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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
