Space rock; Krautrock styled
Latest: Beyond the Beyond (2026) Apr 17
UMR review page for The Cosmic Dead
6/1/13 (new entry)
March 22, 2026
March 2, 2026
Telegraph ~ Israel
Retro prog
Bandcamp
Latest: Topography of Mind (2026). Digital only though they mentioned they are considering a CD and / or LP.
Latest: Topography of Mind (2026). Digital only though they mentioned they are considering a CD and / or LP.
6/18/20 (new entry)
Blues Pills ~ USA / Sweden
Blues rock; Hard rock
Latest: Birthday Live (2026)
I quite liked their first album, not so much the second. I need to revisit that first CD and get some notes down while continuing to explore their other works.
Albums heard: Blues Pills (2014); Lady in Gold (2016)
7/6/24 (new entry)
February 9, 2026
Hadal Sherpa ~ Finland
Space rock; UK Festival styled psych
Latest: Memoria (2026). Jan 22
This album is dedicated to the founder Vesa Pasanen, who died unexpectedly in 2025. At this point, it appears the band is calling it quits after this recording.
UMR review page for Hadal Sherpa
7/18/18 (new entry)
February 2, 2026
Agropelter ~ Norway
January 31, 2026
January 4, 2026
December 27, 2025
Secret Saucer ~ USA ~ Cleveland, Ohio
Space rock
Latest: Space Chamber Live (2025) Dec 15
2/8/11 (new entry)
December 14, 2025
Minimum Vital ~ France
Progressive rock; Folk rock
Latest: Le Royaume (2025). 12/12
Released ahead of schedule. Was originally planned for 2026.
UMR review page for Minimum Vital
7/24/11 (new entry)
November 29, 2025
Grovjobb ~ Sweden
Retro prog; Neo Psychedelic
Latest: Nallebjörn är Död (2025) 11/28
Here's another band I didn't think we'd ever hear from again. Lots of 20+ year reunions going on!
11/29/25 (new entry)
November 24, 2025
Aufklärung ~ Italy
Neo prog
Latest: Nell'idea De Un Tempo Che (2025) 9/30
Following on the heels of Tale Cue comes another band that I thought was long gone. I did manage a review last year, placed in the journals (below). If I get a chance to hear the new album, I may spin up a UMR page for them.
De La Tempesta… L'Oscuro Piacere. 1995 Pickup (CD). Collection revisit (Sep). Yet another obscure 90s prog CD languishing in the collection that hasn't been touched in over 20 years. Much praise was heaped onto Aufklarung's debut on release, as it offered more than the usual Marillion styled neo prog / arena rock coming from Italy. Their sole album possesses quality songwriting and challenging segments, but does suffer from a typical 90s production. Singing in English takes away from the "Italian" edge, and some of the music falls flat. As you'll see repeatedly below, it was "good for its time" but hasn't aged as well as some of the albums I've recently featured in UMR from this same era.
11/24/25 (new entry)
Aufklarung (for searches)
November 16, 2025
October 24, 2025
Under the Dome ~ Scotland
Berlin School electronic
Latest: Almagest (2020)
Not too much happening with Under the Dome, but they are still fiddling around out there with a new single from 2025. Reopening this page from many years ago.
8/20/12 (new entry)
October 19, 2025
Sammal ~ Finland
Retro prog
Latest: Aika Laulaa (2022)
The group is active and it appears they are working on a 5th album, with no timetable set.
8/15/16 (new entry)
October 18, 2025
October 1, 2025
Dawn ~ Switzerland
Progressive rock
Latest: Case a Chocs 2014 (2024). Live album.
As of July, they are still working on their third album.
---8/12/24
They are still promising to release their third "old school prog" album sometime soon.
10/31/23 (new entry)
Free System Projekt ~ Netherlands
Berlin School electronic
Latest: Archives Volume 3 (2025) 11/21
It doesn't appear that FSP are active anymore, but they are in the process of emptying the vaults. I'm sure there's plenty of great music in these archives.
UMR review page for Free System Projekt
Passenger 4 (2004) w/Dweller at the Threshold
Probably the least inventive of the FSP albums. Not only is it influenced by Rubycon, it's almost a cover version of the album. Which doesn't make it a bad effort. But given how many albums I already own in the style, including by Tangerine Dream themselves, this album comes off as "too much of the same thing.". Gotta go, Joe.
---2/19/24
Pointless Reminder (1999)
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. For some, Free System Projekt are no doubt likely to irk purists, and state they are nothing more than plagiarists. But I don't feel that way strangely enough. The style of music that TD laid down 35 years ago is open in nature, one that can be explored in a variety of different ways. I've heard most of FSP's official releases (including collaborations), and I'd probably rate this first album as their best. But they're all very good.
---2008
7/20/11 (new entry)
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