The Superstars - Metamorphosis + Finale (Ltd. 7")

Prog's not dead! Keyboard-led heavy sounds at 33rpm.

Whatever your favoured format, recorded sound is a beautiful thing. Thanks to that technological advancement we have access to, for all eternity, great political speeches, hisorical news bulletins, along with the recorded works of The Beatles, Emerson Lake and Palmer, The Sex Pistols, and Pinky & Perky. It's a vast library and like the universe itself continues to expand.

One small but very welcome addition to the sonic archives is this forthcoming 7" single on the Fruits de Mer label. The Superstars are an Italian band, currently working on their debut LP which is set for release next year. Judging by this taster 7" single it will be one to look out for. 'Metamorphosis' is included here in studio form and (on the B-side) as a live version. Fans of '70 prog-rock will find this very much up their street - keyboard-led and with an emphasis that leans more on rock than it does on prog. Heavy Hammond, virtuoso guitars, and a propulsive rhythym section combine to take you on an almost six minute journey complete topped with an intriguing spoken words addressing destruction and creation.

'Finale' has more of a synthy space rock feel to it, somewhat more experimental with textures and sounds and showcases a different side to the band that will no doubt be further explored on next year's debut LP. Recorded sound - ever-expanding and endlessly evolving. Keep listening folks!

'Metamorphosis' is on sale from the Fruits de Mer website from November 9th.

Click here for Fruits de Mer Records.

 

 

Sendelica - Cromlech Chronicles III

Third instalment of exploratory instrumental Prog from Wales' celebrated spacerockers!

Here on the flat mud-banks of the east coast, we're about as far from West Wales as it's possible to be on Britain's main landmass, both in terms of distance and landscape. That may be why each time I've spent time in that beautiful country I've come home with my batteries spiritually re-charged. The combination of hills, valleys, clean(er) Atlantic air, rich folklore and a less-toxic national pride inspires and impresses me each time. All these things feed into the music that's made there too of course. Those teenage years spent listening to John Peel spin the latest record from Datblygu opened my ears to a seam that grew richer as more musicians came to my attention. Be it the Cool Cymru of the Manics, SFA et al, the gentle psych of Gorky's and CaStLeS, or the acid-folk of Meic Stevens, it was clear that Welsh music at its best had that elusive “it”.

All of which brings me to this new outing from Sendelica. It's the third in their series of improvised get-togethers. For the “Cromlech Chronicles” sessions the band de-camp to Mwnci Studios in West Wales for two days of playing, improvising and recording. The results then released by the mighty Fruits de Mer label. I've written about a couple of previous Sendelica records, their 7” tributes to Frank Zappa and DavidBowie. Without the restrictions of interpreting someone else's songs their muse is free to take flight in whatever direction it chooses. Over the six tracks on Chromlech Chronicles III we're treated to ambient textures, soothing sax-led loveliness, and some harder edged prog-rock (opening track 'BS'). Taken as a whole there's a meditative quality that mirrors both the physical surroundings as well as the musicians' mindset, one of freedom, open possibility and a willingness to enter into the mystic.

As always with Fruits de Mer Records plenty of thought has gone into how the physical product is presented. Three being the magic number here. Chromlech Chronicles III comes on three pieces of 10” vinyl (coloured of course). Then there's the 3D sleeve and accompanying 3D glasses. It's a welcome addition to the Welsh music canon.

**The band will be playing at the Sixteenth Dream of Dr. Sardonicus Festival in Cardigan, August 3rd-5th!**

Click here for Sendelica.

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Kris Gietkowski - songs from the first LP by Egg

Polish muti-instrumentalist releases a bizarre but lovely labour of love!

I have to admit I'm not that familiar with the first LP by Egg, being still in nappies when it was released. My earliest musical memories coming a few years later and limited to the glam pop and tartan-clad boy bands prevalent on AM radio at the time. Anyway thanks to the powers of the Internet I've learnt that Egg were a three-piece prog band who signed to Decca in 1969 and released and eponymous debut LP a year later.

Fast forward 47 years and in a bizarre labour of love, Polish multi-instrumentalist Kris Gietkowski has decided to record a full length LP featuring most of the songs from Egg's first LP. Notice that that's most and not all, as the press release explains - “it's only 'most of' as one of the tracks would have taken him months to learn and he didn't fancy the ten second intro track on the original album.”

Reading that I knew I'd just love this LP, regardless of how it sounded. But anyway it sounds pretty good. A fully instumental album full of jazz-prog organ fugues, proto math-rock and quasi-classical passages in what I'm led to believe is a fairly faithful replica of the original LP. And it comes as a colour-in-colour vinyl LP, yellow in white to look like a poached egg. How can any self-respecting vinyl freak not dig that right!?!

Released as a colour-in-colour vinyl LP on April 17th. (300 copies only)

Click here for Fruits de Mer Records.

Proud Peasant – Cosmic Sound (Ltd. Col 7”)

Visit the heady days of 1973 via this 7” coloured vinyl disc!

A new band to me but very welcome, Proud Peasant are a perfect fit on Fruits de Mer Records with their brand of '70s-inspired progressive rock. This limited edition 7” sees them give their take on two instrumental tracks from 1973; a taut and driving cover of Eloy's 'Daybreak' on the A-side, with a version of 'Saturn, Lord Of The Ring/Mercury, The Winged Messenger' (originally by Manfred Mann's Earth Band) on the flip.

Despite their love of '70s UK/German music, the band actually hail from Austin, Texas, a city which has its own reputation as a psychedelically creative hotspot. This release further cements that. Virtuosic and even a little proto-punk in places, both sides are a treat for lovers of classic progressive rock. For further investigation check out their critically acclaimed debut LP Flight. More details on the band's website.

Released as a limited edition colour vinyl 7” (600 copies).

Click here for more on Proud Peasant.

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Dreadnaught – Gettin' Tight With EP

Old dogs, new tricks! New Hampshire proggers' latest EP!

It's something of a mystery that Dreadnaught are not more widely known. It's nineteen years since they formed (yep nineteen!) and as their latest EP Gettin' Tight With shows, descending into blandness or stasis is not an option for these chaps. The five-song EP opens with the dense prog calling card of 'Nervous Little Dogs', all intricate virtuoso playing which for all its complicated twists and turns manages to hold together and er.. rock!

The prog tag is somewhat misleading as over the course of the EP there's traces of country rock, skewed funk, jazz fusion and Steely Dan-style sophistication and smoothness to be heard. It's this freedom in their approach which appeals most, along with their sense of humour. You get the feeling they take the music seriously but not themselves. Fans of old school prog bands such as ELP, King Crimson, Genesis and the like will wet their pants over this stuff. As will open-minded fans of good music in general. Get on board!

Click here for Dreadnaught's website.

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Click here for Red Fez Records.

Cranium Pie - Mechanisms Part Two

Majestic prog-opus ahoy!Funnily enough it's a follow up to Mechanisms Part One! Who woulda thought?!

Fans of Fruits De Mer Records will no doubt already be familiar with Cranium Pie, the band having contributed tracks to various FDM cover version compilations over the years. Here though we get to hear what the band are really about. Mechanisms Part Two is oddly enough the follow up to Mechanisms Part One, their 2012 album about a battle between civilizations of robots and crayfish. I don't know what the local council are putting in the water in Wiltshire but it may be stronger than fluoride! Either that or we're in the company of a very adventurously creative group of people.

Mechanisms Part One went on to be Classic Rock's “bonkers prog album of the year 2012”, so Part Two has something of a reputation to live up to. Over the four sides of vinyl the band are free to stretch out into the furthest reaches of sonic exploration. With heavy Hammond organ, free-jazz-rock drumming and Brian Blessed-esque vocal passages this is music that calls to mind the giants of early '70s progressive rock – Soft Machine, Zappa and Aphrodite's Child may all be influences, but there are also some other more unlikely musical nods in the album's grooves with some surprisingly funky psychedelia.

It seems there may be just as many Funkadelic, Parliament and Prince records in their collections as there are records by The Nice and Caravan. Side One sees the band co-opt the bass line from Isaac Hayes' Ike's Rap II, with Side Three beginning with wacka-wacka guitar chops straight of his Shaft album. Elsewhere there's music borne out of of intuitive collective jamming. So while it's without question another “bonkers prog album” it's also a surprisingly soulful and funky one.

Like many FDM releases, the vinyl version is sure to sell out quickly so if you've missed out bug them for a re-press of make do with a digital copy. Be warned though – it may fry your brain like no other record this year, albeit in a good way.

Limited to 700 copies on colour vinyl double LP with gatefold sleeve.

On Fruits De Mer Records' Regal Crabomophone imprint.

Click here for Cranium Pie's website.

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