Prog's Future
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Music Lounge
Forum Description: General progressive music discussions
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=29274
Printed Date: February 17 2025 at 19:29
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Prog's Future
Posted By: Atavachron
Subject: Prog's Future
Date Posted: October 01 2006 at 23:39
|
Though by its very nature prog will always be changing and presumably improving, other great music forms (such as jazz or reggae) have become somewhat staid and formatted. Is stagnation in our future or will the progressive perspective continue to thrive?
|
Replies:
Posted By: Leningrad
Date Posted: October 01 2006 at 23:48
| I'm not really sure. Most prog these days is in the form of metal with slight prog influences. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 01 2006 at 23:53
|
Well, yes, most 'popular' prog; that is, what you tend to hear on the online broadcasts and see on the prog sites. However there is a small but powerful contingent of modern progressive masters (Flat 122, David Bagsby, Planet X, Holdsworth, etc.) that seem to be quite buoyant.
|
Posted By: Leningrad
Date Posted: October 01 2006 at 23:58
Oh, definitely. There needs to be a huge band that changes all of that.
|
Owl 3 wrote:Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 00:02
|
I see-- you mean a *breakthrough* band that takes the best of those elements and does something digestable to a larger audience?
|
Posted By: The Miracle
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 00:06
|
There's actually plenty of great modern prog: sumphonic like The Flower Kings and The Tangent, art rock like The Mars Volta and Dredg, RIO/Avant like Fantomas and OOIOO, etc..........
Prog's not going anywhere  ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/ocellatedgod" rel="nofollow - last.fm |
Posted By: Leningrad
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 00:08
Exactly!
 |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 00:08
| Right on! |
Posted By: RaúlGuate
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 00:10
|
As always, it depends on how you define Prog. There will always exist a progressive approach to music, but if for you Prog is a movement that happened in the 70's, then Prog is already dead. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 00:13
| Of course, and that's the beauty of the progressive approach; it can be similar or it can be different as long as it brings something reasonably new to the table |
Posted By: chamberry
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 00:15
That question has The Mars Volta all over it. IMO they are that breakthrough band that hopefully others will follow. ------------- 
|
Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 00:26
|
yea TMV are def that band. hope there can be more. DT is def one of them, though more on the metal spectrum of prog.
there needs to be a great prog band which incorporates funk really well, and other things, for i think my band is the answer to that ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm 
|
Posted By: Schizoid Man
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 00:31
|
No stagnation possible. The future of Prog is unlimited. Prog contains elements of rock, jazz, classical, middle-eastern, gypsy, folk, Celtic, avant garde, indigenous and who knows what else.
The only limit is the composer and the muscians playing the composition.
The audience is made up of listeners who have an open mind (and ear
 ) to innovative and well crafted sounds.A brief timeline of prog shows it's growth and diversity:
The Sixties
Beatles, Moody Blues, Frank Zappa, King Crimson, Fairport Convention, Soft Machine, Pentangle, The Nice
The Seventies
Genesis, Yes, Pink Floyd, ELP, Jethro Tull, VdGG, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Magma, Rush, Return to Forever, Gentle Giant
The Eighties
Brian Eno, Vangelis, Kraftwerk, Marillion, Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, Peter Gabriel, The Residents
The Nineties
Savatage, Ozric Tentacles, Lengendary Pink Dots, Primus, Porcupine Tree, Dream Theater, Tool, IQ, Anekdoten, Spocks Beard, Radiohead
21st Century
Godspeed You Black Emperor!, White Willow, Taal, Behold....the Arctopus, The Tangent, The Mars Volta, Beyond Twilight, Kayo Dot, Riverside, Indukti, Pure Reason Revolution
------------- Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 00:37
|
I dig that, Schitz, and I like the decadal breakdown.
darkshade: I'm afraid I'm not a huge DT fan, but Liquid Tension Experiment, now *there's* a phenomenal band with some occasionally gonk-ish Levinisms, though I don't see them 'breaking through' much more than they already have. |
Posted By: Schizoid Man
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 00:43
Thanks. It was fun doing it.
Prog will still be here when all of us are long gone.
------------- Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 00:44
| I have little doubt, though perhaps unrecognizable... |
Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 00:52
oh i love LTE, probably more than DT. but they're done, and probably not getting back together. itdbe great if they were bigger, though im sure every DT fan knows and owns their 2 albums, so they probably are. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm
|
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 00:58
...and it's a shame, too, but it kinda' makes them special and unspoiled. Luckily I hear Planet X is prepping a new CD with Holdsworth on guitar! 
|
Posted By: PaperDuck
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 01:16
|
For about a year now I've thought that something really interesting would be prog-hop: put a couple rappers on top of prog instrumentation. From what I've heard, the opening to a track of The Mars Volta's new offering Amputechture does exactly that.
Prog's not going... er, staying... anywhere!
|
Posted By: enteredwinter
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 01:18
|
There is a lot of hope for prog fans in the near and distant future, particularly if you're the type to appreciate the new sounds of bands like Opeth, Mars Volta, Riverside, etc. I personally am very excited about several new bands that have emerged since 1995 or so, and I believe that it is very likely that we will see even more great acts debut in the near future. After all, now that such a huge amount of recorded prog material is out there, musicians have more and more influences to draw upon. That means, as long as you have an open mind, you have a lot to look forward to. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 01:22
|
[QUOTE=PaperDuck] For about a year now I've thought that something really interesting would be prog-hop: put a couple rappers on top of prog instrumentation. From what I've heard, the opening to a track of The Mars Volta's new offering Amputechture does exactly that.
Oh boy, I remember seeing Rush for 'Roll the Bones' and they did some sort of rap on a couple cuts from that dreadful record...I think I lost my supper  (and I actually like good hip-hop).
|
Posted By: SlipperFink
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 02:28
|
I'll make a half dozen "Prog" records before the end of this year at the rate it's going.
First time in 20 years I could say that. It's starting again. I plan on dominating this time around. HOHOHO. SM. ------------- Modesty is an ornament, but one goes further without it. Old German Proverb |
Posted By: Harkmark
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 04:36
|
IMO the real future of prog lies in bands like Kayo Dot and Supersilent, who with their ecclecticism redescribe prog, yet remain faithful to the fundamental characteristics of the genre. As long as there are bands like this, prog will continue to remain more than just a nostalgia of what once was. Commercial impact is only of interest to incompetent, lazy music journalists with a lack of musical imagination. |
Posted By: PaperDuck
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 04:36
Yeah well, to make it work you'd need to have some good rappers and rap-writers  . I haven't heard the Amputechture bit yet, but should be interesting at the very least.
|
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 04:45
| Sure, and I've always felt that rock itself - that is, rock n' roll - had a huge though almost unnoticed impact on rap and urban spoken word. So I guess there is a distant connection between progressive rock and modern hip-hop. |
Posted By: Philéas
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 12:24
| I don't think these kind of predictions are relevant. I mean, did people in the '70s expect Prog to evolve into things like Mr. Bungle and The Mars Volta? I hardly think so. The future is very unpredictable. It will, however, be interesting to hear what Prog sounds like in 40 years. |
Posted By: lunaticviolist
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 12:33
I dig that list, man!
Yeah, it's at the beginning of Meccamputechture, and it doesn't last very long. It's interesting, but many fans think it's the worst moment on a TMV album. ------------- My recent purchases: 
|
Posted By: el böthy
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 12:48
Wait, The Mars Volta is most definitly a breakthrough, not only prog wise but also comercially!!! Although the Mars Volta are not the future, theyr are the present, along with a lot of great prog metal bands and some crazy Avant Garde. I do would like to see a big breakthough in symphonic. The Tangent, if they continue this way might achive it, although something with a bit more edginess would be more than welcomed! ------------- "You want me to play what, Robert?" 
|
Posted By: Morda
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 14:58
|
All I can say here is "be careful what you wish for" - having an underground scene go large, as it were, is not always a good thing.
Case in point, look at emo music - compare 80s and 90s emo to current emo. Even if you don't like the 80s and 90s stuff (which as this is a prog forum, I'd imagine that a lot of people don't), there's a huge difference in quality. Popular means commercialised, commercialised means popularist rather than artistic, popularist usually doesn't mean good. I'd agree that TMV may well be a breakthrough act though, bringing prog to the masses (even though I personally detest TMV ... well, their live stuff is okay) - this could be a good thing or a bad thing though. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 15:21
| I agree to an extent, though in the 1970s (what many consider to be prog's finest moment) prog rock was *quite* popular and often on the Billboard charts. |
Posted By: moreitsythanyou
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 17:10
I really like/agree with your point on emo music, but I think what we're searching for is a band that will put out really great music despite the popularity of the band. All I have to say about that is that dredg have a promising future...and The Mars Volta are definately at the forefront of prog (or at least recognized prog) in the new millenium -------------  <font color=white>butts, lol[/COLOR] |
Posted By: Sasquamo
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 18:32
| I think that we won't have to worry about the quality of prog in the future, but I don't think it's going to become much more popular than it is now. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 20:26
| I tend to agree, Sas, and as tempting as it may be to wonder about prog again becoming widely appreciated, it isn't real likely. And to me, that's a good thing because it allows it its freedom and a less hectic fan base. It's a kind of secret for the rest of us to share. |
Posted By: PaperDuck
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 20:32
Differences in TMV feelings aside (I think their live stuff is crap, but their studio albums rank just under Larks' Tongues in my Favorite Music Ever), I don't think any popularity they have or may earn will reduce their quality. After all, the core of the band quit At the Drive-In, a moderately popular punk band, because they wanted to be more experimental. They've had their taste of (at least moderate) fame, and found it unappealing compared to the lure of art. Yes, emo, punk, alt. rock, and now indie have gotten poppy as they've gotten popular, but all of this music is about feelings, not about art. The great thing about Art Rock is that it is, by definition, art - so once it stops being artistic, it's not part of the genre anymore .
Prog can never be anything but prog. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 02 2006 at 20:41
| That last point is a really astute observation, Duck, and an important distinction that takes some courage to point out, defining 'art' and its meaning. It is indeed what makes art rock/prog unique and always ready for expansion. |
Posted By: fuxi
Date Posted: October 03 2006 at 04:14
|
I wish it were possible to create some TRULY original symphonic prog. I was glad when I first discovered the Flower Kings, Spock's Beard and the Tangent, because I had longed, for many years, for bands that would play in this style. But if I listen to them in a criticising mood, I really get the feeling they are no more than epigones. You can tell from some reviews on this website. Many critics have pointed out: 'Oh, here's a bit of Yes, and there's a Tony Banks solo, and there's a bit of Crimso', etc.
Perhaps the Mars Volta are more original - but no one seems to call them 'symphonic prog'. Thr most exciting band I've ever heard who really try to create exciting and original music, by mixing symphonic prog (all instrumental, no vocals) and Bruford-style prog-fusion, is KENSO! |
Posted By: Prog_Bassist
Date Posted: October 03 2006 at 11:43
|
I think it will forever continue to grow and change!
------------- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhuxaD8NzaY" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhuxaD8NzaY |
Posted By: Froth
Date Posted: October 03 2006 at 12:51
| Personally i think rock progressed as far as rock can go in the 70s. there will always be bands that continue to make music that sounds like the great prog acts of the 70s, however i dont think there is any room for any actual 'progression' in the rock genre any more. that doesnt mean we can't experiment though. |
Posted By: aramg
Date Posted: October 03 2006 at 14:33
|
The future of prog? Just ask Mr. Fripp-I think he's always had a pretty good idea. He'd probably throw an entire Marshall stack at you for asking...Can't wait to see him Friday! heheh. ------------- Aram |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 03 2006 at 15:53
| Yeah he probably would, but he's a little guy, I think I can take him. |
Posted By: Sasquamo
Date Posted: October 03 2006 at 16:39
Are you kidding me? I think that all genres of music can go farther, no matter how far they've already progressed. Rock definitely has plenty of room to progress. Whether advantage will be taken of that artistic room soon or at all is a different story...
|
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 03 2006 at 16:55
| Yes, yes, and progressive rock has so much more room and opportunities than, say, Blues or pop. |
Posted By: Froth
Date Posted: October 03 2006 at 18:23
| Im sure you can experiment with rock still, but i dont think theres anywhere left to progress. any innovations in rock music will merely be making wierd combinations of things that have been done in the past. Personally i'm very dissillusioned with the whole genre of rock at the moment. too many people wanting 'Rock'n'Roll!'. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 03 2006 at 18:30
| Well, it depends on the people and how they get what they want. If by "wanting rock n' roll" you mean you hear alot of Grunge, pop and hard rock on FM radio, then yes, straight rock is almost as popular now as ever. But the whole challenge of prog was to show what was possible within a *rock format* (drums, bass, guitar, keys with an edge from blues) and still make amazing music, and that idea is still viable. |
Posted By: #1floydfan
Date Posted: October 03 2006 at 20:02
|
well since the worlds music is fading into rap i would think that it would eventualy... must i say it fade away
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/jimbobismykitty/?chartstyle=basicrt10 - [IMG - http://imagegen.last.fm/basicrt10/recenttracks/jimbobismykitty.gif - |
Posted By: PaperDuck
Date Posted: October 03 2006 at 20:54
I disagree. You ever heard Jandek? Only place I can classify him is in Blues... and he deserves a genre of Progressive Blues just by himself.
|
Posted By: The Wizard
Date Posted: October 03 2006 at 20:57
|
Prog is the future of music. We are entering a prog revolution. Mainstream bands are taking a seriously progressive approach to music and introducing kids to the classics. I'm seeing it first hand as a high school student. -------------  
|
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 03 2006 at 22:13
|
Duck: No, never heard Jandek but I take your word for it and am sure there are a few evolutionary blues cats. Good to hear it.
Wizard: Also good to hear (and you'd know, being in your teens). I hope you're right and I look forward to the second (third?) coming of prog! |
Posted By: superprog
Date Posted: October 04 2006 at 02:56
|
PROG IZ DA PHUTURE OF MUSICK!!!!! |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 04 2006 at 03:03
| ...the past and present, too. |
Posted By: jplanet
Date Posted: October 05 2006 at 18:30
Well, I hear there's this band Shadow Circus that may be doing some prog in the future.... (puts hands in pockets, whistling...) ------------- https://www.facebook.com/ShadowCircus/" rel="nofollow - ..::welcome to the shadow circus::.. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 07 2006 at 00:20
| Kidding aside, describe their music, I couldn't find them in archives. |
Posted By: moodyxadi
Date Posted: October 07 2006 at 14:08
|
Progression or development of music genres will always xist - for better or worst. Prog rock as a genre is dead, and I can't see any sign of reali life in rock'n'roll as well (rock'n'roll music). Heavy metal is the only rock subgenre where I can see any kind of ral mutation ... ut for worst. The energy that always was a characteristic of this gnre ws lost, and the great number of power metal/porg metal acts just show this fact to me. They're neither prog nor metal. That's the reason why I'm looking more and more for the roots of modern western music. As a listerner, I feel more pleasure looking back than to our days. Hope I'm wrong, but the points of the youngsters in this forum of how great this or that band is just make me sad. ------------- Bach, Ma, Bros, Déia, Dante. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 10 2006 at 18:21
| I wanted to revisit this thread once more before it dies completely-- so tell me, where *do* you see prog going over the next ten years or so? Styles, technology, trends, innovations, rehashings...remember, a new generation of young musicians who were enamored by prog rock (the old and new) will be coming on, what will they bring to the music? |
Posted By: Zepology101
Date Posted: October 10 2006 at 19:39
|
I think that in the future prog will be the next mainstrem....
Somehow that sounds like it won't happen in the history of man... ------------- 
|
Posted By: Selkie
Date Posted: October 10 2006 at 20:06
Yeah, a lot of prog-metal bands seem to play distorted riffs for the sake of being heavy, and forget the point of being metal. The heavier end of prog metal is generally more experimental, imo.
|
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 10 2006 at 21:07
Well, it could be said that in the *past* prog was mainstream. Take a look at the music charts for the early/mid 70s; prog was everywhere doing quite good business: Yes, Mahavishnu, King Crimson, ELP, Tull, the list goes on and on...what a magnificent time! 
|
Posted By: MadcapLaughs84
Date Posted: October 11 2006 at 12:18
|
It's hard to know, sometimes the only thing you have to do is wait. But I think Prog Metal is reigning not only in prog but also is filling the Metalheads that look fo something different. ------------- 
|
Posted By: honganji
Date Posted: October 11 2006 at 13:44
|
This is a monologue written in Japanese by more than 30 years progressive rock fan. This is my deep grief.
日本語で書いた、年寄りの独り言と思ってくだされ
型を追ってばかりでは、将来は暗いのぉ。将来の主流が云々言うでなく、それこそ、何でもありの自由な発想がプログレッシヴ･ロックの原点だったのに、いつしか先人の作ったスタイルを追うことで満足するようになっていやせぬか？
はぁぁ...
 行き詰まりを感じる今日この頃。
演奏水準は確かに高い。楽曲もそれ自体はよく作られている。しかし、押しなべて、色気がない。いや、表現に難しいのだけど場の雰囲気を一変させるほどの、何がしかのカリスマ性に乏しいと言うべきか。そういうのが、本当に多く感じられる。
もっとも、一流というのが少ないのは、今も昔も同じなんだろうけどね。
 |
Posted By: Scapler
Date Posted: October 11 2006 at 21:04
|
??????????????! ------------- Bassists are deadly 
|
Posted By: Scapler
Date Posted: October 11 2006 at 21:06
|
What the heck?! My post was completely in Japanese but it came out as a bunch of question marks, grrr... ------------- Bassists are deadly
|
Posted By: Arrrghus
Date Posted: October 11 2006 at 21:07
Dillon!  ------------- 
|
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 11 2006 at 21:35
Have you heard his new one? - it's bad, and not just because I'm a progster - I mean it's really bad...tired, dull, unoriginal and *every* song is standard blues-based. |
Posted By: Arrrghus
Date Posted: October 11 2006 at 21:37
Nonononono! Scalper's name is Dillon. -------------
|
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 11 2006 at 21:47
|
Oh yeah, it's spelled DYLAN...!
|