The Trunk 22/7/2018: Talking Points - But Is It Prog?

We don't consider Bad Elephant Music a prog label. A lot of our bands self-identify as being progressive rock, but a lot of them don't, and honestly we'd like to think that genre-blending and genre-defying music is one of our hallmarks. But we do still have a strong connection to the prog scene, and there's one question we see repeated time and again, in person and online.

"Is (band / artist / album / song / cheese brand) prog?"

Double Meanings

Part of the problem with this question is that "prog" can have multiple meanings. Depending on who you ask, and even on specific contexts, it can refer to a fairly specific set of genre conventions or to a broader theme of musical broad-mindedness and experimentalism. These are, in many ways, worlds apart. Not only do they mean very different things, but sometimes they don't even overlap.

I was trying to think of a witty caption for this image, but then it hit me - who on earth scratches their head with a single finger like that? That has to be really inefficient, right?

You could argue, for example, that some modern bands that stick very close to the style of 70s prog classics aren't the second meaning of progressive because they're not breaking new ground - but you wouldn't dream of calling them anything but the first meaning of progressive, because that's a genre in which they're firmly rooted. Equally, bands which are undoubtedly progressive in the broader sense may not fit into the same prog box as, say, Genesis - maybe their songs are too short, maybe the instrumentation isn't thick enough, or maybe they just don't sound like Genesis even if they do sound small-P progressive.

We can't help but wonder whether a lot of "is it prog?" discussions stem from different people using different definitions of the word, and, since one indie label isn't going to convince every music fan in the world to agree on one of them, 

Why Talk About It?

So, if the discussion's so confusing, why have it? Well, we can definitely link of at least one reason why it might be useful to classify things as prog or not prog: classifications can be a very useful reference point for music fans.

Even a cursory glance at the venerable Prog Archives makes it very clear how important discrete classifications can be. At the very top of the navigation page, front and centre, is the list of "prog sub-genres", over twenty subsections representing different kinds of progressive music. Anyone familiar with metal will probably find this pretty familiar. These categories can be a little reductive, especially when a band could fit into more than one (and the discussions about which fits best can rival "is it prog?" for sheer volume and ubiquity), but they serve as a very useful signpost to help people find new music in styles that interest them. If you like, say, one math rock band, well, you may not like all of them, but you'll probably find other things you like in that same general area.

It's with good reason that, even when we're faced with a band that's truly unlike anything else we've heard, we try to describe it in terms of a combination or evolution of influences from existing bands: that's what hooks people. If we tell someone we've made something wholly unique, even if we try to describe it in terms of instrumentation, it's not as immediately eye-catching or attention-holding as saying it's X meets Y with a dash of Z. So we've seen first-hand how effective discrete classifications can be, and it does make the whole "is it prog?" question make a lot more sense.

Over to You

But enough waffle from us - what do you think? What does "prog" mean to you? Is there still a value to determining whether something is prog or not? Do you think BEM is a prog label? Does that matter? If you've got anything to say on this, we invite you to join the discussion over on Facebook!

Status Update

Unidentified Dying Objects is out now, on CD and digital download. Pick up a copy, it's really rather good!

This week we also announced a new album from Mike Kershaw: Arms Open Wide will be released on August 17th, and preorders are open right now.

Further on the horizon, Dial is still set for September... we can't wait to show you a little more of Godfrey's follow up. It's going to be good!

Review Roundup

We got a solid review of Unidentified Dying Objects in the most recent PROG, which we shall reprint for your viewing pleasure here:

Susan at Progressive Music Planet also delivered this fantastic 9/10 review of Suite for Piano and Electronics, proclaiming it "a wonderful choice... to expand your musical universe", and, over at Progradar, EvenFlow's Old Town got a writeup from the inimitable Jez Denton, "a truly wondrous collaboration that deserves further development". Thanks, guys!

The Trunk 24/6/2018: Talking Points - Discs and Digits

Welcome to a new experiment for The Trunk. We've noted, both on our own Facebook page and elsewhere in the progressive music community, that good music often sparks good discussions. And, for a fair while now, we've been considering some kind of "talking point" feature where we look at some of the more common topics of debate in the music scene. This is very much a "pilot episode", so we're especially keen to hear what you think of it and whether it's worth continuing, but we thought we'd ease ourselves in with something fairly straightforward: CDs versus digital downloads.

The Case for CDs

A young CD undergoing its first coming-of-age ritual.

CDs are, in general, hassle-free. Between managing downloads and file structures, navigating the perils of DRM (fortunately not an issue with our choice of sales outlet), and importing the right files into the right player on the right devices, it can be surprisingly hard to keep a substantial collection of digital music in order. If you can find a CD, you can listen to it. End of.

For some, CDs are more user-friendly. No messing around with aux cords or Bluetooth from your phone - you put the disc in a player and it plays, and you'll be hard-pushed to find a suitably-sized gadget these days that doesn't come with a CD drive. Granted, playing digital music is also now easier than ever, but CDs remain ideal for those who want to control their music in as simple and tactile a way as possible.

Finally, there's the simple but undeniable pleasure of owning a physical artifact. Many digital albums, including many of ours, come with downloadable versions of the cover and sleeve notes, but having a plastic case and a little paper booklet is a very real factor in a lot of people's decisions to buy physical music. Sometimes it's nice to be able to hold your music physically in your hands!

The Draws of Digital

Oh God, who coiled those headphones and where can I contact them? I've got a bone to pick.

The most obvious upside of owning music digitally is simple: it's cheaper! It's not uncommon for a digital release of to sell for half the price of a physical copy, sometimes even less. In a music scene as vibrant as the one we're lucky enough to be part of, many listeners find that digital downloads get them twice as much new music for the same price, which is handy if your tastes are broad - or if, like me, you're terminally indecisive.

Digital downloads are also somewhat more flexible than CDs, since you can download and rearrange them across multiple devices to suit your needs. Obviously you can do some of this with a CD rip, but, if you ever find yourself in the mood for some music you don't have to hand, all it takes to get hold of it is an Internet connection and a couple of minutes.

And, of course, there's the matter of space. Even lovers of physical media will concede that finding somewhere to put all those CDs can be a pain! When you're working with digital, though, the only space you need is whatever your hard drive takes up - and they seem to be getting smaller every year. So, if storage is at a premium and you don't want to compromise on quantity, a digital library may be your friend.

Your Take

So what do you lot think? We're not going to give a verdict here - instead we're turning it over to you, our loyal readers. Do you prefer CDs or digital when it comes to music, and why? Stick it in the comments here or over on our Facebook page (please keep it respectful). We look forward to seeing what you all have to say!

Status Update

We've had a pretty busy week, what with one thing and another! Between breaking the news that we've signed Oxfordshire's finest in acclaimed prog outfit Sanguine Hum (more detail on that over at Progarchy here) and making Exo-Oceans, the first album from Tangent virtuoso Andy Tillison's solo project Kalman Filter, available through the webstore, Elephant Towers has been positively humming with activity.

The countdown to July 20th, and thus the release of Argos' Unidentified Dying Objects, surges on, and you can preorder a copy right now.

No review roundup this time around - catch you all next week!