progday 2017 news

BUBBLEMATH at PROGDAY 2017!

"Progress is not possible without deviation.” - Frank Zappa

If Zappa were alive to hear them, he’d almost certainly agree that Minnesota fivesome BUBBLEMATH exudes his philosophy (and daring spirit) with every unconventional rhythmic change, off-the-wall timbre, and multilayered melody.  Their debut 2002 release, Such Fine Particles of The Universe, garnered the band 86,000 My Space followers and the Minnesota Music Academy’s "2002 Best Eclectic Recording” award.

Fifteen years later, the  Eclectic Prog / Avant-Pop / Technical Metal quintet has released their second album, Edit Peptide, which has proven to be a worthwhile wait with its Frankenstein’s monster-formula of lively textures, wacky and virtuosic musicianship, hypnotically robust vocals, and charmingly astute attitudes.   Edit Peptide is a masterful medley of artful aural arithmetic, blending the in-your-face intricacy of Between The Buried And Me and The Mars Volta with the eccentric experimentation of Mr. Bungle, the dense and poppy harmonies of Umphrey’s McGee and Echolyn, the symphonic vibrancy and tongue-in-cheek foundation of Beardfish, and the forceful fluidity of Bent Knee, The Dear Hunter, and Emanuel And The Fear.

By conducting so many divergent styles, refining their songwriting and compositional skills, and most of all, sticking to their guns when it comes to crafting highly challenging and adventurous, but also quite hypnotic and welcoming, tunes, the quintet proves just how perfectly a band can fuse the familiar and the fresh.

Join BUBBLEMATH (US), SHYLOCK (France), FLOR DE LOTO (Peru), SONAR (Switzerland) with special guest DAVID TORN, and iNFiNiEN (US) for the twenty-third edition of ProgDay.  ProgDay 2017 will take place on Saturday and Sunday, September 2nd and 3rd, at Storybook Farm in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  For more information, please visit us at www.progday.net.  

To hear music from all this year’s bands, please visit the ProgDay Music page (http://www.progday.net/ProgDay-Music.html).

Three more bands to be announced.

Thanks!

Michael

www.progday.net
www.michaelbennett.com

Wonderful news! I'd been hoping for this announcement. Edit Peptide is one of my favourite 2017 releases. This ProgDay edition is shaping up to be one of the best ever! Counting the days until Friday, August 31.

ProgDay 2017:  FLOR DE LOTO Cancels, HEDERSLEBEN and EPHEMERAL SUN Confirm!

It is with great sadness and disappointment that we must announce that Flor de Loto has cancelled its performance at this year's ProgDay.

However, we have two more great bands to announce:

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HEDERSLEBEN (Multinational)

HEDERSLEBEN is a spacerock/psyche/krautrock band whose goal is to embrace the mindset and sound of early progressive rock/krautrock.  Often compared to bands like Amon Duul II, Hawkwind and Gong, HEDERSLEBEN was hatched in the village of the same name on the outskirts of Quedlinburg, Germany.  Beside the ancient stone cloister in the half-timbered Bauernhaus, British guitarist Nicky Garratt (an original member of the iconic punk band UK Subs) jammed with krautrock luminary Uve Mülrich, (Embryo), inspiring Garratt’s next project.

In 2012, Garratt became the musical director for Ex-Hawkwind’s Nik Turner.  Garratt gathered musicians to collaborate and record Nik Turner’s Space Gypsy album.  After a short incubation period, the prototype version of HEDERSLEBEN was born from those sessions.

After the success of Space Gypsy, Nicky Garratt took on the musical director position for the legendary Swiss band Brainticket.  Working with original keyboard/flute/sitar player Joel Vandroogenbroeck, the songs were developed by HEDERSLEBEN in rehearsals in Oakland while Joel worked in Mexico.  The result was Brainticket’s Past, Present and Future, the first Brainticket studio album in 15 years.

Upgoer, HEDERSLEBEN’s debut release, was recorded back-to-back with the Brainticket album, and released in 2013. 

Since then HEDERSLEBEN has continued to release albums and evolve, ranging from a new take on classic krautrock to full-blown prog-rock concept albums.  The band has toured the US multiple times, both opening for and backing Nik Turner, and their music has been used in feature films.

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EPHEMERAL SUN (US)

Started as a project featuring ex-Rain Fell Within members John Battema (keyboards) and Charles Gore (bass), EPHEMERAL SUN began life as a vocal band with an atmospheric and experimental approach to prog-metal. However, with the release of their second album, Harvest Aorta, the band abandoned vocals and found their musical identity in a special captivating brand of progressive rock combining influences from symphonic, metal, ambient, electronica and fusion, presented with a strong, almost cinematic vision. Having been compared to bands like Anekdoten, Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd, Dream Theater and Finch, but really sounding like none of them, EPHEMERAL SUN has continued the pursuit of their unique sound.   With the release of Lord Of Hounds, they follow the course charted by Harvest Aorta to a darker place.

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Join HEDERSLEBEN (Multinational), EPHEMERAL SUN (US), BUBBLEMATH (US), SHYLOCK (France), SONAR (Switzerland) with special guest DAVID TORN, and iNFiNiEN (US) for the twenty-third edition of ProgDay.  ProgDay 2017 will take place on Saturday and Sunday, September 2nd and 3rd, at Storybook Farm in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  For more information, please visit us at www.progday.net.  

To hear music from all this year’s bands, please visit the ProgDay Music page (http://www.progday.net/ProgDay-Music.html).

Two more bands to be announced.

Thanks!

Michael

www.progday.net
www.michaelbennett.com

DAVE KERZNER BAND and SONUS UMBRA at ProgDay 2017!

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DAVE KERZNER BAND (US)

DAVE KERZNER first made a name for himself through his work with wide-ranging artists such as Keith Emerson, Steve Hackett, Steven Wilson, Alan Parsons, Nick Mason, John Paul Jones, Neil Peart, Francis Dunnery, Jon Anderson, Ringo Starr, Heather Findlay, Jerry Marotta, and many others.  However, he is probably best known as co-founder of Sound Of Contact and co-writer/producer of Sound Of Contact’s award-winning concept album Dimensionaut.  He is also well known as the founder of the sound production company Sonic Reality.

After many years working in sound design and production with SR and as a keyboardist with other artists, KERZNER decided it was time to take center stage as lead vocalist and put out his first progressive rock album as a solo artist.  In 2014 he released his critically acclaimed debut recording, New World.  Lush, melodious, atmospheric and restrained, it has been referred to as “a massive, opulent and timeless piece of psychedelic prog that will stand the test of time.”

KERZNER is currently finishing his second album, Static, which is due to be released in September/October.

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SONUS UMBRA (US)

Formed by Luis Nasser, Ricardo Gómez and Andrés Aullet as Radio Silence in Mexico in 1989,  the band was active for 5 years until its breakup in 1994.  While working with Kurgan’s Bane in Baltimore after relocating to the United States, founding member Luis Nasser discovered the developing progressive rock underground that had begun to flourish with the rise of the internet.  Eventually Radio Silence was resurrected, and an album of early recordings was released to rave reviews.

Changing its name to SONUS UMBRA  for legal reasons, the band continued to develop, record and perform.  Mixing elements of progressive folk, symphonic rock, hard rock and heavy prog, the result has been a series of highly praised albums, two ROSfest performances, as well as appearances at Progtoberfest, Orion, the NJ Proghouse, the Boston ProgEARS showcase, and Terra Incognita.

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Join DAVE KERZNER BAND (US), SONUS UMBRA (US), HEDERSLEBEN (Multinational), EPHEMERAL SUN (US), BUBBLEMATH (US), SHYLOCK (France), SONAR (Switzerland) with special guest DAVID TORN, and iNFiNiEN (US) for the twenty-third edition of ProgDay.  ProgDay 2017 will take place on Saturday and Sunday, September 2nd and 3rd, at Storybook Farm in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  For more information, please visit us at www.progday.net.

To hear music from all this year’s bands, please visit the ProgDay Music page (http://www.progday.net/ProgDay-Music.html).

Thanks!

Michael

www.progday.net
www.michaelbennett.com

Cool signing

wooo hooo... 2 more weeks...

NO!!!!!!   that sucks... was really looking forward to his set

Really fun weekend at ProgDay, weather was great, bands were great, and as usual it seeing all my friends, old and new, that made the weekend. Loads of fun. Thanks to the organizers, volunteers, bands and crew for running it seemingly flawlessly. Thanks to Michael and the committee for a stellar line-up. Highlights for me were Shylock, Sonar with Torn, & Ephemeral Sun. Infinien was probably the biggest surprise as I knew nothing and loved their set. The dinner crowd was great, went to two restaurants that were new to me, had Korean & Japanese, both great. I enjoyed pretty much almost all of the bands. I managed to limit myself to 3 CD's so I was fairly well behaved at least in the buying department. The ProgEars Beer Snobs swap meet was a great add. I didn't make it to the pool party this year as I was beat by the time we got back from dinner each night.

hahahaha.... lesson? pffff..   someone should have warned you Ian that I am a strong corrupting influence on young impressionable proggies and not simply in regards to music.. 

Nogbad_The_Bad wrote: One last thing, the after party by the pool was still going on at 6am when I left for the airport (I'd been in bed since 11pm)