Phi - Modern Prog from Austria
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Suggest New Bands and Artists
Forum Description: Suggest, create polls, and classify new bands you would like included on Prog Archives
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=86126
Printed Date: July 19 2025 at 05:37
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Phi - Modern Prog from Austria
Posted By: Desert_Storm
Subject: Phi - Modern Prog from Austria
Date Posted: April 08 2012 at 09:04
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Hi everybody! I think it's about time that I opened a thread about the Austrian newcomer band phi. I hope that a lot of people here get to listen to them, as I think it's one of the very best new bands out there. Maybe the main thing that I like about their music is the perfect fusion of complex and catchy. Here's a band that writes complex songs with lots of syncopation and odd-meters, as well as unusual harmonic structures without forgetting their rock'n'roll roots. It never sounds "attempted", never too "out there", it's not complexity for the sake of being complex, but because it fits the song. Here's a band that switches between hard/loud and soft/quiet without losing power. A band with parts that sound emotive and fragile without ever getting kitschy. Where many other young prog bands have problems to go out and find an audience except for the few people normally interested in that kind of music, Phi play concerts regularly in Austria's two biggest cities Graz and Vienna, as well as everywhere in between, for large and enthusiastic audiences (winning multiple band contests while doing so). They have played around 40 gigs in 2011 alone, four of them finales of band contests. It's hard to point out the highlights with all three of them being highly accomplished instrumentalists, whatever instrument you focus on plays interesting and witty parts. What captivates most people (especially non-musicians) live, however, seems to be the outstanding voice of Markus Bratusa. I think it's also important to point out that they're not only good, but that they're constantly getting better. I've followed them for a few years now, and nearly every new song they come up with seems to be better than what they have done before. But enough of the words, listen for yourself  From their 2012 EP "The Deflowering Of Reality": A HQ live clip from 2011, opening at the Stadtfest in Graz From their 2011 album "For The Love Of Ghosts" (the only song from that album that I found on youtube. Their singer and guitarist performing Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb, doing a guest appearance with Hallucination Company, a well-known Viennese Rock music theater/band founded in 1977 You can listen to all of their music on http://phimusic.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - bandcamp and their http://www.phi-band.com/phi/" rel="nofollow - website , and you can also find them on facebook and myspace. Both courrent CD's are available as hardcopies, the first release is courrently out of press but can still be listened to http://phimusic.bandcamp.com/album/rarities-live-and-old-stuff" rel="nofollow - here , along with some nice live versions of their music. If you like what you hear you can buy their new EP for 6€ there, which seems to be quite a nice deal Have fun and let me know you what you think of them! ------------- "I want you to know that you and I... are not all that different. I mean, I, too, am a neat guy. And I, too, am just a love machine." -Friends |
Replies:
Posted By: yam yam
Date Posted: April 08 2012 at 13:22
Great stuff!! - No problem adding these guys, I wouldn't think. Just depends now on whether they are considered as Prog Metal or Heavy Prog by the guys who carry out the evaluations, since there are elements of both sub genres in their music. I would have thought Heavy Prog, on balance, since the Metal aspects are not all that prominent when you consider the music as a whole. 
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Posted By: Rivertree
Date Posted: April 08 2012 at 13:26
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you can http://progfreak.com/Phi-152559.html?path=pa/recent" rel="nofollow - follow the process here
------------- https://awesomeprog.com/users/Rivertree" rel="nofollow">  |
Posted By: yam yam
Date Posted: April 08 2012 at 13:35
Whoops! Didn't know they were already being evaluated! - I did a search in the forum first and found nothing - I guess this was a band that was recommended for inclusion via the CZ.  I certainly agree with the move from Metal to Heavy though - can't really see how they can not be added there to be honest. Excellent music indeed!!
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Posted By: Desert_Storm
Date Posted: April 08 2012 at 14:16
glad you like them
Yeah, I was thinking that too. I mean it has quite some metal elements in it, but it doesn't really sound like metal. Also, seing a live trio whith a guitarist who plays a telecaster doesn't really leave the impression of a metal concert 
I got that link too when I wrote an admin about it. I decided to open this thread anyway because the admin wrote that doing that would be the normal process. Also, I think (and hope ;) ) that this way some more people will notice the band than if they would be just evaluated by a team and then added. In addition to that, I don't really know how to interpret that list, like whether it's a good sign that some things happened quite fast and than nothing anymore for a longer time.
100% agree ------------- "I want you to know that you and I... are not all that different. I mean, I, too, am a neat guy. And I, too, am just a love machine." -Friends |
yam yam wrote:Posted By: yam yam
Date Posted: April 08 2012 at 14:48
Absolutely agree here! I think that all evaluations initiated in the CZ zone should also be aired in the public forums so that rank & file members can get to hear these prospective new bands from the outset, rather than by discovering them on the off chance after they had been added (assuming they were added of course - those that were rejected would simply disappear into oblivion...or at least until another member suggested them, not realising that they had already been evaluated and rejected...) The progfreak charts are a great way for us members to follow evaluations on here - unfortunately only about half the teams use them.
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Posted By: Andy Webb
Date Posted: April 08 2012 at 17:32
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We'll be getting to you guys in the near future. ------------- http://ow.ly/8ymqg" rel="nofollow">  
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Posted By: Rivertree
Date Posted: April 08 2012 at 17:34
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^yep
------------- https://awesomeprog.com/users/Rivertree" rel="nofollow"> |
Posted By: Desert_Storm
Date Posted: April 09 2012 at 07:37
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Well then, I just saw that I didn't enter their http://www.facebook.com/pages/phi/301294297310" rel="nofollow - facebook page and thought that it might be a good idea to do so, since it's not that easy to find. Also, while I'm at it, phi is featured on Prog Sphere Promotions' new http://prog-sphere.bandcamp.com/album/progspheres-progstravaganza-compilation-of-awesomeness-part-x" rel="nofollow - Progstravaganza Compilation Of Awesomeness . What a great name for a sampler ------------- "I want you to know that you and I... are not all that different. I mean, I, too, am a neat guy. And I, too, am just a love machine." -Friends |
Posted By: Desert_Storm
Date Posted: April 16 2012 at 15:28
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Here's a new and detailed interview with singer/guitarist Markus Bratusa, done by prog-sphere.com" rel="nofollow - prog-sphere.com , regarding their featuring on the new progstra-vaganza sampler. Quite nice to read about the history and ambitions of the band. Have fun: http://progstravaganza.prog-sphere.com/phi-a-band-without-compromises/" rel="nofollow - http://progstravaganza.prog-sphere.com/phi-a-band-without-compromises/ By the way, to those in charge, how is the evaluation going on? I would be glad to write a review or two :) ------------- "I want you to know that you and I... are not all that different. I mean, I, too, am a neat guy. And I, too, am just a love machine." -Friends |
Posted By: yam yam
Date Posted: April 17 2012 at 03:01
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You can check how the evaluation is going yourself at any time you like by following the progfreak link that Rivertree gave us 7 posts back: http://progfreak.com/Phi-152559.html?path=pa/recent" rel="nofollow - http://progfreak.com/Phi-152559.html?path=pa/recent . You will see a chart very much like this: Phi
Most recent votes will be at the top of the list. At the moment there have been no votes cast since the move from Prog Metal to Heavy (the blue arrows above are votes for 'move'). If you click on the blue 'Heavy' link just above the 'Subscribe to RSS Feed' symbol in the above chart, you will be taken to another chart which looks like this (note: if you do this from the progfreak site itself the layout of the links is slightly different to that shown above - the blue 'Heavy' link will be at the right hand side of a group of four on the same line rather than on a line all on its own, but it will still be immediately above the RSS Feed link - for some reason the copy and paste operation to add the chart here alters the layout by adding a 'carriage return' after each link): Phi
The bottom line will fill up with symbols as the votes are cast by the five current members of the team. There is also a list on the right hand side of this page which explains what all the voting symbols mean: ie. Chart Voting Symbols
It's all very easy to follow once you get used to it - there is also a list below this one explaining what the symbol in the final column of the 'Heavy' chart means...in this case, the grey cog with a yellow blob on it means 'new' (band has just been added to the chart, no - or too few - votes cast). Simples!!  |
Subscribe to RSS Feed 
(aapatsos)
(aapatsos)
Posted By: Andy Webb
Date Posted: April 17 2012 at 18:50
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We're slowly getting through our chart, but in the next voting cycle I'll add your band to our priorities. ------------- http://ow.ly/8ymqg" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Andy Webb
Date Posted: May 07 2012 at 18:07
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Just so you know, Phi has been cleared, and we're just waiting on a bio. You guys could either give us time and we can write one or one of you could draft one to expedite the process. ------------- http://ow.ly/8ymqg" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: DamoXt7942
Date Posted: May 07 2012 at 18:09
^  Fantastic album indeed ... very cool. ------------- http://www.facebook.com/damoxt7942" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Conor Fynes
Date Posted: May 09 2012 at 02:02
| Their album is on ProgStreaming now :) |
Posted By: Desert_Storm
Date Posted: May 09 2012 at 04:31
Hey, great to hear that! The most up to date one is probably found on facebook, look http://www.facebook.com/pages/phi/301294297310?sk=info" rel="nofollow - here and click "see more", another one is on their http://phi-band.com/phi/" rel="nofollow - website , just click information. Just so you know, it's not my band, I'm not in it. It sounded like there could be a misunderstanding. So long! ------------- "I want you to know that you and I... are not all that different. I mean, I, too, am a neat guy. And I, too, am just a love machine." -Friends |