Progressive Electronic

Born in the late 60’s after the expansion of avant-gardist, modern, post-modern and minimalist experimentation, the progressive electronic movement immediately guides us into a musical adventure around technologies and new possibilities for composition. As an author or a searcher, the musician often creates his own modules and electronic combinations, deciding his own artistic and musical action. The visionary works of Stockhausen, Subotnick, John Cage (“concrete” music, electro-acoustic experimentation), La Monte Young, Steve Reich, Terry Riley (minimal, micro-tonal music) express a vision of total reconstruction in the current musical world. Luminous works such as “A Rainbow in Curved Air” (1967) and “Silver Apples of the Moon” (1967) bring an inflexion on opened forms and new ways to explore the essence and the physical aspects of sounds (through time and space). “Static” textures, collages & long running sounds, the power of technology previously exposed in ambitious classical works will have a major impact in “popular” electronic music.

After the artisan & innovative uses of magnetic tapes, feedback, microphones, etc., the instrumental synthesis, the elaboration of global sound forms and the psycho-acoustic interactions will be sublimated thanks to the launch of the analog synth. A great improvement happened in 1964 with the appearance of the first modular synthesiser (Moog). This material (or "invention") brings the answer to the technological aspirations of many musicians, mainly after the release of the popular “Switched on Bach” (Walter Carlos) and Mother Mallard’s portable masterpiece (pieces composed between 1970-73).

At the beginning of popular essays in electronica, the pioneering technologies (in term of recording and sound transmission) will not be abandoned. For instance, “Tone Float” (1969) by Organisation (pre-Kraftwerk), “Zwei Osterei” & “Klopzeichen” (1969-70) by Kluster and “Irrlicht” (1972) by Klaus Schulze will carry on the domestication of the electric energy and the use of refined harmoniums, organs and echo machines. During the 70’s decade, European groups & musicians such as Eno, Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream will make their name in the music industry thanks to an abundant use of analog synthesisers and original electronic combinations. After weird, mysterious experimentation on conventional acoustic & electric instruments, Kraftwerk enjoyed huge success in popular music thanks to “mechanical electronic pop music”. “Trans Europe Express” (1977) and “The Man Machine” (1978) figure as two commercial classics. The German spacey electronic scene launched by Tangerine Dream with their outstanding “Alpha Centauri” (1971) and Cluster “I” & “II” (1971-72) will have echoes everywhere, starting from the Berlin underground electronic scene (the Berlin School) with Klaus Schulze (“Timewind” 1974), Michael Hoenig (“Departure from the Northern Wasteland” 1978), Ashra (“New Age of Earth” 1976), Conrad Schnitzler’s buzz-drones and repetitive electronics (“Zug”, “Blau”, Gold” 1972-74) . After several innovations always from Germany we notice the dark, doomy atmospheric manifests of Nekropolis (Peter Frohmader) in “Le culte des Goules” (1981), Asmus Tietchens in his colourful and engaged “Biotop” (1981) and the semi-ambient “Hermeneutic Music” (1988) by Lars Troschen (sound sculptor and synthesist).

In France, the “hypnotic” and “propulsive” electronic essays of Heldon (“Electronic Guerrilla” 1974) and Lard Free (“Spiral Malax”1977) introduce an inclination for industrial, urban and post-modern sound projections. The French “avant gardist” Philippe Besombes takes back the inspiration of “ concrete music" (Pierre Henry…) and mixes it to a hybrid rocking universe (published in 1973, “Libra” figures as a true classic). Bernard Xolotl in “Prophecy” (1981), “Procession” / “Last Wave” (1983) will follow the musical path anticipated by Klaus Schulze in his “Cosmic” electronic symphonies.

At the end of the 70’s until the debut of the 80’s Albums as “ambient 1: Music for Airports” (Brian Eno), “Cluster & Eno”, “Deluxe” (Hans Joachim Roedelius side project called Harmonia) will announce the emergence of the famous ambient movement, musically characterised by gorgeous shimmering atmospheric textures.

http://www.progarchives.com/subgenre.asp?style=33

Progressive Electronic 20 key studio albums

4.45 KRAFTWERK The Man-Machine (Die Mensch-Maschine) (1978)	4.54 SCHULZE, KLAUS X (1978)	4.26 TANGERINE DREAM Phaedra (1974)	4.27 TANGERINE DREAM Rubycon (1975)
4.82 SCHULZE, KLAUS Audentity (1983)	4.29 SCHULZE, KLAUS Mirage (1977)	4.06 TANGERINE DREAM Force Majeure (1979)	4.06 ENO, BRIAN Another Green World (1975)
4.41 JOBSON, EDDIE Theme Of Secrets (1985)	3.99 TANGERINE DREAM Stratosfear (1976)	4.05 TANGERINE DREAM Tangram (1980)	4.29 FROESE, EDGAR Epsilon in Malaysian Pale (1975)
4.50 SCHULZE, KLAUS Body Love: Original Filmmusik (1977)	4.03 SCHULZE, KLAUS Timewind (1975)	4.00 KRAFTWERK Trans-Europe Express (Trans-Europa Express) (1977)	4.17 KRAFTWERK Ralf & Florian (1973)
4.13 TANGERINE DREAM Underwater Sunlight (1986)	4.21 ENO, BRIAN My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts (with David Byrne) (1981)	4.30 TANGERINE DREAM Purgatorio (Dante Alighieri - La Divina Commedia) (2004)	5.00 ENO, BRIAN Ambient 4 : On Land (1982)