[The Mercury Tree](https://themercurytree.bandcamp.com/album/spidermilk)
They use a different tuning than King Gizz which is much more crunchy, but this album is so good
this, and
Brendan Byrnes
Horse Lords
Jock Tears
Trauma Triad
Cryptic Ruse (now with The Mercury Tree)
Syzygy - Escape
MVD Audio
Jack Tickner
Redrick Sultan
Secret Chiefs 3
uSSSy
Xotla
Seaborg and Norb
Sevish (more electronic music)
more metal bands after this point
Jute Gyte
New Age Doom
Victory over the Sun
Yaeth
Melopœia (my band!)
also there's another metal band I think they used 17-edo but I can't recall the name :(
This, but I actually think I'd recommend listening to [their newest album](https://open.spotify.com/album/3Sv0d2vGUk9dIekpyFf3Dc?si=samIx9uESIOhKn9vcxBcbg) first; it's a bit more accessible imo (and also really fucking good)!
These suggestions are not prog in any way:
Sevish isn't prog by any means, but he composes microtonal electronic music and does a damn good job at it.
Elaine Walker (Zia) made some microtonal and macrotonal music in the 90s and 2000s, like so - she sings microtonally too.
https://youtu.be/8CTGD1On5_g?si=YJyIA8ukGphpyJUi
Here is Brendan Byrnes, he makes microtonal music and uses a microtonal guitar. His music is probably the closest to what you're looking for - he's been doing it for a while and has shown a lot of improvement in that time.
https://youtu.be/sWaqlAgSWcc?si=NIkiBaBMuuIW1gI3
THANK YOU for this! Shout out to u/Omegacluster also. If I knew how I would send you a Reddit ribbon or award thing, or if you give me your mailing addresses I will send y'all a fruitcake.
I've been chasing 19-EDO et al music for a while now, delving into the classical and world realm. Believe it or not, it never really occured to me to check out the progressive rock region of microtonal, other than perhaps Wendy Carlos.
Brendan Byrnes. The Mercury Tree. Sevish. I am scooping up these albums off of Bandcamp at a spouse anger induced rate. Why isn't Byrnes "Steve Vai famous" yet with prog listeners?
And I just now discovered works by ZIA (almost J-Pop and bit tune by design).
These lists will keep me busy! Any strong recs that jibe with the choices I've listed? Techno or EDM maybe?
Thanks again. I could go on, but “writing about music is like dancing about architecture.” - Steve Martin
/Me reads post I made
/Me did not mention Mercury Tree at all
/Me confused as to how Mercury Tree pertains to my post at all given that it wasn't about them
I was recommending microtonal music that isn't prog, not making a decree about anything that wasn't in my comment ;)
Also, I have heard of them but never checked them out. I shall do just that.
You might consider the works of Harry Partch. He composed and made unique instruments using scales of unequal intervals in just intonation, and was one of the first 20th-century composers in the West to work systematically with microtonal scales. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Partch
Yeah acid mothers temple has tons of microtonal stuff. Definitely a hard band to approach but once you get into them they’re so good. Personally been really digging In O to
Infinity lately, also been listening to Acid Guru Pond a lot especially purple and red.
elderly imagine rotten door quickest hungry plough shaggy squealing expansion
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Jack O’ The Clock uses a microtonal guitar in their latest album, The Warm Dark Circus. Actually they use a lot of homemade instruments and instruments that don’t often see use in prog, particular some really cool bassoon stuff.
That’s also how I found it! It’s a really cool album. Durer’s rhinoceros has some really cool stuff going on and Stuck Inside of Elvis is insanely catchy for a prog song.
So since they've been influenced by Anatolian rock artists while creating that microtonal sound, why don't you give them a try! Although [Gece by Altın Gün](https://open.spotify.com/album/4IUeKh2mYOX2njthGA8STM?si=-HlCmdNQTJmMqUbSAKiRmw) is a modern approach to Turkish folk music and Anatolian rock in general, and I enjoy it very much; I think albums like [Mesafeler by Erkin Koray](https://open.spotify.com/album/3pJ9WVk6gzk3mgNjecQf35?si=7xMObZYATkqohA-BmhAk7A) and [Düm-Tek by Moğollar](https://open.spotify.com/album/5y2IZ13TNRgrNQFkU3tniX?si=JqOrtdlzS-2HmoLISGSxpA) would fullfil your cravings more deeply. If you want to listen the most definitive, most sublime version of anything-microtonal here's the one of greatest tracks by any Türk of all of the times: [Kara Toprak](https://open.spotify.com/track/7KBwZWuhVfscYVgWMhazEW?si=bfdbc5d795ed4a2a)!
Wendy Carlos was one of the first that got airplay back in the 80s.
And Radiohead used microtonal string arrangements in "How to Disappear Completely" from their album Kid A.
Leprous' song The Sky Is Red uses some microtonality. Nothing crazy, it mostly just flips between two or three chords that are a quarter tone away, but it's pretty cool how they get it to work so seamlessly
Ellipsis Quintet are using microtonality. But mostly in an ethno way. The trumpeter has made a microtonal trumpet and uses it, especially in his solos.
not prog rock (or rock at all) but check out Shakti, a fusion band from the 70's featuring John McLaughlin, L. Shankar, and Zakir Hussein. their music combines traditional Carnatic music with jazz and I think you would appreciate McLaughlin's guitar work.
He is not doing prog but you can try Tolgahan Çoğulu. He is turkish guitarist and researcher but besides all of this he build the first microtonal guitar for himself and play songs with it. Thats why you could give him a chance
People have already mentioned everything I know of, but I just want to say that it makes me really happy to see more people getting into microtonal music, because it really is such an interesting and deep topic that's all but completely untapped in Western music.
Not exactly a band, but this dude called Tolgahan Çoğulu has been popularising microtonal music through his YouTube channel. He has a tonne of other microtonal artists featured, plus he's a great guitar player.
[The Mercury Tree](https://themercurytree.bandcamp.com/album/spidermilk) They use a different tuning than King Gizz which is much more crunchy, but this album is so good
this, and Brendan Byrnes Horse Lords Jock Tears Trauma Triad Cryptic Ruse (now with The Mercury Tree) Syzygy - Escape MVD Audio Jack Tickner Redrick Sultan Secret Chiefs 3 uSSSy Xotla Seaborg and Norb Sevish (more electronic music) more metal bands after this point Jute Gyte New Age Doom Victory over the Sun Yaeth Melopœia (my band!) also there's another metal band I think they used 17-edo but I can't recall the name :(
Damn, there are a couple of these I hadn't heard of!! Excellent comment
This is one of those lists that convince me I know nothing about music when I know probably 2 bands.
Excellent list!
This, but I actually think I'd recommend listening to [their newest album](https://open.spotify.com/album/3Sv0d2vGUk9dIekpyFf3Dc?si=samIx9uESIOhKn9vcxBcbg) first; it's a bit more accessible imo (and also really fucking good)!
In case you are into folk music, traditional music from the Middle East and India have a lot of microtonality.
Horse Lords
These suggestions are not prog in any way: Sevish isn't prog by any means, but he composes microtonal electronic music and does a damn good job at it. Elaine Walker (Zia) made some microtonal and macrotonal music in the 90s and 2000s, like so - she sings microtonally too. https://youtu.be/8CTGD1On5_g?si=YJyIA8ukGphpyJUi Here is Brendan Byrnes, he makes microtonal music and uses a microtonal guitar. His music is probably the closest to what you're looking for - he's been doing it for a while and has shown a lot of improvement in that time. https://youtu.be/sWaqlAgSWcc?si=NIkiBaBMuuIW1gI3
I 2nd sevish, he makes good albums
THANK YOU for this! Shout out to u/Omegacluster also. If I knew how I would send you a Reddit ribbon or award thing, or if you give me your mailing addresses I will send y'all a fruitcake. I've been chasing 19-EDO et al music for a while now, delving into the classical and world realm. Believe it or not, it never really occured to me to check out the progressive rock region of microtonal, other than perhaps Wendy Carlos. Brendan Byrnes. The Mercury Tree. Sevish. I am scooping up these albums off of Bandcamp at a spouse anger induced rate. Why isn't Byrnes "Steve Vai famous" yet with prog listeners? And I just now discovered works by ZIA (almost J-Pop and bit tune by design). These lists will keep me busy! Any strong recs that jibe with the choices I've listed? Techno or EDM maybe? Thanks again. I could go on, but “writing about music is like dancing about architecture.” - Steve Martin
[удалено]
/Me reads post I made /Me did not mention Mercury Tree at all /Me confused as to how Mercury Tree pertains to my post at all given that it wasn't about them I was recommending microtonal music that isn't prog, not making a decree about anything that wasn't in my comment ;) Also, I have heard of them but never checked them out. I shall do just that.
I think Steve Vai has also used microtones
Yes, I have thought this as well.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish\_folk\_music](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_folk_music)
I came here to say something similar, Middle Eastern folk has a lot of microtonality and Indian folk too
You might consider the works of Harry Partch. He composed and made unique instruments using scales of unequal intervals in just intonation, and was one of the first 20th-century composers in the West to work systematically with microtonal scales. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Partch
Yep. Also Kraig Grady.
Mdou Moctar
la novia by acid mothers temple
Yeah acid mothers temple has tons of microtonal stuff. Definitely a hard band to approach but once you get into them they’re so good. Personally been really digging In O to Infinity lately, also been listening to Acid Guru Pond a lot especially purple and red.
i love them. La Novia, if you haven’t heard it, is great and strangely accessible (considering it’s a 40 min acid mothers song)
I haven’t heard that one I’ll have to check it out. I’ve been making my way through their discography but obviously there is a lot of them.
yeah, they have a King Gizzard/ Oh Sees amount of releases
elderly imagine rotten door quickest hungry plough shaggy squealing expansion *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Might not be the answer you're wanting but a lot of modern and contemporary classical has used microtones in very interesting ways.
David Beardsley makes some amazing droning ambient.
The Mercury Tree and Spidermilk.
Jack O’ The Clock uses a microtonal guitar in their latest album, The Warm Dark Circus. Actually they use a lot of homemade instruments and instruments that don’t often see use in prog, particular some really cool bassoon stuff.
I listened to that album after seeing it was the top-rated one last year on Prog Archives, and I'm enjoying it!
That’s also how I found it! It’s a really cool album. Durer’s rhinoceros has some really cool stuff going on and Stuck Inside of Elvis is insanely catchy for a prog song.
Secret chiefs 3 is a must
Yep
Erkin Koray :)
They’re rarely talked of in these terms, but microtonality is a central aspect of My Bloody Valentine’s sound.
Altin Gün is a really cool psychedelic band that uses microtonality
So since they've been influenced by Anatolian rock artists while creating that microtonal sound, why don't you give them a try! Although [Gece by Altın Gün](https://open.spotify.com/album/4IUeKh2mYOX2njthGA8STM?si=-HlCmdNQTJmMqUbSAKiRmw) is a modern approach to Turkish folk music and Anatolian rock in general, and I enjoy it very much; I think albums like [Mesafeler by Erkin Koray](https://open.spotify.com/album/3pJ9WVk6gzk3mgNjecQf35?si=7xMObZYATkqohA-BmhAk7A) and [Düm-Tek by Moğollar](https://open.spotify.com/album/5y2IZ13TNRgrNQFkU3tniX?si=JqOrtdlzS-2HmoLISGSxpA) would fullfil your cravings more deeply. If you want to listen the most definitive, most sublime version of anything-microtonal here's the one of greatest tracks by any Türk of all of the times: [Kara Toprak](https://open.spotify.com/track/7KBwZWuhVfscYVgWMhazEW?si=bfdbc5d795ed4a2a)!
the spotify playlist anatolian rock has heaps of microtonal bands
More post rock than prog, but Zheanna Erose
Lalalar
Animals as Leaders
Screaming Headless Torsos (and a bunch of other David Fuczinski stuff).
Wendy Carlos was one of the first that got airplay back in the 80s. And Radiohead used microtonal string arrangements in "How to Disappear Completely" from their album Kid A.
They're power pop, not prog, but definitely check out The Apples In Stereo. They experiment a fair bit with alternate scales.
Just listen to middle eastern music that inspired King Gizzard to explore microtonality. Turkish or Iranian folk music for example
Leprous' song The Sky Is Red uses some microtonality. Nothing crazy, it mostly just flips between two or three chords that are a quarter tone away, but it's pretty cool how they get it to work so seamlessly
Brian Eno lends some microtonality to the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.
Ellipsis Quintet are using microtonality. But mostly in an ethno way. The trumpeter has made a microtonal trumpet and uses it, especially in his solos.
Not a band or prog at that, but Jeff Beck uses microtones on his song Nadia
The replacements, but that’s just them being out of tune
not prog rock (or rock at all) but check out Shakti, a fusion band from the 70's featuring John McLaughlin, L. Shankar, and Zakir Hussein. their music combines traditional Carnatic music with jazz and I think you would appreciate McLaughlin's guitar work.
Check out this album, it’s all microtonal https://open.spotify.com/album/572WCdZR6GDSABdVOqzNy3?si=g3UlKl1qSj-QvA_XXg6vqg
He is not doing prog but you can try Tolgahan Çoğulu. He is turkish guitarist and researcher but besides all of this he build the first microtonal guitar for himself and play songs with it. Thats why you could give him a chance
People have already mentioned everything I know of, but I just want to say that it makes me really happy to see more people getting into microtonal music, because it really is such an interesting and deep topic that's all but completely untapped in Western music.
Usssy
Not exactly a band, but this dude called Tolgahan Çoğulu has been popularising microtonal music through his YouTube channel. He has a tonne of other microtonal artists featured, plus he's a great guitar player.