Two years ago, when Soul Secret keyboardist and story-writer Luca Di Gennaro was last on Progtopia, host Mark Ashby asked him (off-air) if the band would be willing to provide an exclusive track for a world premiere when their next album would be released. Di Gennaro agreed, and now we know he is an honest man. In this episode, you'll get a listen to a song from their upcoming conceptual work Babel, due for release on 28 July. The early-prog enthusiast also talks about why he prefers the focus of writing to a concept, the philosophical and literary bases for Babel, and their performance this weekend in support of Mike Portnoy at the Night of the Prog Festival. They can be found online at www.soulsecret.net.

Featured songs/excerpts:

"Newton's Law"

"Awakened by the Light"

"What We're All About"

"Entering the City of Gods"

"Will They?"

To hear the previous two episodes featuring Soul Secret, click these links: http://progtopia.libsyn.com/episode-006-getting-closer-to-daylight-with-soul-secret (2012) http://progtopia.libsyn.com/episode-071-climbing-the-white-stairs-with-soul-secret (2015)

"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 12 July 2017

The air guitar was invented because of musicians like Bogotá, Colombia's Nicolas Waldo. With blisteringly-fast technique that has gotten him compared to John Petrucci and Joe Satriani, Waldo has released several solo albums showcasing his shredding style that is still firmly rooted in progressive elements. With the recent releases of his solo album Equilibrium and band project Energema's The Lion's Forces (based on the Chronicles of Narnia), Waldo has been busy this spring. Host Mark Ashby speaks with him about how long it took him to practice to become this fast, his work as a guitar teacher and who can train with him, and which guitarist he'd most like to share a stage with. Waldo's Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/nicolaswaldo/.

Featured songs/excerpts: "Mirror of Madness" "The Final Code" "Multiverse" "Equilibrium" "Ancient Rebellion" (Energema)  "Mystic Fingers" "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 24 June 2017

Thirty-two years in the business, and still going through the changes in personnel, the ups and downs in the sizes of prog audiences, and all the creative challenges that come with that sort of longevity, Galahad are true survivors. Owing much of their early sound to Gabriel-era Genesis and 70s Yes, they've since carved out their own personality, which often includes extensive reworkings and reimaginings of their past tracks. Some of that is on display on their latest release, Quiet Storms, which also contains several new songs with a more contemplative feel overall. Host Mark Ashby chatted with singer Stu Nicholson about the inspiration he draws from a band that is very different from them -- Rammstein -- changes in guitarists, and why certain tracks might be more logical for reworkings than others. They're on the web at www.galahadonline.com.

Featured songs/excerpts: "Melt" "Don't Lose Control" "Mein Herz Brennt" "Guardian Angel (Hybrid)" "Weightless" "Marz (and Beyond)" "Termination" To hear the previous episode featuring Galahad, click this link: http://progtopia.libsyn.com/episode-024-galahad-battle-scarred-but-euphoric

"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 3 June 2017