Vivien Lalu

1 month ago

I am delighted (and proud) to make another appearance in Prog. And this time Rush—which was certainly an influence on this disc—is on the cover. It was fantastic to be able to talk with Mr. Ling. I hope you enjoy this issue. Stay proggy, my friends! 🙏It seems subs copies have begun landing, so here's the cover of Prog 129, which is on sale this Friday April 22 (US on sale May 20).

We celebrate RUSH's classic 1981 album Moving Pictures in the cover. As the band release an epic 40th Anniversary Deluxe box set of their eighth studio album, we speak to Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, interviewed together for the first time in ages, as they tell us the story of the making of the album.

There are also brand new interviews with Caravan founder Dave Sinclair, Renaissance's Annie Haslam on the making of Scheherazade And Other Stories, Neu! founder Michael Rother, Alex Lifeson's new outfit Envy of None, Tiger Moth Tales, Roger Eno (Official), Kaprekar's Constant, 80s prog trio Craft, Pattern-Seeking Animals, Symphony X's Michael J. Romeo, Jenny Hval, The Emerald Dawn, Anders Buass and more...

There's also a tribute to the late Procol Harum singer and pianist Gary Brooker, plus four great Rush post cards and a 16-track Tigermoth Records sampler featuring music from Magenta, Cyan, Robert Reed, Tom Newman, Kiama and more...

That's Prog 129. On sale this Friday April 22. ... See MoreSee Less

Vivien Lalu

2 months ago

"10K!

My artist page was stagnant for a long time, lingering around 9K without any new album release. Thanks to "Paint the Sky", the unthinkable happened... It now has over 10,000 followers!

I'd like to express my gratitude for all of you who have liked my page. Many thanks for your continued support over the years, and to the fantastic response to the new album (even though I made a clear turn toward progressive rock rather than progressive metal).

You have given me much inspiration to keep going. Thank you! 🙏"

~Viv ... See MoreSee Less

Vivien Lalu

2 months ago

" PAINT THE SKY: What if Jesus did progressive metal? "

Thank you for this incredible comment, Mr. Otani/Young Guitar!

Wrong J. though 😉
The one, the only, magical J. on "Paint the Sky"—THE God of 4-, 6-, and 12-strings guitars—is Joop Wolters!

That's where guitar magic comes from🙏🙏" PAINT THE SKY: What if Jesus did progressive metal? "

Wow! A big thank you to Yukinori Otani for this wonderful remark in the February 2022 Edition of Young Guitar! 🙏 ... See MoreSee Less

Vivien Lalu

2 months ago

I just received an email stating that my podcast is now in the Apple Podcasts charts. I'm indeed happy to report that "Lalutopia" is currently at the top of France's "Most popular podcasts", in the Music Analysis category.

I recorded this first episode for fun and had NO IDEA about what I was getting into. I didn't expect to have any kind of a following or success with it, but it's a fantastic encouragement, that's for sure!

Thoughts of a second episode... What song would you want me to speak about / analyse? What sort of material would you want for this podcast—Would you prefer interviews? Life stories/memories? Any particular topic you'd want me to discuss in greater depth?

Anyhow, thank you so much for taking the time to listen! I really appreciate your support 🙏🏻❤️

lalutopia.buzzsprout.com ... See MoreSee Less

Vivien Lalu

2 months ago

When I sat down to compose this, I had no idea how things would turn out. Wrote an album with a lot of passion and surrounded myself with other artists equally as passionate to help me in this journey. I'm overjoyed about your reviews--can't wait for what's next! Thank you! 🙏"A progressive metal masterpiece."
- METAL INJECTION

“Absolute corker.”
- PROG

“An early club house leader for album of the year. 5/5”
- SEA OF TRANQUILITY

“Early candidate for prog album of 2022? Progably. 10/10”
- POWERPLAY

"One hour playing time of sheer beauty. 5/5"
-PROG ARCHIVES

"PERFECTION. 5/5"
-LOUD TV

Thank you very much for all of your lovely reviews and comments about "Paint the Sky"! 💖 ... See MoreSee Less

Vivien Lalu

2 months ago

It means a lot to me that PROG has reviewed (incredibly positively ☺️) my new progressive rock album "Paint the Sky" in its latest issue, which features YES and "Close to the Edge" on the front cover — without a doubt, my all-time favorite album. "Close to the Edge" is, in my opinion, a classic album that not only introduced me to prog but also kindled my love for it as a youngster. This is readily apparent in my most recent work...I couldn't be happier about this wonderful coincidence!So with subs copies landing on doormats around the country, here's the cover of Prog 128, which is on sale tomorrow (US on sale 8 April).

We celebrate the 50th anniversary of Close To The Edge by YES (official) with brand new interviews with Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman Music, Bill Bruford and Jon Anderson as they recall how they created their first ever album that featured a full side-long epic.

There are also brand new interviews with TANGERINE DREAM, former Kraftwerk member Wolfgang Flür, Von Hertzen Brothers, Tears for Fears, David Cross & Andrew Keeling - Composer, D'Virgilio Morse & Jennings, Rosalie Cunningham, Animals As Leaders, And So I Watch You From Afar, Spiritualized, Black Country, New Road, Clive Mitten Composer and Recomposer., Julian Littman and we pay tribute to the late King Crimson founder Ian McDonald.

There's also four Roger Dean - Official Page 'Postcards From The Edge' free with this issue and a 20-track KARISMA RECORDS sampler featuring music form Wobbler, Airbag, Arabs in Aspic, MEER, Bjørn Riis - artist page and more.

Prog 128. On Sale Friday March 11. ... See MoreSee Less

Vivien Lalu

3 months ago

Happy new month, my friends!

I hope you're all managing well in spite of Covid-19's difficulties, and the events in Ukraine that have an impact on us all. Those are trying times, but music (at least for me) definitely helps, so I'm hoping that you're listening to a lot of great music to get through the bad times.

My new album "Paint the Sky" is out now, and the month of its release has come to an end, but not its promotional journey, nor its life as a record to pass the test of time (crossing my fingers that it has many lovely days ahead)! Many of you have joined me on Facebook, followed me on all of my social media accounts, and I still have a lot of unread messages. Sorry about that! I'm not great at keeping up with everything, but I am extremely grateful for your kindness and support.

I'm grateful to all of you who have supported my (personal) vision for how progressive rock music COULD sound today, and I thank you wholeheartedly. PTS was created with a real passion for music in general, but also with the *most profound passion* for Prog as a genre, so thank you! It will be a hectic year, but I'm looking forward to working with you on that journey. Let's create something great together ❤️

"We're All in the Same Boat Together"

Stay safe out there,

~ V ... See MoreSee Less