Trace were a Dutch symphonic prog band built around one of the genre’s great keyboard virtuosos, Rick van der Linden. A classically-trained maestro fresh from the band Ekseption, he made Trace his own vehicle: a dazzling, keyboard-led power trio that wove Bach and Grieg into original progressive rock in the grand tradition of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

The short version

Trace were a Dutch progressive rock trio, formed in 1974 by keyboardist Rick van der Linden after he left Ekseption. Their music was virtuosic, classically-infused and almost entirely instrumental — grand, keyboard-driven symphonic prog in the ELP mould, full of Bach and Grieg adaptations and Rick’s spectacular organ and synthesizer work. Across three albums, from the 1974 debut to “The White Ladies” (1976), they became one of the most admired names in Dutch prog.

From Ekseption to Ace to Trace

Rick van der Linden had spent nearly a decade in Ekseption, the Dutch group renowned for turning classical pieces into rock. Pushed out at the end of 1973, he set about forming his own band — a power trio inspired by Emerson, Lake & Palmer. He recruited bassist Jaap van Eik, one of the finest players in the Dutch scene, and ex-Focus drummer Pierre van der Linden (who shared his surname but was no close relation). Originally called Ace, they became Trace when a British band already held the name — and a legend of Dutch prog was born.

A keyboard maestro unleashed

What made Trace special was Rick van der Linden himself — a conservatory-trained virtuoso equally at home on Hammond organ, Moog, mellotron, harpsichord and grand piano. His compositions folded adaptations of Bach and Grieg into dynamic, original prog, played with breathtaking precision and energy. The all-instrumental debut, with its storming opener ‘Gaillarde,’ remains a high point of the form — symphonic rock as pure keyboard fireworks, in the manner of ELP but with a character all its own.

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Birds, White Ladies and beyond

For the second album, “Birds” (1975), Pierre van der Linden was replaced by a young English drummer, Ian Mosley — later of Marillion — and Curved Air’s Darryl Way guested on violin. The third, “The White Ladies” (1976), was an ambitious concept piece based on a Dutch legend, with Rick largely backed by old Ekseption colleagues. By 1977 the band had run its course, and Rick eventually revived Ekseption. But in just three albums, Trace left a lasting mark on European progressive rock.

Album by album

Trace’s three albums, in order. Tap any title to explore.

The players

Trace centred entirely on keyboardist Rick van der Linden, the band’s founder, composer and driving force, alongside bassist and guitarist Jaap van Eik. The drum stool passed from ex-Focus man Pierre van der Linden on the debut to future Marillion drummer Ian Mosley on “Birds,” while the final album drew on van der Linden’s former Ekseption bandmates. A supremely gifted musician who bridged the classical and rock worlds, Rick van der Linden died in 2006, but Trace’s albums keep his extraordinary keyboard artistry alive.

Where to start

Start with the self-titled debut “Trace” (1974) — the band at their most thrilling, an all-instrumental showcase for Rick van der Linden’s virtuosity and one of the great Dutch prog albums. “Birds” (1975) continues in a similar, slightly jazzier vein, while “The White Ladies” (1976) is a more orchestrated, conceptual and divisive affair. For most listeners, the debut is the essential Trace record.

Why they still matter

Trace matter as one of the finest keyboard-led bands of the symphonic prog era — proof of how thrilling the fusion of classical music and rock could be in the right hands. Rick van der Linden ranks among prog’s great keyboard virtuosos, and his work with Trace stands alongside the best of ELP and the wider European scene. For anyone who loves Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Ekseption or simply spectacular keyboard playing, Trace are essential listening.

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