Prog Issue 107 (April 2020)

“I just loved pathways


and landscapes.

It was burned into


my soul.”


Roger Dean










































































Roger Dean, shot exclusively for Prog at his
art showroom at Trading Boundaries in
Fletching, East Sussex, February 2020.

progmagazine.com 51

“If it had been up to

me I would never have


let anybody else do

sleeves for us.” Urem quisit nostion
hendit lum ea alit
dolestrud dunt laortin
Steve Howe






















©ROGER DEAN RELAYER 1974/2020









“If it had been up to me, I would Dean has complete freedom to “Now that looks something totally different.’ They
never have let anybody else do sleeves come up with whatever captures his different.” The gatefold may well have given me something
for us,” says Steve Howe. “But there imagination, says Howe. “Somebody artwork for Relayer. totally different because I got it over
were people in Yes at certain times might come forward with an idea and the phone and clearly I misheard but
who said, ‘We don’t want to go with we will kick it about and Roger will it made enough sense to me that I went
Roger.’ I was like, ‘What?’ Well, we listen. But he goes off and we don’t ahead with it. At the meeting, they
don’t do that any more. Roger is really have any idea what he’s going to were very bemused but they said,
a loved, respected and admired friend.” come back with. Yes is so much part ‘Well, let’s go with it!’”
For the Yes guitarist, Dean’s work is of his art direction, he’s closely To understand Roger Dean and his
a kind of visual extension of a world involved with us.” unique vision, it’s important to know
they began terraforming soon after he Occasionally that closeness can get his long-standing ire at the rigours
joined Yes in 1970. It was important, its wires crossed says Dean, recalling of conformity and modern design.
he argues, to have their records dressed the band’s perplexed reaction to the When he studied industrial design
in imagery that at least reflected completed artwork for 2014’s Heaven at the Canterbury College Of Art, he
something of the ambitious sonic & Earth. “It’s not that they didn’t like wanted to switch to architecture but
worlds they were attempting to create. it but rather that they were bemused. was profoundly unimpressed by the
“When we did The Yes Album, I mean, They weren’t unhappy, but it quickly Brutalist school of architecture’s
that sleeve is pretty lame, isn’t it? became clear to me that they weren’t dominance. “Why on earth do we
Everyone got used to it so now they looking at what they were expecting to Dean’s Gun and design things for people that are
kind of like it.” be looking at,” he says with a laugh. Nucleus covers. boxes? I was told I should read Le
However, when Dean showed up, The band asked him to explain what Corbusier’s The Modulor [series]. I read
Howe recalls the impact of his work he had presented. “To me, the title, them and I thought, ‘What an
upon the group was instantaneous. Heaven & Earth is a partial quote from astonishing load of bullshit!’ I used to
“We were like, ‘Now, that looks Hamlet, where he says: ‘There are more tease architectural students and even
different.’ Our music has always been things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, now when I teach, I say, ‘You know,
unusual and trying to do something than are dreamt of in your philosophy.’ architecture is a theology, a belief
distinctive and we’re proud of that. What I wanted to achieve with the system with delusions of rationality.’
But we’ve also lucked out with a guy title was the idea of something massive And I could say exactly the same about
who has something definitive going and mysterious in some hidden place graphic design. This addiction to the
on as well. Roger gave our sleeves like the Arctic. Then they asked me, design with fonts like Helvetica.”
the wow factor. There’s always been ‘Where did you get the title Heaven The excuse for using such fonts in
a chemistry with Roger. He was & Earth from?’ And I said, ‘That’s your graphic design, he argues, is that it’s
touring with us last year and he’ll be title, that’s the title you gave me.’ And thought to be clean and legible. “It
with us this year.” they said, ‘No, we didn’t! We gave you doesn’t look clean and modern. It looks

52 progmagazine.com

©ROGER DEAN FRAGILE 1971/2020








boring, grey, dull and corporate,” he
says, his voice filled with disdain.
“Graphic design was stripped to
a boring minimum. I mean, I walk
around stores like Waitrose and
Sainsbury’s, which are celebrated for
their modern design. Half a century
ago maybe, but they haven’t changed
one iota since. What’s this look got to
do with making things look attractive
or appetising? It’s just boring as hell.”
Nobody could accuse Dean’s work,
or the handwritten script that so often
accompanies it, of being corporate or ©ROGER DEAN FRAGILE WORLD RED 2020
boring. When Dean returned to the UK ©ROGER FRAGILE WORLD DEAN 2020
as a schoolboy, the impact of two world
wars could still be felt in the way art
and design were taught. “Everywhere
you looked was a grey and sterile world
and what was coming down the pipe Top: the original Fragile intense social, political and artistic and something I absolutely loved and
– the very colourful clothes, the album artwork. revolution. For him, it was about that I just did.”
Bottom: variation
fantastic music, the whole Age Of studies of the same idea. fulfilling one’s potential rather than Dean’s work first came to the
Aquarius thing that was in the air at being boxed in. attention of record buyers with the
the time – brought colour and hope. “As a student, besides all the art release of British rock trio Gun’s 1968
On the technological side, things and design things that fascinated me, self-titled debut album on CBS. In
were equally exciting. Kubrick’s 2001: Doctor Strangely I never really got why they were 1970, he began creating a series of
A Space Odyssey was being made when Strange’s Heavy Petting. separate skills. It seemed to me I could striking covers for the Vertigo label,
I was a student and Concorde was paint like any painter, I could design opening with a die-cut gatefold sleeve
about to fly. As students, we went to like any designer, I could design of Nucleus’ Elastic Rock. Even more
Bristol to look at it being built, and of graphics, I could design architecture, elaborately, Doctor Strangely Strange’s
course, very soon after leaving college, I could design furniture. I did all these Heavy Petting featured two folding flaps
men were walking on the moon,” he things. And it wasn’t because I had die-cut in three places. You might
says, still galvanised by witnessing millions of different talents, it was think that Dean would look back on
first-hand these hallmarks of an because to me they were all one thing his time with Vertigo fondly but

progmagazine.com 53

he wasn’t entirely happy with the
relationship with the label’s art “People have told me
director, Mike Stanford, which he
describes as being oddly dissonant. that they’ve found
“I liked him by the way, quite a clever
guy. He wanted radical and interesting
album covers but he wouldn’t let me members of the band in
have my head and do what I wanted.
So the way he got radical and inventive the rocks on Tales From
album covers was through paper
sculpture. I knew that whenever I had
a suggestion that involved paper Topographic Oceans.”
sculpture, it would work for him.”
These days Vertigo label covers from
the period have become highly prized Roger Dean
collectors’ items, changing hands for
eye-watering amounts that increase
exponentially if the cover has a credit
to Dean.
Dissatisfied, Dean went knocking on
doors asking for work, with his Royal
College Of Art sketchbooks tucked
under his arm. There’s an old saying:
‘Keep a diary, and someday it’ll keep
you.’ One of the doors he knocked on
belonged to David Howells at CBS, and
he gave him a job for the little-known ©ROGER DEAN TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS 1973/2020
Afrobeat outfit Osibisa. If he regarded
some of the Vertigo album sleeves as
dull with not much impact to them,
the airborne elephant that adorned
Osibisa’s 1971 album Woyaya certainly
caught people’s imagination and was
a personal turning point for Dean, who
was then aged 26. “I remember going took the idea of fragility and wrapped
down Oxford Street and seeing a record it around the world, which would be
store window full of that Osibisa cover. very relevant in these days. It was more
On the strength of that, the people at of an abstract idea then. They liked it
the Big O Posters company gave me and it worked.” Dean’s sleeve added
a contract to do posters and that really to the sense of growing confidence
changed my career.” around the band. The booklet stitched
However, the truly life-changing into the inside of the gatefold reinforced
moment came that same year when the sense that this was a band to taken
Phil Carson, the senior vice president very seriously.
at Atlantic Records, peered inside Dean’s impetus for Close To The
Dean’s RCA sketchbook. Though Edge came from wanting to paint
enthused by what he saw, he told a world that was magical, miniature
Dean that he only had two bands – and like a Bonsai; seemingly impossible
Led Zeppelin and Yes – and when but totally credible to the eye. “The
one of them needed a cover he’d give landscape was absolutely inspired by
Dean a ring. When the call came it took the title. I was painting landscapes to
him to Advision Studios to meet up look real and in the most literal sense
with the members of Yes, who were of the word, enticing. I wanted them
recording Fragile. to pull you in and make people want to
“Working with Yes was a fantastic imagine what it would be like getting
treat,” he recalls. “At Vertigo I didn’t on a boat to that island.”
really have that close relationship with Surprised that this floating world
the bands. With Yes it was full-on and was chosen to reside on the interior of
it was interesting and exciting. What the gatefold, Dean came up with the
made it wonderful was there was no simple yet distinguished green leather-
art director involved and they trusted bound look for the front. Warned by
that I knew what I was doing. There someone in the marketing department
was no invigilator saying, ‘Maybe you at Atlantic that “green doesn’t sell,”
should do this, maybe you should do not for the first or last time in his
that.’ It was all down to me and then career, Dean ignored such advice and
talking with the guys. trusted his gut.
“They had the title Fragile and Bill The now-famous logo adorning the
Bruford said the idea was to put the front began life on a train ride from
‘fragile’ label that you would see on London to Brighton. “I started with
instrument flight cases on the album a notion that you can put these three
cover. I didn’t want to do anything so letters together in an interesting way Roger Dean: our guide
to wonderous worlds.
literal. I wanted to do something that and by the time I got to Brighton I’d
54 progmagazine.com

“I do remember somebody asking me precise drawing. It’s so minimalist in
about some symbolism in my work colour with just the faintest water-
and me saying that it isn’t there and colour tints, but it’s not minimalist in
that basically they were imagining it. ideas. The potential for narrative in
This person’s reaction was, ‘How the that painting is enormous. I remember
fuck would you know? You’re just the Jon looking at the painting and saying
artist!’ (Laughs) In a way I know what he wanted to call the album Relayer,
he meant because it’s almost like pointing at the riders and you know
automatic writing: you’re the tool of that image of the messenger. I’d never
another power.” heard it at that point but I saw the
Patterns in the land, those made by title, The Gates Of Delirium. I thought
man and the forces of nature, such as that should’ve been the name of the
dragon or ley lines, have always had album, for Christ’s sake! I’ve just done
a place in Dean’s interests and were a limited-edition print of the cover
part of his thinking for Yes’ most after being pressed to do one for 40
controversial album to date. years. I’ve called it The Gates Of
“I remember in 1973, on a flight to Delirium with Relayer in brackets.”
Japan, Jon came and sat next to me to Asking Dean to chose a favourite
talk about what Tales From Topographic out of these particular covers is a bit
Oceans would be about. All the way like asking a parent to chose one of
from London to Anchorage [in Alaska] their children over another. Dean
I was stoned. I couldn’t talk and Jon laughs wryly when asked to do just
was the same, both of us sat staring. that. “Well, I would have to say that
But after Anchorage, I couldn’t stop the one that’s closest to my heart is
talking. We were flying over Northern what I’m going to call The Gates Of
Siberia and it was just magical out of Delirium. But, week to week it changes.
the window and I couldn’t stop I can go for weeks, a month thinking,
enthusing about a book I’d done the ‘Wow, that was a bloody amazing
cover painting for, which was John piece, I’m so proud I did that.’ But it
Michell’s The View Over Atlantis. It was could be something totally different,
about patterns in the landscape, hence I was going to say a week later, but it
the title. Topography is about maps, could be a day or even an hour later!”
a topographic view of the landscape. he says with a laugh.
That was my take on it.” When Prog caught up with Dean,
pretty much done it.” The design and Tales From Topographic When it comes to choosing it was in the dark of January. He was
its durability validate Dean’s bugbear Oceans. Whose faces do a favourite Dean cover, one he might preparing for an exhibition at the
you see in the rocks?
that distinctive design need not be want to put on the wall of his living Los Angeles Art Show the following
bland or boring. Inspired by his own room, Steve Howe laughs. “I’ve already month. “But what I’ve spent most
visits to the Scottish Highlands and got the original painting Roger did for time doing this year is [talking] on
England’s Lake District, the inner the Beginnings album on the wall,” he the phone and presentations. What
painting of Close To The Edge not only reveals. “But of those he did for us I expect to spend the most time
encapsulates the environments implicit between 1971 and 1974, I’d have to go doing for the rest of the year is
in the music and lyrics but offers for Tales From Topographic Oceans. working on architectural projects
a fictional world that’s big enough to I think in a way it’s the most classically and close on the heels of that, a story
allow listeners to project their own intricate and varied of them all. It’s with interactive elements in it. This
stories and interpretations. so grandiose and with the earth and is a virtual project but the architecture
“People have told me that they’ve oceans on it, for me it has that sense is meant to be completely for-real. It
found members of the band in the of balance. I would say it is one of the will be all curvilinear with spires and
rocks on Tales From Topographic Oceans, The new version of the most incredible sleeves of that era.” all the things you would associate
or that they can find most of them but Close To The Edge Working on 1974’s Relayer cover was with my work.”
not Alan or Chris or whoever,” he says. gatefold illustration. hard, admits Dean. “It was a lot of very As he talks about this as-yet-
unnamed and fully explorable virtual
experience, one gets a tangible sense
of the sheer creative energy that’s
driven him throughout every one
of his 75 summers around the sun.
That young boy who climbed Lion
Rock on his own, who gazed at nine
dragons, who filled his head with
fantastical landscapes and artfully
charted the magical topography of
those lands and oceans he imagined,
all these years later, is still brimming
©ROGER DEAN CLOSE TO THE EDGE II 1973/2020 lucky to be able to join him as he keeps
with the visions he desperately wants
to carry on exploring. We are very

on climbing.
For more, visit www.rogerdean.com
and Trading Boundaries Fine Art
Gallery www.tradingboundaries.com,
phone: (+44) 1825 790200.

progmagazine.com 55

I’ve Seen






All Good






People








High fashion isn’t an area normally associated with prog,
but that could be about to change thanks to Roger
Dean. The artist, whose work has graced countless
Yes album covers, has become the first prog name to
be associated with Italian fashion house Valentino. Here,
he discusses how this unlikely partnership came about.

Words: Sid Smith

s any prog fan yellow-hued landscape better known to
knows, Roger Dean fans as the cover of 1991’s Yesyears box
is no stranger to set, particularly caught his eye. “I liked
seeing his work it, but at first glance I thought it looked ©VALENTINO MENS SS20 COLLECTION
e
A blazoned on a little soft… I thought I could’ve done
m
band-branded clothing. a crisper print job myself. But when We love the shirt, but suspect
it’s out of our price range…
However, the news that Dean was I examined it closely, I discovered it
lending his distinctive designs to the was embroidered,” he says with wonder
Italian fashion house Valentino broke in his voice. “There was another one
new ground. How did this seemingly that used a painting of mine called Red
unlikely collaboration happen? Dragon, that was not only embroidered
“I was approached by what I was just but the dragon had been done with
told was an extremely high-end fashion beads,” he laughs incredulously, clearly
magazine, ie much more exclusive and still taken with the care with which the
expensive than Vogue, and they wanted garment had been made. “I thought,

“I started the collection with this
idea of mental escape, of travelling

with your mind so you have no
boundaries… to imagine worlds.”

Pierpaolo Piccioli

to do a portfolio of my paintings,” ‘My God, this is serious effort!’ It was
Dean reveals. “I said I’d only do it if funny because Pierpaolo told me how
they printed it properly and they did. much effort had gone into it. He said
Valentino saw that and approached me that there were six or seven ladies in
with what turned out to be a very India who were the embroidery team
interesting idea. I met and talked to the they always worked with and they were
designer, Pierpaolo Piccioli. We didn’t working on it for quite a few weeks,
spend months poring over ideas maybe a couple of months. I thought to
together. It was a relationship that was myself, ‘That’s interesting. They must
long distance and fleeting, but one that have started a good month before they ©ROGER DEAN / VALENTINO MENS SS20 COLLECTION
I really enjoyed. He’s a cool guy.” signed a contract with me,’” he laughs.
Keen to see how his work would In an interview with fashion industry
transfer to a formal sartorial setting, magazine Women’s Wear Daily, Piccioli
Dean recalls the first time he saw the outlined the concept underpinning the
finished items. One piece, utilising the approach that saw him adapting Dean’s

56 progmagazine.com

©VALENTINO MENS SS20 COLLECTION







©VALENTINO MENS SS20 COLLECTION








©ROGER DEAN / VALENTINO MENS SS20 COLLECTION work. “I started the collection with this of clothing design higher up his already

busy agenda.
idea of mental escape, of travelling with
“The whole experience was outside
your mind so you have no boundaries,
of my world,” says Dean. “My daughter
no real places to go but to go deeper
into yourself, even to imagine worlds.”
came to the Paris shows and loved every
minute. And because she loved it, I loved
The spring collection, scheduled for
2020, was unveiled at the Paris show in
it. She works in Tokyo and she does
June 2019 with Dean in attendance.
stuff. She and I have often talked about
“I was interviewed by a lady after the
doing a range together, though to be
show there and she asked, ‘What’s it clothing design: very interesting, exotic
like to see your designs on the shirts?’ honest, I don’t think she needs me
I replied, ‘It’s neat. But it’s not the first involved. She could do it without me,
time, you know?’ She said, ‘What do probably a lot better because the stuff
you mean?’ I said, ‘Well, we’ve probably she does is incredibly attractive: you’d
done three or four million T-shirts!’” want to wear it is what I’m saying.
As the models stalked the catwalk, We’re going to be meeting up at the LA
©ROGER DEAN / VALENTINO MENS SS20 COLLECTION suggesting a greater synergy than he’d love do something more ambitious
Art Fair soon so I’m talking to her more
the music was not Yes, as might be
about the idea of working together.”
assumed, but rather Pink Floyd,
Regarding tour merch, Dean says
might be expected between the worlds
of haute couture and progressive rock.
than the humble T-shirt: “Why can’t
we do all-over printing? Hawaiian
That Dean’s visionary landscapes have
shirts? It’s hardly high fashion but it’s
colonised such an unexpected corner
interesting and I do enjoy it.”
of the arts industry is something he
welcomes, he says, and working with
Valentino has pushed the whole notion
See www.valentino.com for more.
progmagazine.com 57

recording studio in southern with this project – obsessively!” explains Observing Böhm’s reaction to their music
France called L’Abeille Rôde has Lazuli’s charismatic frontman, singer/guitarist gave the album its concept.
been a veritable hive of activity Dominique ‘Domi’ Leonetti, who wrote and “The first time we noticed him, he was
over the past few months, where, composed all its lyrics and music. in the middle of the audience, his eyes were
i
k
A e the bee that graces the band’s The album’s release comes ahead of 30 live closed, and he seemed to be getting carried
l
T-shirt slogan ‘Music flies over borders’, dates around Europe this year that include away by the music. As we came offstage,
Lazuli have been buzzing. repeat visits to the UK, as well as concerts I don’t know which one of us said, ‘You saw
Tantalisingly, Lazuli told UK audiences last in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium the guy in the middle of the room. His feet
year that their next studio album would be and France. After their recent week in the UK, were taking off from the floor!’ That phrase
a special one for their fans - and they kept they’ll return in July for concerts in Aylesbury stayed in the corner of my mind and was
their promise. The album, Le Fantastique Envoi as Big Big Train’s guests, then Swindon and probably the trigger for this album.”
de Dieter Böhm (The Fantastic Flight Of Dieter Ramblin’ Man Fair. Leonetti crafted an allegorical tale in which
Böhm) that has since emerged is dedicated The new album will feature heavily on the a musician on a desert island plants a note,
to their devotees, but it’s one of their most live dates, which is a personal thank-you from which becomes a melody, then a song, that’s
well-travelled fans who provides the storyline. Lazuli. “You have to tell people that you love then entrusted to a wave, like a message in
“Last year, we spent some time on the road, them. We often regret not having done it, so a bottle. It’s Böhm who receives the song and,
but with every free moment we worked on the we do it through this album,” through osmosis, becomes at one
new album. I must say I spent days and nights Leonetti says. with the sound.










Lazuli, from left: Romain
Thorel, Claude Leonetti,
Gédéric Byar, Dominique
Leonetti and Vincent Barnavol.







Before embarking on an
extensive European tour,
including Liverpool’s Cavern
Club and Ramblin’ Man Fair,
French proggers Lazuli release
their ninth studio album. Singer
Dominique Leonetti tells Prog
about this fantastic story
inspired by and dedicated to
their fans – one of them
in particular.

Words: Alison Reijman
Images: Prescilia Vieira-Coëlha
FLIGHTS









OF FANCY











58 progmagazine.com
58 progmagazine.com

“Obviously, I would like non-French a talking point because of the obvious allegory
of a man in a flying helmet and goggles sitting
speakers to understand my words, but they astride a dodo!
“Yes, it’s a dodo so it doesn’t actually fly
lose their poetic and metaphorical senses much more than a man. That’s why the bird
has unfortunately disappeared! I found it both
when they are translated.” amusing and pathetic to reinforce the Earth’s
image of a human and his inability to fly by
giving him this mount.
“We write songs with the hope that they “After I finished writing the music, “When I write, images cross my mind.
will be listened to, which may seem like I realised it went way beyond that. I was Artwork is a way of continuing to express
a senseless and desperate act. We are very inspired by my emotions, the ones I’ve felt myself. There is a logic to pursuing
fortunate that they find recipients!” says for the past 22 years dropping Lazuli’s ideas beyond sounds and
Leonetti with a laugh. desperate bottles, and also by the ones words. I am lucky that my
Though Böhm is the eponymous fan, I felt when I was a teen, bewitched by the ‘brothers’ of Lazuli let me
Leonetti stresses that Le Fantastique Envoi de music I loved then.” do this work, so I take
Dieter Böhm is actually about all their fans The album’s artwork, especially advantage of this.”
and much more. the cover image, is again Those ‘brothers’ are
sibling Claude Leonetti
with a Léode, the unique
sound box he created
after losing the use of


































































progmagazine.com 59
pr o gmagazine. c om 59

his left arm; Gédéric Byar on guitars; Vincent
Barnavol on percussion and marimba, and “It’s only a name…”
Romain Thorel on keyboards and French horn. Meet the self-effacing fan behind the new album.
“When we work on the arrangements
together, I’m trying to find, with Claude, Ged,
Vincent and Romain, the sensations I had o to most Lazuli shows and a name. You could change that
during the writing,” says Leonetti. “It’s the job Gyou may well encounter the name to any one of their fans.”
of five people to speak with one voice.” ever-smiling, always friendly Living in south-west Germany,
Is he surprised how non-French speakers Dieter Böhm standing in the Böhm had his first taste of Lazuli
find such a connection with their music? audience getting lost in their at nearby Karlsruhe on February Lazuli changed the festival
“It remains a mystery! Obviously, I would music, offering a helping hand 18, 2012. “I had gone there with their positive mood during
like non-French speakers to understand my behind their merch stand or without knowing anything about their presentation.”
Since then, equipped with just
Lazuli. How lucky I was that
acting as an unofficial roadie.
words, but they lose their poetic and Böhm got word from Lazuli evening! After the concert, I was a backpack, Böhm has quietly
metaphorical senses when they are translated. last year that one of the songs on all excited as I could not believe travelled throughout Europe
Maybe our hearts understand all languages.” the new album would be about what I had heard or seen. Never alone to attend their concerts.
Lazuli always enjoy their visits to the UK, him. This was swiftly followed by had I been so impressed with an So far, his tally is nearly 110 gigs,
but for this forthcoming tour one of the dates another message that the album underdog band, so I bought all with more planned for this year.
will be especially important. “Coming to was to be all about him. their CDs and DVDs at their Despite his numerous
the United Kingdom is symbolically very “I wrote to Domi Leonetti and merch desk.” concerts, he never gets bored
significant for us. Much of the music that fed said to him, ‘Do you really think The band’s breakthrough with their songs, and says,
us comes from you. this is a good idea? This is going appearance that same year “For me, every evening, the
to be a quality product and you
at Loreley’s Night Of The Prog
songs create different pictures
“I was 10 when I first heard A Day In The are going to put my name on it!’” followed, at which Böhm recalls, in my head.”
Life from The Beatles on my portable stereo exclaims Böhm. “I saw there a lot of happy, Jokes Leonetti, “It’s possible
cassette player and I must say that this song However, the affable fan is positive, surprised people. They that Dieter has seen more Lazuli
changed my life. It triggered in me the need at pains to point out: “It is only could not believe the way that concerts than we have!” AR
to make music. Since then, I have been
constantly seeking to regain the sensations
I felt that day.” our friend and tour manager Nellie Pitts who playing at Ramblin’ Man Fair. It will be an
And that would explain the name of their has arranged this incredible surprise for us. honour for us to present our music to a much
recording studio. “Claude and I called it “A few years ago, she took us to visit the wider audience in the UK.”
‘L’Abeille Rôde’ which, in French, means ‘the Real World Studios. Unfortunately, we didn’t
bee prowls’. This is pronounced ‘Abbey Road’ meet Peter Gabriel there. Is there a group Le Fantastique Envoi de Dieter Böhm is out now.
for French people like me who speak English luckier than ours? Visit www.lazuli-music.com for more.
very badly! Therefore, it is supernatural for us “We’re also really looking forward to
to play at the Cavern Club in Liverpool! It is sharing the stage with Big Big Train and




































“I was 10 when I first heard A Day In The
Life from The Beatles on my portable stereo
cassette player and I must say that this

song changed my life. It triggered in me the
Oceans of sound:
Lazuli’s latest is a love need to make music.”
letter to their fans.
60 progmagazine.com



“We are going to come to Europe. We’ve got

a little problem with the other band who


registered the damned name and are trying

to stop us from going to Germany, which

is not fun, but we are trying to deal


with that now.”


























When vocalist Roye Albrighton died in 2016, Nektar’s future
looked uncertain. Now with a revised line-up and a new mission
statement, the British band have come out of The Other Side.
Co-founder Derek ‘Mo’ Moore talks about their new album and
explains what really happened with the other Nektar.

Words: Mike Barnes Images: Jay Petsko

RETURN TO THE








Future


























gmagazine.
o
om
c
62 progmagazine.com
62
pr

Nektar: enjoying the sweet
taste of their comeback.











































e started putting it together
about a year ago and the first
rehearsal was fantastic,” says
bass guitarist and vocalist
“WDerek ‘Mo’ Moore of the
new version of Nektar. “We just clicked again.
It was like going back 40 years.”
The bass guitarist and vocalist’s enthusiasm
for the reformed US-based band, who have
just released a new album, The Other Side,
is tangible. He was one of their founder
members, playing with Nektar from 1969 in
their progressive space rock heyday through to
their dissolution in 1978. Since then, with
shifting line-ups, Nektar have had various
periods of activity and disbandment. Moore
last played with them in 2002.
Things have recently become a bit more
complicated following the death in 2016 of
lead vocalist and guitarist Roye Albrighton,
who had featured in the majority of the band’s
line-ups from 1969 onwards. It seemed that
they had reached the end of the line, but then
in December 2018 a new version of Nektar
announced the release Megalomania, with
an online statement that: “the baton has been
passed [to keyboard player Klaus Henatsch] as
musical lead, producer and head of the band.”
As there’s nothing about that album on the
website now, we can all be forgiven for being
a little confused. As it turned out, Megalomania
was actually released under the name New
Nektar. Moore’s Nektar, meanwhile, features
drummer Ron Howden, the only constant
in Nektar’s line-ups since their inception.
Moore explains the situation, and how the
two variants came to be:

progmagazine.com 63

“When Roye died, Ron was left holding Derek ‘Mo’ Moore:
the bag. And Klaus Henatsch, who’s been bass guitar, vocals.
a sideman for the band [since 2007], said to
Ron, ‘Now I’m in charge and I’m going to call
the shots on the production and what we do.’
And Ron said, ‘Well, I’m the original guy
here and I’m not going to do that.’ So he left
and when he came back to the States he said,
‘Will you help me get a band together?’ and
I said, ‘Sure.’ We then reached out to [guitarist
and vocalist] Ryche Chlanda, who played
with us in 1978.”
The line-up also features Randy Dembo,
who played bass with Nektar in the early
2000s – now also on bass pedals and
12-string – and keyboard player Kendall
Scott from Chlanda’s band Flying Dreams.
“We had him come down to the studio and
I knew after a few notes that he was going to
fit,” says Moore.
They also approached lyricist and lightshow
man Mick Brockett, who originally joined the
band in January 1970.
“Nektar was a music and light theatre –
the music was enhanced by the lightshow, the
lightshow told the story, so it was a concept
rather than a band,” says Moore. “But that got
lost over the last 30 years or so and I brought
Mick back because I wanted to have that same
feel that we had in the beginning.”
Much of The Other Side was recorded live in Ron Howden:
drums, percussion, vocals.
the studio and consequently it sounds fresh
and full of energy. It feels like it’s informed by
all stages of the band’s career, from acid prog
to hard rock to more melodic near-pop, but it
clearly nods back to their 70s sound. In fact,
most of it dates back to unused material from
1978, but these works-in-progress have been
extensively rewritten by the new line-up,
including new musical sections, ideas from
jams and new lyrics.
When asked if it was difficult making this
album without Albrighton, Moore replies,
“First of all, we feel that Roye was there with
us.” Also, most of the music originated from
a time when Albrighton had briefly left the
group, but in an affectionate tribute to their
ex-guitarist, The Devil’s Door – which was
played live but never recorded – begins with
his guitar introduction from a reel-to-reel
recording of a show from 1974.
Going back to their 1971 debut, Journey To
The Centre Of The Eye – which follows the
story of an astronaut abducted by aliens who
then receives their knowledge – Nektar’s
most defining work has had a conceptual
basis. The Other Side was prompted by the
death of Albrighton and their live soundman
Vinny Schmid and deals with themes of loss,
longing and the division between life and
death. And typical of classic Nektar, the title
track extends to 18 minutes.
“SkyWriter is a story about a guy whose
significant other/wife/girlfriend, dies and
he is up in the sky writing letters to her,
hoping that she can read it, so every song has
a connection to the other side,” says Moore.
“If you listen to the double album in the
order that we have it you get a story. If you
change the order around you get a different Randy Dembo: bass
guitar, 12-string
story. The idea is to use your imagination guitar, bass pedals.
on the album. We’ve given you the themes.
64 progmagazine.com

Ryche Chlanda: The other side is where Roye and Vinny what you have and it might give you other
guitar, vocals.
now reside, and lots and lots of friends. It’s ideas, but you can’t enhance what you don’t
something that’s inevitable for all of us and have. We would jam for 10 hours straight and
we wanted to take you on that musical trip. then pick out pieces – that piece would go
To my mind this album would have been nicely over here. We wrote a lot of music.
a great follow-up to Recycled [from 1975]. Now we’re just doing drugs for blood pressure
It’s got a great feel to it.” and cholesterol.”
Like many English musicians in the 60s, When Nektar moved from Germany it was
the group that were to become Nektar – over to the USA where Moore still resides, and
then The Upsetters – had gone over to for a brief period they had significant success
Germany to play the American military bases. there, with their 1973 album Remember The
“Then the guitarist left and Roye had been Future hitting number 19 in the Billboard
jamming with Ron when they were in charts, Down To Earth (1974) reaching number
Hamburg, and we offered him to come with 32 and Recycled (1975) reaching number 89.
us and we clicked from day one,” Moore Down To Earth was a concept album about
recalls. “The first gig we played, we’d never the circus with the group augmented by
performed together before and we jammed a brass section, PP Arnold on backing vocals
the whole night. It was wonderful.” and Robert Calvert playing the role of the
Nektar made Germany their home and ringmaster. The songs were shorter now and
occupied a unique position as an English more accessible, but it was still pretty weird
band in the thick of the emergent krautrock and not what one might associate with the
scene. Their lengthier excursions were not taste of your stereotypical American punter.
dissimilar to those of German groups such Can Moore enlighten us as to why they
as Amon Düül II. Does Moore think that achieved this success?
those bands influenced Nektar? “Remember The Future was huge over here.
“I wouldn’t say ‘influenced’ but we know I think a lot of it was that FM radio played the
them all,” he responds. “Amon Düül have hell out of it,” he explains. “In St Louis they
been friends of ours for years and a lot of were playing it on rotation and when we went
other German bands, like Karthago and Guru to play there the first time we sold out three
Guru. We used to play festivals with them all shows at the Ambassador Theater – 3,000
Mick Brockett:
visual environment. of the time. Everybody had their own thing people a night.”
going. The beauty about Germany was they While the venues aren’t as big this time
were just sucking up anything new, they around, Nektar are currently touring in the
weren’t interested in pop music, they were US and have sold out shows in St Louis again.
just interested in new music, so we were right But things are set to be less straightforward
in there.” in Europe where New Nektar are now also
Although Nektar made quite a name for calling themselves Nektar. The situation is
themselves in their adoptive country, from a close reflection of the case of Bonzo Dog
a UK perspective they were the odd band out. Doo-Dah Band, who made a successful
British hairies were aware of them, but it was complaint to the Intellectual Property Office
difficult to get a handle on them as they didn’t after former promoter Bob Carruthers’
play as extensively in the UK and didn’t get company had registered their name.
much coverage in the music press, which only “We are going to come to Europe,” Moore
added to the enigma. asserts. “We’ve got a little problem with the
“We headlined a festival in Düsseldorf in other band who registered the damned name
1973 and everyone and their mother were on and are trying to stop us from going to
the bill – Gentle Giant and all kinds of people Germany, which is not fun, but we’re trying
– and they were all saying, ‘Who the hell is to deal with that now.
“They’re playing in Germany, which is
“To my mind this album would have confusing the hell out of the fans. They were
playing as New Nektar and put the album
been a great follow-up to Recycled. [Megalomania] out as New Nektar, then their
manager went and registered the name. We’re
It’s got a great feel to it.” spending money on lawyers right now. How
the German patent office didn’t look into what
they were registering I have no idea.”
this band who are headlining?’” Moore recalls. But Moore is feeling positive about Nektar.
“It was strange; we were an English band but The bass guitarist hadn’t played at all since
we were living out in Germany.” Nektar reunited to play at the 2002 NEARfest
Given the era, the band’s spacey music, and he’d been running a construction
spectacular lightshow and the title of their company, from which he has retired. And
1972 album, A Tab In The Ocean – with its now he’s rejoined a career trajectory he
mind-bending cover art – were any psychedelic couldn’t have imagined back at the group’s
drugs involved in the writing of their music? birth in 1969.
“I think all of them,” says Moore, laughing. “It’s a trip,” he says. “I didn’t expect to be
“We were most definitely doing psychedelic doing it again but when I did, I had a vision of
stuff back then. It was an awesome scene, it the band and when we started playing it just
really was, but we got through it okay!” grew. And the album turned out so well, we had
But did all that actually help them creatively? to go on tour with it. We had no option.”
“It might have done but if you don’t have
Kendall Scott: the creativity to start with it’s not going to do For more information, head to the official website
keyboards, vocals.
anything,” Moore says. “You can enhance www.nektarsmusic.com
progmagazine.com 65

Harrison White brings he time is now for us
the dramatic flair.
to take this to the next
level,” Novena singer
Ross Jennings proclaims,
“Tand with the level of
confidence oozing from his voice, it’s hard
not to believe him.
He’s speaking on the cusp of the release of
the hard-edged prog rockers’ debut album,
Eleventh Hour. Excitement is ricocheting
around the six members, and they’re proud
of what they’ve recorded – rightly so.
Jennings, though, has already reached
that next level and then some with his ‘day
job’ fronting genre heavyweights Haken:
headlining tours across the world, supporting
acts like Devin Townsend and being able
to count members of role models Dream
Theater as fans.
“It’s actually really refreshing to be among
musicians again, who are hungry – hungry
for it to make a difference, you know, so it’s
nice. It’s nice to be in that environment,”
Jennings says about life in Novena.
Does that mean his other group is in danger
of becoming complacent? “No, not really,”
he replies with a chuckle. “But you can get
comfortable when you get to a certain kind
of routine, you know. So it’s just nice to go
back to grassroots and feel that passion and
energy again.”
Novena attracted attention in Jennings is joined in Novena by a notable
the prog world a few years ago cast of musicians and, interestingly, a second
vocalist in the shape of Gareth Mason. The
with their debut EP – not least group, whose members are spread across
because it featured Haken’s Ross England, is completed by guitarist/keyboardist
Jennings on vocals. With their and composer Harrison White, Dan Thornton
on guitar, bassist Moat Lowe and Cameron
first album now in place, the Spence on drums.
only way is up for the six-piece. It’s not just Haken that’s intrinsically linked
to Novena, though, with its other members
Words: Chris Cope clutching credits from acts like The HAARP
Images: Oli Duncanson Machine, No Sin Evades His Gaze, Slice The
Cake and Slugdge.
In their simmering cauldron the sextet
conjure up a whirlpool of light-yet-dark prog
Men as it will those of Yes. Juggling the cutting
that should give as much to fans of Opeth






Hour
Of The
























66 progmagazine.com
magazine.com

“It’s nice to go back Ross Jennings: not giving up his day
job, but loving his moonlighting.
to grassroots and


feel that passion and


energy again.”


Ross Jennings
edge of contemporary prog metal with poppy
hooks and an adventurism that grabs the
six musicians by the hand and takes them
wherever the hell they want to go, dynamics
are key.
A case in point is the album’s seventh
song, Corazón, which – as its lyrical story
is set in Cuba – dissolves into a Spanish-
themed soirée complete with flamboyant
guest vocals. A word of warning: if you
haphazardly listen to it in the background,
it might make you think you’ve accidentally
tuned into an episode of Strictly Come Dancing.
It’s little wonder, though, as White has
a background in musical theatre, brushing
dramatic flair into each nook and cranny of
the songwriting.
There’s also 2259, which in the first few
minutes manages to feature a choir, uplifting
prog rock, screaming vocals and Jennings’
typically lofty wails, while the celestial
keys-plus-plunging guitar of Lucidity’s intro
harks back to early Haken. The roots are
in rock, but the branches shoot off in all
different directions.
“As far as I’m concerned our music has
a lot of the aesthetics of the sort of bands
that you would call prog,” White says, “but
really what matters to me is the kind of
storytelling and we kind of use whatever
genre of music or whatever direction the
music needs to take to serve that.”
Lyrically, Eleventh Hour pivots on the
poignant theme of the lead-up to death;
something that’s an inevitability in life,
but one we’re not always prepared for.
“It’s a concept album for sure,” White
explains. “It’s not a concept album necessarily
like a single linear story, but there are lots
of these different stories that interweave.
“It deals with the [tales] of people who are
coming towards the end of their lives basically
in different ways, so some of these characters
meet and intertwine. Some of them don’t,
some of them are very isolated. But it’s all just
about looking at real human beings.
“We’ve set some of them in these fictitious
environments and some of them are based on
true stories. It’s just about exploring that and
trying to find some joy in it as well as, you
know, a great deal of catharsis. There are
definitely a few songs on this album that are
directly related to personal experiences.”
Musically, the record evolves Novena’s
spiky prog sound, which is unlikely to dodge
the Haken comparisons anytime soon. Not
just through Jennings’ flighted vocals, but
in the band’s penchant for guitar happy
grandiosity and cunning chord

progmagazine.com 67
pr o gmagazine. c o

progressions. The group, though, are keen to While Novena released their debut EP, or Gareth would have any interest in joining
forge their own identity. Secondary Genesis, in 2016, the roots of the a tiny little band like ours.”
“In terms of influences, there’s so much to band took hold in 2012 during a Haken gig in “I heard the demos with Harrison singing
it,” Jennings says. “If you knuckled it down, London. White, and bassist Lowe, supported on them and normally I’m quite selective with
you could pinpoint a few staple prog bands. the group in their previous band before what I put my voice to,” Jennings continues,
I can hear Opeth in quite a few songs. There’s becoming friends with the prog metallers. “so it was testament to how strong the
actually a few tracks I could relate to the kind The two musicians continued working on material was or how much potential I thought
of music we do in Haken, but even that’s drawn music together after their group split up, and there was with this stuff.
from such a variety of different influences – Secondary Genesis was later born. It needed “Once I had those demos on [I thought]:
with prog music you really draw upon so many. vocals, though, and White contacted Jennings ‘Yeah, I’m doing this for sure.’ I went into
I also get a strong sense of Harrison’s musical and Mason, assuming they wouldn’t stick the studio in Brighton and recorded the
theatre background in a lot of the pieces as around after their sessions in the studio. Secondary Genesis material and we’ve done
well. So there’s definitely a theatrical and “I contacted Ross and Gareth to do a handful of shows, low-key performances
cinematic element to a lot of the compositions. Secondary Genesis on like a session kind of of that material. Ever since then we’ve just
“I think we’re all going to accept that there premise,” he recalls. “So they were going to been building towards this first album.
are going to be comparisons drawn [to Haken]. come in and record the parts, I’d pay them Really the time is now for us to take this to
However, there’s so much more to what we’re and then we’d actually use that to try and the next level.”
doing and we have this other element where find vocalists who would stay in the band An album launch show is in the diary for
we have two vocalists, for example, so there’s permanently, because at that time, you know, London in early April, but White’s busy
a lot more screaming vocals happening.” I was about 19 years old, I didn’t think Ross mind and hands are already squeezing out
new material, although don’t expect to hear
“If I go too long without it anytime soon. “If I go too long without
scribbling some kind of bizarre thoughts
down, then I sort of feel like I’m wasting
scribbling some kind of away,” he says with a laugh.
In the meantime, expect Novena to
continue their ascendency, whenever their
bizarre thoughts down, schedules allow, that is.
“Who knows? The sky’s the limit,” Jennings
then I sort of feel like replies when asked how far the group could go.
“I’m a strong believer that if you visualise
things, it can make them happen for yourself.
I’m wasting away.” So we believe that this could be a big project.
I’m strongly behind that.”

Eleventh Hour is out now on Frontiers Music.
Harrison White See www.novenaband.uk for more.


Novena, L-R: Gareth Mason, Moat
Lowe, Cameron Spence, Harrison
White, Ross Jennings, Dan Thornton.









































68 progmagazine.com

CELEBRATING THE VERY BEST OF


PROG MAGAZINE



Inside this second volume, you’ll fi nd the stories behind such landmark albums as
Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here and Mike Oldfi eld’s Tubular Bells, in-depth interviews
with Ian Anderson, King Crimson, Opeth and more, plus the 100 greatest prog anthems.















































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Danish composer Amalie
Bruun, aka Myrkur,
plunges into Norse
mythology and folk on her
third album, Folksange.
Prog finds out about her
inspiration and how
motherhood has affected
her musical outlook.

Words: Rob Hughes
Images: Shawn Brackbill

Earth















Mother
























































70 progmagazine.com

hree years ago, Amalie Bruun Gammelkäring now forms part howling black metal and hymnal
posted a video of herself on of Folksange, the latest album from symphonies. “For me, it’s been in the
YouTube, performing the Bruun’s alter ego, Myrkur. The Danish works for many years,” she explains.
traditional Nordic folk song, singer-songwriter has thrown herself “Folk music has been present in my
G
T ammelkäring. It’s an ethereal into the realms of Scandinavian folk, other albums too, but I felt the need to
piece of film. Bruun sings while playing balancing traditional tunes with create something different with this
a nyckelharpa – an ancient key harp original ones. It’s a brilliantly assured one. I wanted to really study these
– on a lakeshore in northern Denmark. collection, marked by evocative string songs before I picked which ones to
The positive reaction took her aback. arrangements, drones and the use record, because folk music is fluid. It’s
“When I saw the response to it of ancestral instruments including very important to go out and perform
worldwide, I realised that maybe it’s the mandola, lyre and, of course, it with other people, or to have the
not just me who’s interested in this nyckelharpa. The crowning glory is audience singing along. It’s less of
kind of music,” she tells Prog. “I’ve Bruun’s bewitching voice, a weightless a singer-songwriter thing and more
always played folk music, it goes back thing that sounds like it may have of an interactive, community feeling.
to my childhood. It’s such a deep filtered up through the ages. Folk music is meant to be played live.
universe that you can dive into. There Progressive folk isn’t new to Bruun. That’s what the songs are there for.”
is an endless amount of it, from all But she’s never sustained it on record So was she ever tempted to chuck
different times in our history. And like this before. Folksange is certainly some black metal into Folksange, for old
I’m definitely still in the learning Songs from the sea: far removed from her previous album, times’ sake? Rock out a little, maybe?
process with all that.” Myrkur’s Amalie Bruun. 2017’s Mareridt, which brought together “Not at all,” she says with a laugh.







































“I wanted the listener to put on


the first song and enter this


universe. Then you don’t leave


until the album’s over.”
















progmagazine.com 71

“I wanted the listener to put on the that get into your bones. And that’s pregnant and having this baby is the Bruun goes back to her
first song and enter this universe. what you can tap into.” biggest thing that’s ever happened roots on Folkesange.
Then you don’t leave until the album’s At the same time, Bruun wasn’t able to me,” she says. “It’s extremely
over. There’s nothing that takes you to fully assimilate all these diverse overwhelming and empowering, but
anywhere else. And I think me and interests until she’d quit Ex Cops and there’s also the physical aspect of it.
Chris [Juul, producer] succeeded.” returned home. Part of her reasoning Because I was pregnant when we were
Just as folk music can be seen as for starting again as Myrkur – making the album, I felt quite bad
a living connector between past and Icelandic for ‘darkness’ – was a need for most of the recording. I felt so
present, Folksange provides a link to to cast light on a particular strain of nauseated sometimes.”
Bruun’s earlier life. The daughter of Nordic folk music that she feels has As much as Folksange burrows
guitarist-producer Michael Bruun, been neglected over time. into traditional song, some of it, by
who first came to prominence in “Centuries ago in Denmark, because contrast, is deeply personal. None more
Denmark with rockers Thors Hammer of the king and Christianity, they set so than Gudernes Vilje, which translates
and Sensory System during the 1970s, up certain rules about what music is,” as ‘The Will Of The Gods’. Bruun
she was playing classical piano and Bruun explains. “And this became wrote it after suffering a miscarriage
violin by the age of five. She grew up church scale choral music, which before she became pregnant with Otto.
surrounded by folk tradition and the basically consists of 12 notes. Before It’s a difficult subject for her to talk
sun stories of Nordic legend. that, there were many more to choose about, but she wants to address it.
“I went to this unorthodox school from, which is why there’s so much “I still don’t want to listen to that
where it wasn’t so much about rules,” expression in old folk music. You hear song,” Bruun declares. “‘The will of
Bruun recalls. “We learnt about Norse it in the same way that you do Persian the gods’ is a saying that we have here.
mythology and things. I don’t want music, for example, or Indian music. However you want to turn an event
to say it was a hippie scene, because Or even blues. When you listen to like that into something bearable, not
it wasn’t, but there was room for a blues singer you’re like, ‘Is that everyone would turn to the gods. They
everyone and they would rather have
you play music than be bored doing “I’ve always played folk music,
maths or whatever. So folk music came
to me through my teachers and also
my mum and dad, who were interested it goes back to my childhood.
in it too.”
Her deeper journey through folk
music is an extension of that formative It’s such a deep universe that
education. “Some of the songs on
Folksange have been with me for a long
time, others I’ve only discovered over minor? Is that major?’ You don’t know. you can dive into.”
the past few years. It really is like going So it was an expression of a more
to school. I’ve met a bunch of experts folksy, pagan way of life, but suddenly
and teachers along the way: some of people decided there was no room for would just say, ‘This wasn’t meant
them are good on certain instruments, that kind of music. In a way, it was seen to be.’ I don’t know how other people
some of them know the history, others as uneducated music. People can be so get through it, but that’s how I got
understand the meaning behind dogmatic about religion, or at least through it. Luckily, I’ve met so many
certain songs. It’s something that takes their version of it.” women that have had this experience,
years. But then it’s also an artistic or One of the most striking pieces on so you get welcomed into this sad,
creative outlet that you interpret for Folksange is Tor I Helheim. It’s a perfect very loving kind of club. There’s a very
your own life, which is why these sagas illustration of Myrkur’s ability to strong female community around that.
or folk tales are so universal. They’re shape something fresh and vital from It’s certainly something that helps if
all to do with humanity.” archival sources. “I had these lyrics you’ve been through it.”
Prior to reinventing herself as from an old poem about the Icelandic Bruun talks about the importance
Myrkur six years ago, Bruun released sagas,” says Bruun. “The whole history of somehow finding peace with the
a self-titled album under her own name of that was reinterpreted during the situation. It helps that her maternal
followed by a string of EPs. She moved national Romanticism movement of bond with Otto is so strong, as is the
to New York in 2008, aged 23, where the 1800s. Adam Oehlenschläger was lineage between Folksange and the
she formed Ex Cops, alongside Brian Denmark’s national poet and there’s women in her family. The album
Harding. The dream-pop duo released a book about these brutal sagas called cover, for instance, is taken from
two albums, the second of which Guldhornene – The Golden Horns – a painting by Norwegian artist,
(2014’s Daggers) was even executive which he rewrote in very artistic tones. Hans Dahl. It depicts a blushing
produced by Smashing Pumpkins’ Tor I Helheim is taken from that. I ended girl, knitting basket over her arm,
frontman Billy Corgan. up writing a melody and chords for that strolling through a summer
Aside from featuring in a Chanel poem. Norse mythology is in my blood, mountainscape. The picture
advert, directed by Martin Scorsese, it’s just part of who I am.” itself hangs on Bruun’s wall
her time in the States also broadened The softer panorama of Folksange at home, just an hour’s drive
her musical outlook. “I lived in New isn’t the only point of difference from Copenhagen.
York for several years and there’s between the new album and its “I inherited it from my
a real love of prog there,” she explains. immediate predecessor or Myrkur’s grandmother,” she reveals. “It’s
“You can sense that it’s part of the 2015 debut, M. Bruun has undergone something I loved as a child,
city’s history, it’s a kind of natural some major life changes since Mareridt. because I imagined it was me
development. So that’s when I was Two years ago she married Keith in that painting. And I feel like
exposed to prog. It’s definitely Abrami, drummer with US black metal it planted some early seeds of
something that I’ve been able to bands Artificial Brain and Shredded. Myrkur itself, in a way. I was
appreciate. In the end, it’s all just Now they have a baby son, Otto. having a discussion with
music, right? As a songwriter, you Understandably, this brought its own Chris over what the album
have a skeleton of music and chords challenges in the studio. “Becoming cover might be and when

72 progmagazine.com

I told him about this painting, he just
lost it: ‘That is what you should do!’
“My grandmother was pretty
awesome, but very politically incorrect,”
continues Bruun. “She’d smoke
cigarettes out of a holder made of ivory
and would wear fur inside the house.
She’d be drinking gin and tonics at
10am. My other grandmother, on my
mother’s side, was one of the first
people I ever talked to about Icelandic
sagas. She was a teacher and very well
read. Very smart and independent.
She was always encouraging me to
play music. She’d say, ‘You don’t need
an education, just go out and do it.
Don’t waste your time.’ It was so great
to have that kind of support.”
The very wonderful Folksange may
soon be upon us, but Bruun isn’t yet
ready for the rigours of touring. Aside
from a few European festival dates in
the summer, including Germany’s
Summer Breeze, she says she’s in no
great hurry to get back out there.
“I think this album is a good one to
send out and allow people to get to
know it,” she says. “I just want to see
how I feel. In the metal scene, people
release albums just so they can get
out there and tour. I don’t really care
for that. Right now, I really am just
a mother. I’m still in that bubble.”

Folkesange is out on Relapse on March 20.
See www.myrkurmusic.com for more.
















































progmagazine.com 73

Biff Byford






He’s the frontman with NWOBHM legends Saxon, with whom he recorded the headbanging classics Denim
And Leather and Wheels Of Steel. The Yorkshire rocker cut his teeth in a prog band, has sung with prog power
troupe Avantasia, and has recently released his first ever solo album, written with Opeth guitarist
Fredrik Åkesson. So now we have to ask: How prog is Biff Byford? Words: Malcolm Dome


o doubt some of you are but Paul Quinn, who was the guitarist
wondering: “What on earth “In the early 70s, I used in that band and has been in Saxon
is Biff Byford doing in Prog?” since the start, might have a copy. It’d
Certainly the Saxon to see bands like Yes and be great to listen to it again now. After
Nfrontman is one of the iconic Genesis when they came all these years it could sound very…
heroes of British heavy metal, but is erm, interesting!
there any connection between him and to Barnsley Civic Hall or Sheffield “One song we had was titled On His
progressive music? Well actually, yes City Hall. At the time, I was Majesty’s Pleasure. It was about being in
there is. prison, and was a very lengthy tune
“I enjoy prog music,” he proclaims heavily into the whole that certainly came from the interest
with considerable enthusiasm. “In the prog scene.” we all had in what was happening back
early 70s, I used to see bands like Yes then in prog. I suppose if I had to
and Genesis when they came to explain how Coast sounded, then I’d
Barnsley Civic Hall or Sheffield City on what we picked up from listening to have to say that we were like Queen,
Hall. At the time, I was heavily into the Yes. In fact we used to play Close To only a lot more obviously progressive.
whole prog scene. There just seemed to The Edge and Roundabout in rehearsals. “Not many people know this, but in
be so many great bands around, all of Saxon’s debut album, We never did them live in front of an the very early days of Saxon, when we
which included two
who sounded very different from one proto-prog tracks. audience. But we loved trying to work were still known as Son Of A Bitch, we
another and had a big influence on me out what Yes were doing on these did try to adapt On His Majesty’s
as a budding musician.” songs. It was a real challenge.” Pleasure, to see if we could make it
Byford was actually in a progressive- Although Coast never released work with the new band. But it never
style band for three years, from 1973, anything, they did record some demos. had the same feel as we got with Coast.
before heading to find fame with “Somewhere around there’s I think that was because that band
Saxon. “We were called Coast, and a cassette of music we did on a four- were a three-piece – I was on bass as
definitely had a style that relied a lot track tape machine. I don’t have a copy, well as being the vocalist – and Saxon
were a five-piece. We just couldn’t find
Wearing denim and leather: Saxon a way to really pull this off properly.
hang out backstage at London’s When you’re a trio, there’s a lot more
Hammersmith Odeon in 1979.
freedom to jam and try out ideas. You
tend to be more constrained when you
have four instruments. That’s why I’ve
always loved bands like ELP and Rush.
They’re trios who just seem to have so
much space in which to work their
brilliance. Maybe that’s why Saxon
have always gone down very
straightforward musical paths, rather
than take unexpected detours. And
I love what can happen when you go
for the latter approach.”
As a budding bassist in the early 70s,
Byford was inspired heavily by what
Chris Squire did with Yes.
GEORGE BODNAR/ICONICPIX me. I was fascinated listening to the
“Oh, he made a big impression on
way he got the bassline to weave in and
out of the melodies the band had.


74 progmagazine.com I wish I’d been capable of doing

Biff Byford: man of metal
who grew up on prog.





























































































om
c
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pr
progmagazine.com 75
gmagazine.
o

The best of pals: Biff Slapstick TV show Tiswas was perhaps nearly responsible for a prog
and Lemmy. supergroup when they brought together Den Hegarty, Rick ‘Big Ears’
Wakeman, Sally James, Fred Wedlock, Cheryl Baker and Biff Byford.






BRIAN RASIC/GETTY IMAGES







some of the stuff that he recorded.
I would attempt to copy it, but was
never quite good enough to pull it off.
However, I’ve never lost my admiration
for his use of unusual time signatures.
As far as I am concerned, what this
man did really created the signature
sound for which Yes were rightly so Saxon’s Killing Ground
famous. When you hear his brilliance includes perhaps the
on something like Roundabout, you just second-best version of ITV/SHUTTERSTOCK
The Court Of The
cannot imagine anyone else playing it. Crimson King.
He was a role model for me when I first
picked up the bass. I even had two
Rickenbackers, because this was what That appeals to me. Great writers like making sure the words I write and sing
he used.” Rush, Peter Gabriel and Jon Anderson mean something, and not just be about
Prog was also major inspiration for tell stories in their lyrics. I’m not indecipherable sounds to go with the
Byford as a lyricist; he’s never been suggesting that I’m comparable to any music. I draw inspiration from my
“Say I don’t like prog and
content to merely follow the sex, drugs you’ll get this, mate!” of them, because these people are interest in history and also from the
and rock’n’roll approach. unique. However, I love to tell books I read. I owe all of this to being
“When you read the lyrics of many stories in what I write, and a fan of prog. Of course, there has to be
progressive songs, they introduce you I took this approach from room for lighthearted, fun songs, and
to worlds full of mysticism and magic. these giants of prog. I’ve written a lot of these over the
These words paint pictures of different “I’ve adapted what years. But I enjoy the satisfaction of
universes, where you can they do to suit myself. knowing that there are lyrics I’ve done
easily become totally But what they taught which stand alone and make semi-
immersed in what’s going on. me was the intelligent reading. At least I hope they
importance of do [laughs]! This is the closest I get to







reflecting my connection with
progressive music in what I do with
Saxon. But I am proud that I have done
this for a long time, and continue to
introduce fans to what fascinates me
as a human being. Without my passion
for prog, then I really doubt I’d have
had the confidence to do all of this.”
While Byford believes that his
lyricism is the closest he gets to
mirroring an abiding affection for
prog, things might have been so
different on Saxon’s self-titled debut
album released in 1979. If the
frontman and aforementioned
FUTURE OWNS guitarist, and fellow prog fan, Paul
Quinn had been allowed the creative
freedom they’d have liked, then that

76 progmagazine.com

Don’t Shout!
There’s no Your Shout for Outer Limits this issue. Few of our
readers will know about Biff’s love of prog or that there’s
some proggy sounding stuff on his solo album, so if we do
a Your Shout it’s likely to be mostly a lot of readers
wondering just why a heavy metal singer is in their
favourite prog magazine. But please, read on...

“That was something I thought would
be really interesting for us to do. It’s not
a song we’d ever done live, but it appealed
because it wasn’t so well known as, say,
21st Century Schizoid Man. In fact there
were Saxon fans who thought it was one
of our own compositions!
“The version we put out was really
good. But what we’d originally recorded
was fantastic. I wish people had gotten
to hear that one, because the mix was
brilliant. Unfortunately someone lost
what we’d done, and therefore it was
necessary for us to go back and do it all
over again.
“I’d like to have tackled a Yes cover at
some point as well. The problem is that
whatever we’d have chosen would have
been too obvious, and that didn’t appeal
to us.”
On School Of Hard Knocks, his first solo
album, Byford is now embracing more
of his progressive leanings. He’s also
worked closely on this with Opeth
guitarist Fredrik Åkesson.
“I’m a big admirer of what bands like
Opeth and also Dream Theater have
been doing in recent years, the way
record could now be seen as more of they’ve taken prog metal forward.
a progressive trip than it turned out to Fredrik is a wonderful guitarist. He
be. And Byford feels that the blame for can play in any style at all, and
the absence of a more proggy inclined EUGENE ADEBARI/SHUTTERSTOCK collaborating with him on this album
style rests firmly on the shoulders of has enabled me to explore different
producer John Verity. facets of my musical ambitions.”
“Paul and I came from Coast, where There’s clearly a more open celebration
we were able to pursue a proggy path. of prog on this album and that’s
And the way we wrote back then was came from musically, and they didn’t Blonds have more fun? something that is particularly evident
a lot more in that vein. But John really have any real interest in prog. Still, we Byford has had more on the seven-minute centrepiece track
wasn’t into this. He wanted the band to did get one concession on Frozen than his fair share. The Pit And The Pendulum.
head for a more melodic, AOR style, Rainbow, and that was a guest “Obviously, that’s been inspired by
and that’s where we ended up going. appearance from Rod Argent on the Edgar Allan Poe story, and working
“There were two tracks on the album keyboards. Of course, through The with Fredrik on this means that prog
which could have easily been a lot Zombies and Argent, he was something fans will find it intriguing – at least
of a prog master, so at least this gave I hope they will.”
Paul and I a slight opportunity to show Byford will be doing a solo UK tour in
everyone how this track had been Byford’s new solo album April. Billed as The Spoken Word And
conceived in the first place.” might surprise many. Live Music Show, it will feature many of
However, in 2001 Byford did get the the songs from School Of Hard Knocks,
longer, and therefore more in the vein chance to pay homage to his prog plus anecdotes from across his
Paul and I were keen to pursue. One allegiance. That was when Saxon distinguished career. There might also
was Judgement Day and the other was decided to record a version of King be one or two surprises.
Frozen Rainbow. Originally, these were Crimson’s landmark anthem, The Court “I play bass on a couple of the album
both closer to 10 minutes in length, Of The Crimson King on the Killing tracks, so I may do the same thing on
with many more verses and very Ground album. stage, and try to tap into my inner Chris
complex rhythms. But John didn’t like Squire! There will be a few covers in the
these the way they stood, so he got us setlist as well. This could be my moment
to chop them down to what he thought “Chris Squire made a big to revisit one of those Yes songs
was a more manageable length. Had I mentioned earlier, ones that I used to
they gone on the album in their initial impression on me. I was do in private with Coast. It’ll be fun to
state, who knows where the band fascinated listening to the finally do these for an audience.
would have gone? Things could have “I hope prog fans will now appreciate
been very different for us. way he got the bassline that I truly love this music.”
“To be fair to John, he was right, to weave in and out of the
because Saxon was never just about School Of Hard Knocks is out now on
what Paul and I wanted; we had to take melodies the band had.” Silver Lining. Visit the official website
into account where the other guys www.biffbyford.com for more.

progmagazine.com 77

Founded at the height of the financial crisis, RareNoiseRecords
have beaten the odds not just financially but also creatively.
Co-founder Giacomo Bruzzo talks about the past, present
and future of the genre-beating label.

Words: Sid Smith Images: Anthony Dawton

78 pr o gmagazine. c om
78 progmagazine.com

ne night in 2011, Giacomo The importance of music when it
Bruzzo found himself walking comes to wellbeing is well documented.
through the streets of Genoa’s How many times have you heard, or
old town in the city he’d called perhaps said yourself: “I don’t know
h
i
O s home until the early 90s, what I’d do without music”? In
Download the FREE 10-track sampler when he’d left for academic life in Bruzzo’s experience this is especially
from www.bitly.com/ProgSampler London. On his headphones were the true. Music, he explains, lifted him out
or scan the QR code below rough mixes of tracks submitted for of a dark period in his life. It was while
release on RareNoiseRecords, the undertaking a PhD in mathematics at
label Bruzzo co-founded with Eraldo Imperial College London in 2006 that
Bernocchi in 2009. The project was he says he hit a brick wall.
called Naked Truth and featured “Things were pretty bleak. I left but
trumpeter Cuong Vu, King Crimson a year later I was unwilling to go back
drummer Pat Mastelotto, pianist Roy to the world that had made me so ill.
Powell and bassist Lorenzo Feliciati. So I had a bit of a problem: What am
Although Bruzzo knew of the players I going to do with my life?”
and their reputations, up until that After a couple of years of soul-
point the music hadn’t gelled with him. searching and experimenting with
“It had been with me for a very long various media projects, he founded
time and, for whatever reason, I’d not RareNoiseRecords – albeit with no
been able to make up my mind about previous experience of the business
whether I wanted to release it or not,” or running a label. “I knew my music
he recalls. “Then, BOOM! That night history but nothing about how to run
as I was walking it suddenly clicked a business,” Bruzzo says with a chuckle.
with me for the very first time. I got in “I read The Future Of The Music Business
touch with the band immediately and by Steve Gordon and lots of other
told them I was sorry it took me so similar books, and I basically vanished
long to ‘get’ the music.” from the face of the Earth to bookworm
The resulting album, Shizaru, joined my way into understanding the
RareNoise’s growing discography – industry and how to make records.”

“This part of the musical spectrum is

populated by unbelievable labels who
are works of art in themselves.”



which currently stands at 105 releases, Taking a leap of faith is something
and there are plans for more later in that Bruzzo is quite used to. Along
the year. Such creative success feels with his co-founder, guitarist and
like a minor miracle given the producer Eraldo Bernocchi, RareNoise
prevailing economic conditions in quickly carved its own eclectic place
which all small labels find themselves in the world. The inclusion of Bill
operating, especially those who release Laswell’s Method Of Defiance project
music that could politely be described in that first tranche of releases helped
as being on the outer margins of to establish the label’s credibility, and
public taste. Yet Bruzzo remains upbeat provided Bruzzo with the useful calling
and irrepressibly optimistic when card he needed to be taken seriously.
discussing the future of an industry Looking at their subsequent
that’s seen as being in a constant state discography one can see the needle
of flux. Perhaps his sanguine attitude is swings around all points of the stylistic
a result of RareNoiseRecords’ baptism compass. There’s Chat Noir’s chilled-
of fire? out vibes, Naked Truth’s jazz-infused
“At the time we launched, the world grooves, Sonar and David Torn’s sleek
had come to an abrupt halt because of pointillism, Led Bib’s delicate
the Bear Stearns collapse and the credit Canterbury-esque song cycles, and
crisis having just happened,” he says. Gaudi’s hyper-mix improvs. Elsewhere,
“So that was an extra challenge. In the there’s Bobby Previte’s reconstruction
music industry, several distributors of rock and 15th-century choral work,
went tits-up and that meant, in reality, and the incendiary heavy metal
we were launching the label into a void collision of Berserk! Regardless of
at a time that was extremely turbulent pigeonholing, what each of these and
for a new business. It was worrying, of all the others have in common is an
course, but when the ground is moving abundance of distinctive character, or
under you, you have to learn to be able as Bruzzo neatly puts it, “an absence
to think on your feet and run very fast, of tedium”. One thing that you can
because if you don’t you will be guarantee is that anything appearing
crushed. Those kinds of difficulties, on the label isn’t going to be bland.
if you can survive them, give you great “It could be a particular chord,
insights and experience.” a group of notes, or a passage, or the

progmagazine.com 79

RareNoise Recommends
What’s on your free RareNoise digital album.
Bit of a handful:
RareNoiseRecords Download the 10-track sampler from www.bitly.com/ProgSampler
currently boast Chat Noir – Quasar (Reprise)
105 releases.
Taken from Hyperuranion
On their seventh release, the forward-
looking trio Chat Noir conjure their own
transcendent space beyond genres where
electronica, rock, jazz and ambient music
meld into a rapturous hybrid.
Sonar and David Torn –
Waves and Particles
Taken from Vortex
After three uncompromising albums
exploring the edges of minimalist groove,
the Swiss group have partnered with David
Torn for their RareNoise debut.
Led Bib – Stratford East
Taken from It’s Morning
It’s Morning retains an identifiable sense
of adventure and virtuosity while marking
texture, but the music has to propel I think I can put things on a map and a vast departure from previous recordings,
and veers into the realm of elusive, poetic
me, to lift me in some way,” he says. get a sense of where they’re coming narrative and lysergic beauty.
Another striking aspect of the label from and perhaps where they hold
is the loyalty it shows to artists, with clues for future development.” Gaudi – Opus 12, No 7
some notching up multiple releases Rather than viewing other labels Taken from Magnetic
over the 10-plus years of its existence. as competition, Bruzzo cites his Gaudi was given access to all the
Bruzzo believes that acting as a sort of admiration for them. “We’re not multi-track recordings underlying all
matchmaker, bringing in players from unique. This part of the musical of RareNoise’s releases with a mission to
different backgrounds and disciplines, spectrum is populated by unbelievable manipulate and recombine into new tracks.
This is progressive cosmic dub-rock.
can lead to exciting combinations. “My labels who are works of art in
role is that if I see a gap, I can highlight themselves,” he says, going on to point Lorenzo Feliciati and Michele
it and make suggestions,” he says. out that the one thing they all have in Rabbia – Sidereal
Taken from Antikythera
Named after an ancient Greek astronomy
“When the ground is moving under you, tool, this album traverses myriad moods,
from haunting soundscapes to dramatic
you have to learn to be able to think on your crescendos to intimate piano trios.
feet and run very fast, because if you don’t Lorenzo Feliciati and Colin
Edwin – i-Dea
you will be crushed.” Taken from Twinscapes
Feliciati teams up with Colin Edwin to make
a potent statement. Features trumpeter
Nils Petter Molvaer and Van der Graaf
The notion of loyalty to musicians common is that they’re driven by Generator’s David Jackson.
also extends to the label’s customers. individuals who, in a sense, act as Mumpbeak – Saw
“What I find interesting is that over tastemakers. In an age where playlists Taken from Tooth
time you build that rapport also with and recommendations are increasingly Mumpbeak conjures up memories of
people who buy the records,” Bruzzo the products of automation and vintage King Crimson, Emerson, Lake &
explains. “Each year we run [an algorithms, Bruzzo argues that there’s Palmer and Gentle Giant. Features Lorenzo
initiative called] Leap Of Faith which something intrinsic about the Feliciati and drummer Torstein Lofthus.
enables people to buy the entire output involvement of real human beings who
for a year upfront.” This has obvious love music with a passion. The other Bobby Previte – Alleluia
benefits in terms of pre-sales, but problem with the large platforms and Taken from Mass
Bruzzo says it’s about more than that: streaming services, he argues, is their Bobby Previte re-imagines Dufay’s choral
“The people who do take that leap of desire to create a corporate monopoly epic Missa Sancti Jacobi. Mass includes the
faith with us tend to do it again and that governs and directs taste and acclaimed early music chamber vocal
again and become the best kind of musical choices. group, Rose Ensemble, and Sunn O)))
ambassadors for the label.” “They don’t understand that the guitarist Stephen O’Malley.
Bruzzo avoids being dogmatic about strength of the industry is not the Red Kite – Ptah, the El Daoud
the music he pursues and is sceptical Colossus but the network and the Taken from Red Kite
about following the advice of so-called organism. The ones that survive will The debut from this Norwegian quartet is
industry gurus or subscribing to be a builder of connections to others.” a tempest of swirling psychedelia, heavy
received wisdom. “People just don’t But will there be another 10 years rock crunch, prog virtuosity and free-jazz
have the data. There’s no scientific of RareNoiseRecords? Nobody has a experimentation. Features members of
basis for many pronouncements about crystal ball, but you get the impression Elephant9, Shining and Grand General.
the industry and its future, so I do that Giacomo Bruzzo has no intention LEF – Aran Has Changed
what I think is right. The principle is of quitting. If he has anything to do Taken from Hypersomniac
that what we do has to make sense with it, RareNoise’s next decade is Lorenzo Esposito Fornasari’s debut as
from a historical perspective. The only going to be as exciting as its first. a leader is easily his most ambitious and
way I can gauge this is because I’ve impressive undertaking to date. The album
always been an avid record collector Leap Of Faith 2020 is now available to serves as the soundtrack for a dystopian
and listener across many decades, so pre-order. See www.rarenoiserecords.com tale of a society based on mind control.

80 progmagazine.com

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He was the frontman of Wang Chung and collaborated with Tony an international level. The band gave us a level
Banks on Strictly Inc, but now Jack Hues has teamed up with Syd of success that enabled me to carry on making
music for many years to come.”
Arthur to explore a different sound on his long-awaited solo debut. Some history, then, is necessary before we
Here, he talks about his journey from new wave to Canterbury. dive into Hues’ often powerfully melancholic
album. As one of its themes is the passing
of time, it’s appropriate. Hues’ dad was
Words: Chris Roberts Portraits: Joel McGill
a saxophone player and “there was always
music in the house” growing up in Gillingham,
but when Jack heard The Beatles’ Please Please
ot many artists can claim to have “Everybody Wang Chung tonight!” was just Me on the radio, “I had a distinct sense of
had a hit song quoted by Frasier one step on the journey towards what is, thinking: ‘Ah, this is my music!’” He learned
Crane on the classic sitcom Cheers, surprisingly, Hues’ first solo record. Primitif, guitar, encouraged by his parents to study
scored Hollywood movies, made a double album rich with genre ignoring music “properly”, undergoing classical training
a
N n album with Tony Banks, played twists and turns, is “as close as I’ve got to at Goldsmiths.
jazz alongside Syd Arthur, and won a Prog what I wanted a record to be”. “Did it come in useful? Later on, with The
Award (in the Outer Limits category). But The thoughtful, soft-spoken Canterbury Quartet, who are jazz musicians, yes. Being
Jack Hues – (real name Jeremy Ryder; his resident, who recently turned 65, muses, able to write scores for them. With a rock band
pseudonym puns on the French “J’accuse”) “I guess this makes me a late starter, in you just have unending rehearsals and learn
– has had an unorthodox, convention-defying a sense. But I was 30 when Dance Hall Days everything by rote.”
career. Frasier beaming as he declared: was a hit and made Wang Chung visible on The rock band, or perhaps new wave pop
band, with whom he made his name came
about after demos with Nick Feldman (they
met through an ad in Melody Maker) got
them signed to an indie and played on John
Peel. In 1981 Arista snaffled them up. Huang
Chung (“yellow bell” in Chinese and the first
note on the Chinese classical musical scale),
later tweaked to Wang Chung because
people were struggling to pronounce it,
were ringing out. Their 1982 debut was
produced by Rhett Davies of Roxy Music/
Genesis/Eno fame (“a pleasure, a treasure”)
and ’84’s Points On The Curve by Chris
Hughes (Tears For Fears, Adam And The
Ants), a supporter to this day (his label
released The Quartet). Dance Hall Days
emerged from that period and Wang Chung
FIN COSTELLO/REDFERNS/GETTY IMAGES Wang Chung: having and Let’s Go wowed the US. To many,
opened for The Cars on tour. But bigger hits
were to follow, as Everybody Have Fun Tonight
Stateside, one whiff of those catchy choruses
and it’s the 80s in excelsis.
“I wrote Dance Hall Days when I was still
recalls Hues. “At the time it was just ‘the

o
gmagazine.
c
82 pr fun tonight, clearly. doing a bit of guitar teaching in schools,”
om
82 progmagazine.com

Jack Hues:
Primitif man.









































“I used to play Watcher Of The Skies


every morning before I went to school,


to get me through the day.


I was pretty obsessed with it.”





























pr o gmagazine. c om 83
progmagazine.com 83

next song I wrote’. I always link it with Little Jack Hues has poured his heart
Feat, the way Lowell George phrased things, into his new solo album.
that shuffle, the way they push the beat.
But people recognised something in it, and
suddenly everybody was being very nice to
us! We’d worked with Tim Friese-Greene, but
were told the Americans would ‘get’ us more
than the British did. And that intuition was
right. We were the first up-and-coming band
signed by Geffen, hence – a lot of attention!”
And were those dizzying days fun, crazy
and exhausting?
“It was… disorientating. Amplified by the
fact that I’d divide my time between LA and
London, because I had three kids by that point.
Family life was very grounding, but it was
sometimes hard to adjust from ‘rock star’ to
haggling over prices in Camden Market…”
As for the oft-quoted catchphrase: ‘Everybody
wang chung tonight’ – albatross or apex?
“The whole thing was pretty weird, y’know?
My tendency is always towards the more artsy
approach. Nick had the idea for that song, and
I saw it as an almost ironic Hey Jude-type
anthem, like: pop music’s all about celebration
but how can you celebrate in a terrible world?
I was off on that track. Of course, the record
company heard it as a party record! In some
ways it was quite challenging and alienating.
But we’d done more creative work with
William Friedkin, and from the label there was
an element of: ‘Now give us a hit!’”
William Friedkin may be known to most
prog fans not just as the director of The

On the road with Joel
McGill of Syd Arthur.



















WILL IRELAND/FUTURE OWNS







Exorcist but as the man who played some Chung’s demise (they later reformed particularly like writing lyrics either. So I went
part in distracting Peter Gabriel away from intermittently) and what would have been down to The Farm and hung out with Tony.
Genesis. In ’85 he sought out Wang Chung his first solo album being shelved by landing There’s some good stuff on that record.
for the soundtrack to his film To Live And Die a gig as Tony Banks’ collaborator of choice I possibly tried to pack a little too much into it.
In LA, and five years later, just before the for the 1995 album, Strictly Inc. We could’ve relaxed more but it was a lovely
band’s split, asked Hues to score his movie “I was a huge Genesis fan in my teens. working relationship, and we still see each
The Guardian. “He phoned me originally, as I used to play Watcher Of The Skies every other, go for a curry. I recall, though, I said:
the band was falling apart, and that was like morning before I went to school, to get me ‘Why don’t you get the old Mellotron out?’
the cavalry coming over the hill. Then he said through the day. I was pretty obsessed with Because it was stashed away in the barn.
he’d love to work with me again. I’m the only it. So to get that call… Well, I’d been working And Tony just went pale, because to him the
composer he’s ever asked twice.” with [producer] Nick Davis on the solo music, memory of all those nights on tour playing
Speaking of Genesis, Hues bounced back and he suggested me to Tony, who writes his an old Mellotron that had fallen apart with
from the twin disappointments of Wang albums but doesn’t like singing and doesn’t certain notes not working just meant trauma.

84 progmagazine.com

“Family life was very grounding, but it was


sometimes hard to adjust from ‘rock star’ to haggling


over prices in Camden Market…”



of it. It’s odd, because I didn’t know that coming. I put them together in interesting
much about the Canterbury scene when shapes. Recording is very much about illusion,
we made it. But Chris made me a CD of Egg, like making a movie. Whitstable Beach, for
Hatfield And The North, Caravan, etc, and example, never breaks out into a resolution,
I really got into it. It does slot in with that in it generates tension: that’s how I was feeling
many ways. And Syd Arthur are very much at the time. Margate Train is probably the
in the mould of those self-determined bands. darkest and most melancholic. You Will Kill
A couple of them became students of mine The One You Love is influenced by the way
for a while, when I was teaching again, and Dylan writes about living and loving on more
their knowledge of Soft Machine and all recent albums.”
the offshoots is encyclopaedic. Gigging And yet oddly for such a personal statement,
together generated a lot of possibilities he opens with a cover of Bacharach’s The Look
for improvisation.” Of Love and closes the fourth side with an
The Syd Arthur chaps feature on Primitif, extended, hard-rock-meets-Miles-Davis
as Hues at last launches his solo debut, reimagining of Lana Del Rey’s Video Games.
though it is primarily all him at heart. And “Some friends have said it should start
heart is something it displays in abundance. with one of my own songs, and I grasp that.
He has also spoken of it as addressing “love, But The Look Of Love was a song that, when
loss, grief and despair”. I was 12 or 13, I played with my dad in his
“That’s complex to talk about really,” he dance band, so it has an echo of childhood
says. “The initial impetus was personal loss. for me. And on that track, all the musical
My wife passed away six years ago now. So ideas for the album are in embryo. As for
there’s loss of love [and] loss of youthful the Lana Del Rey song, I really love the
idealism. A lot of the songs have an dysfunctionality at the heart of the
relationship she’s singing about. That dual
Jack Hues proudly drawing impulse: adore the lover, but don’t. The
our attention to his Outer chords are beautiful, but also I wanted to
Limits Prog Award.
trash all that, just have a relentless power,
use fragments of the lyric in a bigger dynamic
thing. It’s an affirmation of the impossibility
of that perfect romance, but somehow you’ve
got to keep aspiring for it.
“I don’t expect people to listen to all four
sides of vinyl in one sitting, by the way. It’s
designed so you can maybe have a cup of tea
and reflect after each side! And the title
references both the means of production and
the means of expression. I’m trying to get in
touch with raw emotions, though me being
me it all became very elaborate.”
As Hues has pushed himself to his outer
limits here, we have to ask: is it prog?
“I think it’s so many things,” he muses.
“I was fortunate to grow up at a time when
nobody defined themselves by genre. Any
DEAN FARDELL band could express themselves any way.”
So how did it feel to win a Prog Award?
“In some ways I was surprised, but that was
completely overridden by extreme gratitude.
He was much happier with his Yamaha autobiographical narrative. But there are To be adopted by a community, if you like.
keyboard with all its samples. I’d say: ‘Well also themes that cross over with books I was For many years, having a career in America
that’s okay, but it’s not the real thing, is it?’ reading: Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain, but not really here, I felt a little isolated.
And he’d just look at me in a slightly Peter Kingsley’s Reality, and Carl Jung’s So being embraced by these musicians and
despairing way.” theories on how dream reality is of no less eccentrics is just fantastic, and couldn’t have
Moving to Canterbury in 1998, Jack soon significance than everyday reality. The album come at a better time.”
inhaled the air that had once given us the tries to exist in all these different frames.” Spend some quality time with Primitif: it’s
Canterbury scene. Jamming sessions became, Its scale and unpredictability demand an a journey as labyrinthine and fascinating as
“quite organically”, The Quartet. His old investment from the listener too. Jack Hues’ own.
friend Chris Hughes suggested an album “Yes, it being a double album is important.
on his indie label, Helium. “We had so much The White Album, Soft Machine’s Third, Sign Primitif is out on March 20 via Dawn Chorus
fun doing that in Bath. All instrumental of O’ The Times… these had a presence and Recording Company. See www.jackhues.com for
course, no singing, so it’s purely for the love mystery about them. The songs just kept more information.

progmagazine.com 85

The






Second






Coming








After the success of its maiden edition last year, Prog Katatonia: got an obscure
song you want them to play?
looks forward to Prognosis Festival’s return this March. Let ’em know!

Words: Phil Weller
hen Prognosis Festival, in the southern city of Eindhoven,
Netherlands, was announced last year, the prog world
stood up and took note. Not only did the organisers have
a stellar and diverse line-up that celebrated acts both
s
W ablished and young acts eager to prove themselves,
e
t
but they also had a vision to match the progressive minds driving those artists.
Musician clinics, art exhibitions and insightful conferences about the music
industry created a multi-dimensional environment. Fans didn’t just show up,
grab a beer and enjoy the music, they immersed themselves in the event and its
championing of left-field, forward thinking music.
“We loved the first edition,” reflects Rob van der Donk, head of marketing and
communications at Loud Noise. “It was a dream come true.”
This year, Loud Noise returns with the second edition of the festival. Says
van der Donk: “We’re extremely proud to have a great line-up of bands and clinics
from a lot of the performing artists, like Baard Kolstad, Paul Masvidal and Roger
Öjersson. But we’ve also got [Opeth guitarist] Fredrik Åkesson too.
“Costin Chioreanu’s exhibition of artwork inspired by the music of Katatonia is
absolutely something to see. During the conferences this year we’re focusing on
producers, promoters and managers in the prog scene. Some of the best in these
categories will be in our panels. Clinics will mostly be given by artists who also
perform at the festival.”
With more bands and an almost tangible, burgeoning excitement around the
second edition, Prog spoke to the acts who’ll be bringing their personalities and
musical hors d’oeuvres to Prognosis’ table.

FRIDAY ENSLAVED
Ivar Bjørnson, guitars: “We are
playing homage to the Norse mythology
KATATONIA that we’re inspired by and we will be
Jonas Renkse, vocals: “We’re really going way back across our 30-year
looking forward to playing Prognosis career with our set. We’re honoured
Festival! Playing a ‘by request’ [set] to be part of the Prognosis Festival
will be very exciting and unpredictable because it’s dedicated to fresh music
for us. I like playing the older or more and Holland is a bit of a second home
untouched stuff so we’re hoping we for us too. There’s just something
will get to play something unexpected. about the very open-minded crowd
“It’s nice to see some niche festivals in The Netherlands that we’ve really
these days. I think it creates a real connected with.
bond between the audience and the “I’m curious to see Katatonia play,
artists. Unfortunately Bruce Soord what they’ve been doing on their last
is playing the day after us – I would three albums is pretty nifty. As well PRESS/WILL IRELAND
have loved to see his set and catch up as Focus on the Saturday. They are
with him afterwards!” absolute legends.”

86 progmagazine.com

ALSO PLAYING
THE FIERCE & THE DEAD
With a sound that journeys between
grease guzzling stoner rock and trippy
synthwave, their charm lies in their
devious diversity and continues
Prognosis’ trend of nurturing lesser-
known talents.
DILEMMA
Fresh from their reunion tour
supporting Flying Colors, this Dutch/
British act, featuring former Frost*
vocalist Dec Burke, will be setting the
scene for the festival with melodic,
contemporary prog rock.
SATURDAY

PRESS/ESTER SEGARRA ANATHEMA
Vincent Cavanagh, vocals and
guitars: “From what I heard about
last year’s festival there was a massive
buzz about it – I think the promoters
Anathema: they’ll be there have caught on to something that
because they’ll be there.
people really want. Eindhoven is a great
city and the people just seem to want
cool music.
“We’re Here Because We’re Here was
an important album for us. Previously
we played very dark, melancholic
music but this album was the first time
we started incorporating other colours
in our music. Some of these songs
haven’t been attempted live before and
PRESS/ROY_BJØRGE some we haven’t played since 2010.
I like the theatre of playing an album
Enslaved: the
Norsemen cometh! from start to finish so we’re looking
forward to it.”
The Fierce & The
Dead: your new SONS OF APOLLO
favourite band?
With the amount of talent in this
band, from drumming talisman Mike
Portnoy to keyboard wrangler Derek
Sherinian and beyond, they were
understandably shackled with the
‘supergroup’ tag upon the release of
their debut album, Psychotic Symphony,
in 2017. But with 2020’s barnstorming
KEVIN NIXON/FUTURE OWNS prog metal affair, MMXX the US
five-piece have broken free from those
chains, proving themselves to be
a band with incendiary individuality
and invention. Expect fireworks and
a crash course in prog metal majesty
from some very fine musicians.
FOCUS
Thijs Van Leer, vocals, keys, flute:
“This is the best band we’ve ever had,
it’s exciting, romantic and we are all
100 per cent into it. We’ll be playing 60
per cent hits and 40 per cent new stuff.
“It’s very nice for us and also very
rare to play a progressive festival in
Holland. I think it’s very important to
Sons Of Apollo: have a festival for this kind of music,
so much more than as prog is an undervalued part of the
just a supergroup. PRESS music industry.”

progmagazine.com 87

LONG DISTANCE
CALLING The essential info…
Jan Hoffman, bass: “We are
headlining the second stage and it will FRIDAY, MARCH 20
be a special Stummfilm show, which KATATONIA
ENSLAVED
means we’ll have a guest musician and WHITE STONES
special visuals. As an instrumental SERMON
band, sound and atmosphere are really THE FIERCE & THE DEAD
important to us: the set will be very DILEMMA
dynamic and epic, and the crowd
will witness an extraordinary audio- SATURDAY, MARCH 21
visual experience. ANATHEMA
“We’re hoping to hang out with the SONS OF APOLLO
Anathema guys afterwards. It’s a great FOCUS
LONG DISTANCE CALLING
line-up and we’re looking forward to PRESS CELLAR DARLING
being there to watch some great bands MASVIDAL
and play a special show ourselves.” BRUCE SOORD
MARATON
CELLAR DARLING RENDEZVOUS POINT
Merlin Sutter, drums: “This is THE NEW DEATH CULT
exactly the kind of show we love to SCARLET STORIES
play these days: it feels very good to be
part of this exquisite line-up. Our new TICKETS: Weekend tickets cost from €89
album is progressive in the best sense in advance, or you can purchase day tickets
from €49 for Friday and €59 for Saturday.
of the word, I think, ranging from A collector ticket is also available for €94.95.
maximum volume and energy to very Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
quiet and fragile moments so it will be Tickets will only be available on the day if
very rewarding to play it at Prognosis. the event hasn’t sold out.
“I’m excited to see all of the bands PRESS/URS GANTNER Tickets to the conference and clinics must
on the bill, especially Rendezvous be purchased separately.
Point and Sons Of Apollo, who feature
one of my early musical heroes with LOCATION: The festival takes place at
Mike Portnoy.” Effenaar, Dommelstraat 2, 5611 CK
Eindhoven, Netherlands. It’s situated in
the city centre, within a 10-minute walk
MASVIDAL of Eindhoven Central train station.
Paul Masvidal: “I always want my
shows to be as authentic as possible, TRAVEL: Eindhoven is easily accessible
delivering the work as best I can. The by train, bus and coach. If you prefer to fly,
audience might experience a cathartic, Eindhoven airport is about 30 minutes away
shamanic and therapeutic journey by taxi or local bus.
inward through the use of song, sound
and vibration. The vibe in general is DISABLED ACCESS: Email the Effenaar in
meditative, heart-centred, and calming. advance to discuss your requirements at
[email protected]
It’s music to alleviate depression.”
BRUCE SOORD PRESS/STEVE BROWN OTHER ATTRACTIONS: As well as stalls
and an art exhibition of Costin Chioreanu’s
Bruce Soord: “As an avid Prog reader (Opeth, Voivod) work at Effenaar itself,
I read the round-up of last year’s event Prognosis will also be holding a conference
and I remember it having a really great RENDEZVOUS POINT Long Distance Calling and prog clinics at Dynamo, Catharinaplein
line-up, so when I was asked to play Featuring Leprous’s mathematic (top), Cellar Darling and 21, 5611 DE. This secondary venue is around
Bruce Soord: all 10 minutes away from the main venue by
this year it was a ‘yes’ straight away. drum machine Baard Kolstad, these
extremely happy to be
It will be a very relaxed set where Norwegian progsters unite maze-like playing Prognosis. foot, but with limited space we advise you
buy your add-on ticket in advance. Clinicians
I’ll spend a lot of time talking to the song structures with cutting, heartfelt will include Paul Masvidal, Jens Bogren and
audience explaining the songs because vocals, finding the perfect balance Baard Kolstad.
they’re quite introspective. But what between eccentric and accessible.
I’m really looking forward to is enjoying ACCOMMODATION: Eindhoven city centre
the rest of the festival after my set like THE NEW DEATH CULT has host of hotels and affordable options
a punter and having a few beers.” A band who claim to be from outer for accommodation. Check out the venue’s
space, these cosmic musicians guide website for special offers over the festival
ALSO PLAYING a 70s rock sound down epic reaching, weekend: www.effenaar.nl/info/hotels.
progressive paths. Their fun, hook-
laden songs make them a perfect ABOUT THE LOCATION: Originally housed
MARATON festival band. in an old linen factory, Effenaar moved to
its current, purpose-built location in 2005
A crafty blend of Meshuggah, Muse and has continued to grow in importance
and astral melodies, the Norwegian SCARLET STORIES within the Dutch live music scene. The
band’s debut album, Meta, is a glorious From the neighbouring city of Tilburg, venue is modern, spacious and well laid
combination of genres and emotions. they aptly describe their music as out for a multistage event. It also boasts
The band have recently been touring “blood red stories painted by dark a restaurant-cafe with a terrace.
with Leprous so expect to hear some progressive rock”. Their dramatic,
seriously powerful modern prog emotive music will be flying the flag DISCLAIMER: All details are correct at time
anthems when they play Prognosis. for new Netherlands prog. of press. Visit www.prognosis-festival.com
for the latest updates.
88 progmagazine.com

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Arc
Upwards






















When they released their self-titled debut in 2008,
Diagonal were tipped for great things. A decade on,
Prog catches up with keyboardist Ross Hossack, saxist
Nick Whittaker and drummer Luke Foster to find out

the trials and tribulations of their latest album, Arc.
Words: Fraser Lewry
Image: Louise
Haywood-Schiefer





















ack when Prog Magazine was but Mechanism line-up,” says drummer Luke “One of the worst things ever said in the
a mere puppy, it unleashed its first Foster, relaxed in a cosy pub in the shadow confines of a Diagonal room was several
issue upon an unsuspecting of Lewes Castle. “We were working in years ago, when someone said, ‘That doesn’t
world. As is traditional with such a rehearsal space, and we had five or six sound like Diagonal,’” says keyboardist Ross
B publications, a CD of music from tracks. We were almost ready to make an Hossack, almost indignant at the memory.
up-and-coming artists from the progressive album. And then several members decided “And I don’t think that’s something we
music realm was attached to the cover, and they weren’t really into it, that it was should ever say. I find it really interesting
there, eight tracks in, were south coast becoming more of a chore. So we decided when you have bands like, say, Slayer – who
hopefuls Diagonal. The song was Semi- to have a break for a month. And that turned I love – who do the same thing over and over
Permeable Menbrain, the opening track from into three years.” again. They do it really well, but I wonder if
their self-titled debut album. “A waltz Cut to 2020. The band’s third album, Arc, any of them think, ‘I want to do something
through the obscure sounds of the early came out a few months ago. Alex and Daniel else.’ They’re trapped by their success.”
70s,” we wrote. “This is some of the best have returned. And Arc is very much a return Recorded in a nine-day stretch at Echo
new prog we’ve heard.” to form. It’s airier than its predecessor – the Zoo, a residential studio in Eastbourne, the
The album was greeted with glowing band members all profess a love of ambient sessions didn’t quite pan out as originally
reviews, and for a while it seemed Diagonal music – and beyond the usual Canterbury planned. “We went in with four pieces of
might become a hot property. But the music scene/krautrock influences you’ll find music we were just going to record,” says
business is a fickle mistress, and the band sounds and rhythms pulled from many Hossack. “I was coming and going because
faltered. Singer/keyboardist Alex Crispin a musical nook and cranny. 9-Green is I had to go to work, and the first time I came
and bassist Daniel Pomlett departed, and typically atypical of the band: a dreamy back they’d made the decision not to do any
a new line-up released a follow-up, The Second Afrobeat shuffle, a vocal that sounds like of those pieces apart from one. I remember
Mechanism. The sound had changed. It was David Byrne, and the kind of otherworldly thinking, ‘That’s fucking mental!’ but there
heavier, darker, and largely instrumental. atmospherics favoured by the enigmatic was a real feeling that we should trust each
The reviews glowed less brightly. Nigerian funkster William Onyeabor. other, and that it would be fine.”
“Three years ago we were working our “I like it when things collide,” says Foster. Instead, the band jammed for two and
way towards a third album, with the Second “That’s kinda what progressive rock is about.” a half days, then sifted through the tapes,


90 progmagazine.com

Going off on a tangent:
Brighton’s Diagonal.

























































reconstructing and assembling the album in the morning, so we went into the studio “We just want to carry on making music,”
from what they found, adding overdubs and had a really relaxed jam, and came up adds Hossack. “When you’re 23 and you get
where necessary. with this ambient, blissful piece of music. that glimpse that maybe you can ‘make it’,
“It was semi-foolhardy,” says saxist Nick The only overdub we did was to add the sax.” that feeling fades for most people. But what
Whittaker. “But we got there in the end.” If the word ‘jam’ fills you with images of you’re left with is the pleasure of doing it.
Indeed they did, and Arc is packed with meandering, pointless, Grateful Dead-style And that’s always the most important thing.
surprises. Stars Below sounds like the kind of noodling, fear not. For Diagonal’s workouts “I remember being at my job and going
song Simon & Garfunkel might have come have resulted in something rather beautiful, out on a fag break on the day the first album
up with had they been raised in Kent rather with songs that have been purposefully, came out, and my colleague asking about it.
than on the mean streets of Queens. The
Spectrum Explodes changes the mood entirely,
with an urgent rhythm propelling the song “I like it when things collide. That’s kinda
towards a woozy climax. Warning Flare drops
the pace again, entering into an atmospheric, what progressive rock is all about.”
Crimson-esque dreamstate, while The Vital
is seven and a half minutes of ambient Luke Foster
swaddling, with sounds and themes shifting
in and out of focus. When bands are unsure skilfully sculpted rather than haphazardly And obviously I was really proud, but the
their inclination is often to speed up, but hacked together. And there’s more to come, best part was actually making the album.
Diagonal keep things interesting by doing with a fourth album in the pipeline. And it’s the same with this album. On the
the opposite, allowing the songs to settle “I think our focus from here on will just day it comes out you get the vinyl and that’s
and breathe. be creating new stuff,” says Whittaker. fucking great.” He pauses and adds: “But the
Arc is an album that appears to have “Even though there was that seven-year best bit is doing it. Always.”
benefitted from the spontaneous nature of gap between albums, we were quite active
its construction. “The Vital was done in one amongst ourselves, recording stuff that will Arc is out now via Cobblers. For more, see
take,” says Foster. “It was one or two o’clock hopefully begin to see the light of day.” www.facebook.com/diagonalband.


om
c
91

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progmagazine.com 91
gmagazine.
o

NICK


BARRETT




The Prog Interview is just that: every month we and see-sawing fortunes as well
get inside the mind of one of the biggest names as the regulation line-up changes,
yet they managed to hold their
in music. This issue, it’s Nick Barrett. The own creatively and commercially.
guitarist and vocalist formed Pendragon in 1978, Still retaining a strong following
who went on to become key players in the 80s abroad, Pendragon endure, with
last year’s belated box set, The “It’s important
neo-prog scene. Signed to John Arnison’s Elusive First 40 Years, offering a part-live,
label, the band never quite reached the same part-remixed collection of songs that there’s
dizzying heights as Marillion but have maintained from their preceding 10 albums. a genre
Barrett recently relocated to
a strong and very loyal fanbase around the world. the coast of Cornwall near Bude, and there’s
Last year, Pendragon released a lavish 40th where he and his girlfriend Rachel a number of
anniversary box set and recently followed this up run a small but highly rated B&B,
The Barn (“surfers and bikers artists doing it.
with their 11th studio album, Love Over Fear. Prog especially welcome”), which
catches up with Barrett to talk about the highs benefits from stunning views of If there was
and lows of Pendragon’s career and find out why the countryside and out to sea at just one band
Widemouth Bay.
he considers the band to be an open marriage. Those new surroundings seem there wouldn’t
to have had a strong influence
Words: Johnny Sharp Portraits: Rachel Wilce on Love Over Fear, which is quite be a Prog
often effusive about the Magazine.”
revitalising effects of
n Who Really beginning of being closer to nature.
Are We?, the prog’s long “Peter [Gee], our bass
penultimate track residency as player, said, ‘You can
of Pendragon’s the love that almost feel the sea’,”
Onew album Love dared not speak Barrett reveals, “and
Over Fear, Nick Barrett sings, ‘To its name), who I definitely think the
my mind it’s a miracle we got this missed out album has an uplifting All of the above are enveloped
far.’ He’s talking primarily about on the success feel. There is of course in some of Barrett’s most
the human race and humanity’s and profile the some darker underlying irresistibly anthemic melodies,
capacity to be its own worst neo-prog scene Latest release, Love Over Fear. stuff, but overall it’s got punctuated by some strikingly
enemy. But it could also apply promised. The a more uplifting feel.” emotive guitar work, along
to Pendragon themselves – band also had to That’s certainly true, from the with some less conventional
a band that formed at the height deal with poverty, bitter divorce, upbeat rhythm that opens the set instrumentation, such as violin
of punk’s popularity (and the label and management turmoil, with Everything to the Waterboys- and organ.
esque folk-rock of 360 Degrees, in But there’s also an undeniable
Pendragon in Stroud in which he asserts ‘I don’t care if I’ve yin to the yang of those songs,
1981. L-R: John Barnfield, got seaweed for hair’ and ‘all aboard which is the frustration expressed
Peter Gee, Nigel Harris, Nick the carpe diem, love over fear’. On at a world increasingly governed
Barrett and Robert Dalby.
Water, the keen surfer also writes by (as Barrett sees it) ill-informed
‘I go down to the water when the social media-based opinions and
wolf is at my door, she wraps her a culture of self-obsession.
waves around you and makes you Barrett’s views have always
feel loved once more.’ been difficult to pin to any
The album culminates in particular point on the political
Afraid Of Everything, urging us spectrum. On one of his most
to ‘live the moment to the last’. outspoken compositions, 2011’s
“It’s about how life is not all This Green And Pleasant Land, he
about having a pension to always raged in an apparently left-leaning
keep this safety net. It’s about
fashion, at how ‘hospitals are just
PRESS/PENDRAGON ARCHIVE embracing the fear. With surfing another business plan’ and old war
sometimes it’s pretty scary when
heroes were dying alone in cold
flats while ‘British Gas and their
you go off the top of a bigger
wave, but you have to find a way
shareholders are getting richer,
getting fat’. But elsewhere in
of making that work.”
92 progmagazine.com

Explorer of the infinite:
Pendragon’s Nick Barrett.





























































































progmagazine.com 93
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the same song he made the kind in life could be better than that. punks, skinheads, a few metal
of faintly ludicrous complaints I came home from that gig and kids, two prog-looking people,
that are beloved of right wingers I just couldn’t sleep, I was going and no one knew who we were.
everywhere: ‘Christmas is a word over every single second of the There was an enormous window
you can no longer say’ (obvious gig. One of the happiest moments about 15 foot by eight foot at the
response being: “Well, you just of my life. front of the foyer of the college
did!”) and ‘It’s not legal to say what and someone smashed that. It We had no
I think anymore because I don’t The story goes that you burned was absolute chaos, and everyone money, no
believe in Sharia Law.’ your school books that day too… hated us. But we plodded on.
Meanwhile he prides himself Yes, sir. I wasn’t really a school record deal,
on a wide range of reading from person. I told my careers teacher, Then around 1982, the neo-prog
Solzhenitsyn and Russian history “I want to be a rock musician, scene began to take shape. Was a whole load
books through to the, erm, a guitarist.” She said, “Are there that the first time you felt any of debt, we were
controversial works of David Icke. any courses you could go on to do belonging, or was that scene
But don’t tag him, folks – this that?” And I said, “Keith Richards quite competitive? renting a room,
is a man who puts his faith in the didn’t go on any college courses!” Funnily enough, it was both.
printed word far more faithfully So I was in the no-hope bucket. When we played with Marillion driving a crappy
than the forked tongue of social for the first time in London we old Ford Cortina
media. As befits a man who’s Was 1978 a weird time to be couldn’t believe it – there were
been cutting against the grain playing prog, just as punk was 500 people going completely nuts, with a burnt-out
since he formed Zeus Pendragon going overground? with the greasepaint on like Fish,
head gasket,
Suited and booted: Peter no girlfriend,
Gee and Nick Barrett.
it was just a shit
sandwich.”



















PRESS/PENDRAGON ARCHIVE








all those years ago. Which is It was. With some of my mates jackets with all the bands on, and
where we begin our conversation. it was like Invasion Of The Body yet there were also people there
Snatchers. Their souls had been with mohawks, and it was really
You spent your formative years taken! One guy would just live for quite something. With other
in Stroud, Gloucestershire. How Yes, everything was about them bands doing a similar thing we
was that for an aspiring musician? and suddenly within a week he did feel part of something, and
It’s very, very West Country, and was like, “Oh, I hate all that shit! that did grow into competition
a hard place to get a band off the I’m now into the Dead Kennedys.” – not with Marillion because
ground. I remember going to the Look, hang on, Dave! Are you in there was no contest: they were
bank and asking for an overdraft. there?! Dave, don’t let this signed to EMI and they obviously
He said, “What for?” And I said, imposter take you over! I thought, did brilliantly. It just pushed you
“We’re a band, we want to make no, I’m sticking to this, I love a bit harder. If someone got two
a record.” He said, “Oi dunno Genesis and that’s final! gigs you’d try to get five gigs.
much about records… If you
wanted a cowshed, I could It must have been tough to get Marillion’s manager, John
probably ’elp yer!” I thought to the gigs then? Arnison, then signed you to his
myself, this is not gonna be easy! Yeah, and almost every gig label Elusive for the Fly High Fall
we played was completely Far EP (1984) and your debut
You formed Zeus Pendragon in inappropriate. I remember one album, The Jewel (1985). How
1978, left school at 15 and played of the first ones we did outside was that experience?
your first gig the same night… the Stroud area was at Redditch Looking back on it, you could look Nick teases out a new
I just couldn’t imagine anything College. It was a mixture of at what we signed and think, guitar line in his studio.


94 progmagazine.com

“This contract’s terrible, you’re
never allowed to breathe again!”
But he never really stuck to it and
it’s incredible he took a risk with
us to do that. Without that we’d
have never got a leg up to make
any records. So we’re still grateful
for all the help we had.
Then you made Kowtow, by way
of showcasing both sides of your
music: accessible radio-friendly
rock and adventurous sounds.
We always had a commercial
side of our sound, and I’m
proud of that. It didn’t feel like
a compromise – it was just
another thing that we do as
well as the long instrumentals.

But you ended
up towards
the end of the
80s without
a major label
deal and,
like much
of the neo-
prog scene,
at a pretty The band’s debut EP,
low ebb… Fly High Fall Far.
Well, we
couldn’t get a record
deal. We were feeling pretty
sorry for ourselves, management
decided they didn’t want to do
it anymore, it was incredibly
demoralising. We had no money,
no record deal, a whole load of
debt, we were renting a room,
driving a crappy old Ford Cortina
with a burnt-out head gasket,
no girlfriend, it was just a shit
sandwich. You’d be standing
on the hard shoulder at three
o’clock in the morning,
freezing to
death with
a broken-
down van,
no money
for food, and
you’ve got
a gig to get to
in Manchester
then another
one in 1985’s The Jewel.
Southampton,
and you’ve got
to make it work.
But I had Clive [Nolan, keys]
and Peter with me, and we were all
pretty determined. So when one
was down the others would say,
“Come on, let’s give it another go.”
You look back on these
problems and they’re actually
opportunities. When we couldn’t
get a deal it also forced me to say,



progmagazine.com 95

“Right, we’re not getting any to bed and came back the next doing pretty well, You also began to
interest, let’s start our own day, and maybe there might be weren’t you? In introduce some
record company.” And it was one person faxing in return fact, you have more contemporary
the best thing we ever did. saying, “We’ll have a box, sale previously talked sounds on the albums
or return.” about that period that followed – 2005’s
And while the early 90s were offering you The Masquerade Overture, 1996. Believe, Pure in 2008
a struggle for a lot of prog acts, Evidently, quite a few unlikely a taste of the and Passion in 2011
you feel otherwise, don’t you? fans came out of rockstar lifestyle: – from nu metal to
Yeah, well when we the international girls, Jacuzzis, a big house in hip-hop. What inspired that
released The World, woodwork… the country… development?
we were thinking Yeah. In around 1994, Yes, sir. My son and I are really into
we’d pay off the on the Window Of motocross and when he was
bills and see what Life tour, we got Aaaand then you got divorced very young he’d get all these
happens but we a call out of the blue and lost the house… motocross videos for us to watch.
sold 12,000 in telling us an agent At the time it was a complete Some of the music on it was
a week. We started in Poland wanted and utter nightmare, but you American college rock, emo
to get some money to put Pendragon just have to carry on. And it has or nu metal, and you know, the
coming in, we could 1991’s The World. on over there. fuelled me to keep being creative. singers aren’t classic vocalists,
advertise, tour more, It turned out but they had this energy and
we could start our fan our records had been So it seems, if we count Not the sounds of the songs were
club, The Mob, and distribution smuggled in under these lorries Of This World (2001) as your so melodic. Bands like A and
got better. For us the early 90s throughout the 80s and played heartbreak album… Trapt had these fantastic songs
were just magical. on the radio so we actually had It is, and it’s one of my favourite with a metal edge. So on stuff
quite a big following over there. albums. If you breeze through like Comatose (II. Space Cadet)
Was that partly a result of We built a good following in life, your will to create just on Pure that’s one of the things
looking further afield? France through contacts there, dwindles. The inspiration to that’s come out: this grungy,
Yeah, I’d be faxing people and the same in South America. think about life, the universe punky edge.
overseas in the middle of the Within two years we’d sold out and everything is less pressing.
night because it was cheaper. nights in Buenos Aires and Chile. The motivation for older Inevitably, it got some polarised
I’d decide, “Okay, I’m going to hit musicians becomes making responses from fans…
Japan tonight.” And I faxed all And by the time of 1996’s The money, and the creative impulse Yeah but then I used to hate
these people all night long, went Masquerade Overture you were sinks to the bottom. opera, and that was my problem,
not opera’s. I remember when The
Lamb Lies Down… came out, I just
thought, “What the heck is this?
These two albums, it’s just so
wordy I can’t get my head round
it!” But I started to play it again
and again and after the penny
dropped listening to The Carpet
Crawlers, I realised it was the best
music I’d heard in my life. I mean,
so many people say, “I hate jazz!”
That’s their opinion but they’re
making their world much smaller.

This album and 2014’s Men Who
Climb Mountains have been
highly melodic, anthemic affairs.
And this one even seems to have
a strong back-to-nature theme…
I never really pick a theme and
think, “I’ll make an album about
that.” It’s not a concept album as
such. It just slowly unfolds maybe
from one or two lyrics. The song
Water, for instance, started as one
or two words. I think I came up
with: ‘This is my element, time is
irrelevant’ and it went from there.
When I moved down to Cornwall
I stood where we live, and
I thought, “Well there’s sea there,
there’s fields there, there’s sky
there, blue and green everywhere
PRESS/PENDRAGON ARCHIVE The future’s bright! around – it’s an incredible thing,
and… you don’t get that in
L-R: Clive Nolan, Peter
Swindon!” It inspired the song
Gee, Nick Barrett and
360 Degrees, which just had to
Fudge Smith, circa 1987.
be an uplifting thing.
96 progmagazine.com

Missed a bit! Pendragon in 2019.
L-R: Jan-Vincent Velazco, Peter
Gee, Nick Barrett and Clive Nolan.





























At the same time, there’s offer ludicrously impenetrable things. They can’t deal with their Meanwhile, Pendragon continues
another more topical theme cryptic clues to baffled own lives. as something of an open
of the malicious influence on contestants]? With some lyrics I notice from the Musicians marriage, given that Clive is
modern life of the internet and you just couldn’t have a hope Union I’m getting tons and tons still among the hardest-working
social media. Truth And Lies, in hell of unravelling what they of mailouts about mental health men in showbiz, with Arena, the
for instance, seems to reference are about. and how you can talk to people, Caamora Theatre Company, solo
a mendacious modern age of fake and sexual harassment… there’s projects and what have you. How
news and “alternative facts”… Another theme seems to be the nothing about getting musicians does that work?
It just struck me the lack of era of self-obsession… ‘Don’t fill a better deal on Spotify which Basically, it’s live and let live. You
interest in the truth in things is your snowflake head with how is what we really need. I mean, can become the jealous husband
just monumental at the moment. beautiful am I.’ ‘Snowflake’ is I suspect one of the reasons or you can get on with it. We get
It’s incredible people don’t seek a bit of a loaded phrase – what why they’ve got mental health a bit old and angry with each
it. And yes, the song Everything does it mean to you? problems is ’cos they’re not other – “I didn’t know you were
is about social media, people getting paid for their work! touring then, you never told me!”
who know everything but know I think there’s an awful lot – but we usually just work it out.
nothing. Everything seems to be of narcissism created out of social “You going out April, May? We’ll
trial by Facebook and people media. Everyone’s preoccupied go out October, November.” It’s
never go away and do any with “What’s everyone saying worked itself out over the years.
research. I say things to people about me today?” It’s become And this is the reason bands like
like: “Donald Trump is the first “I thought, no, absolutely intolerable. Pendragon have survived. People
Republican president to hold up feel they have other creative
the rainbow [LGBTQ] flag” [in I’m sticking How different are you now outlets somewhere else. When
2016. His administration has as a creative person than you Clive first joined Pendragon [in
since denied embassies the right to this, I love were when Pendragon started? 1986] I said, “Look, we’re not
to fly the flag – or so it says Genesis and I get more and more immersed really looking for any more
on the internet] and people are in doing things properly, more writers here.” And he said,
horrified, they don’t want to that’s final!” intently and more seriously. “That’s fine by me.”
believe it. Some sort of alternative Whereas when I was 25, I’d sit We all realise how frail this
way of thinking is out there, but around smoking and doing bugger whole existence is. We realise
they don’t want to do their all. This music has taken nearly how important it is for Pendragon
research. So that’s where Truth six years, and I could spend that these other bands have
And Lies becomes an inspiration a week working a keyboard sound some way of surviving still. It’s
and I want to write about it. and then decide I don’t like it important that there’s a genre and
But I’m glad the lyrics are and bin it. That phrase “youth is there’s a number of artists doing
cutting through because you This is a big subject so it’s hard wasted on the young” seems true it. If there was just one band there
never know, really. Me and to say things in a few to me; when I got the vinyl of this wouldn’t be a Prog Magazine!
Clive used to talk sentences. People react album I must have listened to it [Laughs.] So it’s important that
about “Dusty Bin” very emotionally to 50 times listening to every single there’s a bit of a brotherhood
lyrics. Do you things the further second checking it was as good going on. And it’s a great,
remember Dusty away from the truth as it could be. I’d go back to Karl fascinating thing to be part of.
Bin from the TV they get, and because [Groom, producer] and say, “Can
show 321 [who would of that emotion we move that hi-hat one decibel? Love Over Fear is out now via Toff
I think people are It’s not quite right.” I have to give Records. See the official website
2014’s Men Who
Climb Mountains. overly sensitive to it absolutely everything. www.pendragon.mu for more.

progmagazine.com 97

Edited by Jo Kendall
[email protected]














New spins…


CLANNAD



It’s time to say goodbye to the progressive folk máistirs as they present a 100-track
anthology. Myths, magic and a certain era are evoked, with Trevor Horn coaxing two
new tracks from the Brennan-Duggan two-family alliance.

Words: Chris Roberts Illustration: Duncan Storr

“ verything that is and was will cease In A Lifetime Goes), nicking a familiar Sandy Denny title,
to be.” So says the Connacht Irish again nods to mortality. If these are their sign-
BMG
proverb adapted by Moya Brennan off songs, the poignancy is strong.
in Theme From Harry’s Game, the Clannad’s music always had a serene,
E unlikely 1982 Top Five hit. Its two- unobtrusive flow (even after Enya left in the
and-a-half minutes propelled Clannad from early 80s to pursue a solo career). Formed in
niche to known-by-all. Popularised then by County Donegal by siblings Moya, Ciarán and
its use in a TV series about The Troubles, it Pól Brennan with twin uncles Noel and Pádriag
featured later in Hollywood movies and (who sadly died in 2016), they were chugging
Volkswagen commercials, its status as a go-to along nicely, albeit without pulling up any trees,
choice for suggestions of warmth and lushness until Harry’s Game moved the goalposts.
of sound established. But nothing lasts forever, Something about that sound bewitched and
and to prove the proverb’s point, Clannad are mesmerised many: perhaps it suggested an
calling time on their travels. otherness, an enchanted world away from the
This year sees the Irish folk giants’ farewell yuppie and the Filofax. When eighth album
tour, after a 50-year career. Over that time Macalla (1985) yielded another hit, In A Lifetime,
they’ve brought Irish music and language to with Bono joining Moya at the microphone and
a global audience, winning multiple big-league calling her “one of the greatest voices the
awards. It’s a demonstration of how music can human ear has ever experienced”, they were
transcend and translate, even if it seems, upon promoted to next level: Bono was at that time
arrival, designed for a small, specific set of revered as a soulful visionary. The song that
ears. The family outfit has capitalised on the Who Knows (Where The gives this set its title is indeed loaded with
opportunities presented by their surprise Time Goes) nods presence, though your own opinion on Bono
crossover, with subsequent records side-lining to mortality. The will decree whether you feel he’s bringing his
(to a degree) traditional Celtic folk for appealing A-game or straining like a constipated gnu. The
fusions with soft rock, pop, jazz and even New poignancy is strong. contrast between Clannad’s understatement
Age, the last being a genre they’ve come to and his overt emoting is, shall we say, marked.
almost accidentally exemplify. by jazz-pop star Sade. It may seem to be Clannad pressed on. Not many have
As one immerses oneself in the deluxe box counterintuitive madness to describe much collaborated with Paul Young and Bruce
set of this anthology, their chronological of Clannad’s music as sounding of its time, but Hornsby while also featuring King Crimson
evolution gradually becomes obvious (this listened to now, it patently evokes an era. (In saxophonist Mel Collins as a guest. Their music
compiles over 100 tracks, including rarities for a parallel dimension, one can conceive of Ivo for the Robin Of Sherwood TV series hasn’t aged
fans: for those less intrigued by a sort of sonic Watts-Russell signing Clannad to 4AD back so well, but I Will Find You, from 1993 album
Stockholm Syndrome kicking in, there’s also then, calling them Le Mystere Des Voix, um, Banba, became the love theme for The Last
a 37-track two-CD/two-LP set, and other Irish, and their winning a cool credibility). Of The Mohicans, and remains undeniably
tweaked formats). Yes, Clannad are a warm bath You read that this collection adds two brand haunting. The New Age vibe moves in tides
at all times, but they subtly shape-shift across new tracks produced by Trevor Horn, and onto their beach from here, and 1997’s
the decades. At first they’re Donegal folkies think: ‘What? Have they gone all Frankie Goes Landmarks won the Best New Age Album
with bells on their toes. Then, as success To Hollywood? ABC? Yes??’ And then, upon Grammy. Yet they’ve still picked up a Lifetime
opens doors, they’re guided towards a more hearing them: ‘Oh, this makes perfect sense.’ Achievement gong from the BBC Folk Awards,
conventionally ‘80s’ sound, at least on their Horn’s velvety ushering allows their voices to so it’s not like purists are moaning that they
backing tracks, and often singing in English. flourish, and he lets them indulge in the crying betrayed their roots.
Their film music sees them cleverly pulling off of Celtic instruments (the pipes, the pipes are As Clannad ponder ceasing to be, their legacy
that strand of ethereal which can also serve as calling). A Celtic Dream, a slightly dull tune, is justly respected here. Not with a bang – they
wallpaper, while later they’ve graduated to delves into ancient myths and legends, while never did bangs – but with their uniquely
backdrops not dissimilar to those constructed the portentous Who Knows (Where The Time resonant whisper.

98 progmagazine.com



BLIND EGO
AADAL
Preaching To The Choir GENTLE ART OF MUSIC
Silver APOLLON
RPWL’s Kalle Wallner dives into decorative banality with his fourth.
Stirring debut from genre-hopping Norwegian guitarist.
orwegian guitarist into less challenging
NMichael Aadal casts territory, allowing Aadal to
a wide net with the debut really showcase his richness
from his eponymous of tone, endless sustain and
instrumental quartet. Much elegant phrasing. Silver
like the great Bill Frisell, is smoky jazz-blues,
Aadal’s playing is steeped in Revival has an eminently
jazz, easily discerned in his hummable melody, while
melodic explorations and Telegram delivers a country
use of harmonies, while twang. Follow The Sun is
he’s happy to throw in blues, country, as gentle as a nap in a sunbeam
and even rock as the spirit moves and there’s an easy, lilting roll to
him. The opener Looking Back lets Remembrance, akin to something from
saxophonist Audun Ramo take centre John Scofield’s Country For Old Men.
n artist almost always deserves recognition for stage with a solo that ventures quite far The biggest surprise comes when Aadal
trying something different with their solo project, out until his sax starts screeching, and rocks out in The Canyon, complete with
A so the fact that Blind Ego has little in common with Dusty borders on avant-garde jazz with Iron Maiden-style arpeggios, but it
the luscious Floydian delights of RPWL isn’t inherently its refusal to be bound by song forms. makes a fun, invigorating finish to an
problematic. That said, what Kalle Wallner and co do provide However, thereafter the album moves excellent and wide-ranging album. DW
on Preaching To The Choir – an impassioned leap into riotous
hard rock/metal commonalities – is disappointing. There
are some standout tracks, and the performances are always ALTESIA
striking on a technical level, but there’s very little leftover that Paragon Circus SELF-RELEASED
excites or lingers.
Bordeaux-based newbies give prog metal a Haken-esque polish.
Comes with talent and here was a time when one repeatedly mitigated
dedication, but we’ve Tthe vast majority of by subtly skewed detours
heard it all before. bands graced with the into territory that feels
“prog metal” tag owed such freshly reimagined. Armed
a huge and obvious debt to with some colossal
Here, Blind Ego is completed by vocalist Scott Balaban, Dream Theater that the melodies and a vast array
drummer Michael Christoph, bassist Sebastian Harnack, genre didn’t seem to be of smart ideas, sprawling
and guitarist Julian Kellner. Although Wallner still dominates progressing at all. Two epics like Reminiscence and
on several instruments and generally steers the ship, his decades of fervent cross- opulent closer Cassandra’s
bandmates help with some lyrical and compositional input. pollination and internet- Prophecy blur the lines
To their credit, there is a palpable sense of shared eagerness fuelled eclecticism later, and bands like between middle-of-the-road prog metal
and focus throughout the album, it’s just a shame that Altesia are popping up all over the and the more ambitious, adventurous
listeners will likely feel far less enthusiastic about it. place. Paragon Circus is one of those ethos of Opeth and Between The Buried
To be fair, it all begins on a high note via Massive, a subtly fiendishly inventive modern records And Me. Held skilfully together by
spacey and progressive piece whose irregular rhythms, biting that reminds the listener of countless a wildly charismatic vocal performance
guitar riffs, and singalong chorus are gratifyingly hypnotic familiar and beloved things while never from frontman and creative driving
quite conforming to type. The French
force Clément Darrieu, this is a debut to
and poised. It effectively evokes the melodic and instrumental band’s core sound is similar to Haken, savour and a tantalising glimpse of prog
prowess of peak Queensrÿche, Megadeth and Iron Maiden. but it’s only a passing resemblance and metal’s seemingly fertile future. DL
Likewise, Line In The Sand is dynamically arresting, moving
between delicate contemplation and disruptive contempt with
ease. Towards the end, Heading For The Stars proves relatively ANUBIS
chameleonic and catchy – with slightly futuristic and Middle
Eastern accentuations – before the lengthy The Pulse wraps it Homeless SELF-RELEASED
all up as a truly atmospheric, epic, and compelling gem. Aussie proggers dirty it up and dazzle.
Nevertheless, there are several low points that hurt the
album overall. For instance, the title track, Broken Land, and evelling in old-school and back again, via brief
In Exile are as stylistically safe and run-of-the-mill as Rthinking, these bursts of twinkly-eyed
possible. Afterwards, Burning Alive and Dark Paradise channel Australians have made Floydism and clusters of
the stadium rock cheesiness of Bon Jovi and Journey in how a pointedly cohesive album infectious rhythm; the
they exude artificial and sentimentalised empowerment, here, comprising two unashamedly Marillion-like
romance, and the like. They’re all produced and played very fluid song cycles, custom- Home is an arena prog
well but they’re also too superficial, bland, and familiar. designed to work perfectly powerhouse with a post-rock
Preaching To The Choir certainly comes with a lot of talent on vinyl. The band’s sound undertow. Elsewhere, both
and dedication, and its scattered glimpses of intrigue and has become a little grittier The Tables Have Turned and
Entitled edge toward tech-
ambition are enough to make Blind Ego at least a somewhat and edgier since their last metal, but with psychedelic tendencies
album, The Second Hand (2017), but this
worthwhile project. Still, it mostly feels like a collection of is still firmly in the immaculate modern knocking everything endearingly off-
emulations that fans of hard rock and metal have no doubt prog realm, with plenty of nods to the course, while the gorgeous Shadows
heard countless times before. As the mastermind, Wallner genre’s old guard but an overall sense ticks the melancholy torch song box
undoubtedly earns applause for not employing too many that Anubis are proud products of with a flourish. Anubis do occasionally
RPWL proclivities; even so, he could’ve come up with a post-Porcupine Tree world. The best sound a little bit weighed down by their
something more interesting and original than this. moments are the most adventurous: influences, but for a sharp and evocative
JORDAN BLUM opener Reflective takes seven disquieting musical voyage with plenty of big tunes,
minutes to turn from light to darkness Homeless is probably it. DL

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