Interactive Poll #60: Anywhere the Wind Blows...

^ Well, I don't think I'm that close to the Mediterranean shores of Switzerland...

Anyway, I just took a nice listening session with all of the suggestions put up here so far, leading to these quick notes on them:

Nick: A gentle breeze blows trhough both Spindrift and Haar by Adenine, a gentle smooth musical theme; very pleasant, but maybe a bit too ambient for me. Haar, with its slow build up pleases me a bit more than Spindrift. The Hurricane Dance by Truly sounds like a psychedelic grungy post-rock track. Never heard of them, and it sounds quite good to me.

Nickie: An introduction to the Aeolian Harp, very minimalist, but at the same time quite fascinating what this can produce: it's like electronic music!

Greg (The Dark Elf): I wouldn't consider Pink Floyd as "lesser known" prog, but I have always loved this track. I didn't know the Michael Hedges track, but this is another fascinating one, creating nice tensions and exploring the guitar in such a way that it indeed becomes very aerial. Very nice. Difficult to choose between this one and Robin Trower's Bridge of Sighs, wich is a wonderful slow blues-rock track - I may have a slight preference for Michael Hedges, though (since PF is too well known...).

Christian: The Berg Sans Nipple offers us A Free... A free what? Well, a free sonic adventure through grincing trees and other twinkling breezes. A very rich, mysterious and wonderful track - you know what I like! I already know the Sonar track from their Vortex album that I have, and I very much love the whole album, including this track.

Lorenzo: I know the Gotan Project but never really explored much of their music. I can see why you put up this track and I really love it; multilayered, trance inducing, breezing trhough time... Great! Marisa Sannia with Baju Isteddadu a more folk-poppy song with a pulsating rhythm, mixing harp, synths, bandoneon into a windy track. Quite nice, but not entirely convincing me. You're right, Guccini. I love this track, but prefer the Gotan Project, this time.

Greg (Logan): Hehe, I didn't expect a Spinal Tap track, but you're absolutely right to put up this one. It has all it has to have - ticking all the boxes. ;) This is Spinal Tap, and it's good! I think I discovered Julie Holter thanks to one of the earlier IA-polls and I bought this album thanks to that. A wonderful album, and this track shows that - a masterpiece, imho!

Andy: I actually didn't know this Alan Parsons track, which immediately plunges us into nature, with the bird songs. A delicate song and very short, which makes me curious to know what follows...

Mila: Indeed, Azure by Maisha plunges us immediately in a windy context thanks to the flute and the nature sounds or their evocation. An interesting contemporary and jazzy feel to this track, with some tribal and ambient moments. A bit easy listening but very pleasant.

Glad you enjoyed, Kees.  Meant more to be just informational than a formal entry, just could not help but share this ancient idea, in this modern way.

Kees: Somebody once wrote that the poll organiser very often has the best feel for the topic, and these are truly wonderful proposals. I haven't heard much Iannis Xenakis and should probably change that. This is, as you'd probably expect, right up my alley. The you put up another experimental music concrete piece by Luc Ferrari that is very exciting. I'd have a hard time choosing between these. I haven't checked but the Xenakis seems somewhat older, it gives more focus to the individual sounds as composers did in the sixties, whereas Ferrari produces a more integrated landscape.

Then there's Michel Portal, and this is also a very fitting proposal with a very windy mood, very tasteful, very moody, and free of cliches. I even have difficulties placing this one behind the two others. I'd rate the Now not quite as high but I did enjoy it, particularly spotting the strong Eloy influences.

Nick: Adenine is a very good fit. I didn't know her but it puts me right into a gentle summer breeze. I prefer Spindrift over Smirr, Haar as the strings on the latter make this sound a bit over-sweet.  I like the dynamics in the Truly one but the voice doesn't give me much.

Nicky: ...and more harp (which I love as an instrument), but this time from the properly experimental camp. Interesting and inspiring sonic experience this one, another one I'd have a hard time to vote against.

Dark Elf: The thing with One Of These Days is obviously that everybody knows this, but other than that it's of course an iconic piece of music. One could even call this a trade mark piece for Pink Floyd (not sure how often they used this to start their gigs but for sure not only on the Meddle tour). Michael Hedges comes up with a very enjoyable piece that I can immediately associate with the theme. I have that Robin Trower album but haven't listened to it enough I think. This is much better than I remember it.

Hope I find some time to go further. Thanks Kees for your comments, glad to know you like my choices. The Berg Sans Nipple "A free...", haha, they have several song titles that make you wonder what's missing. This can be seen as resonating with the music, sketches where some elements are shown and others may be left out. This one for example conveys that they don't really want the lyrics to be understood.

George: Sago An Ya Rev wins clearly against Bad Company, which just isn't my cup of tea. The first one is another amazing sound festival though.

Very good poll!

It is probably time to choose our nominations so I can put up the poll (if possible tomorrow night...?).

I will nominate Michel Portal - Histoire de vent.