Hear music that plays with rhythm, form, and genre, and many possible examples of a “new prog-rock” with music from trumpeter Kate Amrine, guitarist Jeff Parker (Tortoise), composer Anna Meredith, London duo Tomaga, and early Battles.
There’s new music by multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer, and Jeff Parker, perhaps best-known as a longtime guitarist of the “post-rock” godfathers Tortoise. In addition to his work as a sideman for many, he’s a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), and leads his own ensemble, the New Breed. His latest, his Suite for Max Brown is somewhat abstract jazz where musicians improvising over or below a sequenced beat in a “man vs. machine” kind of experimentation. Listen to the title track, “Max Brown,” from Parker’s dedicated to his mom, “Max,” who is still here to see it.
Then, listen to music from composer Anna Meredith, who leads a plugged-in ensemble, where drums, guitars, and even clarinet and tuba are amplified from her record, FIBS. There’s also music by guitarist-composer Andrew McKenna Lee for the art-prog-rock group The Knells. Hear music that combines baroque female vocals with a prog-rock/art-rock band and pulls in jaxzz, electronic music, and minimalist opera, by electric guitarist-composer Alexander Noice.
Sample music by London-based duo Tomaga, (percussionist Valentina Magaletti and bass player/electronicist Tom Relleen) who use bass and percussion and a lot of electronics, doing cool stuff with rhythm and textures. There’s also an early work from Battles, the experimental math-prog-rock band, from back when they were an instrumental quartet. Hear their repeating melodic and rhythmic patterns, crafted from acoustic and electronic elements, not unlike minimalists, from their record, Ep C. And more. - Caryn Havlik
Program #4329: The New Prog-Rock (First aired 2/14/2020)
ARTIST: Battles
WORK: B & T [2:00]
RECORDING: EP C
SOURCE: Monitor #019
INFO: bttls.com OR warprecords.github.io
ARTIST: Anna Meredith
WORK: Sawbones [4:39]
RECORDING: FIBS
SOURCE: Moshi Moshi/Black Prince Fury
INFO: annahmeredith.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Andrew McKenna Lee/The Knells
WORK: Andrew McKenna Lee: Final Breath [3:36]
RECORDING: Knells II
SOURCE: Still Sound Music
INFO: theknells.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Alexander Noice
WORK: Alexander Noice: Ambit [6:20]
RECORDING: NOICE
SOURCE: Orenda Records
INFO: orendarecords.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Battles
WORK: B & T [6:09]
RECORDING: EP C
SOURCE: Monitor #019
INFO: bttls.com OR warprecords.github.io
ARTIST: Tomaga
WORK: Bluest [8:44]
RECORDING: Extended Play 1
SOURCE/INFO: tomaga.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Kate Amrine
WORK: Gemma Peacocke: Skin [5:55]
RECORDING: This is My Letter to The World
SOURCE: Innova 1042
INFO: kateamrine.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Jeff Parker and New Breed ensemble
WORK: Max Brown [10:22]
RECORDING: Suite for Max Brown
SOURCE: Int. Anthem / Nonesuch
INFO: intlanthem.bandcamp.com