Morte Macabre are a side-project of modern progressive rock giants Anekdoten. They blend a brutal symphonic sound with chamber-rock, something that reminds me of the Belgian act Univers Zero.
You can hear Part 2 here.
Progressive Rock
[Review] Roses Never Fade – Devil Dust
I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with the Apocalyptic Folk/Neofolk genre (or Wyrd Music, or whatever it’s called today). Most of the bands sound the same, usually rip off the old masters of the genre like Death In June, Blood Axis or Allerseelen. The music is nice, but not terribly interesting or something I’d come back to for repeated listening.
Enter Roses Never Fade. The music in their latest release, Devil Dust, published on Neuropa Records, comes as a breath of fresh air.
The first five minutes of the release feel a bit like the scene in the Andrei Tarkovsky, when the pilot flies into Solaris. Hazy, crunchy, like driving right into a cloud. Reminiscent of early Industrial soundtracks and Pink Floyd at their most esoteric. Once things become musical, things become very interesting.
Though it may not have been a conscious act, the band sound like they are channeling The Swans/World of Skin/M. Gira, and mixing it with more progressive folk like the legendary Comus. That was what immediately came to mind. Sure, there are also a few vocal styling which remind me of Douglas Peace in his youth, but the material flows nicely, and by about the 7th minute, I feel like I’m hearing elements of The Byrds in their psychedelic country phase.
A unique release. Go here to find more information about the band and Neuropa Records.
[Article] We’re an Anonymous Band: How Do You Make a Film About the Residents?
A legitimate question, really, posed over at Rolling Stone Magazine. Still, the idea of seeing a well-done documentary on The Residents is intriguing.
[Video] The Durutti Column – Domo Arigato
The first live album I was ever blown away by.
When I was attending college in my teen years, I had a good friend, Fish, who had impeccable musical taste. He introduced me to the work of The Durutti Column, and if memory serves me right, this was the record which first turned me on to their oeuvre.
Nearly 30 years later, it still sounds magnificent. Hunt down this album, and hope that Factory will reissue this as a Blu-Ray one day.
[Video] Museo Rosenbach – Della Natura
Museo Rosenbach were a heavy symphonic progressive rock band out of Italy. This track comes from their masterpiece album, Zarathustra, from 1973.
[Video] 잠비나이 (Jambinai) – Connection
Many thanks to dear Maryna Evilly from Ukraine for originally posting this.
The band is a new one to me. It seems that they’re from South Korea, and, at least on this track, they have a sound which reminds me of Tuxedomoon or bands from the legendary Italian record label Materiali Sonori.
[Video] Il Volo – Medio Oriente 249000 Tutto Compreso (1975)
Peak-era pasta prog from Il Volo (in Italian, as there is a new Italian band stealing this name shamelessly), one of Italy’s finest symphonic progressive rock bands.
[Video] Cluster and Eno – Für Luise
Sehr Kosmiche…
The duo of Cluster (Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius) paired with Brian Eno on several albums.
Here’s a slice from the 1977 collaborative LP titled (simple enough) Cluster and Eno.
[Video] Pärson Sound – India (Slight Return)
This band comes as a revelation to me. Apparently, Pärson Sound compare favorably to The Velvet Underground, and have connections with legendary Swedish Progressive Folk band Träd, Gräs och Stenar.
I hope to come across more of their weird psych sounds.
[Video] Sergey Kuryokhin – Mystics
Sergey Kuryokhin was, by far, the most influential and most widely recognized avant-garde musician to come out of Russia in the 1980s. Both alone and with the Ensemble Pop-Mekhanika, he made music which was extreme even to American tastes. Here is an absurdist sample of his work.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 