Two audio professors and musical wizards venture forth deeper into the outer realms of more unexplored musical dimensions bringing you the most astonishing aural treasures for your pleasure - straight from the Prog Cellar.
I have been very excited recently, because American progressive/avant-garde metal band Subterranean Masquerade is getting close to releasing a new album – one that I have been waiting for since their previous and only full-length release in 2004. It was an absolutely stunning and very unique experience, blending progressive rock with doomy metal and all sorts of psychedelic jazzy elements, and has remained one of my favourite albums to this day.
Judging by their recent single, titled Home, this upcoming new album will not be a disappointment. The titular song takes a few listens to get into for an old fan of the band, but does become a stunning piece when the new and somewhat colder soundscape really sinks in. The album also contains an awesome The Mission cover and a track that was cut from the previous album, which is a nice bonus. In conclusion, my hunger for more Subterranean Masquerade is growing!
Now that the year has changed, we will
take the time and take a brief look at some of our favorite 2013
releases. It should be noted that all of us are still actively
purchasing albums from the past decades, hence a majority of the new
releases are unfortunately being neglected each year due to the lack
of both time and money. Thus, in addition the new releases we did
actually obtain and enjoy in 2013, we will also pick up some of the
2013 albums that we did not have time for, but which all seem very
interesting.
Anoushka Shankar – Traces of You
Traces of You is the sixth studio album
by sitar virtuoso Anoushka Shankar – the daughter of the most
legendary sitar player, Ravi Shankar. The style here is somewhere
between her previous work: grounded in Hindustani Classical music
with influences of electronic and pop music. The British producer
Nitin Sawhney has done a great job here and the album features three
songs with Anoushka's half-sister Norah Jones on vocals and piano
which are all very pleasant ear candy.
Ernst Reijseger, Harmen Fraanje &
Mola Sylla – Down Deep
I saw this trio perform in a jazz
festival and I was so taken back by their music and energy that I
just had to purchase their album on the spot – and I haven't been
disappointed. The trio consists of a cello, a piano and African
percussions and singing, and the music is as exciting as the
ensemble. Mixture of jazz, western art music and African influences,
Down Deep is a unique and beautiful mixture.
3. Houria Aïchi – Renayate
The previous album by this interesting
Algerian Berber singer along side with the French fusion group
L'Hijaz'Câr was the first ever album post we ever did. Her new album
is a bit more traditional as she is accompanied by all Algerian
quartet and each track pays tribute to the most prolific Algerian
female singers. Overall a very interesting release both musically and
from an ethnomusicological point of view.
4. The Ocean – Pelagial
Pelagial is the newest release by the
post-metal giant The Ocean and it has hit the charts with outstanding
reviews, top scores in almost every one! It has two sides, one with
lyrics and one purely instrumental the second side being mixed a bit
differently. As a whole, this album is their best one to date. It
takes you to a ride from the surface of post-metal to deeper and
deeper towards the deepest and toughest sounds that this German/Swiss
ensemble can offer.
Miguel Ángel Cortés – El
calvario de un genio
The flamenco guitarist from Granada
returns with his third solo album. Once again he showcases his
sensibility and taste he has over his instrument and music. Playing
is pitch perfect as always but never self-purposeful. The
compositions themselves are evident evidence of the growing maturity
of the composing of one of the best flamenco guitarists out there.
Living in the past:
Zbigniew Preisner & Lisa
Gerard – Diaries of Hope
The scores Mr. Preisner did for the
films of the great Krzysztof Kieslowski are among the most superb
film scores in the history of cinema, and who could stand not in awe
once hearing the majestic, dark, mournful and deep contralto of Lisa
Gerrard from Dead Can Dance? Team these two together and we have one
2013 release I am dying to acquire.
Kayhan Kalhor & Erdal Erzincan
– Kula Kulluk Yakisir Mi
I saw this fantastic duo perform live
during a world music festival and my appreciation for them has grown
enormously since that. I have listened to their first album in and
out countless times so when the new album was announced, I got pretty
excited. Unfortunately, I have not got my hands on the disc yet
because my local record store has had some trouble with their
distributor. I still have very high hopes on this one.
Orphaned Land – All Is One
These Israeli prog metallers totally
rocked our socks off with their 2004 release Mabool. Even tough its'
successor, The Never Ending Way of OrWarrior was not as tight, it as
still a pretty solid and good album. I am willing to give their new
album a fair chance because I still believe that they have a ton of
potential.
Marc Sinan – Hasretim: Journey
to Anatolia
A musical road movie/record through
Anatolia which searches the cultural identity and roots of
traditional Turkish and Armenian musicians sounds like a release
tailor made for me. Not only being a musical record but also an
ethnomusicological document makes this multimedia release all the
more exciting.
Kayo Dot – Hubardo
This band has been one of our favorites
for a very long time and I personally regard their debut, Choirs of
the Eye as one the best albums of all time. Period. I have heard that
this album is their best since their debut and while writing this
post, I am asking myself the crucial question: Why do not I own this
album already!?
First, we would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year. We hope you all the best and thank you cordially for the past year. Second, we are excited to announce some changes that you will be seeing briefly in this blog. We will continue to write in depth album reviews every second week as before. In addition, we will be introducing other segments of varying themes and lenght on the page in order to offer you all more interesting pieces to read and enjoy. As we all know, one must contantly conjure up more content if you want to make it in the cruel world of Internet and please the insatiable and impatient mass with attention span to digest only microcosmic texts... But all kidding aside, we'll hope that the new content will be of the best quality we can offer. Finally, we have been planning a make over to the general appearance of the page. Let's make this year something special!
maudlin Of The Well is an American avant-garde metal group which has become well-known among connoisseurs of music for their unique, progressive, challenging and daring musical style. Their companion concept albums Bath and Leaving Your Body Map (2001) are their ageless legacy. We have on numerous occasions wondered how come their composition, entitled brilliantly Birth Pains of Astral Projection, is such a perfect single piece of music that we have ever heard. It is a perfect demonstration of the compositional ingenious and stunning imaginative originality of the band’s leader Toby Driver. The track opens with a smooth segment with hints to blues and jazz and features also a nice saxophone solo. The song takes a surprising turn as it jumps in to a exciting esoteric heavy metal mood with a mysterious guitar pattern, whispers and growl vocals. Again, the track takes a unexpected turn when it goes back to more peaceful pop/rock mode featuring the soothing vocal performance by Toby Driver and one the best guitar solos of all time! It is not just the guitar solo and how it evolves but also the musical frame which the band creates for the solo, that gives it a gorgeous dramatic power. As a cherry on top of the cake we have the cryptic lyrics of Jason Byron. You just has to hear the composition to fully appreciate its’ magnitude.
Mostly Autumn is a celtic-influenced progressive pop/rock band. The guitarist and singer of the band Bryan Josh wrote and dedicated this song, along with the rest of their of first album, for his father who had recently past away. We see the song as a perfectly appropriate for the last Advent Sunday when some people take the time to remember and honor those loved ones who have left this world for the next one. In this song you can hear the sincerity of the grief but also the love for a passed away relative. In addition, song closes up with a epic and gorgeous guitar solo.
Nowadays there is on-going discussion about whether or not video games are a form of art or do they at least the qualities of being art. One recent game that certainly speaks in favor of this argument is the fantastic adventure/fantasy game Journey developed by Thatgamecompany in 2012. Game lacks of any specific plot and features a robed figure traveling in a desert as he or she travels towards a distant mountain. The game has no text nor dialogue and the only way of communication and interaction between the character and its’ surroundings is a musical chime. The game has both extraordinary visual and conceptual beauty in it and to accompany that, Austin Wintory has composed a stunning soundtrack. This is the first track, Nascence which is also featured on the menu screen and it captures perfectly the tone, and above all, the beauty of the game.
It is the last weekend before Christmas and if you still have something to do which requires energy, whether it be partying, shopping for presents, decorating the house, cooking... whatever, we are guessing you need a little zest in the form of music. To the coldness and darkness of the winter we will bring you a glimpse of the sun and the warmth from Spain. Ojos de Brujo (The Eyes of the Wizard) is band from Barcelona which fuses hip hop with flamenco along with various other musical styles. They have had always such a great energy both on record and live that it is absolutely stunning. Here we give you one their best songs, Todo Tiende which has also a nice eastern influence in it mixed with flamenco, hip hop and all the other elements that the band is known for. Enjoy and have a nice weekend!
The member of our team who wanted to include this track on the Calendar was logically to come up with the description for the tune and this was all he could summon up: “Supertramp is a British, progressive pop and rock band and their composition Cannonball is some groovy stuff, a great track. I don’t know at all what I should say about Cannonball since I’m not so familiar with the band neither. Anyways, a hell of a song.” So, take a listen all of you and judge it for yourselves.
Shadow Gallery is a slightly underrated band, at least when it comes to technical and musical proficiency of the musicians, as well as for the compositions they have created before the unfortunate passing away of Mike Baker, their lead singer, in 2008. Christmas Day fits pretty well to the theme of this calendar, obviously and it is all a week to the big day! This is so much more than a piano ballad with incredibly beautiful melodies that tells a Christmas love story. It is an epic ride in the musical world of Shadow Gallery with progressive rock and tenderness combined with a good taste.
The Ocean, also known as The Ocean collective, is a Swiss/German sludge metal band that published an album of huge success this year. Pelagial has gotten great reviews, receiving almost top scores in every one. This phenomenon has raised the band to the general knowledge of heavy metal audience. Firmament is the opening track of Heliocentric (2009) after the intro track and is one of their earlier gems. The track is by their main composer, German guitarist Robin Staps, and has almost all the typical elements of band’s signature style: Groovy progressive metal, variety of vocals, sludge metal head banging, calm and mysterious soundscapes, dynamic drumming and mid-tempo guitar work with amazing solos.
So it is the last week before Christmas. If you still have some errands, work, studying... whatever obligations before you can kick it and start chilling on the Holidays, we will try and give you that one extra motivation through this absolutely grooving instrumental version of a funk classic. Armed with an organ, a guitar, a bass and drums The Meters from New Orleans take Sing a Simple Song and show a very concrete example what is groove. It is the last track of their debut album from which the majority remember the classic Cissy Strut, but here the band definitely show that they formed one the most meanest rhythm machines in the rhythm and blues history. Get your groove on and boogie woogie!
Pat Metheny is one the most commercially successful jazz artists to enter the scene since the 70’s and among his unique playing style, his body of work has a lot of variety. Probably his most progressive side can be heard on interestingly named As Falls Wichita Falls, So Falls Wichita Falls which is a duo album with the pianist Lyle Mays. The album features a beautiful ballad dedicated to the great jazz pianist Bill Evans and the name of the track, September Fifteenth, is the date of his passing. The song features gorgeous solos by both Metheny on acoustic guitar and Lyle Mays naturally on piano. They capture here perfectly the mood and the style from which Bill Evans was known, but still at the same time this composition has clearly some tasteful originality in it. Let us all have a moment this Sunday to remember one the greatest jazz musicians and composers of all time.
We have all here in the Aural Obscurities team been at one point of your lives big fans of Dream Theater. Nowadays our opinions may vary about the band and their newest material, but their classic albums have some significance to all of us. Nevertheless, lately we have all agreed on how a quality album their criminally underrated Falling into Infinity album is. The majority of people probably shun the album for its’ more popish material, but we find it refreshing and showcase for the general song writing and melodic abilities of the band. The fourth track, Hollow Years, has always been one of our favorites. When you think about, it is a very basic pop song without any the progressive and technical gimmicks or long instrumental solos for which Dream Theater is largely known. So for a different side of Dream Theater check out Hollow Years.
Pat Martino is one of the great legends of the jazz guitar. His rose to fame in the 60’s and 70’s but in the 80’s he unfortunately underwent a surgery as a result of dangerous brain aneurysm which left him with amnesia. Among other things he forgot how to play the guitar but stunningly he learnt it all over again which is beyond amazing. Not only that, but in the 2000’s he has recorded his best material and he plays like the champion. To get you in to the Friday mood, we present the grooving and cool Mac Tough from the absolutely mind blowing live album, Live at Yoshi’s where Marino joins forces with Joey DeFrancesco on organ and Billy Hart on drums as they play one hell of a concert.. Let this serve you all as reminder also on Friday the 13th that no matter how bad luck you might have, you can still overcome your troubles and obstacles.
Argentine tango is one of the “world music” genres which is dominated by one name on the international market: Astor Piazzolla. However, since the 1980’s one of the most important vanguardists of the tango nuevo has been the composer and bandoneon player Dino Saluzzi who has continued to developing the genre mixing with jazz and chamber music. On Cité de la Musique we find Dino in a very intimate setting with himself on bandoneon, his son José M. Saluzzi on acoustic guitar and the American Marc Johnson on bass. The album closes with a beautiful Coral para mi Pequeño y Lejano Pueblo (choral for my little and distant village). Johnson and José Saluzzi both deliver very subtle but emotionally powerful solo over Dino’s bandoneon which also plays the perfect intro and outro melodies. Perfect music to smooth your mind.
King Crimson is without a doubt the great mammoth of progressive rock: band that has been progressive and experimental with its’ sound from 1969 to the present day, always searching between the sounds to take the next step in their never ending musical development. The band has released 13 studio albums along with numerous live albums and countless official bootlegs. However, there are couple of good quality studio albums that for some reason have been forgotten by the bigger audience. Their fourth album Islands falls in to that category. The closing track - which is also the title track - is one of their most stunning compositions. A 12-minute long symphonic ballad with graceful piano, luxurious brass and woodwinds and who could be left cold by the poetic lyrics by Peter Sinfield. A true gem.
Baroque music sets the mood perfectly for Christmas - at least we see it fitting for the Holidays. It would be the easy choice to include something from Johann Sebastian Bach here but that would be against our principal of trying to introduce some lesser known quality music to you all. So we picked the first movement, Adagio of the D minor organ concerto by Georg Friedrich Händel which has in it a delicate and deep sense of spiritual beauty. The organ brings Christmas to mind as it is still deep down a christian holiday and many connect the organ with the church. The main theme is simple but effective and the treatment it gets in the end makes it even more gorgeous.
How wide and open taste of music you might have, there is always some genres that are being neglected. In our case one of those is hip hop. It is partially because we have not yet looked in to the genre and there are also some common attributes of hip hop that we do not generally find enjoyable. There is always exception to rule and in our case it is a group called CunninLynguists. Particularly their album A Piece of Strange is a really great hip hop album which at least one of us enjoys enormously. The third track Nothing to Give is a perfect example of what is great about the group: good composition, real instruments, nice flow, great beats and especially insightful and meaningful lyrics. The lyrics here deal with the phenomenon how one is more eager to commit crime and horrible deeds in general during the night time when the evil actions do not seem so bad.
In our modern digital times video games have become essential part of our popular culture. We value certain games as we do with the movies and books that have a place in our heart. One of the most important titles in video game history - as seen in so many best video games of all time lists and personal favorite to so many - is Final Fantasy VII by Square. Along with great game mechanics, massive length and original and intriguing story, the music composed by Noboe Uematsu is definitely unforgettable. The theme of the character named Aeris gives us goosebumps highly charged with childhood nostalgia. The unexpected turn in the story gives this theme also an additional special meaning...
