Dramatic, bleak, impish, bold, epic, flirtatious, lost, surprising, operatic, thrilling, adventurous…are some of the adjectives that could, and indeed do apply to the second album from Boston based Bent Knee, a band who defy categorisation. Those last two words are…
View More Bent Knee – Shiny Eyed BabiesCategory: Album Reviews
Julian Julien – Terre II
Continuing my current delving into the world of modern jazz-influenced progressive music, and following on from my review of the rather tasty Akku Quintet album, here we have another slice of European exotica. Taking up the saxophone at the age…
View More Julian Julien – Terre IIRichard Pinhas – Chronolyse
Composer, electronics innovator and guitarist Richard Pinhas is one of France’s most important experimental musicians and a pivotal figure in the integration of rock music with electronica. He continues to take huge strides forward, confounding expectations and astonishing his listeners,…
View More Richard Pinhas – ChronolyseAKKU Quintet – Molecules
Akku Quintet are a Swiss band based in Berne, from where they dispense a minimalistic jazz groove to great effect. Dreamy piano sequences snuggle up with soft sax, juxtaposed with sci-fi guitar effects as the invisible bonds joining elemental particles…
View More AKKU Quintet – MoleculesGentle Knife – Gentle Knife
Oh this is nice. Gentle Knife, a 10-piece Scandinavian band from Oslo with lots of ’70s influences and not necessarily the ones you would expect. And how they combine, from melodic to discordant, challenging and yet comforting. Conceptually written around…
View More Gentle Knife – Gentle KnifeVarious Artists – Post Tangent
This is a compilation of 32 tracks assembled by Post Tangent. Let’s get this out of the way: It is a charity compilation in aid of Syrian refugees, so this has to be as objective a review as humanly possible.…
View More Various Artists – Post TangentKing Of Agogik – Exlex Beats
Prog, in its many guises, has often been accused of taking itself a little too seriously and for the most part lacking in humour. Well for nearly a decade now, drummer and multi-instrumentalist Hans Jörg Schmitz has done his part…
View More King Of Agogik – Exlex BeatsAnderson Ponty Band – Better Late Than Never
Somewhere around 1980, Jon Anderson approached Jean-Luc Ponty with a view to a collaboration. Now, over thirty years later, the man from Accrington and the man from Avranches, two very different environments, have finally got together. The album was recorded…
View More Anderson Ponty Band – Better Late Than NeverSteven Wilson – Transience (Limited Edition LP)
Steven Wilson’s star continues its meteoric rise through the Progressive Rock universe. After a long career with Porcupine Tree and an excellent solo output he is also now well respected for his production work as remixer for the reissues of…
View More Steven Wilson – Transience (Limited Edition LP)3RDegree – Ones & Zeros: Vol. 1
Now up to their fifth album, New Jersey art-rock band 3RDegree are a collective that take on heavy concepts without batting an eyelid. Their previous breakthrough album The Long Division, released in 2012, failed to properly connect with me, mostly…
View More 3RDegree – Ones & Zeros: Vol. 1