The Aaron Clift Experiment

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The Aaron Clift Experiment

The Aaron Clift Experiment is a progressive rock project focused on albums as complete works. https://linktr.ee/aaroncliftmusic

Built around long-form songwriting, cinematic structure and narrative cohesion, each release is conceived as a unified system. Band Members:

Aaron Clift: vocals, keyboards
Anthony Basini: guitar
Clif Warren: bass
Pablo Ranlett-López: drums and percussion

Bio:

The Aaron Clift Experiment is a dynamic progressive rock band based in Austin, Texas. The band’s multi-faceted sound blends influences fr

om classic rock (Rush, Pink Floyd, King Crimson), modern rock (Porcupine Tree, Opeth), jazz, and classical - all anchored by a dedication to high-quality songwriting and musicianship. Progradar has described the group as "one of the most impressive progressive acts currently on the scene." Formed in 2012 as the solo project of Aaron Clift, the band has since blossomed into a powerful live group enriched by the extensive musical background of its members. The soaring vocals of classically-trained singer and keyboardist, Aaron Clift, are grounded by the powerhouse guitar of Anthony Basini and rhythm section of Clif Warren (bass) and Pablo Ranlett-López (drums, percussion). In the last few years, the band has carved out a significant worldwide following. The Aaron Clift Experiment’s last album, 2018’s “If All Goes Wrong,” was a critically-acclaimed progressive rock achievement, landing on several year-end best album lists. In 2017, the band had a star-making performance at RosFest, one of the largest progressive rock festivals in the world, and followed it up with an impressive outing at 2018 at Chicago’s Progtoberfest, and in 2019 with a hometown concert that was recorded for the band’s second live EP, “Live at One-2-One Bar.”

The Aaron Clift Experiment continues to move its dynamic sound forward in its latest release, “The Age of Misinformation” – a conceptual work about the destructive power of lies and the search for truth in the face of overwhelming odds. Band founder, Aaron Clift, explains: "During the COVID lockdown of 2020 - 2021, my friends, colleagues, and country went through an incredibly challenging time, and I knew that I had to say something about it. ‘The Age of Misinformation’ is The Aaron Clift Experiment’s document of that era.”

In addition to its lyrical ambition and emotional resonance, the album marks a high point for the band’s creativity - featuring everything from explosive, hard rocking songs, to gorgeous ballads, to multi-layered vocal writing that would make Queen blush! Two songs explore symphonic music with a guest string quartet, and the album’s lead single, “Bet on Zero,” is an epic big band jazz/blues fusion collaboration with 7-piece Austin horn ensemble, Big Wy’s Brass Band. Aaron notes: “For ‘The Age of Misinformation,’ we wanted to do more of everything: record music that was more intricate, more melodic, and more diverse than anything we had done before. I’m really happy with how we pulled it off, but above all, I love how the album explores a concept that reflects the events of our current world. There are songs all about frustration with the crazy state of politics, but there's also a renewed sense of optimism in other songs - knowing that there's always a light at the end of the cave."

05/04/2026

May the Fourth be with you.

Star Wars has been a huge influence on me for as long as I can remember — not just the story, but the mythology and especially the music.

John Williams’ score for The Empire Strikes Back was actually my gateway into composers like Stravinsky, Holst, and Orff… which had a massive impact on how I approach writing music.

In fact, I released our album If All Goes Wrong on May 4, 2018 as a small tribute.

This week’s newsletter is all about that influence — and I’m sharing a live performance of “Last Crash” from RosFest 2017.

👉 Join here (free EP included):
http://www.aaronclift.com/signup

Curious — what piece of music first made you feel like you were stepping into another world?

04/27/2026

A lot of people have asked me lately if new ACE music is in the works.

The answer is yes.

Last week, Anthony came over and recorded guitar parts for a new 9+ minute epic I’m working on, and I put together a short teaser from one section of the song.

When he asked what I was going for in the solo, I told him:

“Tortured and mournful.”

He delivered.

Very strong Fripp/Belew energy in places, which makes me very happy.

(Also my dog Georgia makes a cameo.)

I’m sharing a short preview here, and newsletter subscribers get the longer unedited clip, plus updates as this new record takes shape.

👉 Join here (free EP included):
http://www.aaronclift.com/signup

Would love to hear what you hear in the clip.

04/20/2026

Last week I opened things up for a Q&A…

And you all came through.

So this week, I’m answering questions about:

music I didn’t appreciate at first
a full-on live show disaster
how ACE songs are built in the studio
and the story behind “Bet on Zero”

This photo is from a show we played 10 years ago — right around the same time as one of those “train wreck” moments I talk about in the email.

I’m sharing all of it in this week’s newsletter.

👉 Join here (free EP included):
http://www.aaronclift.com/signup

If you could ask me anything about music or songwriting, what would it be?

04/13/2026

10 years ago at Sahara Lounge.

Low ceiling. Oversized keyboard rig.
And a band still figuring things out in real time.

I’ve been revisiting that era this week, and it reminded me how many stories and moments are tied up in this band’s history.

So… it’s time for another Q&A.

I’ll be answering your questions in this week’s newsletter — anything about songwriting, live shows, influences, gear, or the history of The Aaron Clift Experiment.

👉 Join here (you’ll also get a free EP when you sign up):
http://www.aaronclift.com/signup

What would you want to ask?

04/06/2026

10 years ago this week, we played a show at Sahara Lounge in Austin.

It’s one of those great dive bar venues that somehow survived the last decade… and I’m very glad it did.

That night had one of those small moments that stuck with me.

From the stage, I looked out and saw three people in the crowd wearing three different ACE t-shirts.

That was a pretty surreal feeling.

After the show, we grabbed this photo — and it’s still one of my favorites from that era.

Moments like that remind me why I keep doing this.

I’m sharing the full story (and a little something extra) in this week’s newsletter.

👉 Join here: http://www.aaronclift.com/freecd

Curious — what’s a moment at a show that stuck with you?

03/30/2026

Some bands make albums.

Some bands make concept albums.

And then there’s Magma… who made an entire concept universe.

French prog band.
Jazz + classical + avant-garde rock.
Sci-fi story about an alien civilization.
All sung in a made-up language.

Yes, really.

I discovered them in a record store in Harvard Square when I was in college. The clerk asked me:

“Do you like jazz fusion and operatic vocals sung in an alien language?”

I said yes before hearing a single note.

Ten years ago this week, I got to see them live at Mohawk in Austin — one of the most unforgettable shows I’ve ever been to. They played their masterpiece Mëkanïk Dëstruktïẁ Kömmandöh in full and completely blew my mind.

This band has had a huge influence on how I think about music — especially the idea of building something immersive and unapologetically unique.

Also… yes, I still have the shirt.

I’m sharing a clip from that show and the full story in this week’s newsletter.

👉 Join here: http://www.aaronclift.com/freecd

Curious — what’s the weirdest band you’ve ever fallen in love with?

03/23/2026

This weekend, my wife and I were in San Antonio for our anniversary and stumbled onto something I didn’t expect:

A band playing heavy rock in a park.
Not a festival. Not a scheduled show. Just… a band, playing loud for whoever walked by.

It got me thinking about how different cities shape their music scenes.

San Antonio has deep roots and a strong metal identity.

Austin isn’t known for progressive rock… but somehow, it’s been one of the best places I’ve ever experienced for it.

Not because it’s “a prog city,” but because people here are open to music that’s:

a little different
a little experimental
not chasing the mainstream

That’s what made nights like this possible.

📸 This photo is from 12 years ago this week at Scoot Inn — ACE, Transit Method, ArcDream, and House of Never all sharing a bill. Different sounds, same spirit.

I wrote more about this (and a great Mellotron story) in this week’s newsletter.

If you want the full story + a free ACE EP:

👉 www.aaronclift.com/signup

What’s a music scene or city that surprised you?

03/16/2026

Lately I’ve been asking myself a strange songwriting question:

“What would Kate Bush do?”

Not stylistically — but compositionally.

There’s a group of artists I’ve loved for years who write songs that sit somewhere between singer-songwriter music and progressive rock.

Artists like:

Kate Bush
Peter Gabriel
Sting
Björk
Joni Mitchell
Steve Hogarth
Einar Solberg

They build songs that feel almost like small musical worlds — emotionally direct but musically sophisticated.

I wrote about this songwriting approach in this week’s newsletter, along with a live ACE cover of “King of Pain” by The Police.

If you’d like to read it (and get a free ACE EP), you can join here:

👉 www.aaronclift.com/signup

Who’s your favorite “art rock” songwriter?

03/09/2026

This week I was finishing a jigsaw puzzle called “Music Room.”

Right in the center of the painting was a grand piano — which got me thinking about the keyboards I’ve used over the years while writing and performing music.

Three instruments in particular shaped different eras of my musical life:

🎹 Roland FP-5 (2003)
My first serious digital piano. I wrote about half of Lonely Hills on this keyboard.

🎹 Open Labs Neko LX5 (2009)
My first true synthesizer — basically a computer and keyboard combined. It powered most of the sounds on Lonely Hills and Outer Light, Inner Darkness.

🎹 M-Audio Code 61 + Ableton (2018-present)
My current live and studio setup. This is the rig behind The Age of Misinformation.

It’s amazing how each instrument marks a different chapter of your creative life.

I wrote the full story in this week’s newsletter.

You can read it — and get a free ACE EP when you join — here:

👉 www.aaronclift.com/signup

What piece of musical gear has been with you the longest?

03/02/2026

2001–2002 changed my musical life.

This photo is from my junior year at Tufts University, playing guitar in the New Music Ensemble — blending rock tone (Epiphone Les Paul + Vox Blues Junior) with avant-garde classical improvisation.

Around that same time, a dorm mate introduced me to Opeth.

At first, I didn’t get it. The growls. The intensity. The sheer density of it.

Then I heard “The Drapery Fall.”

That was the moment progressive music snapped into the 21st century for me.

Soon after, while studying abroad in Madrid, I discovered Pain of Salvation, Porcupine Tree, The Gathering, Meshuggah, and more. It became clear that prog wasn’t just a 70s artifact — it was evolving in real time.

With the 25th anniversary of Blackwater Park this month, I’ve been reflecting on how that era reshaped my musical path.

I wrote the full story in this week’s newsletter.

If you’d like to read it (and get a free ACE EP when you join), you can sign up here:

👉 www.aaronclift.com/signup

What album changed your musical trajectory at just the right time?

02/23/2026

Ten years ago this week, ACE played what might be the most off-brand show in our history.

Beerland.
High school glam metal reunion.
Grindcore.
A one-man harsh noise project.
And yes — eyeliner.

Devin and Tim fully committed to the 80s aesthetic. We covered Marillion’s “Sugar Mice.” I was recovering from a cold. The recording failed. And somehow it all still worked.

Some nights feel like chaos at the time and legend later.

I wrote about the whole ridiculous story in this week’s newsletter.

If you want the full tale (and other ACE oddities), you can join here:
www.aaronclift.com/signup

02/16/2026

Fourteen years ago this week, the original “Lonely Hills” lineup gathered at our guitarist Jim Ragland’s house out in the country to film our very first promo video.

From left to right in this photo: me, Jim (guitar), Joe Green (bass), and Joe Resnick (drums).

The music has evolved. The band has evolved. A lot of life has happened since 2012.

But when I rewatched that old video, I realized something surprising: the core idea behind The Aaron Clift Experiment hasn’t changed at all.

Back then I was talking about Frank Zappa, Pink Floyd, Spanish modernist poetry, and how music is more than just notes on a page. I ended the video by saying I wanted to “take this operation global.”

Somehow, over the past 14 years, that actually happened.

I’ve made that old promo video available again for newsletter subscribers for the first time since 2012.

If you’d like to see where ACE started and get a free EP in the process, you can sign up here:

www.aaronclift.com/signup

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Austin, TX

Website

https://www.aaronclift.com/, https://open.spotify.com/artist/4FpajOhE9y3zUEdMQxb41L, https://www.youtube.com/aaroncliftm

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