In an attempt to depart from tradition, Alex's Hand is more of an ongoing musical process than a rock band. Fusing genres into palpable movements that span the space between chaos and beauty is only a fraction of what one will experience at one of the Hand's performance spectacles. Acting more as an avant-punk theater circus than anything else, Alex's Hand is relentlessly pushing their artistic limits as musicians, performers and engineers. While they are students of the experiment, they are able to maintain a refined cohesion within their wacky ambitions and deliver a complex musical package. Having been described as; "Spiky punk funk" (The Stranger), "Equally unsettling and groovy, prime evidence for Alex's Hand's penchant for avant-pop experimentation."(http://seattle.thedelimagazine.com/), and "the soundtrack to your fucked up drug trip." Seattle Weekly) "...pure Holloween", "...prehistoric zombie jazz", "they don’t just bring weird to the table — they slap it down on top, like an over sized pair of dirty boots, and then stare you out until you say something about it." (Misfit City, UK)
Seattle's foremost bass/drums duo of insanity. Stopping, starting, twisting, turning, making you shake your head with wonder.
Autumn Electric is a Seattle-based psychedelic folk-rock band with a tendency to produce epic rambling tracks full of differing sections and unexpected turns. Songwriter Michael Trew has been gathering like-minded musicians since the band's debut release in 2010. Their most recent collection, Flowers for Ambrosia, catapults them into the realm of progressive rock, and features the addition of multi-instrumentalist Johnny Unicorn as a full-time member.
Badwater Fire Company redefines what can be done with the classic guitar trio format. Their complex music brings to mind the elaborate constructions of The Mars Volta, though with a directness that would be lost in a band with a higher population.
Baribrotzer Solo is, what else, a solo project, by John Hagelbarger. John currently plays keyboards, writes songs, and does other things with Dissonati. Although he has been in a number of bands over the years, he has never before presented himself as a solo performer.
Jim Bartz is a guitarist and inventor who will be presenting a set of music played on a 1939 Rickenbacker lap steel guitar, but something that could never have been imagined in 1939. He takes this antique instrument to the farthest reaches of inner and outer space.
Breaking with the Seaprog tradition of all-original music, we're happy to be presenting Being John McLaughlin, a tribute to John McLaughlin and the music of the early Mahavishnu Orchestra albums formed by keyboardist Ryan Burns and a supremely talented crew of like-minded cohorts. But seriously, this is so good, you won't care it's "covers" — and how often do you have the chance to hear this music played live?
Since its formation at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Bent Knee has been growing a reputation as one of the most exciting American bands. Their music is intense and unpredictable, combining elements of rock, folk, and electronics into a sound all their own.
With haunting vocals and penetrating lyrics set against an angular sonic backdrop, Bone Cave Ballet envelops the listener in a musical tide of turbulent, eruptive waters into which an author would write sharks.
The Seattle band began as a reconnection between ex-band mates, when vocalist/guitarist Jacqui Gilroy and fellow Detroit transplant drummer Kelly Mynes decided to rekindle their musical flame. The progressive and emotionally potent song structures are written by Gilroy, and are fleshed out by Mynes, bassist Ezekiel Lords, and guitarist Jeff Blancato to create a sound that fans say they've never heard before.
BCB recorded in 2009 at Bear Creek studios in Woodinville, WA, and put out their first official release, The Echo of Entropy. Since touring the West Coast with this release in 2009-2012, and frequent gigging in Seattle, they've been writing for their upcoming release, expected in early 2013.
With more than 17 years of activity, Cabezas de Cera has a long standing reputation as one of the most iconic avant-garde rock Mexican bands. They have recorded independently 8 discs and 2 DVDs and performed in forums and festivals from Europe, Asia, and America. The sound projected in the music of CDC is defined by the combination of an unconventional instrumentation and unique instruments created by the percussionist of the group. This is what provides their unique, experimental and contemporary sound; at a time, a regional and universal sound which finds a balance between the acoustic and the electronic.
Hermandad is the most recent project of this band. In this production, CDC goes deeper in its creative exploration and considers all potential of sounds through these unique and characteristic instruments created in metal.
With a variety of technologies, electronic processing in real time, live looping and a rich variety of timbres, this duo creates sound spaces where musics from all times are united in interpretive freedom, full of wide passageways and vast instrumentation.
Their shows seduce the spectators’ senses, especially the eyes and ears, since you will be able to recognize a variety of unique instruments on stage, made in metal, created by Francisco Sotelo.
For this special performance at Seaprog, Cabezas will be joined by Eblen Macari, a Mexicab guitarist with Lebanese roots who has been recognized because of his very personal way of introducing soundscapes and processes on acoustic guitar.
There’s a long tradition in music festivals of the All-Star Jam, and Seaprog will present a nod to that history with an improv session featuring musicians of other groups playing this year, and perhaps others who happen to drop by. The Central Committee will start things off — it happens that they play instruments making a solid trio — and then others will be invited to join in. It’s hard to say what might happen.
Seaprog is happy to welcome the return of Cheer-Accident, one of the best known American art rock bands. The group has a history dating back to 1981, and has remained a consistently creative and innovative concern ever since. Their newest album, Here Comes the Sunset, is their 24th full-length release.
United in their common desire to experiment in new musical territories, Seattle-based quartet Chemical Clock have established themselves as a fresh, distinct voice among a legion of inspired and energetic young musicians to emerge from the Northwest in recent years. The band’s indefinable avant-electro-acoustic sound is a patchwork that combines the members’ jazz backgrounds with such diverse elements as hip-hop, prog-rock, and contemporary classical music.
Corima was formed in 2005 in El Paso, Texas by high school friends Erik Martinez, Jaime Silva, Juan Tarin, and Sergio Sánchez. Initially inspired by The Mars Volta, they were through a series of changes in style and personnel, the pulsating rhythms of African and Latin music, the poignancy of 60s and 70s classic rock, and taking as a concept the philosophy of Mayan and Aztec spirituality, especially with the mysteries of the feathered-serpent illumined seer Quetzalcoatl. Their interest in unconventional progressive rock bands grew considerably and became very influenced in a wide variety of them such as Gong, King Crimson, ELP, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Soft Machine, to name a few. Finding the lineup of two guitars, bass, and drums insufficient for their growing ambition, they recruited keyboard player Francisco Casanova, a high school friend of Juan's.
Then they discovered Magma, and immediately knew they had found their true inspiration. After losing the two guitarists and touring North America as a trio, the decision was made to relocate to Los Angeles. In the process, they were reduced to a duo as the original bassist decided not to move. They soon started meeting musicians in LA and connected with new bassist Ryan Kamiyamazaki and violinist Andrea Calderón, who was also from El Paso. With the addition of saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi, the band took its current form.
With a set of new compositions ready to be recorded they teamed up with LA musician and recording artist Christopher Votek and in late 2011 recorded their second album entitled Quetzalcóatl. When the album was almost finished, Alain Lebon, the owner of the legendary French label Soleil Zeuhl, contacted them and asked them if they were interested in having their album distributed by his label. It was released in late 2012.
Dissonati is a Seattle-based prog-rock band, favoring the darker side of the genre, more Van Der Graaf Generator than Genesis, but really only like Dissonati. They released their debut CD, Reductio ad Absurdum, in 2012 to warm reviews in the progressive rock community.
Fang Chia is an experimental jazz-rock group from Tacoma, WA and the culmination of four friends playing music together for six years. After studying music at university, Coby, Kyle, Kevin, and Matt decided to form this band, combining jazz, African, electronic, classical, and rock styles.
Fraktal Phantom is a Seattle area trio presenting a hard-hitting flavor of psychedelic rock. Drummer Jack Gold-Molina and bassist Cary Kindberg are also in the band Spectral Waves.
General Mojo's (formerly Key Project) is a Seattle band led by Dune Butler, who brings his love of British Invasion music from the 60s along with more modern bands. He is joined by fellow travelers met at the UW and elsewhere, and together they make far-ranging (and far-reaching) music that provides surprises at every turn.
The global devastation and human misery wrought by the lack of solid guitar worshipping and noisemaking activities—to say nothing of natural and man-made disasters—is unmistakable.To bring solutions to bear, the Seattle center of the Cult has been established to act as a “recruiting center,” which thereby set in motion broad-scale movements in the name of this, this and this. Guitarist and composer Ben McAllister works with a varying crew of electric guitarists to produce unique music that defies categorization.
Since moving to Seattle in 1995, Bill Horist has established himself as a noted improviser/composer/performer. In the past decade, he has appeared on over 40 recordings and has performed almost 700 concerts in Canada, Mexico, Europe, Japan and throughout the US. Bill has performed and/or recorded with Bill Frisell, Wayne Horvitz, KK Null, Trey Gunn(King Crimson), Chris Cutler, Kawabata Makoto (Acid Mothers Temple), William Hooker, Trey Spruance (Mr Bungle/Secret Chiefs 3), Eugene Chadbourne, Tatsuya Yoshida (Ruins), Amy Denio, Uchihashi Kazuhisa, Steve Fisk, Anla Courtis (Reynols), Lesli Dalaba, Paul Hoskin, Thomas Dimuzio, Wally Shoup, Jessica Lurie, Mason Jones, Jeff Grienke, and Tucker Martine as well as members of Earth, The Boredoms and Larsen among others.
As a solo artist, Bill's improvised, prepared guitar work is informed by Hans Reichel, Fred Frith, and Henry Kaiser, but shows a unique style and personality. He has received critical praise internationally from periodicals including The Wire and Alternative Press, and several of his recordings have made critics' year-end lists. Bill was featured in the March 2007 issues of Guitar Player Magazine and Earshot Jazz Magazine. In 2005 and 2006, he was nominated for "Jazz Artist of the Year" (despite his total inability to play jazz!) and "Guitarist of the Year" respectively by the Seattle Weekly. He was the recipient of the 2006 GAP grant, 2005 Artist Trust Fellowship, the 1997 Jack Straw Artist Assistance Program Grant and has done several presentations and workshops at schools from first grade to college-level, including the University of Calgary, Seattle Art Institute, Martin Luther King Elementary (Seattle), the Experience Music Project and Big Picture School for at-risk youth.
Human Ottoman is a power trio like no other power trio you’ve heard before!
The band consists of Susan Lucia (drums), Julian Kosanovic (cello), and Grayson Fiske (vibraphone). After meeting in Oregon as music school misfits, they joined forces, quickly creating a repertoire of raucous, rhythmically dynamic music which combined their enthusiasm for music of all cultures with classical backgrounds and modern genre-mashing-jazz sensibilities, characterized most of all by their unique instrumentation. Their first album, aptly named Power Baby, was independently released in 2014, and received an Independent Music Award in the "Instrumental" category. Their second full length record, Farang, was released in August, 2015. Since then, they have been actively ear-pillaging up and down the West Coast. From brain-crashing cello solos and atomic vibraphone drops to drum solos that scholars are still struggling to understand, Human Ottoman is bringing polyrhythmic rock to the masses.
Coming together from the Seattle Eastside, the Snoqualmie Valley, and Spokane, Ibex formed in Bellingham, WA in 2013. Members Carly Gilliland, Darin McQuestin, Shiloh Smythe, and Loren White had been making music together in various permutations since they were teenagers, but began writing and performing regularly while in college.
Drawing influence from jazz to classical to indigenous music from around the globe, Ibex works from a heavy foundation of prog-rock. They share a mutual admiration for pioneers like King Crimson, Soft Machine, and Yes, as well as many other more recent artists from both the underground and pop music.
“A duet, a couple, a musical endeavor, a family. In short, a very grandiose, small, thing.”
Clearly Beloved was a highlight of the 2018 festival, with a five-piece band of creative mavericks. For the front room, we’ve got a subset spinoff called Immensity Crumb that is sure to bring the same kind of quirky entertainment in duo form.
Oakland’s Jack o’ the Clock “conjures up stirring visions of a hybrid American history, part fact, part poetry, part visionary hallucination…” (Ed Pinsent, Sound Projector, UK). The quintet has been developing its subtle, acoustic avant-rock on stage and in the studio for nearly a decade, and has released five critically-acclaimed original albums as well as an EP of radically-reinvented cover songs. Fred Frith describes them as “one of the most original and compelling groups I know playing some amazing compositions that seem to tread effortlessly between Van Dyke Parks and folk music from an as yet unidentified culture, while making all the things you've always thought of as difficult sound as effortless and natural as breathing.”
"Arcane, full of energy, beyond styles...": so the music of Jolanda has been defined, "... when she plays, it looks like she's conducting a little imaginary orchestra between her fingers and her voice". Jolanda's songs tell about inner landscapes, restless astronauts, mirror reflexes, faceless children, shadows, memories in a parade, nightmares and ghosts. On stage, always a few steps from Jolanda, is Demian Endian (guitar, arranger). Jolanda plays musical box, toy piano, kalimba and typewriter as well.
Saxophonist and composer Greg Sinibaldi has established himself as one of the Northwest’s most inventive musicians, embracing a diverse musical world. Whether he’s performing with his own groups, playing in metal bands, or performing on the EWI, he brings forth a characteristic and unique voice each time he performs. Inspired by a wide range of music and art, Greg has developed a unique improvisational language, creating a virtuosic and rich sonic palette.
Lupertazzi is the electronics project of Greg Sinibaldi utilizing the EWI (electronic wind instrument). The EWI, basically a breath-driven synthesizer, is programmed via custom built software, live sound processing, algorithmic composition, and patch based field recordings. This creates a unique sonic palette. At times ambient, experimental (experiential?) or sublime, Lupertazzi creates electronic fire, immediately engaging.
With The Machine That We Built, Seaprog continues a tradition of including one select band devoted to covering important music of the past. In this case, it’s instrumental interpretations of the music of Jimi Hendrix, with an emphasis on some of the lesser known gems in the guitarist’s catalog. Bassist Ryan Berg was inspired by Gil Evans’ classic jazz arrangements of Hendrix tunes to view the psychedelic classics through a jazz lens. The group’s debut at the Royal Room in early 2017 convinced all involved that it was indeed a good idea.
This experimental Portland trio, formed in 2006, specialize in creative overuse of their effect pedals. Their latest material includes extensive live looping work, creating huge enveloping layers of sound. At best, they fuse the oddball rhythms and technicality of progressive music with a genuine sense of melody and emotion.
A lot has changed with The Mercury Tree since they played Seaprog 2014. They’ve released an album called Permutations, toured extensively around North America, and morphed into a marvelously cohesive trio. They’ve also been exploring the world of microtonal tuning, utilizing custom instruments built for 17 notes per octave. And they’ve done it without losing sight of what it means to write good tunes.
Midday Veil began in 2008 as a collaboration between Emily Pothast, a vocalist and songwriter who earned an MFA in visual art before devoting her attentions to music and David Golightly, an analog synth-head who was deeply influenced by courses led by Karlheinz Stockhausen during his studies in composition and electronic music in Germany. In early 2009, Midday Veil's sound was catalyzed by the addition of guitarist Timm Mason, a prolific multi-instrumentalist obsessed with modular synthesis, musique concrète and Middle Eastern guitar tones. In 2011, the band added Jayson Kochan on bass and Sam Yoder on percussion. Rhythmic duties are currently on the shoulders of Garrett Moore, who replaced original drummer Chris Pollina in 2012.
Midday Veil's appealing brand of spacey psychedelia is getting them a lot of attention around the world, and we're thrilled to be presenting them on our festival stage.
Miriodor was formed in 1980 (in Québec City) by the meeting of François Émond and Pascal Globensky. Different musicians came and went until the band settled as a sextet, in 1983. The line-up was comprised of François Émond (violin, flute, keyboards, clarinet), Pascal Globensky (keyboards, acoustic guitar), Rémi Leclerc (drums), Sabin Hudon (saxophones), Denis Robitaille (electric guitar, bass, singing) and Marc Petitclerc (keyboards). This was the crew of the 1st album, Rencontres. This LP, self-produced and now out of print, has since then been released in CD format by Cuneiform Records, Miriodor’s record company since 1988. Over the years since that time, personnel has changed numerous times and released seven more albums.
After a hiatus in 2011, year 2012 and part of 2013 were devoted to the work on Cobra Fakir, the band’s eighth studio album. Nicolas Lessard (bass guitar/keyboards) happily joins the band, in order to replace Nicolas Masino, and will help the band with the live rendition of the new material. The album was released Sept. 24th, 2013 on Cuneiform Records.
Miriodor's appearance is possible with the help of Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.
miRthkon is an amplified chamber ensemble masquerading as a rock band. This illusion is well maintained by the fact that from time to time they do, indeed, rock. Consisting of a core rock instrumentation of two guitars, bass, and drums, their unique sound is enhanced by the inclusion of two adept woodwind players covering a wide array of instruments including piccolo, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones. Maintaining a passionate aesthetic stance that they are (quite happily) 'beneath everything,' their music — whether evoking the direct or indirect influence of progressive rock, contemporary classical abstraction, avant-garde jazz, catchy hook-laden pop, or thrash metal — is held to a simple but firm standard: Does it sound good?
MoeTar is a Bay Area band formed by singer Moorea Dickason and bassist/songwriter/lyricist Tarik Ragab, who are joined by a talented crew of musicians, including Matt Lebofsky, a Seaprog veteran who appeared with miRthkon in 2013. Like many of the best bands, their music defies easy categorization, but their progressive leanings are more than obvious.
"Monkey" and "Bat" are two unrelated species that would not naturally be found inhabiting the same body. In the same way, the band Monkey Bat combines acoustic and electric, intense and beautiful, complex and simple into a kind of music that is all their own. With their first album, Springtime Love, in the can and expected to be released in the spring of 2013, they're already at work on their second album.
Moraine is an omnivorous Seattle-based instrumental quintet led by guitarist Dennis Rea and featuring violinist Alicia DeJoie, woodwind player James DeJoie, bassist Kevin Millard, and drummer Tom Zgonc. With its several writers and full complement of ace instrumentalists arrayed in striking combination, Moraine has built a reputation as one of the most electrifying and original instrumental rock bands anywhere, winning over listeners around the globe with its unique amalgam of art rock, forward-thinking jazz, world music, and more. Moraine has been enthusiastically received by audiences ranging from jazz aficionados to metalheads to partisans of progressive rock and has appeared alongside such renowned artists as Three Friends (Gentle Giant), Steve Hackett, Eddie Jobson, and Richard Pinhas. The band's 2009 release on NYC-based MoonJune Records, manifest deNsity, garnered more than 100 enthusiastic reviews worldwide, and its set at NEARfest 2010, the world's preeminent showcase for progressive rock, was considered by many to be a highlight of the festival. Moraine created a buzz on its spring 2011 tour of major East Coast cities and in late 2011 released its second CD, Metamorphic Rock: Live at NEARfest, co-produced and mixed by legendary Pacific Northwest producer Steve Fisk.
Nosretep was formed in 2011 by drummer Mike Peterson. He and his cohorts play a unique blend of complex rhythms and heavy riffs that pay homage to both Led Zeppelin and math-rock. Their music is mostly instrumental, though occasional vocals appear.
Obol is contemporary progressive rock, encompassing a wide array of pop and mainstream influences including Muse, Placebo, Devin Townsend, Marillion, Leprous, and A Perfect Circle. The songs are dreamlike enough to create visual images for the listener, but otherwise sound deceptively simple, accessible, and full of memorable hooks.
After many permutations of the lineup over the years, OMNI has recently reconvened in its most focused and modern interpretation of the band: a trio. With wide ranging instrumentation that includes Warr guitar, percussion, and analog synths as well as the standard guitar, bass, and drums, the band creates a lot of sound with just three humans. A love of music from influences such as King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, and Brian Eno all the way to Boards of Canada, Killing Joke, Faith No More, and Death Grips/Hella inform the sound. The goal has always been to bring in visceral emotion in balance with competence of musicianship.
Operation ID has been variedly called anything from "jazz" to "progressive rock" to "man rock" to "thought-rock" to the self-christened "bionic synth-pop." What began as duets between members Ivan Arteaga (saxophone/clarinet) and Jared Borkowski (guitar) in a University of Washington basement quickly expanded to include Evan Woodle on drums and David Balatero on bass, playing improvisation-heavy, free jazz-influenced compositions. Rob Hanlon soon joined on keyboards. With their current lineup complete, Operation ID oriented themselves toward a more through-composed musical landscape, transitioning from a purely instrumental outfit into one that more and more incorporates solo and group vocals by all five members of the band. Their first album, Legs, released on Table & Chairs, reflects the changes that have occurred throughout the entirety of Operation ID's first two years of existence. The album more than hints at the band's current direction. As Operation ID continues to compose and rehearse new music to play in their frequent Seattle-area shows, their fanbase and music horizons both continue to grow.
Panther Attack is a Seattle band bent on "exploring irregular structures." The band originally convened in Detroit many years ago, then moved to Seattle, and has toured extensively. Their first release, Martyr Bonus, came out in 2007, and their newest is Sung amongst Shadows, a sophisticated collection of complex arrangements and raw sounds.
The Seattle band Paraesthesia was born out of the solo recordings of Robert Svilpa. Wishing a band to present his new music, he brought together Paul Harrington, John Hernandez, and Graham Usherwood, all of whom are experienced players in a wide range of styles, and formed a group which fuses elements of many styles into a satisfying mix that has been garnering them positive reviews from around the world.
Debora Petrina is an Italian composer, singer, and instrumentalist with a widely varied career spanning the worlds of modern Classical music and art rock. Her 2009 debut album, In Doma, featured such guests as Elliott Sharp and Amy Kohn, and earned a spot on David Byrne's web radio. She has since worked with Byrne, Seattle phenom Jherek Bischoff, John Parish, Mike Sarin, Paolo Fresu, and others.
She has the unusual honor of having a piece published by Edition Peters signed with John Cage.
Pink Octopus is the Seattle-based outlet for the compositions of guitarist Jonathan Huffman. His wide-ranging musical vision includes elements from several streams of rock along with a sprinkling of jazz. There are complex arrangements featuring odd meters, killer grooves with screaming solos, and enough ideas for three or for ordinary bands. Ordinary they are not.
Pinto Wagonfire is a newer Seattle band with its individual roots spanning over three decades of writing and performance. Joseph, Dave, and Tom last performed together in the mid-90's band Chalkline Dogs. With the recent addition of drummer Will Bagby (from So-Cal jazz-rock group Rullian, among others) the spark for making music together was reignited. Purely an instrumental outfit at this time, their brand of Progressive hard rock is riff centric, and slightly cosmic, foraging the spirit of their past collectives with new, energetic creativity, and a collective love of Progressive music.
Plus or Minus is an up-and-coming duo from Seattle, Washington. Built on a foundation primarily of acoustic guitar, they weave many elements into their songwriting, pulling from a huge array of influences from indie folk to progressive metal. Their ambitious collaboration of intricate guitar and vocal work produces a sound entirely unique. With music that takes on elaborate shapes of its own, members Josh Brugman and Tony Dunlap only push it further: “Our work ethic is extremely progressive, and I think our music reflects that.”
Points North is a Bay Area power trio comprised of three experienced session players with a mind-boggling array of credits to their names. When they get together for their own music, they play an engaging flavor of rock that balances technical prowess with melodic hooks and influences from progressive rock, classic rock, and melodic hard rock.
The Pornadoes is one of guitarist Jason Goessl's other projects — quite different from Trimtab, which blew away the Seaprog 2013 audience. This band starts out with instrumental surf guitar music, and takes it several steps beyond, into realms both impressive and just plain fun.
Since forming in 2015, Rainbow Face has established itself as a major band of Portland's progressive, experimental, and math rock scene. Their 2020 debut album Stars' Blood surprised many with positive international reviews including making Grant Moon of Prog Magazine's #11 best album of the year. Their style is defined by their loud wall of sound combining classic prog, post-punk, and experimental rock.
Rainstick Cowbell is a unique musical entity from Portland, Oregon, one man with his own distinctive vision of music. An acoustic guitar and a voice — what could be more common? But there’s nothing common about Scott Arbogast’s music. From his lyrics, to his playing, to his singing, to his attire, you never know what to expect from Rainstick Cowbell.
Like a fresh kiwi, their music is vibrant, sweet, and satisfying. Together Carly, Connor, Bobby, and Joseph blend groove-centric jams with sensual vocals, funky bass-lines, tasteful drumming and exploration of atmospheric guitar tones, to establish a wide variety of sound from song to song.
Photo by Jay Bierschenk
Spacebag (the band, not that thing you use to organize your closets, which is two words) is a Seattle trio playing something sort of like prog-metal. The lineup of guitar, keys, and drums is a bit unusual, but has all the power you look for in this kind of music, but always with a twist of originality. They take their influences from the 70s onward, from Rush and Deep Purple to Today Is the Day and Carcass.
Spontaneous Rex is an experimental jazz and avant-rock band based in Seattle. The band focuses on originals and covers that range from modern jazz to fusion; from electronic music to progressive rock, creating their own signature style. The band is a quartet of piano/keyboards, guitar, bass, and drums. The four met while studying music at Cornish College.
Star Cradle is a Seattle space rock band founded in 2014. They are prone to epic improvisational grooves situated somewhere between solid ground and the farthest reaches of the galaxy.
Super Z Attack Team started as a spin-off from the band Zhongyu, a studio-oriented project formed by multi-instrumentalist and composer Jon Davis. With the unusual instrumentation of Stick, bari sax, and drums, the trio incorporates electronics into music that straddles rock energy and the jazzy spirit of improvisation. They relish the intersection of planning and chance, always focussing on maintaining a groove, regardless of what meter they use.
Tempered Steel features Ffej, Frank Junk, and Dennis Rea playing amplified, electronically processed thumb pianos. The trio's seamless improvisations conjure everything from phantom harpsichords and subterranean percussion to as yet uninvented stringed instruments and vintage musique concrète. Recommended to partisans of Harry Partch, John Cage's prepared piano music, and Konono No. 1. And if you watch closely, you might catch one of the rare uses of an electric toothbrush in music.
Thinking Plague explores the frontiers where rock, folk, jazz and modern symphonic music meet. Through these explorations, the band has created "a genre of music unto itself, eclectically derivative in a bold way and spectacularly innovative in the old-fashioned sense of genuine originality" (Andy Watson - Journal Wired Summer/Fall 1990). Founded in 1982 by guitarist and composer Mike Johnson, and bassist, drummer and producer Bob Drake, the band has undergone numerous personnel changes, while members have performed with some of the leading avant-progressive artists in the world, including Présent, 5UUs, the Science Group, Hamster Theatre, Hughscore, Caveman Shoestore, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Peter Blegvad, Amy Denio, Janet Feder, Underground Railroad, Claudia Quintet, and others. Thinking Plague has released eight albums, including a live CD and a re-mastered re-release of their first two LPs on one CD, as well as contributions to various compilations. They were featured in the recent documentary Romantic Warriors II: Rock in Opposition, and they have performed at various major avant-progressive festivals in North America and Europe, including Rock In Opposition (France 2012), Gouveia Art Rock (Portugal 2008), MIMI (France 2000), NEARFest (USA 2000), ProgDay (USA, 1999) and others. Legendary Henry Cow drummer Chris Cutler said of Thinking Plague: "Every now and then a landmark group emerges. Thinking Plague in my opinion belongs in that category. Being an interesting group isn't a matter of learning to imitate some favourite bands' style, it's having an original musical vision and the skills to bring it into being; it's breaking new ground. That's why Thinking Plague qualifies in my book."
Tiny Orchestral Moments is an international troupe of connected musicians who meet periodically to perform and record. A core of experienced musicians invites others to participate, including many from the world’s Guitar Circle community. The aim: share structured improvisation that sounds composed, and composed collaboration that sounds improvised.
Join us to see what happens when this amazing group of musicians gets together.
Tone Dogs began in 1987 as a studio experiment between musical alchemists Fred Chalenor and Amy Denio, under the creative technological guidance of audio engineer Drew Canulette at Dog Fish Studio up in the hills above Newburg, OR. Fresh pie was served, Fred and Amy played their basses and guitars and drums and whatnot, and luminary guests (Frith/Reichel/von Drehle/Bain) were invited to contribute. They recorded Ankety Low Day (orig. C/Z Records, Matt Cameron on drums) and Early Middle Years (orig. Soleilmoon, Will Dowd on drums), and toured the US and Europe through 1991. Now Fred and Amy are back, playing some golden oldies and venturing as always into uncharted territory, on basses, guitars and other whatnots.
Trimtab formed in 2001 in Minneapolis, MN under the concept of Jason Goessl, who, inspired by the work and philosophy of R. Buckminster Fuller, realized a link between Fuller's architecture and musical form and meter. The original band was comprised of Jim Anton on bass, Tim Glenn on drums, and Goessl on guitar. Their first full length album The Car, the House, and the Map was released in 2008 (Conduit Records).
With Goessl's move west to Seattle, WA, the second and current incarnation of Trimtab features Phil Cali on bass and Brian Oppel on drums. Trimtab's latest compilation New Model is slated for release later in 2013 (Parlour Trick).
The music of Trimtab is difficult to sum up in a simple phrase or genre. The band's compositions are sonic portmanteaus that meld philosophical and architectural concepts with classical, jazz, Eastern Indian, African, and rock music styles. The unpredictability and complexity of their compositions is magnetic, generating a seemingly new listening experience with each performance. Varied meters create hypnotic tensions. Abrasive chordal and percussive expression mixed with gentler melodies and intense dynamic changes creates a unique gravitational pull. Whether listening to the arc of a Trimtab album or just a single composition, a development from compression, to tension, to visual, to abstract, to the electrical is evidenced.
Goessl, Cali, and Oppel sustain a synergy that reveals an exhibition of melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic transformation. Refreshingly, the unexpected is the only thing the listener can expect from Trimtab.
One of the founding fathers of progressive space rock, Nik Turner (sax, flute, vocals) will psychedelicize the Seaprog stage with a specially assembled cast of Seattle creative music luminaries, including electric violinist Alicia DeJoie (Moraine), legendary Seattle musician/producer Jack Endino (Earthworm, Skinyard), synthesist Ffej (Tempered Steel), drummer Jack Gold-Molina (Spectral Waves), guitarist Dennis Rea (Moraine), and others tba. This cosmic collective will perform tracks from throughout Nik's career, including classics by Hawkwind, Space Ritual, Inner City Unit, Sphynx, and Space Fusion Odyssey.
With a name like Johnny Unicorn, you know you're in for some serious downbeat tunes full of doom and gloom... not. He's a California singer-songwriter now resident in Seattle, and aside from producing a string of fine albums under his own name, he's the bass player for local favorites Autumn Electric.
It has been described as eclectic and quirky, like They Might Be Giants mixed with Frank Zappa, yet moody and expansive, like a mournful space whale. With the help of his Jam Unit, Johnny Unicorn will take you on an epic journey spanning a wide range of the rock spectrum, including the world's first progressive rock exercise song and the world's last progressive rock song about pimples. Put on your headbands and get ready to prog out with your Korg out!
Upwell: To move or flow upward; to rise from an inner source.
Upwell is a Seattle band operating in the nether realms where heavy rock, raw emotion, and artistic ambition meet.
"Upwell is one of the most terrifyingly great bands I have ever known out of Seattle. Their musicianship and song-writing is monstrous…they're heavy like Soundgarden or Zeppelin with killer female vocals, but with their own unique style."
~ Jack Endino, Producer
A Word in Edgewise is a collaborative improvisation project merging dark themes with deep listening, intricate groove, vital dynamics and relenting intimacy. It is currently comprised of cellist Clark Battle and drummer Kevin Cook.
Kevin Cook (drummer) has been a staple in the Seattle dance scene, accompanying classes at Cornish College of the Arts, UW and Spectrum Dance for over 20 years. A long time fan of the avant-garde, he is inspired by such artists as Fred Frith, Captain Beefheart, Dr. Nerve, Amy Denio and Daevid Allen’s Gong. His dynamic playing has enabled him to play in a diverse range of projects, from the extremes of heavy metal to the sublime subtleties of acoustic cello.
Despite almost all of his musical influences being progressive jazz-rock guitarists, cellist Clark Battle reluctantly studied classical cello from a young age. Guitar envy ultimately seduced him down the unreasonable path of luthiery; irreverently hacking a perfectly good acoustic cello with an extra string, internal LEDs and internal electric surface exciters for guitar effects. Embracing an improvisational approach Clark weaves prepared themes with whatever inspires him in the moment.
Although the three members of Zero Times Everything met at one of Robert Fripp’s Guitar Craft seminars, their music is made of a lot more than guitars. After creating soundtrack music to a film by Richard Sylvarnes, they have continued to create music, and the combination of auditory and visual art has become one of their hallmarks.
Although Zhongyu, the band, is relatively new to the world, its seeds stretch back several decades. It started as a recording project for the compositions of Jon Davis, which defy categorization by combining qualities of progressive rock, jazz, space rock, chamber music, and Asian traditional music. These compositions are the result of years of listening to challenging music, and strive to present balance: between complexity and simplicity, noise and silence, beauty and terror, energy and calm.
The Zubatto Syndicate is a new 12-piece ensemble under the direction of composer and guitarist Andrew Boscardin. This exciting new group – a highly original take on the Big Band and jazz orchestra traditions – made its debut on November 5, 2009 at Town Hall Seattle. Featuring a unique synthesis of reed instruments and electric sounds, brass and stand up bass, Zubatto targets the musical place where Maria Schneider meets the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and the Roots meet Radiohead by way of Mingus. The music combines detailed arrangements and inventive harmonic ideas with rhythmic settings and idioms atypical of the jazz orchestra, as realized by the some of the top improvising musicians in Seattle.
Seaprog is fiscally sponsored by Shunpike.
About Shunpike
Shunpike is the 501(c)(3) non-profit agency that provides independent arts groups in Washington State
with the services, resources, and opportunities they need to forge their own paths to sustainable success.
