Karmakanic Release First Lyric Video Off of DOT

Sweden-based progressive rockers Karmakanic are set to release their fifth album DOT on July 22nd, 2016.  Now they are pleased to reveal the first lyric video for an edit of the originally 23-minute epic track God the universe and everything else no one really cares about, Pt. I (Edit),

You can see the lyric video edit here:

Jonas Reingold had this to say about the track, which also features his colleague from The Tangent, Andy Tillison, on Hammond organ:

"When you are trying to compress a 30-minute prog epic into 6 minutes, you know that you are up for a difficult task. What parts should be in it? Will the fans get the lyrical content? Can I somehow make a coherent piece of music in this format? Well, that's really up to the listener to decide but I feel strongly that the parts I put together really work well in combination with this fantastic video. I hope you will enjoy this as much as I did while working on this.  Soon you all will hear the whole song, but until then, enjoy!!!"

The album is available for pre-order at these links:
http://smarturl.it/KarmaDOTIOMshop
http://smarturl.it/KarmaDOTitunes
http://smarturl.it/KarmaDOTamazonMP3

The is the band's first studio album since 2011's much-praised In A Perfect World and the current line-up includes Jonas Reingold (The Flower Kings), Göran Edman (Yngwie Malmsteen), Morgan Ågren (Casualties Of Cool, Frank Zappa, Steve Vai), Lalle Larsson (Agents Of Mercy), Nils Erikson, Krister Jonsson, Andy Bartosh and Ray Aichinger

For more info on the upcoming release, read here.

Karmakanic Online
http://www.facebook.com/karmakanic-55405124891/
http://www.reingoldrecords.com/

Karmakanic Reveal First Teaser for New Album

Sweden-based progressive rockers Karmakanic recently announced the release of their fifth album Dot for July 22nd, 2016.  Now they are pleased to reveal the first album teaser video, which you can see below:

The band, who originally formed in 2002, have returned with their first studio album since 2011's much-praised In a Perfect World and the current line-up includes Jonas Reingold (The Flower Kings), Göran Edman (Yngwie Malmsteen), Morgan Ågren (Casualties Of Cool, Frank Zappa, Steve Vai), Lalle Larsson (Agents Of Mercy), Nils Erikson, Krister Jonsson, Andy Bartosh and Ray Aichinger

Jonas Reingold had this to say about the album and its themes:

"I got my inspiration to start writing Dot when I stumbled upon a text by the famous American author and astronomer Carl Sagan a while ago. He was talking about how small and insignificant we are in this vast universe. 

It's fascinating to think that this little dot is all we are and all we'll ever be. It gives us perspective. And I think perspective is a great tool for making good choices."

Dot also features a track co-written with Jonas' old buddy and colleague from The Tangent, Andy Tillison, and he also contributes Hammond organ on the epic track God, The Universe and Everything Else No One Really Cares About which clocks in at nearly 30 minutes.

Dot tracklist:
1. Dot
2. God the Universe and Everything Else No One Really Cares About, Part I
3. Higher Ground
4. Steer by the Stars
5. Travelling Minds
6. God the Universe and Everything Else No One Really Cares About, Part II

The artwork for Dot was created by Hugh Syme, who has previously made covers for Rush, Aerosmith & Iron Maiden. The album will be available as a CD/DVD Jewel case (featuring The Making of Dot, Karmakanic Live in the US and Interviews), LP with CD & digital download.
Look out for more info in the coming weeks!

Karmakanic Online
www.facebook.com/karmakanic-55405124891/
http://www.reingoldrecords.com/

The Tangent Launch San Francisco Video

Following the release of the title track from The Tangent's forthcoming new album A Spark In The Aether - The Music That Died Alone Volume Two, due out on April 20th, 2015 in Europe and April 21st, 2015 in the US, they are now pleased to reveal a lyric video for the track San Francisco, which sees The Tangent moving slightly outside the familiar surroundings of Progressive Rock.

Band leader Andy Tillison had this to say about the song:

"It is part of a long piece about the way we view America from other parts of the world, and as such some of the music is reflective of the subject matter. Highly inspired by the TV theme tunes of the 1970s with shows like "The Streets Of San Francisco", "Kojak" & films such as "Shaft" and "Bullit" - this song takes an affectionate, tongue-in-cheek look at the sheer number of times San Francisco has been destroyed on-screen. It also pays homage to the Oakland (a bay area city close to San Fran) band "Tower Of Power".

"Funk and Prog are like two estranged sisters. They existed side by side in the early seventies. Both musical forms relied on precision musicianship. Both forms embraced the emerging synthesizer technology. Earth Wind & Fire's albums sleeves sometimes featured fantasy artwork with pyramids and sphnixes, Osibisa even used Roger Dean for their sleeves. Yes & EWF both toured with huge stage sets and effects that could have been describes as "similar" in concept. Anyone who is into 70s progressive rock bands must have experienced the funk stuff as part of their musical soundtrack. Where there was a Zappa, there was a Bootsy, where there was a Daevid there was a George Clinton. I think that if it had all happened now, the two racially segregated forms might have been closer to one another. Although in this video you only meet one of the sisters... the overall result of the song itself is, hopefully, to bring these forms a little closer together."

You can check out the video for San Francisco here:

The Tangent online:
www.thetangent.org
www.facebook.com/groups/alltangentmembers/
www.twitter.com/thetangentmusic

The Tangent Launch a Fan Filmed Video

The Tangent will release their eighth studio album A Spark in the Aether - The Music That Died Alone Volume Two on April 20th, 2015 in Europe and April 21st, 2015 in the US. Now they are pleased to launch a promo video for the title track of the album which you can view below.

Band leader Andy Tillison had this to say about the track:

A Spark in the Aether is the title track of the new album by The Tangent. In many ways it's a bit of a rallying cry to people to keep open minds about newer music in a world where remasters and re-issues are more eagerly anticipated than new material. But it's a hugely optimistic piece that's primarily about keeping a young spirit as you go through life.

The song was premiered on the 2014 tour and was filmed by several audience members who uploaded their clips of it to Youtube without knowing that we would use their clips to make our video. Of course it's an alternative version of the studio recording you're hearing as the soundtrack. We wanted to make a video that showed the real energy of the band on stage, something that has always been important to the group who have never set much store by big light shows or video projections. "We do it with our bodies" is the philosophy. And what the fans do with our music, we use and give back to them.

The band, led by multi-instrumentalist Andy Tillison, is made up of Jonas Reingold (Bass), Theo Travis (Sax & Flute), Luke Machin (Guitar) & Morgan Ågren (Drums).

The Tangent Announce Release of A Spark in the Aether

InsideOutMusic is pleased to announce that The Tangent will release their eighth studio album A Spark in the Aether – The Music That Died Alone, Volume Two on 20th April 2015 in Europe and 21st April 2015 in the US. The band, led by multi-instrumentalist Andy Tillison, is made up of Jonas Reingold (Bass), Theo Travis (Sax & Flute), Luke Machin (Guitar) & Morgan Ågren (Drums).

Andy Tillison had this to say:

“After all the different things we've done, this time it seemed right to come back to our prog roots and "stock in trade". At the same time we wanted to go somewhere new too, so we travelled to America in our Imaginations. We all hope you'll join us!”

Twelve years, eight studio albums, two live DVDs and tours that have taken them from Moscow to Quebec. Now one of the most enduring third wave progressive rock bands on the scene returns - a band that has never made an album using the same personnel as the previous album. In fact, the same line-up has (to date) never been used twice.

But there are regulars. And some of the favourite regulars are back for the 8th album: Flower Kings bass legend Jonas Reingold; the ever-faithful and gifted Theo Travis, familiar to many from his work with the Steven Wilson band, Gong and Robert Fripp, with his arsenal of wind textures from saxophones to flutes; and the return to the fold of the amazingly talented Luke Machin, a guitar hero for a new generation who can even wow the old generations (and who also fronts his own band, Maschine). And of course there's band leader Andy Tillison (keyboards and vocals), the only member of the band to have played on all the records.

This team is joined by Morgan Ågren, Swedish drumming phenomenon who can even count Frank Zappa among his previous jobs (others include, but not limited to, Kaipa, Devin Townsend, and his own acclaimed Mats/Morgan Band). Morgan introduces to The Tangent a real live energy full of inspiration and eccentricity.

And of course the sleeve is designed by the remarkable Ed Unitsky......

The new album is a Rock Album. It's a Prog album. It's a Funky album. It's a Pop album. It's the Eighth Tangent album.

The Tangent online:www.thetangent.org

The Tangent Pre-Pre-Orders Now Being Taken

Pre-pre orders started last week on the new album by The Tangent.

A Spark In The Aether won't be out until 2015, but here's your chance to get involved early, hear work in progress and help the band carry out their work. Also available is the pre-order of Andy Tillison's side project Multiplex!!

Says Andy Tillison:

"This is an album that seeks to return to the core of what The Tangent means to me... after our big orchestral opus that we delivered in Le Sacre Du Travail we're, to an extent, reining in the instrumentation to the 5 piece electric Prog Rock band and focussing a little more on that all-important second word of the genre name 'Rock'. At least for the first half!"

I think there's an element of it being The Music That Died Alone 2. A lot of the subject matter in the lyrics to the first few songs is revisiting the state of Progressive Rock 12 years after the original album was made. That's obviously been a big big change. There's no apparent sign of the music being dead at all... but I still feel we have dangers and that we're not out of the woods yet. We all have a part to play in the development of this genre and becoming stilted and over safe is not the way to play this game. We need to support the younger guys as much as possible."

The musicians lined up for the project are:
Andy Tillison Diskdrive: Keyboards & Vocals
Luke Machin: Guitar
Jonas Reingold: Bass Guitar
Theo Travis: Saxes & Flutes
Morgan Agren: Drums

And there will likely be a couple of nice guest appearances on the album too.

Visit www.thetangent.org to make your order! And remember that The Tangent album will be available at normal pricings nearer the time of release. This is really for the Mega Fans who want to take part.

The Tangent's new offering - best of 2009

Rating: 10/10

Songs
1. Where Are They Now?
2. Paroxetine - 20mg
3. Perdu Dans Paris
4. The Company Car
5. Everyman's Forgotten Monday
6. Ethanol Hat Nail (Canterbury Sequence Vol. 2)

Andy Tillison : Vocals, keyboards, and electric guitar
Jonathan Barrett : Bass
Paul Burgess : Drums
Theo Travis : Sax and flute
Guy Manning : Acoustic guitar and vocals

First off, let me say that I hadn’t heard of The Tangent before being exposed to their music by my co-host MontrealRick. He introduced me to two of their albums, while I introduced him to Parallel or 90 dergrees. This might seem bizarre to most fans of The Tangent, but I knew of Andy Tillison’s music through another band. This said, on with my take of the new album by Andy and his friends.

Down and Out in Paris and London is, by my measure, one of the best new album of 2009 – and I have heard a lot of albums this year. From the opening track to the closing bonus song, this album is a pure jewel. And like a jewel, you can hear the beauty of each song, and the skill of the artisan in crafting each of those small jems.

The album opens with Where Are They Now?, a song that has a deceptively simple melody played on a solo guitar, and added on by multiple instruments, but is in reality a masterful piece using mixed meter, starting with what I take to be a suite of 5/8 – 3/4 - 6/8 . These meter changes do not detract from the song, they flow into it, then they rattle you with a cacophonic saxophone section only to bring you back smoothly into the song. All I can say is that this is a magnificent opener, with touches of Camel-like guitar playing, even a guitar solo that sounds like Sanata.

Paroxetine 20mg starts off strong with a fuzzed synth, but becomes a smooth jazzy song with Floydian touches here and there. A great song about the incapassity to feel. Perdu dans Paris, the second of three long songs, starts off smooth, and you can realy feel as if you are walking through Paris on a beautiful evening night. The middle section is more uptempo and offers a beautiful contrast to the whole atmosphere.

The Company Car also starts off smooth with a magnificent bass line and a subtle sax in the background, only to have a middle instrumental section where drums, guitars, synths, and piano play off each other to the hilt on what seems like a wild ride. Then the sax re-enters the fray whaling, only to fade in the background the same way it came in.

Ethanol Hat Nail starts off a-la Gentle Giant, with syncopated percussions and keyboards, even the sound a glass shatering in the background. Going through different moods, this song returns to the main theme introduced at the beginning, only to change tracks completely in the middle section. This song, about the insecurities of being an artist and not trusting oneself to write good melodies, ends with a return to the main theme.

As for Everyman’s Forgotten Monday, this is a perfect song with which to end the album, with a soaring guitar solo in the middle section. This is also Floydian in tone, with sax and keyboards hinting back to Wish You Were Here, and and closing ping-sound very reminescent of the opening of Echoes. Don’t get me wrong, they don’t sound like Floyd songs, they only use sounds that we associate with the Floyd.

This is a “must-have”, and may be the best album to date by The Tangent. This has been playing in my car and at work for the past month, and will be for some time to come.