Progress (latin: progressus, originating from the word ‘progedi’- “to proceed”): advancement, development. Moving forward. A change towards improvement, perfection.
Why have I decided to write about progressive as of a style in music? There are numerous reasons, which I’m going to bring up right now. First of all, I’ve been tracking discussion forums in Poland and across the World for some time. On each board there is at least one thread in which the posters have tried to define ‘progressive’. Usually such attempts end up nowhere though. People have quoted DJs and producers saying that progressive is a movement in music, not an independent style. That doesn’t surprise me, as it's after all much easier to claim that it’s a kind of consciousness or an attitude, then to describe the sound, mood and tempo. Why? Because that neither closes the door of evolution nor submits anybody to a critical examination. Some people think that the attempt to define progressive is like chasing your own tail, others say that it’s not a style in music while others disagree with such statement, but don’t want to define it because it's evolving too fast. According to me, it’s the other way around. Over the last couple of years progressive hasn't made any progress. New sounds have arrived, as well as new technologies, but the structure of tracks has remained unchanged. I'll come back to it later. It’s worth attempting to create a definition of this kind of music. Many of you may not agree with the statements below, but I also hope to find some understanding and support among the readers.
Both sides are welcomed to a discussion.
Some people think that the attempt to define progressive is like chasing your own tail, others say that it’s not a style in music while others disagree with such statement, but don’t want to define it because it's evolving too fast.
Revolution took place in the early 90s. Many artists, like Luke from Brancaccio And Aisher, Innate or Paul from Staircase think that we owe everything to a non-existing British label called Guerilla. Duncan Forbes & Charlie May released the first progressive sounds under its wings as Spooky. Their album “Gargantuan” which is seen by the music world as a cult is set to be re-released in two years, as announced by Forbes. Maybe that fact constitutes a proof that the 10 years history of progressive is just about to make a full circle.
The new trend was a deliberate escape from short loops and unsophisticated house vocals, simple melodies known from trance and the killing tempo of techno. Initially, ‘progressive’ was nothing more than a prefix of ‘house’. It distinguished the luscious, dance compositions from the new ones, that were more minimal in expression. There was no place for two layers of vocal samples repeated through the entire song over and over again. The era of unending build-ups, that were leading the kids into a state of trance in the discos, has finished too. The search for the roots was started and the electronic music was taken into another direction.
Progressive can be distinguished by the complex track structures and tricky arrangements. Individual notes and chords are getting on top of each other, like layers, one after another. The vibe is built in the rhythm section, where the beats often fill every eighth note of the bar (tribal). Deep, warm and steady bass kicks up the rhythm. Its line, usually written in two bars can also circumscribe the melody of the song. The sound of different emotions emerges on such phenomenal background. The samples, which are very often dubbed or echoed, give the music a deeper mood, fulfilling the function of being both a guide and an element of surprise. Every note of the every sampled instrument plays a crucial role in the final shape of a song, therefore usually there's no leading theme. Progressive is also known from its moderate tempo (120-130 bpm), dramatic crescendos and frequent rhythm breakdowns. It is some sort of a hybrid of house, techno and trance.
Such a wide scope gives almost unlimited creative space to producers and a chance to play almost everything that fits the tempo and their personal preferences to DJs. It doesn’t mean that a progressive DJ plays only progressive tunes. Let’s learn to see the difference and enjoy the diversity.
Translated by: Maciej Wilczyński
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