Electric Mud "The Deconstruction of Light"

Welcome to The Closet Concert Arena fellow progheads!  As always it is a pleasure and honor I don't take for granted to be able to bring you the best in new and lesser-known prog music.  After a raucous week in LA, the mood settles just a bit as the search for all things prog makes a return trip to Germany and a follow-up visit with Electric Mud and their latest release, "The Deconstruction of Light."

It was but three years ago The Closet Concert Arena first discovered Electric Mud, and summing up their sound as "post-progressive rock" doesn't quite touch all the bases.  While the sky overhead may be filled with dark ominous clouds and the atmosphere hangs heavy, Electric Mud walks many a mile through the prog garden, delving into sections labeled ambient, metal, and avant-garde just to name a few.  This is a band that crawls inside your head just to see if they fit, so perhaps we best get to it...

The opener this week is a bit dark and dreary; "Suburban Wasteland Blues."  The opening guitars are tangibly heavy--and that is a good thing.  Electric Mud does a bit of a bait-and-switch here as this song just bleeds the blues...but prog elements leap off the disc at the same time.  Think Adrian Belew jamming with John Lee Hooker and you're close.  If your feet ain't tapping as this song climbs over, through, and around time and tempo changes, check your shoes to see if they're empty...

Next up on this calorie laden buffet is "Heads in Beds."  A sultry guitar leads you down a dimly lit corridor as the song opens.  Waltzing through domes of light cast by overhead streetlamps you alternately  disappear in darkness and reappear as if walking a lone desolate avenue on a rainy night.  The top notes are reminiscent of The Strawbs and  Tangerine Dream while the guitar work has just a hint of a Mark Knopfler influence; elegant and brooding while at the same time extremely minimal...in a word, fantastic.  The music continues to walk the prog garden in search of fellow nyctophiles; Electric Mud is haunting in this piece without crossing into the macabre or evil--just floating on this side of the darkness...


Liner Notes...hailing from Springe in the district of Hannover, Germany, Electric Mud was founded by bass player and sound conceptualist Hagen Bretschneider.  The band, now an official trio,  also includes Lennart Huper on rhythm guitar and Nico Walser on guitars, keyboards, percussion, noises...and sound alchemy.  Manfred Lohse is credited for video production...these credits alone should be a sliver of light shining on the depths to which Electric Mud will dig to capture the essence of their sound.

"The Deconstruction of Light" was released in April, the band's third full length album.  Paying homage to the prog standard bearers that tilled the garden early on, Electric Mud doesn't just echo the sounds of the past, rather they sift the many layers and add a touch of their own DNA, creating a unique sound amongst the familiar.

To learn more about Electric Mud and make a purchase check their website Electric Mud.  Links there will take you to bandcamp, soundcloud, Amazon, and other music sites for listening and buying--with an emphasis on the latter.  There is also Facebook and Twitter @Electricmudd  to keep up with all the latest band information.

Final selection for review this week is "Through the Gates."  Electric Mud is extremely good at giving the listener a macro view of the inner workings of a determined mind, allowing you to glimpse a private world not usually on display.  The percussion in this piece is deafeningly restrained; you feel the blows in your conscious but no physical harm is done.  Music to contemplate by...


I chose a reprise of sorts for your listening pleasure this week; "Black Dog." The opening riff lifts the top of your skull and rains down all over your mind...aromatics of Deep Purple burst through the thick outer shell encasing the song as the tempo and mood swing back away from the sun.  Electric Mud manage to say quite a bit without once uttering a lyric, filling the canvas to overload.  As you sit back and allow the music to swallow you whole, you realize the ride down is as fulfilling as it is mesmerizing...dim the lights...

                   

Yet one more trek through the prog garden has yielded a hearty bounty for the week.  Electric Mud takes you on a joy ride through a cavernous section of the prog garden; dark and eery at times but never letting go of your hand.  The post-progressive section of the prog garden has a reputation for being ominous and gloomy, but don't be fooled; Electric Mud has the power to light up a seemingly impenetrable darkness--and you'll want to be there when the beacon burns through the haze...

So the search for all things prog moves forcibly ahead as the Closet Concert Arena moves on.  Electric Mud has shown another side of the prog garden, allowing a dark hue to wash over the sun soaked dunes...and the result is magic.  The journey continues...until next time...   

Lobate Scarp "Time and Space"

Hello fellow progheads and welcome to another week here at the The Closet Concert Arena!  The summer flew by much too quickly, so in an effort to slow the gravitational pull of Mother Earth (or at least make it feel that way), the search for all things prog stayed on one continent this week, hunkering down in California to check out a relative new comer to the prog garden, Lobate Scarp.

Referring to their sound as "Progressive Space-Opera Rock," Lobate Scarp put themselves on my radar; always looking for bands that view the prog garden through a different lens.  So diving right in, I drop the laser on the title cut and let the headphones fill my cranium...and the sounds they emit are quite the mind show.  As the song opens you feel as if you're listening to the background music while credits roll on a classic 40's film noir marathon.  Then just as sudden and unexpected as snow in July, color splashes across the canvas and Lobate Scarp comes at you full force.  This terrestrial aura comes through on some fine guitar work and percussion.  The mood swing is a bit jazz fusion at one point as I find myself waiting for David Sanborn to break out one of his trademark sax solos.  The week starts strong as I am sated for fifteen minutes plus...

Moving across the disc I discover a piece that opens in a nostalgic frame of mind then quickly punches up the drums, "The Contradiction."  Once again an ominous cello forces itself onto your auditory sensors like a prelude to darkness.  However, Lobate Scarp is simply doing what they do best--toying with your emotions the way most operas do...even the progressive space-rock kind.  There is a taste of ELO and The Flaming Lips in the music here as the tempo floats like a swinging pendulum.  Lobate Scarp seems to enjoy a "quick intro" as the song starts to emerge from the headphones, only to inundate you with a roller coaster ride of emotion and style...

Liner Notes...in addition to being from Los Angeles CA and into quantum physics, Lobate Scarp sports a left-handed guitarist/vocalist in Nate Olmos and bass player/cellist/vocalist Andy Catt (unless the photos are backwards).  The other current members of the band are Adam Sears lead vocals and keyboards, Andrea Whitt on electric viola, and Dustin Prince on drums.  The band originated in 2007 releasing "Time and Space" in 2012.  They also have a single, "Beautiful Light" that hit the airwaves in 2016.

Lobate Scarp is a melange of sorts; many ideas and influences brought together to create a driving sound that resonates across much of the prog garden.  The ornate boldness of Queen, the "not taking ourselves too seriously" approach of Dreadnaught, and the mellow smooth attitude of Phish make for a canvas splattered with color and character that is a truly unique blend...

Learn more about Lobate Scarp at Lobate Scarp and purchase their music at
Lobate Scarp bandcamp.  You can also connect with the band via Facebook and on Twitter @LobateScarp.  Their catalog is relatively small while still in the "construction phase."

The palate cleanser for this prog gala is "The Mirror."  Channeling David Gilmour as the curtain is peeled back, this song is an extension of what Lobate Scarp is about; emerging slowly as they fill your mind to overflow with sights, sounds, and bursts of energy.  Top notes range from Pink Floyd to Asia and the Red Hot Chili Peppers...yes, Lobate Scarp likes to fill the entire picture frame... 

Your ear candy this week is a tune called "Jacob's Ladder."  This song brings a funky edge to the forefront...think Spock's Beard meets Wishbone Ash meets Cake.  The guitars carve out a groove that gets your foot tapping one minute and your mind swirling the next...of course the drum work thumping the back of your neck helps keep you focused.  Lobate Scarp seems to enjoy making the most of their time in the prog garden and sharing a twisted groove with friends... 

                          

And another week has walked briskly by the picture window.  Lobate Scarp seemed the right elixir as we witness summer's annual fade to gray, her strut across the prog garden deliberately alluring.  However, the prog garden is a landscape for all seasons and bands like Lobate Scarp have nurtured some impressive acreage.  As their resume grows and the catalog fills, I anticipate the envelope being pushed and the prog garden continuing its expansion.

As for The Closet Concert Arena, the search for all things prog continues to stay on course...until next time...   

The Hollow Moon

Greetings once again fellow progheads!  As the unofficial final days of summer flash by the rear view mirror, the search for all things prog continues its forward motion.  This week The Concert Closet carries a passport to check in on both sides of the pond investigating a band starting to build its own portfolio...welcome to the sounds of The Hollow Moon.

The Hollow Moon is one more prog band that touches two continents as the members reach across the Atlantic to bring their sound to the prog garden.  Time to peel back the curtain and look inside the workings of The Hollow Moon...

Starting with the song "King of Yesterday" I find myself swept up in a touch of nostalgia.  The mood is quite somber as the yearning for days gone by drips from the lyrics like raspberry vinegar; the desired sweet is soothing, just enough to temper the acidic bite.  There are top notes of Marillion and a hint of Keane wafting through the entire production; the keyboards are soft yet able to penetrate deep into your pores.  Feels like a reflective week coming on...

Moving to the next single, I drop the laser on "Everything in Balance."  A more upbeat tempo greets the auditory sensors as strong keyboards wash over like a cool breeze on a humid afternoon.  The drum work gives a foundation to the guitars riding across the top.  Aromatics of Yes dart in and out of the music, poking your skull.  I sense a Godley and Creme vibe as well; the logic minded depth of the lyrics wrapped in deep thought, begging to be unwrapped.

Liner Notes...The Hollow Moon is the blend of two musicians hailing from two continents.  Jon Farley lives in Moray, Scotland and along with composing for the band plays piano, keyboards, drums, guitar, and provides vocals.  Darren Selesnow calls Los Angeles, CA home and he also composes while  providing bass, electric and acoustic guitars, as well as keyboards.

Darren and Jon bring well over a half century's experience to The Hollow Moon from their respective musical upbringing.  Each has been playing, writing, and recording music on their own as well as with with other bands.  Darren's alter-ego has been part of The Edwardian Look for the past ten years while Jon is the lone member of Checking for Echo.  The Hollow Moon currently has five singles out with their first full length album due soon.  The LP will consist of the existing singles along with new music presently being mixed, arranged, and going through all the necessary machinations required to bring it to fruition.  So the prog garden expands its boundaries...

My last song for review here is "Don't Forget Me."  The Hollow Moon is a very introspective band; these are songs that penetrate deep into your conscious, lifting the lid on your cranium and stoking the thought process.  I sense aromatics of Porcupine Tree in this cut; the percussion brings out the strength of the vocals and guitars gain momentum toward the end of the song.  The haunting voice-over carries you across the threshold from present to a perpetual, fading eternity.




Learn more about The Hollow Moon  at The Hollow Moon Band.  They also have a Facebook page Hollow Moon FB and Twitter @TheHollowMoon .  Both will keep you informed as to the release of their debut album and other information about the band.  You can purchase all the singles now at iTunes and Amazon; links on the website.  Get in on the ground floor so you can say you knew them when...

I chose the clip below, "Falling Away," as your ear candy this week.  The signature melancholy piano lead-in pulls the curtain back slowly on a coming-of-age realization about what really is important and how fast time slips through your fingers--no matter how tight your grasp.  The Hollow Moon fills the pallet with subtle strokes from a somber brush; delicate though it may be, the song pulls on your emotions without drowning you in sorrow.  The tempo gains just enough momentum for the song to float through your mind and carry you to that peaceful place...pour a single malt and dim the lights...

                                    

OK fellow progheads, seven days closer to the end of another busy year in the prog garden.  The Hollow Moon is an apropos way to draw the curtain on summer; watching the sunset while enjoying a fresh crispness in the air.  The prog garden brought forth a lot of exciting new bands and artists this year as well as witnessing some old favorites continue their upward trajectory.

With a debut album coming soon and side projects to use up any possible free time, Darren and Jon appear  to be riding The Hollow Moon to new acreage here in the prog garden.  And of course  the search for all things prog continues the hunt for even more new and exciting entries...until next time...