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Topic ClosedIQ's The Wake and SNES/Genesis synths
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ProgSword View Drop Down
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Points: 48 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: IQ's The Wake and SNES/Genesis synths
    Posted: June 23 2014 at 16:17
Are there any other prog albums that have similar sounding synths? I just started listening to IQ, and The Wake blew me away. I have no idea why this album currently has a 3.78. Should be much higher IMO. This might sound like heresy, but I'm willing to rank The Wake up there with the greats like Selling England by the Pound and Thick as a Brick.

My biggest infatuation with this album lies with Martin Orford's choice of synthesizers. Growing up with a SNES and Sega Genesis in my house gave me the opportunity to hear hours of excellent video game music aided by each system's vintage sound cards. Feels amazing to hear the similarities between The Wake and some of my favorite games.

Orford doesn't even shy away from the SNES string sound. Take note of the intro to Outer Limits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWOugKLRaNQ

And then listen to this track from Final Fantasy IV (II when I first played it).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-75CA9RYGlc

As far as the Sega Genesis goes, the influence isn't as heavy, but my friends and I were doing a listening session of The Wake the other day, and one of them made an interesting remark about The Magic Roundabout's upbeat section a little more than a minute and a half in....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vtj2bm5VSQ4

"This sounds like something out of Sonic the Hedgehog or something."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyb7XbSx3fw

So yeah, I'm sure I'd have to delve a bit more into neo prog to get anything similar sounding since these synth sounds were an 80s/early 90s thing, but that shouldn't be a problem.
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SteveG View Drop Down
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Points: 20460 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 23 2014 at 16:47
^I would never bring this fact up again on this site but I avoid most neo prog like the plague so I really can't help you, but seeing that this is your first day on PA I just wanted to say welcome. The members are unbelievably sharp on every aspect and genre of prog and they are nice enough to put up with me. No mean feat at times. LOL

Edited by SteveG - June 23 2014 at 16:55
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Points: 48 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 23 2014 at 16:54
Thanks! I've been lurking Progarchives for years and have made tremendous usage of the rankings here to explore prog.

And I have a similar taboo on neo prog too. Really, only Marillion's first album does it for me, although now I'm really digging IQ's first two plus Ever. My main problem with the sub genre is that (from my experience) it doesn't feel proggy at all. Like, from Fugazi and onward, Marillion sounds like your everyday 80s rock band (with some pretty tasteful guitar solos and keyboard melodies). And I tried Pallas' first album, but that didn't go well.

 But the IQ albums I've heard...they're amazing. Aside from the overall sound and production, they sound like they could have been rocking beside Yes and Genesis in the 70s.


Edited by ProgSword - June 23 2014 at 16:56
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richardh View Drop Down
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Points: 26079 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 25 2014 at 01:31
The Wake is the album that drew my back into prog after a few years of disenchantment with Yes and Genesis 'going commercial'. IQ were a fearless band channeling some latent punk energy into their performance on the likes of Widows Peak and The Thousand Days. I remember hearing them on Tommy Vance's Friday Rock Show and I felt they stood out . WOW a band that could really do prog some justice not just copy it. I felt (and still feel) that the added something to a well trodden style . It was emotional and spiritual for me. Not as complex as Genesis but I didn't care as that seemed so 'old hat' by 1985.

I love some of the synth sounds on The Wake especially The Magic Roundabout. When knitted together with Tim Esau fretless bass and Nicholls raw emotional singing the overall effect is rather beautiful. It was this key moment that convinced me IQ had something special although Cooks drumming on Widows Peak and that 'tricky' end to Headlong are also massive moments as well.

Certainly one of my favourite albums. Also worth checking out The Wake LIve that was recorded about 6 years ago. There is a lot of energy in that performance and also an excellent DVD to go with it.
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Points: 6 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 11 2014 at 14:26
I think Eloy has alot of classic synth/SNES sounds!

http://youtu.be/RcRoKjN_-a4?t=5m8s The solo here is totally Sega Genesis Tongue, but check them out! 
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Tom Ozric View Drop Down
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Points: 15916 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 12 2014 at 00:30
The Wake is AMAZING
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Points: 470 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 12 2014 at 03:17
Oooooh! I gotta check this out! I absolutely love the orchestral sound from the SNES. Not to mention, some of the stuff done on Genesis was fantastic too (singling out Shining Force). 
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Points: 16449 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 12 2014 at 06:40
Can't say I've ever noticed any comparison between IQ synth sounds and game music from the Mega Drive.
Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005

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AnswerMan View Drop Down
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Points: 1 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 16 2014 at 16:58
Progressive rock and synth?

Eloy's albums released in the 80s - Colours, Planets, Time to Turn, Performance, Metromania.

Camel's albums Moonmadness (Aristillus, Song Within a Song, Lunar Sea), I Can See Your House From Here, Stationary Traveller. If you like Final Fantasy, you can listen Echoes from Breathless (it sounds like battle theme).

Neuschwanstein - Battlement

Foxtrot - A Shadow of the Past

Less progressive rock, but with retro-synth: Yellow Magic Orchestra
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Points: 1195 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 16 2014 at 17:37
Originally posted by ProgSword ProgSword wrote:

Are there any other prog albums that have similar sounding synths? I just started listening to IQ, and The Wake blew me away. I have no idea why this album currently has a 3.78. Should be much higher IMO. This might sound like heresy, but I'm willing to rank The Wake up there with the greats like Selling England by the Pound and Thick as a Brick.

My biggest infatuation with this album lies with Martin Orford's choice of synthesizers. Growing up with a SNES and Sega Genesis in my house gave me the opportunity to hear hours of excellent video game music aided by each system's vintage sound cards. Feels amazing to hear the similarities between The Wake and some of my favorite games.

Orford doesn't even shy away from the SNES string sound. Take note of the intro to Outer Limits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWOugKLRaNQ

And then listen to this track from Final Fantasy IV (II when I first played it).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-75CA9RYGlc

As far as the Sega Genesis goes, the influence isn't as heavy, but my friends and I were doing a listening session of The Wake the other day, and one of them made an interesting remark about The Magic Roundabout's upbeat section a little more than a minute and a half in....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vtj2bm5VSQ4

"This sounds like something out of Sonic the Hedgehog or something."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyb7XbSx3fw

So yeah, I'm sure I'd have to delve a bit more into neo prog to get anything similar sounding since these synth sounds were an 80s/early 90s thing, but that shouldn't be a problem.

Holy hell...how did I miss this thread?! Shocked
"A squid eating dough in a polyethylene bag is fast and bulbous. Got me?"
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