G'day from NZ

I've actually been a lurker here for several months, and then realised... oh yeah, this is a forum, may as well contribute besides the one random post I've made.

So to introduce myself, I'm Xivalvi from little old New Zealand, and a keen listener of all that is surprising and quirky in music - I'm constantly always on the lookout for new bands to sink my teeth into.

I started with the usual suspects such as Genesis, King Crimson, Gentle Giant and the like around 18 months ago, and have been moving in a few different directions at once since, all at different paces.

Probably what I enjoy the most is symphonic prog overall atm, although most new discoveries in the genre aren't doing much for me anymore. Besides that, I enjoy Zeuhl (Magma, Koenjihyakkei), RIO/Avant Prog (Henry Cow and many of the associated acts, Univers Zero, Thinking Plague), and Cardiacs and its associated projects. There are many more, and from more genres, but I'm feeling that as I'm typing this that it'll diverge into a massive list, so I'll cut short there. Suffice to say, that's only a part of my taste. From time to time I simply like to chill with stuff like the Beatles and Moon Safari, though - can't listen to one particular style for too long.

I've recently been digging into Canterbury stuff, like Hatfield and the North, Soft Machine and Caravan, and been enjoying that quite a bit, so I hope that'll keep me going for a few months.

Have never been huge on prog metal - probably the closest I've gotten is some Pain of Salvation, and Porcupine Tree, the latter I understand not really being particularly heavy, but eh.

If anyone is keen on recommending anything while reading this, feel free to suggest stuff, I'm open to all suggestions, and I hope I'll actually post much more frequently here than in most forums I join - quite shy for no reason online, haha.

Last note: am particularly interested in prog folk, so any suggestions from that realm would be particularly appreciated, as folk is a big part of my musical tastes outside prog. And I can also make a thread in prog recs if this is too much to ask for in this subforum, haha, just let me know.

Try Steve Hackett's first solo album, Dün's "Eros" (IIRC it is legal to download out-of-print albums like this one, as the band isn't active anymore), maudlin of the Well's "Part the Second", a stunning masterpiece which is available for free on the band's website, and for some good prog folk there's good ol' Jethro Tull and Harmonium.

Love your tastes. Welcome!

Welcome...from Auckland