Ambient music is often misunderstood. Since the songs often deviate from traditional compositional forms, some might think it's easy to create it. German/Swiss trio centrozoon prove that when musicians go beyond improvisation to "composing in the moment," the result is anything but simple or repeatable. Tobias Reber (electronics), Markus Reuter (touch guitar), and Bernhard Wöstheinrich (synthesizers, electronics) create tonal sculptures that challenge and engage in ways that traditional music cannot. Host Mark Ashby talked with Reber and Wöstheinrich about their enjoyment in wordplay, what it means to "play the wrong notes," how to turn a laptop into an instrument, and news about their brand new album The Room of Plenty. Find them an www.centrozoon.de and www.centrozoon.bandcamp.com.

Featured songs/excerpts:
"Paalm"
"Aarooma"
"tales of children in trees"
"Hoorn"
"Tooong"
"Plaan"

For previous episodes featuring centrozoon's Markus Reuter, go to http://progtopia.libsyn.com/episode-018-markus-reuter-more-than-just-a-stick-man and http://progtopia.libsyn.com/backstage-pass-1-markus-reuter-more-than-just-a-stick-man-part-2

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Originally posted 10 Nov 2014

Every band claims at least some degree of uniqueness. Few actually achieve it. New York's Braindance not only sound like little else out there, they coined a new term to describe their sound: progressive darkwave. Melding elements of prog metal, goth, new age, and more, guitarist Vora Vor and vocalist Sebastian Elliott have been building a devoted fan base since the early 90s, and although they only have four releases, they obviously believe in quality over quantity. Their newest concept album, Master of Disguise, was released recently in an eye-catching package complete with 16-page comic, and features their signature blend of styles plus samples from film and television to advance the story of an alternate reality from our own. Mark Ashby spoke with Elliott about the multiple terms he once used to describe the band before landing on progressive darkwave, the finances involved in being an independent artist marketing his own work, his take on the differences between New York's and LA's progressive metal music scenes, and the type of fans that "get" Braindance's music. They're online at www.progressivedarkwave.com.

Featured songs/excerpts:
"Valley of the Kings Chapter I: Beyond"
"Written in Stone"
"Only a Moment"
"The Game"
"Lost"
"Entombed"

"Like" Progtopia on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Progtopia and www.facebook.com/groups/1380357308874546/) and follow Progtopia on Twitter (@Progtopia) to send a message about the show and to receive news about current and upcoming interviews. Thanks for listening!

Originally posted 29 Oct 2014

As collaborator to some of the luminaries in prog (Wetton, Downes, Emerson, etc.), guitarist Dave Kilminster has been able to participate in some incredible tours while still remaining somewhat anonymous. But as part of Roger Waters' latest incarnation of the band performing his classic The Wall, he's played in front of hundreds of thousands of fans around the world. But he's no simple hired gun playing parts David Gilmour originated: he's an accomplished composer in his own right. His newest album, ...And the Truth Will Set You Free, was released in late September, and its combination of prog, pop, and soul is a melodic and lyrical tour-de-force worthy of inclusion in any collection. Host Mark Ashby spoke with Kilminster about his somewhat stripped-down and old-school approach to writing and production, the pros and cons of playing in venues large and small, what he thinks about the Gilmour comparisons, and why you don't necessarily want to play perfectly in sync with a click track. You can visit him online at www.davekilminster.com.

Featured songs/excerpts:
"Thieves"
"Circles"
"Addict"
"Stardust"
"The Fallen"

"Like" Progtopia on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Progtopia and www.facebook.com/groups/1380357308874546/) and follow Progtopia on Twitter (@Progtopia) to send a message about the show and to receive news about current and upcoming interviews. Please also visit our partner stations IAAM Radio at www.itsallaboutmusic.net and PRM Radio at www.progrockandmetal.net, where you can listen to and request songs hundreds of bands in the genre. Thanks for listening!

Originally posted 10 Oct 2014

With this show, let's get back to bass-ics. (Okay, sorry for the bad pun.) In Episode 052, Progtopia featured two bassists and their project as a duo, one of whom (Marco Machera) is from Italy. Perhaps it's something in the water in that country, because there's another phenomenal bassist from there named Alberto Rigoni, whose fourth studio album, "Overloaded," is out on 1 October. An all-instrumental work that explores various aspects of our high-tech, information-heavy society, Overloaded benefits not only from Rigoni's eclectic mix of playing styles, but also from guests like guitarist Simone Mularoni of DGM and others. Host Mark Ashby talked with Rigoni about why he chose the bass as his instrument (and what he actually tried to play first), how he balances the need to use social media to promote his music and his life outside of computers and mobile devices, and what other projects he's working on, even a bit about the top secret ones. He's on the web at www.albertorigoni.net.

Featured songs/excerpts:
"Chron"
"Ubick"
"Floating Capsule"
"Overloaded"
"Liberation"

"Like" Progtopia on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Progtopia and www.facebook.com/groups/1380357308874546/) and follow Progtopia on Twitter (@Progtopia) to send a message about the show and to receive news about current and upcoming interviews. Please also visit our partner stations IAAM Radio at www.itsallaboutmusic.net and PRM Radio at www.progrockandmetal.net, where you can listen to and request songs hundreds of bands in the genre, including Alberto Rigoni. Thanks for listening!

Originally posted 28 September 2014

Powerful prog music comes in many flavors. Sometimes you want that power to come from virtuosic instrumental displays, and sometimes you want that power to be more understated and goosebump-inducing. The Gift, from the UK, fall in the latter camp. Vocalist Mike Morton has served as the muse for the band since its inception in the early 2000s and two albums, 2006's Awake and Dreaming and this year's Land of Shadows. Joined by guitarist David Lloyd, bassist Stefan Dickers, keyboardist Samuele Matteucci, and drummer Scott James, Morton isn't afraid to tackle heady subjects like war and religion through melodically-driven music that is reminiscent of the likes of Roger Waters and Alan Parsons. Host Mark Ashby talked with Morton about those challenging subjects and his philosophy on them, which band first stirred his interest in progressive music (which is the same as the host's), and his involvement in the recent Resonance festival. They can be found on the web at www.thegiftmusic.com.

Featured songs/excerpts:
"Dark Clouds Gathering"
"The Willows"
"Awake and Dreaming"
"The Comforting Cold"
"Walk into the Water"

"Like" Progtopia on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Progtopia and www.facebook.com/groups/1380357308874546/) and follow Progtopia on Twitter (@Progtopia) to send a message about the show and to receive news about current and upcoming interviews. Please also visit our partner stations IAAM Radio at www.itsallaboutmusic.net and PRM Radio at www.progrockandmetal.net, where you can listen to and request songs hundreds of bands in the genre. Thanks for listening!

Originally posted 16 September 2014

The Socceroos may not have gotten far in the recent World Cup, but in our humble opinion on Progtopia, Australia is destroying the competition in 2014 when it comes to progressive music. Teramaze, Anubis, and Voyager have already been featured in interview or Friday Finds episodes this year, and now, Hemina has returned with an even stronger effort than their debut Synthetic. The ten songs on Nebulae (due out 19 August) are connected to the concept of lucid dreaming, and stylistically the band is now incorporating elements of funk and 80s pop with their brand of progressive metal that's full of lush vocal harmonies and multiple dimensions. Host Mark Ashby spoke with guitarists/vocalists Doug Skene and Mitch Coull, and bassist/vocalist Jessica Martin (also pictured, keyboardist/vocalist Phil Eltakchi) about what's been happening since we last heard from the band in Episode 005, the connections among all Hemina's albums (including one that's not even finished yet), and the story behind the making of the video for their song "Freedom." You'll also hear the world premiere of the track "Strength"! Find the band online at www.hemina.com.au.

Featured songs/excerpts:
"Before"
"Lust"
"Freedom"
"Strength"
"Soulmates"

To listen to Hemina's first Progtopia appearance from April 2012, click here: http://progtopia.libsyn.com/episode-005-and-now-to-find-hemina

"Like" Progtopia on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Progtopia and www.facebook.com/groups/1380357308874546/) and follow Progtopia on Twitter (@Progtopia) to send a message about the show and to receive news about current and upcoming interviews. Please also visit our partner stations IAAM Radio at www.itsallaboutmusic.net and PRM Radio at www.progrockandmetal.net, where you can listen to and request songs hundreds of bands in the genre, including Hemina. Thanks for listening!

It's been a few years since Swedish power-metal quintet Seventh Wonder released their most recent album The Great Escape, but Johan Liefvendahl (guitar), Andreas "Kyrt" Söderin (keyboards), Tommy Karevik (vocals), Stefan Norgren (drums), and Andreas Blomqvist (bass) are about to take ProgPower USA by storm. At the fourteenth installment of the Atlanta festival, as part of their set, Seventh Wonder will perform their classic 2008 album Mercy Falls in its entirety, with plans for a DVD release to follow. Long recognized as among the most-respected bands in the genre, they've also put out a new video for a song called "Inner Enemy," and a full album is in the works. Host Mark Ashby talked with Blomqvist about the band's origins and move toward progressive elements, the emotional impact behind Mercy Falls, the way the band handled Karevik's induction into Kamelot while remaining Seventh's Wonder's singer, and more. Find them online at www.seventhwonder.se, and ProgPower USA at www.progpowerusa.com.

Featured songs/excerpts:
"The Angelmaker"
"One Last Goodbye"
"Unbreakable"
"Welcome to Mercy Falls"
"The Black Parade"
"The Great Escape - VI: A New Balance/VII: Death of the Goddesses"
"Alley Cat"

"Like" Progtopia on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Progtopia and www.facebook.com/groups/1380357308874546/) and follow Progtopia on Twitter (@Progtopia) to send a message about the show and to receive news about current and upcoming interviews. Please also visit our partner stations IAAM Radio at www.itsallaboutmusic.net and PRM Radio at www.progrockandmetal.net, where you can listen to and request songs hundreds of bands in the genre, including Seventh Wonder. Thanks for listening!

Originally posted 20 August 2014

Now that the dust has settled from the lawsuit surrounding veteran rockers Queensryche and the parties involved can go their separate ways, former singer Geoff Tate is back for his second appearance on Progtopia. Host Mark Ashby talked with him about his feelings in the aftermath of it all, plans for new material with a hoped-for release date of early 2015, the music-history-meets-comedy Rock and Vaudeville show that he's a key part of, and if he ever considered his and Queensryche's music "progressive" (including some of the influences he grew up with). Fans have one last chance to catch Tate's version of the band in concert during August with the month-long "Farewell to Queensryche" tour. Find out if it's coming near you by visiting www.queensryche.com. You can also catch up with Tate online at www.geofftate.com.

Featured songs/excerpts:
"Freiheit Ouverture"
"Suite Sister Mary"
"Eyes of a Stranger"
"The Hands"
"The Weight of the World"
"Resistance"

To listen to Geoff Tate's first Progtopia appearance from June 2013, go to http://progtopia.libsyn.com/episode-032-in-the-hands-of-geoff-tate

"Like" Progtopia on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Progtopia and www.facebook.com/groups/1380357308874546/) and follow Progtopia on Twitter (@Progtopia) to send a message about the show and to receive news about current and upcoming interviews. Please also visit our partner stations IAAM Radio at www.itsallaboutmusic.net and PRM Radio at www.progrockandmetal.net, where you can listen to and request songs hundreds of bands in the genre, including Queensryche. Thanks for listening!

Originally posted 25 July 2014