PROTOS have an extraordinary story to tell. After playing live for only two years, their members pursued musical and civilian careers with no idea their recordings had started to gain an international reputation. In 2006, they established their legacy by re-releasing One Day New Horizon on CD. They released their second offering - Into the Mouth of the Tiger - on 8th January 2007 to celebrate their emerging status as 'the top progressive rock group since England (Garden Shed, 1977)' (Marquee Magazine).
Their latest offering, The Noble Pauper's Grave, shows that the enduring popularity of their first album was not a flash in the pan. The Noble Pauper is a timeless story of humility and love and looks set to establish Steve and Rory as the Indie scene's most creative and talented progressive rock duo.
| POSTED BY: xavierpersad | POSTED ON: 11 Dec 2007 01:44 PM | ||
 “The Nobel Pauper’s Grave” by the exceptionally artistic Protos is an inspiring progressive-rock journey. The musicianship throughout the CD is very impressive. Mixing in narratives, this collection tells the story of a man who flees his life of wealth and luxury to live among and fight for the poor. As such, “The Novel Pauper’s Grave” is very dynamic, containing musical compositions aimed at representing a wide range of emotions and experiences. “Born a Bit Blue” is noteworthy for its lively, melodramatic vibe. “Travels” shifts into a more serene sound. Moreover, “The Rally” achieves a very epic sound through the use of triumphant orchestral lead melodies. “The Noble Pauper’s Grave” is very successful in taking listeners through the highs and lows of this tale’s epic journey. -Xavier P. and RadioIndy.comCheck out Protos's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites |
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| POSTED BY: NHM | POSTED ON: 29 Nov 2007 09:24 AM | ||
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We have received a number of reviews from around the world (Japan, Italy, Germany, USA and the UK). Many thanks to the fans and colleagues who patiently translated these for us - there are more to come when they've been translated. Here are the early headlines: "A perfect mix of music and narration....", Fabio Rancatti, Italy "Through sheer musical guile, Protos produce a masterpiece...", Rock 3, England. "The compositions are dazzling...", Matt Howarth, Sonic Curiosity, USA. "This is a great masterpiece, a step up in scale and quality from their previous work.", World Disque, Japan. You can read the full reviews at: http://www.protosmusic.net/reviews.htm. Best wishes |
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| POSTED BY: NHM | POSTED ON: 20 Oct 2007 12:31 AM | ||
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PRESS RELEASE  The Noble Pauper's Grave (released 18th October 2007) tells the story of a man born to privilege who rejects his upbringing. Drawn to the plight of the poor, he helps to organise and rally support for their cause whilst finding love amongst them. A tale of humility, tragedy, courage and affection conveyed through ambient narratives and rock music.
The album opens with Born a Bit Blue, an upbeat blues number depicting the energy of youth. This is followed by Travels, a lilting melodic number in 5/4 time that portrays the noble sailing away to a new life. Next comes The Rally, one of two tracks on the album that exceed 10-minutes in length. This powerful rock track intersperses a march with reflective and melancholic passages. The Final Dawn is a tuneful reprise communicated through a subtle arrangement for guitar, saxophone, flute, acoustic bass, piano and strings. The fifth track, Outcry, has a dark and moody opening before breaking out in another powerful rock track. The central section depicts a dance that leads to an erotically charged love‑scene. The finale, echoing the track’s opening theme, paints a picture of the noble’s emotional turmoil as his lover departs. Aftermath, another upbeat rock number captures the mood of the noble as he faces the retribution of his followers. Departures closes the album with a beautiful portrayal of the noble’s funeral and ascent into folk lore. The album is being released in two versions. The retail CD contains 13 tracks: music and narratives dovetail seamlessly into a continuous 51-minute performance. It will appeal strongly to choreographers looking for dramatic new dance music. The digital store release contains only the 7 music tracks. This will appeal to those who prefer to download music for MP3 and iPod playlists. The album will initially be available as an MP3 download from CD Baby - www.cdbaby.com/cd/protos4 - the world’s leading independent music distributor, before appearing in digital stores and specialist retail outlets in Japan, France, Sweden, UK, Eastern Europe and the USA. The Story So Far… PRESS COMMENT up to October 2007. “Congratulations on one of the best Prog Rock albums made” - Dave Martin, Whitchurch Prog Rock Festival Organiser, England “Totally original…best amongst the British progressive rock bands” - Yasushi Tsurutu, Orange Power Prog Rock Magazine, Japan (Tokyo)
“I am amazed it never garnered more success. Protos is one band that begs to be listened to again…” - Gregg Kovach, Prog Rock DJ, USA (Chicago)
“This collection really is a surprise to me as it opens the doors into a world where symphonically tinged prog rock lives in eternal splendour; it's beauty and magnificence never fading away. I recommend without reserve.” - Fabio Rancati, Progressive Rock Reviewer, Italy
“…one of the most important albums of this particular sub-genre and in my opinion is one of the best…” - Maribor, Progressive Ears Review
“There’s no denying the musical genius here…it has all the elements that make the genre so appealing: stellar musicianship, soaring melodies, complex passages, virtuoso solos, and that vintage sound....” - Peter Pardo, Sea of Tranquility Review
“This is a long lost classic… it combines everything I love about the genre…”
“… a fine testament to a very talented musician and composer…” - Peter Pardo, Sea of Transquilty Review, USA
“Variations, Tempest and The Maiden, are each a fully-fledged art-rock creation, the former being the absolute winner in my eyes…..” - Vitaly Menshikov, Russia
“I enjoy all the tracks on this CD, but I’m always drawn to Tempest and Space every time I’ve listened to it.” - Ron Fuchs, Prognaut Review.
“The best is saved till the end, where Space, a 12-minute stunner wraps up this interesting album. Ambient and soundtrack music lovers are in for a treat.”- - Eddie Lascu, Gnosis Review.
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| POSTED BY: NHM | POSTED ON: 14 Oct 2007 01:10 AM | ||
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And what a journey it has been..... We started writing / recording material in March 2007, had two intensive weeks recording Steve Anscombe's guitar contributions in June and August, then visited Nigel Rippon's home studio to add Electric Cello contributions. We even visited the place we reheased our 1982 album (Little Hayes, West Wittering) to record the very last guitar part - it just seemed right to pay tribute to the venue in this way. So, we're exhausted but happy. Finally, we have the sound we want. It just took an extra 25 years! The album features both old and new material, combining, for example, a 1978 version of Outcry with new material composed throughout 2007. Already called 'the most emotional and erotic track I've listened to for years' by an early listener, Outcry stands as the centrepiece of the album. It is Steve's favourite track. As for me, I have a soft spot for The Rally. This was a particularly challenging track to play live (see Into the Mouth of the Tiger). On this album release, we've dropped the less inventive material and replaced it with virtuoso stuff that was written and rehearsed in the early 1980s. It's release is long overdue. Lastly, there are tracks like The Final Dawn, based on a piano piece that spawed The Fugitive (released on One Day a New Horizon). We've not only done a restoration job by returning it to its original form, but also rearranged it for piano, guitar, flute, saxophone, percussion and strings. We experience it as a delightful melodic reprise between two 10-minutes rock epics described above. This is an album to enjoy! All the best |
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A year to the day after we re-issued | POSTED BY: NHM | POSTED ON: 30 Jun 2007 02:09 PM | ||
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Protos keyboard player Rory Ridley-Duff and guitarist Steve Anscombe celebrated a successful week recording their new album by announcing some further details. The album, due for release on 18th October 2007, will be called 'The Noble Pauper's Grave', and tells the story of a man born to riches who rejects his upbringing to seek a different kind of nobility.... |
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| POSTED BY: NHM | POSTED ON: 31 May 2007 09:45 AM | ||
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Welcome to the June edition of the New Horizons Music newsletter. What happened to May, you ask? There was the small matter of student assignments and exam marking.... Normal service has now resumed. This month's main article "And Now for Something Completely Different...." takes a fresh look at what to expect when you send your music for review. Secondly, we continue our series of artist interviews with Rob Fowler of Digital Chemistry to see what progress he's made with his debut album Machine Made Man. Lastly, we launch a 'Quick News' section for progressive musicians with something to announce. With no more ado, let the rhethoric begin.... www.newhorizonsmusic.co.uk/news.htm |
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| POSTED BY: NHM | POSTED ON: 19 May 2007 02:13 AM | ||
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Click below to read album reviews of One Day a New Horizon and Into the Mouth of the Tiger. http://www.soundclick.com/pro/view/03/default.cfm?bandID=631650&content=reviews
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| POSTED BY: NHM | POSTED ON: 17 May 2007 12:39 AM | ||
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Remarkable, revealing melodic and truly grand chord progressions... When listening to these tracks, I was more than once reminded of Camel (mainly circa "Rain Dances"), in a few places the influences are striking, particularly on the longest three, The Fugitive, New Horizon and The Maiden, which are the most impressive. The music, while being strongly dominated by synthesizers involve some classically-structured harmonies, following the Camel art-rock formula, with electric guitar in the Andy Latimer style periodically highlighting the textures. The keyboard playing of Rory is the most remarkable, revealing melodic and, at times, truly grand chord progressions. His two partners, guitarist Steve Anscombe and drummer Neil Goldsmith, are also competent musicians. Thing of Beauty and Hunting Extremely Large Animals are both beautiful, but are instantly accessible, the music being slow throughout. To conclude, "One Day a New Horizon" is a pleasing CD. --Vitaly Menshikov, www.progressor.net/review/protos_1982.html, 14th May 2007 |
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| POSTED BY: NHM | POSTED ON: 17 May 2007 12:39 AM | ||
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Variations is an absolute winner in my eyes... "Rory winkles everything possible out of his synthesizers, so the recording's sonic palette is rich in sounds that imitate various brass, chamber and string instruments. Passing Decades is subtitled "Jazz / Rock" and two of the tunes, Passing Decades and London-125, suitably fit the requirements, both standing out for their 'slap bass'. The title number combines natural symphonic and quasi-improvisational patterns and is generally more intriguing than London-125. Variations, Tempest and The Maiden, are each a fully-fledged art-rock creation, the former being the absolute winner in my eyes. As to allusions, Variations is beyond comparison; Tempest in places resembles Genesis, The Maiden ELP, and Hunting Extremely Large Animals, Rick Wakeman's late-'70s work. The influences, however, are usually transitory and originality is one of this recording's main virtues." --Vitaly Menshikov, www.progressor.net/review/rrd_2006.html, 14th May 2007 |
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| POSTED BY: xavierpersad | POSTED ON: 17 Mar 2007 02:53 PM | ||
 “Into the Mouth of the Tiger” is a live recording that highlights the musicianship of this fine instrumental progressive rock band. The recording provides a flash back into live performances of a very talented band. Considering that these are live performances of complex songs, the band is very tight. The recordings, which apparently are over 20 years old, capture the energy of the live performances nicely. “Hunting Extremely Large Animals” is a track that highlights the interesting sounds of the different instruments, and also features impressive drum fills. The virtuoso skill level of all of the members of the band is apparent throughout. If you enjoy instrumental rock music and big-name bands such as Genesis and Yes, you will enjoy this CD. Pick up a copy today! -REVIEWER NAMECheck out Protos's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites |
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| POSTED BY: NHM | POSTED ON: 24 Feb 2007 10:04 AM | ||
Hello music lovers,
Protos are back. After 25 years of not realising that their music had made its way around the world and found many fans, we are now putting the situation right by ensuring there is worldwide physical and digital distribution for Protos's albums. We would like to thank all their fans - particularly those in Japan - whose interest has kept the music's reputation alive.
Protos is a music writing duo (Rory Ridley-Duff and Steve Anscombe) who have been joined by other talented musicians to perform live. Special thanks to Nigel Rippon (Cellist / Guitarist), Iain Carnegie (Percussionist / Keyboardist / Composer), Neil Goldsmith (Drums) and Justin Warburton-Brown (Guitarist) for their contributions over the years.
You'll find many reviews on Protos's official site. Click 'Read More' below to see a recent review of One Day a New Horizon. This was posted to Progressive Ears, one of the most active progressive rock forums on the internet.
Best wishes
New Horizons Music
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