JADIS

Gary Chandler's Jadis project can be seen as the first "second wave neo-prog band", or perhaps a sort of neo-neo-prog release. Whilst the original generation of neo-prog groups formed in the 1970s or very early 1980s and were influenced primarily by the prog groups of the 1970s, Jadis formed in the mid-1980s and very clearly took their neo- prog heroes as their main inspirations.

Having landed support roles on IQ's Nomzamo tour and Marillion's Clutching At Straws tour - the latter arguably being neo-prog's commercial zenith - Jadis also kept busy in the studio and made a number of demo recordings, with Marillion's own lead guitarist and friend of the band Steve Rothery handling the production side of things. They would eventually compile and release these as this self-titled album, which has languished in obscurity since then but has become more generally available recently. (In particular, it was included - with some bonus tracks - as the bonus CD on InsideOut's 2012 rerelease of More Than Meets the Eye, though irritatingly the most recent rerelease of that album has a different bonus CD that doesn't include this.)

Though produced by a largely different lineup from the Jadis we're used to in the 1990s, Gary Chandler's general compositional and stylistic approach - a sunny, upbeat, positive and optimistic take on neo-prog, rather refreshing considering the darker emotional territory the subgenre often explores - is already evident. G13, which would be updated for More Than Meets the Eye, is a particular treat.