4th November 2020: Iconic guitarist Steve Hackett, releases his new acoustic album Under A Mediterranean Sky on 22nd January 2021 as a Limited CD Digipak, Gatefold 2LP + CD + LP-booklet and Digital Album via InsideOut Music. Under A Mediterranean Sky is Steve Hackett’s first acoustic solo album since Tribute in 2008 and takes inspiration from Steve’s extensive travels around the Mediterranean with his wife Jo.
Working closely with long-time musical partner Roger King, Hackett has used his time during 2020’s lockdown to take us on an extraordinary musical journey around the Mediterranean, painting vivid images of stunning landscapes and celebrating the diverse cultures of the region. Famed for his rock roots with Genesis, and through his extensive solo catalogue, Hackett demonstrates the exquisite beauty of the nylon guitar at times venturing into the exotic ethnic and often supported by dazzling orchestral arrangements.
“A lot of acoustic ideas had been forming over the years, and it felt like the perfect time to create this album,” notes Hackett, “a time to contemplate the places we’ve visited around the Mediterranean with the kind of music which evolved from the world of imagination.
“Because we can’t really travel, substantially at the moment, I hope that the album will take people on that journey. Whether you sit down and listen to it or drift off to it with a glass of wine…”
Our journey around the Med begins on the island of Malta, in Mdina – The Walled City. It’s imposing strength is portrayed by Roger King’s dramatic orchestration while Hackett’s guitar weaves through the atmospheric streets describing the creativity, love and strength that held Malta together between all the waves of conflict.
With Hackett’s delicate guitar work, Adriatic Blue paints an enchanting view of stunning scenery as tall cliffs of forested mountains plunge into the deep blue sea along the Croatian coastline. Sirocco is altogether more atmospheric, inspired by the winds playing through the imposing structures of Egypt.
The lively Joie de Vivre expresses the unique sense of joy the French have through their wine, food and folk music, with paintings reflecting family gatherings, spectacular vistas and the vibrant colours of their cities. The art of dreaming is embodied in their sensual love of life.
“At first hand, I’ve marvelled at the mystical whirling Dervishes,” says Hackett. Along with otherworldly beings such as the Djin (Genie) they sprang from Persia’s dreaming past. The Dervish And The Djin captures the extraordinary atmosphere of this most exotic of civilisations with the help of Hackett’s touring band regular – Rob Townsend’s soprano sax, the tar of Malik Mansurov (from Azerbaijan) and Armenian Arsen Petrosyan’s duduk. “Of course, those countries are virtually at war with each other,” Hackett adds, “and there has been something like a thousand casualties (at the time of writing) on both sides. Again, it’s a case of music being able to do things that politicians fail to do – something constructive.”
The Memory of Myth embodies the deep and rich history of Greece and features the violin of Christine Townsend (no relation) while Lorato – ‘love’ in the language of the African Tswana tribe – is a pretty folk tune. Love is the force that heals and links all disparate peoples of the Mediterranean.
Hackett and his wife Jo were enchanted by the little Faun statue in the House of the Faun, Pompeii. “The villas there seemed to come back to life as we walked through those wonderful atriums and gardens,” inspiring Casa del Fauno and featuring the light and airy flute of Hackett’s brother John and Rob Townsend on flute.
The only non-original piece is Domenico Scarlatti’s Sonata. This embodies the Baroque music of Italy, a sensitive interpretation embellished with cross-string trills, a technique introduced to Hackett by the fine classical guitarist, the late Theo Cheng.
Hackett also expresses his admiration for the flamenco guitarists of Andalucía who are celebrated on Andalusian Heart. “One of the flamenco guitarists was showing me the extraordinary things they are able to do,” Hackett explains. “Seeing the gypsies playing and dancing in caves there, you get the feeling that these people are dancing for their lives.”
Our journey comes to an end with The Call Of The Sea, a gentle and peaceful reflection of the vast body of water that unites the many civilisations both ancient and modern.
Under A Mediterranean Sky features Steve Hackett playing nylon, steel string and twelve string guitars, charango and Iraqi oud. Keyboards, programming and orchestral arrangements are by Roger King. Featured musicians are John Hackett and Rob Townsend, flute (Casa del Fauno); Malik Mansurov, tar and Arsen Petrosyan, duduk & Rob Townsend, Sax (The Dervish And The Djin); Christine Townsend, violin (The Memory of Myth and The Call Of The Sea). All tracks were produced by Steve Hackett and Roger King with all tracks recorded and mixed by Roger King at Siren.
“I had a great time doing this album, seeing it take shape, and I’m very pleased with the outcome. I’m very proud of it,” says Hackett. “The nylon guitar has a very individual sound but, within the compass of what the nylon-strung guitar can do, there are a lot of different tones. You can do the full-on attack, the kind of salvo that you expect from the flamenco players but, at the same time, it can also be very gentle, gentle as a harp. It’s shades of black and white. It’s also exciting to play alongside instruments from around the world, as well as a wide range of orchestral sounds.”
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. Steve’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, Steve’s solo career, which now spans more than 30 albums, has demonstrated his extraordinary versatility with both electric and acoustic guitar. Steve 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.
Steve’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) Steve has explored the influences of world music. Recent tours have seen Steve celebrate his time with Genesis including a spectacular 2018 tour in which Steve realised a long-held ambition to perform the works of Genesis live with his band and an orchestra. He recently released Selling England by the Pound & Spectral Mornings: Live at Hammersmith, a live recording of his hugely successful 2019 tour that saw him celebrating that Genesis classic, as well as the 40th anniversary of one of his most-loved solo albums.
Under A Mediterranean Sky released on 22nd January 2021Formats – Limited CD Digipak, Gatefold 2LP + CD + LP-booklet Digital Album via InsideOut Music. Official website: http://www.hackettsongs.com Official webstore: https://store.hackettsongs.com/
July 2020 sees the publication of A Genesis In My Bed – the long-overdue autobiography from guitar great and former member of Genesis, Steve Hackett. As with his music, Steve has written a highly detailed, entertaining, and embracing tome that charts his life in full, but with a firm emphasis on his years with Genesis that saw the band’s meteoric rise to become one of the most successful British bands of all time.
Steve talks candidly about his early life, his time with Genesis, and in particular his personal relationships with the other four band members, with great insight into the daily goings-on of this major rock band.
Naturally, A Genesis In My Bed also regales stories of Steve’s career since leaving Genesis and the many different journeys that it has taken him on. With his flair for the creative and a great deal of levity, A Genesis In My Bed is also a riveting read. Indispensable for Genesis fans but also essential for general music lovers and avid readers of autobiographies full of heartfelt and emotive tales.
Steve says, “It’s often revealing. There’s lace, loves, and butterflies, and I explore personal feelings. I’ve answered many questions fans asked over the years too, such as why I left Genesis. It’s taken fifteen years to bring this book to fruition, writing between tours, recording, and legal challenges, but that’s given me time to really develop it.” Here are some quotes from Steve taken from the book:
On joining Genesis…He lifted his head and looked at me with a steely gaze… “You’ve heard of them, haven’t you?”Once again I was up against that invisible wall, aware I could either choose to sit there and give in or climb over it. But once over the wall, you can never go back. I knew there and then I was about to take a leap of faith into that new world and that my life was about to change for good. I was to board a spaceship to a new planet with a bunch of aliens. I emptied my glass, put it down, and walked out through the door into the sunshine, clutching that ticket to Mars.
On creating The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway…We were writing and recording at high intensity. The Lamb is a dense album with tons of detail. Everyone brimming over with ideas, the record was as packed with themes as Times Square is filled with people on a busy night, vocals suddenly abrasive like the horn of a New York fire truck. Forget sweet dreams… the drama unfolds day and night. The Lamb felt like a titanic adventure we were trying to survive… We struck icebergs but bravely lurched on into shark-infested, uncharted waters.
On leaving Genesis…Had I done the right thing? It was a big risk and a huge step into the unknown. I was leaving a world-class band that was by now filling arenas internationally. I had to trust in the power of my instinct and inspiration…
An anecdote about a border customs experience…On one occasion, after customs found some residual illegal substance left by a previous band in the car we’d hired, we were taken off into separate rooms. The customs guys were confrontational and aggressive, challenging me with large dogs as I stood there without my clothes on. Then suddenly an alarm startled these jumpy characters who swiftly pulled out their guns and spun around wildly, nostrils flaring…
A Genesis gig caught up in a revolution…The government was about to be overthrown the following day and it was like a tinderbox explosion! There was a riot outside the venue with guns and firecrackers going off and upturned army jeeps in the street. I heard there were fatalities. The gig was oversold. Pyramids of people clambering over each other were dangerously close to the balconies.
And of his current output, Steve says: “Musically, I’m proud of the most recent album ‘At The Edge Of Light’, with creative involvement from Roger and Jo, plus the most amazing musicianship from band members, orchestral players, singers and instrumentalists from the far pavilions and beyond…”
The launch of A Genesis In My Bed comes as Steve is locked down at home, as we all are, having had to abandon his US tour at short notice. “I’d never had to stop a tour halfway before… At least the gigs were postponed, so we will return! “Being on the last flight from Philly to London brought to mind my song, ‘Last train to Istanbul’. We were lucky to get back home…
With our ‘Seconds Out’ tour plans, we still have something to look forward to beyond these dark times. We have every intention of playing as soon as venues are open again.”
Book Cover photo by Tina KorhonenGenesis photos by Armando Gallo Available to Pre-order directly from the publisher & the artist:
Having released four solo albums (2 studio and 2 live), Peter has turned his attention to working with other musicians’ projects and bands such as Kinetic Element (USA), The Steve Bonino Project (USA), Marco Ragni (Italy), Bomber Goggles (USA), Transport Aerian (Belgium), Lobate Scarp (USA), The Steppes (USA), and Gekko Projekt (USA).
“I have a lot of new material, for at least two or three more solo albums, but I wanted to work on other projects to develop myself further as a guitarist and musician. So I took on a lot of session work with several artists around the world covering over 30 songs. At the moment I am finishing up my second album with Kinetic Element – Live in New York and my upcoming 3rd studio solo album.
About Peter Matuchniak favors a progressive style of guitar that features melodic solos and graceful chording, clearly influenced by the likes of Steve Hackett (Genesis), Dave Gilmour (Pink Floyd), Andy Latimer (Camel) and Mike Oldfield. Always drawn more to composition and melody above pure technique and over-indulgence, Peter Matuchniak lets sounds and textures guide the music first and foremost.
His compositional style draws from the varied genres he was exposed to at home: a brother into jazz-rock, a sister listening to the latest radio hits, and parents who raised them all on classical music. But the basic element is always progressive rock, and Peter Matuchniak has played with a number of bands in this genre that have garnered attention and reviews, both in London where he grew up as well as in his adopted Southern California home.
Peter has received enthusiastic reviews from around the world (the latter winning a Grindie Award from RadioINDY). Back in the 1980’s Peter was part of the so-called neo-progressive rock movement with Janysium and Mach One (that were represented by Keith Goodwin, press agent for Yes, Marillion and Rod Argent. He also wrote and recorded jingles in Bombay for commercials that were aired on Indian TV with high-profile artists and accounts, with one such ad winning a CLIO award for public safety.
Discography Solo Album / TBA (2020) Kinetic Element – Live From New York 2020 Kinetic Element – The Face of Life (2019) Bomber Goggles – GyreLand (2018) Marco Ragni – The Wondering Caravan (2018) Transport Aerian – Therianthrope (2017) Marco Ragni – Land of Blue Echoes (2016) Peter Matuchniak – A Live Destination (2015) Peter Matuchniak – A Live Destination Video (2015) Free with CD Gekko Projekt – Reya of Titan (2015) Peter Matuchniak – Destiny (2014) Peter Matuchniak – Uncovered Live in L.A. (2014) Gekko Projekt – Electric Forest (2012) Peter Matuchniak- DVD Uncover Me CD (2012) Evolve IV – Decadent Light (2007)
The Night of the Prog festival is showcased at The Loreley Amphitheater is a UNESCO World Heritage and holds legendary ROCKPALAST shows in the 70s and 80s. On the hill of the River Rhine, it is located between Frankfurt and Cologne in Germany. Since 2006 the Night of the Prog Festival is happening at the legendary rock.
Featured bands and artists over the last years were: Dream Theater, Eloy, IQ, Riverside, Jethro Tull, Asia, Anathema, Steven Wilson, Spock’s Beard, Arena, Pendragon, Tangerine Dream, Fish, Steve Hackett, Marillion and many more.
VOYAGER IV will perform Sunday, 19th July at Night of the Prog 2020 promoting their current release Pictures at an Exhibition
The classic piano-cycle “Pictures At An Exhibition” by Modest Mussorgsky from 1874 was only the start of an exciting musical journey. VOYAGER IV then just stop along the way at 70ies supergroup ELP (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), who reworked three of Mussorgsky’s “pictures” for their album “Pictures At An Exhibition” back in 1971.
Arriving in the 21st century, those three and further five of the “pictures” can be found on VOYAGER IV’s most recent album and live shows, reworked with vocals and virtuous instrumentation. London based producer Jon Caffrey is responsible for the fresh sound design.
They have a stunning light show, special and rarely seen instruments and they create a mix of cosmic space rock sounds and vocal arrangements plus instrumental passages. VOYAGER IV is one of the most exciting cross-over projects within the prog genre. Singer and songwriter Johannes Kuchta also has a stunning voice, that reminds fans of Peter Gabriel, Greg Lake, Phil Collins or Fish.
“Really enjoyed the new album! Some very bold and adventurous avenues taken with Modest Mussorgsky. I always enjoy listening to someone’s interpretations of otherwise well-known themes. I like that fact that you incorporated those ideas in your own way and varied them enough to make it your own. Well done!”
Marc Bonilla (recorded 4 albums with Keith Emerson)
Other shows include Voyager IV – Pictures At An Exhibition Tour
Friday, February 21, 2020, at 8 PM
Kesselhaus & Maschinenhaus (Kulturbrauerei) Schönhauser Allee 36, 10435 Berlin, Germany
Voyager IV – Pictures At An Exhibition Tour
Friday, April 17, 2020, at 8 PM
Unna Lindenbrauerei 59174 Kamen
Nad Sylvan, vocalist with Steve Hackett, is pleased to announce the release of his new solo album ‘The Regal Bastard’ on July 5th, 2019. His third album for InsideOutMusic, and his 5th overall, this record is the final part of the Vampirate trilogy that he began on 2015’s ‘Courting The Widow’.
Nad comments: “This album is very coherent. It really does excite me, and I am sure my fans are gonna freak out when they hear it.”
Work on ‘The Regal Bastard’ began in August 2017, when the vocalist began to record. “What I tend to do is put down my ideas, and then send these to the proper musicians, who are then free to develop them in their own ways. I can then cherry pick from what they subsequently send me. “I have had to take a number of breaks, though, from working on this album, due to other commitments. So, it’s never been a case of me devoting all of my time to the project. But what this has done is allow me to return to it refreshed after time away, and able to take a different perspective on it all.” The record was finished over the last two-month period, with Nad working mammoth 15-20 hour days in order to complete it before his tour with Steve Hackett began. “The music to the title track was finished in early 2018, but the lyrics and the vocal delivery was all done in two days and finished on the same day I went to master the album. But it worked!”
Once more, Sylvan has pulled together a tremendous array of musical talent to bring his inspiration to life.
“Almost everyone who worked on ‘The Bride Said No’ is back with me again. Steve Hackett plays guitar on one track, Guthrie Govan on two, while Tony Levin does the bass on a song. Jonas Reingold plays bass on much of the album, and Nick D’Virgilio handles the drums. And I also have the same female singers working with me once more, these being Sheona Urquhart, Jade Ell and Tania Doko. And on ‘Honey I’m Home’, there’s a big choir section, with every singer that has been involved with the 3 albums that make up the Vampirate trilogy, concluding the story in an honourable way. We also have Nick Beggs joining in on this part of the song.”
‘The Regal Bastard’ will be released as a limited CD Digipak (incl. 2 bonus tracks), Gatefold 2LP + CD & as digital album. The full-track-listing can be found below:
1. I Am The Sea 2. Oahu 3. Whoa (Always Been Without You) 4. Meet Your Maker 5. The Regal Bastard 6. Leave Me On These Waters 7. Honey I’m Home 8. Diva Time (Bonus Track) 9. The Lake Isle of Innisfree (Bonus Track)
Nad comments: “For me, this is the best of the three records. I honestly believe it will delight the fans. It is maybe not as riff heavy as the others. I would describe the sound as coming from the notion of pop going prog, with R’n’B elements in there as well. It is very soulful. But that suits my style. I am a vocal chameleon, and you’ll hear that throughout. It is the finest possible way to bring the trilogy to an end.”
Nad will spend most of 2019 touring once again with Steve Hackett, as he celebrates the 40 years anniversary of “Spectral Mornings”, as well as the Genesis classic ‘Selling England By The Pound’. Find the full list of dates here: http://www.hackettsongs.com/tour.html
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