German instrumental rock powerhouse Long Distance Calling released their sixth studio album ‘Boundless’ earlier this year, and followed it with European headline dates. Now, in advance of the second part of their European tour, they are pleased to reveal a brand new video for the track ‘Like A River’.
The band comments: “Friends, we did a moody and atmospheric video for the BOUNDLESS track ´LIKE A RIVER´, enjoy this beautiful journey of the water. We had this ‘soundtrack feeling’ while writing the song, so the music and the pictures make a really nice match.”
Watch the video now here:
The band begin their next run of tour dates in November, and you can find the full list of dates below:
22.11.18 THU – GER-Leipzig – Täubchenthal
23.11.18 FRI – CZE-Prague – Club Nova Chmelnice
24.11.18 SAT – POL-Krakow – Zascianek
25.11.18 SUN – GER-Potsdam – Waschhaus
29.11.18 THU – GER-Karlsruhe – Stadtmitte
30.11.18 FRI – SUI-Pratteln – Z7
01.12.18 SAT – AUT-Dornbirn – Conrad Sohm
02.12.18 SUN – GER-Augsburg – Kantine
06.12.18 THU – GER-TRIER – EX HAUS
07.12.18 FRI – FRA-Paris – Backstage by the Mill
08.12.18 SAT – NED-Hellmond – Cacaofabriek
09.12.18 SUN – NED-Amsterdam – Melkweg
13.12.18 THU – GER-Bochum – Rotunde
14.12.18 FRI – GER-Rostock – Mau Club
15.12.18 SAT – GER-Braunschweig – Eule
16.12.18 SUN – GER-Frankfurt – Zoom
20.12.18 THU – GER-Bielefeld – Forum
21.12.18 FRI – GER-Schweinfurt – Stattbahnhof
The album is available as a special edition digipak CD, Gatefold 2LP + CD (incl. etching on side D) & as a digital download. Pre-order & stream the singles now here: www.insideoutmusicshop.com
Following the release of two albums that saw the band exploring the addition of vocals to their sound, the band have gone back to basics and created a purely instrumental record.
The band comments: “We are happy to announce our new album ‘BOUNDLESS’ which will see the light of day on February 2nd, 2018. This time around the four of us locked ourselves in a room over a couple of months and pretty much got back to where we started as a band to catch this “go with the flow” feeling. This is probably the purest LDC album ever, no guests, no vocals, all instrumental. We´re stoked how it turned out and this album got a lot of energy, heaviness, melodies, and twists, we hope you will enjoy it as much as we do.”
The track-listing of the album is as follows:
1. Out There
2. Ascending
3. In The Clouds
4. Like A River
5. The Far Side
6. On The Verge
7. Weightless
8. Skydivers
Long Distance Calling tear everything down and let it blossom again. ‘Boundless’ sounds like freedom found again, sometimes weightless, sometimes oppressively heavy.
If you’ve attempted to keep up with the news cycle in recent years, then Conundrum, the title of the Alex Skolnick Trio’s new album from Palmetto Records/MRI, should be a no-brainer. “It represents the sense of confusion many of us are feeling in the midst of the strangest sociopolitical upheavals of our lifetimes,” says Skolnick, the guitarist and composer who helped define thrash metal as a founding member of Testament, before establishing himself on the international jazz scene. “This album captures many styles in an effort to channel that angst into art and inspire others to do likewise.”
Photo by Nelson Oh, Electric Eyes Photography (electriceyesphotography.blogspot.com)
Ironically, given its globally pertinent message, Conundrum is in many ways Skolnick’s most intimate record yet. It is the trio’s first new studio album since 2011’s Veritas, and it features original music almost exclusively, with six compositions by Skolnick, one apiece by bassist Nathan Peck and drummer Matt Zebroski, and a gorgeous interpretation of maverick composer Erik Satie’s “Gymnopédie No. 1.”
Far removed from the musical tunnel vision of “guitar” or “shred” albums, Conundrumreflects Skolnick’s wide-ranging knowledge as a player and, even more important, as a listener. “What would I want to hear, regardless of the instrument and regardless of technique?” he asks. “That’s the type of music I try to create as an improviser and composer.”
The multi-layer, multi-section songs that resulted are, in a word, sweeping— and include plenty for guitar heads to dig into after all. Skolnick’s “Unbound,” part of which originated on piano, kicks off Conundrum with springy slapped harmonics. Beautiful chordal work follows, as well as soloing that lays out the guitarist’s m.o. as a lead player: to tell a story by varying his attack, tone, intensity and harmonic approach with masterful control. “Django Tango,” which Skolnick originally wrote for his acclaimed world-music project Planetary Coalition, is precisely what it proclaims to be—a sensual commingling of Reinhardt and Piazzolla (plus, Skolnick notes, a touch of downtown attitude via Marc Ribot y Los Cubanos Postizos).
The record’s title track feels open and airy, with inspiration culled from Chick Corea’s Spanish-influenced acoustic tunes. (The melodies are so whimsical that you might not notice the section in 5/4, or that the solos’ order upends jazz tradition.) Peck steps away from his double bass, proving a nimble presence on the electric bass here and on a couple of other tunes. A lover of classical piano, Skolnick plays Satie’s melancholy reverie on steel-string acoustic, atop Peck and Zebroski’s suitably graceful, empathetic backing.
“Culture Shock,” on which Skolnick alternates between hollowbody and Telecaster, is a go-for-broke mashup that flies from Nashville to Dubai and back again; it’s also one of the album’s tunes where the title puts Skolnick’s social and political ideas in plain sight.
Zebroski’s “Dodge the Bamboula” borrows its changes from “Dodge the Dodo,” by the late Swedish pianist-composer Esbjörn Svensson, and applies them to the much-overlooked bamboula rhythm that became a cornerstone of New Orleans’ second-line groove. During a middle section, Skolnick picks up a Gypsy-jazz guitar and we’re transported to a café in ’30s-era Paris. Skolnick’s “Key of Sea,” crafted toward the end of the album’s writing session, takes its cinematic textures from the ambient-music innovator Brian Eno and from ECM Records. (Like so many jazz devotees, Skolnick was ecstatic when ECM began streaming its entire catalog last fall; “Key of Sea” was particularly influenced by one of the label’s curated playlists, “ECM Atmospheres.”) “I think I realized not every tune needs a super-singable melody,” Skolnick comments. The album’s last two tunes find the trio more firmly on jazz terrain: “A Question of Moral Ambiguity” is a hip midtempo swinger that allows Skolnick and company to get their blues fix; and “Protect the Dream” (not to be confused with the Grover Washington Jr. tune of the same name) finds Peck, its composer, digging deep into post-Wayne Shorter harmony. Skolnick spends most of the track on steel-string acoustic, but goes full electric tilt to close, per Peck’s request.
Photo by FotoGOLAB
Born in 1968 and raised in the Bay Area, Alex Skolnick was still a teenager when he made heavy-metal history on Testament’s essential debut, The Legacy. Over his next five years with the band, he cemented his reputation as one of metal’s most gifted lead guitarists, setting chops benchmarks with his work on songs like “Burnt Offerings” and “Practice What You Preach.” He left Testament in 1992 and rejoined in 2005, and following his return the band has released three well-received studio albums and remained a major touring act in heavy music. Most recently Testament has been hitting arenas and amphitheaters as part of Slayer’s blockbuster “Final World Tour.” In 1995, after nearly getting the guitar spot in Ozzy Osbourne’s band — the Prince of Darkness seemed thrilled; his wife/manager Sharon, less so — Skolnick found himself at a crossroads. “The ultimate guitar gig, and then for it not to happen, that was really motivating for me. I really asked myself, ‘What am I going to do?’ Especially in the mid-’90s, when the guitar solo was disappearing from rock. And what do I want to do?”
His interest in jazz had been gathering steam since before he left Testament, so Skolnick headed east toward the end of the decade and enrolled at Manhattan’s venerable New School. It was there that he dug even deeper into recordings by Miles, Trane, Wes, Jim Hall, Scofield, Metheny and more; studied with jazz greats like saxophonist George Garzone and bassist Reggie Workman; and formed his trio, which debuted on record in 2002 with Goodbye to Romance: Standards for a New Generation.
The album, with its wholly convincing jazz makeovers of hard-rock staples by Kiss, Black Sabbath, Aerosmith and more, made waves that roiled through the jazz, rock and guitar communities. “The strong melodies lend themselves to improvisation in a way that their composers never imagined,” Tad Hendrickson wrote in The Village Voice. And in DownBeat, Glenn Astarita offered, “Besides the musicians’ technical prowess, they execute these rock tunes with a slant that might imply an antithesis to what was originally conceived.”
Dates at high-profile venues like the Iridium, in Manhattan, Yoshi’s, in Oakland, and the Blue Note Milano followed, as did three more critically lauded studio albums. Each of those contained at least one rock-to-postbop transformation, which has become something of a calling card for the trio. “Doing the cover tunes was something I stumbled upon,” Skolnick says. “There have been so many albums and interpretations of jazz standards and the Great American Songbook, but I really felt a connection to these songs.”
On Conundrum, however, the opportunity to showcase his inspired original music was too good to pass up. “I’m not saying we’ll never do another [rock cover],” Skolnick says, also pointing out that the vinyl version of Conundrum will contain a rendition of Scorpions’ classic ballad “Still Loving You.” “But I always wanted to expand as a composer. I always wanted my instrumental work to reflect that.”
Expansion, progress, the trust that develops within a band—these are concepts Skolnick wades into when discussing the future of the trio, and of his life in music. “With every record we do, every gig, I feel like there’s a sense of improvement,” he says. “I feel like I’m playing circles around where we were when I started improvising. Scofield, Metheny, Jeff Beck— my improvising idols—they’re always developing.”
And while Testament continues to thrive, it’s the trio and its repertoire that Skolnick can see growing old with. “These days I still love playing screaming, loud guitar and heavy metal, though I don’t think I’m going to be one of these guys who’s past social-security age and in a rock band and touring,” he says. “But I can see myself doing these songs with the trio for many years to come.”
Photo by FotoGOLAB
ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO
is promoting the new album performing live
Sept 9 – Chicago, IL (Reggie’s)
Sept 12 &13- New York, NY (The Iridium)
Sept 15- Los Angeles, CA (The Baked Potato) w/ Stu Hamm
Sept 16 – San Diego, CA (Brick By Brick)
Oct 17 – The Woodlands, TX (Dosey Doe)
Oct 18 – San Antonio, TX (Fitzgerald’s)
Oct 20 – McKinney, TX (The Guitar Sanctuary)
Booking contact
Europe, North America
MAXIMUM Booking / Jeff Aug
info@MAXIMUMbooking.com
Central & South America, Asia, Oceania, Africa
MoonJune Music / Leonardo Pavkovic
noanoamusic@moonjune.com
“River Down Below”, the new and second single off the upcoming, seventh studio album “Wasteland” (Out on InsideOutMusic on September 28th, 2018) by Polish Rock masters RIVERSIDE is being launched today.
“River Down Below”, the new and second single off the upcoming, seventh studio album “Wasteland” (Out on InsideOutMusic on September 28th, 2018) by Polish Rock masters RIVERSIDE is being launched today.
Check out “River Down Below” in its full album version via IOM’s YouTube channel here:
RIVERSIDE’s Mariusz Duda checked in with the following comment about the track: “River Down Below‘ is another song we’ve written with “river” in the title, the fourth one, if I’m not mistaken. In our case, river symbolises memory and that’s the case here as well. The lyrics tell the story of a wanderer, who accidentally finds the grave of one of those who didn’t manage to survive the apocalypse. He hears a voice, “take me from here, take me to the river, that’s where I belong…”
“If the band continue to exist, the memory of Grudzień will survive”, said one of my friends when I thought it was the end of RIVERSIDE. So there had to be a track on the new album that would refer to it. Not literally. It’s still a story about the world in an alternative future, but you can find that reference between the lines.
It’s a very simple, delicate, and at the same time incredibly powerful song; one of the most beautiful RIVERSIDE melodies I have managed to write, with a brilliant solo by one of our guests, Maciej Meller. We have always subscribed to the idea that there’s great power in simplicity. “River Down Below” showcases the essence of our music and gives an idea of the emotions which can be found on our upcoming new release.
RIVERSIDE’s line-up and the credits for “River Down Below” are as follows:
Mariusz Duda – vocal, acoustic and electric guitar, bass, piccolo bass
Michał Łapaj – keyboards and Hammond Organ
Piotr Kozieradzki – drums
Guitar solo by Maciej Meller
Music and lyrics by Mariusz Duda
Artwork by Travis Smith
Clip by Tomasz Pulsakowski / Sightsphere
The track-listing for RIVERSIDE “Wasteland” album reads as follows:
RIVERSIDE – “Wasteland”:
1. The Day After
2. Acid Rain
3. Vale Of Tears
4. Guardian Angel
5. Lament
6. The Struggle For Survival
7. River Down Below
8. Wasteland
9. The Night Before
RIVERSIDE will be embarking on the “Wasteland 2018 Tour” in October/November to support the release of their upcoming album. Here are the dates:
RIVERSIDE – “Wasteland 2018 Tour”:
12.10.2018 Gdansk (Poland) – B90
13.10.2018 Poznan (Poland) – Tama
14.10.2018 Wroclaw (Poland) – A2
16.10.2018 Katowice (Poland) – Miasto Ogrodów
17.10.2018 Lódz (Poland) – Magnetofon
18.10.2018 Torun (Poland) – Od Nowa
20.10.2018 Kraków (Poland) – Studio
21.10.2018 Warszawa (Poland) – Hala Kolo
30.10.2018 Berlin (Germany) – Kesselhaus
31.10.2018 Schorndorf (Germany) – Manufaktur
03.11.2018 Lisbon (Portugal) – LAV
04.11.2018 Madrid (Spain) – MON LIVE
05.11.2018 Barcelona (Spain) – Salamandra 1
06.11.2018 Lyon (France) – CCO
07.11.2018 Paris (France) – La Machine
09.11.2018 Manchester (UK) – Academy 2
10.11.2018 London (UK) – The Electric Ballroom
11.11.2018 Sint-Niklaas (Belgium) – Casino
12.11.2018 Utrecht (The Netherlands) – TivoliVredenburg
14.11.2018 Hamburg (Germany) – Markthalle
15.11.2018 Oberhausen (Germany) – Turbinenhalle 2
16.11.2018 Pratteln (Switzerland) – Z7
17.11.2018 Neunkirchen (Germany) – Gloomaar Festival
World-class musicians record intimate performance concert blending classical music, jazz, rock, and Indian fusion
During the first week of October 2017, world-class musicians from many genres came together in an ambitious project…to record and perform a full night of music…in a week. The Deep Energy Orchestra were brought together by local composer and fretless bassist, Jason Everett who had been named an “Artist in Residence” by the prestigious non-profit Jack Straw Cultural Center in Seattle, WA. The project captured high-quality audio and video performances of his compositions which are inspired by his love for classical, jazz and Indian Fusion music. The live recording took place at Jack Straw Cultural Center, located in the University District, over a two day period.
Says Jason, “I love instrumental music, and started as a classical musician at eight. I was playing jazz clubs professionally at sixteen and fell in love with Indian music at eighteen. This project is an exciting culmination of that history and my love for those musical styles.”
Another well-known musician in the project who plays an unusual instrument is Trey Gunn, who is best known for his work with King Crimson and the Security Project. “I was really excited to play with Trey…we are both bassists with extended range instruments who play melodically; so we were able to trade off roles as lead and rhythm players,” explained Jason. “Trey is really exciting to watch as he is performing on his Warr Guitar which is a 12-string instrument that he plays almost like a piano.”
“I was surprised how easily these pieces flowed out of us when rehearsing and recording. It is a clear testament to Jason’s writing that music this challenging felt so natural.” – Trey Gunn
Also featured on the album is Indian musician Selvaganesh, best known for his work with Shakti, John McLaughlin, and Jonas Helborg, who plays kanjira and his custom drum kit.
“It is my pleasure to be part of Deep Energy Orchestra, everyone was flying, especially Trey! I had a great time playing the music and was impressed with Jason’s pieces, especially those in odd meters. This is one of my favorite groups!” – Selvaganesh
More-strings-than-usual might be a theme for this group as lead violinist Radhika Iyer, from San Francisco, played her seven-string electric violin and Everett himself is known for his unique seven-string fretless bass. Other local musicians who rounded out the sound included tabla player Anil Prasad, and classical musicians, Rachel Nesvig on violin, Aleida Gehrels on viola, and Phil Hirschi on cello.
Jason Everett (aka Mister E) is a performer, composer, and producer who plays a variety of stringed and percussive instruments with his primary instruments being his seven-string fretless bass and acoustic six-string bass. Jason attended Northern Arizona University on a full scholarship for bassoon and started playing jazz professionally at sixteen years old.
Jason has played music outside of the mainstream for most of his career including with the avant-garde space-jazz ensemble, Little Green Men; Flamenco fusion groups, Machete’, Deseo Carmin, and Acoustic Fantasy; world fusion groups, Avaaza, Tarana, and Andre Feriante; and Kirtan artists, Gina Sala’ and Girish. Jason has also been recently performing and recording with Bay Area world jazz fusion groups, Facing East and Ancient Future. Jason has created his own groups including Taal Maya, a Shakti inspired Indian fusion project and Pandamonium, which is described as “Prog Rock Jazz Funk.”
“Jason Everett’s intonation on his signature 7-string fretless bass is exemplary, and he is a well-spring of melodies and musical ideas. Keep your eyes and ears out for Jason Everett aka Mister E!” – Stu Hamm
Jason’s recording work has recently included producing a four-movement, 20-minute composition called “Moksha: The Elimination of All Duality” that features world-class artists including Selvaganesh (Shakti, Masters of Percussion), Fareed Haque (director of Jazz Studies at Northern Illinois University), Suhail Yusuf Khan, Radhakrisna Neyvili, Vishal Nagar, and Ujwal Nagar.
Jason is also performing as a solo bass artist and has recently performed at NAMM (the National Association of Music Manufacturers) convention in LA, the International Solo Bass Competition hosted by bass amplifier manufacturer, Phil Jones Bass in NY, and as a headliner for Bass Bash in Denver, CO for the last several years.
Finally, Jason was name an Artist in Residence by Seattle non-profit, Jack Straw Cultural Center for 2017 and recorded his new album, “Playing With Fire” which is due for release October 2018 and has recently started a new collaboration with the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra who have commissioned Jason to arrange his music from the “Playing With Fire” album for their full chamber orchestra. Jason is an endorsed artist for Bartolini Pickups, Kalium Strings and Conklin Guitars, who have created a signature model instrument for Jason called, the “OM Bass.”
“Jason’s impressive bass work will dazzle, but his playing transcends the instrument to become a pure source of expression. His compositions are equally full of wonder and atmosphere for a sonic journey. A top-notch musician!” – Kevin Johnson No Treble Bass Magazine
In closing Jason has this to impart, “My music is a combination of the styles that move me. Classical, Jazz, Groove, Funk, Prog Rock, and World music (particularly Indian and Flamenco). Music is a language and it is always amazing when musicians from different genres and training can come together to create something new, unique and beautiful. My music is nearly always instrumental, and often in odd-meters.”
I’m proud and pleased to announce that the ‘Clutching at Straws’ remaster is finally available for pre order with the release date of November 23rd. As my favourite of all the albums I created with my former band it was always going to be a special project. I realised it would also be demanding as it involved revisiting some turbulent times and scratching some old wounds.
The documentary we filmed for the Blu Ray on the CD box set version at the Old Reindeer Inn in Banbury back in May when we were interviewed by Mick Wall had a couple of awkward moments and makes for some interesting viewing. Old friendships however prevailed and the existing camaraderie is obvious. The footage is part of a great collection of material on the disc taking in demos from 1986 and from the follow up album that never happened in 1988. The promotional videos are all there and I have to admit having a big smile watching the ‘Incommunicado’ clip for the first time in years.
The 5-1 mix is truly wonderful and was created by Andy Bradfield and Avril Mackintosh who was the original mixing engineer for producer Chris Kimsey in Advision studios back in 1987. Knowing the album inside out she has added, together with Andy an amazing new take on the songs and brought a whole new energy and life into both the 5-1 and new stereo mixes.
The live material that is on both the vinyl and CD versions is from a legendary show in Edinburgh on December 19th 1987 and this is the first time it’s been featured in its entirety. Again I had some happy memories of a breath-taking gig I’m glad to see unearthed and finally released in all its glory.
Mark Wilkinson as always has put together a great package and with Mick Wall’s new sleeve notes and a host of photos it makes for an interesting read. It was definitely a trip back in time for me on this project.
The full track listing of the 4CD/BRD box set and the 5 vinyl disc box set you can discover on the fishmusic.scot store, links to both editions below:
Clutching At Straws (4CD/Blu-ray set)
I have to say I was extremely disappointed that the timing of the project moved as it was originally intended to be released in September to coincide with the tour I had booked around the initially proposed release schedule. Due to matters totally out with my control the delay has meant that I won’t have the ‘Clutching at Straws’ products on the merchandise stall on the mainland European tour.
As with the previous ‘Misplaced Childhood’ box set re master I will be autographing both the vinyl and CD/BRD sets. Warners had originally moved the release to mid-November which would have meant it was impossible to sign them as I would be on tour. After explaining my predicament they were sympathetic and generously agreed to move the release back to the 23rd November. This means I can sign the copies when I come back from Europe and before the December UK tour.
Having the ‘Clutching at Straws’ box sets on the road would have meant a saving for people on postage but with the release now on November 23rd I’m afraid there is no other option but to buy them on mail order. I’ll be carrying the product on my UK tour in December but as these are both limited edition products I can’t promise there will be any available. I will only have 750 vinyl box sets and 2500 CD/BRD disc box sets which is roughly what I sold on the last release.
As I buy these from Warners I am effectively taking on the role as a retailer and as such my margins are relatively small. I’ve tried to keep the pricing as tight as possible but I appreciate that the postage costs I’d hoped to avoid by selling it on the road are expensive. I can’t reduce the price of the ‘Clutching’ box sets but after discussion with my team what I have decided to offer is a £2 reduction in price on any of the solo remaster catalogue which includes ‘Songs from the Mirror’, ‘Suits’, ‘Sunsets on Empire’, ‘Raingods with Zippos’, ‘Fellini Days’ and ‘Field of Crows’ if you order either of the ‘CAS’ remasters.
To clarify if you buy a ‘CAS’ remaster from fishmusic.scot you can order 1 or more of the Fish solo remasters at the same time and get a £2 discount on each solo remaster which will be calculated at checkout. The solo remasters will have postage and packaging added and will be sent separately from the ‘CAS’ remaster when we receive your pre order. The autographed ‘CAS’ remaster will be sent out after the official release date 23rd November. The vinyl box sets and CD box sets will also be sent out as separate packages.
I stress that these are limited editions and after we are sold out there will be no restocking. I know there were quite a few people left disappointed when the ‘Misplaced’ CD box set sold out and who thought there would be more available. Warners have informed me that both the vinyl and CD/BRD disc box sets will be discontinued after they have sold this production run.
Clutching At Straws (5LP vinyl set)
I’ll be announcing the pre order of ‘A Parley with Angels’ EP next week. I’m glad to say that there won’t be such a long wait on this with the digipak version scheduled for release on the 20th September. More details will be on social media and the website on the 12th September together with the release on digital download and streaming platforms of the first of the ‘Weltschmerz’ tracks, ‘Man with a Stick’. The three new songs for the new release are sounding fantastic and the live material packs a punch on its own. I think it’s a good combination and a great wee package to introduce fans to the new material and direction. You’ll find out more next week.
Your help and support on these releases is highly and sincerely appreciated and I hope you’ll be as pleased as I am with the new ‘Clutching at Straws’ packages.
Thanks again for being out there
Take care and stay alive
Fish
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