Now The House-Band is Up To Date to 1983

Perhaps a bit more disappointing than the previous installment, if such can be imagined.
Information here.

Off We Go with The House-Band from 1982

A very library-like offering from this instrumental band that did  few albums back in the day.

Rafael Escote in 1989's starry Aldebaran

Moving further into the eighties always can occasion regret.  Of course, after the epic Catalonia, we could not expect perfection here, or even quality.  There is much less advanced progressive composition than earlier-- after all, this is more than a decade after the second Gotic record.  A general idea of the music can be had by the acoustic piano and bass solo track called Balada D'en Lluís:






Of interest is that the second part of side b comprises a 15-minute long composition called Baixos Per A Un Ballet (Suite), with of course several parts.  This was somewhat disappointing to me on account of the overrepresentation (admittedly, not a surprise) of the bass.

http://www.discogs.com/Rafael-Escot%C3%A9-Aldebaran/release/5832540

Gotic Keyboardist's Coses in 1977: Ara Es Dema

Spare information from rym:

Catalan folk rock based on piano/organ, acoustic/electric guitar and sometimes string arrangements, melodious songs, good vocals & harmonies, they were part of the political movement to get the Catalan people more rights, they sang also in Catalan.

From Discogs:

Spanish trio from the late 70's, they played quiet, serious folk-rock largely based on piano (or organ) and acoustic guitar with soft string arrangements.  
Personnel:
- Jordi Vilaprinyó - keyboards, vocals
- Jordi Fábrega - acoustic & classical guitar, vocals
- Arthur Bernstein - acoustic & electric guitar, vocals
Discography:
- Via Fora! (1976)
- Ara es Demá (1977)
- Perquè no s'apagui l'aire (1978)

Of course for our purposes what is notable is that Vilaprinyo was the keyboardist and presumably mastermind behind Gotic as we can see here:

Spanish progressive rock band of the 1970s. Their history goes back to the schooldays of Jordi Vilaprinyó and Jordi Martí who started as the organ and drums duo "Jordis" initially inspired by the music of Emerson, Lake and Palmer. After the group expanded, adding influences from Genesis, Yes, and "Zeleste’s layetana music" they arrived at a multicultural cross-polination of styles, and eventually Gotic was born in 1976. The band only released the one album during their lifetime, a delicate instrumental progressive rock outing featuring flute, keyboards/synthesizers and folk inspired elements. They also recorded a second album, of which tape copies exist, but the band split in 1978 before it was finished.

(That second album can be found all over the place online, and is STRONGLY recommended.)


Returning to this offering, we have exactly what was described above, with less progressive than the masterful Gotic, but nonetheless quite enjoyable folk-rock.  Listen to this stunningly beautiful track, Una Mica da Mort:



There are a few notable and original features to attend to here.  First of all notice the diminished chord arpeggios that intro on electric piano, passing into flute and fake strings backed by acoustic guitar-- creating tension and then quite abruptly releasing it.  Subsequently in the stanza, note how the traditional lyrics start with a normal melody, but as it progresses more vocalists join in until we have a complete triad moving up to the last chord, which, surprisingly, in the falsetto region, moves still higher, before resolving back down onto the tonic.  Quite an astonishing perhaps never before heard melody, and the plaintiveness of the subject clearly shines through.  But the song's surprises don't end there, after this chorus section and following the pleasantly gentle electric guitar soloing, the electric piano of Vilaprinyo proceeds to create a gorgeous little instrumental passage with small scale figures atop minor seventh chords.  How I'd love to understand the lyrics, as I don't doubt they are beautiful too.  Clearly this it the most Goticlike track: pay attention to the flute solo in the very middle of the song.  
Btw the record that followed, in 1979, was to me disappointing, as was the more simplistic previous effort, Via Fora.

Really, music this beautiful as I've said before, is like magic.

The great Gotic:

Negasphere's Disadvantage from 1985

How about some classic Japanese (neo-) prog for a change?  I know there are few in the group who don't love this style, as we've seen before...

From 1985, not a cheap record.  Note there is a bonus track, from side c, on this rip, for which I thank my generous friend, one of the many who are contributing to our communal riches in this way.

Remember I posted their 1984 album, about a year ago here.  In comparison this later work is more streamlined and neoesque as befits the later, tunnelling into the eighties year.  As I mentioned there their 1981 live album, despite a poor sound, is by far the most advanced progressive music they did.  How often that is the case, that youthful talent, creativity and energy make early music the most interesting.