Progarchives, the progressive rock ultimate discography

ARC

Progressive Electronic • United Kingdom


From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

ARC picture
ARC biography
Classy electronic base spacey prog-ambient project formed by the legendary Ian Boddy and Mark Shreeve (from Redshift). Obvious 70s Berlin-school musical references. Most of the albums have been published by Ian Boddy's laboratory DiN. ARC delivers innovative and retro-ish electro-cerebral journeys. The duet made a handful of live sessions around Europe and United States.

Similar artists in the archives: Mark Shreeve, Ian Boddy, Tangerine Dream, Von Haulshoven, Michael Hoenig, Bernd Kistenmacher

ARC Videos (YouTube and more)


Showing only random 3 | Show all ARC videos (1) | Search and add more videos to ARC

Buy ARC Music


ARC discography


Ordered by release date | Showing ratings (top albums) | Help Progarchives.com to complete the discography and add albums

ARC top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.00 | 3 ratings
Octane
1998
4.00 | 5 ratings
Blaze
2003
4.00 | 4 ratings
Fracture
2007
4.06 | 7 ratings
Church
2010

ARC Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.00 | 4 ratings
Radio Sputnik
2000
4.40 | 5 ratings
Arcturus
2005
3.67 | 3 ratings
Rise
2010
4.50 | 4 ratings
Umbra
2014
4.40 | 5 ratings
Arclight
2015
4.67 | 3 ratings
Fleet
2017

ARC Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

ARC Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

ARC Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

ARC Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Church  by ARC album cover Studio Album, 2010
4.06 | 7 ratings

BUY
Church
ARC Progressive Electronic

Review by TenYearsAfter

4 stars "FIRST REVIEW OF THIS LIVE ALBUM"

Intro:

In The Netherlands the world of electronic music is very vivid: a strong and loyal fan base, many experienced and inspiring artists/bands (from Gert Emmens and Rudy Adrian to Bas Broekhuis and Synth.nl), an annual EM festival (E-Live) and, last but not least, the outstanding and specialized Groove Unlimited (from mailorder and E-Live to artists and concerts). In this review I would like to focus on one of my favorite electronic music CD's in the last two decades: the live album Church from ARC (2010, limited edition 1500 copies).

Info from record company DIN:

"ARC are Ian Boddy and Mark Shreeve (also Redshift), two veterans of the UK electronic music scene. They employ a vast range of vintage analogue equipment, not the least of which is Shreeve's massive Moog IIIC modular system. Although this is the duo its sixth CD release, their concert appearances are rare occurrences with only three prior performances. Boddy had performed in Philadelphia four times previously and so knew there was an enthusiastic audience for this style of electronic music. However this was Shreeve's first Stateside concert and with the impracticality of transporting so much vintage gear the duo were helped out by three local musicians who kindly lent the duo several synthesizers as well as analogue modular & sequencing systems. The concert itself was staged at St.Mary's Church in Philadelphia on 14th November 2009 which was a suitably atmospheric venue for the electronic music of ARC. Four of the tracks are completely new material with the fifth, Falling Through to Rapture having at its core the sequencer section from the track Rapture which was the final track of the duo its last studio album Fracture."

My review:

ARC their music sounds like a tribute to the German electronic music from German pioneers Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze, the cosmic part of the Berlin School. The five compositions are structured in the same way but each with a different colouring by the instruments and a subtle variety in climates.

The very long titletrack (21.34) features a captivating changing of climates, between spacey with sound effects and hypnotizing sequencers with majestic Mellotron violins and flutes, very compelling, ARC at its best!

In Bliss Plane (14.01) pulsating sequencers and lush Mellotrons are combined with mellow synthesizer flights.

In Torch (10.57) we can enjoy a dreamy atmosphere, then a great build up to a hypnotizing final part.

In Veil 10.19) there are more experimental overtones but the lush Mellotron violins are omnipresent.

The final track Falling Through To Rapture (17.38) is another tribute to the unsurpassed sound of late Seventies Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze: wonderfully coloured and flowing changing climates, with spacey sound effects, hypnotizing sequencers, dreamy synthesizer flights and lush Mellotrons.

If you like the more cosmic electronic music like Seventies Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze and TD inspired recent bands like Free System Project, Air Sculpture and Red Shift, I am sure ARC their EM will appeal to you.

 Radio Sputnik by ARC album cover Live, 2000
4.00 | 4 ratings

BUY
Radio Sputnik
ARC Progressive Electronic

Review by admireArt
Prog Reviewer

4 stars Welcome to other machines!

Ian Boddy and Mark Shreeve's ARC, 2000, live recording "Radio Sputnik", is hauntingly attractive, song by song, there are 8, yet "structured" to be performed, as a single composition or "live" experience.

The well known prog/electronic whereabouts and composition skills, of both musicians, find an "unexpected" place to flourish and explode entirely and at the same time. And yes! They do "EXPLODE" in this "privileged", for those who attended, concert in the 5th Alfa-Centauri (electronic music) Festival.

ARC presented pieces from their first release, "Octane" as well as some newer and more complex unreleased material.

What makes this album relevant beyond itself, is the astonishing definition of an OWN and UNIQUE "third" musical progressive electronic language, constructed and structured perfectly tight by both musicians simultaneously, yet constantly daring to cross over, no matter how comfortable staying in a single place can be .

All kind of tempo, electronic music proposals, full of highly inspired performances and an unobtrusive creative collaboration, but always with the challenging goal to go higher and higher.

Hard labor and letting go all "loans", turns out to be a formula for such an extraordinary result. .

****4.5 " Experience sublimating pure progressive/electronic heaven!" PA stars.

 Blaze by ARC album cover Studio Album, 2003
4.00 | 5 ratings

BUY
Blaze
ARC Progressive Electronic

Review by admireArt
Prog Reviewer

4 stars Ian Boddy and Mark Shreeve conform ARC. One of the many music associations, which goes by this same name.

Both are well respected electronic proggers, both have their own solo discography, besides their mutual participation in the prog/electronic band: "Redshift". (Which Ian Boddy joined later, during original member James Goddard's absence).

Both musicians also share the same contemporaries. Mark Shreeve's solo music direction inclines toward "Tangerine's Dreamscapes" and pulses, which somehow become somewhat of a burden in the long run. Now, don't get me wrong, but his personal musical idiom, which he has, sometimes suffers of this unnecessary tendency to subdue itself.

Ian Boddy's solo career stands closer to the experimental "Ambient "electronics. He is, to call it somehow, less influenced by this sub-genre's famous "stars" (including also Mr. Schulze, of course!).

Therefore, what works great in this meeting of minds and styles, is that both musicians come to terms with a "third language", which is a perfectly balanced juxtaposition, of both musical universes. Carl Brooker provides some acoustic drumming on 4 tracks.

BLAZE, this 2003 project, is the perfect example of the above mentioned. Rich in "electronic" ideas and non-stop dynamic creativity. The formidable "third idiom" brings freedom to the musical manner of composition , which could only be aquired by this blend of styles. Its inherent progression as an album, becomes hypnotic, either be it, by its fresh and "unpolluted" approach or by its un-matchable and ORIGINAL song writing and performances.

****4 PA stars. Essential for followers of the sub-genre and other curious prog-cats!

Thanks to Philippe Blache for the artist addition.

Copyright Prog Archives, All rights reserved. | Legal Notice | Privacy Policy | Advertise | RSS + syndications

Other sites in the MAC network: JazzMusicArchives.com — jazz music reviews and archives | MetalMusicArchives.com — metal music reviews and archives

Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.