| # | Artist | Song (click to play) | Album | Year | CD label | My Gnosis Rating |
| 1 | Spiral Architect | Cloud Constructor | A Sceptic's Universe | 2000 | Laser's Edge / Sensory | 12 (Mike's) |
|
"A heady, complex technical metal newcomer who sound like they've been
playing for years, Spiral Architect are definitely in the Watchtower school
of twisting, turning pyrotechnics, mowing down shifting time signatures at
ease while still managing to pull out memorable hooks, and intelligent,
thought-provoking lyrics. Even if the thought of prog-metal gives you weak
knees, this is an album good enough to surpass the limitations of genre and
comes highly recommended." - Mike McLatchey
of Expose and Gnosis
Spiral Architect Laser's Edge / Sensory Label | ||||||
| 2 | Species Being | Orgone Therapy - Track 1 | Orgone Therapy | 2000 | Chaosophy Records | 13 (Mike's) |
|
"The sophomore effort by this excellent, improvisationally-based San
Francisco area band turns towards Agitation Free and Ash Ra Tempel
territory. The entire album is improvised,
an amazing display of connected interplay resulting in echoing guitar
passages, unbelievably tight drumming, and loads of lush and spacious
keyboards. That it shows such a high level of togetherness and melodic
interaction is a tribute to this amazingly cohesive act."
- Mike McLatchey
of Expose and Gnosis
Species Being / Chaosophy Records | ||||||
| 3 | Exuviae | Silencia (excerpt) | Echoes In The Emptiness | 2000 | Green House Music | 13 (Mike's) |
|
"An example from the ambient school of just how fertile this genre is at the
turn of the millenium. Exuviae is synthesist Brooks and this is his debut
album from the Green House label. It is spacious, resonant, atmospheric
music that pulls in influences as early as the Berlin school (shades of
Tangerine Dream "Rubycon" here) and as recent as people like Steve Roach and
Michael Stearns. A cosmic, spacious modern classic." - Mike McLatchey
of Expose and Gnosis
Green House Music Hypnos | ||||||
| 4 | Azigza | Touch Moon Window | Azigza | 2000 | Lionharp Music | 14 (Mike's) |
|
"Azigza are a San Francisco bay area-based septet whose original combination
of world music both east and west, progressive and psychedelic influences,
and sheer talent makes them one of the finest new outfits of recent years.
Featuring a line up of three percussionists, female vocals, guitar, bass,
and violin (and much more), Azigza weave an exotic and eclectic web of music
that spans updated traditionals, a Led Zeppelin track, and a heady
spaciousness close to Gong. Perhaps the finest release of 2000."
- Mike McLatchey
of Expose and Gnosis
Azigza | ||||||
| 5 | Kenso | The Ancient In My Brain | Ken-Son-Gu-Su | 2000 | ? | 13 (Mike's) |
|
"Kenso's newest live album, which will be available in November 2000, was
sold in a very small quantity on the tail of their stunning performance at
Progfest 2000. Featuring a wide variety of material from their long career,
it shows the band fully into their prime, displaying a complex symphonic
style played with consummate professionality. That, in a long career, this
could possibly be their greatest album, speaks volumes for this top-notch
Japanese quintet." - Mike McLatchey
of Expose and Gnosis
Kenso - Official Home Page (English) | ||||||