Rich Hinks (Aeon Zen)
SPB: What makes a band "progressive"?
Hinks: Progressive music, to me, is more of a mindset than a determined style. More often than not it means being able experiment and to allow the music to go wherever it naturally wants to. It's like its own organism. Of course there are certain staples that can help categorise something as progressive, if you were so inclined: odd time signatures and virtuosic playing being two that spring to mind. I try and look at these as a means to an end though rather than as defining characteristics.
As pretentious as it may sound (hey, we are talking about progressive music here!), truly progressive music is about being open-minded, and musically speaking is a way of combining the best parts of all genres. Either that or it's a bunch of show-offs thinking that they're being clever! [Laughs]
