Magenta’s Rob Reed and Camel’s Peter Jones come together to resurrect the band CYAN with reimagined and reworked material from the band’s debut album.

CYAN features Luke Machin, Pete Jones, Dan Nelson
 
New album ‘For King and Country’ due out on Sept 24th

Keyboardist and composer Rob Reed, known for his work with Magenta, Kompendium and Sanctuary solo albums, is pleased to announce a brand-new album from Cyan – For King and Country, due out on the 24th of September 2021. 
 
Prior to Magenta, almost 30 years ago, Reed release three albums with his then band Cyan. Out of the ashes of that band, Magenta was borne.  Now, on this new Cyan album, Reed has rewritten, rerecorded and reimagined material from the early days of Cyan, and this time with a brilliant new lineup. The group features vocalist Pete Jones (Camel, Tiger Moth Tales), guitarist Luke Machin (Maschine, The Tangent), and bassist Dan Nelson (Godsticks, Magenta).  The band will be playing their first show at Summers End Festival, Sunday, Oct. 3rd
 
The album is available for pre-order here:
https://www.tigermothshop.co.uk/store/Cyan-c117062595
 
Watch the video for the 15-minute opening track and first single “The Sorceror” here: 

Rob Reed on the new album:  “Little did I know in 1983, sitting at the school piano writing these songs, that almost 40 years later those same songs would sound like they do on this album. I remember the original Cyan, made up of school mates, pooling our money, £35 to record them at a local 4 track studio with basic equipment. It’s been amazing to finally hear the songs at their full potential, with modern recording techniques and an amazing line up of players.
  
“I’d held off releasing this album because I couldn’t find a vocalist to do it justice. Meeting Pete ticked that box, as soon as I heard him sing the first track. His voice just blends so good against Angharad Brinn, who I’d worked with on the Sanctuary solo albums. Having Luke play the guitar parts was just the icing on the cake. He is such a great player, with technique and feel. What a line up!”
  
Pete Jones had this to say about the project: “I had known about the reworking of For King And Country for a while, so it was a great thrill to be asked by Rob to work with him on the project, alongside the other amazing musicians such as Luke and Angharad. The songs are fantastic. They have a youthful and yet vintage quality to them, as well they might, given that they were first done in the early 90s. But with the benefit of Rob’s experience, they have been reworked into an album which I feel is right up there with the classics.”

Tracklisting:

1.The Sorceror
2.Call Me
3.I Defy The Sun
4.Don’t Turn Away
5.Snowbound
6.Man Amongst Men
7.Night Flight
8.For King and Country

Magenta/CYAN/TigerMothTales Website
https://www.tigermothshop.co.uk/

Caravan – ‘It’s None Of Your Business’ – New Studio Album Due 8th October

Prog legends Caravan announce the release of their new album It’s None Of Your Business to be released on CD format on 8thOctober 2021 and as a vinyl LP, on 8th November, on Madfish Music.

It’s None Of Your Business is Caravan’s first album since Paradise Filter (2013) and features nine new songs plus one instrumental track influenced, to a degree, by the events and restrictions placed on society over the past 18 months.

Caravan are Pye Hastings (guitar, vocals). Geoffrey Richardson (viola, mandolin, guitar), Jan Schelhaas (keyboards) and Mark Walker (drums). Lee Pomeroy (ELO, Rick Wakeman and Take That) has guested as bass player, following the departure of Jim Leverton, while Jimmy Hastings has also guested on flute.

The album was recorded, as restrictions allowed, ‘in the old-fashioned way’ between 24th June and 4th July 2021 at Rimshot Studio, Bredgar near Sittingbourne. “Sitting round in a circle having eye to eye contact, a large sound room was required,” Pye Hastings explained. “I much prefer this method because you can bounce ideas off each other as they occur, and voice encouragement when the whole thing begins to click.

“And it is much more rewarding to be able to throw insults at each other in person rather than down a telephone line or via email. This is something we are all very experienced at, believe me!”

This togetherness characterises It’s None Of Your Business with Caravan’s trademark warmth and humour and, also, a sensitivity reflecting the times in which we are living. Sitting among Caravan’s typically whimsical tales Down From London and If I Was To Fly sit the heartfelt and poignant Spare A Thought and Every Precious Little Thing which looks forward to a return to normality.

“’Spare a Thought’ is a song that I hope will jog people to remember those unfortunate people caught up in the pandemic,” Hastings explains. “‘All those people who denied’ refers to the idiots who don’t follow the scientific advice. I get angry about that and the line ‘Sure are interesting times’ refers to an old Chinese saying: ‘may you live in interesting times’”

“Lyrics can sometimes be my Achilles Heel, trying to find anything meaningful to write about. But sitting in front of a blank screen with a pandemic raging all around, it was hard not to be influenced by the dreadful events going on. The lockdown certainly focused the mind when it came to writing the lyrics.”

It’s None Of Your Business cover and artwork has been created by renowned illustrator Bob Venables ( https://www.bobvenables.co.uk/

It’s None Of Your Business Track Listing:
01. Down From London (4.03) 02. Wishing You Were Here (3.55) 03. It’s None Of Your Business (9.40) 04. Ready Or Not (4.45) 05. Spare A Thought (4.06) 06. Every Precious Little Thing (4.25) 07. If I Was To Fly (3.23) 08. I’ll Reach Out For You (8.07) 09. There Is You (4.26) 10. Luna’s Tuna (3.14)

Produced, engineered and mastered by Julian Hastings with assistant engineer Mike Thorne.

It’s None Of Your Business is released on 8th October 2021 on CD & digitally with the LP on black vinyl released on 8th November through Madfish Music. PRE ORDERS AVAILABLE NOW HERE

(https://CaravanBand.lnk.to/ItsNoneOfYourBusiness)

CARAVAN LIVE

Caravan will also be on tour, supporting the release of their new album, in the UK in October:

Wednesday 6th October Basingstoke The Haymarket

Thursday 7th October Islington The Union Chapel 

Friday 8th October Brighton/Hove The Old Market 

Thursday 14th October Chester The Live Rooms

Friday 15th October Leeds The Bridenwell

Saturday 16th October Bury The Met 

Sunday 17th October Wolverhampton The Robin 2 (Bilston)

Thursday 21st October Bury St Edmunds The Apex 

Friday 22nd October Newcastle The Cluny 

Saturday 23rd October Glasgow Òran Mór

Wednesday 27th October Bristol The Fleece 

Thursday 28th October Exeter The Phoenix 

Friday 29th October Dover The Booking Hall 

About Caravan
Caravan are one of the doyens of the progressive rock and the ‘Canterbury scene’, formed in 1968 and blending rock, jazz, folk and classical influences into a warm and distinctive sound.

Founder member Pye Hastings (guitar/vocals) remains as Caravan’s guiding light and primary songwriter. Geoffrey Richardson (viola, mandolin, guitar) first played with Caravan between 1972 and 1981 and returned to the fold in 1995. Their previous 14 studio albums and numerous live recordings have seen them attract a large and faithful following and Caravan toured regularly until the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. They have a UK tour scheduled for October 2021 and have interest, from abroad, for overseas tours to Japan, Canada and South America.

The legends of the Canterbury scene band are being celebrated in a lavish 37-disc box set, entitled Who Do You Think We Are, released on Madfish on 20thAugust. 
Caravan – It’s None of Your Business Released on 8th OctoberPre-order the album here: (https://CaravanBand.lnk.to/ItsNoneOfYourBusiness)

TRANSATLANTIC reveal ‘The Absolute Universe’ 2022 Tour Dates for North America & UK/Europe!

TRANSATLANTIC – the Prog Supergroup of Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, Roine Stolt & Pete Trewavas – are pleased to announce tour dates for North America and UK/Europe to take place in 2022.  The tour will be in support of the group’s epic release ‘The Absolute Universe’ which was released earlier this year in multiple versions.  The North America dates kick off April 15th in Glenside, PA and concludes with performances at Morsefest 2022 and Cruise to the Edge.  Meanwhile, the Europe/UK dates take place in July beginning with the ARTmania festival in Romania.

Mike Portnoy had this to say about the upcoming tour:

“Between releasing our latest album in the middle of a worldwide pandemic & shutdown, and the already difficult task of trying to align our different schedules even in the most normal of circumstances, it was uncertain if Transatlantic would ever get to play any shows in support of The Absolute Universe. 

“But now with the world slowly re-opening and the band already committing to a few one-off appearances in 2022 (Cruise To The Edge, Morsefest and a Festival in Romania), we’re excited to announce we were able to wrangle up some headlining shows surrounding these one-offs! (April in North America and July in EU/UK) 

“These are the ONLY shows we will be doing in support of The Absolute Universe so if we can’t make it to your area, it may be worth traveling to come see us and share these special shows with us. While we wish we could do a full proper tour, getting to play ANY shows for this album is an unexpected treat that we weren’t sure would ever happen…so better late than never!” – Mike Portnoy. 

North America dates:

April 15th • Glenside, PA – Keswick Theater

https://www.axs.com/events/409822/an-evening-with-transatlantic-tickets

April 16th • Montclair, NJ – Wellmont Theater

https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/02005AFEFC0F7014

April 18th • Quebec City, Quebec – Palais Montcalm

https://palaismontcalm.tuxedobillet.com/main/transatlantic

April 19th • Montreal, Quebec – M Telus

https://www.ticketmaster.ca/event/31005B03CBCC1934?lang=en-ca&brand=mtelus

April 21st • St Charles, IL – Arcada Theater

https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/4311193/transatlantic-stcharles-the-arcada-theatre?_ga=2.14751414.123937637.1628201559-79101957.1628201559

April 23rd • Los Angeles, CA – Belasco Theater

https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/09005B05AF17211D

April 24th • Berkeley, CA – UC Theatre

https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/4360146/an-evening-with-transatlantic-berkeley-the-uc-theatre

April 29th & 30th • Cross Plains, TN – MorseFest 2022

https://www.nealmorse.com/2021/08/01/morsefest-2022-on-sale-monday-aug-2/

May 2nd to 7th • Cruise To The Edge 2022

https://cruisetotheedge.com/book-now/

UK/Europe dates:

July 22nd – Sibiu, Romania – ARTmania Festival 

July 24th – Cologne, Germany – E Werk

https://www.myticket.de/de/transatlantic-the-absolute-universe-2022-tour-tickets

July 25th – Tilburg, Netherlands – 013

https://www.ticketmaster.nl/event/272933?CAMEFROM=013&brand=nl_013web

July 27th – London, England – O2 Forum Kentish Town

https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/event/1F005AFE183A8DE7

July 28th – Paris, France – Olympia (ON SALE ON AUG 18TH)

www.olympiahall.com/evenements/transatlantic/

Representing the band’s first new music since 2014’s ‘Kaleidoscope’, with ‘The Absolute Universe’ the band have done something unique and created two versions of the record: ‘The Absolute Universe: The Breath Of Life (Abridged Version)’ & ‘The Absolute Universe: Forevermore (Extended Version)’.

The Absolute Universe: The Breath Of Life (Abridged Version)’

Available as:

Single CD Edition, Gatefold 2LP+CD, or Digital Album 

 ‘The Absolute Universe: Forevermore (Extended Version)’
Available as:
2CD Edition, 3LP+2CD Boxset, or Digital Album 

The full list of formats is below, and you can order now here: https://transatlantic.lnk.to/TheAbsoluteUniverse 

Watch the previously released video clips for the album below:

‘Looking For The Light’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvhvY-vUkLI

‘The World We Used To Know’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xULvfo6rpvE

‘Overture/Reaching For The Sky’: https://youtu.be/SP5HwWbCQvg   

‘The Absolute Interview’ series was also launched, which saw each member of Transatlantic interviewed by one of their musical peers, with Ross Jennings (Haken), Ted Leonard (Pattern-Seeking Animals, Spock’s Beard, Enchant), Nad Sylvan & John Mitchell (It Bites, Lonely Robot, Frost*) taking part. Watch the full series here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfMBXSLZAyyf9kipocjOullLWwQyRX8Cw

Watch a short snippet from the making of documentary here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=964kfA1EX4s 

JON GOMM ANNOUNCES REISSUE OF ‘SECRETS NOBODY KEEPS – PASSIONFLOWER 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION’ – RELEASED 24th September on Kscope

Jon Gomm, the UK based acoustic guitar virtuoso, follows the recent release of his latest album ‘The Faintest Idea’ with news on the reissue of his 2013 record ‘Secrets Nobody Keeps’. The ‘Passionflower 10 year anniversary edition’ marks a decade since the release of his single ‘Passionflower’ that went on to change everything for Jon. A live video of the single racked up millions of views on YouTube and other media platforms in 2012 – with British legend Stephen Fry describing him on mainstream television as someone “playing the guitar in a way I’d never seen it played before” and “an all-round genius”. 

Follow up album ‘Secrets Nobody Keeps’ arrived in 2013, further cementing his status as one of the driving forces behind an acoustic revolution. Jon comments,

“I remember recording Secrets Nobody Keeps, in my spare bedroom studio space in one of the most notorious inner city suburbs of Leeds – My home, familiar, every dog bark, every shout. The passionflower in the yard which had inspired the song, having long since won the battle with the concrete, was still tangling itself around my house. The tempest of the previous couple of years of my life, since my little zero-budget friend-made videos had gone viral (the secrets nobody kept), and sent me on tour all over the planet: It had somehow wrenched me from my home, my sense of safety, even after I went back. Everything the same, but unsteady now. Maybe it was me that had been altered.

I was clinging on to my sense of self through these songs.”

Released on 24th September via Kscope ‘Secrets Nobody Keeps  – Passionflower 10 year anniversary edition’ features the original 10 songs alongside a bonus track of the 2020 version of ‘Passionflower’.

Despite the success of the track Jon never recorded a version of Passionflower that he’d been 100% happy with. So he called up an old friend, Australia based producer Andy Sorenson, who took Jon’s raw, intimate solo acoustic performance, and placed it in an expanded landscape which went on to form the sound of last year’s album ‘The Faintest Idea’

Jon adds, “I’m proud of this album. It was difficult to make, but I don’t like music to feel easy, to be purely soft, to offer only comfort and nothing more.  I hope you enjoy it the second time around.”

‘Secrets Nobody Keeps  – Passionflower 10 year anniversary edition’ – tracklisting:

1 – Telepathy 

2 – Ain`t Nobody 

3 – There`s No Need To Be Afraid 

4 – Wukan Motorcycle Kid  

5 – Deep Cut  

6 – Orville (The Secret Of Learning To Fly Is Forgetting To Hit The Ground) 

7  – Passionflower (SNK Version) – https://youtu.be/nY7GnAq6Znw

8 – Message In A Bottle  

9  – Dance Of The Last Rhino 

10 – Everything/You To Me Are Everything/Running Up That Hill 

Bonus Track

11  – Passionflower (2020 Version) – https://youtu.be/-325M16UAFU

Pre-order now – https://jongomm.lnk.to/SecretsNobodyKeeps

Jon Gomm will be touring the UK throughout October and November. For full dates and tickets visit:

https://jongomm.com/shows

MARIANA SEMKINA RETURNS WITH NEW ‘DISILLUSIONED’ EP

Following her 2020 debut solo album,‘Sleepwalking’, Iamthemorning vocalist Mariana Semkina returns with her new EP ‘Disillusioned’ set for release on 1st October. Combining dark folk with elements of electronica, ‘Disillusioned’ continues the evolution of Mariana as a solo artist.

Originally from St. Petersburg but now based in the UK, she spent a long period of the pandemic unable to write any new music, commenting, “I was unable to write a line – probably because I flew to Russia for a week and got stuck there when borders shut for half a year due to lockdown, which led to quite a bad depression – but after relocating back to the UK I got my second breath, got out of depression and got back to music.” 

The ‘Disillusioned’ EP features 5 tracks comprised of 3 original new songs alongside 2 covers sung in Icelandic and Hungarian, in which multiple layers of Mariana’s vocals combine with ambient electronica to create an ethereal choir like effect. Mariana states,

“The two choir pieces I chose to include are a homage to the two places i’ve visited many times and love going to – Iceland and Hungary. I have huge respect for different languages so I payed a lot of attention in getting everything done right, after all if you grow up learning a foreign language if gives you different attitude to such things. 
Each language is special and works differently and beautifully with music. History holds so many beautiful musical pieces so i plan to continue my research of European languages and musical heritage. There is a czech proverb that says “learn a new language and get a new soul” and I certainly feel this way – you get to know yourself better when speaking different languages and it’s an amazing experience.”

Lyrically the songs on the EP were inspired by the poets of the Victorian era such as William Rossetti, Elizabeth Siddal and Christina Rossetti most of all. Characterised by her composed and unique voice and complex melodic lines, ‘Disillusioned’ will appeal to fans of Mariana’s previous solo work as well as her band Iamthemorning but those who enjoy the music by the likes of Thom Yorke, Nine Inch Nails, Sufjan Stevens and The Cinematic Orchestra will resonate with the more ambient and electronica moments here.

The title ‘Disillusioned’ is partly a reflection of Mariana’s state of mind while writing the EP alongside a desire to have more control over her own work. This has led to her decision to self-release the EP having previously released her debut on Kscope adding, “having full control over your creations is quite precious and beautiful so i will enjoy it while i have energy to do absolutely everything myself to bring my projects to life. It’s a lot of work and a lot of responsibility but neither one scares me, i’m used to both.”

The EP was recorded remotely across the UK, Canada and Russia with regular collaborators, producer and guitarist Vlad Avy, alongside Grigory Losenkov who played piano, synths, bass and created the beautiful string arrangements. Drums on ‘Disillusioned’ were played by Svetlana Shumkova who also performed on Iamthemorning’s album ’The Bell’.

While self released on 1st October the EP will be available earlier to members of Mariana’s Pateron community who supported the creation and production of last year’s debut album. Mariana concludes, 

“This release as with everything i’ve been doing for the last two years was supported by my wonderful Patreon community. Having Patreon is a very strong motivation to keep me going because i know i’ll always have people to back me up, and they’re always the first ones to hear about any plans or get copies of everything I do so now i decided to use the fact that i’m self-releasing this to set a double release date, 17th September being the official Patreon release date, when all of my Patrons will get their digital copy of the album as a sign of gratitude for their support and some of them will get CDs and merch bundles.”

Pre-order the ‘Dissolutioned’ EP now – https://marianasemkina.bandcamp.com
Join Mariana’s Patreon community – https://www.patreon.com/marjanasemkina/

Leprous launch new single/video ‘The Silent Revelation from upcoming album ‘Aphelion’

Norwegian Rock outfit LEPROUS have introduced a new single entitled “The Silent Revelation” off their upcoming studio album “Aphelion”, out August 27th, 2021 worldwide via InsideOutMusic.

Check out “The Silent Revelation” in a video clip directed by Tobias Hole Aasgaarden / South Coast Creative here:

Following up on 2019’s highly acclaimed “Pitfalls” album, LEPROUS recorded “Aphelion” throughout the last year at three different studios: Ghost Ward Studios in Sweden, Ocean Sound Recordings in Norway and Cederberg Studios in Norway. The album was once again mixed by Adam Noble (Placebo, Biffy Clyro, Nothing But Thieves, etc.), mastered by Robin Schmidt (The 1975, Placebo, The Gaslight Anthem, etc.) and its front cover artwork was designed by Elena Sihida, based on photography by Øystein Aspelund. 

The album’s track-listing reads as follows: 

LEPROUS – “Aphelion” (56:06)

1. Running Low

2. Out Of Here

3. Silhouette

4. All The Moments

5. Have You Ever?

6. The Silent Revelation

7. The Shadow Side

8. On Hold

9. Castaway Angels

10. Nighttime Disguise

Next to the Jewelcase CD and Digital Album versions, “Aphelion” will also be available as limited edition Mediabook CD (with expanded booklet) and as Gatefold 2LP+CD with two bonus tracks: 
11. A Prophecy To Trust and 12. Acquired Taste (Live 2021). 

The album’s 180g 2LP vinyl version, which comes in Gatefold packaging and with the entire album on CD as bonus, is available in the following variants and limited editions: 

Black 2LP+CD – Unlimited

Ultra Clear 2LP+CD – 500x copies via IOM Webshop & CM Distro

Bright Gold 2LP+CD – 200x copies via JPC

Transparent Light Blue 2LP+CD – 200x copies via EMP

Creamy White 2LP+CD – 400x copies via O-Merch

Deep Blood Red 2LP+CD – 200x copies via Band 

You can pre-order “Aphelion” in its various formats here:

https://leprousband.lnk.to/Aphelion

Here is a list of upcoming live appearances by LEPROUS:

LEPROUS – 20th Anniversary European Tour

01.12.2021 Oslo (Norway) – Vulkan Arena

03.12.2021 Nijmegen (The Netherlands) – Doornroosje

04.12.2021 London (UK) – Electric Ballroom

05.12.2021 Paris (France) – Elysee Montmartre

06.12.2021 Aschaffenburg (Germany) – Colos-Saal

07.12.2021 Vienna (Austria) – Arena

08.12.2021 Esch (Luxembourg) – Rockhal

09.12.2021 Lyon (France) – Ninkasi Kao

10.12.2021 Barcelona (Spain) – Apolo 1

11.12.2021 Madrid (Spain) – LAB

13.12.2021 Milan (Italy) – Live Club

14.12.2021 Aarau (Switzerland) – KiFF

15.12.2021 Munich (Germany) – Technikum

16.12.2021 Berlin (Germany) – Columbia Theater

LEPROUS – Live 2022:

17.06.2022 Clisson (France) – Hellfest
25.06.2022 Valkenburg (The Netherlands) – Midsummer Prog Festival
16.07.2022 Cremona (Italy) – Luppolo In Rock
20.08.2022 Bristol (UK) – ArcTanGent Festival

More shows to be announced soon…

Stay tuned for more news on LEPROUS and “Aphelion” coming soon…

LEPROUS line-up:
(From left to right on photo by Elena Sihida)
Robin Ognedal – guitars

Tor Oddmund Suhrke – guitars
Baard Kolstad – drums
Einar Solberg – vocals/keys
Simen Børven – bass

The Pentangle Sign Four Album Deal With Renaissance Records

Available for Pre-Order

The British folk-jazz band, The Pentangle has signed a four-album deal with music label, Renaissance Records. Renaissance Records will be re-issuing albums The Pentangle, Basket Of Light, Cruel Sister and Pentangling onto deluxe package heavyweight vinyl. This will be the first time these albums have been issued onto vinyl in the United States since their initial releases in the late 1960’s to early 1970’s.

This folk-rock supergroup started out in 1967 under the original line-up of Jacqui McShee (vocals), John Renbourn (vocals and guitar), Bert Jansch (vocals and guitar), Danny Thompson (double bass), and Terry Cox (drums). Their sound is an eclectic mix of folk, jazz, blues, and folk rock influences that gives them their one of a kind sound. Their debut album, The Pentangle, is known for creating an innovative approach to recording acoustic guitars to deliver a very bright “bell like” sound.

The Pentangle’s third full length studio album, Basket of Light was released in 1969 and received commercial success. The song, ‘Light Flight’ became a popular hit single after it was placed as the theme song for the television series, Take Three Girls. The album placed at #5 on the charts and would be the peak of The Pentangle’s long career.

Renaissance Records will start with the release of their debut album, The Pentangle, Basket of Light and Cruel Sister onto deluxe 180g gram vinyl in late August of 2021. The remaining greatest hits album, Pentangling will be released in September of 2021. These albums will include extra incentives such as trading cards of the original band members, lyric sheets, lost photos, and more when you purchase them exclusively with Renaissance Records.

The Pentangle, Basket of Light, Cruel Sister, and Pentangling are available now for pre-order from

renaissancerecordsus.com

‘The Pentangle’ Track List

1. Let No Man Steal Your Thyme

2. Bells

3. Hear My Call

4. Pentangling

5. Mirage

6. Way Behind The Sun

7. Bruton Town

8. Waltz

‘Basket of Light’ Track List

1. Light Flight (Theme from ‘Take Three Girls’)

2. Once I Had A Sweetheart

3. Springtime Promises

4. Lyke-Wake Dirge

5. Train Song

6. Hunting Song

7. Sally Go Round The Roses

8. The Cuckoo

9. House Carpenter

‘Cruel Sister’ Track List

1. A Maid That’s Deep In Love

2. When I Was In My Prime

3. Lord Franklin

4. Cruel Sister

5. Jack Orion

‘Pentangling’ Track List

1. I’ve Got A Feeling

2. Helping Hand

3. Pentangling

4. When I Get Home

5. Rain And Snow

6. Lyke Wake Dirge

7. The Trees They Do Grow

8. A Maid That’s In Love

9. Once I Had A Sweetheart

Pentangle EPK

The Pentangle was formed in 1967 by John Renbourn and Bert Jansch, two guitarists who had both already recorded as solo artists since 1965. The duo was later joined by Jacqui Mcshee on vocals, Danny Thompson on double bass, and Terry Cox on drums and percussion. The Pentangle played a mixture of Jazz and Folk with Blues-elements, influences that the band integrated in their debut record ‘The Pentangle’. In 1969 they released their masterpiece Basket of Light, a commercial success including the single ‘Light Flight’ which served as the theme song to the UK television series ‘Take Three Girls’.

About Renaissance Records

Founded in 1993 by former Aerospace Engineer John W. Edwards who had a passion for music and a new idea to form a recording label. He focused on the reissuing of classic rock and classic country LPs on CD for the first time. Renaissance Records soon signed licensing deals with EMI-Capitol, Sony Music, Universal Music Group, and BMG/RCA/Arista. The record label has released recordings from artists such as Blue Oyster Cult, Crack The Sky, Girlschool, Roxy Music, Bob Welch, and Electric Light Orchestra Part II.

Steve Hackett Launches ‘Foxes Tango’, second single from ‘Surrender of Silence’ & Full Dates For ‘Seconds Out + More’ Tour, Starts 10th September

Legendary guitarist Steve Hackett, releases his new studio rock album Surrender of Silence on 10th September 2021, via Inside Out Music. The album features 11 new songs as Steve has been working hard through Lockdown and, for the first time, has completed two studio albums for release within the same year! Hackett also starts his 31 date UK Seconds Out +MoreTour on 10th September.

Today sees the launch of the second single from Surrender of Silence, and you can watch the video for ‘Fox’s Tango’ here: 

Steve comments: “A protest song at life’s inequalities – in other words, the poor versus the rich. With current conflicts, if we can’t learn to share the land, we’ll find ourselves sharing the graveyards. A song for an unbalanced world. Fox’s Tango has my playing at its angriest. I really let rip here!”

Surrender of Silence is released on 10th September 2021 as a Limited Edition CD+Blu-ray Mediabook in hardcover slipcase, Standard CD Jewel case, Gatefold 2LP+CD & LP-Booklet and Digital Album via Inside Out Music. Pre-order now here: https://stevehackett.lnk.to/SurrenderOfSilence

Hot on the heels of his classical-acoustic travelogue Under A Mediterranean Sky, which was released in January and hit Number 2 in the UK Classical Album Chart, Surrender of Silence is a further exploration of Hackett’s love of world music, discovering different sounds, moods and textures to deliver a rock album of extraordinary variety, power and beauty.

As with Under A Mediterranean Sky, Surrender of Silence was also recorded during Lockdown and, again, Hackett has called upon some of his musical friends from across the world to contribute. Hackett’s regular touring band of Roger King (keyboards, programming and orchestral arrangements), Rob Townsend (sax, clarinet), Jonas Reingold (bass), Nad Sylvan (vocals) and Craig Blundell (drums) are supplemented by Phil Ehart and Nick D’Virgilio (drums), the vocal talents of Amanda Lehmann, Durga and Lorelei McBroom, Christine Townsend (violin, viola), Malik Mansurov (tar) and Sodirkhon Ubaidulloev (dutar).

This new album is full-on electric…

“Lockdown cobwebs are blown away in one fell-swoop here!” says Steve Hackett. “With the monster rhythm section of Jonas, Craig, Nick and Phil along with Rob’s soaring sax and bass clarinet, Nad, Amanda and myself on vocals, Roger’s darkly powerful organ and my guitar, we plunge full-pelt into that wild release of energy.”

Our journey takes us from the classical orchestrations of Russia (Natalia) to the plains of Africa (Wingbeats) to mysterious Eastern shores (Shanghai To Samarkand), all via the ocean’s depths (Relaxation Music for Sharks (featuring feeding frenzy)). The Devil’s Cathedral pools the talents of Hackett’s entire touring band and features King’s atmospheric Gothic organ and a powerhouse rhythm display from Blundell and Reingold.

Hackett’s vocals have never been bettered and his duet with Amanda Lehmann adds emotion to Scorched Earth a lament for the environmental horrors facing our planet. Throughout Hackett’s guitars add a rich tapestry of colour with soaring solos and intricate weaving melodies.

“It’s a ‘no holds barred’ album,” adds Hackett, “riding that wave, unleashing those demons, dreams and nightmares, all crashing together over the shore.

“I enjoyed the power of this album allowing my guitar to scream in joy and rage… and once again flying across those oceans to distant lands. It’s terrific to connect creatively with musicians from far flung places, particularly when we’ve all been unable to meet. We all have a voice in our cacophony of sound and we cry out together in the Surrender of Silence!”

Steve Hackett “Surrender of Silence” track listing:
1. The Obliterati (02:17)

2. Natalia (06:17)

3. Relaxation Music For Sharks (Featuring Feeding Frenzy) (04:36)

4. Wingbeats (05:20)

5. The Devil’s Cathedral (06:31)

6. Held In The Shadows (06:20)

7. Shanghai To Samarkand (08:27)

8. Fox’s Tango (04:21)

9. Day Of The Dead (06:25)

10. Scorched Earth (06:03)

11. Esperanza (01:04)

Steve Hackett shares writing credits with both Jo Hackett and Roger King on several tracks. All tracks were recorded by Roger King and produced by Steve Hackett with Roger King at Siren.

Seconds Out +More UK Tour 2021
Full Tour Dates.

Fri 10th Sep Leicester De Montfort Hall (SOLD OUT)

Sat 11th Sept Liverpool Philharmonic (SOLD OUT)

Sun 12th Sept Stoke Victoria Hall

Tue 14th Sept Birmingham Symphony Hall

Wed 15th Sept Cambridge Corn Exchange (SOLD OUT)

Fri 17th Sept Cardiff St David’s Hall (SOLD OUT)

Sat 18th Sept Basingstoke The Anvil (SOLD OUT)

Mon 20th Sept London The Palladium (SOLD OUT) 

Tue 21st Sept London The Palladium (SOLD OUT)

Wed 22nd Sept London The Palladium (NEW)

Fri 24th Sept Manchester O2 Apollo

Sat 25th Sept Edinburgh Playhouse

Mon 27th Sept Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

Tue 28th Sept Dundee Caird Hall

Thurs 30th Sept Scunthorpe The Baths Hall

Fri 1st Oct Bradford St George’s Hall

Sat 2nd Oct Nottingham Royal Concert Hall (new)

Mon 4th Oct Croydon Fairfield Halls (new)

Tue 5th Oct Guildford G Live (SOLD OUT)

Thur 7th Oct Brighton Dome (SOLD OUT)

Fri 8th Oct Poole Lighthouse (new)

Sat 9th Oct Bexhill-on-Sea De La Warr Pavilion (SOLD OUT)

Mon 11th Oct Southampton Mayflower Theatre

Tue 12th Oct Plymouth Pavilions (new)

Thur 14th Oct Carlisle The Sands Centre

Fri 15th Oct STOCKTON GLOBE (new show)

Sat 16th Oct Newcastle O2 City Hall  

Mon 18th Oct Aylesbury Waterside (new)                                       

Tue 19th Oct Oxford New Theatre                                                      

Thur 21st Oct Peterborough Cresset (new)

Fri 22nd Oct  Harrogate Royal Hall (new)

All tickets remain valid for the re-scheduled shows.For full details and to book tickets for all shows for the Seconds Out + More Tour go too https://myticket.co.uk/ and venue box offices.

About Steve Hackett
Steve Hackett joined Genesis at the beginning of 1971 and gained an international reputation as the guitarist in the band’s classic line-up alongside Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins. Hackett’s intricate guitar work was a key element of Genesis’ albums from Nursery Cryme (1971) to Wind And Wuthering (1977) including the classic Selling England By The Pound.

After leaving Genesis at the end of 1977, Hackett’s solo career, which now spans more than 30 albums, has demonstrated his extraordinary versatility with both electric and acoustic guitar. Hackett is renowned as both an immensely talented and innovative rock musician and a virtuoso classical guitarist and composer and this was recognised in 2010 when he was inducted into the Rock Hall Of Fame. He has also worked alongside Steve Howe of YES in the supergroup GTR.

Hackett’s compositions take influences from many genres, including jazz, classical and blues. For his later studio works The Night Siren (2017) and At The Edge Of Light (2019) Hackett has explored the influences of world music. Recent tours have seen Hackett celebrate his time with Genesisincluding a spectacular 2018 tour in which he realised a long-held ambition to perform the works of Genesis live with his band and an orchestra.The lockdown enforced by the 2020 global pandemic has proven to be a particularly creative period for Hackett. He began by releasing Selling England by the Pound & Spectral Mornings: Live at Hammersmith, a live recording of 2019’s hugely successful tour celebrating that Genesis classic together with the 40th anniversary of one of his most-loved solo albums. Lockdown also gave Hackett the opportunity to write and record two new studio albums, the UK Classical Chart hit Under A Mediterranean Sky and the forthcoming Surrender of Silence.

Tony Kaye – End of Innocence – Out 10th September

20th July 2021: Keyboard legend Tony Kaye announces the release of his debut solo album End Of Innocence, on 10th September 2021 on Spirit Of Unicorn Music (distributed via Cherry Red Records) to mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11. 

You can pre-order the album here: https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/tony-kaye-end-of-innocence/

Having retired from music in 1996, Kaye was moved by the events of 11th September 2001, to commit his thoughts and feelings to a heartfelt personal musical interpretation.

End Of Innocence is a requiem for those who lost their lives and all those touched by the horrific events of 9/11. Primarily orchestral, End Of Innocence is a powerful and emotional suite that is both beautiful and sinister, reflecting the dark forces at work that day. It guides the listener through the day and touches on the response, to reach a hope that peace and calm may prevail.

As did many millions, Kaye watched the horrors of 9/11 unfold on his TV screen. “The next day I unpacked my keyboards for the first time in a long time,” Kaye recalls. “I didn’t know what I was going to do. It was one of those things that happened, inspiration on a musical level.”

The suite begins the night before 9/11 but, as Kaye’s wife Dani Torchia sings an innocent lullaby, menacing storms are gathering. The beautiful 9/11 Overture was the first piece Kaye composed, the following day. “I had no recording equipment, just an 8-track cassette recorder and some of those recordings became what you hear now.”
Kaye continues to create vivid images of New York City life and a vibrancy around The World Trade Centre (285 Fulton Street) before the terror begins and captures the fears of those on the planes, Flight 11 depicting the conversations stewardesses had with the tower. The track includes a powerful drum solo by Kaye’s friend Jay Schellen (CIRCA, YES) reflecting the struggles onboard.

Following the collapse of the towers, Dani Torchia sings her lament Sweetest Dreams and the album looks at the Aftermath and the Heroes before focusing on the response. “I wanted it, musically, to be about that day,” Kaye says, “but I felt compelled to extend it to deal with the repercussions of what happened. Musically, it was quite challenging to do the battle scene and then the Hope And Triumph, a patriotic anthem and the consequences of war. Ground Zero is the hope for the future, the rebuilding.”
The artwork for the album has been created by Roger Dean, known for his work with YES and ASIA, powerful imagery reflecting the journey the music takes.

End Of InnocenceTrack Listing:
1. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star/Twilight Time

2. 911 Overture

3. NYC Blues

4. Battle Cry

5. 285 Fulton Street

6. Let’s Roll

7. Tug of War

8. Flight 11

9. Towers Fall

10. Sweetest Dreams

11. Aftermath

12. Heroes

13. The Battle

14. Hope and Triumph

15. Homecoming

16. Ground Zero

Produced by Tony Kaye

All tracks composed by Tony Kaye except Sweetest Dreams by Dani Torchia.
Tony Kaye, Spirit of Unicorn Music and Cherry Red Records are donating 10% of all profits from End of Innocence to https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/The charity supports veterans, defenders and first responders in times of hardship.

About Tony Kaye
Tony Kaye is best known as the original keyboard player with prog legends YES, his Hammond organ giving their ground breaking The YES Album it’s most distinctive sound within the YES catalogue. Following his departure from YES in 1971 Kaye was involved with a number of other bands including David Bowie, Badger and Badfinger before returning to YES for their greatest commercial success 90125 in 1983. Kaye remained with YES for several albums and tours before retiring from the music business in 1996. 

Following the re-awakening of his musical inspiration in 2001, Kaye accepted an invitation from current YES bassist Billy Sherwood to work on projects which led to the formation of CIRCA, in 2007, and has yielded four albums to date.

Tony Kaye – END OF INNOCENCEReleased on 10th September through Spirit of Unicorn MusicFormats: Standard CD Jewel casePre-order here: https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/tony-kaye-end-of-innocence/

DROTT first full-length album “Orcus” set for release on September 24th 2021 via By Norse Music

First single and video “The Marauders” unveiled today!

DROTT is comprised of Arve Isdal (Enslaved), Ivar Thormodsæter (Ulver) and Matias Monsen and hails from Bergen in the west coast of Norway. With their varied musical background ranging from metal and jazz to classical music, they create the genre which can only be described as DROTT. Inspired by forces of nature, superstition and spirituality the trio explores light within darkness through their music.   

The group, recently established (2020), released their self-titled EP in March 2021 and received great reviews. It established the Drott’s instrumental Progressive Rock sound as a breath of fresh air in the genre! Their first full-length “Orcus” album takes Drott in a new creative and artistic direction. With 10 tracks they dive deeper into sonic, experimental landscapes! 

DROTT comment on “The Marauders”:

“The Marauders are not visible through the layers of mist. You can hear them hanging in ropes and sharpening their tools of mischief before their dire intentions are manifested through slow, dark riffs and slaughtering, heavy beats. They are lost souls roaming the Underworld, vicious murderers and thieves constantly searching for prey.”  

Watch the video directed by Arve Isdal –

Filmed by Arve Isdal and Cathrine Wespestad 

“Orcus” will be available as: 

  • CD Digipack Trifold 
  • 12” Black vinyl in Gatefold 
  • 12” Gold vinyl in Gatefold – Limited to 100 copies, By Norse Music online stores exclusive
  • 12” Milky Clear w/ Black and Gold Splatter in Gatefold – Limited to 100 copies, By Norse Music online stores exclusive
  • Digital 

Pre-orders are available in the By Norse Music stores: 

Europe: bynorsestore.com

North America: bynorsestore.net

Tracklist:

1. The Lure

2. Caerdroia

3. Katabasis

4. The Strait

5. Psychopomp

6. By the Lunar Lake

7. The Marauders

8. Grey Gull

9. Arch of Gloom

10. Orcus