Free Download of DFA - Work in Progress Live from MoonJune

[JKL2000]

MoonJune is offering a FREE download of DFA's live album Work In Progress Live on Bandcamp:

https://dutyfreearea.bandcamp.com/al...-progress-live

But only through (or until?) this Sunday. So get it now! Just enter 0 as they price.

Here's the text of their email announcing this:

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Dear Friends in Music

This month, MoonJune Records celebrates its 15th Anniversary. Even though my first three releases were manufactured by my friends at DiskMakers in May of 2001, I consider that MoonJune Records actually started on June 23rd 2001, on the first day of the third annual progressive rock festival NEARFest, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the first public appearance as a news record label and one of the festival's vendors. Exactly one year before, at the second annual NEARFest, I have discovered what became one of my favorite, and one of the label's most celebrated bands, progressive rock fusion quartet from Verona, Italy - Duty Free Area, known as D.F.A.

Their stellar performance at NEARFest in the early afternoon on June 17th, 2000, when D.F.A. took the stage for their first-ever live performance in the USA, and It most certainly marked the beginning of the band's International career, and was their first major exposure outside the confines of their native Italy, a country with a rich progressive music history. Many among the large audience of progressive music enthusiasts at NEARfest were obviously unfamiliar with the Italian band and their music, but as the show progressed it became evident that history was in the making. Each successive song was greeted with a bigger roar of applause. Recorded with crystal clarity, this is an exceptional recording of a very special live performance. "Work In Progress Live" marks the official beginning of MoonJune Records, being one of the labels most successful and critically most acclaimed albums. D.F.A. performed a number of exciting individual and festival shows in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Indonesia, Belgium, Germany and all around Italy. After the release of the studio album "4th" in 2008, another of the great and critically acclaimed MoonJune's albums in the label's 15 years history, a tragic event marked the end of the band's career. Alberto Bonomi, D.F.A.'s keyboardist, and with the drummer Alberto De Grandis, the band's main composer, died in a car accident on Sunday, June 28th, 2011, at the age of 48.

To celebrate 15th years of MoonJune Records and to celebrate the legacy of an extraordinary musician and a very dear friend, "Maestro" Alberto Bino Bonomi, - MoonJune Records is offering a FREE DOWNLOAD of their celebrated live album "Work In Progress Live". This special offer is valid until Sunday, June 26. Despite the band's semi-legendary status in the progressive rock circuits, many fans of the genre are still unaware of this truly fantastic band, and of the great talent of Alberto Bonomi.

​Thanks for the continuous support to the Independent Music cause.

Leonardo Pavkovic
MoonJune Records

[interbellum]

We had the same idea about this (see http://www.progressiveears.org/forum...ars-gone/page4 post 84)

[JKL2000]

You beat me, but I included the link!

[Wounded Land]

This is a nice recording from an excellent band.

[hippypants]

I didn't know about Moonjune's d/l of their free sampler.

[vacuumtube1954]

I need to d/l this ! Thanks

[Zeuhlmate]

This is a nice recording from an excellent band.

seconded !

[Shadow]

As much as I liked DFA 4, I fell asleep during their Nearfest performance. I thought it was just me but the other fusion guys in my row were also nodding off.

[Plasmatopia]

As much as I liked DFA 4, I fell asleep during their Nearfest performance. I thought it was just me but the other fusion guys in my row were also nodding off.

Probably something about your row, lol.

[JKL2000]

As much as I liked DFA 4, I fell asleep during their Nearfest performance. I thought it was just me but the other fusion guys in my row were also nodding off.

I have to admit I actually left during their NEARfest performance - something I rarely do.

[Shadow]

I have to admit I actually left during their NEARfest performance - something I rarely do.

It was like there was no dynamics or something. For some reason there wasn't enough going on to keep me interested.

[GuitarGeek]

I thought both of their NEARfest performances were fantastic. I remember seeing Leonardo at NEARfest 2001, and he showed me the then just released CD of Work In Progress and I bought it on sight. Still love that performance.

[sergio]

4th is immensely good. Best of theirs. I also like the one on which Alberto Piras lays down his incredible vocals

[Mr.Krautman]

As much as I liked DFA 4, I fell asleep during their Nearfest performance. I thought it was just me but the other fusion guys in my row were also nodding off.

Strange, because it's the exact opposite of what we can hear on the live record: audience reaction was quite good and increased during the show after each song. Even the band themselves were surprised and touched by the (unexpected) good reaction they received. DFA's music is not pure fusion (but a mix of space-rock/prog and fusion) and this might explain why some "fusion guys" didn't liked the performance. W.I.P is an excellent recording of a great band and is highly recommended.

[Plasmatopia]

I was familiar with the material on 4th and was thrilled to hear that stuff played live at NF. Really enjoyed their set.

[Brad to the Bone]

It most certainly marked the beginning of the band's International career, and was their first major exposure outside the confines of their native Italy, a country with a rich progressive music history.

There's a bit of historical revisionism here, I think. DFA had already generated quite a bit of buzz in the Internet prog community well before appearing at NearFest - it's likely why they were booked after all - and were certainly one of the key draws for me to attend that year. Enjoyed their NF set a lot, and was always disappointed that the subsequent CD release omitted the performance of "Esperanto" with Gianni Leone on guest vocals.

[Supersonic Scientist]

It was like there was no dynamics or something. For some reason there wasn't enough going on to keep me interested.

This I find baffling. I thought they were enthralling from start to finish. YMMV.

[JKL2000]

There's a bit of historical revisionism here, I think. DFA had already generated quite a bit of buzz in the Internet prog community well before appearing at NearFest - it's likely why they were booked after all - and were certainly one of the key draws for me to attend that year. Enjoyed their NF set a lot, and was always disappointed that the subsequent CD release omitted the performance of "Esperanto" with Gianni Leone on guest vocals.

It wasn't me who posted what you're replying to - not sure who it was

[Sputnik]

As much as I liked DFA 4, I fell asleep during their Nearfest performance. I thought it was just me but the other fusion guys in my row were also nodding off.

Well, to each their own. DFA were one of my favorites at NF2000, which was far and away my favorite NEARFest. Dan Barrett had played me bits of their albums before the show, and I confess they didn't make a huge impression on me at the time. But man, when they kicked in with Escher at the show, I was getting shivers it was so cool. They had me from that moment on, and I bought both albums at the show and wound up loving them. I still look back to this performance as magical. I think the live CD captures some of that, and in fact a lot of DFA's intricacies are perhaps better heard in home listening rather than live.

There's a bit of historical revisionism here, I think. DFA had already generated quite a bit of buzz in the Internet prog community well before appearing at NearFest - it's likely why they were booked after all - and were certainly one of the key draws for me to attend that year. Enjoyed their NF set a lot, and was always disappointed that the subsequent CD release omitted the performance of "Esperanto" with Gianni Leone on guest vocals.

I think you're right, DFA were definitely making waves before NF. But I think their performance sealed the deal for them and really elevated their profile.

As far as Leone and Esperanto being left off the live album, I agree with you, it's puzzling. I wonder if the band didn't feel a bit upstaged by him at the end of their show, advertising IBdB's later performance (as it turned out, I thought IBdB was terribly mediocre compared to DFA, but whatever). Or, they all just felt the song didn't go well. I recall at one point Leone seemed lost and was repeating a vocal line, so they may have all been dissatisfied with the performance. Or Leone didn't agree to the release of his performance. So it could be lot's of things. But I've always wondered about it as well.

Bill