"Family Shot", the new Taylor's Free Universe CD has just been released by the Marvel of Beauty label. The line-up includes: Pierre Tassone (processed violin, percussion), Kim Menzer (replaced Karsten Vogel, Kim's also of the Burning Red Ivanhoe fame: clarinet, trombone), Robin Taylor (guitar, tape manipulations), Peter Friis Nielsen (electric bass), Lars Juul (another newcomer: drums). The music is entirely improvised and was recorded in the studio without any overdubs.
Djam Karet have put up some previews of 5 tracks of their new album, tentatively titled "Recollection Harvest", due out September of 2005 via Cuneiform Records. Also on the website is a new story of sorts from the man of intrigue and espionage, Gayle Ellett.
Relentless Pursuit Music and Glass are proud to announce that our new studio recording - our first in 27 years - is finally finished and the music is being mastered even as this is being written. The CD, entitled "Illuminations", is a concept work begun in August 2004 in Seattle and finished in Southern California. The final mix was completed on Friday, January 14, just in time for Glass drummer Jerry Cooks' birthday on the 19th.
As promised there are some stellar guest stars on a couple tracks. Lending his mighty monstrous Fuzz Bass to our little endeavor is ex-Soft Machine legend Hugh Hopper. Also adding their formidable vocal and guitar talents to one track are ex-Hatfield and the North-ers Richard Sinclair and Phil Miller.
"Illuminations" contains fifteen new original songs, over an hour's worth of music. The songs on the CD present a wide array of sounds and styles, from the hard-driving Hammond Organ and Mellotron-laden Overture, to the mystic sound montages of Crossing. From the delicate grand piano strains of Falling, to the ambient-like chanting of Buddhist monks behind Jeff Sherman's solo Alembic bass work. To the hypnotic dreaminess of Jerry Cook's mega-drum solo Medicine Man, a shamans dance if ever there were one.
The French label Musea Records are excited about "Illuminations" and will be including it in their release schedule for June 2005. Upcoming concerts by Glass this summer to support the release of "Illuminations" are to be announced in the near future.
Award-winning experimental progressive trio Dreadnaught's new album (their fifth), the epic double-disc "Live at Mojo" , will be released internationally by Comet Records / Horizon on February 15, 2005. It Features almost 2 hours worth of music culled from the band's extensive catalog as well as previously unrecorded material.
Dreadnaught's "Live at Mojo" CD release shows:
2.25.05 - Club Soma (Bangor ME, USA)
2.26.05 - The Barley (Dover NH, USA)
2004 saw some changes in the Crooked Mouth ranks. Piano-man Simon Ellis moved away from Edinburgh thanks to work commitments. Simon's replacement is multi- instrumentalist Alison Mitchell who played flute on Acrobat from the band's eponymous debut album. Another new face on the scene is ex-session bass and Chapman Stick player Mike McCann. The band has also seen the departure of Kenny Haig, so guitarist / composer Ken Campbell will undertake the duties of lead singer until they find a replacement. As to the new material, the band have put down the basis of 3 tracks: Iron Wonders, Delta and Two Worlds. Their plans for 2005 include completing these and other tracks with a view to working towards a new album in 2006.
After a great deal of thought, and bearing in mind the embarrassment of material recorded already, we have decided to shelve the projected "Too Many Goodbyes" album in favour of the newly christened "Studies In Heartbreak". Several reasons for this, but chief among them is the fact that there was no way we could have the vocals ready in time. So, as most of you know, it was time to put Plan B into action! As we always record two albums simultaneously, "Studies In Heartbreak" was born!
This will be an all-instrumental affair. One song long, 50 minutes or thereabouts, split into 6 chunks (From Hello To Goodbye, A Song For Karen, Studies In Heartbreak, The End Of A Life, Failures Of The Soul, Hourglass Fortune). We are very excited by the material on this CD and don't want to say too much about it at the moment. It is probably the most dramatic music we have ever recorded, featuring many classical styled motifs and arrangements, too. In addition, the usual jazz, folk, rock, funk, progressive and even blues influences all come to bear. There is some mean marimba and vibraphone work, too, oddly reminiscent of Pierre Moerlin's Gong! Not to mention some outrageous key and time changes. Very complex stuff and very melodic.
It is currently at the pre-mastering stage along with the artwork and all the other bits and pieces that need to be assembled to launch an album. It is still looking likely that it will be released April/May.
