The bassist—and here I will immediately close the chapter concerning him—proved to be very interested. During the first live rehearsals we conducted, playing all together, he seemed very present and well-prepared. However, when we entered the recording studio a few months later, it was a total disaster. Because of this, I had to hastily convene a new bassist, who subsequently became the musician who is now the permanent, official bassist of CELESTE. But we shall return to this episode at the appropriate time.

The other element, who then became a foundational pillar of the band's new sound, was once again a collaborator of Enzo's. I am speaking of Marco Moro. An excellent flutist and tenor saxophonist (as well as an equally excellent interpreter when it came to playing Renaissance recorders), he immediately made me foresee what CELESTE would become with his contribution to the woodwinds.

Several months passed, during which, strengthened by the fact that I could now count on the presence of musicians of great caliber, I began to record on my Digital Performer DAW all the parts that—verified on the field each time—allowed me to see the growth, day by day, of what would become the album of CELESTE's return after nearly 50 years since "Principe di un Giorno."

In the meantime, I also thought about which other musicians to convene as guests to complete the roster of performers who, with the contribution of their unique instruments, would give the project those extra colors I desperately needed. And so, I convened Sergio Caputo, who, over time, as a violinist, would participate in various other projects under the CELESTE banner. Furthermore, for this comeback album, I needed the sonority of a cello. And who better than Mariano Dapor—first cello of the Sanremo Symphony Orchestra—could interpret the parts I had reserved for an instrument so warm and fascinating? Only for this specific project did I engage, as a pianist and harpsichordist, Massimo Dal Prà, my dear friend as well as my teacher of piano and orchestral conducting. From the subsequent album onward, this role was definitively assigned to Marco Canepa, who, besides being the Sound Designer for all CELESTE projects, has curated and continues to curate all my solo paths since 1994, and is also an excellent pianist full of pathos, capable of interpreting the parts I write for the piano in a profound and touching manner.

To listen to the absolute sonic essence born during those legendary analog sessions and explore the full historical discography of CELESTE, you can visit our archival page here:

👉 CELESTE Official Bandcamp: https://celeste4.bandcamp.com/

Inner Garden Records

See you next Thursday for the next episode!

https://reddit.com/link/1xa5zdb/video/gvs8wx4c3hwh1/player

They're playing near where I live soon and I, being a big fan of their first three albums, am thinking of buying tickets. I know they only have one 70s member left (John Etheridge), but are they still good regardless? And how much old stuff do they still play? If anyone's seen them in recent years please tell me about it!

Man, what an incredible band!

Sing To God blew me away, such an ambitious record!

Anyone else enjoy these guys?

I really like these bands: Yes, King Crimson, Genesis (their first album), some rush songs, Pink Floyd, some gentle giant songs, Jethro Tull, Circus and Camel

Knowing all that, what you would suggest me??

I am a huge fan of prog metal too, porcupine tree, rishloo, tool, Opeth, perfect circle and papangu are my favorites.

Does anyone have this album or a place to listen to it? I think there was only ever 200 cds ever made and only one song is on YouTube. Is there a place to listen to it? If someone has the cd please upload it. I don’t know if this is the right sub but I’ve heard many people call Arthur brown progressive rock, his later stuff at least. There is a guy who uploaded the whole thing but he is just recording himself listening to it and I’d rather not listen to it that way.

This one hits the platter very often but is luckily also on most if not all streaming platforms. The oddball memorable art is what initially caught my attention when discovering it years ago. The albums mostly prog and hard rock, with some funk & psych elements (and one psych folk track sorta in the vein of Crowfoot).

Fantastic vocals and guitar from Alan Ross with more than a few GREAT shreds. Bob Jacksons keys are extremely notable for me as well, gloopy often quite psychedelic organ. Both sides open and close POWERFULLY. All tracks feature vocals except for the instrumental B4 ‘Buxton’ that I’m admittedly not huge on.. Closer B5 “Leave It All Behind You’ makes damn sure to leave the listener satisfied. The acoustic guitar in that last track alone is unforgettable.

Just make sure after you’re done leaving it all behind you, that you give it another spin round.

Sharing a recommendation: the self-titled debut from Datura Lodge, a duo from New Jersey, feels fully formed, confident, and genuinely exciting to listen to, the kind of record that makes you want to tell people about it.

It opens with “Mummy,” “Stone,” and “98 and 94,” three tracks that flow into each other without a break, and that decision alone tells you a lot about how this band thinks. By the time the suite ends you’re already hooked, pulled in by the atmosphere and the melodic instinct. The arrangements are detailed and rich, but the melodies are always front and center, and they stick.

Across the whole album, the duo is joined by Adam Holzman (Miles Davis, Steven Wilson) on keyboards and his son Russell Holzman on drums, who also plays on Steven Wilson’s upcoming album, due out soon. Ben Karas (Thank You Scientist) adds an electrifying violin solo on “Stone.”

“Hole” is worth stopping on for a moment. It has that slow-build quality the best prog tracks share, a patient emotional arc that keeps growing until the guitar solo arrives and says everything the words could not. There’s a Pink Floyd shadow over it that feels completely natural rather than imitated.

And then there’s “Lodge,” which closes the album and is, for me, the best thing on it. It starts with a quiet acoustic passage that brings Genesis to mind, not in an obvious way, just that same sense of stillness and intention. From there it builds into something bigger and more modern, without ever losing the melodic thread. It’s a really moving piece of music.

Sea of Tranquility gave it 4.25/5. You can stream the full album here:

https://arquenrecords.bandcamp.com/album/datura-lodge

Has anyone else heard it? Would love to know what you think.

One of my favorite bands to listen to this time of year, Goblin is an Italian Prog band inspired by King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, Gentle Giant and Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

Known for their soundtracks on classic horror films like “Suspiria” and “Profondo Rosso” (Deep Red).

I recently created r/GoblinBand to discuss all things Goblin. This is the subreddit where prog rock and horror meet!

One of my favorites.