"J. S. Bach - Novalis Orgel, Schloeben" by Francis Monkman is out now on Crocodile Music. Lovers of Bach are in for a pleasant surprise when they listen to this unique double CD of organ music played by Francis Monkman. The former member of Sky and Curved Air journeyed to Schloeben near Jena to record this CD Album on a recently restored Gerhard organ. This collection of tracks is to the original Bach editions where possible and will create new and interesting detail to all lovers of Bach's music. Included with this double CD collection is a comprehensive 32-page booklet of liner notes in English and German by Francis Monkman.
Amon Duul II is a rare phenomenon in the history of progressive music. Since 1968 they have been one of the leading acts on the international Psychedelic Rock scene. Now, in 2006, they are still releasing albums and playing live. The band's current lineup is: Jan Kahlert, Chris Karrer, Renate Knaup- Krotenschwanz, Peter Leopold, Lothar Meid and John Weinzierl.
The German label SPV/Revisited Records will release Amon Duul II's classic "Yeti" and "Tanz der Lemminge" on May 19 (with bonus tracks recorded in 2006).
According to Sven from the Belgian band Axamenta, their new album, "Ever-Arch-I-Tech-Ture", will be released at the end of May via LSP/Shrive Records. The album is 64-minute in length, and the music is described as "Modern Progressive Symphonic Darkness" somewhere in the vein of Soilwork, Dimmu Borgir and Opeth. On one song, Daniel Gildenlow (ex-Pain Of Salvation) has written and performed all the vocals. They have uploaded a sample of the song, together with a few others on their website.
CalProg is a great one-day festival with a fantastic lineup this year. Shawn Gordon, the president of , announces that Cryptic Vision will be playing at CalProg this year on July 8. Kino will be playing one of their very rare US appearances. In addition they've got Helmet of Gnats and Presto Ballet on the bill, and Izz will be playing at dinner.
F2 Music is delighted to announce details of the much anticipated third studio album by Magenta. Entitled "Home", it will be officially released on 1st June, and copies will be available at the album launch concert at the Herringthorpe Leisure Centre, Rotherham on 13 May 2006. Also, all pre-orders for the CD placed at will be supplied as soon as the stock is available.
The album is a concept piece and tells the story of a woman who emigrates from Liverpool in the early 1970's to "find herself" in the USA. The CD is 68 minutes long and includes contributions from a variety of guests including Magenta regular Martin Shellard on guitar and Troy Donockley (Iona, Mostly Autumn) on Uilleann Pipes and whistles. Once again, the album has been written and produced by Rob Reed, with lyrics by Steve Reed. Musically, "Home" represents a further development for the band, combining the Magenta sound established on "Revolutions", "Seven" and the two singles 'Broken' and 'I'm Alive', with one or two surprises! The album also marks Christina's finest vocal performance with the band to date.
"Home" will be released in two separate versions. The first will be a single CD edition, with slipcase, and a 16-page booklet. The CD is available for pre-order NOW and costs GBP 10.00 (including postage to anywhere in the world) from .
Track list "Home": 1. This Life, 2. Hurt, 3. Moving On, 4. My Home Town, 5. Brave New Land, 6. The Journey, 7. Towers of Hope, 8. Demons, 9. Morning Sunlight, 10. Joe, 11. The Dream, 12. The Visionary, 13. Journey's End, 14. The Traveller's Lament, 15. Home.
The second version will be a special limited 2 CD slipcase edition. This is a double CD release that includes the "Home" CD, plus a second CD entitled "The New York Suite" containing over 40 minutes of music. Complete with an 8 page booklet, this second CD features a further 5 tracks which examine the experiences of the main character of "Home" during her stay in Manhattan. This two CD special edition is available for pre-order NOW for GBP 15.00 from , and will be available for a limited period only. "The New York Suite" CD will be released in its own right later in the year.
Track listing Disc 2: 1. Arrival, 2. Home From Home, 3. White Lies, 4. Truth, 5. This Life (Reprise). You can hear sound clips from both CD's on the Magenta web site HERE, including two complete tracks, The Visionary from "Home" and White Lies from "The New York Suite". By visiting you can also hear a third full track from "Home" very soon! Further details about "Home" will be added to the Magenta web site over the next few weeks.
Magenta tour dates:
20/05/2006 - De Boerderij, Zoetermeer, Netherlands
27/05/2006 - Folken (Stavanger) Norway
18/06/2006 - Mr Kyps, Poole
15/07/2006 - Gillingham Festival, Dorset
27/07/2006 - Club Riga, Southend
29/07/2006 - Vizela, Portugal
08/09/2006 - The Borderline, London
09/09/2006 - Spirit of 66, Vervier, Belgium
24/11/2006 - The Point, Cardiff
26/11/2006 - The Robin 2, Bilston
F2 Night:
F2 Music are proud to announce details of the first F2 Night featuring 3 great artists from the F2 Music label. It is at The Robin 2, Bilston, West Midlands on 26/11/06 and opens with Ezra, followed by Credo and headlined by Magenta.
Annie Haslam:
F2 Music will release a single by Annie Haslam (ex-Renaissance) with Magenta called 'Night & Day'. The single (catalogue number 200604S) will be released in July 2006 and will be available to pre-order soon on . Artwork for the
CD single has been created especially for this release by Annie. The full track listing is: 1. Night & Day, 2. Night & Day, 3. Essence Of Love, 4. Night & Day 2 (duet with Christina).
Ezra:
The new CD by Ezra is now in stock and available to order on . This is Ezra's third CD release and combines the styles of both their previous releases with a more laid back feel. Andy Edwards, vocalist and guitarist with Ezra, is also the vocalist with The Fyreworks! Think Rush, It Bites and David Gilmour and you get a feeling for what this album is like.
Credo:
Credo continue the touring schedule with the following dates:
26/05/2006 - Club Riga - Southend (w Landmarq)
07/07/2006 - Riffs Bar - Hook - Nr Swindon (w Landmarq)
09/07/2006 - Cartoon Club - Croydon (w Landmarq)
29/09/2006 - Stripes Bar - Brentford FC - Braemer Road Brentford (w
Quidam)
01/10/2006 - Riffs Bar - Hook - Nr Swindon (w Quidam)
26/11/2006 - The Robin 2, Bilston (w Magenta, Credo & and Ezra)
More dates being added all the time - check the for more details.
Now available from F2 Music:
Ezra (UK) - "Songs From Pennsylvania" (new studio CD)
