{"id":2168298,"date":"2025-11-20T11:11:14","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T11:11:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2168298"},"modified":"2025-11-20T11:11:14","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T11:11:14","slug":"chimpan-a-risked-covering-prog-royalty-on-latest-album","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/chimpan-a-risked-covering-prog-royalty-on-latest-album\/","title":{"rendered":"Chimpan A risked covering prog royalty on latest album"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p id=\"263eca3a-576a-4095-ac10-2d403f982f6a\"><em>Robert Reed and Steve Balsamo\u2019s progressive electronic duo Chimpan A recently released their long-awaited third album, <\/em><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/music\/albums\/chimpan-a-m-i-a-vol-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/music\/albums\/chimpan-a-m-i-a-vol-1\">Music Is Art \u2013 Vol. 1<\/a><em>. Featuring original material and some surprising cover versions, the double- length record also includes a host of impressive musical guests. The pair discuss making big-sounding songs, fanboy moments in the studio and their plans to spend more time on their start-stop side-project.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr id=\"b28ccf7a-426b-4b91-a136-b477913f7811\"\/>\n<p id=\"d786ff88-cab4-4f24-869a-803bf50df016\">\u201cIf it feels like 15 minutes, you\u2019ve failed!\u201d is Robert Reed\u2019s explanation of how he and Steve Balsamo turned what seemed like three-minute pop songs into more expansive pieces.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" id=\"elk-seasonal\" data-url=\"\" href=\"\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\"\/><\/p>\n<aside data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"hawk-root\"\/>\n<p id=\"d786ff88-cab4-4f24-869a-803bf50df016-1\"><em>Music Is Art \u2013 Vol 1<\/em> is the long-fermenting fruit of Chimpan A, the on-and-off project maintained by the pair for over two decades. Following 2020\u2019s <em>The Empathy Machine<\/em>, Reed (best known for his stewardship of <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/dracula-mike-oldfield-and-moogs-magenta-visit-the-dark-side-on-masters-of-illusion\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/dracula-mike-oldfield-and-moogs-magenta-visit-the-dark-side-on-masters-of-illusion\">Magenta<\/a>) and Balsamo (who previously worked with <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/deep-purple-the-turbulent-story-of-stormbringer-and-ritchie-blackmores-exit\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/deep-purple-the-turbulent-story-of-stormbringer-and-ritchie-blackmores-exit\">Deep Purple<\/a>\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/archive-jon-lord-s-last-stand\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/archive-jon-lord-s-last-stand\">Jon Lord<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/how-the-alan-parsons-project-struck-gold-with-eye-in-sky\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/how-the-alan-parsons-project-struck-gold-with-eye-in-sky\">The Alan Parsons Project<\/a>\u2019s Eric Woolfson) have created an album\u2019s worth of original material, then backed it with another set of inventively-tackled cover versions.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-3 pb-4 mb-4 border-solid border-y border-neutral-300\">\n<span class=\"font-article-heading block pb-3 !text-base font-bold uppercase sm:text-sm text-[#333]\"><br \/>\nYou may like<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>The sound can best very loosely be described as progressive pop, weaving in style between, soul, trip-hop, folk, rock and musical theatre. For Reed, the lack of rules is what makes it progressive. \u201cMaking prog sound like <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/best-peter-gabriel-genesis-songs\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/best-peter-gabriel-genesis-songs\">Genesis<\/a> \u2013 that\u2019s surely going backwards,\u201d Reed argues.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cChimpan A have a pretty unique sound; it\u2019s four to the floor then the next minute you\u2019re getting into a folk tune, then you\u2019ve got a spoken-word passage, a touch of gospel, a little bit of opera \u2013 for me, it\u2019s truly progressive to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"b7966447-d4fc-4c69-9033-2c514a55f3f2\">Still, the new songs share characteristics. They\u2019re shot through with rich melodic allure and dramatic dynamics. <em>I Will Wait For You<\/em> ebbs and flows, spiralling from epic soul into brooding drum\u2019n\u2019bass, then breaking down to a spoken meditation before rebuilding via anthemic rock.<\/p>\n<p>Reed confirms that Chimpan A is a vehicle with which he and Balsamo can go in any direction that suits them. \u201cWe didn\u2019t have any rules for this record, whereas I don\u2019t think I\u2019d be so bold doing a Magenta record,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s always been a little safe space for us, away from the chaos of the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-zf9qCUnNQE4Jyur5XZ5yqE\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-zf9qCUnNQE4Jyur5XZ5yqE slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\"\/>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">Sign up below to get the latest from Prog, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Balsamo explains: \u201cIt was always our intention to do more of this, but life got in the way. There were 15 years between the first album and the second. In between I sang on Rob\u2019s Sanctuary albums and on a couple of projects with Magenta. He\u2019s worked with me on various bits and pieces. We kept meeting in various little musical projects and saying, \u2018Shall we have another crack at the Chimp?\u2019 That led to <em>The Empathy Machine<\/em>, which we absolutely love.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The impetus to follow it with the new album was heightened by the duo\u2019s friendship with playwright Richard Mylan. \u201cHe\u2019s a really good guy, and he loved the first couple of Chimp albums, so he asked us to write some stuff for his play <em>Sorter<\/em>. Those three songs make up the second half of the album, and when we came to record them, we used some of the words from the play.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Vocal turns from regular singer Kirstie Roberts further colour the sound, alongside contributions from Magenta\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/christina-booth-bar-stool-prophet\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/christina-booth-bar-stool-prophet\">Christina Booth<\/a>. \u201cIt definitely makes your ears prick up; I like Kirstie\u2019s voice juxtaposed against mine,\u201d says Balsamo, \u201cthen complemented by Tina\u2019s voice, which is more ethereal.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-3 pb-4 mb-4 border-solid border-y border-neutral-300\">\n<span class=\"font-article-heading block pb-3 !text-base font-bold uppercase sm:text-sm text-[#333]\"><br \/>\nYou may like<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>The spoken-word sections come courtesy of poet and regular Chimpan A contributor Tony Dallas. \u201cTony took the lyrics that we had and then kind of riffed off that and did his own thing,\u201d says Balsamo. \u201cAnd, man, it gives me shivers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s also an impressive orchestral presence, arranged by Nigel Hopkins and partly inspired by the environment in which the pair created the album. \u201cOn the drive from where I live in Swansea to Rob\u2019s studio in Porth, I go through Aberdare and across the Maerdy Mountain,\u201d says Balsamo. \u201cThat landscape made it such a therapeutic journey. It\u2019s got a weird proggy 70s album-cover look to it. So all that got distilled into the music.<\/p>\n<div class=\"youtube-video youtube-facade\" data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"Wz840fCVwXQ\">\n<div class=\"video-aspect-box\">\n<div class=\"watch-on-iframe-Wz840fCVwXQ\" data-yt-video-token=\"Wz840fCVwXQ\" title=\"Chimpan A - Here Comes The Flood 4k MASTER - YouTube\">\n<span class=\"youtube-video-title\">Chimpan A &#8211; Here Comes The Flood 4k MASTER &#8211; YouTube<\/span><br \/>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"play-button\" viewbox=\"0 0 234.67 165.33\"><path fill=\"red\" d=\"M229.763 25.817c-2.699-10.162-10.65-18.165-20.748-20.881C190.716 0 117.333 0 117.333 0S43.951 0 25.651 4.936C15.553 7.652 7.6 15.655 4.903 25.817 0 44.236 0 82.667 0 82.667s0 38.429 4.903 56.85C7.6 149.68 15.553 157.681 25.65 160.4c18.3 4.934 91.682 4.934 91.682 4.934s73.383 0 91.682-4.934c10.098-2.718 18.049-10.72 20.748-20.882 4.904-18.421 4.904-56.85 4.904-56.85s0-38.431-4.904-56.85\"\/><path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"m93.333 117.559 61.333-34.89-61.333-34.894z\"\/><\/svg><br \/>\n<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"watch-on-youtube-Wz840fCVwXQ\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Wz840fCVwXQ\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Wz840fCVwXQ\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\">Watch On <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"youtube-logo\" viewbox=\"0 0 507.9 113.39\"><g fill=\"#fff\"><path d=\"M64.792 80.99V32.396l42.082 24.297zm93.803-63.285a20.285 20.285 0 0 0-14.32-14.32C131.642 0 80.99 0 80.99 0S30.337 0 17.705 3.385a20.286 20.286 0 0 0-14.32 14.32C0 30.338 0 56.693 0 56.693S0 83.049 3.385 95.68A20.285 20.285 0 0 0 17.705 110c12.632 3.386 63.285 3.386 63.285 3.386s50.652 0 63.285-3.386a20.284 20.284 0 0 0 14.32-14.32c3.385-12.632 3.385-38.988 3.385-38.988s0-26.355-3.385-38.988m94.473 74.326c.887-2.314 1.332-6.098 1.332-11.35V58.556c0-5.097-.445-8.822-1.332-11.178-.888-2.355-2.452-3.533-4.69-3.533-2.163 0-3.69 1.178-4.577 3.533-.888 2.356-1.332 6.081-1.332 11.178V80.68c0 5.25.424 9.035 1.275 11.35.848 2.318 2.392 3.475 4.633 3.475 2.239 0 3.803-1.157 4.691-3.475zm-17.953 11.122c-3.207-2.16-5.486-5.52-6.835-10.079-1.352-4.554-2.027-10.617-2.027-18.185v-10.31c0-7.644.771-13.784 2.316-18.417 1.544-4.633 3.956-8.011 7.24-10.135 3.282-2.123 7.587-3.186 12.916-3.186 5.251 0 9.459 1.082 12.626 3.243 3.165 2.162 5.482 5.542 6.95 10.136 1.466 4.595 2.2 10.715 2.2 18.36v10.31c0 7.567-.714 13.65-2.142 18.243-1.43 4.595-3.747 7.955-6.951 10.077-3.205 2.124-7.548 3.186-13.03 3.186-5.64 0-10.06-1.082-13.263-3.243m248.053-57.981c-.81 1.005-1.352 2.646-1.621 4.923-.272 2.278-.404 5.734-.404 10.367v5.097h11.697V60.46c0-4.555-.155-8.011-.463-10.367-.309-2.355-.868-4.014-1.678-4.98-.812-.966-2.067-1.449-3.766-1.449-1.7 0-2.954.503-3.765 1.506zm-2.025 29.886v3.591c0 4.557.132 7.974.404 10.251.269 2.279.828 3.94 1.68 4.982.849 1.041 2.16 1.564 3.938 1.564 2.392 0 4.035-.927 4.923-2.781.887-1.853 1.37-4.942 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0-8.186-1.543-10.426-4.633-2.24-3.087-3.358-7.915-3.358-14.48V34.23h15.985v52.126c0 3.168.347 5.426 1.041 6.776.696 1.353 1.855 2.027 3.476 2.027 1.391 0 2.723-.423 3.996-1.275 1.275-.849 2.22-1.928 2.839-3.241V34.229h15.985\"\/><path d=\"M365.552 20.908h-15.87v84.329h-15.637v-84.33h-15.869V8.05h47.376v12.858m76.811 53.636c0 5.174-.215 9.229-.639 12.162-.424 2.937-1.139 5.021-2.143 6.255-1.004 1.236-2.357 1.854-4.053 1.854a7.404 7.404 0 0 1-3.65-.927c-1.12-.618-2.026-1.544-2.722-2.78V50.796c.54-1.93 1.467-3.513 2.78-4.749 1.313-1.234 2.74-1.853 4.285-1.853 1.623 0 2.876.637 3.766 1.91.886 1.275 1.505 3.418 1.853 6.43.348 3.011.523 7.297.523 12.857zm14.652-28.964c-.967-4.478-2.531-7.721-4.692-9.73-2.163-2.007-5.136-3.011-8.919-3.011-2.935 0-5.676.83-8.224 2.49a16.926 16.926 0 0 0-5.908 6.545h-.117l.001-37.416h-15.405v100.777h13.204l1.622-6.717h.347c1.235 2.393 3.088 4.285 5.56 5.675 2.47 1.39 5.213 2.085 8.225 2.085 5.404 0 9.382-2.491 11.931-7.471 2.548-4.982 3.823-12.76 3.823-23.341V64.23c0-7.953-.484-14.17-1.448-18.65\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"787707a4-6dd8-47f3-b3c2-3217aa6632e0\">\u201cWe\u2019re fans of Craig Armstrong\u2019s work with <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/every-massive-attack-album-ranked-from-worst-to-best\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/every-massive-attack-album-ranked-from-worst-to-best\">Massive Attack<\/a> and Paul Buchanan of <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/haunting-tunes-from-the-head-and-heart-the-blue-niles-a-walk-across-the-rooftops-defies-easy-categorisation\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/haunting-tunes-from-the-head-and-heart-the-blue-niles-a-walk-across-the-rooftops-defies-easy-categorisation\">The Blue Nile<\/a>. We\u2019re just trying to do our version of it, really. With the first album, <em>Q<\/em> magazine said it was \u2018drowning in a sea of pretentiousness.\u2019 We loved it! We used that to sell the album!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>MIA \u2013 Vol. 1 <\/em>comes with a bonus disc of cover versions. The first to be released was Chimpan A\u2019s take on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/peter-gabriel-by-those-who-work-with-him\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/peter-gabriel-by-those-who-work-with-him\">Peter Gabriel<\/a>\u2019s <em>Here Comes The Flood<\/em>, which the lifelong fans approached with no small amount of trepidation. \u201cWe knew we were messing with prog royalty,\u201d says Reed. \u201cIt could have been us painting a moustache on the Mona Lisa. But I don\u2019t think we\u2019ve done that; I think we\u2019ve just framed it a little differently.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"405885d4-7a5e-4d1a-9d31-70b4c6c9d75b\">\n<blockquote class=\"vanilla-quoteblock\">\n<p>A guy we work with sent our version to one of the songwriters. We haven\u2019t heard back. But we also haven\u2019t had any contact from any lawyers<\/p><figcaption><cite>Steve Balsamo<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p id=\"c288ac5f-f64c-4f2e-95f4-bf49c71fd168\">They were more audacious with their treatment of <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/the-10-greatest-carole-king-cover-versions\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/the-10-greatest-carole-king-cover-versions\">Carole King<\/a>\u2019s Smackwater Jack, reimagined as a slower, more despondent affair than the original\u2019s piano boogie. Hot Chocolate\u2019s<em> Every 1\u2019s A Winner<\/em> sees its central guitar riff reworked into a synth figure. Perhaps most intriguingly of all, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/graham-nash-now-interview\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/graham-nash-now-interview\">The Hollies<\/a>\u2019 <em>The Air That I Breathe<\/em> has a key change from major to minor, giving the famous soaring chorus a rather more hesitant feel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe set up the lovely verse \u2013 which Radiohead got done for supposedly stealing \u2013 but the chorus never gave that sort of Chimpan A dark feel,\u201d Reed says. \u201cI thought, \u2018What happens if you go to the minor?\u2019 The chorus is really joyous on the original, and we went, \u2018Let\u2019s darken it.\u2019 And that was the way into the track.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"youtube-video youtube-facade\" data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"uFbWzwJLd2U\">\n<div class=\"video-aspect-box\">\n<div class=\"watch-on-iframe-uFbWzwJLd2U\" data-yt-video-token=\"uFbWzwJLd2U\" title=\"Chimpan A The Air That I Breathe PROMO - YouTube\">\n<span class=\"youtube-video-title\">Chimpan A The Air That I Breathe PROMO &#8211; YouTube<\/span><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/uFbWzwJLd2U\/maxresdefault.jpg\" alt=\"Chimpan A The Air That I Breathe PROMO - YouTube\" data-aspect-ratio=\"16\/9\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"play-button\" viewbox=\"0 0 234.67 165.33\"><path fill=\"red\" d=\"M229.763 25.817c-2.699-10.162-10.65-18.165-20.748-20.881C190.716 0 117.333 0 117.333 0S43.951 0 25.651 4.936C15.553 7.652 7.6 15.655 4.903 25.817 0 44.236 0 82.667 0 82.667s0 38.429 4.903 56.85C7.6 149.68 15.553 157.681 25.65 160.4c18.3 4.934 91.682 4.934 91.682 4.934s73.383 0 91.682-4.934c10.098-2.718 18.049-10.72 20.748-20.882 4.904-18.421 4.904-56.85 4.904-56.85s0-38.431-4.904-56.85\"\/><path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"m93.333 117.559 61.333-34.89-61.333-34.894z\"\/><\/svg><br \/>\n<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"watch-on-youtube-uFbWzwJLd2U\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/uFbWzwJLd2U\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/uFbWzwJLd2U\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\">Watch On <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"youtube-logo\" viewbox=\"0 0 507.9 113.39\"><g fill=\"#fff\"><path d=\"M64.792 80.99V32.396l42.082 24.297zm93.803-63.285a20.285 20.285 0 0 0-14.32-14.32C131.642 0 80.99 0 80.99 0S30.337 0 17.705 3.385a20.286 20.286 0 0 0-14.32 14.32C0 30.338 0 56.693 0 56.693S0 83.049 3.385 95.68A20.285 20.285 0 0 0 17.705 110c12.632 3.386 63.285 3.386 63.285 3.386s50.652 0 63.285-3.386a20.284 20.284 0 0 0 14.32-14.32c3.385-12.632 3.385-38.988 3.385-38.988s0-26.355-3.385-38.988m94.473 74.326c.887-2.314 1.332-6.098 1.332-11.35V58.556c0-5.097-.445-8.822-1.332-11.178-.888-2.355-2.452-3.533-4.69-3.533-2.163 0-3.69 1.178-4.577 3.533-.888 2.356-1.332 6.081-1.332 11.178V80.68c0 5.25.424 9.035 1.275 11.35.848 2.318 2.392 3.475 4.633 3.475 2.239 0 3.803-1.157 4.691-3.475zm-17.953 11.122c-3.207-2.16-5.486-5.52-6.835-10.079-1.352-4.554-2.027-10.617-2.027-18.185v-10.31c0-7.644.771-13.784 2.316-18.417 1.544-4.633 3.956-8.011 7.24-10.135 3.282-2.123 7.587-3.186 12.916-3.186 5.251 0 9.459 1.082 12.626 3.243 3.165 2.162 5.482 5.542 6.95 10.136 1.466 4.595 2.2 10.715 2.2 18.36v10.31c0 7.567-.714 13.65-2.142 18.243-1.43 4.595-3.747 7.955-6.951 10.077-3.205 2.124-7.548 3.186-13.03 3.186-5.64 0-10.06-1.082-13.263-3.243m248.053-57.981c-.81 1.005-1.352 2.646-1.621 4.923-.272 2.278-.404 5.734-.404 10.367v5.097h11.697V60.46c0-4.555-.155-8.011-.463-10.367-.309-2.355-.868-4.014-1.678-4.98-.812-.966-2.067-1.449-3.766-1.449-1.7 0-2.954.503-3.765 1.506zm-2.025 29.886v3.591c0 4.557.132 7.974.404 10.251.269 2.279.828 3.94 1.68 4.982.849 1.041 2.16 1.564 3.938 1.564 2.392 0 4.035-.927 4.923-2.781.887-1.853 1.37-4.942 1.447-9.268l13.785.812c.077.62.116 1.469.116 2.548 0 6.565-1.795 11.47-5.387 14.712-3.589 3.242-8.669 4.865-15.232 4.865-7.876 0-13.398-2.47-16.564-7.414-3.168-4.94-4.75-12.586-4.75-22.935V63.589c0-10.657 1.641-18.436 4.924-23.342 3.281-4.903 8.9-7.355 16.854-7.355 5.482 0 9.691 1.004 12.626 3.012 2.933 2.01 5 5.137 6.197 9.383 1.197 4.247 1.796 10.117 1.796 17.607v12.163h-26.757m-284.953-1.33-18.187-65.68h15.869l6.37 29.77c1.623 7.339 2.82 13.594 3.591 18.766h.464c.54-3.706 1.738-9.922 3.591-18.65l6.603-29.886h15.869l-18.417 65.68v31.51h-15.754v-31.51M322.115 34.23v71.007h-12.511l-1.39-8.688h-.347c-3.399 6.564-8.496 9.845-15.291 9.845-4.71 0-8.185-1.543-10.425-4.633-2.24-3.087-3.359-7.915-3.359-14.48V34.23h15.985v52.126c0 3.168.348 5.426 1.043 6.776.695 1.353 1.853 2.027 3.475 2.027 1.39 0 2.722-.423 3.996-1.275 1.274-.849 2.22-1.928 2.838-3.241V34.229h15.986m81.995.001v71.007h-12.511l-1.391-8.688h-.345c-3.402 6.564-8.498 9.845-15.292 9.845-4.711 0-8.186-1.543-10.426-4.633-2.24-3.087-3.358-7.915-3.358-14.48V34.23h15.985v52.126c0 3.168.347 5.426 1.041 6.776.696 1.353 1.855 2.027 3.476 2.027 1.391 0 2.723-.423 3.996-1.275 1.275-.849 2.22-1.928 2.839-3.241V34.229h15.985\"\/><path d=\"M365.552 20.908h-15.87v84.329h-15.637v-84.33h-15.869V8.05h47.376v12.858m76.811 53.636c0 5.174-.215 9.229-.639 12.162-.424 2.937-1.139 5.021-2.143 6.255-1.004 1.236-2.357 1.854-4.053 1.854a7.404 7.404 0 0 1-3.65-.927c-1.12-.618-2.026-1.544-2.722-2.78V50.796c.54-1.93 1.467-3.513 2.78-4.749 1.313-1.234 2.74-1.853 4.285-1.853 1.623 0 2.876.637 3.766 1.91.886 1.275 1.505 3.418 1.853 6.43.348 3.011.523 7.297.523 12.857zm14.652-28.964c-.967-4.478-2.531-7.721-4.692-9.73-2.163-2.007-5.136-3.011-8.919-3.011-2.935 0-5.676.83-8.224 2.49a16.926 16.926 0 0 0-5.908 6.545h-.117l.001-37.416h-15.405v100.777h13.204l1.622-6.717h.347c1.235 2.393 3.088 4.285 5.56 5.675 2.47 1.39 5.213 2.085 8.225 2.085 5.404 0 9.382-2.491 11.931-7.471 2.548-4.982 3.823-12.76 3.823-23.341V64.23c0-7.953-.484-14.17-1.448-18.65\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"e4b1e7a2-a2e7-4615-9493-1c5ffd5b33cb\">\u201cA guy we work with has a contact with Albert Hammond, one of the song\u2019s writers,\u201d Balsamo says. \u201cHe sent it to Albert. We haven\u2019t heard back. But we also haven\u2019t had any contact from any lawyers \u2013 so I think that\u2019s a positive sign!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There were such concerns with the sample of <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/mike-oldfield-and-the-strange-miracle-of-tubular-bells-its-not-telling-a-story-theres-no-concept-of-anything\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/mike-oldfield-and-the-strange-miracle-of-tubular-bells-its-not-telling-a-story-theres-no-concept-of-anything\"><em>Tubular Bells<\/em><\/a> by Reed\u2019s hero <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/mike-oldfield-return-to-ommadawn\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/mike-oldfield-return-to-ommadawn\">Mike Oldfield<\/a>, which is included on a new mix of Chimpan A\u2019s 2006 track <em>The Secret Wish<\/em>, this time featuring Kirstie Roberts on vocals.\u201cBack then we had to write to him and go around the houses to make sure we didn\u2019t get sued, and eventually we got clearance,\u201d says Reed. \u201cThis time I thought, \u2018Let\u2019s try putting Kirstie on the end of the track to take you through the roof.\u2019 I think we got it right.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"2a16bebb-abe1-4f69-8f06-47ee78d79c8d\">\n<blockquote class=\"vanilla-quoteblock\">\n<p>It\u2019s the storytelling when we\u2019re doing the sessions \u2013 I just let Guy Pratt crack on. I\u2019m such a fanboy<\/p><figcaption><cite>Rob Reed<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p id=\"166a1ea1-bf4a-4693-8153-f6a48ab9985a\">Further came with percussion from guest player Ged Lynch (percussionist for Peter Gabriel, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/pink-floyd-70s-concerts\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/pink-floyd-70s-concerts\">David Gilmour<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/brian-eno-songwriting\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/brian-eno-songwriting\">Brian Eno<\/a> et al), bass from <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/guy-pratt-on-tony-levin\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/guy-pratt-on-tony-levin\">Guy Pratt<\/a> (you name \u2019em&#8230;) and Neil Fairclough (<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/bands-artists\/interviews\/queen-adam-lambert-interview-2014\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/bands-artists\/interviews\/queen-adam-lambert-interview-2014\">Queen + Adam Lambert<\/a>) and guitar work from <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/francis-dunnery-retrospective\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/francis-dunnery-retrospective\">Francis Dunnery<\/a> (<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/it-bites-once-around-the-world\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/it-bites-once-around-the-world\">It Bites<\/a>) and Neil Taylor (<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/tears-for-fears-tipping-point\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/tears-for-fears-tipping-point\">Tears For Fears<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>For Reed and Balsamo, there\u2019s an old-fashioned social element to getting old pals involved. \u201cSpending time with Guy Pratt, who\u2019s played on everything \u2013 Dave Gilmour and all the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/50-years-of-pink-floyd-welcome-to-the-machine\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/50-years-of-pink-floyd-welcome-to-the-machine\">Pink Floyd<\/a> stuff \u2013 it\u2019s the storytelling when we\u2019re doing the sessions which I love,\u201d Reed says. I just let him crack on and tell us all the tales. I\u2019m such a fanboy, which is one reason we got Ged Lynch, who played with Gabriel for six or seven years.<\/p>\n<p id=\"5a11b787-e2f2-47bc-9a5e-98b303299e10\">\u201cFrancis Dunnery played an incredible solo, and then with Neil Taylor \u2013 we\u2019re massive Tears For Fears fans \u2013 we went to his house and did the sessions in his kitchen. We played the track and he played the first thing that came into his head. It\u2019s just a lovely vibe. We cast the Chimpan A spell on them; they\u2019re in there for ever now!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Whether or not Chimpan A will turn into more than a labour of love for Reed and Balsamo (and friends) remains to be seen; you sense that they\u2019re not fussed about how much commercial traction it gets. Nonetheless, they\u2019re hoping it\u2019ll become more than just a studio project.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re trying to work out how to make it sound authentic live,\u201d says Balsamo, \u201cIt will work, because we\u2019re old dogs and we know what we\u2019re doing. But next year we\u2019re hoping to take it out on the road, and if we get to support a couple of decent names, that could be good \u2013 just to get people hearing the album. I think once you\u2019re in, you\u2019re in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/amzn.eu\/d\/2keW8WG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-url=\"https:\/\/amzn.eu\/d\/2keW8WG\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\"><em><strong>Music Is Art \u2013 Vol. 1 <\/strong><\/em><\/a><strong>is on sale now. <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.loudersound.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Robert Reed and Steve Balsamo\u2019s progressive electronic duo Chimpan A recently released their long-awaited third album, Music Is Art \u2013 Vol. 1. Featuring original material and some surprising cover versions, the double- length record also includes a host of impressive musical guests. The pair discuss making big-sounding songs, fanboy moments in the studio and their [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2168299,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2168298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Chimpan-A-risked-covering-prog-royalty-on-latest-album.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2168298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2168298"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2168298\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2168300,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2168298\/revisions\/2168300"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2168299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2168298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2168298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2168298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}