The Tangent A Spark In The Aether - The Music That Died Alone: Volume Two

InsideOutMusic is pleased to announce that The Tangent will release their eighth studio album 'A Spark In The Aether - The Music That Died Alone Volume Two' on 20th April 2015 in Europe and 21st April 2015 in the US. The band, led by multi-instrumentalist Andy Tillison, is made up of Jonas Reingold (Bass), Theo Travis (Sax & Flute), Luke Machin (Guitar) & Morgan Ågren (Drums).

Andy Tillison had this to say: "After all the different things we've done, this time it seemed right to come back to our prog roots and "stock in trade". At the same time we wanted to go somewhere new too, so we travelled to America in our Imaginations. We all hope you'll join us!"

Twelve years, eight studio albums, two live DVDs and tours that have taken them from Moscow to Quebec. Now one of the most enduring third wave progressive rock bands on the scene returns - a band that has never made an album using the same personnel as the previous album. In fact, the same line-up has (to date) never been used twice.

But there are regulars. And some of the favourite regulars are back for the 8th album: Flower Kings bass legend Jonas Reingold; the ever-faithful and gifted Theo Travis, familiar to many from his work with the Steven Wilson band, Gong and Robert Fripp, with his arsenal of wind textures from saxophones to flutes; and the return to the fold of the amazingly talented Luke Machin, a guitar hero for a new generation who can even wow the old generations (and who also fronts his own band, Maschine). And of course there's band leader Andy Tillison (keyboards and vocals), the only member of the band to have played on all the records.

This team is joined by Morgan Ågren, Swedish drumming phenomenon who can even count Frank Zappa among his previous jobs (others include, but not limited to, Kaipa, Devin Townsend, and his own acclaimed Mats/Morgan Band). Morgan introduces to The Tangent a real live energy full of inspiration and eccentricity.

The new album is a Rock Album. It's a Prog album. It's a Funky album. It's a Pop album. It's the Eighth Tangent album. - See more at: http://www.insideoutmusic.com/newsdetailed.aspx?IdNews=15555&IdCompany=8#sthash.1Q6WDXV8.dpuf

THE TANGENT is a project originally formed by Andy Tillison, Guy Manning and Sam Baine of PARALLEL OR 90 DEGREES [Po90] as well as half of THE FLOWER KINGS including Jonas Reingold, Zoltan Csorsz and guitar virtuoso and former KAIPA member Roine Stolt. Of course to put further icing on the cake David Jackson of VAN DER GRAFF GENERATOR would lend his legendary sax to the band for their debut album. This started out as a mere project and was actually intended to be a Tillison solo effort before it became a full fledged band as Tillison felt the need to produce something more typically 'prog' than he'd been doing in Po90. Of course it has to be noted that this really is Andy Tillison's affair since over the years the entire roster (spare Tillison and Manning) has been changed due to many different circumstances, which has really not affected the supergroup as many would expect. Often asked about his changing line up, Tillison responds by saying that it's all part of a prog band's life and fans of the genre know all about line-up changes by now. THE TANGENT is quite a dynamic band in terms of line up even now as they recruit several members of BEARDFISH onto their team, having been impressed by them on the "Not As Good As The Book" tour. This does make for a very dynamic sound which leaves the band with a fresh angle for each album. Often touted as a 'retro' band thanks to their old school sound, the band does have a very 'classic' prog feel to them with Tillison's prominent synths. THE TANGENT has often been compared to YES and KING CRIMSON in style because of the mixture of Light and Dark with Stolt and Tillison (respectively) at the helm of the project. Highly melodic and very inclined to write sprawling epics THE TANGENT should satisfy the tastes of any prog listener who wants to go back to the roots of the genre while maintaining a contemporary message and feel.

Their music is often cynical as Tillison has often been seen as 'the dark horse' of the modern progressive scene, his lyrics often poking fun at modern music and tendencies as shown in every one of their albums, but especially "The Music That Died Alone" and their newest effort to date, "Not As Good As The Book", which is a largely sarcastic and cynical look at the world that turned out to be not as good as we thought it would be. heir second effort, "The World That We Drive Through" continued the band's approach as on their first one but without the help of David Jackson on the sax. The first two albums can easily be seen to work in connection with each other even in naming conventions and the similar, striking artwork that graces both albums. If there's one thing that the second album did that really made it different from the first was establish that this was more than just a mere project, making cohesive suits (as opposed to split) and even changing their sound slightly (this one often seen as more jazz oriented) while keeping the general tone of the debut. "A Place In The Queue" remains a modern prog essential and proved that Tillison would be able to continue the band without the Flower King (Roine Stolt) on the roster.

This band is highly recommended to anyone who is a fan of THE FLOWER KINGS and anyone who wants to hear what's new in the prog scene. This is music by prog fans for prog fans as Tillison himself proves to be just as big as a prog freak as any of us would expect him to be and seems to know just how to quench the progressive thirst.

1. A Spark in the Aether
2. Codpieces and Capes
3. Clearing the Attic
4. Aftereugene
5. The Celluloid Road
6. A Spark in the Aether (Part 2)
7. San Francisco Radio Edit (Bonus)