2015 Progressive

A cinematic instrumental journey for the mind featuring elements of classic progressive rock. With his seventh full-length release in six years, The Man From RavCon (a.k.a. Charlotte, NC USA based multi-instrumentalist Mike Brown) invites you along for another journey… this time, the search for a sonic solution. Following the 2013 album, Skyscraper, which was well reviewed by a wide range of websites, blogs, and publications, including the UK’s PROG Magazine, The Puzzle Master further expands The Man From RavCon’s seductively atmospheric brand of instrumental rock.

Named for the prized possession of Rome’s infamous despot, Caligula’s Horse is a progressive alternative rock band from Brisbane, Australia. Channelling the raw honesty of rock and the skill of progressive metal into a seamless voice at once energetic, grand and forthright, Caligula’s Horse offers devotees of all strains of powerful and progressive music something unique. Formed by Sam Vallen and Jim Grey in early 2011, Caligula’s Horse released their debut album “Moments from Ephemeral City” in April of the same year. “Moments” is a colourful and dynamic foray into modern progressive music, at once vital, eclectic, and memorable.

Music icons Jon Anderson and Jean-Luc Ponty have combined their musical talents to form a new supergroup - The Anderson Ponty Band! YES's original singer/songwriter for 35 years, Jon Anderson has had a successful solo career, which includes working with such notable music artists as Vangelis, Kitaro, and Milton Nascimento. International violin superstar Jean-Luc Ponty is a pioneer and undisputed master of his instrument in the arena of jazz and rock. He is widely regarded as an innovator who has applied his unique visionary spin that has expanded the vocabulary of modern music. Together these two music legends have formed a musical synergy that is unparalleled.

While much of the sixties were marked by the British invasion of America and all points west and east of Liverpool, there seem to have been some points in time where the influences flowed the other direction, if only in isolated pockets. Wally are one of those rare examples of this phenomenon…

The Syn featuring, some of the music world's best progressive rock musicians. Following a fairly quiet time for The Syn while their legendary vocalist and songwriter Steve Nardelli has been the force behind the first eco town to be built in the UK, the iconic pre-Yes band from the 60's returns with a live CD recorded in 2009 at Rosfest in Philadelphia on their Big Sky tour and a 2 films bonus on a single DVD 'The Syn in the 21st Century' and 'The Making of Big Sky', the latter charting at number one on the Amazon VOD chart in America. Big Sky studio album was voted the best progressive music album of 2009 by USA Progressive Music magazine and much of that music is featured on this remarkable live album, described by Precision Mastering as "the finest live album we have worked on". The bonus DVD features the 23 minute film The Making of Big Sky and 20 minute The Syn in the 21st Century.

Forest Field is an international project that succeeds in making a exciting combination of progressive and melodic rock and new age / ambient sounds. Like a critic said: You remember those moments when you hear something so good, that the hairs stand up on your arms? Those goose bumps of magical grace and power are unleashed upon you right now! Firm believers that music knows no boundaries, the band sets out to create fantastic music with moods for many occasions. No limits, no formula. Never standing still or content to take things for granted, but always open to experiment! Key features are stunning vocal harmonies, inventive arrangements with daring combination of styles and impressive playing.

Orion performs Progressive rock sung in French, with some folk influences, close to French groups such as Mona Lisa or Atoll. One may also think of anglo-saxon bands such as Gryphon, Genesis, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Yes or Gentle Giant. Orion lies somewhere between these groups, with its own style. Recorded in the year 1979, "La Nature Vit, L'Homme Lui Critique…" is a very sought-after collector, reissued by Musea with a new cover art by Jean-Jacques Killan and, as a bonus, the two titles from the band's single. Orion was back with a second album entitled "Mémoires Du Temps". Originally planned for the beginning of the Eighties, this second effort had to wait about thirty-three years to eventually see the light of day…

Formed in Przemyśl (Poland) in 2009, Arlon is a Polish progressive rock band. In 2013, the group featuring Jacek Szott (saxophone, keyboard and composition), Wiesław Rutka (guitar), Maciej Napieraj (bass), Paweł Zwirn (drums) and vocalist Paweł Szykuła, releases their first studio album ,,On The Edge”. The album receives very good reviews and in March 2014 wins the prestigious First Prize of “The Werbel 2013” (a competition for the best album of the year 2013 ) awarded by the Polish Radio Rzeszow. The year 2013 is for the band the time of promoting the album “On the Edge”. The band gives concerts in many places all over Poland, including Warsaw, Cracow, Katowice, Lublin, Rzeszów and Przemyśl. At that time the band performs at a prestigious Polish festival, the 7th Festival of Progressive Rock in Gniewkowo, and participates in the first historical concert of Rock Area On Stage in Katowice. The latter, with a guest performance of Clive Nolan ( Arena, Pendragon ), takes place on 21 November 2013.

German project T is the creative vehicle of composer and musician Thomas Thielen, formerly of the German band Scythe, but now with a solo career that has been ongoing ever since he released his first album using the 'T' moniker in 2002. Thomas plays all the instruments, does the vocals, lyrics, engineering, producing and recording. "Fragmentropy" is his fifth full-length production, released in 2015 by Progressive Promotion Records. "Fragmentropy" comes across as a fairly eclectic and demanding production, arguably with a foundation inside modern day neo-progressive rock and post-rock, but made with an approach that makes it hard to categorize inside any of those stylistic contexts easily…

P.T.F. is a promising violin-led Progressive rock band coming from Japan, obviously inspired by KBB. Its line-up consists of violin, keyboards, bass and drums. These musicians are totally awesome, forming a high-quality ensemble. "What Is Constant" (Musea Parallèle, 2015) is the second album in the adventure of this Japanese band: without drastic changes in their style, the four musicians aim at polifshing their art even further. This new opus is made of three splendid instrumental tracks, one being a suite divided in four parts, reaching 42 minutes in lenghth. Here's a true jewel of precious symphonism! Every number brings drastic and dramatic emotion with brisk but unfathomable scale to the listener. They expand the audiences of their live shows in Japan because of their beautiful melody with a high regard for large-scaled ensemble and also the hard and expressiveness performance.