Is modern Prog music still innovative?

moshkito wrote: brainstormer wrote: ... You can be somewhat obscure in sentiment (like early King Crimson before 1975), and not be cosmic like Yes, but most "innovative" newer prog seems to have a nihilistic, creepy feel to it.  It seems a lot of new prog that is a little off the mainstream modally or rythmically is not done by "overcomers" -- it's like complaint, or sounds drugged out, in that, there really is music that you have to be stoned to like! ...   I honestly think that the stuff in the late 60's and early 70's had a "stronger" purpose for being and doing, which helped the music a lot. Today, things are so spread out all over the place, that it seems that anything that anyone is into is silly, and worthless and it takes away from the strength of the music and its words.

I agree. There was a stronger purpose back then. At the time it seemed like it was more about doing something new, whereas today being "prog" is a matter of chasing an aesthetic that people think fits that title.

I have been a long time lurker here, and feel that I should reply to this thread. Not only in prog, but in so many areas of alternative music the songs are losing their spark. A big element of prog is the spirit and a lot of bands seem to be missing that.

I am in a band called ARPS who have just finished our debut album. We really started this band to create music we would like to listen to, that we think really hits the prog sweet spot. We are trying to make authentic 70s prog with some other more modern sounds.

Any feedback would be much appreciated!

https://soundcloud.com/arps-band

Also for those preferring Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkx-5bLlhUw




brainstormer wrote: ... You can be somewhat obscure in sentiment (like early King Crimson before 1975), and not be cosmic like Yes, but most "innovative" newer prog seems to have a nihilistic, creepy feel to it.  It seems a lot of new prog that is a little off the mainstream modally or rythmically is not done by "overcomers" -- it's like complaint, or sounds drugged out, in that, there really is music that you have to be stoned to like! ...

Slartibartfast wrote: If you even have to ask that question, then you aren't listening to the right stuff, my friend...

I understand the point your making but the question was do you feel prog music is still innovative.


Edited by SteveG - July 19 2014 at 09:15

More innovative than most genres. I can't think of anything from the last few years substantially more innovative than say, Sanguine Hum or Henry Fool.

moshkito wrote: ExittheLemming wrote: Call me cynical but I know exactly where this thread is headed: that exhausted and bed ridden dichotomy between progressive music c/f Prog.... You deserve your opinion. My only concern is that the thread itself is not studious enough to even consider a good discussion, that goes way past our personal favorites. The other part is comparing yesterday to today is stupid ... now comparing yesterday to yesterday I can handle, or today to today ... but the comparison of things 40 to 50 years apart is totally stupid and not a good discussion at all.   Fun example: Years ago the King would have said ... "a kingdom for a horse" ... today the maniac would probably say ... "a kingdom for Pink Floyd's money" ... or "a kingdom for a jet!"  It's just a different time!

I hope my links ^^ provide a decent discussion.

If not, please be nice.

EDIT: I didn't want to spam the thread with anew post-->I just wanted to say that pt. 4 is  the most fun to read, IMO.


Edited by Nick Dilley - July 18 2014 at 14:45

Prog is really now much more a genre than a description. Some bands are truly innovative, such as The Mars Volta, while others stick to the normal prog formula, or try to do the retro sound very well like Astra. I don't really discriminate. It is good to do stuff differently but equally I enjoy bands that simply do prog very well. I do note that the original wave of prog (when it was actually more progressive) are generally higher rated on this site.

Edited by Hnrz - July 18 2014 at 13:17

No I don''t think it is but then I don't care anyway because my enjoyment of a piece of music is not determined by how high I rank it for innovation in my mind.

Actually there are two different questions to be addressed here.  Are there innovative prog rock bands, innovating, that is, in some aspect or the other?  Yes, of course.  You won't find most of them in the typical genres like symph prog but that doesn't mean they don't exist.  

Edited by rogerthat - July 16 2014 at 20:52

ExittheLemming wrote: Call me cynical but I know exactly where this thread is headed: that exhausted and bed ridden dichotomy between progressive music c/f Prog. The thread title I fear is a misnomer as for me, Prog ceased to have any contemporary relevance circa 1979-80 and was to a limited extent, only revisited and streamlined by the so-called Neo Prog developments thereafter. (I heartily loathed Marillion, Pallas, et al but would concede that the foregoing did at least forge their own identities while drawing on their avowed inspirationfrom the past)If I understand the term 'modern Prog' correctly it would have to be  'state of the art retro' as daft as that sounds but the likes of say, Wobbler, Black Bonzo, Steven Wilson, Areknames and Transatalantic are producing predominantly Symph/Heavy Prog music that is probably genuinely/sincerely original but couched in the timbres, reference points and stylistic affectations of the past. This is also true of any current garage/psyche band who worship at the alter of Syd/Iggy/Seeds/Can. Have we reached a point in 1st world culture that unless an aesthetic phenomenon references an easily identified nostalgic tradition, it is deemed out of scope/irrelevant? As far as progressive music is concerned, it has and does exist in every genre or style you care to name (as long as you are prepared to seek it out) and it's never required a website to propagate it's unimpeachable value.

You and I are in agreement over 80's Neo Prog Iain, as we both don't have much love for it. It's no secret that I feel that all post 70's Prog should be classified as Neo Prog as 1979-80 was the juncture when most of the original prog acts disbanded, or worse, became commercial caricatures of themselves. The real Neo prog groups of that time like IQ, Pallas, et al, did carry the flag so credit has to go to them even if they were not too original sounding when they began. (I still don't think they are.) But as you stated, Wilson, Transatlantic, et al are doing there own symphonic/heavy prog thing. On reflection, I feel that maybe modern Prog should still be considered innovative for what it might produce. Prog is still the only rock genre that's core principle is based on innovation, experimentation and pushing the boundaries of music and technology, so it's still possible that another ground breaking work like ITCotCK or CTTE could be in our future. If it's going to come from some genre, it's going to come from Prog and no other. The caveat being that the bands in question have to stop admiring the past and start looking totally forward. I know of one band that does and the results are just short of stunning.


Edited by SteveG - July 15 2014 at 18:28