Blue Condition ‎– Beyond The Sun (1976, LP, Usa)

Tracks:
01. Birds In Flight — 4:24
02. Lord I’m Blue — 5:01
03. Love Me Right — 4:14
04. Hourglass — 4:38
05. Synthesizer Prelude: Beyond The Sun — 6:10
06. My Girl — 3:19
07. Piscean Lady — 4:15
08. You’re The One — 4:25

Personnel:
Leo Price – guitar, vocals
Danny Massalon – bass, vocals
West Goewey — keyboards, vocals
Greg Carter – drums


Blue Condition was an indie rock band who operated out of South Carolina. Their obscure private press album is a mix of 70’s AOR with touches of rural and progressive rock. The album is well arranged and produced. ‘Hourglass’ is a storming rural rocker with excellent guitar and keyboard work. The catchy high paced ‘My Girl’ is a standout as well as the melancholic ‘Piscean Lady’. (recordigger)

Equipe 84 ‎– Sacrificio (1974, LP, Italy)

LATO A
1. …e Lucifero disse – 3:57
2. Sacrificio (Gli Dei) – 5:06
3. La montagna sacra – 6:36
4. Porte chiuse – 4:51
5. Un cavallo… un amore – 2:13
LATO B
1. Mercante senza fiori – 3:49
2. Se c’è – 5:45
3. Risvegliarsi un mattino – 5:37
4. L’attore – 3:10
5. Dicono… – 5:43

Musicians

Backing Vocals – Gianni D'Errico, Lalla

Bass, Vocals – Victor Sogliani

Drums – Alfio Cantarella

Guitar – Alberto Camerini, Ricky Belloni

Guitar, Synthesizer, Organ [Hammond], Vocals, Producer – Maurizio Vandelli

Keyboards, Piano, Vocals – Thomas Gagliardone

Percussion – Paolo Siani

Piano, Backing Vocals – Lella

Strings [Conductor], Vocals – Gianni Faré

Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Flute – Hugo Heredia

Equipe 84 is a famous Italian beat band from Modena who made a brief but pleasurable drift into the RPI realm late in their career. They began in the mid 1960s as something of a local version of the Beatles, ultimately releasing three albums in that decade and becoming very popular in Italy along with others like BATTISTI, who briefly collaborated with EQUIPE 84. The core line-up began with Maurizio Vandelli (vocals, guitar), Franco Ceccarelli (guitar, vocals), Victor Sogliani (bass, vocals), and Alfio Cantarella (drums, vocals). There would be a few different keyboardists and drummers over the years, and for a brief stint the drummer's stool was filled by none other than PFM's Franz Di Cioccio and Nuova Idea's Paolo Siani.

The early 70s saw them continuing with melodic pop but like so many bands they began to be influenced by the progressive scene around them. The albums from 1970s Id through 1973's Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde were basically pop/rock albums with only minimal nods to anything progressive. This changed on 1974's Sacrificio when the band finally took the plunge and made a stronger stab at a prog album. While still only partially convincing the album certainly blends enough prog with the melodic Italian songs to be worth investigation. With this album, EQUIPE 84 joins other beat bands like DIK DIK, RAMINGHI, and GIGANTI as having dabbled outside their main career focus into brief RPI experiments. They split around 1977 initially but reformed partially to release one more album in the late 1980s.

It must be stressed from the outset that Equipe 84 is a very borderline addition to ProgArchives. The team members debated their addition for a long time and they barely squeaked in, but at the end of the day, a majority felt that the album Sacrificio really needed to be here for RPI fans to investigate. This is the album for Italian prog fans to start with. If you don't find Sacrificio convincing from a prog standpoint, there is no need to dig any further. If you do like it you may also enjoy Id and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde but be aware they are substantially less proggy than Sacrificio. (progarchives)

Re-Up!

Carlo Siliotto ‎– Ondina (1979, LP, Italy)

P.F.S. ‎– Illustrative Problems (1986, LP, Usa)
P.F.S. ‎– P.F.S. (1984, Cassette, Usa)
Los Deu Larvath ‎– Istòria Au Còrn Deu Temps (1977, LP, France)
Los Deu Larvath ‎– Coneguda Causa Sia (1979, LP, France)
Franco Cerri - Enrico Intra ‎– Effetto Alfa (1982, LP, Italy)
Khan - Live in Frankfurt, Germany (1972, Cassette, England)
Ennio Morricone ‎– Città Violenta (1970, LP, Italy)
Ennio Morricone - Il Gatto A Nove Code (1971, LP, Italy)
Li Troubaires De Coumboscuro ‎– Lou Pan Crousia (1989, LP, Italy)
Dice - Live 1977 (2013, CD, Sweden)

Amaia Zubiria + Pascal Gaigne ‎– Egun Argi Hartan (1985, LP, Spain)
Head – Blackpool Cool (1977, LP, Scotland)
Croma - Doble Cos (1979, Spain)

Eider Stellaire - Eider Stellaire (1981, LP, France)

Magma ‎– Theusz Hamtaahk Trilogie (2001, 3xCD Box Set, France)
5uu's - Live in Bologna, Italy 1995
Piano Conclave ‎– Palais Anthology (1975, LP, Germany)
Vortex – 1975-1979 (2003, 2xCD, France)

Amedeo Tommasi ‎– Il Flauto - Servizi Speciali N. 1 (1969, LP, Italy)
Amedeo Tommasi ‎– Thomas (1970, LP, Italy)
Amedeo Tommasi ‎– Zodiac (1970, LP, Italy)
Amedeo Tommasi ‎– The Sound (1970, LP, Italy)
Amedeo Tommasi ‎– High Tension (1980, LP, Italy)
Amedeo Tommasi ‎– Arte E Rinascimento (1983, LP, Italy)
Amedeo Tommasi ‎– Grandangolo (1981, LP, Italy)
Egisto Macchi ‎– Voix (1975, LP, Italy)

Oz Quartet ‎– Instant (1983, LP, France)

Daniela Casa ‎– Società Malata (1975, LP, Italy)

Raul Lovisoni ‎– La Gnôve Lune (1980, LP, Italy)

Zoikhem ‎– Vox Clamantis In Deserto (1997, CD, France)

Pop-Liisa 2 ‎– Jukka Hauru & Superkings (1973, LP, Finland)

Pop-Liisa 3 ‎– Wigwam (1973, LP, Finland)

Antonio Riccardo Luciani ‎– Europa 1930-1940 (1975, LP, Italy)

Shadowfax ‎– The lost Years (1978, Unreleased, Usa)
Hellebore ‎– Musique nouvelle (1983, Tape, France)
Cuarto Menguante ‎– Rompehielos (1980, LP, Spain)
Pan Brumisti ‎– I Padroni Della Città (1976, LP, Italy)

your requests here

Crucis ‎– Los Delirios Del Mariscal (1976, CD, Argentina)

Tracklist:
1. No Me Separen De Mí (6:06)
2. Los Delirios Del Mariscal (10:10)
3. Pollo Frito (5:45)
4. Abismo Terrenal (12:30)

Musicians
Bass, Lead Vocals – Gustavo Montesano
Drums, Percussion – Gonzalo Farrugia
Guitar, Vocals – Pino Marrone
Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes, Arp Solina String, Moog, grand piano – Anibal Kerpel

Magister Dixit - Eldorado, Ré, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si, Do (2000, CD, France)

Tracklist:

1. Les pôtits archers (6:23)
2. Naufrage dans un verre d'eau (4:01)
3. Génie (10:06)
4. Les pieds dans le plâtre I (6:39)
5. Les pieds dans le plâtre II (2:34)

Musicians:

Séphane Marcaillou: Guitare, chant.
Jean-Pierre Albert: Batterie, percussions.
Stéphan Garcia: Basse.
Isabelle Bagur: Flûte, chant, clochettes, clavier.

Enregistré et mixé aux studios Cesame à Toulouse par Ram Dam au cours du stage sonorisation de spectacle le 29 Mars 2000.

Textes, Compositions et arrangements : Stéphane Marcaillou

Magister Dixit's music, polished and refined for 10 years already, is situated at the borders of progressive jazz-rock and poetic songs "with uplifting lyrics". Their ecstatic fusion-like fevered fantasy tale takes us on a strange universe of fairies, witches, genies, tightrope walkers and other forest sprites. Sometimes humming and saturated, sometimes swinging and light, Magister Dixit oscillates between dark and shimmering moods, incantatory oratorios, voluble onomatopoeias and dazing choruses. A unique alchemy to discover urgently!
Members are: Séphane Marcaillou (Guitare, Chant, Textes et Compositions), Mélanie Fossier (Chant), Sophie Perret (Piano, Chant), Bita Rezvannia-picot (Violon), Chant Jean-Pierre Albert (Batterie), Stephan Garcia (Basse)

The easiest way to a description is to make comparisons. In this case, that is difficult, because the music is very own. "Genie" reminds me of the power of "Koenjihyakkei", other passages of the imagination and atmosphere of "Dün", especially when the flute comes in. I prefer the pieces with very good Magma-like singing more than the spoken words passages. For the fun factor it's definitely an advantage, if you understand the French language. A really good Zeuhl and Fusion album that should receive much more attention. (siriuspooka)

José Luis Fernández Ledesma ‎– Extractos (1997, CD, Mexico)

Tracklist
1. Invocation (4:55)
2. Alba Lunga (2:55)
3. Los Amorosos (6:25)
4. Irulán (5:24)
5. Las Esquinas Del Tiempo (6:30)
6. Umbrio Por La Pena (1:28)
7. La Cofradia (4:17)
8. La Tarde Del Traje Morado (5:17)
9. La Nave Blanca (5:56)
10. Marzo del 42 (4:19)
11. El Mar (6:01)


Ledesma followed his impressive debut from 1996 with yet another solo album called ''Extractos'', released in 1997 and belonging among the first productions of the emerging Mexican label Luna Negra.Most of the musicians appearing in ''Motivos para perderse'' are present here as well, but the line-up was actually quite expanded with 10 singers and musicians helping out in the 14 displayed compositions.Ex-Nirgal Vallis guitarist Alejandro Schmidt teams up with Ledesma again in one track, playing the electric guitar.

''Extractos'' sounds a step closer to atmospheric Prog Folk, having a more peaceful, gentle and relaxed side compared to Ledesma's debut, always driven by the Mexican's beautiful keyboard and piano passages and exhibiting an array of traditional instruments, the final result coming close to the mellow sound of Italian's HOSTSONATEN. The basic lines of the album are built around the work of Ledesma on acoustic strings and a nice combination of synthesizers, electric and acoustic piano, producing rural soundscapes with a slightly atonal mood and an overall ambiental approach. The music becomes occasionally richer with the addition of percussion, violin and wind instruments and obtains a dreamy feeling via the presence of the guest female vocalists. The MIKE OLFDIELD principles become also apparent during these tracks, some of them feature a discreet touch on electric guitars. Ethereal folky orchestrations with a genuine identity, which could have a been a little more energetic. But Ledesma never forgets about his previous days with NIRGAL VALLIS and certain pieces in here, especially the longer ones, still retain a symphonic atmosphere with more pronounced electric guitars and keyboards. The music of course remains very delicate and polished with some dark parts at times, led by Ledesma's tricky synth, organ and piano plays, which result to some fine instrumental Progressive Rock with a challenging sound.
I can't say that I am that impressed by this album after Ledesma's fantastic debut. It is less balanced and more towards ambiental Prog with folky colors, but the arrangements are always of high class with good use of acoustic instruments over a palette of keyboard flashing. Recommended. (apps79)