prog – Music for Watermelons

Liquid Tension Experiment 3 (InsideOut, 2021)

2021 InsideOut John Petrucci Jordan Rudess Liquid Tension Experiment Mike Portnoy prog prog metal Tony Levin

By Marcello Nardi May 8, 2021 0

Quite some things have changed in the last 22 years of the four members of progressive supergroup Liquid Tension Experiment, but others have not. Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater, Sons of Apollo, Neal Morse), John Petrucci (Dream Theater), Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater, Dixie Dregs) and Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel) meet the challenge of replicating the electrifyng mix of virtuoso progressive comping and seamlessly fast execution shown in the initial two chapters and Liquid Tension Experiment 3 is a statemement for the future of instrumental metal progressive, no matter what has happened since chapter two

The Aristocrats – FREEZE! Live in Europe 2020 (BOING! Music, 2021)

2021 Bryan Beller fusion Guthrie Govan jazz Marco Minnemann prog The Aristocrats

By Marcello Nardi May 2, 2021 0

The Aristocrats’ method is not just fastest playing and ripping solos, but complex song structures that sit between rock and fusion, hiding complex rhythms and progressions, balancing microimprovisations, beneath catchy hooks that fish in basically any possible genre

Ghost Rhythms – Imaginary Mountains (2020)

2020 Ghost Rhythms jazz postminimal prog

By Marcello Nardi Apr 24, 2021 0

Few bands can move so comfortably between the lines of progressive rock, fusion and minimalism and yet retain a versatile and homogeneous orchestral line-up like the French Ghost Rhythms. It’s easy to expect that their new release Imaginary Mountains could all but not show all those aspects and provide some exhilarating moments.

Stephan Thelen – Fractal Guitar 2 (MoonJune 2021)

2021 ambient Andi Pupato David Torn Jon Durant Markus Reuter Moonjune postminimal prog Stephan Thelen

By Marcello Nardi Mar 27, 2021 0

Like a place I’ve been before, Stephan Thelen’s music retains that level of intimacy to my ear, whatever he plays. Exploration of rythmic fractals are, from the perspective of the Swiss guitarist, a neverending source of looking glasses and revolving doors that hint at a direction and take another. No surprise that Fractal Guitar 2, the sequel to the 2019 album on MoonJune Records, starts with a similar pattern with a the same line-up of incredibly high level of musicianship, but then veers in another place.

Schwalm/Henriksen, Levin/Peyghambari/Nyman, MeVsMyself

2019 2020 ambient Arve Henriksen ethnic J.Peter Schwalm jazz prog

By Marcello Nardi Nov 27, 2020 0

J.Peter Schwalm, Arve Henriksen – Neuzeit (RareNoise, 2020)
Stefan Levin, Soheil Peyghambari, Hans Nyman – Småland Project – SCAPES (2020)
MeVsMyself – Mictlàn (2019)

Markus Reuter, Michael Manring, Japanese Garden

2020 Asaf Sirkis David Cross Fabio Trentini Federico Carnevali Japanese Garden jazz Mark Wingfield Markus Reuter Michael Manring prog Robert Rich

By Marcello Nardi Aug 22, 2020 0

Markus Reuter Oculus – Nothing is Sacred (MoonJune, 2020), Michael Manring – Small Moments (2020), Japanese Garden – Roji (WoW Records, 2019)

Tigran Hamasyan, David Torn, Frank Martino

2020 Auand djent electrojazz Frank Martino Nonesuch prog prog metal Screwgun Tosin Abasi

By Marcello Nardi Aug 12, 2020 0

Tigran Hamasyan – The Call Within (Nonesuch, 2020), David Torn – FUR/TORN (Screwgun Records, 2020), Frank Martino: Disorgan – Ego Boost (Auand, 2020)

Sonar with David Torn, Samuel Hällkvist, Thor de Force

2020 BoogiePost David Torn electrojazz jazz Katrine Amsler Manuel Pasquinelli postminimal prog RareNoise Ropeadope Samuel Hällkvist SONAR Stephan Thelen Thor de Force

By Marcello Nardi Jul 28, 2020 1

Sonar with David Torn – Tranceportation Vol. 2 (RareNoise, 2020), Samuel Hällkvist – Epik, Didaktik, Pastoral (BoogiePost Recordings, 2020), Thor de Force – The Build (Ropeadope, 2020)

Gary Husband & Markus Reuter, Blaer, Giorgi Mikadze

2020 ambient Baler Blaer David Fiuczynski ethnic fusion Gary Husband Giorgi Mikadze Markus Reuter Moonjune postminimal prog RareNoise Ronin Rhythm Records

By Marcello Nardi Apr 11, 2020 0

Gary Husband & Markus Reuter – Music of Our Times (MoonJune, 2020)
Blaer – Yellow (Ronin Rhythm Records, 2020)
Giorgi Mikadze – Georgian Microjamz (RareNoise 2020)

Markus Reuter – Truce (MoonJune, 2020)

2020 Asaf Sirkis Fabio Trentini Markus Reuter Moonjune prog prog metal

By Marcello Nardi Feb 23, 2020 0

Harnessing the immense skills of three montser musicians at ease in improvisation like few others, MoonJune’s 100th landmark recording could be no different than taking no-compromises and daring a leap forward. Once again Markus Reuter brings more open minded thinking about where to go next in music.