From: malcolm@wrs.com (Malcolm Humes)
Subject: Re: Who is 'Progressive' in the 90s
Keywords: Progressive
Organization: Wind River Systems, Inc.
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 17:47:07 GMT

blindsay@bcarh773.bnr.ca (Brian Lindsay) writes:
>So unless
>this group is devoted to 70's Nostalgia, maybe someone could discuss who
>are the best progressive groups working today?  (And what makes them
>"progressive"). 

Djam Karet is a US band that many people are raving about. Personally
I was a little disappointed with the releases I bought, but I'm happy
to have contributed to the band's investment in releasing their own
music independently. Buy direct from the artists when you can and let
them make some money for a change instead of it all going to the 
middlemen! Anwyay, this band is all instrumental, and to me I hear
shades of Floyd, Crimson, Hendrix and such, but I never got a feel
of any unique sound of the band. The music is good, well produced
and performed, but it just seemed to be lacking something (originality?)
I'm sure that many other would disagree (don't flame me, just tell us 
why you like it and what their sound is if you can define it). But I
know at least one other net-person who agrre with me that they've 
been a little over-hyped. But considering they're about the only US 
band I can think of doing anything close to original progressive music
they deserve some hype. But I heard one of the members left recently.
I think they are continuing without him. 

Univers Zero is sort of a progressive band. I think it's actually been 
a few years since their last release. This music is sort of neo-classical
gothic art rock. Intense drumming and guitar mixed with wind and string
stuff that at times sounds more like a classical ensemble than a rock
band. Lots of bassoons ans stuff like that, and a spine chilling intensity
that is more suspenseful than any classical music I've ever heard, and 
pretty much the same in a rock context too, with only people coming close
in my book being Fripp and Crimson circa Red and Starless. But since 
a lot of people have already raved about Univers Zero here, let me offer
some pointers to otehr stuff of this genre. Art Zoyd and Present are 
two other bands that have a similar sound, with some occasional 
personel overlap too. Art Zoyd is perhaps a little more string and
synth oriented than Univers Zero. Present has two members from U. Zero
and has a relentless intensity on their "Triskadecaphobie" release. I
think the title is a poke at Univers Zero becasue it means fear of
the number 13, and Univers Zero's 1st release was titles 13.13, so it
seems sort of obvious... 

Some other bands that are close to the above but not from the same 
french genre are Henry Cow (perhaps a little more rock oriented or 
closer to 70's Crimson than the above), and a mexican group named
NAZCA that gets a pretty close feel to the Univers Zero sound. Plus
there's a canadian group, I think it's Utotem, that sounds sort of
in the same genre as all of the above. A little off in another direction
in Aksak Maboul, a belgian group that worked with Fred Frith in the
late 70's. They are in a similar neighborhood but with more of a 
middle eastern or arabic sound. One of these guys, Michael Berkmans, 
went on to work with Art Zoyd or Univers Zero, I think. And he's also
worked with Zamla, a much overlooked Swedish prog band. 

Anyway, much of the stuff I mention above is more prog music of the
80's than the 90's, but it's an area beyond exploring the same 
half dozen band we usually see discussed here.  

Other stuff I'd call sort of progressive that is current - Curlew. I
don't know how to describe them. Sort of an outgrowth of the NY 
downtown improv scene. Not far from Henry Cow in sound. Amy Denio
is someone who worked with them on a pending release, and she's
done some hot experimental solo stuff that's something like Laurie
Anderson on acid jamming with Fred Frith. Really strange and beautiful
stuff that IMHO has more depth than Ms. Anderson's recent explorarions.
She's also done some interesting stuff with the Tone Dogs. This stuff
might be closer to alt.music.alternative in content but I think it's
quite progressive in the meaning that it's progressing and exploring
some new ground. 

Oh, and check out the new Eno release due out soon. It'll cover some old
and new ground. The pre-release is sort of techno dance stuff (hey, at
least Eno is progressing enough to stay on top of the current musical
trends) but the lp will have lots of Fripp and cover a lot more 
ground.
 
 - malcolm@wrs.com