Cuneiform Records
on behalf of
our friends at ProgDay
invite you to the 23rd edition of the world's longest running progressive rock festival!
This September, come and see great bands from around the world including two artists with releases on Cuneiform:
Bubblemath and Sonar (with special guest David Torn)!
Cuneiform Records is proud to announce that Sonar and Bubblemath will be among the eight stellar groups performing at the 2017 ProgDay festival to be held in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
In it's 23rd year, ProgDay boasts yet another stacked lineup of amazing international groups that blend rock, jazz, pop, classical, and electronic music, and anything else you could think of to deliver a weekend jam-packed with thrills and excitement.
ProgDay is an annual outdoor festival of progressive music featuring artists from all over the world. Some bands have come from as close as North Carolina, and others from as far away as Sweden, Italy, Venezuela and Indonesia. ProgDay has been held every year since it's birth in 1995, making it the longest running progressive rock event in the world.
For it's 23rd year, Prog Day 2017 will be held at Storybrook Farm in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on September 2nd and 3rd.
Location and lineup information can be found on their website.
This year the festival will once again spotlight a truly global cast of bands from three continents and four countries. The current lineup for ProgDay 2017 includes:
- Sonar continues to push the boundaries of musical post-minimalism, creating forward-thinking instrumental music.
The band will be joined by internationally renowned composer, musician and producer David Torn for an exclusive performance.
- An eclectic prog/avant-pop/technical metal quintet from Minnesota, returning to the ProgDay stage after 14 years to celebrate their newly released second album Edit Peptide from Cuneiform.
Don't miss the other great bands performing at ProgDay:
iNFiNiEn (U. S.)
-A quartet touching on soundtracks, metal, and masterful improvisation.
Shylock (France)
- the French symphonic band plays material from its classic 1970s releases including Gialorgues and Il de Fièvre.
Hedersleben (U. S.)
- a multinational group with members from Korea, the U.S., and Europe who embrace the sound of early progressive rock and krautrock.
Ephemeral Sun (U.S.)
- this band's brand of apocalyptic prog features ominous atmospheres, gothic metal, fiery energy, and classic prog influences.
Plus two more bands to be announced shortly!
More information on the lineup is available at the ProgDay website here:
"Had MC Escher made music instead of drawing his famously impossible and perplexing perspectives, it would sound like Sonar." - PROG MAGAZINE
SONAR is an avant-progressive, post-minimal band from Switzerland. Their name stands for SONic ARchitecture, which alludes to their intention of creating polymetric and highly structured sound sculptures.
Fusing a rigorous minimal aesthetic with the power of a rock band, SONAR create sonic rituals unlike anything you have ever heard before. With their slow-build approach to dramaturgy and avoidance of conventional forms, they focus on collective group efforts and a deeper kind of interaction amongst their four members.
David Torn is a composer, texturalist, guitarist, producer & whatnot of actual international stature, renowned for his unique musical voice which seems to span & un-define a range of styles. His work has had material impact & influence upon both film scoring and, generally, upon contemporary electric, electro-acoustic & electronic music.
"...this set of intellectual compositions might burn a fuse or two in your brain ...prog done right, and giving back the literal epithet of the genre." - CAN THIS EVEN BE CALLED MUSIC
Frank Zappa once remarked, "Progress is not possible without deviation,” and if he were alive to hear them, he’d almost certainly agree that Minnesota fivesome Bubblemath exudes his philosophy (and daring spirit) with every unconventional rhythmic change, off-the-wall timbre, and multilayered melody.
The current Bubblemath line-up came together in 1998. Naturally, they recognize that having so many years between albums could be—as guitarist Kai Esbensen jokes—“[an] advantage or a detriment. Maybe both!” He reflects that the group originally thought it’d be “a breeze” to follow-up Such Fine Particles of the Universe, an album that won them 86,000 MySpace followers and Minnesota Music Academy’s "2002 Best Eclectic Recording” award.
However, a series of setbacks, ranging from "broken equipment, to broken promises, to loss of funding, to loss of partners and pets and parents, to incompatible mix engineers, to extended sabbaticals, to extended medical emergencies," made it difficult to accomplish that ambition. Add in the fact that "for several years, [they] were only able to commit about three hours a week to working on the album," as well as various issues regarding engineers and recording quality, and it's easy to see why Edit Peptide gestated for so long. In reaction to the skepticism of devotees, Esbensen jovially declares, "We absolutely weren't crying wolf!
We wouldn't wish this kind of delay experience on our worst band-enemies. Not that we have band-enemies. But if we did, we would not wish it on them!" Ultimately, the lengthy hiatus did prove positive, though, as it allowed "all five of [them] to become better musicians" who are capable of yielding a more striving, unpredictable, and colorful collection. They couldn't be prouder of it.
Cuneiform Records is proud to support Bubblemath on their return to ProgDay. Be sure to check out their Cuneiform release Edit Peptide, their long-awaited sophomore album that has critics and fans raving alike!
Come celebrate Progressive Rock this September at ProgDay located at the beautiful grounds of Storybrook Farms in Chapel Hill NC, a gorgeous outdoor venue to relax and enjoy fantastic music at.
For schedules, programs, artist bios, transportation, FAQ, maps and any other queries you may have… progday.net/index.html
For directions and information on the surroundings, consult the ProgDay website at progday.net/ProgDay-LocalInfo.html
To contact the organizers of ProgDay, please visit progday.net/ProgDay-Contact.html
Visit our Tour Page to see other concerts by Cuneiform artists.
Please visit our website for more information about Cuneiform Records, the talented artists that it represents, and the numerous adventurous music recordings it's released over three decades.
