Bremen 1973

Composer, guitarist and electronics innovator Richard Pinhas is recognized as one of Frances major experimental musicians. A pivotal figure in the development of electronic rock, Pinhas' stature in France is analogous to Tangerine Dream's in Germany: father figure of an entire musical movement. Pinhas first came to public attention as leader of Heldon, whose violent fusion of electronics and guitar is acknowledged to be a precursor of todays industrial music. Between 1974-78, Heldon released 7 highly praised albums that fused electronics and rock music. Starting in 1976, at first simultaneously to Heldon's career, and continuing until 1982, Pinhas released an additional 5 solo albums. When Cuneiform began reissuing the catalogue in 1991, CMJ noted that Fans of Kraftwerk and Neu! owe it to themselves to check out this similarly far-sighted stuff. For the last decade, Pinhas has been developing a system of electronic processing to perform live solo guitar concerts with. Event and Repetitions is over 75' of music performed live in his studio with just guitar and processing systems. The music is rich in depth, detail and texture, and will appeal to fans of musicians such as Aphex Twin, Brian Eno, Robert Fripp, Windy and Carl, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Labradford, Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream.

Its been quite a long time since we've heard from Magic Pie.  They went through lots of trials and tribulations getting this album finished but now its finally arrived.  If you are not familiar with this band here's the deal: Magic Pie are a Norwegian band with a retro 70s sound.  The music is a bit of a high wire act balancing the neo-prog sounds of The Flower Kings with the heavier elements of classic Uriah Heep.  They also seem to be the darlings of Rosfest having played there multiple times."It's hard to believe it's been 10 years since these proggers from Norway released their promising debut "Motions of Desire". At that time, their music struck me as an enthusiastic combination of classic prog and classic hard rock. (Think Deep Purple for the hard rock side of that equation.) At their best, they offered memorable passages and pieces that sounded like they very well could have been long lost recordings from many years ago. At their worst, they sometimes fell short of filling the big shoes of the legendary bands whose music they strove to emulate. That's actually not bad for a debut album from a new prog band. I found much to like and looked forward to hearing from them again in the future.Checking back in on them a decade later, I must say that I am very impressed with how they have developed and matured. No longer do I get the feeling that certain sections of songs are direct homages to any particular band from any one particular decade of prog's illustrious history. Their influences, while still very present and valid, are now more varied, including a greater percentage of modern reference points. More importantly, their influences are just that--merely influences rather than templates or even primary reference points.The sound quality on "King for a Day" is superb thanks in large part to the enlistment of sonic genius Rich Mouser (whose resume includes similar work for prominent contemporaries like Spock's Beard, Transatlantic and Dream Theater).Keyboardist Erling Hananger is an excellent addition to Magic Pie's recipe. His keyboard parts are expressive, dynamic and integral to the music. When appropriate, his leads seamlessly blend, harmonize, and work synergistically with electric guitar.The lyrics have a melodramatic and somewhat tragic flair this time around, but this is prog so you should be accustomed to the musical ride including a few tragic tales from time to time by now, right?OK ' so it's time for the "magic" question... A decade after their debut album, how has my impression of Magic Pie changed?On "King for a Day", I now hear a band which has found "its own voice", one that resonates confidently in the space somewhere between classic arena rock of yesteryear (on prog-steroids of course) and modern melodic prog of the 21st Century (like Spock's Beard and The Flower Kings). Add a few dashes of modern prog-metal to taste and you, my friend, have baked up a very nice confection indeed... MAGIC PIE!If you love modern prog anthems with big harmonies and 'sing along' choruses, give "King for a Day" a listen! I'm glad I did!" - ProgArchives

Debut album from this Italian crossover band.  Secret Tales is not traditional rock progressivo italiano style of music.  This blends together symphonic rock, medieval and Celtic folk, and maybe even some subtle touches of metal around the edges (but barely).  This is a Black Widow Records release so expect an overlay of dark subtext.  Female vocals are in Italian and fit the ominous music perfectly.  There is an otherworldly ominous quality to the whole affair.  Its a concept piece and it would definitely help if you spoke Italian but the music by itself has a dark beauty."Secret tales of an enchanting journey that takes place over time in a kingdom disappeared from who knows how long ...Kings, queens, princes and princesses, fairies, witches and magical and grotesque creatures rotate with their stories in a fabulous location, where the figure of the demiurge-Unicorn overhangs and protects everything and everyone, from the monstrous Faust to the sweet Elf. Emotions without boundaries, to other infinite universes ... The charm and enchantment of soft and dreamy music, full of fabulous side dishes and lyrically supported by parts sung in Italian, English and French by Princess Tiziana Radis: the debut album of the Secret Tales is an imaginary sound that turns his gaze to the ancient traditions of Celtic folk-medieval, alternating dark atmosphere and refined symphonic progressive melodies… A work of great emotional impact !"

Withem is an up and coming Norwegian progressive metal band, inspired by the likes of Symphony X, Pagan’s Mind, Dream Theater and Circus Maximus.The band started to take shape in 2011 when Øyvind Voldmo Larsen (guitars) and Ketil Ronold (keyboards) met the gifted drummer Frank Nordeng Røe. Soon they were joined by the vocal talents of Ole Aleksander Wagenius and bass duties were taken care of by the special guest Andreas Blomqvist from Seventh Wonder.Withem’s debut offers varied sonic landscapes for the listener to explore, ranging from guilty-pleasure choruses permeated with memorable vocal hooks, to symphonic epic themes.  The unique vocal range of Ole Aleksander Wagenius gives the band a distinctive touch to tackle the overcrowded progressive metal scene.The passion and dedication put into the album is emphasized by the countless hours spent in studio perfecting each individual performance and making sure that the end result is a world class blend of progressive, symphonic and power metal.The Point Of You was mastered by Markus Teske (Vanden Plas, Saga, Spock's Beard)

“You can expect a beefy rock album, freak style. I think that Cooking with Pagans finally has the sound and energy of Freak Kitchen live; the energy and rawness. It is anything but overproduced, stripped down, drums, bass and guitar. To the point.” – Mattias “IA” EklundhIt has been 5 years since Freak Kitchen graced us with a new album.  Since the release of 2009’s Land Of The Freaks, the band has toured the world – making stops in Europe, USA, and Asia along the way.  Finally the band was able to settle down in their home base of Sweden to record the long awaited follow up Cooking With Pagans.The album finds the band collaborating with Blacksad comic book creator and former Disney animator Juanjo Guarnido.  In addition to creating the amazing packaging for the album, Mr. Guarnido has created an incredible animated video to support the album release.Freak Kitchen consists of world renowned guitarist Mattias “IA” Eklundh, bassist Christer Ortefors and drummer Bjorn Fryklund, The trio offers an intense blend of progressive metal and rock, often served up with a wicked dose of humor.  RIYL Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, and Bumblefoot. 

Previously unreleased live show from November 4, 1972. This is the post Uli Trepte lineup with his replacement Bruno Schaab on bass. The band jams out three mega-long versions of "Oxymoron", "Baby Cake Walk" and "Ooga Booga"."After Uli Trepte had left the band, Guru Guru had one of their first gigs with Bruno Schaab on bass in the assembly hall of the Germania-Heim in Wiesbaden on November 4th, 1972. They played in front of about 200 to 300 people. The whole concert was recorded expertly and in stereo, with the consent of the band and the promoter, Robert Huth, by Muck Krieger, sharing a flat with Xhol (Caravan), a band they were friends with and which had just broken up. The equipment used – an Uher tape recorder CR 124 and Revox microphones – were then state-of-the-art technology. Here you will hear three overlength versions of Guru Guru tracks in a perfect sound quality. They could thus freely display and develop their play without having to keep to the limited playing time of an LP side. The CD was drawn directly from the master tapes."