Crowded Corridors (Iamthemorning, 2014)

K-scope records are gathering an excellent bunch of artists around Steven Wilson's multiple projects and this Russian duo is one of their most interesting 2010s acts. Marjana Semkina has a beautiful voice and knows how to intertrwine notes and emotions, while Gleb Kolyadin's piano and keyboards are perfect when it comes to inner and sensitive musical worlds. "Crowded Corridors", taken from the album "Belighted", is a calm but never boring song, drawing delicate and intense watercolours describing the deepest twists of a human soul.

I really like cover arts perfectly matching with the music inside...

Some cultivated reviewers call this kind of music Chamber Prog Rock, but whatever the label they choose, I love the way Iamthemorning change deep and invisible movements of the heart into charming melodies and airy arrangements. Try them yourself and let me know...

Sin trabajo (Contraluz, 1973)

Contraluz had a successful season in 1973 (especially in Argentina, their home Country) after their debut album "Americanos" was released and surely they deserved it. As this song called "Sin trabajo" ("Jobless" in English) will immediately show, their prog rock was fresh and genuine, influenced by some of the British Masters of the early '70s, but original enough to be worth of our attention after so many years.

Just for the record, the band came back in 1998 with their second album.

The clever mix of Latin American folk, acid guitars, excellent songwriting, dynamic drumming and flute à la Ian Anderson set up a charming atmosphere and a well structured plot. The changes in rythm and mood are so good and surprising that I usually listen to this track three or four times in a row. Last but not least, I love Alejandro Barzi's voice, strong and passionate as a South American vocalist should ever be.

Hyperborea (Tangerine Dream, 1983)

The last album by Tangerine Dream for Virgin records can be considered as a musical landmark between the fully experimental phase of the '70s and the new, ambient-like atmospheres. The title track, in particular, is one of the most arcane and well structured tracks from this "bridge" era. Inspired by the mythical northern realm of Hyperborea, this is a two part instrumental based on keyboards and soft drum machine, and also including a liquid, heartbreaking electric guitar (most likely a synth guitar effect). 

 

A remixed version of this album was released in 2008.

What I really like in this double sided song is the mix of sweetness and coldness the band set up, the excellent melodies and the calm, majestic crescendo in the second section. Tangerine Dream magically resumed the symphonic era and aticipated the New Age... and what's more, they added a pinch of emotion to their recipe. And very well they did!

Frequency (IQ, 2009)

"Frequency" is the opening and title track from IQ's album released in 2009. When I first listened to it and I immediately recognised the fully-IQ syncopated intro, I was somehow deceived and ready to label this track as another average specimen of this band's style. Then the plot of "Frequency" striked me, its themes, changes and progressions paraded and in a feww minutes I was in love with it.

"Frequency" was the tenth studio album by IQ.

True, this track features all the main traits of IQ, but it's so well thought out and so well performed that it shines as one of the brightest stars in contemporary neo-prog sky. Highly dynamic and unpredictable, this is the sort of musical clockwork I like, full of intricate patterns and emotional peaks. That's why once again I'm grateful to IQ.

Dance of The Little Fairies (Sky, 1980)

I'll skip the long and useless debate about Sky being or not a prog band and I'll add this song to my blog with a great pleasure. "Sky 2" was a remarkable double album dealing with classical and rock music, like the rest of this band's discography. This is a rather calm and folky track, including a delicate piano intro and, of course, John William's delicious classic guitar.

"Sky 2" is a diversified and very rich album.

Keyboards and harpsichord add some more atmosphere to such a beaautiful theme. Of course, "Sky 2" album is packed with epic and long tracks, but I'm partial to this little gem, showing the misty and fairy side of Sky. And of course this is a good chance to enjoy the excellent performances of these musicians...

Sounds That I Hear (Airbag, 2009)

Atmospheric prog has a very long and glorious history, from the late '60s pastoral tracks to Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson. Today, many Norwegian bands follow these moody examples and Airbag are among the most successful of them. "Sounds That I Hear" is likely to be the more optimistic song from the album "Identity", but it also exists as a two part mini-suite from a previous EP, released in 2005. The 2009 version, however, has a more coherent plot and surely sounds better, that's why I put it here.

"Identity" was the first full-length album by Airbag.

The sung theme is excellent, the intro is moving and the Gilmour-esque final guitar solo shines like the brightest pearl. It isn't easy to perform a seven minute slow tempo song avoiding boredom and redundancy, but this is exactly what Airbag did in this closing track... a dreaming way to say goodbye until the next time!

Yellow Garden (Taal, 2003)

Frankly, it's impossible to give even a vague definition to Taal's music. The words eclectic and innovative are just approximate labels to begin with. These French musicians released two albums in the early 2000s and apparently love all kinds of music. More than this, they have the cultural and creative strength to put all those inspirations into well structured and coherent songs. This is the case with "Yellow Garden", coming from the album "Skymind".

"Skymind" was the second studio album by Poitiers-based Taal.

A bit of Symphonic rock (on the King Crimson side), a pinch of gypsy music, just a smell of heavy rock... and here you are an enthralling piece of prog, so thick and rich that you have to listen to it many times in a row to catch all the sophisticated solutions Taal found out. Electronic effects, distorted guitars, piano vibrations, violin and church bells... just name it! And the themes are so good... what else should a poor progfan ask for?