In the past 15 years or so, the world of contemporary progressive rock music has seemed to solidify on bands who either tow the expected traditional lines of the genre, and those who spend a lot of their time denying that they play "prog" at all. And then there's The Tangent. Wearing the badge of "Progressive Rock" proudly on their sleeves the band have never been afraid to show their wide ranging 70s progressive influences from ELP through to Hatfield & The North and Van Der Graaf Generator, never been ashamed to celebrate fantasy artwork
album sleeves - yet never been content to do just those things. Their past work has included 18 minute long multi sectioned Electronic Dance tracks, measured and intelligent Political observations, the core use of Jazz Fusion as part of the
band's sound, the inlcusion of blasts of metal and hardcore punk, funk, pop and straight disco- these make The Tangent stand out as a band who actually like to develop what progressive music is, and make suggestions for what it can be in the future. "I utterly refuse to accept" says band leader Andy Tillison, "that Progressive Rock Music is some kind of museum piece. It is actually a living and breathing movement that has a past, a present and above all, a future. It once had an album-chart-topping golden age, but the genre was never about that. It has subtly and virally kept itself alive for decades where many new musical genres have risen to glory and faded away."

The Tangent has always decided to be a band that celebrates the Golden Age of the past, a band that brings this music into the present and a band that continually searches for paths the music can take in the future.
And if there was ever an album by The Tangent to demonstrate their flexibilty of band philosophy, the new album "Auto Reconnaissance" is that album. Its 70 minute menu includes Prog Rock Foot Stomping, some of the band's most sublime Jazz to date, humour, narrative, a modern R&B love song(!), straight pop music, funk/soul and a 28 minute long emotional epic about the band's home country of England, laden with orchestration, jaw dropping instrumentals, melodies and Andy Tillison's trademark story-telling at its best.
"Possibly one of a very few albums to be influenced by ELP, The Isley Brothers, Steely Dan, Aphex Twin, National Health, Rose Royce, Squarepusher and Return to Forever that will be released this summer" jokes Tillison.
But seriously, The Tangent do more than just cite influences. You don't taste the food by just reading the recipe. What The Tangent create is their own signature dish. And it tastes amazing. Available to take out from Insideout Music. We do delivery.