Panta Rhei (band)
Encyclopedia
Panta Rhei were a Hungarian
rock band, known for their progressive rock
recordings and adaptations of classical music
, for which they created synthesizers, such as the Muzix81 system. The band name refers to the philosophy of Heraclitus
.
in 1974, consisting of Kálmán Matolcsy who played keyboards and synthesizers, Alex Szalay on guitar, András Szalay on bass and Csaba Béke on drums. They designed and built their own kinds of synthesizers.
Between 1974 and 1982 they played various styles of music ranging from jazz
to progressive rock
. In 1976 Miklós Kiss briefly joined the group, and contributed to a track for the Bartók album. Also in 1976 Enikő Ács joined the band as a vocalist and Csaba Béke returned on drums, contributing to the other tracks of the Bartók album recorded between 1975-1977. However, this album with adaptations of Béla Bartók
's works was never released due to objections by the Bartók family. The recordings were released on the Epilogus 2 CD version twenty years later and are also available on Alex Szalay's website http://www.sdss.jhu.edu/~szalay/music/pantarhei.html.
By 1980 Panta Rhei released their first album titled Panta Rhei, having a sound different from the jazz rock and classical adaptations of the rock days of the band, with a more progressive rock
/ pop rock
crossover sound. By then, Enikő Ács and Csaba Béke had left and were replaced by András Laár on guitar and vocals and András Schmitt on drums. Both Schmitt and Laár remained in Panta Rhei until 1981, assuming drummer Béke would return. In 1982 the band performed their last concert and the band also broke up in 1982, returning to their familiar Symphonic Prog Rock sound.
In 1981 singer and guitarist András Laár would go on to form the Hungarian new wave
and pop rock
band KFT.
After Panta Rhei ended in 1982, in 1983 they continued recording under the banner of "P.R. Computer" and released an album of the same name which sold over 80,000 copies and established their noticeable work. The album was recorded with entirely electronic music, using the latest custom built synthesizers and computers, hence the new name "P.R. Computer". P.R. can be read as progressive rock
or Panta Rhei, P.R. Computer was active up until 1989.
and were known for their classical adaptations of Béla Bartók
's and Edvard Grieg
's works.
Panta Rhei were influenced by progressive rock
bands Emerson, Lake & Palmer
, The Nice
, King Crimson
, and others. ELP influences are blatantly heard in their early works, especially on the unrealeased Bartók album recorded in 1977, as the music is driven by Hammond organ
, drums and bass in the same way ELP presented their music; also synths were a main part of Panta Rhei's music.
and Eastern Europe, whilst the band was mainly amateur they managed to record and release a few material in their entire lifespan.
A compilation CD called Epilógus (English: "Epilogue") of previously unpublished material was released in 1998, featuring three fusion pieces from 1977, the unreleased Bartók recordings in their entirety and a 22 minute prog rock epic, Peer Gynt Suite recorded in 1976 and, ennobled to a must-hear for progressive rock fans, Epilógus features electronic music from 1983 until the latter 80s under the "P.R. Computer" banner. 2002 saw a release of a book about the band that included a CD with a collection of songs recorded 1975-79.
/Astronomy
Professor at Johns Hopkins University
, USA. Panta Rhei's organ virtouso and synthesizer wizard Kálmán Matolcsy died on 12 September 2005, (born c.1953) leaving two sons and a wife behind , (his death has been confirmed as a programme was dedicated to him and the band on Hungarian Radio in October 2005).
Andras Szalay designed http://osdir.com/ml/music.equipment.midi-guitar/2003-11/msg00068.html the very long-lived and well-regarded Shadow SH-075 http://www.shadow-electronics.com/viewpro.html?lang_id=&id=165 MIDI guitar system in 1986-7, still sold to this day.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
rock band, known for their progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
recordings and adaptations of classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, for which they created synthesizers, such as the Muzix81 system. The band name refers to the philosophy of Heraclitus
Heraclitus
Heraclitus of Ephesus was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, a native of the Greek city Ephesus, Ionia, on the coast of Asia Minor. He was of distinguished parentage. Little is known about his early life and education, but he regarded himself as self-taught and a pioneer of wisdom...
.
History
Panta Rhei formed in HungaryHungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
in 1974, consisting of Kálmán Matolcsy who played keyboards and synthesizers, Alex Szalay on guitar, András Szalay on bass and Csaba Béke on drums. They designed and built their own kinds of synthesizers.
Between 1974 and 1982 they played various styles of music ranging from jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
to progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
. In 1976 Miklós Kiss briefly joined the group, and contributed to a track for the Bartók album. Also in 1976 Enikő Ács joined the band as a vocalist and Csaba Béke returned on drums, contributing to the other tracks of the Bartók album recorded between 1975-1977. However, this album with adaptations of Béla Bartók
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
's works was never released due to objections by the Bartók family. The recordings were released on the Epilogus 2 CD version twenty years later and are also available on Alex Szalay's website http://www.sdss.jhu.edu/~szalay/music/pantarhei.html.
By 1980 Panta Rhei released their first album titled Panta Rhei, having a sound different from the jazz rock and classical adaptations of the rock days of the band, with a more progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
/ pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
crossover sound. By then, Enikő Ács and Csaba Béke had left and were replaced by András Laár on guitar and vocals and András Schmitt on drums. Both Schmitt and Laár remained in Panta Rhei until 1981, assuming drummer Béke would return. In 1982 the band performed their last concert and the band also broke up in 1982, returning to their familiar Symphonic Prog Rock sound.
In 1981 singer and guitarist András Laár would go on to form the Hungarian new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
and pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
band KFT.
After Panta Rhei ended in 1982, in 1983 they continued recording under the banner of "P.R. Computer" and released an album of the same name which sold over 80,000 copies and established their noticeable work. The album was recorded with entirely electronic music, using the latest custom built synthesizers and computers, hence the new name "P.R. Computer". P.R. can be read as progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
or Panta Rhei, P.R. Computer was active up until 1989.
Influences
Panta Rhei sold records in Eastern Europe and the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and were known for their classical adaptations of Béla Bartók
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
's and Edvard Grieg
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor, for his incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt , and for his collection of piano miniatures Lyric Pieces.-Biography:Edvard Hagerup Grieg was born in...
's works.
Panta Rhei were influenced by progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
bands Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, also known as ELP, are an English progressive rock supergroup. They found success in the 1970s and sold over forty million albums and headlined large stadium concerts. The band consists of Keith Emerson , Greg Lake and Carl Palmer...
, The Nice
The Nice
The Nice were an English progressive rock band from the 1960s, known for their blend of rock, jazz and classical music. Their debut album, The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack was released in 1967 to immediate acclaim. It is often considered the first progressive rock album...
, King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
, and others. ELP influences are blatantly heard in their early works, especially on the unrealeased Bartók album recorded in 1977, as the music is driven by Hammond organ
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
, drums and bass in the same way ELP presented their music; also synths were a main part of Panta Rhei's music.
Recordings
During their recording career Panta Rhei issued 2 LPs, 6 singles and recordings for film and ballet. Their albums sold over 100,000 copies in HungaryHungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and Eastern Europe, whilst the band was mainly amateur they managed to record and release a few material in their entire lifespan.
A compilation CD called Epilógus (English: "Epilogue") of previously unpublished material was released in 1998, featuring three fusion pieces from 1977, the unreleased Bartók recordings in their entirety and a 22 minute prog rock epic, Peer Gynt Suite recorded in 1976 and, ennobled to a must-hear for progressive rock fans, Epilógus features electronic music from 1983 until the latter 80s under the "P.R. Computer" banner. 2002 saw a release of a book about the band that included a CD with a collection of songs recorded 1975-79.
Members
| Panta Rhei - line up changes 1974-1982 |
|---|
| Kálmán Matolcsy / keyboards (1974–1982) Sándor (Alex) Szalay / guitar (1974–1982) András Szalay / vocals and bass (1974–1982) Csaba Béke / drums (1974–1982) Ács Enikő / vocals (1976–1979) Kegye János / saxophone (1976) Miklós Kiss / drums (1976) Laár András / guitar and vocals (1980–1981) Nagy József / flute (1974–1975) Schmidt András / drums (1980–1981) |
After Panta Rhei
Alex Szalay is now working as a PhysicsPhysics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
/Astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
Professor at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
, USA. Panta Rhei's organ virtouso and synthesizer wizard Kálmán Matolcsy died on 12 September 2005, (born c.1953) leaving two sons and a wife behind , (his death has been confirmed as a programme was dedicated to him and the band on Hungarian Radio in October 2005).
Andras Szalay designed http://osdir.com/ml/music.equipment.midi-guitar/2003-11/msg00068.html the very long-lived and well-regarded Shadow SH-075 http://www.shadow-electronics.com/viewpro.html?lang_id=&id=165 MIDI guitar system in 1986-7, still sold to this day.
Discography
- Bartók (Studio/Live,1977)(Unreleased Album),
- Pop Songs (Misc Recordings 1975-79) (Compilation,1979),
- Panta Rhei (Studio Album,1980),
- PR Computer (Studio Album,1983),
- Epilógus (Compilation,1997),
- Panta Rhei 1975-79 (Compilation,2002).
Unreleased Recordings
Until now Panta Rhei have never released these recording until the official site uploaded the recordings:- Misc Live Recordings (1975-82)
- Film Music (1976-89)
- Demo Recordings (1983)