My lesser known and unknown new prog bands thread

                                              It's my party, Norbert  !

Bootcut has released 3 albums and this one entitled De Fluff is the second (from 2004). The band is a duo featuring Rikard Sjöblom (Hammond B3 organ, Nord Electro2 and ARP Pro Solist synthesizer) and Petter Diamant (drums and percussion) with additional musicians on woodwind – and brass instruments, guitar and contrabass. In general the 12 melodic and accessible compositions sound fluent and swinging with strong echoes from jazz (Bootcut often played in jazz clubs) but also rock and blues. Their music often brings late Sixties and early Seventies bands to my mind like The Spencer Davis Group (after Eddie Hardin had replaced Stevie Windwood who had just founded Traffic), Hardin & York (also a Hammond/drums duo), Brian Auger and Trace. And of course late Sixties fellow Swedish band Hansson & Karlson but less complex, less soloing and more keyboard variation like the synthesizer in Quintus Quest, the clavinet in Funck The Living Dead and the Fender Rhodes electric piano in the bluesy Istället För Att Jag Kom Till Skogen Kom Skogen Till Mig. Although Rikard plays less self-indulgent, we can enjoy some swirling and propulsive work like in Fresh Free Fruit (funky sound), Funck the Living Dead, Hang Em High and especially in Crazy Cookie where he freaks out, goose bumps! The interplay between Rikard and Petter is strong and often dynamic. In some songs we can welcome guest musicians on guitar, flute, trombone and saxophone, it give the music a pleasant extra dimension. A funny track is the final song Mutta, a swinging blend of organ, guitar and Turntables (by D-Cuts), that sound of playing LP’s with the hand, quite original in prog!

This is a very tasteful CD that will please the Hammond organ freaks.

 

OAKSENHAM – Conquest Of The Pacific (***1/2)

 

 

- This is the debut album by the Armenian six piece band Oaksenham (including players on keyboards, violin and flute) that consists of experienced musicians who played in pivotal Armenian formations and founded Oaksenham in 2001. The additional guest musicians use a wide range of instruments, from harp and bassoon to oboe, French horn and clarinet. While reading about all those instruments and the tracklist that contains two Gentle Giant covers and a piece with music based upon Ian Anderson (Jehtro Tull), I got a strong idea about the music by Oaksenham. And indeed, Oaksenham their instrumental ‘conservatory prog’ is a tasteful and melodic blend of Classic Prog (like Gentle Giant, Yes and Jethro Tull) and classicl -, chamber – and folk music. It  reminds me of bands like Gryphon and After Crying: the one moment a powerful bass, Hammond organ and fiery guitar are blended with French horn, clarinet or trombine, the other moment you hear flute and harpsichord or a harp intro, followed by a slow rhythm with Hammond organ runs, sensitive electric guitar and flute. I am delighted about the composition Water Spark in which a captivating contrast between heavy guitar riffs and a folky flute, accompanied by organ runs, twanging guitar, flute and powerful  bass, what a lush instrumentation!

Not every proghead will be pleased with this kind of music but if you love music like Gentle Giant, Gryphon and After Crying, this is a band to check out.

 

 

 

I hope to tell you soon about Little Atlas (Hollow), Abigails Ghost (Porcupine Tree inspired), Officina Meccanica (La Follia Del Mino Di Fuoco) and New Trolls (Concerto Grosso Seven)

 

 

 

Edited by erik neuteboom - September 20 2007 at 06:28

You will love Bootcut, Jimmy Row, floods of Hammond organ

Never heard of Disen Gage, thanks Dirk and Jimmy Row, a band to check out.

You are right Johnobvious, I just checked my The Odyssey review and found this:

CD3 (68:07) 7. Tempano from Brasil is the most original but also less accessible sounding band on this 3-CD. The track starts with church organ and opera-like vocals, then adventurous and a bit wayward progrock featuring sensitive electric guitar work, wonderful choir-Mellotron and great synthesizers.