second concert celebrating MAGMA’s 25th birthday. It features an impressive choir of children and an instrumental ensemble of teenagers. It was released on CD in 1996, but never before on vinyl.

LP 5 “2000 – Paris Trianon Theater”
This version was recorded in Paris at the Theatre du Trianon during MAGMA’s 30th anniversary celebration and was previously only released on CD as part of a box set in 2001.

LP 6 “2005 – Paris Le Triton”
During May 2005, MAGMA booked the club Le Triton in Paris, changed their programme each week, and brought illustrious past members back to the stage to perform with them. On this recording from May 21, Christian Vander was reunited with legendary bass player Jannick Top. Previously only appearing on DVD, this is the first audio only release of this remarkable event.

LP 7 “2021 – Opéra de Rennes”
This previously unreleased version captures the new MAGMA line-up, which is more vibrant than ever!

For connoisseurs of avant-garde rock, MAGMA needs no introduction. The visionary French band that was founded in Paris by self-educated drummer and percussionist Christian Vander are towering giants within and beyond their genre.

Although MAGMA have been variously filed under avant-garde rock, progressive rock, jazz rock, and other equally fitting terms, the band has also created a sub-genre of their own, which is dubbed zeuhl or zeuhl rock. This term has also been adapted by other bands inspired by the style particularly in France and Japan but also elsewhere.

Christian Vander has created his own lyrical cosmos for MAGMA, in which humanity has destroyed earth and fled to a planet called Kobaïa that has remained at the center of his musical works. With his disturbing vision of humanity’s ecological and spiritual development, Vander was far ahead of his times and quite prophetic.

Most MAGMA lyrics are sung in the fictional language Kobaïan, which was invented by Vander and mainly uses phonetic traits of Germanic and Slavonic languages to enhance the musical expression of the band.

With “Une histoire de Mekanïk – 50 Years of Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh”, MAGMA celebrate their classic album's 50th anniversary by giving themselves and their dedicated following a beautiful present in the shape of a lavish limited box set that follows the massive trail of their iconic third full-length from the original through decades of various incarnations. Zeuhl forever!

Remastering for this edition: Marcus Linon at Greasy Records Studio, Paris, France
Layouts Gerald Nimal at UZ Grafik

For more information:
magmamusic.org
www.facebook.com/zeuhlwortzmekanik
www.instagram.com/magma.officiel

To pre-order:
http://lnk.spkr.media/magma-50

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (USA), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Music Legends Soft Machine Release New Album “Other Doors” and Announce Forthcoming Tour Dates

Five years after the release of their last studio album, legendary UK musical institution, Soft Machine, return with a brand new album, “Other Doors.” Boasting new material and two numbers drawn from their extensive historical repertoire, “Other Doors” finds the band in their usual fiery form.

Featuring John Etheridge (guitars), Theo Travis (saxes, flutes, Fender Rhodes piano, electronics), Fred Thelonious Baker (Fretless bass), John Marshall (drums), Other Doors also features two guest appearances from long-serving bassist Roy Babbington, who retired from the band in 2021.

“Other Doors” was recorded at Temple Music Studios, a facility owned by the late Jon Hiseman during July and August 2022. It’s a location of which the band is particularly fond, explains John Etheridge. “Working at Jon Hiseman’s studio was special, especially with Ru Lemer who is a brilliant engineer. He’s fantastically quick and that’s very good as we record mainly live in the studio. It’s come out really well and I think it sounds great.”

That ability to work quickly on takes as an ensemble has resulted in a fresh-sounding series of top-flight performances whose typically knotty and sometimes complex themes frequently give way to explosively discursive improvisations. As Theo Travis observes, “The interesting thing about recording free improvisations is you're not playing to a plan or a grid or a blueprint, so you don’t know what's coming, and you don't know what's coming until it's gone. At which moment you're thinking about the next thing.”

The album is brimming with that fast-moving creativity. It’s been a kind of tradition with the group to include new arrangements of older Soft Machine numbers from the band’s illustrious back catalogue. These have included numbers as varied as “Chloe and the Pirates,” “Kings and Queens,” “Out-Bloody-Rageous,” etc.

Along with exciting new compositions, on “Other Doors” they’ve revisited the very first album, originally released in 1968, to include Kevin Ayers’ “Joy Of A Toy.” Fred Baker, makes his studio debut with Soft Machine. A well-known figure on the Canterbury Scene not only is he the perfect choice for the group but he’s also a long-term fan of the repertoire.

The album also contains “Penny Hitch,” a track originally heard on 1973’s Soft Machine “Seven.” This features the first of two appearances of Roy Babbington who provides the bass lines underpinning Karl Jenkins’ composition while Fred plays the sinuous lead melody on his fretless bass. The pair also worked together as a duo on “Now! Is The Time,” a number originally based on a theme Babbington brought into the sessions, with Fred and Roy both adding and expanding the scope of the piece.

If the album ushers in a new member in the shape of Fred Baker, it also acts as a fond farewell to drummer John Marshall, who joined Soft Machine midway through the recording of 1972’s “Fifth.” At the age of 81 Marshall has decided to retire making “Other Doors” his final studio album with the group, and the final album of his glorious career. Indeed, Marshall is in whip-cracking form throughout the album bringing his trademark musicality and decisive presence. With “Other Doors,” he brings his distinguished career to a rousing conclusion.

Intense, celebratory, and consistently impressive. “Other Doors” is the sound of a group determined to press forwards with an integrity and sense of purpose that’s quintessentially and definitively Soft Machine.

Photo by Wolfgang Gonaus

JOHN ETHERIDGE - guitars
THEO TRAVIS - tenor & soprano sax, flutes, Fender Rhodes, electronics
FREDDY BAKER - fretless bass guitar
JOHN MARSHALL - drums
special guest
ROY BABBINGTON - bass guitar (tunes 2 and 9)

The updated tour dates are (with Asaf Sirkis permanently substituting John Marshall who has retired):

After the first world tour date in Toledo at the MoonJune Festival

Sep 29 - Toledo, Spain (Circulo de Arte)

North American Tour
Oct 04 - Sellersville, PA, USA (Sellersville Theater)
Oct 05 - Baltimore, MD, USA (Keystone Korner)
Oct 06 - New York, NY, USA (Iridium)
Oct 07 - New York, NY, USA (Iridium)
Oct 08 - Woodstock, NY, USA (Colony)
Oct 10 - Rochester, NY, USA (Lovin’ Cup)
Oct 11 - Syracuse, NY, USA (Average Joe)
Oct 12 - Albany, NY, USA (Linda WAMC)
Oct 13 - Quebec City, QC, Canada (Salle d’Youville)
Oct 14 - Quebec City, QC, Canada (Salle d’Youville)
Oct 16 - Ottawa, ON, Canada (Rainbow)
Oct 17 - Toronto, ON, Canada (Garrison)
Oct 18 - Waterloo, ON, Canada (Jazz Room)
Oct 19 - Detroit, MI, USA (Joy's Manor)
Oct 22 - Milwaukee, WI, USA (Shank Hall)
Oct 24 - Chicago, IL, USA (Reggie’s)
Oct 25 - Cincinnati, OH, USA (Ludlow Garage)
Oct 26 - Indianapolis, IN, USA (Irving Theater)

Europe:
Nov 05 - Hull, UK (Wrecking Ball)
Nov 06 - Kinross, UK (Green Hotel)
Nov 10 - Royal Tunbridge Wells, UK (Forum)
Nov 11 - Lewes, UK (Conservative Club)
Nov 14 - Milton Keynes, UK (The Stables)
Nov 17 - Luton, UK (The Bear)
Nov 19 - Exeter, UK (Phoenix Art)
Nov 23 - Katowice, Poland (Rialto Theater)
Nov 24 - Warsaw, Poland (Hybrydy Klub)
Nov 25 - Bydgoszcz, Poland (Kuźnia Klub)
Nov 26 - Poznań, Poland (Culture Ctr)
Nov 30 - Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg (Rockhal)
Dec 02 - Tilburg, Netherlands (Paradox)
Dec 03 - Zoetermeer, Netherlands (Boerderij)
Feb 07 - Guildford, UK (Boileroom)
Feb 08 - London, UK (Signature Brew)
Feb 09 - Canterbury, UK (Gulbenkian Theatre)
Feb 11 - Market Harbough, UK (Jazz Club)
Feb 18 - Farsley, UK (Old Woollen)
Feb 19 - Manchester, UK (Band On The Wall)
Feb 20 - Wolverhampton, UK (Robin 2)
Feb 21 - Brighton, UK (The Chalk)
Feb 22 - Cardiff, UK(Stepping Stones)
Feb 24 - Cheltenham, UK (DEYA Brewery)

More gigs to be announced, in the UK, Europe, Japan, South America as well another tour in the USA in the Summer of 2024.

To purchase Soft Machine “Other Doors”: https://softmachine-moonjune.bandcamp.com/merch/soft-machine-other-doors

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, Billy James, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

MAGMA Announce Lavish 50th Anniversary Vinyl Box Set of “Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh”

MAGMA is making the world of progressive music a massive birthday present in celebration of their iconic third album in the shape of a lavish box set, which is limited to 2,000 copies. Entitled “Une histoire de Mekanïk – 50 Years of Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh”, the French avant-garde pioneers and inventors of zeuhl follow the trail of their classic full-length from the remastered original recording through decades of various incarnations on 7 vinyl LPs!

MAGMA comment: “With this box set, we want to take you all right into the heart of the composition of our most emblematic work, which allows you to follow its evolution throughout the 50 years of its existence”, mastermind Christan Vander explains. “When we performed ‘Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh’ for the first time, we did not imagine even in our wildest dreams that people would still want us to play this album more than 50 years later. This anniversary deserves to be celebrated, and this edition is a gift for us as well!”

Iconic French avant-garde rockers MAGMA have joined forces with Prophecy Productions to create a lavish boxed set under exclusive license from Seventh Records to celebrate the 50th anniversary entitled “Une histoire de Mekanïk – 50 Years of Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh” of their legendary milestone release and third studio album “Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh” (1973).

Apart from a number of special collectors’ items, this box set limited to 2,000 copies contains seven vinyl LPs ranging from the original album to live recordings and other rare materials related to “Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh” (henceforth abbreviated as “MDK” in this text), of which several were previously unreleased and/or appear on vinyl for the first time.

The albums are numbered in chronological order:

LP 1 “1972 – Paris ORTF”
This is definitely one of the first recorded live versions of “MDK”; and it might even be the first – if anybody could exactly remember this after 50 years. At that time, the masterpiece was still a work in progress.

LP 2 “1973 – Choeurs de la Storchhaus”
This studio recording can be regarded as a demo and it features the choir that played “MDK” live at the SIGMA festival in November 1972. It was first released on CD in 1989 and now appears for the first time on vinyl.

LP 3 “Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh” (original version)
Despite more than 30 published studio and live recordings, many consider this album to represent MAGMA’s ultimate masterpiece. At the time, Christian Vander had taken the artistic destiny of the French band fully into his hands. The most striking development was the massive impact of the vocalists and choir. This classic was carefully remastered for this edition.

LP 4 (Side 1) “1994 – Les voix de Magma”
This previously unreleased track was recorded live with the addition of a 60-piece choir.

LP 4 (Side 2) “1995 – Babyaga la sorcière”
This surprising adaptation of “MDK” was recorded at the Espace Lumière in Epinay-sur-Seine, France on October 15, 1995 during the second concert celebrating MAGMA’s 25th birthday. It features an impressive choir of children and an instrumental ensemble of teenagers. It was released on CD in 1996, but never before on vinyl.

LP 5 “2000 – Paris Trianon Theater”
This version was recorded in Paris at the Theatre du Trianon during MAGMA’s 30th anniversary celebration and was previously only released on CD as part of a box set in 2001.

LP 6 “2005 – Paris Le Triton”
During May 2005, MAGMA booked the club Le Triton in Paris, changed their programme each week, and brought illustrious past members back to the stage to perform with them. On this recording from May 21, Christian Vander was reunited with legendary bass player Jannick Top. Previously only appearing on DVD, this is the first audio only release of this remarkable event.

LP 7 “2021 – Opéra de Rennes”
This previously unreleased version captures the new MAGMA line-up, which is more vibrant than ever!

For connoisseurs of avant-garde rock, MAGMA needs no introduction. The visionary French band that was founded in Paris by self-educated drummer and percussionist Christian Vander are towering giants within and beyond their genre.

Although MAGMA have been variously filed under avant-garde rock, progressive rock, jazz rock, and other equally fitting terms, the band has also created a sub-genre of their own, which is dubbed zeuhl or zeuhl rock. This term has also been adapted by other bands inspired by the style particularly in France and Japan but also elsewhere.

Christian Vander has created his own lyrical cosmos for MAGMA, in which humanity has destroyed earth and fled to a planet called Kobaïa that has remained at the center of his musical works. With his disturbing vision of humanity’s ecological and spiritual development, Vander was far ahead of his times and quite prophetic.

Most MAGMA lyrics are sung in the fictional language Kobaïan, which was invented by Vander and mainly uses phonetic traits of Germanic and Slavonic languages to enhance the musical expression of the band.

With “Une histoire de Mekanïk – 50 Years of Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh”, MAGMA celebrate their classic album's 50th anniversary by giving themselves and their dedicated following a beautiful present in the shape of a lavish limited box set that follows the massive trail of their iconic third full-length from the original through decades of various incarnations. Zeuhl forever!

Release date: October 6, 2023
Label: Prophecy Productions

Remastering for this edition: Marcus Linon at Greasy Records Studio, Paris, France
Layouts Gerald Nimal at UZ Grafik

For more information:
magmamusic.org
www.facebook.com/zeuhlwortzmekanik
www.instagram.com/magma.officiel

To pre-order:
http://lnk.spkr.media/magma-50

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (USA), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

MoonJune Music Festival Toledo 2023 Featuring Soft Machine, Diego Amador, Dwiki Dharmawan, Dewa Budjana, Markus Reuter Anchor & Burden and More

September 28, 29, 30 and October 1, 2023

at the Circulo De Arte Toledo, Plaza San Vincente, Toledo, Spain.

MUSIC THAT FITS TOLEDO

MoonJune Music and M Films Producciones present a multi-sensory festival of eclectic, international progressive music expanding the boundaries of jazz, rock, global music, and the unknown. Join visionary presenters Leonardo Pavkovic and Mauricio Aguinaco in historic Toledo, Spain, for four days of extraordinary concerts, roundtable discussions with seasoned music industry professionals, regional gastronomical delights, and the warm camaraderie of a global cast of musicians and enthusiasts.

Featured artists include Soft Machine (UK), Paqueando with Diego Amador & José María Bandera (Spain), Anchor & Burden (Germany, Israel), Dwiki Dharmawan World Peace Band (Indonesia, Israel, Mexico) with special guest Dewa Budjana (Indonesia), Israel Varela Musica Pintada (Mexico), Heledo & His Friends (Uruguay, Israel, Belgium) featuring Xavi Reija (Spain), Amós Lora Band (Spain, Cuba), Jaco Abel Flamenco Eléctrico Trio (Spain), Ana Alcaide (Spain) with special guest Bill Cooley (United States), Fernando Girón Band (Spain, United States), Anthony Garone (United States), Dennis Rea (United States)

Befitting an artist management and record company that epitomizes musical multiculturalism, MoonJune's second annual global gathering takes place in the historic cultural crossroads of Toledo, Spain. With its rich history as the former capital of Castile, the first capital of Spain, and the current capital of the La Mancha region, Toledo is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that traces its roots back to Roman times, a place where Christians , Jews and Muslims lived together in tolerance for centuries, hence its nickname, the City of Three Cultures. Fittingly, the 2023 edition of the annual MoonJune festival will take place at Toledo's historic El Circulo del Arte in the former church of San Vicente, founded by King Alfonso VI shortly after the Muslim conquest of Spain. Once known as the headquarters of the Spanish Inquisition, the building has been reborn as a chapel for worship and art creation.

MoonJune Festival Toledo 2023 is a celebration of the creative spirit and international friendship, a gathering of musicians, journalists, music activists and, of course, like-minded music lovers. After a very successful first edition of the festival in Leonardo's hometown of Jajce, Bosnia and Herzegovina, itself a historically important cultural melting pot, in June 2022, the Second International Music Festival - MoonJune Festival Toledo 2023, could not to take place nowhere else than Leonardo's new hometown thus connecting two beautiful historical cities: Toledo (the first capital of Spain) and Jajce (the former capital of medieval Bosnia).

If the musicians come from different parts of the world, also the festival-goers and the so-called 'moonjunistas' come from various parts of the world, and their presence was confirmed by the fans who come from the United States, Canada, Japan, Indonesia, United Kingdom Kingdom, Belgium, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Poland, Israel, Bosnia & Herzegovina. Confirmed moonjunistas festival goers are eager not only to enjoy the music festival but also to enjoy all the beautiful things that Toledo has to offer, and for many of them this will be their first time not only in Toledo, but in many cases, as well. his first time visiting Spain.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

MoonJune’s guiding principles – or as Leonardo Pavkovic prefers, “modus moonjundi” – are in tune with what legendary British bass player Roy Babbington (Soft Machine and much more) memorably described as “poetic entanglement” - that is, the art of being alert to, and confidently acting on, the affinities and happenstances of the moment, in a spirit of openness, curiosity, and goodwill. MoonJune’s mission is to spread unity, joy, and hope through music, toward the elusive goal of peace and understanding on this troubled earth.

The dynamic personality of the festival’s founder, Leonardo Pavkovic – a resident of Toledo since December 2021 – lies at the epicenter of the Festival’s initiative and its spiritus movens. A unique figure in the worldwide musical milieu, “Mr. MoonJune” has long been one of the most creative forces supporting, producing, developing, and organizing ambitious musical projects the world over. The MoonJune Festival is a celebration of the creative spirit and international friendship, a gathering of like minded musicians, journalists, music activists, and of course music lovers. After a very successful first edition of the festival in Leonardo’s native city of Jajce, Bosnia & Herzegovina - itself a historically important cultural crucible - in June 2022, the Second International MoonJune Music Festival 2023 could not be staged anywhere else but in Leonardo’s new hometown, thus connecting two beautiful historic cities: Toledo and Jajce.

MoonJune's Music Universe creates connections between different musicians around the world, often from different cultures and musical styles, producing unique and new music, partnering with quality, artistic integrity and innovation, ignoring conservative critics and skeptics who they reject or downplay anything outside of their own restricted gender biases, and looking to where musical innovations have historically always occurred, in free mixing of genre influences. MoonJune's musical offering constantly shines its light across a devastated and commercially bastardized musical landscape never capitulating to "the market," a rare model of musical virtue in times of increasingly cultural bankruptcy.

A SENSORY FEAST

Designed as an immersive, multi-sensory experience, the Second International MoonJune Festival showcases MoonJune talents from around the planet, including distinguished musicians from the United Kingdom, Germany, USA, Spain, Indonesia, Uruguay, Israel, Cuba, and Mexico. The event offers not just a series of concerts but a unique “penta-sensorial” experience blending sounds, flavors, aromas, and audiovisual elements evoking the rich cultural legacy of Toledo and its surrounding La Mancha region, famed for Don Quixote, Miguel Cervantes, the Windmills of Consuegra, El Greco, olive cultivation, and much more.

The festival will combine:
• Hearing: extraordinary music performed by exemplary players representing MoonJune’s global diaspora
• Sight: projected images complementing live musical performances
• Taste: the gastronomic richness of La Mancha’s regional cuisine, wine, and olive oil
• Smell: fragrances of Toledo’s unique natural and built environments
• Touch: tactile encounters with the walls and buildings of the ancient town, imbued with mysticism from two millennia of history

In addition to the concerts, the festival will include expert roundtable discussions on the state of today’s post-COVID music industry and more, plus the inaugural “MoonJune de la Mancha Awards” for Lifetime Achievement in performing and recording music (and an outstanding career in the music business).

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

September 28 - Day One - Miradero
Press conference
Live performance: ANTHONY GARONE and DENNIS REA.

September 29 - Day Two - Circulo de Arte
* Roundtable discussion on the music business environment in the post-COVID world, with Derek Shulman, Bill Hein, Leonardo Pavkovic, Markus Reuter, Sid Smith, Adam Baruch.
* Live performances:
• FERNANDO GIRÓN BAND (band members TBA).
• ANCHOR & BURDEN (Markus Reuter, Alexander Dowerk, Bernhard Wöstheinrich, Asaf Sirkis).
• SOFT MACHINE (John Etheridge, Theo Travis, Fred Baker, Asaf Sirkis).

September 30 - Day Three - Circulo de Arte
* Roundtable discussion: “the Flamenco world - yesterday, today and tomorrow” with Jaco Abel, Ámos Lora, José Maria Bandera, Diego Amador, Israel Varela, Maria Nocetti.
* Live performances:
• JACO ABEL FLAMENCO ELÉCTRICO TRIO (Jaco Abel, Júlian Heredia, El Moreno).
• ÁMOS LORA BAND (Ámos Lora, Gito Maletá, Rainier Elizondo 'El Negrón', Bandolero).
• PAQUEANDO featuring DIEGO AMADOR and JOSÉ MARIA BANDERA.

October 1 - Day Four - Circulo de Arte
* Roundtable discussion: “Music and musicians from around the world bridging the world” with Ana Alcaide, Dennis Rea, Israel Varela, Dwiki Dharmawan, Asaf Sirkis, Leonardo Pavkovic, Adam Baruch.
* MoonJune Award: for Lifetime Achievement in Performing and Recording Music and for Lifetime Achievement: Outstanding Career in the Music Business. Presented by Sid Smith and Anthony Garone
* Live performances:
• BELEDO & HIS FRIENDS (Beledo, Ofer Assaf, Pato Muñoz, Xavi Reija, special guest Dewa Budjana).
• ANA ALCAIDE (Ana Alcaide, special guest Bill Cooley).
• ISRAEL VARELA MUSICA PINTADA (Israel Varela).
• DWIKI DHARMAWAN WORLD PEACE BAND (Dwiki Dharmawan, Dewa Budjana, Ivan Nestorman, Ofer Assaf, Yaron Stavi, Israel Varela).

TICKET SALE (ONLINE ONLY via EVENTBRIDE, in USD only)

SINGLE DAYS PACKAGES from July 8, 2023
$35 and up

MOONJUNE EXPERIENCE IN TOLEDO
4 DAY VIP PACKAGES only until July 7, 2023 ($120 - $350)
• 4 DAYS VIP PACKAGE STANDING: $120
• 4 DAYS VIP RESERVED SEATS ROWS 4-13: $150-$200
• 4 DAYS VIP RESERVED FIRST THREE ROWS: $200-@250
• 4 DAYS VIP RESERVED VIP TABLE SEATING: $300-$350

TEAM
https://moonjunetoledo.com/team
LEONARDO PAVKOVIC of MoonJune Music
MAURICIO AGUINACO of M Films Produccionees

For more info:
http://www.moonjunetoledo.com
moonjunefestival2023.eventbrite.com

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, Billy James, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Automatic Man Legend Todd Cochran Releases “From The Vault: Notes For The Future”

A Narrative Exploration and Foray Into Cochran’s Jazz, Classical, and Electronic Music Palettes Available June 23 via Blue Buddha Productions

Notes for the future are the “imagined sometime in the past” tropes of a storyteller. Freed from every day “isms” of convention and released from the symbolic containment of the vault, the music is an allegorical exploration in futurism. The stream running throughout the musical narrative is a speculative commentary about our human search for meaning, and we’re reminded that as a version of our ancestors’ vision, this quest never ends.

“From The Vault” is structured around a sequence of recurring themes and develops as an unfolding tour of references, hints, and clues. Moving from one perspective to another, we connect with how our planet is perpetually in a state of seeking solutions. Within the soundscape, without words, an underlying language is speaking. Nature evolves for the sum of us, not the few. We are in a continual state of becoming. We are connected. Love is passed along, as is happiness. Nevertheless, expressly for the listener, an implied sense of reasoning encourages us to feel free and let go of all things familiar. And then, “over there” in the distance, we get a passing glimpse of the sacred structure.

Todd Cochran is an American pianist, composer, keyboardist, electronic musician, and conceptual artist. Early in his career he was also professionally known as Bayeté. Cochran started his career as a teenager with saxophonist John Handy. Two years later he joined vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson’s Quartet, and made his jazz recording debut composing and performing on a benchmark album for Hutcherson, “Head On” (Blue Note Records). Cochran’s first solo project “Worlds Around the Sun” became a #1 jazz album. From the mid-1970s forward Todd has experimented with and incorporated synthesizers, electronic and mixed-media concepts in his creative projects while collaborating with a wide range of artists in the genres of jazz, art rock, pop, R&B, and twenty-first-century classical.

Todd released two albums on Prestige Records in 1972 and 1973. He was keyboardist, principal composer and lead singer of Automatic Man from 1976–1978 which also featured drummer Michael Shrieve and guitarist Pat Thrall. He was also a member of Fuse One, a coalition of jazz musicians who released two albums on CTI Records in 1980 and 1981. The shortlist of his collaborations include Peter Gabriel, Joan Armatrading, Maya Angelou and Stewart Copeland.

Track list:

1. PAINTED BY THE SUN
Mountain peaks, sea cliffs, oceans, opaque forests, desert savannas – and human faces colorized by the paintbrush of nature. The entirety of our planet is inhabited by intuitive human beings – all sun worshippers – collectively marking time in communal practices of decoding the mysteries of our existence.

2. IN YOU I SEE ENDLESS MEMORIES
An imagined conversation between the sky and the wind.

3. ISMS PRISMS
Not one thing, but all things… spontaneous change shuttles us through the cycles of life.

4. TRANSPARENCIES
Being transparent is naturally imperfect and intensely human.

5. WE MAKE TWO, TWO MAKE WE
Music is a language of interacting tones and colors through which one is able to experience the other; the abstract and the personal. The notion of two streams of thought merging into a unified idea makes for a wellspring of originality. At once distinctly different, yet in combination, resonating wildly.

6. EYE DREAMING
“Within you, my love, I see endless mystery.”

7. MOON GLOW
This duet of a middle-sized plucked string instrument and Balinese gong expresses energies I’ve experienced in Indonesia, where the nighttime sky sometimes seems so vast there appears to be an aura around the moon.

8. HYMN FOR THE HIDDEN PEOPLE
This is a tonal essay – an homage to the poor, the rebuked, scorned, unseen, and unheard. The music challenges our lack of compassion and moves us to feel the many who toil and struggle in silence, yet stay in the light, with hope and determination.

9. THE SPINNING CIRCLE
There are no simple explanations or a single equation that defines a circle. A circle has no beginning or end, there’s no start, finishing point, or conclusion. Only infinite revolutions rhythmically intertwined.

10. INSEPARABLE
Balance in our lives and the spaces we occupy is a dance of opposites. “Om” and “Amen” are the same thing.

Blue Buddha Productions | Release Date: June 23, 2023

To pre-order: Bandcamp: https://bluebuddha.bandcamp.com/

For more information on Todd Cochran, please visit:
toddcochran.com | Instagram

For more information on Blue Buddha Productions, please email: bluebuddhaproductions@gmail.com

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Fusion Supergroup THE FUSION SYNDICATE Returns With New Members And A Brand New Single Featuring BOOTSY COLLINS and BRIAN JACKSON!

Los Angeles, CA – In 2012, the world of fusion rock/jazz was shook by the introduction of a new supergroup of unparalleled musical virtuosos who came together under one umbrella for a blockbuster studio album. Both the group and its debut album were called simply The Fusion Syndicate, and it featured some of the biggest names in fusion including members of Mahavishnu Orchestra, Yellowjackets, Brand X, Soft Machine, and Spyro Gyra PLUS Yes, Dream Theater, King Crimson, Tool, Porcupine Tree, Hawkwind and more! Now a new single is released today with the first new recording from The Fusion Syndicate in over 10 years!

That new single, “The Bottle,” is unique in several ways. For starters, it is the Fusion Syndicate’s first ever cover song, a trippy, groovy version of jazz poet Gil Scott-Heron’s 1973 dramatic story of alcohol abuse in the inner city. Second, the track is the first to incorporate R&B and soul music flavors into the band’s repertoire driven by a stellar vocal from intergalactic superstar Bootsy Collins. In addition, joining Collins is multi-instrumentalist Brian Jackson, who was a member of Gil Scott-Heron’s band and performed on the original recording of “The Bottle.” Here, Jackson recreates the vibe 1970s soul jazz while bringing a modern flair that perfectly suits The Fusion Syndicate’s style.

Stream the single: https://orcd.co/thefusionsyndicate_thebottle

Could this be the first song from a forthcoming full-length album from The Fusion Syndicate? Stay tuned in to The Fusion Syndicate revolution to learn more!

Press inquiries:
Glass Onyon PR
Billy James
PH: 828-350-8158
glassonyonpr@gmail.com

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French Music Legends Magma Release Very First Video “Hakëhn Deïs”

In their career spanning over 50 years, Magma had never produced a music video. At the request and with the support of Adami, a French organization who promote, career development and the promotion of performers, Magma has finally done it with “Hakëhn Deïs” directed by Nino Le Chenadec. Artificial Intelligence blends in with the subtle choreography created by two magnificent dancers of the Paris Opera, Loup Marcault-Derouard and Ida Viikinkoski’.

Watch the video here:  https://youtu.be/UmgJkEajQUo

Magma’s new critically acclaimed album “Kartëhl” is now available on all Digital Platforms and on Apple Music in a Dolby Atmos Version!

Current playlists:

Playlist Deezer Jazz: https://deezer.com/playlist/2138566342

Playlist Apple Music « new releases: https://music.apple.com/fr/playlist/new-music-daily/pl.2b0e6e332fdf4b7a91164da3162127b5?l=en

Playlist Napster Jazz: https://web.napster.com/playlist/pp.394854381

Homepage Apple: https://music.apple.com/fr/browse

Magma’s “Kartëhl” is available on CD and 3-sided DBL vinyl LP

To purchase:
CD: https://www.seventhrecords.com/magma-19/kartehl-1316.html
Vinyl: https://www.seventhrecords.com/magma-19/kartehl-edition-vinyle-double-3-1317.html

For more information:
Magma's official website: www.magmamusic.org
Seventh Records: www.seventhrecords.com

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Hugh Hopper of Soft Machine’s Legacy Enhanced With the Re-Release of “Jazzloops” and “The Stolen Hour”, Featuring his Soft Machine Bandmates – OUT NOW!

Hugh Hopper was a key member of Soft Machine and an accomplished solo artist but passed away in 2009. His legacy is now being celebrated with the re-release of two of his solo albums which had been hard to find until now.

Both “Jazzloops” and “The Stolen Hour” feature his Soft Machine bandmates guesting throughout including: Robert Wyatt, Elton Dean and John Marshall.  Other guests include Gong alumni Didier Malherbe and French guitarist Patrice Meyer.

This double disc re-mastered set includes “The Stolen Hour’s” comic, created by Matt Howarth, in the booklet and has been endorsed by Christine Janet Hopper, Hugh Hopper’s wife, who also plays trumpet on some of the recordings.

Peter Pardo of Sea of Tranquility reviewed the original releases of these albums by saying, “Hearing Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, Robert Wyatt and John Marshall, all former Soft Machine members, jamming together again is another reason to celebrate…”

The albums are OUT NOW and available from:
Amazon 2 CD Set: https://geni.us/HH2CD
Jazzloops Spotify: https://geni.us/HHjazzloopsSP
Jazzloops Apple Music: https://geni.us/HHjazzloopsAM
The Stolen Hour Spotify: https://geni.us/HHstolenhourSP
The Stolen Hour Apple Music: https://geni.us/HHstolenhourAM

This double disc set is also available directly from Cherry Red: https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/hugh-hopper-jazzloops-the-stolen-hour/

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com