PROTOS: One Day a New Horizon

Protos

One Day a New Horizon

© 2006 Rory Ridley-Duff and Stephen Anscombe (5060101490556)

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Rare English, internationally well regarded, symphonic rock album available for the first time on CD.

notes

The album One Day a New Horizon has an astonishing history. Even the original artists remained unaware of it for 25 years....

One Day a New Horizon, released on the Airship label in 1982, quickly became "an essential LP to own" according to Nick, a record collector in the UK. It's reputation swelled after Marquee Magazine (Japan) told rock fans to "remember [Protos] as the top progressive rock band since England...." (translation by Yasushi Tsuruta).

Protos band members had no idea that these things were being said about their music, or that their music was building an international reputation as a classic of the prog rock genre. When keyboard player, Rory, released Passing Decades two decades later, e-mails started to arrive asking if One Day a New Horizon would be re-released.....

And the rest is (recent) history.

So how did it all start? Rory and Steve formed Protos while still at school. Later, Rory enrolled on a Jazz/Popular music course at the Chichester College of Technology (in England). This proved an ideal place to find a new drummer (Iain Carnegie) and bass player (Nigel Rippon). They gigged locally for two years then disbanded when Rory, Iain and Nigel went to college/university to continue their music studies.

Now they are back together at New Horizons Music to release old and new musical projects. The CD version contains all tracks from the original LP plus material previously released on 'Seaside Rock' (Airship, 1981) and Rory's first solo album 'Passing Decades'.

A fascinating album and band. Enjoy the reviews.

reviews

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  • Enjoyable to hear over and over....the focus is 100% on the music.
    author: Ron Fuchs - www.prognaut.com

    To my ears this is a long lost classic. Why you ask? Well it combines everything I love about the genre including the cinematic keyboard sounds, the fluid guitars and the rhythm section that gels so well. I’ve been reading how some reviewers are classifying Protos as neo prog. I can agree to some extent but I hear more of a symphonic vibe than anything. Maybe it was the time the music was originally recorded, but it doesn’t matter because the music is so enjoyable to hear over and over. The other thing is since Protos is all instrumental they don’t fall into the clichés of the neo prog genre. The focus is 100% on the music. Kudos to Rory Ridley-Duff for bringing this and other of his releases to the table. (Ron Fuchs confirmed a 4/5 mark for the album in correspondence dated 18th May 2007).

  • Remarkable, revealing melodic and truly grand chord progressions...
    author: Vitaly Menshikov

    When listening to these tracks, I was more than once reminded of Camel (mainly circa "Rain Dances"), in a few places the influence 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.

  • There are still hidden prog gems aut there
    author: Paco Fox

    Some friends of mine usually tell me there are no more prog groups to discover. This album proves them wrong. For those into the more molodic side of prog, this historical curio is a must. Recorded when old prog had died and neo prog was still one or two years away, 'On a new day' is a well written instrumental album, with very nice melodies. Not your usual King Crimson stuff, but more for those who enjoy bands on the Camel side of prog. The first two Rousseau albums and some passages of Sebastian Hardies/Windchase are the closest references. But just check the 2 minutes samples here. If you like what you here, I can safely say the rest of the songs are equally interesting.

  • I recommned without reserve. Get it. You won't regret it.
    author: Fabio Rancati

    Protos are an English trio that were active over twenty years ago and who dedicated themselves to performing instrumental prog in the Oldfield vein. The disk in question is a re-issue on CD (with 2 extra bonus tracks) of a vinyl LP dated 1982. It had a reasonable response, mainly in Japan. It has now been re-issued by New Horizons Music in this new guise. Musically it is a very interesting album, showing the trio's love for psychedelic music and for the fantastical musical landscapes created by Mike Oldfield's eternal genius. The end result is a fresh, vibrant work that one can appreciate particularly, even after 20 years, because of the trio's highly skilled performance and the deep dream-like composing where the listener's soul can get lost amidst infinite spaces: brisk tracks slightly tinged with a touch of melancholia but never oppressive. The most apt comparison, in my opinion, is that listening to this album is like the majestic and harmonious take off of an eagle. Can't get tired of these tracks and you would play them forever just to keep travelling between clouds, turning here and there without pause. A good quality production and a cover (which personally reminds me of Genesis) complete this examination of a work that I recommend without reserve. Get it. You won't regret it. A timeless disk which makes you dream and travel between sweet, pleasing notes - if you love prog it can't be missing from your collection. (Translation from the Italian by Charlie at Progressive Ears - text and stars checked with Fabio Rancati before posting on 2nd Jan 2007).

  • Very rare and GREAT!
    author: Gary

    Pick this gem up while you can. Brilliant instrumental symphonic prog. It's finally here after 25 years! Thank the band for putting this out. Long overdue. Mellotron Heaven!!!

  • One of the jewels that these rare talented musicians created
    author: Marquee Magazine (November 1991)

    One Day a New Horizon by Protos (Airship AP391 in 1982) is one of the jewels that these rare talented musicians created. It is also a dignified inheritance that this three-man band produced. The key role is the keyboard playing, smooth melody lines from beginning to end. Remember as the top progressive rock group since England. (Translation by Dr Yasushi Tsuruta, Reviewer of Orange Power Progressive Rock Magazine)

  • This IS a goodie, with warmth and depth.
    author: Stig Lundstrom, Finland

    Thanks for the excellent CD. It was a pleasure listening to the whole album (+ the bonus tracks........). It IS a goodie, with warmth and depth in the melodic themes. Also there is enough variations keeping the music interesting all the time. Yes, I can really recommend it to anyone who enjoys classic British symphonic prog, and it was time that it was released on CD. The only drawback in my opinion is that the sound have suffered a bit being remastered, somewhat blurry, thin and raw. I have listed to dozens of 70´s-80's remastered CD's, at least 50% have some small "blemishes" in the sound picture. Still, I am very happy with my copy. Stig

  • author: Lord Chumley

    A long time ago, when the earth was being overrun by the curse of New Romanticism, a small band of long haired and in some cases, bearded fellows, gathered in a small corner of darkest West Wittering. Their mission: to keep the flame of prog rock alive! This album is quite obviously the result of many hours of careful compositional honing and the quality is evident from the opening of the first (and possibly best) track, 'The Fugitive'. This piece is a wonderful musical journey, by turns dramatic, sensitive and triumphant. Thing of Beauty is a thing of rarity, in that it was composed by the band's guitarist, Steve Anscombe along with the opener on side two 'Panamor' - a tribute to Gordon Giltrap. Anscombe has a unique sound, formulated by his masses ranks of effects pedals - his sound is truly original and blends brillantly with keyboard player Rory Duff's keyboard textures. 'Hunting Extremely Large Animals' is the nearest the group came to a 'single' - a firm favourite at their gigs during the early 80s (usually prefaced by a bass solo by resident band yeti Nigel Rippon). Each side closes with band 'classics'. 'The Maiden' is an up-tempo rocker which used to open the set and 'Protos', which used to be the band's finale, sounds by turns like a spaced-out Irish jig! This album is a must-have for anyone interested in progressive rock as well as being a staple of rock history.

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