Platypus was an American
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
/
jazz-fusion
Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, amplifiers, and ke ...
supergroup Supergroup or super group may refer to:
* Supergroup (music), a music group formed by artists who are already notable or respected in their fields
* Supergroup (physics), a generalization of groups, used in the study of supersymmetry
* Supergroup ...
, that consisted of members from
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of the ...
,
King's X
King's X is an American rock band that originated in 1979 in Springfield, Missouri. They were first called The Edge and later became Sneak Preview before settling on its current name in 1985. The band's current lineup has remained intact for m ...
and
Dixie Dregs
The Dixie Dregs is an American rock band from Augusta, Georgia. Formed in 1970, the band's performance consists entirely of instrumentals that fuse elements of diverse genres such as rock, classical music, country, jazz and bluegrass into an e ...
. The group was formed in 1997 and disbanded in 2000. Tabor, Myung and Morgenstein would continue working together as
The Jelly Jam.
History
Platypus was conceived by
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of the ...
bassist
John Myung
John Ro Myung (; born January 24, 1967) is an American bassist and a founding member of the progressive metal group Dream Theater.
Background and personal life
Born in Chicago to South Korean parents, Myung grew up with John Petrucci on King ...
and (then) Dream Theater keyboardist
Derek Sherinian
Derek Sherinian (born August 25, 1966) is an American keyboardist who has toured and recorded for Alice Cooper, Billy Idol, and Joe Bonamassa, among others. He was also a member of Dream Theater from 1994 to 1999, is the founder of Planet X and ...
as a creative outlet where ideas that wouldn't fit in Dream Theater could be developed. Joined by guitarist
Ty Tabor
Ty Tabor ( ; born September 17, 1961) is the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-lead vocalist for the progressive metal band, King's X.
Tabor has a wide-ranging guitar style, from big guitar riffs to middling melodic passages. His use of volum ...
of
King's X
King's X is an American rock band that originated in 1979 in Springfield, Missouri. They were first called The Edge and later became Sneak Preview before settling on its current name in 1985. The band's current lineup has remained intact for m ...
(who also sang lead vocals) and drummer
Rod Morgenstein
Rod Morgenstein (born April 19, 1953) is an American drummer and music educator. He is best known for his work with the rock bands Winger and Dixie Dregs.
He also played with Fiona, Platypus, the Steve Morse Band, and Jelly Jam. He has also ...
of
Dixie Dregs
The Dixie Dregs is an American rock band from Augusta, Georgia. Formed in 1970, the band's performance consists entirely of instrumentals that fuse elements of diverse genres such as rock, classical music, country, jazz and bluegrass into an e ...
, they released two albums between 1997 and 2000.
The sound of Platypus's music can be described as guitar and keyboard-driven modern
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
mixed with influences from the 70s rock and progressive rock scenes, employing vocal harmonies and lengthy instrumental pieces.
Their first album, ''When Pus Comes To Shove'', did reasonably well, so much that it inspired the follow-up album ''Ice Cycles'' released in 2000. After this the band parted ways with no plans to re-form or record another album. The legacy of Platypus does live on though in
the Jelly Jam — a project formed in 2000 consisting of three-quarters of Platypus (Myung, Morgenstein and Tabor). As of 2016 they have released four full-length albums.
Discography
Members
*
John Myung
John Ro Myung (; born January 24, 1967) is an American bassist and a founding member of the progressive metal group Dream Theater.
Background and personal life
Born in Chicago to South Korean parents, Myung grew up with John Petrucci on King ...
- bass
*
Derek Sherinian
Derek Sherinian (born August 25, 1966) is an American keyboardist who has toured and recorded for Alice Cooper, Billy Idol, and Joe Bonamassa, among others. He was also a member of Dream Theater from 1994 to 1999, is the founder of Planet X and ...
- keyboards
*
Ty Tabor
Ty Tabor ( ; born September 17, 1961) is the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-lead vocalist for the progressive metal band, King's X.
Tabor has a wide-ranging guitar style, from big guitar riffs to middling melodic passages. His use of volum ...
- guitars, vocals
*
Rod Morgenstein
Rod Morgenstein (born April 19, 1953) is an American drummer and music educator. He is best known for his work with the rock bands Winger and Dixie Dregs.
He also played with Fiona, Platypus, the Steve Morse Band, and Jelly Jam. He has also ...
- drums
References
External links
Platypus' home at InsideOutDream TheaterDixie DregsDerek SherinianJohn MyungTy TaborRod Morgensteinsite francophone
American progressive rock groups
Musical groups established in 1997
{{US-band-stub