Old de Composer REACTS to PORCUPINE TREE DARK MATTER | A Composer POV 

You've just had a heavy session of electro-shock therapy and you're more relaxed than you've been in weeks. All those childhood traumas magically wiped away, along with most of your personality.

Riverside. This band needs to be talked about more often. Highly rocommended.

Porcupine Tree: Anesthetize Opeth: Harlequin Forest Tool: The Grudge, Disposition/Reflection/Triad

You should definetely listen to Steven Wilson's "Drive Home".

Please try Porcupine Tree's song "The Start of Something Beautiful." Studio version - and just close your eyes from the 4.45 mark til the 6.35 mark.

You'll probably also appreciate the fact that Steven Wilson (singer, guitarist, sometimes keyboardist, and general driving force behind PT) has also done the 5.1 surround mixes for a number of classic albums from groups like King Crimson, Roxy Music, Jethro Tull, Yes, XTC, Tears for Fears, etc. Safe to say he knows his way around a studio. :)

Steven Wilson (singer/guitarist of Porcupine Tree) has a song called "Routine" that you need to hear. It brings me to tears every time 😭

Do Anesthetized live. You will be floored.

The trouble with recommending Porcupine Tree songs is that when you start trying to pick even a handful of "these are the best ones", you end up with a recommendation list which can be summarised as "almost all of them". So these are just the ones that speak loudest to me: Fear of a Blank Planet, from the album of the same name, which also has Anesthetize. Fear of a Blank Planet is my single favourite song of Porcupine Tree's Don't Hate Me and A Smart Kid from Stupid Dream. (And basically everything else on that album.) Radioactive Toy from On The Sunday Of Life. (Which is much more surreal in general. Linton Samuel Dawson, for instance, is a paean to LSD...) Four Chords That Made A Million and Hatesong from Lightbulb Sun Time Flies and Octane Twisted from The Incident

Hey dude. Great band and a significant step closer to Opeth ;)

Lots of porcupine tree to love : arriving somewhere (but not here), sound of muzak, Even less Anesthetise The start of something beautiful Plus many many more. You then have Steven Wilson’s solo work. With one foot in the Tool rabbit hole and another in the Porcupine Tree/Steven Wilson one, you may never escape.

Glad to hear that you plan on getting around to Anesthetize, and yes, the Tilburg live version is the way to go. Don't expect the same thing you heard here, though. Porcupine Tree was a band that was definitely progressive in the sense that they always grew and changed from one release to the next, so by the time Fear of a Blank Planet came out, the feel was quite different, while still definitely being Porcupine Tree somehow. One of the big differences was the addition of Gavin Harrison, who replaced Chris Maitland, the drummer on this track. Nothing bad to say about Chris, but Gavin is an absolute beast, incredibly technical, while still remaining tasteful in terms of what is best for the song.

Patiently waiting for Tool Wings for Marie part 1/2

I will forever love Porcupine Tree. You need to see the live performance of this song :D

Richard Barbieri the keyboard soundscape wizard.

Great reaction, and great random choice! This song is often overlooked when people recommend Porcupine Tree, but I couldn't have chosen better. I hope you delve in more of there songs, since this band is one of the greatest under the radar progbands ever imo. When you do Anesthetize you might be more amazed by their individual skill(their drummer is at least as good as Danny Carey), but this song represents the atmospheric music PT grew to be big with.

Ussually don't reccomend reactions to live versions, but rest assured Anesthetize Live in TIlburg is the correct version to react to. Better than the studio version.

One of the most criminally undermined and underrated bands in progressive music today.

Oh and once you do Anesthetize, go for the one live in Tilburg. I was there.

Fun fact: Keyboards/synths/electronics on this album (minus some organs, pianos, and mellotron, which were WIlson) were done by Richard Barbieri, of the band Japan, which you might be familiar with. The vocals, guitar, songwriting, and much of the production is done by Steven Wilson, who is sort of the creative visionary behind the band. Their first three albums were basically just solo projects by him. He has more recently done remasters of the discographies of groups like Yes, Genesis, and King Crimson, since he's considered one of the foremost British producers in the prog sphere. He's also done production work with Opeth and has been involved with side projects like Blackfield, as well as his own solo career with some spectacular albums like _Hand. Cannot. Erase_ , _The Raven that Revused to Sing_ and a new album coming out soon called _The Future Bites_ which has a few songs released as singles so far ("Personal Shopper," with a guest spot from Elton John, "Eminent Sleaze," and "King Ghost")

Man that was really a great song. I definitely was getting the Level 42 "Something About You" vibe but in a slower tempo. Also had vibes from the old true prog rock era of Genesis. Keep 'em coming brother!

loving your content man, just please keep going! we appreciate your insights and especially your "virgin" reactions, they really show a lot.

"Ambient hug" great term , Richard does that so well

What an amazing random pick. The musical gods must have been guiding your hand. Believe it or not this is the first time i listened to this song on head phones and i bought the CD when it was first released. Wilson is a master.

Anesthetize LIVE

Please never stop posting! You are an inspiration! _/\_

Impeccably engineered, inventive in the syncopation, really well thought out music. I always think of Peter Gabriel a bit hearing this vocal. Thanks for hitting this one!

Steven Wilson solo & PT collective are a phenomenal rabbit hole of musical genius to fall in to... enjoy the journey!

Enjoy your perspective a lot!! Steven Wilson of PT has actually remixed and remastered several Yes albums, as well as King Crimson and many others, so the prog influences run deep with this one.

This is going to be so good... Happy journey

This groove in 7 is one of my favorites of any band/song. Loved it for years, and there are great ways to layer it like this song has done. 👍🏼

The first time I heard Dark Matter I remember that I felt a knot in my throat after listening the final solo. Steven Wilson has that "musical touch" that always makes me feel that way. Even their solo material... Hand.Cannot.Erase is a MASTERPIECE

One of my favorite songs of all time. Enjoyed your reaction! Thanks!

probably my favorite song by this band and I don't say that with ease, there are too many good songs to choose from but this one is special to me. I'm really glad you happened to pick this one as your intro to these dudes.

Pls do more porcupine tree!! Some lesser known songs that completely blow my mind : What happens now?, Four chords that made a million, nil recurring .

My fave song song by theirs. Just before I went to go sleep this randomly popped up. Can’t describe what it felt like listening to this for the first time. Thanks for your amazing input!

Man, I miss this band! Really wish Steven Wilson would revisit the idea of making more PT

Love it! Steven Wilson is one of my favorite songwriters/music composers alive right now. He's a musical genius!

Can't go wrong with PT. Some of the best arranged and produced music you'll hear. The entire In Absentia, Fear of a Blank Planet, and Deadwing albums are stellar with multiple masterpiece songs on each.

YES YES YES INTO THE PT HOLE WITH YOU! Start Of Something Beautiful for me, if I get to choose. :)

The live version of this track from the Tilburg concert is absolutely fantastic. Gavin's drumming adds a lot to the feel, IMO. One of the things I love about this track being in 7 is how the snare falls on 3 and 6-and. You end up with the snare hits evenly spaced in the measure, even though one falls on an up-beat.

Stop apologizing...keep doing what you are doing...there is a reason we are watching what you are recording...we value your expertise and opinion... :) Love the breakdowns!

I really enjoy your reactions!

I just discovered you channel, and I must say it's awesome!!!!, keep up with you amazing reactions, I wish you the best of luck!

First time hearing this song, wow so 70s influenced! Really intriguing track and great analysis of it

Massive props for the nod to Level 42 :D

Love you dude. You rule. ❤

Your analysis at 11:50 is fascinating !!! I wonder how much of your interpretation is what the band was actually trying to convey. I went back and listened to the section you were talking about and could definitely pick up what you were saying. I understand exactly what you mean by wishing you were just one of us listening to music instead of decomposition. Hopefully you can turn it off and on when you want. GREAT reaction!! Your channel is now my absolute favorite. It gives me a whole new perspective on great music now. Thanks !!

Awesome reaction! You are spot on regarding those chord changes @11:53. PT and Steven Wilson are masters at invoking feelings into their music. PT is one of my favorite bands. Steve Wilson's solo stuff is fantastic as well.

When are you going to do the Steven Wilson deep dive and take on Luminol and The Holy Drinker? You'll really dig Luminol

A perfect circle. First 2 albums.

I want to thank you for what you're doing. You're an absolute godsend and I am completely addicted to your reaction videos. You're covering, for the most part, my favorite subgenre of Prog rock and Prog Metal which is the worlds biggest secret! Tool, Opeth, Meshuggah, and Porcupine Tree are my fav bands of all time. You couldn't have a better first song with Porcupine Tree in Dark Matter. Sometimes i succumb to emotion when I listen to that guitar solo at the end. I would implore you to add another band to your videos. The band is called Riverside and they hail from Poland. You will never hear more meter changes than with Riverside. Again I want to thank you. You have helped me listen to my favorite bands in a whole new way. You should teach a course entitled, The Language of Music:)

It is a deep rabbit hole you have discovered with PT/SW. This was a great review. Completely different from any other one I've heard. 👍

Believe me, Anesthetize Live in Tilburg won’t feel like a 17 minute song!

I agree with Jason here. Opeth would be a great band to look into. Maybe their Ghost Reveries or Pale Communion album. Enjoying the content while I work on CAD.

If you didnt reasearch already: Steven Wilson is an all around musician, he's the composer, singer, guitar (sometimes keyboard and bass) player, and the producer of his music along of other bands like Opeth and side projects like blackfield. There are dozens of good songs to choose from him eather in Porcupine Tree or his solo carrer, and i'm sure you will enjoy most of them for their composition. I would try 'Home invasion/Regret#9', 'Don't hate me' or 'waiting part 1&2' to name a few, the list is too long.

If no one's said this to you yet, here goes. Thank you! Thank you for sharing your reactions with us. It's refreshing to be hearing reactions from someone focused on whats going on with the music creatively and not about the video setting or what crazy outfit the singers wearing. Not sure if you're looking for suggestions, but Textures 'Sanguine Draws the Oath' & Blotted Science 'Synaptic Plasticity' are a couple fun ones I would recommend. Looking forward to future reactions from you!

I can’t be the only person wanting The Mars Volta! They’re a Latin/experimental/prog rock band. I’d love to hear you talk about their stuff. A good starting point would be “Cygnus....Vismund Cygnus.” The ultimate would be the 30 minute “Cassandra Gemini”

Yeesss! Porcupine Tree! Have fun, they're such a cool band. :)

Thank you for your videos, watching all of them! The keyboardist here (synths and soo many different effects changing during the song) is Richard Barbieri, originally from band "Japan" with Mick Karn. And the Porcupine Tree can be considered as one of the most underrated band amongst the famous ones. ADD: on occasion, you can check out Even Less / Blackest Eyes / Prodigal songs. There are many others as well by them, no doubt. It will be a journey with any of those!!!

Hell yeah man! Been dying to hear thoughts on PT, love your stuff! Anesthetize is phenomenal and I'm really looking forward to that, my main recommendation like others in the comments is to go for the Live in Tilburg version, it's beyond incredible. Keep it up!

I also hear a major Pink Floyd influence in this band. They have that sweeping epic sound.

Great commentary and love your chill vibe. As others have said, definitely check out the live version of Anesthetize :)

Nice beginning 7/4 meter ;) I love all the chord changes!!

Man this song is so hypnotic

So glad to see Porcupine Tree on here. Their song "Trains" from "In Absentia" is a must listen.

Really have been enjoying your reactions. Reaction channels with Muscians are the best and I can tell you sir know what you are talking about. Looking forward to watching you take this journey.

this song is beautiful!

Love the feel of 7 when it grooves like this.

This tune wakens me up every morning for months now. It already became a part of my subconscious lol

The guitar solo in the live version is waaaaay better. Love this song.

you missed the little audio snippet at the end, part of the whole mood of the song..

Steven Wilson is a great artist to delve deeper! Good stuffs dude, thanks for your insight!

What a vibe. I can see where The Contortionist get their influence from. So glad I watched this.

Can't believe you referenced Level 42 - It's Over. Mike Lindup's synths in 'It's Over' is one of the best examples of keyboard padding ever. Not sure if RU-vid recommended your channel because it knows that I'm a huge Porcupine Tree fan for many years, or that I have more recently gotten heavy into Level 42's catalog, or that I like surfing haha.

Wow wow wow! This was also my introduction to PT and entered the rabbit hole. See you at 50k subs :)

Magnificent song. Great reaction and interesting info from your good self

I liked the fact that you "saw" it like a conversation.

12:12.....you nailed it exactly!

* Rishloo - Dark Charade / Dead Rope Machine / Winslow * Porcupine Tree - Arriving somewhere but not here / Deadwing * Tool: Jambi / Invincible / pushit / wings for Marie pt 1&2 / parabol&parabola * Nightwish - Poet and the Pendulum * Karnivool - New Day / Deadman * Fink - Warm Shadows/ Honesty * Marillion: Ocean cloud / Neverland ... just to name a few

Great vid again! And yes, you really need to take a look of "Porcupine Tree - Anesthetize" and I would strongly recommend the "live in Tilburg" video. STRONGLY recommend that. When you are ready. ;D

Something that puts Steven Wilson in a special place is how his songs are always very tastefully arranged. He's a producer/musician.

Ah yes, my all time favourite band. How you've managed to avoid hearing anesthetize first is staggering. that being said there is so much great porcupine tree music for you to listen to, so i'm going to be a hipster and recommend the start of something beautiful and sleep together. also anesthetize will blow your socks off

Please Please Please Do more PORCUPINE TREE tracks. Specially their live versions. Thank you

Ah been a while! Love your content and while I'm not really a fan of Porcupine Tree i figured I'd watch this to see other perspectives. Keep going with this kinda stuff and i Recommend you check out Between the Buried and Me. Specifically something like Famine Wolf, the Coma Machine, Voice of Trespass, or Selkies the Endless Obsession. Admittedly i love their music so pretty much anything will do.

I think you found yourself another rabbit hole to dive into with Porcupine Tree, love your insights man. Also i'd love for you to react to Third Eye by Tool, that's a tasty one. Getting closer to Opeth :)

Great old school PT! Love all things in 7 and 5, lol

and another note, people will hate. that's a given. but your content speaks more volumes than the haters and I hope these words can express that to you!

One song that I would suggest you to listen to would be Long Distance Runaround by Yes. I am very glad you’re a RU-vidr as I have always wanted a composer to react to a variety of songs! Keep up the good work!!!

Steven Wilson - The Holy Drinker

what you said about the chord choices is just right. Usually stenven wilson chords are normal tonal chord progressions with a tasty bit of modal interchange in between.

Very good choice for the start mate. :D

A good random pick from their catalogue, sir!

Thanks Geebz for another great reaction! Just an FYI, this is an older PT song where Chris Maitland is and was the original drummer.

Steven Wilson is the guy behind Porcupine Tree. He definitely has some YES vibes with all of his music.

The live version(s) are so much better. Everything they do is just amazing.

GREAT analysis!

One of their best songs! Ty for this!

Awesome Channel mate. I'm getting some Beatles vibes from this song and at the end I even caught a little Black Sabbath.

Loving your videos! I think your viewers would love your reaction to/analysis of the early Rush epics (Cygnus X-1: Book I The Voyage , La Villa Strangiato, Xanadu, The Necromancer, etc.... ). Musical masterpieces!