Von Zamla - Zamlaranamma (Sweden 1982) [AvantProg] @320

After the dissolution of Samla Mammas Manna (as Zamla Mammaz Manna), master musicians Haapala y Hollmer decided to renew their partnership with this project Von Zamla, together with other two musicians from Albert Marcoeur's band. The result: a musical offering whose main bet was on multicolored melodic motifs, extravagant tratments, heavily relying on dissonant chord progressions and pretty recurrently sustained on counterpoints regarding the arrangements. Zamlaranamma is the first recorded manifestation of this result. Von Zamla's music is deeply challenging while not being particularly aggressive - their compositions and style bear the heritage of ZMM but with a more light-weight attitude toward the interactions between all musicians. The absence of a drummer, or more precisely, a specialized percussive section, allows the ensamble to focus more enthusiastically on the amalgamation of keyboards, guitars and woodwinds, although the rhythmic basis still plays a solid role at ordaining the aforesaid amalgamation.

1. Harujänta (7:49) 
2. Rainbox (3:14) 
3. Doppler (4:34) 
4. Clandestine (5:48) 
5. Temporal you are (4:32) 
6. Original 13 II (4:46) 
7. Ten tango (5:40) 
8. Antsong (5:11) 
9. Tail of antsong (2:05)

Lars Hollmer / keyboards, accordion, percussion, glockenspiel, lead vocals
Denis Brely / bassoon, oboe, voice, baryton sax, Soprano flute 
Jan Garret / bass, bass pedals, guitar, percussion, vocals 
Eino Haapala / guitar, bass, cello, mandoline, percussion, vocals 

Juha Kujanpää Ensemble - Kivenpyörittäjä (Finland 2013) [Folk-Rock] @320

Composer and pianist Juha Kujanpää releases his first solo album as a composer. The album "Tales and Travels" combines two sides of Kujanpää's musicianship, acoustic Nordic folk and electric rock/jazz music, resulting in a special, distinctive musical world. "Tales and travels" is instrumental music with a large ensemble and a strong "Finnish" sound. It combines beautiful violin melodies with aggressive fuzz guitars, sounds of Finnish forests and the nights of July.

Besides Kujanpää, who plays piano, reed organ and keyboards, the core line-up of the album consists of some well-established Finnish folk players and electric rock/jazz musicians: Tommi Asplund, Esko Järvelä and Kukka Lehto (violins), Timo Kämäräinen (guitar), Tero Tuovinen (bass) and Jussi Miettola (drums).

Juha Kujanpää (b.1974) is a versatile composer and musician who operates masterfully in the no-man's land between folk music and jazz. Kujanpää's music has been released lately on Kirjava lintu: Unilintu (2012), Isis-trio: The Legend of Birth (2011) and Karuna: Hyvää matkaa/Bon Voyage (2010).


01 - Matkamusiikki - Tales and Travels
02 - Kivenpyörittäjä - Boulder Dash
03 - Suomenmaa - Samba da Finlandia
04 - Hääpolska - Wedding Polska
05 - Arkipäivän ylistys - Ode to Everyday
06 - Different Polska
07 - Islannin vesi - Iceland Water
08 - Kaukametsä - Far Forest
09 - Heinäkuun yöt - Nights of July
10 - Kaukametsä - Far Forest (reprise)


Esko Järvelä (violin)
Juha Kujanpää (piano, keyboards, composer)
Jussi Miettola (drums)
Kukka Lehto (violin)
Tero Tuovinen (bass)
Timo Kämäräinen (guitar)
Tommi Asplund (violin)

Caprice - Kywitt! Kywitt! (RUSSIA 2009) [AvantProg] @320

Enter the crazy faerie universe of this virtuoso neoclassical band. Surrealistic, yet beautiful, 'never heard before' music blending orchestral and folk instruments with vintage analogue synthesizers.
3 years after their 'Elvenmusic III', the new ‘Caprice’ escapes from the forest.
Discover now the 'craziest and surrealistic' neoclassical masterpiece of these virtuosi musicians from Moscow Opera. Caprice music on the 'Elven trilogy' was about to translate sounds and music that Elves could create. Kywitt is different and gives a human view (sometimes hallucinations...) at the faerie world. The result is a ‘never heard before’ music, more surrealistic, more ‘Fantasy’ and also more intense.
The Genius Composer 'Anton Brejestovski' seems to play with the score and instruments like he would play with toys. He adds a lot of new musicians and instruments, like drums, electric guitar, electro, vintage analogue synthesizers blended with classical and folk instruments (Cello, violin, Oboe, clarinet, accordion, duduk, saz...).
Discover Caprice surrealistic world, 'Poppy' songs of dwarves, orcs but also beautiful and intense Elven neoclassical melodies.

01 - Dundellion Wine
02 - Monday, Tuesday
03 - Kywitt! Kywitt!
04 - Mary Morison
05 - Philomet, With Melody
06 - Christmass Lullaby
07 - Fae Fae Fae Fae Fae Fae Fae
08 - Adew Sweet Amarillis
09 - Rumpled Wille
10 - The Dusk Of Kimmeria
11 - More
12 - Peggy
13 - Garden Of Love

Inna Brejestovskaya – voice
Anton Brejestovski – music, keyboards
Vladimir Bobovnikov – flute
Anton Konchakov – clarinet
Alexey Bazhalkin – bassoon
Alexandra Korzina – violin
Tatiana Strunina – harp

Ensemble Nimbus - Key Figures (Sweden 1994) [ProgRock] @320

ENSEMBLE NIMBUS "Key Figures" are the third release from the excellent Swedish Ad Perpetuam Memoriam label (APM). They are mixing 70's influenced Zeuhl and RIO and obviously there's reminiscences to SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA, UNIVERS ZERO and VON ZAMLA. The interesting line-up includes among others Håkan Almkvist who's responsible for the compositions and the SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA drummer Hasse Bruniusson on Electric Batterie. APM is responsible for many interesting releases and this isn't an exception. Recommended!

Greger - Prog Archives

1. Slaget (The Battle) (5:04) 

2. Formaningen (The Exhortation) (4:48) 

3. Rabalder (The Commotion) (5:20)

4. Änglamakerskan (The Baby-farmer) (5:56) 

5. Skrapan (The Schramscraper) (3:29) 

6. Bo i Bingen (Lazy bones) (5:52)

7. Hönsper (The Eccentric Farmer) (3:44) 

8. Motvalskärring (Against the Stream) (4:17) 

9. Uti Svängen (Shake a Leg) (4:17)

10. Nyckelfiguren (The Key Figure) (3:26) 

11. Ekivoka Vänningar (Indecent turnings) (8:25)

Hakan Almkvist / guitar, bass, voice on "Commotion" 

Lars erik Björk / clarinet, bass-clarinet 

Hasse Bruniusson / electric batterie 

Stefan Karlsson / keyboard 

Kirk Chilton / violin

North Sea Radio Orchestra - North Sea Radio Orchestra (2006 England) @320 [AvantProg]

North Sea Radio Orchestra is a unique chamber group who perform music of beauty and originality that has, at its heart, lyricism and melodic richness. Featuring wind, strings, percussion, guitars, organs and voices, theirs is a world in which melody and harmony abound.

The ensemble is of varying size, drawing on a pool of up to twenty members. It performs compositions which range from single-instrument solos and voice-and-guitar duos up to full chamber-orchestra-and-choir pieces (and all points in between, including assorted trios, quartets, quintets etc). The instrumentation within the ensemble features woodwind, strings, orchestral and electronic percussion, nylon-string guitar, chamber organ, piano and the human voice. 
Between six and ten members sing as “the North Sea Chorus”.


01. Organ Miniature (0:52)
02. Every Day Hath Its Night (3:22)
03. Kingstanding (7:19)
04. Chimes (12:32)
05. Guitar Miniature (1:11)
06. Mimnermus in Church (6:04)
07. He Gives his Beloved Certain Rhymes (5:06)
08. Hole in the Sky (4:49)
09. Joy for my Heart (3:00)
10. Shelley's Skylark (10:13)
11. He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven (2:43)
12. Bill's March (0:49)


Nicola Baigent / clarinet, bass clarinet
Luke Crooks / bassoon
Ben Davies / piano
Harry Escott / cello
Craig Fortnam / guitar, bass guitar, organ
Sharron Fortnam / lead voice
James Larcombe / piano, organ, hurdy gurdy
Richard Larcombe / voice
Dug Parker / voice
Geraldine Peach / oboe
Jen Underhill / violin
Hugh Wilkinson / percussion
Brian Wright / violin

North Sea Radio Orchestra - Birds (2008 England) @320 [AvantProg]

Let’s start with the name. North Sea Radio Orchestra has to be one of the most evocative monikers in recent years, conjuring up all kinds of images, ideas and emotions - incurably romantic. This romance aims much farther than a pleasing title though. As on their eponymous 2006 debut, the group draw on English poetry for lyrical inspiration. On Birds there are three pieces by William Blake ('The Angel', 'A Poison Tree' and 'The Wound'), one by Chaucer ('Now Welcom Somer') and one by Tennyson ('Move Eastward Happy Earth'). Then there's the music: made up of classical and acoustic guitars, chamber organ, many solo voices, piano, various woodwind instruments, percussion and violin, North Sea Radio Orchestra couldn’t sound more out of time. This is not to say that they feel dated, it's just peculiarly not now. But this isn’t so simple either, as there is a feeling within the music that could only come from now. Despite their entirely non-rockist existence, it’s their ability to bend their compositions into song form that see them being praised to the heavens.

And if there is ever a whiff of austerity, its counterbalanced by the sheer listenability of the music. You could play this to the family on Christmas Day and everyone would probably love it. Equally, I don’t think I’ve ever heard such unforced music - no matter what conceptual considerations might have gone into this, it just sounds so… natural.

But equally, English ‘tradition’ has never been more prominent than now. Ghost Box and the whole Hauntology genre, the newly-reissued Robert Wyatt and a heightened interest in obscure folk make North Sea Radio Orchestra a lot less anachronistic than they might have done a few years ago. Yet tradition is warped a lot more obviously by those mentioned above. The North Sea Radio Orchestra are certainly original, but their twists in England’s fabric are blessed with far more subtle.


1. The Angel (2:13)
2. The Wound (3:55)
3. Copt Gliders (4:49)
4. Move Eastward, Happy Earth (4:08)
5. A Poison Tree (2:16)
6. The Flower (3:54)
7. Harbour Wall (3:58)
8. Guitar Miniature #2 (1:22)
9. Phantom (2:11)
10. Personent Hodie (3:25)
11. Now Welcom Somer (6:15)
12. Golden Cage (2:48)


Nicola Baigent: clarinet
Luke Crooks: bassoon
Ben Davies: piano, chamber organ
Harry Escott: cello
Craig Fortnam: guitars, chamber organ, piano, voice
Sharron Fortnam: lead voice
James Larcombe: monosynth, chamber organ
Sarah Longe: violin
Dug Parker: voice
Geraldine Peach: oboe
Hugh Wilkinson: percussion
Brian Wright: violin

North Sea Radio Orchestra - I A Moon (2011 England) @320 [AvantProg]

North Sea Radio Orchestra are an experimental chamber group whose sound draws heavily on elements of British folk, orchestral music (both classical and contemporary) and art rock. They are primarily a vehicle for the compositions of Craig Fortnam, with his wife Sharron Fortnam on lead vocals (sometimes accompanied by The North Sea Chorus). They are a primarily acoustic ensemble, featuring strings, woodwind, acoustic guitar, organ, piano and percussion as well as prominent use of analog synths.

Often cited influences include Benjamin Britten, Vaughn Williams, Tim Smith (of Cardiacs) and the much-loved British children's television composer Vernon Elliot, whose work NSRO have occasionally played during special concerts. They have also been compared to the likes of Frank Zappa, Henry Cow, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Kate Bush and Neu!.

Lyrically, their first two albums consist mainly of settings of texts by pre-modernist English poets such as Yeats, Blake, Tennyson and Chaucer. Their third album, I a moon, differs from their previous releases by featuring lyrics of a more personal and introspective nature written by Craig and Sharron Fortnam.

North Sea Radio Orchestra are a unique and irrepressibly English force in contemporary music and their carefully balanced blend of folk, chamber and psychedelic sounds ought to enchant any open-minded prog fan.



01. Morpheus Miracle Worker 5:20
02. I A Moon 2:22
03. Guitar Miniature #3 1:43
04. Heavy Weather 8:07
05. Berliner Luft 6:11
06. Morpheus Drone 2:22
07. The Earth Beneath Our Feet 5:31
08. Ring Moonlets 3:16
09. When Things Fall Apart 4:33
10. Mitte Der Welt 6:09


Nicola Baigent / clarinet, bass clarinet
Luke Crooks / bassoon
Ben Davies / piano, organ
Harry Escott / cello
Craig Fortnam / guitar, voice, organ, percussion
Sharron Fortnam / lead voice
James Larcombe / monosynth, organ, hurdy gurdy
Dug Parker / voice
Hugh Wilkinson / percussion
Brian Wright / violin, viola
Guest musicians:
Matt Shmigelsky / extra bells
Sarah Cutts / backing vocals on track 1
Jo Spratley / backing vocals on track 1

Minimum Vital - Capitaines (France 2009) [ProgRock] @320

French outfit Minimum Vital is yet another example of a band that have produced a strong album in 2009. There has been quite a few of those so far. In this case we're served a delightful, beautiful blend of folk music and symphonic progressive rock. Wandering, acoustic guitar motifs and hand drums makes up most of the folk aspects of this production, with some flute soloing as an additional trait. Fluent guitar soloing and lush keyboard textures makes up most of the symphonic aspect of this excursion, with a few examples of dramatic, staccato tangent explorations and rich, multiple layered and epic soundscapes presented on occasion too.

The compositions are mostly freely flowing affairs, light and positive in mood. 
Mellow, subdued passages are blended with pacier energetic ones, and the band comes cross as experts in the art of taking a song from a low key, sparse beginning to a rich, orchestrated ending. And while most of the tracks blends the two stylistic expressions they explore, we're alos served some compositions with an emphasis on either one or the other genre.

These light, fluid ventures might not be to everybody's taste; but personally I found them to be a pleasing and intriguing experience - to be filed under positive progressive rock.


1. She Moves Through The Fair (4:12)
2. Avec Uppsala (6:43)
3. Mauresque (5:48)
4. En Terre Etrangère (4:28)
5. La Croix De Bourghi Bandô (3:30)
6. Le Chant De Gauthier (7:21)
7. En Superbô (5:24)
8. Capitaines (6:53)
9. La Route (7:08)

Jean-Baptiste Ferracci / vocals
Sonia Nedelec / vocals
Didier Ottaviani / drums, percussion
Jean-Luc Payssan / guitars, mandolin, vocals, percussion
Thierry Payssan / organ & synthesizers, vocal, percussions
Eric Rebeyrol / bass

Accordion Tribe - Accordion Tribe (Multinational 1998) [AvantProg] @320

Accordion Tribe were an international accordion group featuring Bratko Bibic (Slovenia), Lars Hollmer (Sweden), Maria Kalaniemi (Finland), Guy Klucevsek (USA/Slovenia) and Otto Lechner (Austria). They have recorded three albums, have toured Europe several times and played in Victoriaville (QC) Canada in 1998.

In Ghent, Belgium in May 1996, five internationally respected accordionists convened to form an ensemble that would explore the use of the instrument in different cultures and musical contexts. They rehearsed for three days and performed in Vooruit, following it with a three-week European tour. Their performances were recorded, and a self-titled album was culled from the results.

In 1998, Klucevsek put together Accordion Tribe II, with Alan Bern, Amy Denio, and Pauline Oliveros, again touring Europe and prompting a reunion of the original ensemble.

On December 25, 2008, member Lars Hollmer died after a brief illness. The group thus performed as a quartet during their already scheduled April 2009 tour, "in memory of their friend and colleague".

In 2010 Klucevsek announced that he had decided to let the group come to an end as an ongoing project but did not rule out the possibility of a reunion concert in the future.


01 - Altered Landscapes: Part One (Klucevsek) 5:05
02 - Wave Hill (Klucevsek) 6:00
03 - The Gunks (Klucevsek) 3:11
04 - Sackamra (Bibic) 5:37
05 - 3/4 Suite (Lechner) 6:57
06 - Dolores (Bibic) 4:18
07 - Netzwerk (Lechner) 3:27
08 - Jane (Bibic) 3:31
09 - Sofia Flykt (Kalaniemi) 2:32
10 - Istunpa Sankys Laitalla  (trad.) 3:34
11 - Mita Sina Laitoit (trad.) 2:38
12 - Ellin Polka (trad.) 2:07
13 - Utflykt M. Damcykel (Hollmer)  4:09
14 - Nidoina/Quirk (The Tribe) 3:47
15 - Cirkus II (Hollmer) 2:01
16 - Fathom (The Tribe) 2:16
17 - Boeves Psalm (Hollmer) 3:06
18 - Cirkus I (Hollmer) 1:53
19 - Mad Cow (The Tribe) 2:38
20 - Inte Quanta (Hollmer) 3:05
21 - Die Wintersonnenwende II (Lechner) 2:52


Bratko Bibic (4,6,7,8,14-21): Hohner Tango piano accordion;
Lars Hollmer (3, 4,9,13-21): Zerosette piano accordion, Suzuki melodica;
Maria Kalaniemi (2-4,9-21): Bugari Etnos 5-row free brass button accordion;
Guy Klucevsek (1-4,13-21): Giuletti Super Continental V piano accordion with 5-row chromatic free bass;
Otto Lechner (5-7,13-21): Hohner Lucia piano accordion.

Rondo (Erik Visser & Sylvia Houtzager) - Trigynon (Netherlands 1986) [ProgRock] @320

Flairck Related
Very Rare! Vinyl Rip

Promotional only picture disc LP recorded by Erik Visser and Sylvia Houtzager, both of Flairck, for the dutch pharmaceutical company Schering Nederland BV. The picture disc design is based on the circular packaging of the contraceptive drug Trigynon. Gatefold cover. Promo only, not for sale.

01. Onder Druk        
02. Wandelgang        
03. Pluche        
04. Dans Je        
05. Druppels        
06. Spiegeling        
07. Overgang        
08. Onder Druk (Reprise)

Erik Visser: guitars
Sylvia Houtzager: violin