Ghosts of Pompeii - ProfilesArchive

About Me

An idea can be expressed without articulating a solitary word.
With a series of brush strokes upon canvas an abstract artist can stir the imagination, leaving us to interpret his or her vision ... or better yet conjure up an interpretation uniquely our own.
The same can be said of music ... instrumental music.
The musician can convey a sense of foreboding, joy, aggression, romance, high adventure, or wonderment within a piece of music. The listener becomes an interactive participant; creating the visuals and directing the action as the soundtrack for this one act play dances from speaker to speaker. With no words to impede the story line the plots are infinite.
With this concept in mind I created Ghosts Of Pompeii as my vehicle for composing.
Ghosts Of Pompeii is an ever-changing work in progress. A tonal experiment in melody, harmony, nature, and rhythm; cross-pollinating and fusing genres to create a distinctive style apart from others in the progressive/art rock field; combining elements of old school prog/rock, jazz-fusion, Industrial mayhem, hypnotic ambience, avant-garde dissonance, aggressive electronics, and orchestral filmscores.
Drawing inspiration from pioneers like YES, E.L.P., King Crimson, and Genesis; obscure artists like Univers Zero, Devil Doll, and Ozric Tentacles; and the power and passion of composer Bernard Herrmann whose filmscores stimulate and challenge the imagination; the music of Ghosts Of Pompeii provides the soundtrack for your dreams and nightmares.
Many titles in the Ghosts Of Pompeii discography are currently available at Big Balloon Music.
http://www.bigballoonmusic.com
Ghosts of Pompeii ReleasesOur Past Is Cast In Stone - 1998 Awaken The Ghosts - 1999 Angels Devils And The Fork In The Road - 1999 Themes From The Secret Cinema - 2000 A Voyage Beyond The Looking Glass - 2000 A Fistful Of Smoke And A Pocketful Of Promises - 2001 In These Quiet Moments After Midnight (The Best Of Vol. 1) - 2001 From The Ashes Of Vesuvius - 2002 Film Clips - 2005 Prophets For Profit & Idle Idols - 2006 It Only Hurts When I Scream - 2007
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My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 4/10/2006
Band Website: geocities.com/ghosts_of_pompeii
Band Members: Joseph Shingler: All Instruments
Influences: Long before I turned on an AM radio and discovered TOP 40 music I was mesmerized by the sweeping filmscores of composer Bernard Herrmann. Much of my childhood was spent in movie theaters, and there is where my love of music developed. I learned how music could manipulate the emotions - get the adrenalin pumping, lift us from our seats, send a shiver up the spine, or bring a tear to the eye. Music had the power to move people. And I wanted that power. In the 60s I immersed myself in the psychedelic music of the era. These Nuggets got me through my teenage years. As the 60s neared the end, Progressive Rock came of age, and with it, the introduction of the Mellotron and the Moog Synthesizer. Prog/Rock combined all my favorite musical elements - incorporating traditional rock sensibilities with psychedelic experimentation, and symphonic filmscore. And the introduction of these amazing keyboard instruments into the rock arsenal made the marriage complete. Mike Pinder and his Mellotron transformed The Moody Blues from a five piece band into a symphony orchestra. And Keith Emerson and his Modular Moog Synthesizer brought the voice of interstellar space into a concert hall. The wheels were set in motion, and I wanted in. My major influences include the Prog Rock Pioneers: Genesis, ELP, Yes, King Crimson, The Moody Blues, Gentle Giant, Happy The Man, The Strawbs, Nektar, Mike Oldfield, Van Der Graaf Generator, Gryphon, Larry Fast/Synergy, Camel, Argent, Roxy Music, Saga, The Enid, Kansas, Iron Butterfly, Spirit, Renaissance, Tomita, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, Ethos, Fireballet, Gong, Hawkwind, Focus, Eloy, Passport, Tangerine Dream, Solaris, Triumvirat, Trace, PFM, Bo Hansson, and Goblin. And the Prog/Rock Revivalists who have come on strong to fortify the gene pool for the new Millennium: Karda Estra, IQ, Marillion, The Flower Kings, Galahad, Porcupine Tree, Devil Doll, Univers Zero, RPWL, Echolyn, Spocks Beard, Pallas, Arena, It Bites, Ozric Tentacles, Anglard, Symphony X, Dream Theater, Edhels, Kenso, Mastermind, Pendragon, Egdon Heath and many, many others which have temporarily escaped my mind.
Sounds Like: Progressive Rock/Instrumental Progressive Filmscore
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Record Label: Independent
Type of Label: None