Big Big Train are delighted to announce 15 further shows in the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland and the UK to take place in August and September 2023.
These additional dates form part of the band’s The Journey Continues tour and are in addition to the band’s previously announced headlining appearance at the 2 Days + 1 Festival in Italy on 2nd September 2023. At these performances the band will be promoting the forthcoming Ingenious Devicesalbum, which will be released on 30th June 2023.
For these shows Big Big Train will consist of lead vocalist Alberto Bravin, drummer Nick D’Virgilio, guitarist/keyboardist Rikard Sjöblom, bassist Gregory Spawton, violinist Clare Lindley, keyboardist Oskar Holldorff and guitarist Maria Barbieri. Barbieri is deputising for Dave Foster, who has prior commitments in September with the Steve Rothery Band. The Big Big Train brass ensemble, led by trombonist Dave Desmond, will perform at all shows.
Alberto Bravin says: “After the shows we played in the UK and the Netherlands back in September, I cannot wait to get back on stage again with Big Big Train later this year. I remain truly grateful to the fans for welcoming me so warmly at last year’s shows and am excited about BBT touring more extensively.”
Rikard Sjöblom adds: “I have been campaigning for a long time for Big Big Train to come to Sweden, so I am really pleased that we’re bringing the band for the first time not only to my home country for two shows but also to play two other dates in Denmark and Norway. I hope the Scandinavian prog fans will come out in force to see us live!”
Nick D’Virgilio says: “As we’re doing two nights at the beautiful Cadogan Hall in London, these will be very special shows with about 45 minutes of material being played at one show which will not be performed at the other.”
Gregory Spawton concludes: “As 2023 begins, I’m very confident about Big Train’s future. Apart from playing live this year, we will also be recording a new studio album for release in 2024 and are looking forward to taking BBT across the Atlantic for Cruise To The Edge in March next year.”
Tickets for all shows go on sale at 10am UK time on Friday 10th February.
Support at all shows except Wednesday 13th September comes from rising Norwegian stars Dim Gray, who feature Oskar Holldorff. There will be no support at the Wednesday 13th September show.
We’re living the most surreal, creepy and tragic years of modern era history.
This album tries to translate in words and music the sensations, the emotions and our sense of loss of these strange days. MMXX is the latin notation for 2020, the year that changed our lives forever. MMXXII stands for 2022, and our sense of loss gets worse and worse.
MMXX was recorded in two years. It was a great challenge because of its structure and its complex arrangement including a rock band and a choir, merging several styles together. – Dario Lastella
Written and produced by Dario Lastella, except MMXXII (music by Lastella – Mesina – Giugliano)
Arranged and performed by ifsounds Mastered by Steve Kitch – audiomaster.co.uk
MMXX Sessions
Lino Giugliano – piano, organ, synth and keyboards Dario Lastella – guitars, bass guitar, synth and vocals Lino Mesina – drums Italo Miscione – bass guitar Runal – lead vocals Ilaria Carlucci – lead and backing vocals
Guest Musicians: Claudio Lapenna – vocals on MMXX and piano on Kandinsky’s Sky Nadezhda Chalykh – vocals on MMXX Mariano Gramegna – vocals on MMXX Giovanni Liberatore – vocals on MMXX
Sleeve design by Laura Meffe
Release Date: Spring 2023 Catalog No. MRRCD 22220 Label: Melodic Revolution Records Format: CD, Digital and Streaming Barcode: – 198015284826
Introduction of ifsounds
Dario Lastella is the guitarist, producer and the main songwriter of ifsounds. He founded the band in the 90s and has led the band since then.
Runal is the lead vocalist of ifsounds since 2013. He provides strong rock and blues vocals to the band’s progressive rock music.
Lino Mesina is a talented drummer. He joined ifsounds in 2015 and he is one of the main driving forces of the band.
Lino Giugliano is a pianist, keyboard player and composer. He joined ifsounds for live performances after the An Gorta Mór album, and as a full time member of the band for MMXX album.
Italo Miscione is an experienced bass player well known in the musical scene of Abruzzo. He joined ifsounds for the MMXX album.
Ilaria Carlucci is a talented vocalist, pianist and music teacher. She provided excellent vocals for the MMXX album.
The mad man is the happiest one but he frightens the right-minded world”
ifsounds are the images of our dreams and our nightmares. Music is just the shape we give to our stories, our hopes and our fears.
The ifsounds project brings together the talents of a group of musicians, all very different from each other, whose idea is to create a sound that is able to express an emotion, to describe a state of mind, to recount a story, to make a journey into the realms of inner consciousness.
The aim of ifsounds is to reproduce not only the world around us, but above all the world inside us, because each of us is the author of his own reality and his own existence.
The debut album from new progressive rock outfit eMolecule (former Sound of Contact members Simon Collins and Kelly Nordstrom) The Architect is out today!
To celebrate the release of the album, the band have shared the video for the title track and album’s 4th single.
You can check out the video/single for “The Architect” here:
The band remarks: “The Architect” reveals the sinister inner dialogue within the subject of our story. Conflict and anguish stemming from adolescence grind together like gears in his mind as he becomes the embodiment of Avarice.”
“We have long and eagerly awaited the day our debut album The Architectwould be available to the public! Making this concept album has been a vehicle for exploring darkness, redemption and spiritual evolution through music.”
A powerful Prog-Rock album that offers something different from the norm.” Eclipsed
“Cinematic and theatrical, The Architect unspools like a soundtrack for our times.” The Prog Report
“A unique and addictive listening experience.” Sonic Perspectives
TRACKLISTING: 1. eMolecule 10:43 2. The Architect 6:05 3. Prison Planet 4:58 4. Mastermind 8:39 5. Dosed 5:07 6. The Turn 5:56 7. Awaken 5:09 8. Beyond Belief 4:47 9. The Universal 6:03 10. My You 5:27 11. Moment of Truth 6:56
The two long-time collaborators met in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 2005 and have been working together ever since. Originally brought together to work on Simon’s solo career, the spark of creativity between Simon and Kelly was undeniable. They soon began writing original material together, much of which would end up on Dimensionaut.
With a successful progressive rock album under their belts, Simon and Kelly were determined to continue the work they started with Sound of Contact. During the UK production of Simon’s 4th solo album “Becoming Human”, Kelly recorded a demo of the song “eMolecule” in a flurry of inspiration. With this new offering, Simon and Kelly decided their way forward was as a duo and they would pool their best material under the name eMolecule.
In the summer of 2020, Emolecule decided it was time to begin work on their debut album and that it was to be a concept album. Meeting in person at Simon’s studio in Ireland, the duo spent a solid month writing the concept and music start to finish. Over the following months, they completed writing, producing and performing ‘The Architect’ both remotely and together in Ireland.
The Architect features intense, heavy guitar and drum performances as well as deep, atmospheric and emotionally driven arrangements. From start to finish, Emolecule’s first offering captivates the listener with infectious vocals, dynamic guitars and ultra-modern production from the epic opening track ‘eMolecule” to the powerful climax of the closing track “Moment of Truth”. This band and album are set to take the listener to another dimension.
**LIMITED EDITION POSTCARDS AVAILABLE WITH PRE-ORDERS WHILE STOCKS LAST!**
• A DELUXE LIMITED EDITION BOXED SET OF THE CLASSIC ALBUM BY THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT.
• THREE CDs AND ONE BLU-RAY DISC (REGION FREE), REMASTERED AND REMIXED FROM THE ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES BY ALAN PARSONS.
• FEATURING AN ADDITIONAL 42 BONUS TRACKS DRAWN FROM ERIC WOOLFSON’S SONGWRITING DIARIES, STUDIO SESSION OUT-TAKES AND A STUNNING NEW 5.1 SURROUND SOUND FROM THE ORIGINAL MULTI-TRACK MASTER TAPES BY ALAN PARSONS AND FOUR PROMOTIONAL VIDEOS.
• INCLUDES A LAVISHLY ILLUSTRATED BOOK WITH NEW ESSAY AND A REPLICA POSTER.
First released in November 1980, “The Turn Of A Friendly Card” was the fifth album by The Alan Parsons Project, the brainchild of composer, musician and manager Eric Woolfson and celebrated producer and engineer Alan Parsons.
Inspired by the period in which both Eric Woolfson and Alan Parsons had resided in Monte Carlo, this legendary album was recorded in Paris. The album sessions featured the contribution of musicians such as Ian Bairnson (guitars), David Paton (bass), Stuart Elliott (drums) with Eric Woolfson playing keyboards and providing lead vocals, along with Elmer Gantry, Chris Rainbow and Lenny Zakatek. “The Turn Of A Friendly Card” would become one of the biggest selling albums for The Alan Parsons Project, attaining gold status in many European countries and the USA. The album featured such classic compositions as “Games People Play,” “Time,” “The Gold Bug” and “The Turn Of A Friendly” suite which dominated the album’s second side.
This new deluxe edition comprises 3CDs and a Blu-Ray disc (Region Free) with an additional 42 tracks drawn from Eric Woolfson’s song-writing diaries, studio session out-takes and a stunning new 5.1 surround sound mix by Alan Parsons and a high resolution remastered original stereo mix, along with the promotional videos of “Games People Play,” “The Gold Bug” and “The Turn Of A Friendly Card” plus a promotional television advertisement. This stunning set also features a lavish illustrated book with a new essay with photos, memorabilia and features recollections from Alan Parsons and Sally Woolfson. It also includes a reproduction poster.
DISC ONE
THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD’ REMASTERED
1 MAY BE A PRICE TO PAY
2 GAMES PEOPLE PLAY
3 TIME
4 I DON’T WANNA GO HOME
5 THE GOLD BUG
6 THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD (PART ONE)
7 SNAKE EYES
8 THE ACE OF SWORDS
9 NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE
10 THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD (PART TWO)
BONUS TRACKS
11 MAY BE A PRICE TO PAY (INTRO DEMO)
12 NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE (BASIC BACKING TRACK)
13 NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE (CHRIS RAINBOW OVERDUB VOCAL COMPILATION)
14 TIME (EARLY STUDIO ATTEMPT)
15 GAMES PEOPLE PLAY (ROUGH MIX)
16 THE GOLD BUG (DEMO)
DISC TWO
ERIC WOOLFSON’S SONGWRITING DIARIES
1 MAY BE A PRICE TO PAY
2 GAMES PEOPLE PLAY
3 TIME
4 I DON’T WANNA GO HOME
5 THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD
6 SNAKE EYES
7 NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE
8 TOFC / SNAKE EYES / I DON’T WANNA GO HOME
9 LA LA LA LAH
10 NEXT YEAR
11 SOMEONE ELSE
12 TAKING IT ALL AWAY
13 TO THOSE OF YOU OUT THERE
DISC THREE
RECORDING SESSIONS BONUS TRACKS
1 MAY BE A PRICE TO PAY (EARLY VERSION – ERIC GUIDE VOCAL AND UNUSED GUITAR SOLO)
2 GAMES PEOPLE PLAY (EARLY VERSION – ERIC GUIDE VOCAL)
3 TIME (ORCHESTRA AND CHRIS RAINBOW BACKING VOCALS)
4 THE GOLD BUG (EARLY REFERENCE VERSION)
5 THE GOLD BUG (CHRIS RAINBOW BACKING VOCALS)
6 THE GOLD BUG (CLAVINET WITH NO DELAY)
7 THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD – Part One (EARLY BACKING TRACK)
8 SNAKE EYES (EARLY VERSION – ERIC GUIDE VOCAL)
9 THE ACE OF SWORDS (EARLY VERSION WITH SYNTH ORCHESTRATION)
10 THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD – Part Two (ERIC GUIDE VOCAL AND EXTENDED GUITAR SOLO)
SINGLE EDITS
11 GAMES PEOPLE PLAY (SINGLE EDIT)
12 THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD (SINGLE EDIT)
13 SNAKE EYES (SINGLE EDIT)
DISC FOUR – BLU RAY
5.1 SURROUND SOUND MIX (2019) AND HIGH- RESOLUTION ORIGINAL STEREO MIX BY ALAN PARSONS
Writer, producer, raconteur, comedian, singer-songwriter, fashion icon and renown hand-model Jason Bieler and the Baron Von Bielski Orchestra has returned once again with Postcards From The Asylum, the follow up to 2021’s critically acclaimed Songs For The Apocalypse.
The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra’s music has been described as Nordic Ambient Post-Classical Satanic Love Songs for Nomadic Peoples Living Above the Arctic Circle catering specifically for those who staff Musk Oxen Rescues and wear hemp based sweaters.
When aggressively prodded for comment The Baron says…“Well, Art is Art, isn’t it? Still, on the other hand, water is water. And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now you tell me what you know.”
Postcards From The Asylum features a guest appearances by: •Andee Blacksugar: Blondie, KMFDM, Peter Murphy •Marco Minnemann: The Aristocrats •Todd “Dammit” Kerns: Slash & The Conspirators, Toque •Edu Cominato: Geoff Tate, Soto •Ryo Okumoto: Spock’s Beard, Progject and more
Tracklisting: 1. Bombay 2. Numb 3. Heathens 4. Mexico 5. Birds Of Prey 6. Flying Monkeys 7. Sic Riff 8. The Depths 9. Beneath The Waves 10. Sweet Eliza 11. 9981 Dark 12. Feels Just Like Love 13. Bear Sedatives 14. Deep Blue 15. Human Head
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.