Interactive Poll #-50 Lesser Known Prog

Wow!  So much great music!  Of course, we are all fans of prog here, so it should be no surprise that there will be much to love.  Thank you all so far for your participation!  

Cristi:  Bucium - Frunză verde foi mărunte - cu Dora Gaitanovici (Miorița)  A recorder sort of sound and lots of shimmers begin the piece, with some string swells, then going to a strummed acoustic guitar, at a goodly pace.  Drums and then a sort of chorused female vocal does a ladadadadada part.  Violin and then a male vocal takes the lead. There is a stridency in his voice, not overly so.  Great feeling in this one, no idea what it’s about, but I like it.  Aha, there is a translation on the video, I was listening while not looking.  Is it violin or bagpipes that come in around 5:10?  There is a bridge of washy sound, with some plinkies.  Very moving piece.  The video reminds me much of a book I read recently, “A Thread of Grace,”  by Mary Doria Russell, about a refugee girl and her father in 1943 Italy, crossing the alps. Experimental Quartet “Spre univers”  Starts off with Hammond organ sound and drums at the fore, then a male singer joins in.  This has a 70’s feel to me.  Heavyish guitars punctuate into the steady organ and drums.  Organist plays an engaging riff, very fluidly, then a lead electric guitar pops in for a bluesy jam.  The piece slows down for a bit and the guitarist heads into a repetitive segment, with an almost raveup nearing the end, then back to the organ and concludes with a punchy ending.  Really interesting piece, for it’s time, especially.  I do prefer your first one, but also recognize the historical value of this after getting more information.

Lorenzo:  Claudio Rocchi “Volo Magico N. 1”  This one starts with acoustic chitarra and bass, then some percussion comes in.  The chitarra reminds me much of Bert Jansch’s style of guitar playing.  The percussive elements have lots of echo, which is a psychedelic hallmark sort of sound for acoustic drums.  There is a sense of the piece being a story-telling.  Light, pretty piano enters the scene and choral vocals, very shimmery.  Effected plinky chitarra comes along, with the choral parts becoming more phantasmagoric.  The chorus now includes some childlike voices, as they enter after the next verse, and they have a more ecstatic feel.  Piano returns for a bit of a jam with the bass and drums, with interspersing from the chorus, and some tasteful electric guitar lead, with a fair amount of tremolo.  The piece becomes more emphatic, in much the way that many psychedelic jams did, such as early Quicksilver Messenger Service.  Back to the choir, then some deep bell-like sounds and lead guitar again.  It would seem that the story may be entering a darker place, from the subtly shifting sound of the choir, a little over halfway in.  Another repetition of the verse to the chorale with piano.  There is a bridge with very quavery guitar and the keyboards playing chords, then a very pointed and impassioned lead guitar as a crescendo begins.  At the very end, piano solos, softly, walking off down the road the minstrels go.

JD:  Duncan Mackay “Jigaloda” This one starts out pretty snappily, with whirly keyboards and a merry little marchlike underpinning.  It picks up a the pace a little, with asides of circus-y (in a fun and engaging way) interjections.  Synths come along with a little bit of regality.  Straight keyboards enter from time to time, very capably.  About 2/3rds in, some whirlies show up and the lead instrument is a marimba-like one (quite possibly on keys, I’m guessing), then back to the semi-comic sound before it ends.  Very enjoyable, upbeat piece.  If you decide on a second, feel free to bring it!  😊

progaardvark:  Yôkaï “Plutonia”  Begins with some keyboards, quickly joined by very angular electric guitar.  A flute comes along, and something kind of comb-ish (you know the sound when you run your fingers down the teeth of a comb?), is the only way I can describe it. There are punctuations of more sharp guitar.  Some horn-type sound, almost klezmer sounding enters the steadily layering of the piece.  The angular guitar returns, then more horn adds in.  The angular guitar comes to the fore, with whangles here and there, that eventually become the most prevalent in the mix.  Ends a bit abruptly, with a final whangle on that guitar.  Artús “Faust” Love the start, has a Balkan feel to me, with discordant strings, then drums enter the fray. Sounds like they have mizmars or the like as well (possibly).  More discordant horn sounds (l love this kind of stuff!) prelude the singer’s entry.  Also has a lovely eastern feel to me.  Singer becomes very strident and uses ululations and tremolo in his voice, then back to the Balkan cacophony (again, not derogatory, it’s very cool).  There are occasional washes of sound and some echo-y choral sorts of sounds.  The singer continues on, but there is a sense of distance in the mix, perhaps done with echo, also, sound drops back a bit, and electric guitar becomes prevalent for a moment, then repeat of the basic melody.  Now the singer is joined by several (or perhaps several tracks of himself).  Drops to bass and drums, then some feedback-y electric guitar, very space/trance-y.  The sound becomes a wash of all of the instruments, with a repetitive section.  It all drops back to the discordant strings and slowly, slowly, slows.  This is my favourite of yours.

Christian:  .O.rang “Mind on Pleasure”  Echo-y sonar sounds and some percussive something-or-others with whanging keys?  Or guitar?  Or both?  Whongs and whizzles show up, subtlely.  Very discordant guitar, I think enters the fray, with a sort of maybe vocal that repeats, and layered in, a lead sort of female vocal, wailing.  Deep whong-whongs provide an almost yin-yang energy to the female voice.  Sense of perhaps a bad dream (in a good way), with some horn-like entry, also repeating, then it comes to the fore in the mix.  Goes to a space echo section about halfway in.  There is also a feeling, to me, as if this is underground somewhere.  An almost indiscernable male vocal enters, very effected and repeats several times, then is front and center, just once.  Percussion keeps on percussing, with a bit of bass, then pokes of keyboards, or perhaps some kind of guitar effect.  Sound gradually fades, with what sounds like a young girl speaking indecipherable words.  Feel free to bring another (although you’re used to these and know you can).  I am glad you brought this, even with being busy this week.

Mike:  The Mercury Tree “Disremembered”  Love the band name and the song title…not so sure about the cover art, lol.  A repeating guitar run, joined by percussive elements starts this one out, a high-ish voiced male quickly vocalizes.  There are discordant guitar and bass sounds, sort of a string sound enters, behind the male vocalist again.  I’m not sure what he’s saying, it’s way back in the mix.  Then whangling guitars, barred chords, in a slid-y and still discordant way start up.  Then back to the main theme, with some maybe synths and the vocalist becomes more strident, almost in a punkish way.  It all drops back for the vocals to softly continue, with strumming guitar, washy, watery effect on the guitar.  A sort of Fripp-ish section commences.  There are some heavy hits on something, not sure how they are doing this, then the piece moves into a more driving section, then abruptly slows again, with space sounds and falsely ends, before the true, abrupt end.  Fovea Hex “Every Evening”  Whongles of keyboard sounds, accordionlike, at the beginning.  Lovely, pristine vocal, this has a melancholy feel to it.  This vocal is completely enchanting, and, fittingly is at front and center.  Angelic choral enters about halfway in, keyboards create a sonic backdrop, with it’s gradually becoming more weighty.   The lead vocal also become a bit more full, in a very subtle way.  The  piece fades.  Chills and obviously my favourite of your two, if you can’t guess.

Snicolette wrote: Cristi:  Bucium - Frunză verde foi mărunte - cu Dora Gaitanovici (Miorița)  A recorder sort of sound and lots of shimmers begin the piece, with some string swells, then going to a strummed acoustic guitar, at a goodly pace.  Drums and then a sort of chorused female vocal does a ladadadadada part.  Violin and then a male vocal takes the lead. There is a stridency in his voice, not overly so.  Great feeling in this one, no idea what it’s about, but I like it.  Aha, there is a translation on the video, I was listening while not looking.  Is it violin or bagpipes that come in around 5:10?  There is a bridge of washy sound, with some plinkies.  Very moving piece.  The video reminds me much of a book I read recently, “A Thread of Grace,”  by Mary Doria Russell, about a refugee girl and her father in 1943 Italy, crossing the alps. Experimental Quartet “Spre univers”  Starts off with Hammond organ sound and drums at the fore, then a male singer joins in.  This has a 70’s feel to me.  Heavyish guitars punctuate into the steady organ and drums.  Organist plays an engaging riff, very fluidly, then a lead electric guitar pops in for a bluesy jam.  The piece slows down for a bit and the guitarist heads into a repetitive segment, with an almost raveup nearing the end, then back to the organ and concludes with a punchy ending.  Really interesting piece, for it’s time, especially.  I do prefer your first one, but also recognize the historical value of this after getting more information.

Bucium is a new(er) band, formed in the early 2000s. they are on bandcamp, I can post the link if you want. They are a prog-folk basically, although they flirt with metal here and there. No bagpipes, just violins. 

The Experimental Q song is from the 70s (not just a feel ). They reformed in the 2000s as Experimental Quintet (are on PA).