The Chicago-based prog-rock quintet, District 97, is back with a new studio release, Screens. Both the band and their sound have evolved through several incarnations since their inception in 2006. The band started as an instrumental rock band until changing direction in 2007 when American Idol finalist, Leslie Hunt, joined as vocalist. A few years later, a renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra cellist, Katinka Kleijn joined the band as well. Ms. Hunt’s vocals capture the angst of society’s marginalized. Her vocals, combined with the unabashed musicianship, form a curious, yet absorbing the sonic experience.
Screens pick up where the band’s previous three studio albums leave off, with a more evolved and accessible sound. Therein lies one challenge I faced as a listener, blending the stylistic, almost pop vocals into what feels like an unnatural prog-rock habitat. As a result, I found it hard to surrender completely. Just as the Zappa-esque prog/jazz/fusion creativity takes me in one direction, the glossy vocals take over and pull me in another.
Songs like “Bread & Yarn,” where vocals are more subdued and democratized, stand out. “ShapeShifter” and “Ghost Girl” come closer to vocal/musical synergy as Hunt sounds a bit less polished and produced. This suits the twists and turns of the undercurrent well. Vocals aside, some masterful performances are starting with Jim Tashjian’s jazz-infused guitar licks where he takes the listener on short sprees away from the rhythm and masterfully returns them to the start. Founder Jonathan Schang’s drumming is clever, accomplished, and brings forth rhythmic illusions in the vein of Gavin Harrison of King Crimson and Porcupine Tree.
While the blend of pop and heavy prog may not be everyone’s cup of tea, one can tell by the skill of the players, the shifting tempos, and the spaces left between the notes that District 97 would be an engaging live band. The One More Red Night album released in 2014 confirms the assertion.
Overall, District 97 embodies the Prog rock principals of pushing the envelope and opening the listener’s mind to new sonic possibilities. This is a modern progressive sound that melds elements not typically melded together. While Screens shines in places, this listener had to work to find them and did not become as absorbed as he had hoped.
Rate the Tracks Tracks: 1. Forest Fire 2. Sheep 3. Sea I Provide 4. Bread and Yarn 5. Trigger 6. After Orbit Mission 7. Shapeshifter 8. Blueprint 9. Ghost Girl
Electric Regions is the latest solo album by the current bass player of FOCUS and skilled composer, Udo Pannekeet.
The album features an epic length track, along with new compositions written throughout Udo Pannekeet’s career and recorded here for the first time.
The album features guest appearances by current Focus guitarist Menno Gootjes and a former member of Focus, Eef Albers.
Udo Pannekeet said of the album: “I'm so pleased to finally share this music with you! I worked on it for quite a while. Thanks to the amazing musicians I worked with on the album, it has become more than I could have imagined. I'm humbled by the beautiful reactions I received so far from all over the world!”
The album is the tenth release on the band’s own IN AND OUT OF FOCUS RECORDS, via Cherry Red.
TRACK LISTING:
1. ELECTRIC REGIONS PART ONE 2. INTEGRATION YES 3. LITTLE NURA 4. THE ANTIBES SITUATION 5. COCON COCON
The album is OUT NOW and available via the below links:
Curved Air was formed in 1970 and ever present original member Sonja Kristina will be continuing to lead the band into the band’s 50th Anniversary year with a range of projects and a world tour.
The band will be recording a new studio album in 2020, along with contributing to the release of a 50th Anniversary Compilation which will include newly recorded tracks, featuring former and current members of the band, recording together in various combinations.
Curved Air will be touring the Americas, Japan, Europe and also appearing on Cruise to the Edge in 2020.
The 50th Anniversary year line-up has also been solidified with Curved Air welcoming back Kirby Gregory to the line-up after a break of 3 years. Kirby was originally in the heyday era line-up which recorded Air Cut in 1973. He returned to the band playing guitar for the recording of the very successful North Star album. Kirby was professionally committed to other projects from the end of 2015 until now, and he is looking forward to embarking on the 50th Anniversary World Tour in 2020.
The current line-up was completed when, after much searching, the band found and welcomed Grzegorz “Greg” Gadziomski to the line-up. Greg is a classically trained Violin player who likes to play in many genres but prefers Progressive Rock/Fusion as a particular passion. The band would like to acknowledge and thank Paul Sax who has decided to retire from touring after a lifelong career. Paul was a member of Curved Air from 2009 and the band wish him much happiness and peace in his retirement.
The accomplishments of the previous line-up and former members were recently showcased with the release of two titles on the band’s own Curved Air Records via Cherry Red: “The Curved Air Family Album” and “Live at Under the Bridge”.
“The Curved Air Family Album” features 26 tracks including rare and unreleased band and solo recordings, including by current and former members which Sonja Kristina described as “How appropriate that many Curved Air members past and present have contributed to a special collection called The Curved Air Family Album for our 50th year. I’m excited about this – it’s so great to hear all the unique sounds, surprising collaborations, eclectic songs and haunting instrumentals including from Francis Monkman, Darryl Way, Stewart Copeland, Kirby Gregory and Robert Norton – they all make for a very enjoyable double album.”
“Live at Under the Bridge” captures the band live playing Air Conditioning in its entirety, with special guests Darryl Way and Ian Eyre, as well as tracks from North Star and other Greatest Hits. Of this release, Sonja Kristina said “The 45th Anniversary of the release of Air Conditioning was a triumph of performance, musicianship, presentation and appreciative reception. Original and current members on stage together - what joy! Robert Norton’s pristine production perfectly captures the sound and energy of our night of celebration.”
The Keith Emerson Estate is pleased to announce the completion and release of the music transcriptions book that Keith Emerson had been approving at the time of his passing.
The 25 transcriptions were created by a group of fans of the late composer’s work, and began as just the compositions on the ‘Emerson Plays Emerson’ album, before the book was expanded to include other works including “Piano Concerto No 1.”
The Emerson Estate would like to thank Jean Casavant and Gianfelice Riccardi for leading the groups of fans preparing these transcriptions. The Emerson Estate has commissioned its own quality control of the transcriptions and approved this book.
The book features a foreword adapted from Emerson’s emails about the project and a previously unpublished poem about composing which gives us an insight into Emerson’s mind.
Part of the late Keith Emerson’s foreword reads “So imagine my delight when news reached me that people had felt moved enough by my compositions to create transcriptions of them! Hopefully the “Emerson Plays Emerson” transcriptions will, in some small way, be useful to the next generation of composers to play and practice upon. I am humbled.”
Zeitgeist is a collaborative music endeavor led by Happy The Man legend Frank Wyatt featuring members of the progressive rock bands Happy The Man, Oblivion Sun, and the Pedal Giant Animals Project. Zeitgeist started out as an idea for a Happy The Man reunion CD, but evolved to include other musicians Frank has performed with during his career. The music has been produced in the studios of the respective artists and at Frank's Crafty Hands Studio. This unique gathering of such great musicians has delivered a beautiful and exciting musical experience.
The Artists: Frank Wyatt: Compositions, Keyboards, Engineering, Project Management Stan Whitaker: Guitars and Vocals Kit Watkins: Keyboards Rick Kennell: Bass Guitar Mike Beck: Percussion Cliff Fortney: Vocals Ron Riddle: Drums David Rosenthal: Keyboards Joe Bergamini: Drums Bill Brasso: Drums David Hughes: Bass Guitar Chris Mack: Drums Peter Princiotto: Orchestration, Sitar Andrew Colyer: Keyboards Michael Phipps: Artwork
“The album's concept turned into a sort of 'goodbye, or one last swing at it' as I had been diagnosed with the big 'C' and told I was short on time. I had no idea the project would take so long! I'm five years out of warranty now and still kicking. Perhaps the project has been what's kept me going; I've been too stubborn to give up on completing it. I plan more work already... music is great medicine. Recording the music was a great joy but very difficult to coordinate as everyone performing lives in another state. I was constantly having to put things on hold as one treatment or another made me too sick to function, but the result, I believe, has validated the struggle. The guys all delivered amazing performances. The project musicians are all friends I have played with over the span of my career. They all generously donated their time and talent for the project, and I am so thankful for them.” ~ Frank Wyatt
Track listing 1. Zeitgeist 2. Leaving 3. Twelve Jumps 4. Eleventh Hour 5. The Approach 6. Fred's Song 7. To Venus (Perelandra Mvt. I, Andante) 8. The Green Lady (Perelandra Mvt. II, Allegretto con moto) 9. The Golden Feast (Perelandra Mvt.III, Allegro) 10. Blessed Be He (Perelandra Mvt. IV, Presto)
In closing Frank has this message to impart, “Don't surrender to the daily fog and fear. We are all moving forward on our journey and I am going to keep writing and recording music as long as I am able. It is my voice.”
Limited Edition 30-Disc Box Set Released December 6, 2019
Authorised by all band members
Madfish proudly present the ultimate box set of Gentle Giant music - Unburied Treasure. Highly regarded in the prog-rock world for the 12 albums they released between 1970 and 1980, this comprehensive set sees the band’s catalogue augmented by 15 new concert albums: seven never previously released, seven never previously officially released and one never previously released on CD. The 30-disc total also includes two posthumous live/outtake albums and a Blu-ray bonus disc. Also included are books, posters, replica promotional items and much more.
Gentle Giant members - Malcolm Mortimore, Kerry Minnear, Derek Shulman & Gary Green – reunited to unbox the first-ever copy of Unburied Treasure in front of fans at the 20th anniversary of GORGG (Global On-Reflection Giant Gathering) in New Jersey, USA, October 2019.
Watch the band also reminisce over photos, albums, performances and memorabilia:
Giant emerged from the ashes of chart hitmakers Simon Dupree and the Big Sound to become standard-bearers of the Seventies progressive movement. Their career often paralleled Genesis, their neighbours in the record racks, but while they frequently fought shy of commerciality – largely due to their pop past – and paid the price in sales terms, their uncompromising attitude won them a strong following in continental Europe.
They also enjoyed cult status in the States. When Frank Zappa was asked in 1978 who he was currently listening to, he namechecked Queen and Gentle Giant. (Coincidentally, Roy Thomas Baker not only engineered Giant's earliest sessions but went on to produce the iconic “Bohemian Rhapsody”.)
Strictly limited to 2,000 copies, this lavishly presented collection is clad in Bob Venables' new artwork, based on the iconic sleeve created by illustrator and Bowie alumnus George Underwood for the band’s Vertigo label debut in 1970. That full album has been remixed for this release's Blu-ray disc by prolific rock musician Steven Wilson, whose reputation for remixing prog-rock classics in recent years is second to none. The remix is available in high resolution 96/24 Stereo LPCM, 96/24 5.1 surround LPCM and DTS-HD 5.1 surround mixes, and the instrumental mixes for every track are also included.
The foundation of the set is the dozen albums officially released during Gentle Giant's 11 years as a recording act – but, for all their studio skills, Giant's musical abilities were given freest rein on stage. Yet only one live album, 1977's double vinyl Playing The Fool, was issued in their lifetime, so fans will be in seventh heaven at the prospect of 15 unreleased sets. Covering almost every period of the band's existence, they allow the individual members' multi-instrumental abilities to be appreciated to their fullest extent.
Arrangements were changed and refined from tour to tour, including many segues and medleys, so these concert recordings offer year-by-year evidence of the band's progression. All the music, live and studio, has been remastered by Pete Reynolds, acclaimed for his work on the Wishbone Ash box of 2018.
The audio experience is enhanced by a magnificent 136-page coffee table book. This combines rare photographs and memorabilia with a painstakingly researched history by Alan Kinsman. A fan for 45 years, he has achieved the near impossible by interviewing all members of the band in depth, including Phil Shulman who left brothers Derek and Ray to pilot the band in 1973 after providing much of the initial impetus. The result is a must-read that will unlock many mysteries, clear up misunderstandings and finally give the music the context it deserves. Also exclusive to this limited-edition set are:
A band photo signed by the classic line-up of Derek Shulman, Ray Shulman, Gary Green, Kerry Minnear and John Weathers.
An exclusive 96-page tour history book compiled by Jack Skelly offering informed commentary on the live recordings, set lists, on-the-road memorabilia and more.
Two replica posters, one from Giant’s debut gig in 1970 and the other promoting 1974's classic The Power And The Glory album.
Replicas of album giveaway items: the Playing The Fool LP booklet (included with the initial pressing only) and the Giant For A Day mask.
A replica of the jigsaw used to promote the Missing Piece album.
The chance to win a reproduction of Giant's rarest ever piece of memorabilia – a screen-printed mirror produced to promote The Power And The Glory; only 100 were originally created. A golden 'missing piece' included at random in one box set may be traded in by the lucky winner for this coveted item.
For too long prog-rock's best-kept secret, Gentle Giant finally achieved wider recognition in 2015, upsetting the odds to scoop Prog magazine's coveted Lifetime Achievement Award. Two years later, their home city of Portsmouth honoured their achievements both as a band and individually by inducting them into the Hall of Fame at the Guildhall; Derek went on to become a leading record-business figure, Ray a noted producer. Unburied Treasure is further recognition that this was a band ahead of its time, and one whose unwillingness to compromise has ultimately enhanced its legacy.
“Giant always set out to have a good time and to make sure the audience had a good time,” says drummer John Weathers. “We'd always go on and see if we could play better than we did the night before. I can't wait to see this definitive box set.”
Derek Shulman would “like Gentle Giant to be remembered as a group with integrity. It wasn't done for any other reason than simply being together playing music and challenging ourselves to be better. We hated compromise, and we had a lot of integrity in terms of what the music was about.”
For fans of quality progressive rock, Unburied Treasure is the motherlode.
German sci-fi prog rockers, RPWL is back with a collection of 14 live tracks that will lift you, launch you into hyperspace, and land you safely in your living room, inspired by the journey. The best live albums serve to showcase a band’s greatest hits stripped of any studio production varnish. This brings the music closer to reality and closer to the feeling that summoned the listener in the first place. Live from Outer Space is no exception.
Since their modest beginnings as a Pink Floyd cover band in the late ’80s, RPWL’s sound has evolved into a sophisticated, accessible progressive sound. I wouldn’t say the influence is Pink Floyd as a whole, but more specifically, David Gilmour. Yogi Lang’s subtle yet menacing voice is similar to Gilmour’s as it seems to emerge with an enlightened authority, like a God summoning his followers from on high. Lang guides his passengers through the wonders of the universe, prophesizing on what might live beyond our understanding. Think of Pink Floyd’s post-Roger Waters years with a deep-space sci-fi undercurrent.
Live from Outer Space marks their seventh live album compared to ten studio albums. RPWL is proud of their live work, offering reinvented versions only the unrestrained freedom of a live performance can bring forth.
Live performances also bring forth the opportunity to craft setlists that flow together cohesively. RPWL weave in the narration, which intertwines the songs into a storyline of sorts. Admittedly, during “News from Outer Space,” I had to fight off the image from Spinal Tap of Nigel Tufnel waxing poetically about the little children of Stonehenge as a two-foot-high prop is lowered onto the stage. This is hardly RPWL’s fault as Spinal Tap ruined any attempt for legitimate bands of the future to attempt any dramatic narration on stage.
Where others zig and zag, RPWL swerves and glides through the infinite vastness of space and time. A smoother ride than some of prog rock’s jagged journeys, RPWL delivers to their fans new takes on old favorites and provides new listeners an accessible entry point into prog rock. So, set your controls for the heart of the sun, RPWL will take you on a satisfying ride you’ll want to take again and again.
Key Tracks Include: “Not Our Place to Be”, “Roses”, “Hole in the Sky”, “Sleep”
Rate the Tracks Tracks: CD1 1. A New World 2. Welcome to the Freak Show 3. Light of the World 4. Not Our Place to Be 5. What I Really Need 6. Give Birth to the Sun 7. Far Away from Home
CD2 1. Hole in the Sky 2. Sleep 3. Masters of War 4. Trying to Kiss the Sun 5. Roses 6. Unchain the Earth
