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Topic ClosedDocker's Guild - The Mystic Technocracy (Season 1)

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yam yam View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Docker's Guild - The Mystic Technocracy (Season 1)
    Posted: August 16 2012 at 21:06
To me this is steeply rooted in Hard Rock/AOR and will not go down well at all with the prog purists (we actually already have it on our sister site, Metalmusicarchives: http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/dockers-guild.aspx), but it sounds great, and I know there are plenty of folks on here like me who don't listen exclusively to prog, and who will enjoy it enormously...so here goes.
 
 
"Docker's Guild is the solo effort of Douglas R. Docker, who put his talent and writing skill into The Mystic Technocracy, an opera which unfolds over 5 seasons.
 
The first season, called “Season I: The Age of Ignorance”, sees the participation of worldwide acclaimed musicians like Gregg Bissonette (David Lee Roth / Joe Satriani), Magnus Jacobson (Miss Behavior), Tony Franklin (Blue Murder), Guthrie Govan (Asia), Jeff Watson (Night Ranger), John Payne (Asia), Göran Edman (ex Yngwie Malmsteen, Karmakanic), Amanda Somerville (Avantasia / Epica), Tony Mills (TNT/ Shy) and many others and sees release through Lion Music in June 2012.
 
Docker's Guild, even if inspired by progressive masters like Yes, ELP, Dream Theater and Genesis, lives on its own sounds which is a very personal mixture of progressive roots played and crafted by mainly AOR musicians.
 
The Mystic Technocracy is a new and exciting science-fiction story and music project that has been in development for a number of years. It is the fictional outcome of a very simple observation: for 4000 years man has tortured, murdered, waged warfare and committed genocide in the name of the same God worshiped by Christians, Jews and Muslims, the three monotheistic religions. It is not a story against religion, but it is a story about the madness of man when he falls under the influence of fanatical dogmatic faith. This religious premise has then been plugged into a science-fiction universe, in which religion was created by a silicon-based life form, the Mystic Technocracy, in order to control, manipulate and eventually destroy humanity.
 
The sound of The Mystic Technocracy results from the mixture of several music styles. Progressive rock is the main driving force, with Yes, ELP, Dream Theater and Genesis being particularly influential. The songwriting and vocal arrangements have also been inspired by melodic rock and AOR acts, mostly Asia and Journey. More subtle and unusual influences come from Duran Duran, David Bowie, Jean-Michel Jarre and obscure French space-rock act the Rockets. The project therefore contains complex multi-section suites, more straightforward rock songs or ballads, as well as more unusual instrumental or groove-oriented tracks.
 
The music is mainly keyboard-oriented and Douglas's fine instrumental work is inspired by musicians like Geoff Downes, Gregg Giuffria and Keith Emerson. The album is a 79 minutes long opera, 10 songs among which 2 long suites, in the perfect tradition of progressive masters’ albums from the past.
 
Musicians:

Douglas R Docker: Keyboards, lead vocals, backing vocals, spoken voice.
John Payne: Lead and backing vocals.
Göran Edman: Lead and backing vocals, spoken voice.
Tony Mills: Lead and backing vocals.
Amanda Somerville: Lead and backing vocals.
Guthrie Govan: Guitars.
Jeff Watson: Rhythm and lead guitar, 12-string guitar.
Gregg Bissonette: Drums.
Magnus Jacobson: Drums.
Tony Franklin: Bass.
Donald D. Docker: Alto and tenor sax, clarinet, spoken voice.
Additional spoken voices:
Silvana Momigliano / Touria Nouri / Andrea Rampa / Janthana Rodjakkhen / Davide Ronfetto
.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Album Sampler:
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Album was released 15th June 2012
 
Get it here:
 
Or buy the CD direct from Lion Music (PayPal) for €12.90   Smile
 
 
Edit: (6th Sept 2012), three full samples I originally found from this album on YouTube have been removed due to "multiple copyright infringements' by the uploader...  Cry
 


Edited by yam yam - September 06 2012 at 06:37
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 17 2012 at 04:05
Well the names itself sounds interesting, so I'm definitely going to check this out. We'll see (hear).
There's a point where "avant-garde" and "experimental" becomes "terrible" and "pointless,"

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 17 2012 at 04:53

Oh boy, oh boy, oh ... boy, this won't be easy. Certainly not, but one thing I'm sure of that it's very melodic album. Other than that ? Well. It's a lot of elements put together.

* melody, strong melody present at most of times
* Prog is there somewhere, even not all the times
* more heavier sounds, Heavy or Prog Metal maybe are there sometimes
* strong concept story, which always helps

There's a point where "avant-garde" and "experimental" becomes "terrible" and "pointless,"

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 17 2012 at 05:28
Originally posted by Marty McFly Marty McFly wrote:

Oh boy, oh boy, oh ... boy, this won't be easy. Certainly not, but one thing I'm sure of that it's very melodic album. Other than that ? Well. It's a lot of elements put together.

* melody, strong melody present at most of times
* Prog is there somewhere, even not all the times
* more heavier sounds, Heavy or Prog Metal maybe are there sometimes
* strong concept story, which always helps

 
A good summary.  Thumbs Up
I definitely believe it should be included on the site - folks are certainly going to come looking for it here as word gets out over the coming months. I can only see it fitting in either Crossover or Prog-Related though.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 17 2012 at 06:00
What about Neo ? Neo can be heavier too, have a lot of synths and this kind of melody Docker's Guild features suits the genre quite well.
There's a point where "avant-garde" and "experimental" becomes "terrible" and "pointless,"

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 17 2012 at 07:10
^  It's a possibility, I suppose - the only problem I see is that the Neo Prog in this album is so heavily diluted with other styles that I'm not sure it would get sufficient votes from that team to clear it. Steve (lazland) will be along later, I expect, and he will be the best to judge on this, and probably the one to send it to the team who will get the first stab at it.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 17 2012 at 07:16
Exactly, let's wait for our favourite Neo Prog member to have his call too.
There's a point where "avant-garde" and "experimental" becomes "terrible" and "pointless,"

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 06 2012 at 06:42
Thought I'd refresh this topic since it doesn't appear to be going anywhere fast. Ermm
 
 
"Docker's Guild is a large scale sci-fi conceptual project from keyboardist Douglas R. Docker (who I apologize for not knowing anything about). Mr. Docker has assembled an interesting supporting cast. Amanda Somerville, Tony Mills, Goran Edman, and John Payne handle vocals. Contributing musicians are Tony Franklin, Guthrie Govan, Jeff Watson, Gregg Bissonette, and Magnus Jacobson. The best way to describe the music is pretty simple: Asia meets Ayreon. This is pure AOR laced with progressive rock elements through out most notably from Docker's deft keyboard work. Its the first of a futuristic five part story about Christianity, Judaism, and Islamic faiths being created and controlled by the "Mystic Technocracy"...well it actually gets kind of complicated. No metal here - just over the top bombastic keyboard driven AOR with some familiar voices."
 
 
Seems a fairly significant project to me, which I still think we need to acknowledge on the site somehow, somewhere...
 
See what you think, guys... Embarrassed
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 20 2012 at 20:50
Another fortnight and still no takers? Last bump, then I'll let it drop. Ermm
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 21 2012 at 14:27
Checking now Thumbs Up
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 22 2012 at 20:15
Toss up between Heavy and Neo. Plenty of "lush" synth work and it's heavily melodically based, but those riffs are pretty damn heavy. Then comes the songs that have practically no riffs entirely. Sheesh.

I will report back once I listen to the whole album.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 23 2012 at 08:35
I'm going to go with Neo first. While the first half of the album is heavily heavy prog based, the latter half is very Neo/Crossover.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 23 2012 at 12:38
It's pretty good. I honestly hear Neo or Prog-Related. Not really completely sure. It's like AOR with prog.

And no offense to this guy but he studied music in the 70s and 80s at a music conservatory and this is what he comes up with? After years and years studying music... I would expect something a bit less eighties butt rock sounding.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 27 2012 at 10:18
For anyone who is interested in having a listen to this, and adding their twopenn'orth to the debate: http://www.airs-arockopera.com/Media/Audio.aspx (full album stream).  Thumbs Up  You can also read the book and lyrics to "Airs - A Rock Opera" while you listen to the stream of the album (you will find the link for this near the top of the above-linked audio streaming webpage, & it opens in a separate window). Smile
 
 
 
 
Edit: One 'yes' vote and one 'move' so far in Neo:  http://progfreak.com/Docker-s-Guild-154351.html?path=pa/recent. Three more team members who could possibly yet vote...this one could go right down to the wire... Ermm


Edited by yam yam - September 27 2012 at 10:34
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2012 at 03:06
Two yes votes in neo now. Decision will be made soon.
Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2012 at 09:40
Originally posted by lazland lazland wrote:

Two yes votes in neo now. Decision will be made soon.
 
And you were indeed spot-on there, Steve...Three yes votes, and cleared!  Thumbs Up
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2012 at 18:19
and added.
Websites I work with:

http://www.progressor.net
http://www.houseofprog.com

My profile on Mixcloud:
https://www.mixcloud.com/haukevind/
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