Jet Black Sea is an experimental, extra-curricular musical outlet for a couple of cult figures associated with the prog rock scene. Nine Stones Close guitarist Adrian Jones and his band producer Michel Simons created the project in order to create music that stretches beyond the parent band’s more direct progressive rock and metal sounds. Stripped of all vocals and the most of the crunchy guitars heard on many a Nine Stones Close recording, there are still some meaty sounds present and a few rock influenced passages, but Jet Black Sea’s core sound is almost ambient in comparison. Not necessarily ambient in the true “Eno/Music For Airports” sense, but definitely more chilled out. Naturally, there’s still a great deal of prog at the heart of their music – given the pairing’s usual musical outlet, that is unsurprising – but it is prog rock in a much more minimal sense, although ‘The Path of Least Existence’s broad soundscapes rarely sound minimalist in their overall vision. An hour’s worth of instrumental sounds float by without ever resorting to self-indulgence and a stronger focus on keyboards brings a very cinematic feel to proceedings throughout.
Tag Archives: prog
New Christmas CD from Marillion
Since the late 90s it has become tradition for Marillion to give their fan club members an exclusive CD. These releases are mixed bag affairs always containing unreleased material, sometimes demo recordings or live recordings. Over the years, these fun items have become treasured by fans.
MEMORY IN PLANT – An Epic Triumph EP
Rarely content to settle, the sounds on this debut EP from Tel Aviv based avant-garde collective Memory In Plant are almost as surreal as their choice of sleeve art. Their music is spasmodic, electric and occasionally just wilfully difficult. That’s not to say for those of a certain disposition it won’t have entertainment value – in between the jump cuts and experimentation, pieces of great music creep through the cracks – but ‘An Epic Triumph’ is not always the easiest listen.
Glenn Cornick: 23rd April 1947 – 29th August 2014
On August 29th 2014, bassist Glenn Cornick passed away after suffering heart failure. Although he recorded with a variety of bands including Wild Turkey and Paris, it is for his contribution to Jethro Tull’s early, Mr. Cornick will be most fondly remembered.
New Flying Colors LP due in September
Prog rock supergroup Flying Colors have confirmed a release of their second album this coming September.
The eagerly awaited follow up to the band’s 2012 debut is set to pick up where the band left off, bringing great musicianship and two lengthy tracks bookending each end of the new record.