The Colony of Slippermen

Do check out this cover version of Slippermen (free download) - it's very very clever.

The musicians who worked on this with Nick are session players for country and western songs. It's such a weird song, I would love to know what they made of it.

Chuffed as nuts

After a mad burst of creativity (the most productive I've ever had) the writing for the follow-up album to The Difference Machine, English Electric, is pretty much done. Still a lot of work to do on arrangements and recording, but we'll be looking for a 2008 release (although that may slip into 2009 if we finish towards the end of next year.)

Listeners can expect a similar line-up of musicians to The Difference Machine (with maybe one or two extra guests on the keyboards) a slightly more diverse selection of songs, our first 20 minute epic, and, I think, a cracking album.

Current tracklisting:

The Underfall Yard
Victorian Brickwork
Master James of St George
An as yet untitled song
At the Water's Edge
Oceania
Available Light

We'll also be trying to finish off the retrospective of previously unreleased or re-recorded material that we've been promising for ages. Problem is, new songs always take priority, but we will be aiming to get this released in 2010 for our 20th anniversary.

Terrorized

Terrorizer magazine has been doing a series of very interesting articles on prog rock in their last three issues. The cover CD for the new issue which is out today and which concludes their look at the state of prog, features Big Big Train. They've found space for the full length version of Perfect Cosmic Storm on the CD, alongside tracks from Dream Theatre, Porcupine Tree and others.

According to Terrorizer, our music is 'unashamed, unreconstructed PROG FUCKIN' ROCK' and we are 'bound to please fans of Yes, the Enid and early Genesis.' As I kind of expected, most of the other bands on the CD are from the heavier end of the prog spectrum rather than the symphonic side of things and I'm not so sure that we'll please the average Terrorizer reader, but it's nice to see our name on the news stands.

Excerpts from a new interview

I've just been interviewed by Kristian Selm of Progressive Newsletter. Looks like it'll be fully published in December, but some excerpts here: Interview

Greg

Bloody hell, another cracker from Oceansize

The third brilliant album in a row from Oceansize.

If you've not come across Oceansize before, and you'd like to try some prog coming from an alternative rock direction, please give them a listen. Their new album, like their others, is complicated, gothic, intense and heavy (but without any silly widdly widdly guitar wanking.)

You can hear some samples on their MySpace page.

They also have a new official website which tells you all about their current tour (warning: if you do go to see them, earplugs are strongly recommended if you want to avoid tinnitus.)

And this Wikipedia article gives some background on the band.

Greg