Beyond Echoes: Diaspar

Whenever I go to concerts in Philadelphia, Echoes listeners there still ask me about resurrecting Diaspar, a now legendary progressive rock show that ran locally on WXPN from about 1974 until 1989. I don't know that Diaspar could ever survive on the air these days with its willful eclecticism and radical, often aggressive mixes of prog-rock, avant-garde jazz, new wave and space music. But it was a show that pushed musical boundaries. From time to time at Echoes On-Line we'll be launching exclusive web-streams of Diaspar music, sometimes as it was heard some 15-30 years ago, sometimes as it might appear if Diaspar had continued to this day. ~John Diliberto

Diaspar 6: Journey to NearFest In this Diaspar stream we salute the spirit of Progressive Rock, and Nearfest, the annual North East Art Rock Festival. This hour-long stream includes tracks from Steve Roach, Present, The Muffins, Le Orme, PFM, Wobbler, Knight Area and Kenso. Enjoy the trip. listen>> playlist>> Read John Diliberto's companion article In the Court of Progressive Rock Diaspar 5: Slingshot Dreams A rollercoaster ride from Tangerine Dream's Ricochet to Banco de Gaia's Last Train to Lhasa, with stops for Richard Pinhas, The Orb, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and more. listen>> playlist>> Diaspar 4: Time Slipping A psychedelic mix of old and new, with Jimi Hendrix, AES Dana, Material, and more. listen>> playlist>> Diaspar 3: Into the Sun An hour of electronica with a heavier beat mixed by John Diliberto. listen>> playlist>> Diaspar 2: Cortical Assault For Diaspar 2: Cortical Assault I created a "Diaspar Now" with current tunes listen>> playlist>> Diaspar 1: In Diaspar One, I've adapted a playlist I used on-air for WXPN's 50th anniversary several years ago. listen>> playlist>> Back to top