Kracq ‎– Circumvision (1978, CD, Netherlands)

The Dutch progressive scene has had fair documentation on CD format, especially in regards to well-known names like Finch, Focus, Kayak, Alquin and Supersister, but there are still a handful of gems that have not made it such as the only album by Kracq. Circumvision is one of those albums that could only be a product of the 70s with its wide array of electronics, its jazz rock base, and a host of references from the heyday of progressive rock. Primarily a keyboard-led quartet, Kracq have created an effort that holds similarities to more esoteric 70s progressive rock albums. Fusioon's Minorisa comes to mind immediately in regards to the heavily composed, start and stop rhythmic patterns, but Kracq's general methods have more in common with either 70s jazz rock icons like Return To Forever or Hancock or similar scenes like that of Canterbury. In fact the Canterbury influence through a European filter probably willl reflect more clearly on Kracq's mode of operation - particularly the zanier groups like Moving Gelatine Plates, Brainstorm, or countrymen Supersister. Only in the 70s did we see this type of synthesizer experimentation, with electronic effects (including what sounds like some vocoder sounds) strewn throughout. However, while the analogs are certainly alluring, Kracq understood that the foundation is of prime importance, and they delivered an album's worth of bizarre, constantly changing compositions that will delight the fan of zany avant-ish jazz rock or Canterbury. A gem indeed, maybe a bit too early in the game for a classic, although we'll never know how this band could have panned out. (Gnosis)

Entrama – Simbólico (2005, CD, Chile)

Tracklist:
01. Escrito en papel verde - 6:23
02. Travesía - 4:05
03. Grisagua - 5:51
04. Dos lunas - 6:15
05. Trauco (Danza del Imbunche) - 4:29
06. Klerdoyet - 9:31
07. Mamilla - 6:45
08. Angelito - 6:01

ENTRAMA’s ‘weaving’ project create a melodic kaleidoscope between guitar, cello, charango, flutes, accordion, Colombian tiple, Bolivian ronroco, acoustic and electric bass, fretless guitar, drums, didjeridoo, Peruvian cajón, udu and percussion instruments from around the world.

ENTRAMA’s instrumental music is an anthem of the southern American territories, and it is the very image of its musicians' will to converge the immaterial Andean, autochthon, and urban cultures in a single melodic weave. In essence, their music is an artistic vehicle of support to democracy, freedom and cross-generational social dialog.

ENTRAMA’s innovative and original music is living patrimonial expression and a real-time instrument that transmits the music of the people of the south from now and always. (Daniel Pearl)

Pre ‎– Pre (1992, CD, Usa) Re-up!

Pre was an extraordinary discovery from Steve Roberts at ZNR. Since he was based in Kentucky (and an original member of French TV), he was responsible for the reissue of The Bluegrass State's most famous progressive rock group: Easter Island. Through that connection, ZNR was hooked up to a band that had a fully realized album in the can - one that had remained unreleased for near 20 years. A group with the simple name of Pre. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that Pre's sole album is the single greatest American progressive rock archival find from the first part of the 1970s (remember that other excellent archival finds such as Pentwater and Yezda Urfa were from the latter half of the decade).

The CD today is pretty much extinct, but most of my running set bought one immediately upon release. It's been a good 15 years since I last heard it, and it was peacefully resting deep in the collection. After hearing it again recently, the album still satisfies on so many levels.

The album starts off in a dubious manner with a soft acoustic instrumental followed by a spurned love ballad, that's rather annoying. Not exactly orthodox opening moves from the progressive rock handbook. But things get very interesting quickly with 'Water Meeting' and it becomes very clear why we're listening to this album in the first place. It never lets up from there. It's also very clear just exactly who is the influence behind the band. The simple 3 letters of Pre matches their idols. It is the music of classic Yes especially "The Yes Album" and "Fragile". But a little more compact and urgent, common traits of a restless American society. What's most extraordinary about the music of Pre is the recording date of 1973. The American landscape is littered with bands that copied the almighty Yes, but most of them surfaced in 1975 or later. Pre was clearly ahead of the pack. For the first half of the 1970's, perhaps only Polyphony could be considered more "progressive" from the States. All the trademarks are here: Heavy organ, loud woody bass, great guitar leads, complex rhythms, passionate vocals. Best tracks are, not surprisingly, the longest: 'Ascetic Eros' and 'Ballet for a Blind Man'.

What's also great about Pre's album is the quality of the recording. It sounds like it was recorded in a major label studio with a large budget. This is not the typical low budget, 3rd generation drop-out quality we've come to expect.

One collector note: The cover you see above is actually a two piece kit. The gold border and "Pre" lettering is actually a thin plastic film that is inserted into the jewel case and provides a frame around the cover art. An interesting idea, and practical - if you break the jewel case, the film can be transported to another one.

It was 20 years between the time of this recording and its first release. And that was 20 years ago. Wow. Don't miss this title if you see it. (ashratom)

Electromagnets ‎– Electromagnets (1975, LP, Usa) Re-up!

Electromagnets are best known as the launching ground for Eric Johnson, one of the great guitarists of the ’80s and ’90s. Johnson was known for his clear tones and amazing technical skill — two things that are apparent on the Electromagnets’ first and only album. The group followed the path of such trailblazing fusion groups as the Mahavishnu Orchestra, creating an amalgam of rock, jazz, blues and the avant-garde. Unlike many of their peers, the Electromagnets were loose, letting themselves bend the beat and have fun. As a result, their album is more enjoyable than most ’70s fusion records… Johnson stands out with his crystal clear guitar and tasteful solos. His presence makes Electromagnets the curiosity it is, but also makes it more than an odd historical item.

Les I ‎– Les I (1981, LP, France)

'Les I' were formed as an offshoot of Etron Fou Leloublan around Bruno Meillier (saxophone), one of the Etron's developers in 1979. Bruno, with Christiane Cohade (bass), Dominique Lentin (druns, percussion), Marc Feuillet (trumpet), Yves Ranchon (guitar, trombone) followed the Etron's music style and attitude soaked into RIO / avant-jazz, and released three albums from debut to disbandment - "Les I" (1981), "Dans L'Hémisphère Nord" (1983), and "Ou Bien" (1986).

John Van Rymenant, Michael Galasso ‎– Scan Lines (1984, LP, Belgium)

Original sountrack from « Scan Lines, or the paradise of the artificial eye » recorded live on September 16, 1984 at Performance Space 122 in New York City during an international tour including Japan, U.S.A., Canada, Spain, West Germany, Belgium.

Today, due to the proliferation of video images, the spectacle is in everything and everywhere. As its premise, “Scan Lines, or the paradise of the artificial eye” evokes neither the hypothetical Golden Age of the centuries to come nor the nightmare of a mediatized future. It approaches instead the idea of a totally new rapport with life, into which modern man will be irreversibly forced to enter. It is at once frightening and intoxicating, like every great adventure.

Created by the Plan K at the Toga Festival 84’ in Japan, « Scan Lines’ is a multi-media performance directed by Frédéric Flamand. The original score is a collaborative effort between the American romantic minimalist musician Michael Galasso and the Belgian electronic jazz composer John Van Rymenant.

Stephen Ashman, Zasu Pitts Memorial Orchestra ‎– Cooler Than Death (1983, LP, Usa)

Highly infectious idiosyncrasy of a very distinctly mid 80's vintage, with L.A. resident Ashman and his crack ensemble (which bizarrely includes drummer Gina Schock of The Go-Go's, moonlighting here at the peak of her pop fame on about half of this) engaging in the sorta boisterously tuneful horn charting bippity boop more associated with Downtown NY movers of he era like The Ordinaires and Don King and the giddy R.I.O. Big Band sounds of France's Six Cylindres En V, but defaulting at other times to a sorta primitive warped pop tack akin to Louisville KY's Stutter. (mutant sounds)

Alpha Ralpha ‎– Alpha Ralpha (1977, LP, France)

Tracklist:
A1. Synergie - 4:14
A2. Nova - 5:55
A3. Syrtis Major - 2:20
A4. Genese - 9:27
B1. Rez - 3:47
B2. Gothic - 0:31
B3. Magellan - 7:30
B4. Lagune Ouest - 3:42
B5. Hymn - 4:15

Musicians:
Bass – Charlie Charriras
Directed and Orchestrated By – Claude Alvarez-Pereyre
Drums, Percussion, Vibraphone, Marimba – Emmanuel Lacordaire
Electric Guitar – Michel Mareska
Guitar [6 String Guitar], Twelve-String Guitar, Classical Guitar, Electric Guitar, Violin [Acoustic & Electric], Organ, Marimba [Marimbas], Vibraphone – Claude Alvarez-Pereyre
Harmony Vocals – Jean-Jacques Goldman, Khan, Tai
Harmony Vocals [Bass Harmony Vocals] – Georges Granier
Piano [Acoustic Piano], Electric Piano, Organ, Synthesizer [Elka, Mini-moog] – Jean Alain Gardet


ALPHA RALPHA were a short-lived band with Michel Mareska on electric guitar, Claude Alvarez-Peryre on electric and acoustic guitars, Jean Alain Gardet on keyboards, Charlie Charriras on bass and Emmanuel Lacordaire on percussion. On their only album, four more musicians appeared: Francois Breant on piano and synth, Jean de Anthony and Claude Samard on guitars, and Jean-Jaques Goldman on vocals.

Alvarez-Peryre, a co-founder of the group was a member of MALICORNE, while Gardet and Goldman were the members of TAI PHONG.

The band released only one album, the self-titled LP released for Warner in Canada and France in 1977. Their music could be described as a mixture of jazz rock and French symphonic, where guitars are keyboards are carrying the melodies for the most part, with occasional usage of vibraphone and marimba, and vocal harmonies. (progarchives)

Sonata Islands Kommandoh ‎– Zeuhl Jazz (2018, LP, Italy)

Side A
A1. Offering Vander (7:55)
A2. Love And Rage......Supreme (12:28)
A3. Terza Lamentazione (3:33)
Side B
B1. Sohia (9:23)
B2. Prima Lamentazione (10:43)
B3. No More Zombies (4:33)
Riconoscimenti

Musicians
Bass – William Nicastro
Drums – Sergio Quagliarella
Flute, Electronics – Emilio Galante
Guitar – Alberto N. A. Turra
Keyboards, Voice – Giovanni Venosta

Limited edition of 250 copies

The chamber ensemble Sonata Islands was founded especially to play new Italian music, both classically orientated or jazz-based. In January 1999 the ensemble recorded Sciare di Fuoco, a CD by Emilio Galante in the BMG-Ricordi cd series "Ai Confini ed oltre" (“To the boundary and beyond”), first performed at the Piccolo Teatro Studio in June 1999. In the autumn of 1998 the group recorded the music of Cesare Picco for the ballet “La Lupa” on a CD for Sonzogno. In 2001 the multi-media performance, Campioni (Champions), a Velut Luna CD) modelled around selected short films of great sports champions with music written by Emilio Galante, Marco Tutino, Armando Franceschini and Nicola Campogrande was taken on tour to Milan (Piccolo Teatro), Bologna, Trento, Bellinzona, Reggio Emilia, Asolo (Asolo Musica), and Turin (Teatro Regio). In 2003 the ensemble produced Muti Musicati, a show based on silent movies from the beginning of the last century, recut and re-worked, with music by Emilio Galante, Lorenzo Ferrero, Filippo Del Corno and Fabrizio de Rossi Re.

Sonata Islands has organised its own festival in Milan since 2002 and in Trento since 2006. In the jazz field, the ensemble has welcomed prestigious soloists such as Franco D’Andrea, Gianluigi Trovesi, Markus Stockhausen, Salvatore Bonafede, Pietro Tonolo, Tino Tracanna, Rita Marcotulli, Sandro Cerino, Roberto Cipelli, Bebo Ferra and Andrea Dulbecco.

Our project is dedicated to the spirit of Magma’s music.This mythical French band, under the direction of its founder Christian Vander, starting from 1970 offered the listener a “celestial” (“zeuhl” in Kobaïan language) music, even though those skies might have been crystal clear or ominously dark. Each of our pieces tries to reflect this approach in composing and playing, with references to progressive avant ­rock, modal jazz, R and B and eastern folk music.

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)

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)