Rob Reed new rock project- Kiama

[Rufus]

Just came across this new 'band' project by Rob Reed. This is more in the vein of melodic rock but it sounds interesting!
Defineatly an auto-buy for me!

Rob Reed's latest project Kiama have revealed more details of their 'Kiama Club' membership scheme, and issued a short teaser for their track Tears.

The band includes Magenta mainman Reed as well as Andy Edwards from Frost*, Luke Machin of Maschine and The Tangent, and Dylan Thompson from Shadow Of The Sun.

Their debut album Sign Of IV will be released in January via Tigermoth Records – a teaser video featuring the track Cold Black Heart was premiered by Prog last week.

On the benefits of joining the membership scheme, Edwards says: “We have just launched the Kiama club, where people can sign up and get access to exclusive video and audio content. These days there is so much music being released, with such a quick turnaround, that people don’t get enough time to digest an album.

"We plan to give Kiama club members all the tracks from the album, one a week, up the official release date in January. Also, we have lots of interview footage and studio footage.https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=dKiZ474Z7gI

"Finally the members will be able to buy a special three disc set of the album, the main album CD, a second CD full of extra tracks and different mixes, and a DVD with promo videos and 5.1 mixes."

Visit www.kiamaband.com for more details on the Kiama Club.

Reed, meanwhile, is also working on the follow-up to 2014 solo album Sanctuary.

[progmeister]

Wow. Very exciting. Rob is truly talented. Wish he would do something grand again like "Kompendium"

[gilawi]

Wow. Very exciting. Rob is truly talented. WWish he would do something grand again like "Kompendium"

I second your wishes. Kompendium was a spectacular production. One of my desert island discs.

[Sunlight Caller]

I always enjoy Rob's projects, and am looking forward to this one as I also enjoy Luke's guitar playing immensely.

I did read that there is a ChimpanB project in the wings too, and that is a CD that never gets the attention it deserves, but is one of my favourites.

I would hope for some new Magenta too, it has been quite a while since The 27 Club. I'll be seeing them on the Touchstone farewell gig soon, which I believe is being filmed, so could be some live / DVD offering in the future too.

[Progatron]

I'll be checking this out, as I like a lot of the stuff Rob Reed is involved with, including the rarely mentioned Fyreworks CD!

[JKL2000]

Thanks for the heads up, Rufus! I'm a longtime Robert Reed fan (going back to the early Cyan days), but somehow I must have been dropped from their mailing list. I ordered the 3-disk set and t-shirt! Also got a couple of other releases I was missing (because I had earlier versions of them, but needed to upgrade - the 2disk Home, and the 2-disk Singles collection.

I'll be checking this out, as I like a lot of the stuff Rob Reed is involved with, including the rarely mentioned Fyreworks CD!

I've got that too! But my favorite of all is Cyan's Pictures from the Other Side. A great neo-prog album.

[Progatron]

I've got that too! But my favorite of all is Cyan's Pictures from the Other Side. A great neo-prog album.

I have Cyan's Echoes and The Creeping Vine discs and I enjoy them both, but none of their albums seem easy to come by these days. Due for a reissue, I'd say.

[JKL2000]

I have Cyan's Echoes and The Creeping Vine discs and I enjoy them both, but none of their albums seem easy to come by these days. Due for a reissue, I'd say.

Yeah, or at least a download.

[JKL2000]

My Kiama CD arrived today! Is totally forgotten what I was getting:

- the CD
- a bonus CD and DVD. The bonus CD contains some extra songs and some remixes. The DVD has a bunch of promo videos and a surround mix of the whole album
-KIAMA t-shirt

also, forgot I ordered:

- Magenta - The Complete Singles ( I already had the other singles CD (which is great!) but this version includes the covers of Wonderous Stories and Lucky Man, plus some singles from the last few albums, and some alternate mixes of the singles. So it's 2CDs.

- the complete 2cd edition of Home. I have the version in the slipcase, but I wanted to hear it all in the proper order.

- and they threw in a sampler CD.

Whew - and I got the Mantra Vega CD today too! Dave Kerzner, Heather Findlay, Dave Kilminster, and more.

Can't decide which to listen to first!

[Rufus]

My Kiama CD arrived today! Is totally forgotten what I was getting:

- the CD
- a bonus CD and DVD. The bonus CD contains some extra songs and some remixes. The DVD has a bunch of promo videos and a surround mix of the whole album
-KIAMA t-shirt

also, forgot I ordered:

- Magenta - The Complete Singles ( I already had the other singles CD (which is great!) but this version includes the covers of Wonderous Stories and Lucky Man, plus some singles from the last few albums, and some alternate mixes of the singles. So it's 2CDs.

- the complete 2cd edition of Home. I have the version in the slipcase, but I wanted to hear it all in the proper order.

- and they threw in a sampler CD.

Whew - and I got the Mantra Vega CD today too! Dave Kerzner, Heather Findlay, Dave Kilminster, and more.

Can't decide which to listen to first!

Would appreciate some feedback on the KIAMA CD!!!

[Orcopian]

I'm enjoying this a lot, as has been pointed out its more of a classic rock with touches of prog style than magenta. There is some great guitar playing and excellent vocals, the songs are all of a very high standard with some rockers, some more laid back.

The odd thing is that when I play it on my main hi fi it sounds quite muddy whereas an MP3 in the car sounds great. I was expecting a really nice sounding cd with lots of space and separation, but to my ears the drums are very muddled. In quieter sections it sounds fine though. I have the 2 disc version with extra tracks and 5.1 but I've not had a chance to listen yet.

[JKL2000]

The odd thing is that when I play it on my main hi fi it sounds quite muddy whereas an MP3 in the car sounds great.

So do you think that the MP3 sounds better than the CD or that there's some limitation to your hi fi?

[Orcopian]

Its not my hi fi its just the way this particular cd is mixed, maybe it's mixed to sound good on the radio, who knows? I normally listen to source direct but even after adjusting the eq it wasn't much better. maybe this is how rob wanted it to sound but I was a little disappointed. What do you think?

I've read a few comments on the big big train Facebook group and people aren't that blown away by it. I think it's a good set of songs that are well played it's just the sound I'm not too impressed with.

[JKL2000]

Its not my hi fi its just the way this particular cd is mixed, maybe it's mixed to sound good on the radio, who knows? I normally listen to source direct but even after adjusting the eq it wasn't much better. maybe this is how rob wanted it to sound but I was a little disappointed. What do you think?

I've read a few comments on the big big train Facebook group and people aren't that blown away by it. I think it's a good set of songs that are well played it's just the sound I'm not too impressed with.

I just think it would be weird if the MP3s sound better than the CD.

[Orcopian]

the MP3 is not sonically as good as a cd but what I mean is that the more low fi nature of it on a car stereo means you just hear the songs for what they are, and any sonic imperfections are not shown up as much as they are through a decent hi fi. For my own curiosity I played some kiama tracks again today alongside some other 'classic rock' cd's to see how the sound compared. The new thunder cd as an example sounds amazing the drums really clear, the snare having lots of snap. The kiama cd I still think the drums sound muddy, I'm not expert but maybe they are compressed without a good dynamic range.

[ScottAM]

I've recently checked out Kiama's recent CD and really love it! This is an excellent release. It definitely has more of a classic-rock approach, but there's plenty of Prog influences to it, too. Everything is outstanding, especially the vocals, guitar and keys. Strong songwriting. This should certainly be out front on rock radio. I hope more people check out this band and enjoy it's rock/prog talent.