• Maurice Dam

    The one responsible for maintaining this web-site is MAURICE DAM.
    1970 was a good year. Not only did Genesis release their classic Trespass album and Yes their Yes Album, but I was born as well. At the tender age of 3 years young, I was banging my head to the sounds of the Sweet and Mud, it was quite apparent that music was to make up a large part of my life. I grew up in an environment were music was always around me, the sounds of Steppenwolf or the Doors still buzz in my ears now and then. Developing an own musical taste I discovered Gary Moore, Thin Lizzy and U.F.O., the more melodic side of heavy rock enabling me to develop my air-guitar style. Then a disc with the apt title “Script for a jester’s tear” was released, this was to be my first introduction to progressive music and collecting oddities.
    A friend guided me into the wonderful world of neo-progressive rock and soon the likes of Pallas, Pendragon and IQ were added to my tastes with the more obscure acts in tow along the way. I soon wanted to find out more about the origins of progressive rock and dug into its history. First with the most obvious bands, Yes and Genesis. But soon found out there was more to be discovered. Obscure and forgotten acts from all over the world found their way into my collection (thanks to many aspiring re-issue labels) like the wonderful Garden Shed album by England or Mirthrandir’s lone album. I always kept track of the new and current discoveries and some of the highlights of the nineties for me were Iluvatar, White Willow and Anglegard to name but a few. The Italian school also has a special place in my heart and Le Orme’s stunning live set at Progfest 1996 is one of my most cherished memories. I have travelled all over the world to see favorite bands play live and struck up many cherished friendships. One of the things I loved doing most was running the Dutch IQ fan club and also my involvement in Background, a progressive magazine. This helped to introduce me to a lot of new music. Most currently I have been discovering more singer songwriter based music, trip-hop (Hooverphonic, Portishead) and Post Rock (Godspeed you black emperor!, Tarentel, Sigur Ros). Now where’s my Frans Bauer album…..

    Top 2023:
    1. I Spy - While The War Began (Top Hole Records)
    2. Giant Sky - Giant Sky II (Imaginary Friend Records)
    3. Lumsk - Fremmede Toner (Dark Essence Records/Karisma Records)
    4. Jordsjø - Salighet (Karisma Records)
    5. Sanderson, Dominic - Impermanence (eigen beheer)
    6. Moon Safari - Himlabacken Vol. 2 (Blomljud Records)
    7. K’Mono - Mind Out Of Mind (eigen beheer)
    8. Karnataka - Requim For A Dream (Immrama Records)
    9. Southern Empire - Another World (Giant Electric Pea)
    10. Orlando, Andrea - La Scienza delle Stagioni (eigen beheer)

    Top 2022:
    1. Solstice - Light Up (GEP)
    2. Marillion - An Hour Before It’s Dark (EarMUSIC)
    3. Bainbridge, Dave - To The Far Away (Open Sky)
    4. Dim Gray – Firmament (English Electric Recordings)
    5. Romano Land, Riccardo - Spectrum (Ma.Ra.Cash)
    6. Kilbey Kennedy – The Strange Life Of Persephone Nimbus (eigen beheer)
    7. Kite Parade – The Way Home (White Knight)
    8. Oak – The Quiet Rebellion Of Compromise (Karisma)
    9. Ferguson, Ali – The Contemplative Power Of Water (Little Blue Room)
    10. Arena – The Theory Of Molecular Inheritance (Verglas Music)

    Top 2021:
    1. Lifesigns - Altitude (eigen beheer)
    2. Smalltape - The Hungry Heart (eigen beheer)
    3. Elisa Montado - Fistful Of Planets Part II (eigen beheer)
    4. Ghost Echo – Isolated Dreams (eigen beheer)
    5. Legacy Pilots – The Penrose Triangle (eigen beheer)
    6. Kings Of The Valley - Kings Of The Valley (Stickman Records)
    7. MEER - Playing House (Karisma Records)
    8. Giant Sky - Giant Sky (Glassville Records)
    9. Glass Kites – Glass Kites II (eigen beheer)
    10. Finally George - Icy Skies (N.N.K. Records)

    Top 2020:
    1. Solstice - Sia (Giant Electric Pea, 2020)
    2. Pencarrow - Growth In The Absence Of Light (eigen beheer, 2020)
    3. Rubber Tea - Infusion (Sireena Records, 2020)
    4. Kelly's Marathon, Mark - Mark Kelly's Marathon"(earMusic, 2020)
    5. Windom End – Perspective Views (FREIA Music (LP) / Belle Antique (2-CD), 2020)
    6. Drowning Steps - The Echo Of A Distant Past (eigen beheer, 2020)
    7. Dim Gray – Flown (eigen beheer, 2020)
    8. Chimpan A - The Empathy Machine (Tigermoth Records, 2020)
    9. Lunar Clock – The Scream Of Nature (eigen beheer, 2020)
    10. M-Opus – Origins (eigen beheer, 2020)

    Top 2019:
    1. Tiago Barbosa – Half Full (Hitherto Unknown Records)
    2. Chasing The Monsoon – No Ordinary World (Immrama Records)
    3. Big Big Train – Grand Tour ( English Electric Recordings)
    4. Moon Halo – Chroma (eigen beheer)
    5. Lucy In Blue – In Flight (Karisma Records)
    6. Fervent Mind – Tranquilize (Karisma Records)
    7. Frank Wyatt & Friends – Zeitgeist (eigen beheer)
    8. Huis – Abandoned (Unicorn Digital)
    9. Rhys Marsh – October After All (Karisma Records)
    10. Moon Letters – Until They Feel The Sun (eigen beheer)

    Top 2018:
    1. Romano Land, Riccardo – B614 (Ma.Ra.Cash Records)
    2. Mystery – Lies And Butterflies (Unicorn Digital)
    3. RanestRane – A Space Odyssey (Final Part Starchild) (Ma.Ra.Cash Records)
    4. Riversea – The Tide (eigen beheer)
    5. Pymlico – Nightscape (Apollon Records: PROG)
    6. Dilemma – Random Acts Of Liberation (Butler Records)
    7. Syndone – Mysoginia (Ma.Ra.Cash Records)
    8. Kayak – Seventeen (InsideOut / Sony Music)
    9. Stolt's The Flower King, Roine – Manifesto Of An Alchemist (InsideOut / Sony Music)
    10. Sea Within, The – The Sea Within (InsideOut / Sony Music)

    Top 2017:
    1. Anubis – The Second Hand (eigen beheer)
    2. Barock Project – Detachment (Artalia)
    3. Soup – Remedies (Crispin Glover Records)
    4. Brother Ape – Karma (Freia)
    5. Riis, Bjørn – Forever Comes To An End (Karisma Records)
    6. Sky Architect – Nomad (Freia)
    7. Isildurs Bane & Steve Hogarth – Colours Not Found In Nature (Ataraxia)
    8. White Willow – Future Hopes (The Laster’s Edge)
    9. Tiger Moth Tales – Depths Of Winter (White Knight Records)
    10. Lifesigns – Cardington (Eigen Beheer)

    Top 2016:
    1. Marillion - F.E.A.R. (Fuck Everyone And Run) (Intact)
    2. Jonas Lindberg & The Other Side – Pathfinder (ModeMusic)
    3. Big Big Train - Folklore (English Electric / GEP)
    4. Huis - Neither In Heaven (Unicorn Digital)
    5. Kansas – The Prelude Implicit (InsideOut)
    6. Miranda Lee Richards – Echoes Of The Dreamtime (Invisible Hands Music)
    7. Moulettes – Preternatural (C.R.A.F.T Pop Records)
    8. Verbal Delerium – The Imprisoned Words Of Fear (Bad Elephant Music)
    9. Iamthemorning - Lighthouse (Kscope)
    10. holon - The Time Is Always Now (Autumnsongs Records)

    Top 2015:
    1. Dave Kerzner - New World (eigen beheer)
    2. Ranestrane - A Space Odyssey Part Two - H.A.L. (Ma.Ra.Cash Records)
    3. Lucy Ward – I Dreamt I Was A Bird... (Betty Beetroot Records)
    4. Steven Wilson – Hand. Cannot. Erase (Kscope)
    5. The Black Codex – The Black Codex (FREIA Music)
    6. David Gilmour - Rattle That Lock (Columbia)
    7. Teleharmonium - The Mother Generator (eigen beheer)
    8. Anekdoten - Until All The Ghosts Are Gone (Virtality)
    9. Tom McRae & The Standing Band – Did I Sleep And Miss The Border (Buzzard Tree Records)
    10. Gretchen Peters – Blackbirds (Proper)

    Top 2014
    1. IQ – The Road Of Bones (Giant Electric Pea)
    2. Opeth – Pale Communion (Roadrunner Records)
    3. Anathema – Distant Satellites (Kscope)
    4. Pink Floyd – The Endless River (Parlophone)
    5. Steve Rothery – The Ghost of Pripyat (eigen beheer)
    6. The Black Codex (eigen beheer / deels al verschenen en deels later dit jaar op CD via Freia)
    7. Dave Bainbridge – Celestial Fire (Open Sky)
    8. Latte E Miele – Van Passio Secundum Matthæum - The Complete Work (Black Widow Records)
    9. Iluvatar – The Silence (10T Records)
    10. Moulettes – Constellations (Navigator Records)

    Top 2013:
    1. Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused To Sing And Other Stories (Kscope)
    2. Big Big Train - English Electric: Full Power (eigen beheer)
    3. Daniel Versteegh - Metanoia (Shepherd Song)
    4. Lucy Ward - Single Flame (Navogator)
    5. Silje Leirvik – Endless Serenade (Autumnsongs / Burning Shed)
    6. The Opium Cartel – Ardor (Termo Records)
    7. Daisy Chapman – Shameless Winter (Songs & Whispers / Cargo)
    8. Sound of Contact – Dimensionaut (InsideOut Records)
    9. Jonathan Wilson – Fanfare (Bella Union)
    10. Solstice – Prophecy (Esoteric Antenna)

    Top 2012:
    1. The Enid - “Invicta” (Operation Seraphim, 2012)
    2. Big Big Train - English Electric pt.1
    3. Marillion - "Sounds That Can't Be Made" (Intact / EAR Music / Edel, 2012)
    4. Anathema - "Weather Systems" (Kscope, 2012)
    5. Mystery - "The World Is A Game" (Unicorn, 2012)
    6. Tom Brislin – Hurry and up smell the roses (Eigen Beheer, 2012)
    7. I and Thou - “Speak” (eigen beheer, 2012)
    8. Astra - “The Black Chord” (Metal Blade, 2012)
    9. Storm Corrosion - Storm Corrosion (Roadrunner, 2012)
    10. The Gathering - Disclosure (Eigen Beheer, 2012)
    (11.) Anglagard - Viljars ôga (eigen beheer, 2012) (was 10 maar 1punt aftrek !)

    Top 2011:
    1. White Willow – Terminal Twilight (The Laser's Edge / Termo Records)
    2. Discipline - To Shatter All Accord (Strung Out Records)
    3. Yes – Fly From Here (Frontiers)
    4. Comedy of Errors – Disobey (eigen beheer)
    5. Pallas - XXV (Eigen Beheer)
    6. Journey - Eclipse (Frontiers)
    7. DeeExpus - The King Of Number 33 (Racket Records)
    8. Steve Hackett – Beyond The Shrouded Horizon (Wolftone)
    9. Anubis - A Tower Of Silence (eigen beheer)
    10. Iona – Another Realm (Open Sky)

    Maurice's all-time Concert Highlights:
    1. Nearfest 2000 - Happy The Man’s return
    1st Marillion Weekend at Port Zelande
    2. Progscape 1995, Progfest 1996
    Loreley Festival 1987 (my first Marillion concert)
    3. IQ – London Marquee 1995
    Marillion – Brave at Paradiso 1994
    Camel – Enshede 1992
    David Sylvian – Amsterdam 1995
    4. Sigur Ros – Amsterdam 2001
    Anekdoten – Brussels 1996 (in an old carpet shop)
    Steve Hogarth – Amsterdam 1997
    Porcupine Tree – Den Bosch 1995
    5. Quasar – Amsterdam 1989
    Spock’s Beard – Hengelo 1999
    Iona - Somewhere in Germany 1998