Any recommandations for pure electronic (synth) Prog ?

[Mr.Krautman]

I'm looking for prog music played exclusively on synths, by solo artists or bands. Looks there aren't many, but here are a few references I like: Synergy (Larry Fast), White Noise II (David Vorhaus), Roger Powell , Erdenklang, Anthony Phillips 1984 (though there are some real instruments in the latter)...
Even if they might be considered as progressive, I'm NOT interested by the Berlin School/Cosmic/New Age style (T.Dream, K.Schulze, Jarre,...) which I already knows (and appreciate), classical adaptations (Tomita, Carlos...) or 100% atonal/experimental/improvisational stuff. What I'm really looking for is composed music in the prog style (may include some jazz/fusion moves) played on synths. What would be your best recommandations which meet my above criteria ?

[rcarlberg]

Richard Burmer - Bhakti Point
Mark Isham - Vapor Drawings
Wally Badarou - Echoes
David Helpling - Between Green and Blue
Patrick O'Hearn - Metaphor
Eirik Lie - 12 Bilder
John Greenland - Soft Robot

[ChrisXymphonia]

Three Winters is a project that involves Lars Froisle from Wobbler and will be released on the label Termo Records which he runs with Jacob Holm Lupo (The Opium Cartel / White Willow). There are two tracks from it on Youtube and from those I get a huge John Carpenter vibe:

[battema]

Umberto - Prophecy of the Black Widow
Zombi - anything your heart desires

[Zeuhlmate]

Zappa: Jazz from Hell ?
( and perhaps Zappa: Civilization Phaze III )
You know Jan Hammer: The first seven days (allthough he adds drums & percussion)
Ozone Player http://www.discogs.com/artist/652575-Ozone-Player

[rcarlberg]

Zappa: Jazz from Hell ?
( and perhaps Zappa: Civilization Phaze III )

I wouldn't call those "prog" or in the same universe as Synergy.

[dgtlman]

Not sure if this is what you're looking for, but check this guy out!
http://www.soniqtheater.de/

[Scrotum Scissor]

Mother Mallard
Tonto's Expanding Head Band
Didier Paquette (Le Souffle Noir)
K. Leimer
Next Life (from Norway)
Metagaia (from Japan)

[Zeuhlmate]

I wouldn't call those "prog" or in the same universe as Synergy.

He wrote
"What I'm really looking for is composed music in the prog style (may include some jazz/fusion moves) played on synths."
IMO Zappa is (non epic) prog and even if you take the prog part out, the score is 2 out of 3.

But there we are again over an over, what is prog?

[walt]

J.Hanson-Boolean Blues
Holden-The Inheritors

[trurl]

Possibly Theme Of Secrets by Eddie Jobson, though that might be more to the new age end of the scale. Good album though. Haven't heard it in years.

[Mr.Krautman]

He wrote
"What I'm really looking for is composed music in the prog style (may include some jazz/fusion moves) played on synths."
IMO Zappa is (non epic) prog and even if you take the prog part out, the score is 2 out of 3.

But there we are again over an over, what is prog?

Actually, I'm a big Zappa fan and already have Jazz from Hell and Civilization Phaze III (as well as numerous other F.Z albums)
It's hard to accurately define what prog is (no need to open the debate again) but there's no doubt (for me) that F.Z is an essential contributor to the genre. (and a genius composer)
Well... just to say I'm open to more "complex" or "weird" music too.

[Mr.Krautman]

Possibly Theme Of Secrets by Eddie Jobson, though that might be more to the new age end of the scale. Good album though. Haven't heard it in years.

I have E.J's Theme of Secrets too but didn't listened it since many many years. As far as I remember it was more Ambient/New Age than Prog, a pleasant album but nothing very memorable. I think I'll try a second run... (I still have the CD somewhere)

[battema]

What about the mid/late 70's Vangelis catalog? Spiral springs to mind immediately. Heaven and Hell is pretty epic 1-man prog, although granted, it's not exactly 100% synths.

[dropforge]

I'm looking for prog music played exclusively on synths, by solo artists or bands. Looks there aren't many, but here are a few references I like: Synergy (Larry Fast), White Noise II (David Vorhaus), Roger Powell , Erdenklang, Anthony Phillips 1984 (though there are some real instruments in the latter)...

Here's a good one: Francesco Buccheri's 1978/1983 albums, Journey/Second Journey, available as a two-fer. The first one is great keyboard-centric prog rock with a drummer and second keyboardist; the second is a solo album recorded entirely with Roland synths: JX-3P/JX-8P/Juno 60/TR-909/TR-707/TR-505.

http://www.discogs.com/Francesco-Buc...elease/4861747

This won't be easy to find, but check out Brian Bennett's 1978 record Voyage. (It was reissued in '97 as a two-fer with the forgettable Rock Dreams.) Voyage features a line-up of Bennett on drums/compositions, ex-Curved Air keyboardist Francis Monkman and bassist Alan Jones. It's nicely synth-heavy and cinematic in tone and flavor.

http://www.discogs.com/Brian-Bennett...release/921068

Even if they might be considered as progressive, I'm NOT interested by the Berlin School/Cosmic/New Age style (T.Dream, K.Schulze, Jarre,...) which I already knows (and appreciate), classical adaptations (Tomita, Carlos...) or 100% atonal/experimental/improvisational stuff. What I'm really looking for is composed music in the prog style (may include some jazz/fusion moves) played on synths. What would be your best recommandations which meet my above criteria ?

If you haven't already heard it, get Michael Hoenig's second album, Xcept One (1987). It is NOT Berlin School. It is firmly what I call "electronic instrumental rock." Ralph Humphrey, who otherwise played a drumkit, even played digital percussion on it.

[battema]

If you haven't already heard it, get Michael Hoenig's second album, Xcept One (1987). It is NOT Berlin School. It is firmly what I call "electronic instrumental rock." Ralph Humphrey, who otherwise played a drumkit, even played digital percussion on it.

Great pick!

If we're stretching out along those lines, I'd also throw some nods for Wuivend Riet & White Out by Johannes Schmoelling.

[azbbyes]

i would second mother mallard

[iguana]

geoff downes / new dance orchestra – “the light program”

[zravkapt]

Zombi - anything your heart desires

They have bass and drums though.

[progholio]

Zombi - anything your heart desires

I'll second that, it's all really good and probably underappreciated (still kicking myself in the ass for missing out on the recent Goblin/Zombi show). I especially like Surface to Air.

[WytchCrypt]

I started a similar thread a couple months ago so you might find some more cool things there

http://www.progressiveears.org/forum...ighlight=synth

[Mr.Krautman]

geoff downes / new dance orchestra – “the light program”

I must admit I never liked Geoff Downes and exploring his solo works would be my last priorities... WHAT A MISTAKE ! I just checked the above excerpt and it's quite good, even if some sounds are dated (who really cares ?), very close to some of Synergy's (best) work. Now I'll need to dig deeper in the (solo) productions of this artist. Thank you for the recommandation.

[dropforge]

[dropforge]

Holy sh!t — how the hell did I forget to mention Mark Shreeve? Same guy in Arc and Redshift with Ian Boddy and his brother Julian. Mark's mid-80s albums Assassin, Legion and Crash Head are among the best all-electronic albums ever recorded.

"Flagg" from Legion.



Title track from Crash Head.



Bruton issued a bunch of his library music on a number of CDs in the early '90s, but don't even think of trying to track those down unless you've got a lot of money burning a hole in your pocket. Here's the title track from Pulsar, which was also used in the movie Honor Bound. Really cool piece of music.

[Mr.Krautman]

Michael Hoenig's Xcept One was amongst my favourite E-Music albums back in 1987 and I still like it very much. The 1st track is a killer but unfortunately the following tracks are not on the same level, though very good. An excellent and highly recommendable album, as well as his 1st (Departure from the Northern Wasteland) if you like mid-70ies T.D

... And I probably still have a couple of (long forgotten) Mark Shreeve and Ian Boddy LP's in my E-music collection but didn't listened them since a very long time.