Playlist,Ranting And Random Thoughts

Mike Kershaw:
My music is for the most part atmospheric progressive rock but I leave myself free to drift in any musical direction I choose within the structure of an album. The songs explore a range of emotions but have a melancholy core whilst still remaining powerful and lyrically interesting.
Charlie Cawood:
Charlie Cawood is an English multi-instrumental musician, composer and music journalist. He is known for his cross-disciplinary musical skills, as well as his work with a wide variety of projects and artists.   His first solo album, The Divine Abstract, was released in 2017.
Karma:
Swedish crossover prog band Brother Ape return with their 7th full length album to date. The band broke out of their composing, recording, gigging routine they had done so many years by first recording three EPs which they released on digital platforms first.   The best tracks of these EP, plus some really great new ones were rerecorded for the brand new album ‘Karma’.   The trio’s albums sounds fresh with many melodic prog, fusion and pop influences. FFO: Big Big Train, Elbow, Mike Olffield.
Big Hogg:
Gargoyles
released March 31, 2017 Justin Lumsden - guitar, vox, bass guitar on "Solitary Way" Richard Merchant - trumpet, cornet, tenor horn Ross McCrae - trombone, Wurlitzer electric piano Sophie Sexon - flute, vox Nick Gaughan - drums and percussion, electric piano, bass guitar and synthesizers on "Laudation" Tom Davis - bass guitar   with Lavinia Blackwall - vox on "Augogo" and "Devil's Egg" Sybren Renema - saxophone on "Devil's Egg"   Recorded at Gorbals Sound, The Old Mill and Chem 19 studio Engineered by Luigi Pasquini Mixed at Lofi Studios by Justin Lumsden, Luigi Pasquini and Nick Gaughan Mastered by Daniel Bowles at Seren Sounds Suite Cover painting - "Who Winds The Serpents?" by Julia Jeffrey This is a NoUnicorn production.
The Aurora Project:
The Aurora Project return after an absence of 2 years with their new, fourth, concept album ‘World of Grey’. The concept ‘World of Grey’ is set around the tension between an established world order and the people, of which the latter will lose out. Through increasing bugging and restrictions on media and Internet, the mouth the people are surreptitiously gagged and freedom curtailed. Democracy is no more and a gray blanket of control and repression descends over the world.

Fren:
Absolutely terriffic instrumental music from Kraków, Poland.
All The Pretty Days
released October 8, 2022 All music was written and performed by Fren: Oskar Cenkier - pianos, organs, synthesizers, mellotron Michał Chalota - guitars Andrew Shamanov - bass guitars, synthesizers Oleksii Fedoriv - drums, percussion All vocals by Fren.   Recorded by Marcin Piekło at Heaven's Sound Studio, Poland; mixed by Marcin Piekło & Fren at the same place; mastered by Max Kurushyn at Shree Music Lab, Germany. Cover artwork by Oleksii Fedoriv and his cat Kiszka. Band photo by Andrew Shamanov.
May the music always sing to you, all the pretty days.

Its Saturday morning first coffee and listening to Fish 🐠- Mixed Company ( live in Holland 2002) oh and yesterday the watched list was four episodes of Lewis and my brain is mellowed out for now…

Øresund Space Collective:





Four Riders take Space Mountain
The Scandinavian Space Rock super group are back with their 33rd release. The CD/LP features one 62min track split over 3 album sides., that we recorded in the studio back in 2014. The same session that gave us the Different Creatures and Visions of, LPs and features some of the best musicians from the Scandinavian prog rock field. This is about as Prog Rock as the band has ever been with the track taking many different musical journeys over the 3 album sides. Side D of the vinyl contains a full length version (CD contains an edit) that is a unique mixture of Indian raga and space music with just synthesizer (Dr Space), sitar (KG), violin (Jonathan), bass (Hasse) and drums (Tim) from our 2016 studio session…


Temple Fang:

Jerusalem/The Bridge


When we found our new drummer Egon Loosveldt in August of 2021 we had 5 weeks with him to prepare for the upcoming run of shows we had booked, the first ‘real’ shows after the pandemic. Because our first ever jams with him were so inspired, instead of teaching him the old songs we decided we were gonna go off the deep end and write a totally new set of material, a bit of a risky move as we didn’t know how audiences were going to react to us playing all new stuff but a decision essential to us as a band and what we hold sacred, the music and the moment. We also knew, as the official tour started in April 2022, we wanted to hit the road hard and therefore wouldn’t have time to do much recording. However, when we heard our beloved Galloway Studios in Nijmegen was to be demolished and built back up from scratch at a different location, we knew we wanted one last chance to record there. So in May 2022, after doing three shows in Switzerland and Austria, we drove 700+ miles from Graz to Nijmegen, set up our backline and recorded what was essentially our live set at the time while the building around us was being torn down, slowly covering everything in a layer of dust.   The two songs on this EP represent two different poles of Temple Fang. Sung by Dennis, Side A (“Jerusalem”) is a hard hitter, born from the original sessions with Egon and featuring a suprise turn on piano from Ivy. This take was done right after setting up our gear and checking sounds, the only one we ended up doing of this song. Sung by Jevin, Side B (“The Bridge”) was a song we had been kicking around for a while, originally intended for “Fang Temple” but not fully realised until a few weeks before this tour. A slowburner, harboring a lot of tension and not much release. Thanks for listening, XO DD/TF   Jerusalem/The Bridge is released in an edition of 500 on black vinyl, 300 through Electric Spark and 200 through Right on Mountain. Digital through Stickman.

Well it’s Friday already having the usual chaos, caffeine and music. Listening to Fish 🐠- Mixed Company (live in Holland 2002) mmm. Whatever will the day bring along with its self worth. Absolutely nothing or everything. Considering how many of my daily events have turned out for me the jury is always out deliberating whether or not’s. Seems that, I’m remembering some of my absolute worst experiences throughout my life. Which are vastly different but absolutely a vast amount of awful painful and unpleasant memories which always come back again and again and again. Ooh boy all the therapy hasn’t stopped the bleeding memories returning at all, add in the equivalent anti inflammatory treatment from some people who whereabouts and intensity where not in my best interests, and the humanitarian issues. I’m well and truly Fugazi so. I am not thinking of a particular event for today’s outcome…





Last nights viewing was. Three episodes of Lewis then sleep haha…




The one question that’s going through my mind is “what makes me, me… answers on a postcard… no make that a stamp…

Korb:
'The British duo of Alec Wood and Jonathan Parkes produce a sound so perfectly correct you will probably see a picture of them if you glance at the dictionary definition of 'space rock.' Isolation. 'Korb's space kraut is as hypnotizing as the sky at night and yet the sounds are highly motivating and make you wanna explore distant galaxies.' Mangowave Reviews
From the Mountains to the Oceans is the culmination of collaborative experimental transatlantic jams between Korb and El Hombre Al Agua. From minimal atmospheric ambience to all-out psych rock the two tracks here combine a range of analogue synths, electric and acoustic guitars, organ, bass, drums and percussion to create cosmic journeys over ancient landscapes, drinking in the alchemy of the elements and marvelling at the majesty of the tectonics. Following on from 2021's Arboria II, this is the second joint release by Up In Her Room and Korb's own Dreamlord Recordings, and it is available as a limited pressing white vinyl album or download from Bandcamp. Both tracks stretch out to around eighteen minutes and nicely fuse Korb's classic space rock with El Hombre Al Agua's more ambient leanings. The latter is of course the electronic project of Anunnaki's Dave Read, with the sessions also including Dom Keen, who records with Korb's Jonathan Parkes as The Hologram People and Studio Kosmische. 'Pathway to the Gods' opens with three minutes of swirling drones which create an unsettling foundation for the song before more classic instrumentation lifts us above the horizon and recognisable Korb rock sets us on our way. This, however, is Korb with a purpose as the atmosphere is heavy and the way uncertain. Weightier drones begin to threaten and they push the band towards a denser, more powerful sound as they seek to build enough power to maintain control. As Korb break free the music changes tack, bursting into the space rock we know and love, psych guitars wailing and space dust trailing in its wake. The music soars, revelling in its freedom before disappearing into the heavens. Side two, 'Chemistry And Chaos', again opens ominously with the weaving drones returning with more power and greater intent. They fight all attempts to usher them away, as drums rattle and metal trembles. Layers of sound continue to build an eerie soundscape full of mystic energy but free from coherence and restraint. The sun may shine and dry winds blow but always the haze remains, obscuring everything that lies below. From The Mountains To The Oceans is available to pre-order now, but the vinyl is expected to appear at the beginning of August. Review from Isolation.   This is a collaborative project between UK between ‘space kraut’ duo Korb, Canadian multi-instrumentalist El Hombre Al Agua (aka Dave Read of Moths and Locusts and Anunnaki) and Dom Keen (The Hologram People and Studio Kosmische). Together they have created two long and really tight space jams which fly by at light speed belying their nearly twenty minute each respective lengths…   This is because you find yourself getting inside and fully engrossed in the seeming effortless vibe which in would never guess that these guys have never sat in the same room, let alone studio, than each other. You can’t properly do such long track justice on such a short review… so just check it out and drift away. Review by Simon, The Fragmented Flaneur

Well I watched three episodes of Lewis now chilling out with a dvd. Hellboy then…

Modern Stars Neo psych band from Italy

Space Trips For The Masses
released November 11, 2022 Andrea Merolle – Guitar, Sitar, Mandolin, Synthesizers, Male Vocals (*)   Barbara Margani – Female Vocals (*)   Andrea Sperduti – Drums and Percussions (**)   Filippo Strang – Bass (**)   Recorded between January 2020 and September 2021 at Velvet Cave Studios (*) and at VDSS Studios (**)   Mixed and Mastered by Filippo Strang at VDSS Studios   Released on 11 November 2022


Dr Hasbeen
Cogs
New CD release featuring 12 new live & studio tracks , in full color digipack
ALL ABOARD THE HIPPY TRIP
Featuring remastered classic tracks from the last 20 years highlighting the very best of Dr Hasbeen in special double CD packaging superb audio quality

Between the Buried and Me:

Between the Buried and Me, often abbreviated as BTBAM, is an American progressive metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina. Formed in 2000, the band consists of Tommy Giles Rogers Jr., Paul Waggoner, Dustie Waring, Dan Briggs, and Blake Richardson.

Thank You Scientist:

Thank You Scientist is an American progressive rock band from Montclair, New Jersey. Their debut studio album Maps of Non-Existent Places was named the "Revolver Album of the Week"" in October 2014. Their second album Stranger Heads Prevail was released in July 2016.


Haken:

Haken are an English progressive metal band formed in 2007 by multi-instrumentalist Richard Henshall, guitarist Matthew Marshall, and vocalist Ross Jennings. While Henshall, Marshall, and Jennings first had the idea of forming Haken in 2004, they opted to pursue their instruments and songwriting first.


Some of my favourite heavyweights of Prog

I’m chilling out listening to Kennedy Plays Bach With The Berlin Philharmonic and the usual suspect caffeine lol…