I’m back! After two months at 10,000 feet above sea level and almost no internet, I have high speed! So, what do I do with my access. . . I record progarchy radio episode 9. Music from The Tangent, The Ben Cameron Project, The Pineapple Thief, Frost*, Oceansize, Riverside, SAND, Karmakanic, Simple Minds, Nosound, Roswell 6, Tool, Threshold, Jason Rubenstein, and Cosmograf.
I thought Cameron’s THE BEN CAMERON PROJECT one of the best releases of 2014. Now, Cameron has written a new album under the name of another project, Aronora. I’m only on track 6 of 8 as I type and post this, but it’s simply excellent. Moody, existential, meandering, thoughtful, pensive, anxious. Excellent.
Here’s the press release:
The band was formed in 2008 with an intent to create an innovative and exciting brand of progressive rock music, with a focus on fusing heavy rock elements with melodic, ambient soundscapes.
Aronora first began to promote their work through two demo CD’s entitled Home Recordings Vols. 1 and 2 (both free releases) and began to perform live shows in Melbourne to building crowds.
In June of 2009 Aronora independently recorded and released a self-titled EP, which featured 7 tracks including re-recorded versions of some of the tracks from the initial Home Recordings demos as well as some new songs. The EP was received well, leading to the band being invited to play a number of support shows, with popular Australian bands such as sleepmakeswaves, The Eternal & Vanishing Point.
In 2014 it was announced that Aronora would begin working on their first full length album, a showpiece of their unique sound based on various material written between 2010 and 2014. The album is entitled Escapology.
Escapology is a series of intertwined pieces with an underlying observation of some of the many forms of escape the human mind may need or desire in its lifetime.
The album was recorded in various locations across both Melbourne and London (where frontman Ben Cameron relocated in 2014), with the final mix and master completed by Neil Wilkes at Opus Productions in London.
Escapology is to be released worldwide on the 30th of September 2015.
For more information, go here: http://www.aronora.com/#!about/c1nii
I, for one, completely disbelieve that “rock is dead” or almost dead. Many folks I could care less about believe this, and many folks I think the world of believe it as well. I just can’t accept it.
If rock—or what passes as rock—has been so commercialized and corporatized to die because the huge companies don’t know how to sell, promote, and market a band or singer any more, too bad and tough luck. My guess is that that band or singer lost its or her or his soul long, long ago. Too bad by far. If rock is corporatized, it’s really not rock.
And, frankly, I hope Rolling Stone and NME each die a quick death. They were never more than glossy catalogues anyway. They wanted conformity, not excellence. In their pretense to fight the Establishment, they were the Establishment. I could start citing Marshall McLuhan and Noam Chomsky here—two thinkers I admire immensely—but it’s not the intent of this post. Despite my nasty introduction, this is meant to be a post of celebration.
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The Incredible and the Magnificent of 2014. Where to even start? So much amazing music came out this year. So very, very far from dead. Not even close.
In no particular order (except for what I consider the absolute best-est of the year).
North Atlantic Oscillation, THE THIRD DAY. I don’t think it would be possible for these guys to disappoint. It’s obvious they put everything they have into the very structure and fabric of their music. While I probably still prefer the more Mark Hollis-esque FOG ATLANTIC, The Third Day really offers some electronic beauty.
The Black Vines, RETURN OF THE SPLENDID BASTARDS. Doubting my claim that rock is very much alive? Pop this baby into the CD player, and I give you Exhibit A of how great and alive rock is. Schnikees, this baby rocks. This rocks like rock should. Clever, intense, and driving.
The Ben Cameron Project, TIPPING POINT. Only two tracks long, TIPPING POINT is one of the most interesting and traditionally proggish of all prog this year. An album is integrity and beauty. You have to immerse yourself in this one. You’ll be well rewarded for doing so.
Jason Rubenstein, NEW METAL FROM OLD BOXES. Talk about putting the “progressive” in progressive rock. No, not the Woodrow Wilson kind of progressive. The real kind—the kind that does actually advance something. Rubenstein is a genius, and his music shows just how much creativity and glory one person can offer in this rather tragic world. This is the soundtrack to every Dirty Harry movie that mattered, but presented with 2014 technology and sensibilities.
Galahad, 3 EPS. Who wouldn’t love Stu Nicholson? God made the man for us all to love and admire. Here, he takes prog toward House music. This is highly danceable prog, and yet it maintains that high intelligence that Galahad has always brought to music. There’s nothing really new, just new ways of looking at old things. A great success.
Glass Hammer, ODE TO ECHO. Again, who wouldn’t love Steve Babb? The guy radiates charisma. This outing sees Glass Hammer turn toward the mythic and the pagan. While generally open about faith, GH follows the path of C.S. Lewis, noting that the Christian is also the pagan, at least in his or her imagination. The bass thumps, the drums rock (phew!), the vocals soar, as do the keyboards and the guitars.
And, the adventure continues in Part III. . . .
What’s new with The Ben Cameron Project?
It’s now been just over 5 months since the release of Tipping Point and I’m so thankful for the response it continues to receive. We’ve shipped off albums to over 25 countries around the world and the word just keeps on spreading. There’s also been a bunch more reviews come in recently from various websites, including one over at DPRP.net, as well as a nice video reviewfrom Marcel at Live Prog.
An extremely limited amount of CD’s have just become available for purchase on the Bandcamp site as well if you missed out on the first run, however I’d suggest you act fast as they may not last long. The digital version is of course still available as well on Bandcamp, iTunes, Amazon & CD Baby.
But what comes next??
Well, as of next month I will be relocating to London to begin working more intensely on album number two, as well as getting a group together to begin what will become the live side of the The Ben Cameron Project. This is a really exciting time for me, as things progress I’ll be sure to post updates to keep you all informed.
Thanks again to everyone for your support, remember that if you enjoy the music don’t be afraid to tell your friends, like, share, retweet, favourite and whatnot, anything at all really to get the word out. All the links are below.
Cheers,
BC
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The Ben Cameron Project
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