Welcome to The Elite Extremophile’s Top Prog EPs of 2023. The two-part Top 50 Albums list will be posted in the coming days.
As I stated last year, due to the variable number of short releases I run across year-to-year, this list is not limited to a firm number. This year, there were eight EPs I felt worth highlighting.
And where last year had all releases clocking in at under 30 minutes, this year’s collection is a bit more vibes-based. Some EPs fall within last year’s parameters, but others are noticeably longer. I’ve always taken an “I’ll know it when I see it” approach to categorizing EPs and LPs.
#8: Hashshashin – Śaraṇaṃ | Post-rock, Afghan folk | Bandcamp
Śaraṇaṃ sees Central-Asia-inspired Australian post-rockers Hashshashin plunge ever deeper into the folk music of that region. Guitar is minimized on this release, with an Afghan rubab taking the lead instead. The mood is frequently meditative, though a sense of yearning optimism emerges occasionally. Amid the folk musings, there are unusual meters and riffs, and the rhythm section does a great job of keeping things grounded and propulsive.
#7: Sterbus – Solar Barbecue | Progressive rock | Bandcamp
This Italian band plays a punchy, to-the-point brand of instrumental progressive rock. The riffs are fun and weird, and the instrumental textures are diverse. Reeds and brass are featured prominently, and they help add character. Instrumental releases often run the risk of bogging down under their own weight, but these compositions make a strong impression without overstaying their welcome.
#6: Demolished Men – In a Violent Way | Jazz-fusion | Bandcamp
This jazzy little release features a great series of compositions. The moods presented here range from relaxed and laid back to tense and on-edge. Keys and sax fluidly trade the lead throughout this album, and I really like the way hand percussion is deployed. There’s even a pretty good drum solo here! (Though I suppose it makes sense that a jazz band playing prog would be the type of act to have a good drum solo; rock drum solos are often mind-numbing.)
#5: Opsis – The End of Light | Space rock | Bandcamp
The three songs on this Italian act’s debut outing are moody and dark. They channel progressive rock and alt-metal influences and infuse them with an interstellar atmosphere. Add some Isaac Asimov-inspired lyrics into the mix, and now you’ve got the makings of a 21st Century analog to Hawkwind. There are plenty of off-kilter guitar lines, wobbly synths, and impassioned vocals that help this group stand out from other acts that might be superficially similar.
#4: Adrian Cornelius – This Is Not an EP | Pronk | Bandcamp
Cornelius may be saying, “Ceci n’est pas une EP,” but it still found its way onto my EPs list. The three songs on his debut solo release are fun, lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek meditations on social anxieties and expectations. The music is bouncy, odd, and infectious; and the individual compositions, despite being relatively short, display impressive structural variation. All three songs feature earworm melodies, rich keyboard-and-sax-textures, and memorable instrumental hooks.
#3: Rëlisp – Aktïw1 | Zeuhl, RIO | Bandcamp
Look, this is a zeuhl release featuring a former member of Magma and Weidorje. You probably already have a decent idea of the general sound of this EP, but Rëlisp still manages to stand out among other acts in the same realm. Their atmosphere is often noisier and more chaotic than others, with certain hard-rocking passages bordering on zeuhl-punk. And in sparer, artier moments, it can sound like things are verging on disintegrating entirely, but they hold it together wonderfully.
#2: the.pigeon – позбирані, нероздільні | Progressive rock | Bandcamp
The latest release from Sacramento-based the.pigeon takes Ukrainian folk music and filters it through a progressive rock lens. A balalaika (or something similar to it) and wind instruments add unique timbral qualities. The lyrics are taken from folkloric sources, and vocal harmonies lend this EP a distinctly Slavic character. Western prog elements are prominent, as well. Organ and synthesizers are often lead instruments, and there’s no shortage of complex, unusual instrumental themes.
#1: Cos Sylvan – Rayless | Progressive rock | Bandcamp
The obvious highlight of Rayless is the seven-and-a-half-minute “Woodcutters”. That is one of the strongest individual songs of the year, featuring an intricate structure, an unhurried and subtly complex main riff, and one hell of a build to a satisfying climax. Even if the other two songs here had been crap, “Woodcutters” is strong enough, it likely would have dragged this EP onto the bottom of this list. But all things considered, it is at the top because the other two songs are absolutely worth your time, too. “Negative Witness” features a fuzzy, determined riff and dreamy vocals; and “Night Sculptor” has a churning, shambolic meter that evokes the ethos of zui quan martial arts.
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