Circle of Dust

"During the sixties Adelaide had a thriving music scene. Once used inner city basements and cellars became dark, hot, noisy and smoky clubs and discos. Venues like Alan Hale's Beat Basement, The Scene, Alex Innocenti's The Cellar and Jim Popoff's Big dadd's filled with teen-agers to hear discs spun by local DJs and local groups pounding out R&​B and hits of the day. Bands like the Masters Apprentices, Blues Rags'n Hollers, Southern Gentlemen, Dust'n Ashes, Blues Syndicate, The Vikings/​Why 4, The Others, Sounds Of Silence and many others made their presence felt. Some were lucky enough to release one or maybe two 45s at best, however the emergence of a number of independant recording facilities enables many more to record demos and tracks to mime to on local TV music shows like Action or In Time. This is what we have here, hidden away for over 40 years, the fruits of that youthful energy hopefully getting some recognition, not afforded them at the time.''

With Godspeed You! Black Emperor, the question is easy: Where do you even begin? For nearly a quarter century the shifting, roughly nine-member Canadian collective has been releasing swelling, torrential compositions that also gracefully loom, like a dewed spiderweb, squaring the circle of neo-classical and punk rock. It is demanding, complex, wordless music, directed in part at the off-switch of the information age. Godspeed — a project that, remarkably, exists completely on its own financial and creative terms — expects an interpretive exchange from its listeners, and rewards surrender to the transaction. This is music that's not a map but an unreliable compass, precise in its dissonance and generous with its emotions.

Over the years, trying to determine what is true "prog rock" and what is not has become an increasingly tricky proposition. In the early '70s, it was easy – any band that performed "suites" that extended across entire album sides and dressed in capes and/or cloaks was a dead giveaway. However, when the early '80s rolled around, most former prog rockers trimmed out the fat from their compositions (and exchanged their medieval wear and kimonos for what looked like sports coats). Ever since, there have been bands that have aligned themselves to either of the aforementioned prog rock approaches. But along came Porcupine Tree, who somehow have found a way to incorporate both into their 2009 effort, The Incident…

Over the years, trying to determine what is true "prog rock" and what is not has become an increasingly tricky proposition. In the early '70s, it was easy – any band that performed "suites" that extended across entire album sides and dressed in capes and/or cloaks was a dead giveaway…