Phlox, Estonia

News: Phlox are still going strong with plenty of live shows. They are also hinting at a new album soon (2017). So great news there!

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Location: Tallinn

Overview: Phlox are a band that play in the VERY heavy fusion category (no metal though). Hard driving, fast, complicated and downright exhilarating. A 6 piece group with guitar, sax, Moog, and electric piano being the primary solo components.

Reviews (click on album covers)

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Homunculus Res, Italy

News: According to a post in January, the band are working on their 3rd album. Recordings are planned to done by April and released later in the year. Excellent news!

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Location: Palermo, Sicily

Overview: Homunculus Res is a tremendous new Canterbury styled band from Italy that have perfectly captured the spirit of another era. Brilliantly mixing melody and complexity, with a jazzy undertone.

Reviews (click on album covers)

Unreal City, Italy

News: New album was released as promised on Sept. 10 and is titled Frammenti Notturni.

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Location: Parma, Emilia-Romagna

Overview: Unreal City are yet another band from Italy who are recreating the classic style of the early 1970s. And honestly, there cannot be too many bands in this style as far as I'm concerned.

UMR Notes

Quaterna Requiem, Brazil

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Quaterna Réquiem - Velha Gravura. 1990 Faunus (LP); 1992 Faunus (CD)
Quaterna Réquiem - Quasimodo. 1994 private
Quaterna Réquiem - Livre. 1999 private
Quaterna Réquiem - O Arquiteto. 2012 private

Quaterna Réquiem were one of the first bands of the late 1980s/early 90s progressive rock renaissance to review the works of the Mediterranean bands such as Quella Vecchia Locanda and Gotic, rather than the standard English "Big 3" of Genesis, Yes, and ELP. As such, their in-depth research of 1970's progressive rock adds a dimension sorely missing from most works of this time frame. Quaterna Réquiem performs a new interpretation of a much missed genre of music - what was once known as "Euro Rock". And the only thing keeping Quaterna Réquiem from classic "retro prog" status, that which is all the rage in 2000+, is the lack of analog keyboard instrumentation. But the compositions, skillful playing, and youthful exuberance ca…

La Bocca della Verita, Italy

News: The band is active and playing the odd festival and concert. No word on a new album as of yet.

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Location: Rome

Overview: La Bocca della Verita are a fine neo Italian progressive band. Their debut album was recorded in 2009, but not released until 2016.

UMR Notes

IQ, England

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IQ - Seven Stories into Eight. 1982 private. Cassette only. Re-recorded as Seven Stories into '98. 1998 Giant Electric Pea.
IQ - Tales from the Lush Attic. 1983 The Major Record Company (LP); 1988 MSI (France CD)
IQ - The Wake. 1985 Sahara (LP); 1994 Giant Electric Pea (CD)
IQ - Nonzamo. 1987 Mercury CD + LP
IQ - Are You Sitting Comfortably? 1989 Vertigo CD + LP
IQ - Ever. 1993 Giant Electric Pea (reissued in 2013 on LP)
IQ - Subterranea. 1997 Giant Electric Pea (reissued in 2012 on LP)
IQ - The Seventh House. 2000 Giant Electric Pea; 2005 InsideOut (Germany)
IQ - Dark Matter. 2004 Giant Electric Pea (reissued in 2008 on LP by Primal Vinyl)
IQ - Frequency. 2009 InsideOut (Germany)
IQ - The Road of Bones. 2014 Giant Electric Pea (also as a 2 CD set with bonus tracks)

IQ have also released many live albums, outtakes, demos, and other such non-studio recordings that I've left off here. This includes the debut tape, which I will investigate further now that …

Electric Orange, Germany

News: Electric Orange have announced their latest album EOXXV, as a 3LP Deluxe Box and as a 2CD set. They state: "6 longtracks, recorded in the Studio Fleisch between 2013-2017, the band presents their interpretation of modern, electronically-driven Krautrock. As usual the album was mastered by Krautrock legend Eroc."

Website Facebook Samples Location: Aachen
Overview: Electric Orange are the preeminent Krautrock revivalists, having reborn the style going back to 1992 They experimented with electronica early in their career, but since 2001's Abgelaufen! album, Electric Orange have stayed true to the cause.
UMR notes

Side Steps, Japan

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Like Gerard, Side Steps are a long running Japanese band, though this time coming from the jazz fusion genre. They received some attention in the Western world, mainly due to their association with Musea Records. As you will see in my notes below, not all is great. I even debated adding them here to UTR, but there's just enough good at the end of their career to at least consider. From a technical perspective, these guys are fantastic. But I tend to like a bit more grit and grime in my music. In giving full disclosure, I only kept the last two albums I featured here. The last activity on their website goes back to 2012, and their final release was 2007, so it does appear the band may be kaput.

Side Steps - Out and Out. 1997 Musea (France CD)
Side Steps - Alive. 1999 Musea (France CD)
Side Steps - Points of View. 2001 Musea (France CD)
Side Steps - Steps on Edge. 2003 Musea (France CD) 1993 recording. see write-up for more info regarding this release
Side Steps - Ve…

Various Artists - Psychedelic World Music: Discovery

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Various Artists - Psychedelic World Music: Discovery. 2012 Trail Records (USA)

"Psychedelic World Music" is a compilation featuring 9 bands from around the world that have recorded primarily instrumental psychedelic space rock music - two-thirds of it unreleased until now. The most obvious comparison would be the bands coming out of the UK Festival psych scene of the 1980s such as Ozric Tentacles, Mandragora, and Soma. But as you listen closely, the groups featured on this compilation, regardless of location, seem to have adopted the Central and Eastern European variation of said sound. It's especially noticeable in the melodies, but the rhythmic structure looks Eastward as well. So if you're a fan of bands like Korai Orom, Ole Lukkoye, and Vespero, then this compilation is a must pick up. I am myself, and I found all nine bands here to be revelatory.

The first three tracks are especially captivating. Namely Cosmic Vibration (Germany), Triptych (Eng…

Dreadnaught, USA

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First published on June 18, 2014 and brought forward with their new EP Gettin' Tight With Dreadnaught.

The band is still active as of August, 2016,and promise a new album soon.

Dreadnaught - s/t. 1998 private (CD)
Dreadnaught - Une Vez Mas. 2000 Red Fez (CD)
Dreadnaught - The American Standard. 2001 Red Fez (CD); 2006 MALS (Russia CD)
Dreadnaught - Musica en Flagrante. 2004 Big Balloon (CD); 2004 Quixote (Germany CD); 2006 MALS (Russia CD)
Dreadnaught - Live at Mojo. 2005 Comet (Italy 2CD)
Dreadnaught - Have a Drink With Dreadnaught (EP). 2013 Red Fez (CD)
Dreadnaught - Gettin' Tight With Dreadnaught (EP). 2015 Red Fez (CD)

I recently heard from Dreadnaught drummer Rick Habib, and he was kind enough to send me two titles. Like with Woodenhead, Dreadnaught were one of many bands that slipped past me real time. I do recall reading reviews of the band back then, but just didn't have the opportunity to hear their material, given other priorities at the…

Free System Projekt, Netherlands

News: We now have a date - April 29th (Thanks Bas)! A new 2 CD album will be released in 2017 (titled Five Suns). This will be the first studio album (not counting collaborations and live recordings) since Moyland from 2005!

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Location: Huizen (east of Amsterdam)

Overview: Of all the current bands playing in the retro Berlin School of sequencer based electronic music, Dutch ensemble Free System Projekt may be the closest in imitating the original pioneers. Especially the Tangerine Dream variant circa 1976 to 1977.

Reviews (click on album covers)

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