The soundscapeprog’s Podcast

Soundscape 2.79 Piper at the Gates of Prog

Now with a title of that weight you might be expecting to be carried away or transfixed by the music contained within. Indeed, I hope that is the outcome, but what is contained herein is a short homage to one of the most fantastic children's books ever written, "The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame. 

To be honest, there was not very many bands that paid homage to this story. So instead we culled together music that may well fit the theme of the story if not always the tenor. I shored it all up with some of the newer stuff just to keep you all on your toes, but I also included some of the major pieces of Wind in the Willows in hopes of communicating the story as the music allowed. 

"The Rat never answered, if indeed he heard. Rapt, transported, trembling, he was possessed in all his senses by this new divine thing that caught up his soul and swung and dandled it, a powerless but happy infant in a strong sustaining grasp"- From The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.

The Piper at the Gates of Prog

• Public Symphony- Wings
• Muse- The Dark Side
• All Traps on Earth- All Traps on Earth
• Ovrfrwrd- Forbidden Valley Opiate
• Progeland- The Song of the Sea
• Pink Floyd- Astronomy Domine
• Treebeard- The Lark in the Morning
• Steve Hillage- Hello Dawn
• Big Big Train- Hedgerow
• Styx- Boat on the River
• Nancy Wilson- River Road
• Toto- The Road Goes On
• Minor Giant- On the Road
• Limpid Green- The Wild Wood
• Lunatic Soul- Where the Darkness is Deepest
• Peter Gabriel- Darkness
• Limpid Green- Mr Badger
• The Tea Party- The Badger
• Mike Keneally- The Car Song
• Todd Rundgren- Emperor of the Highway
• Queen- I'm in Love with my Car
• Tiger Moth Tales- Toad of Toad Hall
• Bjorn Riis- Lullaby in a Car Crash
• The Enid- Pre-Dawn-Sunrise
• Eloy- At the Gates of Dawn
• Pete Namlook and Klauss Schulze- Three Pipers at the Gates of Dawn
• Jethro Tull- Pan Dance
• Faun- Hymn to Pan
• Van Morrison- Piper at the Gates of Dawn
• Steve Hackett- Four Winds: East
• Anthony Phillips- Stranger
• Alan Parsons- Call of the Wild
• Moonshine Ballet- The Gate of Dawn
• Presto Ballet- Hard Times for Dreamers
• Roin Stolt's The Flower King- High Road
• Soup- Sleepers
• Muse- The Dark Side (Alternate Reality Version)
• Manning- A Road Less Traveled

Soundscape 2.78 Have A Proggy Jolly Christmas

Well, here we are at the turn of the season once again. This may be our 12th or 13th Christmas episode and personally, I found this one to be very meaningful. We are quite past traditional Christmas music at this point. Instead narratives of the passage from dark to light fuel the ritual fires of the Soundscape. I feel as if each tradition and ceremony we observe over the swift passages of time, mark turning points, at least for me. One of the reasons Soundscape is sometimes a challenging journey for me is that each episode grows of its own nature. Muses compete for my ear and eventually, something roughly resembling the original idea emerges. Like any other creative undertaking, this DJing thing is a matter of seeking the thing, rather than the shadows of the thing, but somewhere in the imperfections, lies the heart of our humanity. We are the broken ones seeking solace in a world of shattering illusions, and subsequent mythologies of care. We strive for something greater than ourselves. So within this journey, you may find a very clear presence of pain, and loss, amidst the magical metaphors our musicians weave. It is my sincere hope that something here meets you on your own journey back to the light. As the days again grow long, may you find peace and industry to sustain you through another year. Happy Holidays! May you be reborn for another trip around this life giving star of wonder. 

Have a Proggy Jolly Christmas

• Steve Miller Band- Winter Time
• Jethro Tull- A Winter Snowscape
• Bruce Soord- Frozen North
• Symphony X- Candlelight Fantasia
• Echolyn- Some Memorial
• Atomic Rooster- Winter
• Big Big Train- The Transit of Venus Across the Sun
• Red Bazar- Sunset for a New World
• Kamelot- We Three Kings
• Tiger Moth Tales- Match Girl
• For Absent Friends- Wonder
• Dream Theater- Bridges in the Sky
• Joe Satriani- Ceremony
• New Trolls- Seventh Season
• Red Jasper- The Shamen's Song
• Shadowfax- One Winter Morning
• Phish- Winterqueen
• Emerson, Hughes, Bonilla- Nutrocker
• Neal Morse- Silent Night>We All Need Some Light
• The Tea Party- Winter Solstice
• Emerson, Lake, and Palmer- I Believe in Father Christmas
• Marillion- Seasons End
• Chris- Towards the Stars
• Gandalf's Fist- The Lamplighter (Parts I-VIII)
• Patrick Moraz- Festival
• Stratovarius- Fantasia
• Rush- Xanadu (Live)
• Umphrey's McGee- Santa Oddity
• Jethro Tull- Flute Solo Improvisation>God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen>Bouree
• The Ents- Hazy Shade of Winter
• Robert Berry- Carol of the Bells
• Beggars Opera- Festival
• Mike Oldfield- In Dulci Jubilo
• Blackmore's Night- Christmas Eve
• My Morning Jacket- Wonderful (The Way I Feel)
• Argent- God Gave Rock and Roll To You

Soundscape 2.77 Floydian Soundscapes

I have been a Pink Floyd Fan since I was a teenager. One auspicious day, while listening to the local rock station, "Not Now John" came on. I spent weeks trying to identify the artist/band who wrote this song. When I finally found the artist, I bought Final Cut immediately. Then, on another life changing occasion, I popped into the local Turtles while waiting to pick up my sisters. I bought The Dark Side of the Moon. I drove around listening to the album (on cassette mind you) through the backroads of east Georgia, many dark and unfamiliar places. With that soundtrack in those environs, the album scared the hell out of me. I was in love with the music but so overwhelmed by the themes and the power of the sound.

Well here we are, years later and Floyd is still my favorite band of all time. No other band has communicated my personal angst and dissatisfaction with life in quite the same way. And no band has made me happier (in that existential sort of vein that only Pink Floyd can provide). It comes as no surprise that many artists and bands have found inspiration from Pink Floyd. Whether it was the sweeping epic grandeur of their space rock journeys, or the angry tones of their political rhetoric, Floyd have sent wave after wave of musicians into the depths of the psyche and the far out reaches of the galaxy. It is with this in mind that for this episode, we allow many of those musicians to come to light for their contribution to Pink Floyd as a genre of music. 

As always, many gems fell to the floor as we were grabbing the goodies not the least of which were Airbag, and Mostly Autumn. Nevertheless, I think we were able to offer an interesting and perhaps lesser known batch of Floydian explorations. I pray that you enjoy the journey and I look forward to when we all meet again, some sunny day.

Floydian Soundscapes

• David Gilmour- 5 A.M.
• Overhead- Dawn
• Pink Floyd- The Endless River Pt2
• RPWL- Arnold Layne
• Mythic Sunship- Backyard Ritual
• Pink Floyd- Free Four
• Rick Miller- The Garden of Forking Paths
• The D Project- September Solitudes
• Preacher- Vinyl
• Nemrud- Journey of the Shaman Pt1
• Riverside- Acronym Love
• Millenium- Embryo
• Voivod- Sonic Mycelium
• Roger Waters- Deja Vu

Chris Sargent's Perfect Album Side

• Mike Rutherford- Smallcreep Alone
• ELO- Alone in the Universe
• Love- Alone Again Or
• Genesis- Alone Tonight
• Marillion- Alone Again in the Lap of Luxury
• Live- I Alone
• The Flower Kings- What if God is Alone
• Ambrosia- World Leave Me Alone
• The Tangent- The Music That Died Alone

Floydian Soundscapes Continued

• Bunchakeze- The Deal
• Porcupine Tree- Waiting Phase II
• Murky Red- Pixelated Friends
• Moksha- Starswarm
• Franck Carducci- The Quind

Soundscape 2.76 The Keys Have It

One of my favorite aspects of the creative process of developing themed shows for Soundscape is the notion that our favorite music can be viewed from so many different angles. We can look at thematic content in the narratives of the music, styles of music, and even particular instruments. Perhaps one of the most important instruments to my listening experience (although I could make an argument for many) has been the keys. Whether it was synth, moog, piano or organ, keyboards have always fascinated me. It is such a versatile apparatus for building incredible soundscapes, and in the hands of a master the keyboard can take us anywhere we want to go. So this week, we pay homage to those who tickle the ivories, or in the case of some players violently abuse them. Come join us for arpegiatic walks, and dissonant delving, as we journey through the world of the keyboard. This week the keys have it.

The Keys Have It

• Muse- Piano Thing
• Bruce Hornsby- The Spider Fingers/Tempus Fugit
• Genesis- Firth of Fifth
• Curved Air- Metamorphosis
• Pink Floyd- Summer '68
• The Nice- Rondo
• Yes- No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed
• Atomic Rooster- Gershatzer
• Manfred Mann's Earth Band- Visionary Mountains
• Deep Purple- Lazy
• Sugarloaf- Green Eyed Lady
• Soft Machine- Out Bloody Intro>Out Bloody Rageous
• Gryphon- Bathsheba
• Tiger Moth Tales- The Boy Who Cried Wolf
• Spock's Beard- The Doorway
• IQ- Shooting Angels
• Happy the Man- Service with a Smile
• The Flower Kings- Church of Your Heart
• Asia- The Heat Goes On
• Rush- Subdivisions
• Jordan Rudess- Quantum Soup
• The Tangent- A Voyage Through Rush Hour
• Big Big Train- East Coast Racer
• Styx- Khedive
• Kino- Idlewild
• The Psychedelic Ensemble- The Riddle
• Frost*- Hyperventilate
• D Project- Crude Reality
• Rikard Sjoblom's Gungfly- Friendship
• The Tangent- A Case of Misplaced Optimism
• Dream Theater- Jordan Rudess Keyboard Solo
• Steven Wilson- Home Invasion/Regret #9
• ABWH- Gone But Not Forgotten>Catherine Parr>Merlin the Magician
• Gleb Kolyadin- Storyteller
• Muse- Space Dementia
• Deep Purple- Keyboard Solo (England 2002)
• Spock's Beard- Ladies and Gentleman, Mister Ryo Okumoto
• Emerson Lake and Palmer- Tarkus Medley
• Jerry Garcia Band- Knocking on Heavens Door

Soundscape 2.75 Another Halloween

Due to perhaps faulty planning on my part, this years Halloween episode appears to have a lot of the same music as last year. That is not to say that it does not have some new material, or that it lacks redeeming value, only to say that if you are looking for a completely new journey, you may not get what you were looking for. I enjoyed the set up and play of this show, but as you may know, finding new ways of expressing Halloween is getting harder as the years go by. Tell your favorite artists to deliver a new bevy of Halloween goodness next year ok. Anyway, here it is, have at it!

Happy Halloween- may you find that for which you seek at the thinning of the veils.

Another Halloween

• RPWL- Alone and Scared
• Porcupine Tree- Bornlivedie>Signify>The Sleep of No Dreaming
• Little Atlas- Paranoiac
• Crippled Black Phoenix- Scared
• Gandalf's Fist- Twilight at the Gates of the Prism Moon
• Steven Wilson- Index (Necro Deathmort Remix)
• King's X- When You're Scared
• Kite- If You Were Dead
• Motorpsycho- Into the Mystic
• Cosmosquad- Beyond Death's Door
• Marillion- The Invisible Man
• Profusion- Ghost House
• Rush- Freeze (Part IV of 'Fear')
• Knight Area- Afraid of the Dark
• Sonus Umbra- Haunted
• Lunatic Soul- Where the Darkness is Deepest
• Out of the Beardspace- Dirge
• Porcupine Tree- The Séance>Circle of Manias>I Drive the Hearse
• Band of Horses- The Funeral
• Mice on Stilts- Funeral
• Steven Wilson- The Unquiet Grave
• Shadow Gallery- Haunted
• Gleb Kolyadin- Astral Architecture
• Pineapple Thief- Waking up the Dead
• Colin Tench Project- Darkness Falls
• Tangerine Dream- Mysterious Semblance at the Stand of Nightmares
• Gong- Rejoice
• King Crimson- Epitaph

Soundscape 2.74 Scrambling for Light

Sometimes, the theme or direction of a show just does not gel quickly but when it does it takes a form and shape of its own. Sometimes that theme is easy to dethread from the tangle of prog rock and others just drop in unannounced and sometimes unwanted. This episode took a number of strange turns. I found myself with a pile of good music that was calling to be played, and then the theme of moving from darkness and fear into a place of joy and abandon came forth. So if there is a narrative to be found, it centers on that notion. The addition of the spacey music and journeys into the wild blue yonder are perhaps the personal carryover of joy that presented itself. We take it as it comes. Hopefully the world of the music will unfold to you in its own way. Happy journeys.

Scrambling for Light

• Adult Cinema- Asleep at the Wheel
• The Tangent- In Darkest Dreams Suite
• Beardfish- Into the Night
• Riverside- The Struggle for Survival
• Crippled Black Phoenix- The Times They are A'ragin
• The Pineapple Thief- White Mist
• Farmhouse Odyssey- Daybreak
• ELO- New World Rising/Ocen Breakup (Reprise)
• Pure Reason Revolution- The Bright Ambassadors of Morning
• Electric Moon- Spaceman
• Psicolorama- Psicolorama De Amor
• Yuka & Chronoship- Galileo II- Copernican Theory
• Galahad- Secret Kingdoms and Secret Worlds
• Muse- Exogenesis (Pt1-3)
• Agusa- Uti Var Hage
• Pink Floyd- Stay (I said I had not heard this on an album before- that was silly. It was played by virtue of the fact that listening to it recently made it all seem new. Your DJ does not always know what he is talking about)
• Nosound- Growing in Me
• Motorpsycho- Cloudwalker (A Darker Blue)
• Riverside- Wasteland
• Fish- What Now Little Man
• Oceans of Slumber- Nights in White Satin

Beatle Prog

Hi guys,

The Beatles have always been in my misocal genetics, and they also infiltrate prog on a regular basis. My son had suggested a Beatles show. Beatles are probably the one piece of music that he agrees on with Suzi and I. So the idea came up that we should do a show of Beatle Prog. We have used this theme before back when we were on The Dividing Line, but it has not come up here at Progrock. So that's the theme set of this show. You will also find a mix of newer music, and a perfect album side as well. 

If you feel you have what it takes, and you want to create  a perfect album side, drop us a line soundscape@progrock.com providing us with 45 minutes of music that you have handpicked from the fields of your mind and we will accept your mighty harvest and distribute among the proggies like loaves and fishes...this metaphor just ran away, sorry. Anyway, write us.

soundscape@progrock.com

@soundscapedj

Soundscape 2.73 Beatle Prog

• Karcius- Absence of Light
• Quantum Fantay- Tesselate
• A Perfect Circle- Disillusioned
• Spock's Beard- Beginnings
• Umphreys McGee- Maybe Someday
• CS Brown- Escape Velocity
• The Sea Within- An Eye for an Eye for an Eye
• Elder- Staving off the Truth
• Between the Buried and Me- Voice of Trespass
• 3.2- Somebody's Watching

Beatle Prog

• The Beatles- Strawberry Fields Forever
• IZZ- Oh, How It's Great!
• 3rd Degree- Click Away!
• Unitopia- Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft
• Paul McCartney- Despite Repeated Warnings
• The Cosmic Remedy- Farewell Suite:Welcome to the Pepperland Lounge>Train to Nowhere>Hiding from the Sun
• Kings X- It's Love
• Transatlantic- Mystery Train
• The Beatles- Only a Northern Song
• Jim McCarty- Sitting on Top of Time
• Kansas- Look at the Time
• Nektar- Oh Willy
• The Source- From the Start
• ELO- One Summer Dream

Perfect Album Side by Scott Oliver

• OSI- Go
• Chroma Key- Colorblind
• OSI- Sure You Will
• OSI- Home Was Good
• Chroma Key- On the Page
• OSI- Escape Artist
• CHroma Key- True and Lost
• OSI- Cold Call
• Chroma Key- Please Hang Up

The Return

• Riverside- Vale of Tears
• Fish- Man with a Stick
• Exploring Birdsong- (Don't Fear) the Reaper
• Traffic Experiment- Space Oddity
• Unitopia- Nothing Lasts Forever

Soundscape 2,72

Hello there,

It's been about 1 month since this show aired. The challenge came when I found it was full of editing gaps. Well I believe I have it mostly stitched together. So here it is episode 2.72. It is a mixed bag comprised of new music, continued 2017 reminisence and opera prog- that's right opera prog. For those that are worried about this statement, fear not, it is simply some prog dipped in opera sauce. Thanks for listening.

Soundscape 2.72 Opera Prog

• Bubblemath- A Void That I Cann Depart To
• CS Brown- Soundscape Theme
• Long Distance Calling- Out There
• Southern Empire- Cries for the Lonely
• 3.2 This Letter
• Lunatic Soul- Sorrow
• Lunatic Soul- Under the Fragmented Sky
• IO Earth- Hold On
• Steve Perry- No Erasin'
• Arena- Opera Fanatica
• Nightwish- Gethsemane
• Stormy Atmosphere- Fifth Season
• ELO- Rockaria!
• Diablo Swing Orchestra- Aurora
• Lumsk- Asgardsreia
• Minstrel- Atto II, Secna I: Faust
• Queensryche- Suite Sister Mary
• Iron Maiden- Hallowed Be Thy Name
• Ainur- Glaurung's Death
• Pallas- The Last Angel
• Nad Sylvan- The Bride Said No
• Barock Project- Broken
• Anubis- Pages of Stone
• Big Big Train- A Mead Hall in Winter

Sounscape 2.71 Further Adventures Spelunking 2017 Prog

Yet another journey into the best stuff from 2017. Its part 2 of a series. Had a good time, played some good music, but we still have more to come.

Further adventures spelunking 2017

• Arabs in Aspic- Syndenes Magi
• Fibonacci Sequence- Deus Ex Machina
• Kaipa- On the Edge of New Horizons
• Hadal Sherpa- Marrakech
• Karibow- Black Air
• The Samurai of Prog- Ghost Written
• Aliante- L'Ultima Balena
• Soup- Sleepers
• Drifting Sun- Summer Skies
• Agusa- Bortom Hemom
• The Black Noodle Project- Cosmic Dust
• Kaprekar's Constant- Hailsands
• Threshold- Lost in Translation
• Soen- Lucidity
• Kant Freud Kafka- Vida Y Muerte
• Steven Wilson- Pariah

2017 in Retrospect Pt1

Lets face it, 2017 was a phenomenal year for the music we love. In every hidden shadow underneath every rock, there is a new and talented progressive rock band waiting to bud forth and spread its message. So it should be no surprise that we had to break things up into 2 episodes. Also we won't be rating things, because how could you do such a thing. It's all great. That said, here is the first setlist.

• Kotebel- Entangled Universe
• CS Brown- Soundscape Theme
• PFM- The Lesson
• Orpheus Nine- Transcendental Circus pts I-VI
• Out of the Beardspace- Closer to the Source
• Jet Black Sea- Absorption Lines
• Time Collapse- Night to Day
• Kettlespider- Rebirth
• Major Parkinson- Baseball
• Diablo Swing Orchestra- Superhero Jagganath
• Von Hertzen Brothers- Blindsight
• Electric Moon- (You Will) Live Forever Now
• It- The Path of Least Resistance
• The Tangent- A Few Steps Down the Wrong Road
• Ralph Towmer- My Foolish Heart
• Colin Tench Project- Your Song is a Nightmare
• Tiger Moth Tales- Hygge

Contact us by writing to soundscape@progrock.com and follow us at @SoundscapeDJ