Art Rock, Crossover (???): PATCH from Australia

Hello, as I promised to Tony R, the Symphonic Team had an addition rally, have searched in the master list (Including Proposed and disputed artists) and this is what we got:

As expected we required a couple of weeks  to research, being that some of them are prehistoric and/or totally obscure, so info wasn’t be easily available and samples much less

1. Jean Pierre Alarcen (France): Hard job to search, all the info about this guy is in French but somehow I managed with my rusty French and some info in English plus sanmples……Jean Pierre is a French guitar player who made his proggiest work with Sandrose, hios solo career is formed by three albums:

His eponymous album that is PURE JAZZ with some influences of Mc’Laughlin and Santana but not Prog

Tableau N° 1 (1978): It’s a Neo Classical suite of 75 minutes with some Neo Prog and Symph moments but not preeminent, again don’t mistake Neo Classical with Symphonic.

Tableau N° 2 (1998): A pure Rock meets Neo Classical, not Prog at all, sounds like Mahler or Debussy played at Rock style with metalish guitar.

Not Symphonic, maybe Neo Prog, maybe Jazz Fusion or  Prog Related.

2. Clouds (UK/Scotland): Last year we added 24 bands and we sent a bio about Clouds…..NOT SYMPHONIC AT ALL; it’s a Psyche/Proto Prog band from 1966 to 1971. Except for The Nice, don’t expect to find Symphonic releases in 1968 (Scrapbook), 1969 (Up Above Our Heads) and the only one that could fit chronologically (Watercolor  Days in 1971) has no relation with Symphonic

Recommend to be checked by Psyche, they used to tour with Jethro Tull, so they are pretty easy to find.

3. Cem Karaca: Another hard task, the guy is from Turkey, except for Allmusic (Not reliable at all) all the info is in Turkish and his lyrics are mostly in Ancient Anatolian. Cem Karaca was a prolific and polemic musician/Marxist politician who had an amazing live, even accused of treason because of his ideas and later received a pardon. For the samples I could find everywhere and the information available, he played some sort of Pop/Proggish ethnic music, not adequate for Symphonic at all, even made some Rap…In Anatolian!!!!…The Orchestral tracks are the less Prog (A paradox) sound like French Chanson in some weird language  but very mainstream

I don’t dare to recommend him to Prog Folk, too mainstream IMHO, should be checked for Prog Related……According to Bob could be Avant Rio mostly for the lyrics BUT NO WAY SYMPHONIC…..Please provide us some info when receiving this obscure and rare artists, some samples can be found at: http://www.tulumba.com/storeItem.asp?ic=MU939609CV849 or in his Allmusic entry.

4. Lake: Prog Related at best. Suggest striking them from the list, and let it be forgotten.WE CHECKED THEM LAST YEAR (WITH RAFF, MICKY AND FRAGILE DT AND REJECTED THEM, WE RECOMMENDED TO BE REMOVED, AND A NEW TEAM HAS THE SAME OPINION.

5. Mandragora (UK): If this is the band, because the Master List doesn’t specify, it’s a great omission, 100% PROGRESSIVE but must be checked by PSYCHE TEAM, it’s one o the best Neo Psychedelia bands I ever heard

6. Mandragora (Argentina): If this is the band, it also must be checked by NEO PROG because their Guitar player formed Chaneton, it’s similar but with an addition of World Music. Again please…..GIVE US SOME INFORMATION; A BAND NAME IS NOT ENOUGH. For God’s sake none of the two Mandragoras is Symphonic!!!

7. Blackfeather: Kind of heavy '70s rock, with some symphonic style. But the psych/space component overwhelms it all. See if Eetu wants them.

8. Dawn Dialogue (Russian Symph, will be added) We have a winner! Clearly symphonic, and in the Neo era. No question. Neat story too. This was recorded secretly in a hotel room, in two sessions, in 1982 and 1984. These were true Russian rebels.

9. Helmerson, Anders: Keyboards, synths, and more keyboards. It's like Wakeman meets Kraftwerk. Yes, it is symphonic, will be added as soon as Bob and James give their OK.

10. Help Yourself: British West Coast oriented band, hard to classify, they are Prog, no doubts but closer to a mix of British Folk and Country Music….no way they are Symphonic, Should be checked by Folk Team but beware with the strong Psyche sound: http://www.terrascope.org/helps.html

11. Nell James (USA): I thought at last I had found a Symphonic artist, this 17 years old girl (When she released Tempus, now she’s 18) from Long Island sure has Yes influences, but has a clear Pastoral Folk structure, great stuff Should be checked by Sean Trane, I believe he’s a worth addition, samples and full material in http://nelljames.com/music.html If not accepted by Prog Folk, We recommend her to Prog Related

12.  Sheshet: Some of the information says this is prog folk, but I'm not so sure. It actually get's pretty jazzy at times, and there is also some GG influence. Not enough Jazz for fusion though. There could be a case made for Art, but I think they could also work with us. Lot's of piano, and chamber-like sections. Think of Renaissance with more jazz.

To be checked by ART ROCK and Fusion, but deserves to be here