PROG ROCK FOR BEGINNERS

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Agusa “Noir” Agusa is from Sweden, and typically plays very psychedelic rock music, favouring long, extended and inspiring rambles. Here, they are providing a soundtrack for a film, ”Malmö

1. 

   A Tarot Of The Green Wood

   by Burd Ellen
   favorite track

   The Fool

   Glaswegian duo Burd Ellen base most of this release (save the final track) on traditional songs, intertwined with ruminations on the Major Arcana of the Tarot. This is very Celtic-inspired, with pipes, keyboards, and a male guest vocalist. Debbie Armour handles vocals throughout, and Gayle Brogan constitutes “all other sounds.” They create an ethereal and otherworldly atmosphere, full of enchantment.

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      The garden of mysteries

      by In The Labyrinth
      favorite track

      HIRAM ABIFF

      This is a reissue of an earlier release by Peter Lindhal, along with 4 bonus tracks. Peter has a particular genius at creating alternative medieval-like worlds, and leads a huge cast of players in making these come to life. The instrumentation is vast and ranges from viola de gamba to saz, to various flutes, and acoustic and electric guitars, with way more in between, and mostly played by Peter himself.

      

      MOURA “Fume santo de loureiro” MOURA is from Spain, and they bring us a wonderful blend of music informed by Galician folk stirred with lysergia and served up in their native tongue. They utilize both electric and acoustic

      elements, with guitars, keyboards, synths, and various percussion to create this esoteric auditory hallucination. Their 2023 release is highly recommended as well. My favourite track just knocks me out.

      1. 

         Tiananmen

         by Ian Ormiston Stables
         favorite track

         Feelings Rise

         This music was composed and performed entirely by Ian, and was inspired by a terrible day in June of 1989, at that location in China. A protest by students and workers there resulted in the use of military force against the protesters, and thousands were killed and wounded. The music often takes an oriental tone, but is very classical in nature.

         1. 

            Équinoxe

            by Perséide
            Perséide, from Quebec City have released this single that was recorded at the same time as the band’s last full-length release. It’s meant to be an “echo,” of the piece, “Solstice,” from that previous recording. Their distinctive sound is psychedelic in nature, with hints of folk and progressive music.

            1. 

               FC4 – Bestiary

               by Avi C. Engel
               favorite track

               Jackrabbit

               This is almost an old-fashioned single, as it is a two tracks only. Here we have a dark folk singer-songwriter, emphasis on “dark.” Morose reflections rest on top of a hypnotic array of acoustic and electric guitar, gudok, talharpa, melodica, and percussion, all written and performed solely by Avi.

               1. 

                  Baber / Wileman 2

                  by Matt Baber & Richard Wileman
                  favorite track

                  2005 Pt 1

                  Here we have a collaboration of Matt Baber (Sanguine Hum), and Richard Wileman (Karda Estra), with clarinetist Amy Fry thrown in for good measure. Plenty of keyboards, guitar, bass, and drums /percussion, along with some vocals that make up this mostly delicate, in turns spooky, and whimsical release. What was it that happened in 2005, anyway? There are 3 parts to the piece, which are punctuated by the rest of the tracks. I’m choosing 2005 Part 1 as my favourite track.

                  

                  Arooj Aftab “Night Reign” Arooj is a Pakistani-American artist, mostly working in jazz and minimalist music. The release is moody and layered, with harp, pianos, guitars, flutes, bass, percussion, and organ, swirling around the lyrics, which are sung in English, Urdu, and Arabic. She does a lovely cover of the standard, “Autumn Leaves,” but my favourite track is the stunning Na Gul.

                  1. 

                     Hidden Gem

                     by Roby Deaton
                     favorite track

                     Music Box

                     Roby was inspired by a trip to Portugal to purchase his first Portuguese guitar, completely taken with the beautiful music he heard while there. This is an instrumental album, with said guitar in the starring role, bolstered by additional acoustic guitar and synths. Utterly enchanting.

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                        SIRIN

                        by Marjana Semkina
                        favorite track

                        Gone

                        Marjana still retains the trappings of chamber prog, with wistful and plaintive vocals at the fore. But don’t be fooled, here is a woman with great strength and insight, who resides behind that faery-like, angelic voice. Jim Grey and Mick Moss add guest vocals to two tracks. The phenomenal multi-instrumentalist Charle Cawood brings the majority of exotic instruments, and there are guitars of all kinds, bass, keyboards, and programmed and organic drums, plus a string quartet.