Is Latin-America becoming the new prog leader?

 

Now may i suggest you people listening to Platurno, they are a band from Chile that have released an album called Núcleos, and i think they are a very promising band, they are now preparing for their second album!
Their myspace: http://www.myspace.com/bandaplaturno

This is Rico´s bio of Platurno:

From the Valparaisian fields of Villa Alemana, in Chile, comes PLATURNO, a modern band destined to impress at least in a progressive rock way, if not warmly recommended overall. It consists of four main artists: Felipe Rivers is the guitarist, Sebastián Aguayo plays keyboards and classic (acoustic) guitar, Andrés Aguayo plays drums and percussion, while Fernando Peña plays electric bass (apparently having joined only recently). For their first album, they also invited another bassist, Edison Atencio, and violinist Priscila Valenzuela. It was Rivera, along former members and drummer Gerardo Sanchez, that founded PLATURNO, around 2001, Marcelo O'Shee playing on guitars and being the lead vocals for a while. Stable as a four-piece right now, the band also launched itself, with considerable force, into the market, creating a first album that already pleases many.

The records labels and the reviewers call their style a full and positive progressive rock one - and the members themselves define their work progressive - so there'll be little reason to not find a beautiful gem of progressive rock in PLATURNO's composition, style, music and air. The nice folding between heavy rock, space prog and a discrete (let's say tempered) fusion is this young, but visibly talented band's main virtue - otherwise, almost all the artists create and collate, from a normal desire of making music, a passionate, systematic, accessible kind of prog music. KING CRIMSON are a remarked influence in PLATURNO's music, beat and expressive trance (Prog shop owner Jazzis calling it, though, "typical of almost all Chilean bands"), whilst some small parts could reflect ELP stuff and, even more considerably, the Fusion/Space flavors could arpegiatte more originality than anything else. Predominantly instrumental, and falling within a very hard and an enticingly jammy composition, PLATURNO's mix of progressive rock can be a favorite taste for many fans, especially when the complex part of their music isn't stoned but relaxed, and the musical entertainment isn't mainstream but promisingly artistic.

Núcleos is the name of the solid debut, recorded and released in 2006. The label contracts ended with both Mylodon and Musea Records for this album already give a heavy idea on how well the band performs. Within the essential elements of the music, profound is the weight on instrumental rock, with only two vocal soft pieces counterpointing, the lyrics being in Spanish. Up another idea, the balance inclines on guitar-bass-drums arrangements, the keyboards creating the lite contrast - most surprising is that the style of modern fusion relies on electric guitars, though they're not played in a very unusual or unexpected tone. Núcleos confirms and excites through 11 pieces, mixing a heavy passion fruit with an adrenaline instrumental drift. The album is often considered vigorous, but pleasant, full of imagination and complex essence, rhythmic or melodic, airy but mostly interwining, fully modern, but also having a bit of a delicious seed of classic prog/art rock, at least at the core of the influences and the impressions.

In 2008, PLATURNO will honour a booking at the Baja Prog Festival. It is, therefore, expected for the interest in this band to rise more and more. And for any musical experience, in their company, to turn out rewarding.

(notes include reviews and notes about the band and their first album)
:::Victor "Philip" Parau (Ricochet):::

 

In my previous post i suggested a band from Chile which name is Platurno, if anyone knows the band and is interested in asking them anything, please send me a PM since i am preparing an interview.

 

 

                                   Here's my latest Latin-American progrock discovery:

 

 

ALMA – Sobre Fantasias (***1/2)
- After their splendid new studio album Perpetuum Karma, several Nexus members decided to deliver solo projects: Lalo, Luis en Lito founded the trio Subliminal (album Limbo) en guitarplayer Carlos Lucena invited Roxana Truccolo (vocals and keyboards), their project is named Alma and their debut CD entitled Sobre Fantasias.

- The album has a very lush instrumentation: Carlos on acoustic -, classical – and electric guitar (along bass and programms) and Roxanna on acoustic – and electric piano, harpsichord and organ (along Spanish vocals), the colouring of the 11 (often a bit laidback) compositions is wonderful and varied. I like Roxanna her warm voice, it matches perfectly with Carlos his sensitive guitar sound, the best examples are the tracks Before The Day (slow rhythm with howling guitar runs), Silent Witness (compelling with beautiful interplay between guitar and keyboards), the dreamy Dawn (again howling guitar runs and the sound of the Fender Rhodes electric piano along a guest musician on violin) and the rocking final piece Storm featuring fiery guitar and a propulsive rhythm-section. I am delighted about the two songs Greys Of The Afternoon (delivering warm play on classical guitar and Grand piano) and Elf that contains wonderful interplay between harpsichord and acoustic guitar, the electric guitar halfway reminds me of Mike Oldfield.
- I am sure this beautiful mellow album will please the progheads who love a blend of prog with classical and folk music.

 

 

WILLIAM GRAY - Living Fossils (****)
- This is an Argentine musical project featuring 10 musicians and focussing on three subjects: an album, an audio-visual show and a multi-media website (still under construction).
The story on this concept album is about a person called Virgilio who is walking on the streets of Buenos Aires and lives between sane and insanity.
During my first listening session I got more and more excited, this is a very alternating and captivating blend of different styles, from compelling and bombastic with some progmetal climates (evoking Ayreon), powerful Hammond runs and fiery guitar to mellow pieces with classical piano and violin, impressive church-organ intro's or folky oriented songs with acoustic guitar and warm English vocals, what a splendid musical adventure!

- I give you some of the many highlights on this CD. First Darkest Side: it starts compelling and bombastic with heavy guitar riffs, orchestral keyboards, violin and fiery guitar, then a mid-tempo with fluent Hammond runs, wonderful violin-Mellotron and powerful guitar followed by a short mellow part with melancholical violin play and in the end a slow rhythm with sensitive guitar and violin. Then the track Fading Points: lots of shifting moods and great ideas with bombastic interplay between Hammond and heavy guitar, blended with sparkling classical piano and heavy guitar runs, very exciting and dynamic! Another great composition is Urban Battle II: after a church-organ intro the atmosphere is compelling with fat guitar riffs and powerful Hammond waves along fiery guitar runs. The parts with dreamy piano, violin and the distinctive bandoneon turn the music into a very captivating experience. Finally the song Urban Battle III: the climate is bombastic with progmetal hints featuring great keyboard work (church-organ, Hammond, Mellotron) and thundering drums. The final track from this breathtaking album is in Argentine style delivering a tango atmosphere with piano and bandoneon, how beautiful with a very moving, melancholical undertone!
I am sure that many progheads will be delighted about this excellent debut CD! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

 

                                                                                 

 

 

 

 

 

Please pay attention to some new acts like Tarkus, Ashtar, Diapasão and check the new bands that are working mainly in the folk, jazz & experimental vein - I think that we'll have good news in the years to come.

 

 

Don't forget Estribo by Cartoon, released in this year too (I don't like too much their music but this doesn't count )

 

Let me intrude here, Memowakeman: I really loved this last album by Violeta. I never was their fan, but that album is fantastic. The first song reminds me "Everyday" by Hackett and other are like Caravan and a little Pink Floys, like always.

 

Yes, shure. Anyway, my misunderstanding can be useful here: I recommend  "Volume 7" (2007) than any other compilation. Believe me

 

             Prog-Brazil, It's a long time ago I listened to Redd but in my memory they sounded

       very varied, check out the excellent reviews Cesar Inca wrote, very descriptive as usual

 

 

      Here are reviews about overlooked Latin-American progrock bands I wrote in the past:

 

 

BAUER - Astraunato Olvidado

- Here’s the Argentine answer to RADIOHEAD! Most of the songs on this album (2004) have a great build up: it starts cosmic, then gradually the music swells and finally BAUER features bombastic eruptions with howling electric guitars and floods of Mellotron. The Spanish vocals fit perfect to the often melancholic climates and the integration of organ, twanging electric guitar, acoustic rhythm guitar, piano and synthesizer is subtle and tasteful. This very compelling music is a mindblowing experience, for sure progrock has emotion! Although RADIOHEAD is the main influence, other obvious references are PINK FLOYD (Gilmourian slide guitar), PORCUPINE TREE (cosmic climates) and LANDBERK (fragile guitarplay and violin-Mellotron). The final composition “Un camino a traves del airs” is the highlight: lots of Mellotron, hypnotizing vocals, suddenly heavy guitarplay and an ominous, almost claustrofobic climate (evoking KING CRIMSON, “Red”-era) with splendid choir- Mellotron, I’m on cloud number nine!

 

ERGO SUM