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BENIGN |
Diaries of Love and War
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Benign is the studio project of musician Tim Goodacre. He resides is London, UK. The music is the product of a fusion of styles, from the dark electronic pop-rock twistings of Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode to the subtle musings of contemporary masters like Elbow and David Sylvian. Benign forges a new style that refuses to be categorised: drawn from many influences, from rock, pop, and world-music heritage, melded together for a fresh sound.
"Diaries of Love and War" is the debut album by Benign. It is a brooding affair, exploring the darker side of love in the unsettled age of terrorism and corporate decay. A journey through these times, the listener is transported through 11 tracks of passion, pain, and hope. The album was 3 years in the making and features guest performances by Peter Yttergren and Neil Bonfield.
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THE PEARLDIVERS |
The Box of Beautiful Things
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The Pearldivers' second release, again drawing on songs from the period 1972~2006, but this time featuring an impressive array of international guest artists.
"Place In The Sun" was Jet's first ever song to be performed in public at The Kirk in Sydney in late 1972, a song he has re-recorded for this new CD and which he performed in the very same venue for the launch of "Shimmer" in 2005.
The songs "Christian", "Tear At The Sky" and "Neon In The Rain" were each composed in 1973, although they have been substantially revamped for this release.
"Sweet In-Between", "Girl From The North Side" and "Best I Can Do" come from 1981~1982.
"Polaroids" and "Don't Cry" were written in 1994. Jet has retained "Polaroids" in its 4-track cassette format, adding a new solo but retaining all the original vocals, guitars, bass and drums in a fresh re-mix.
But from 2005 and 2006 come brand new songs such as "Cloud Riding", "Walk Away", "Say It (I'm Free)" and "Heart On My Sleeve".
The album features Jet's son Taylor on bass, drummers Alex Friesen (Canada) and Joe Bush (USA), Felix Almentero (USA) on classical guitar, Peter Green (USA) on flugelhorn, Dave Smith (UK) on electric guitar and Peter van der Woestijne and Wim Koopman (The Netherlands) on Hammond organ and soprano saxophone respectively.
This release also features Jet for the first time on his Yairi classical guitar (the 14th birthday gift from his father that began his musical career) as well as his old Ibanez lap steel.
Jet has once more engaged mastering engineer Steve Smart from Studios 301 in Sydney, this time utilizing a Studer A820.
The CD includes a fold-out lyric sheet.
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Peter Yttergren |
Another World
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"Peter Yttergren/Another World
Rating: 4/5
Peter Yttergren is unlikely to be a name familiar to you. A drummer, pianist, singer, composer from Örebro, Sweden who, after several decades of session drumming, has finally gone it alone.
But the surprise is, this album sounds nothing like a solo album from a skins-man. It's a classic piece of AOR.
Raised on Genesis, and a healthy dose of West Coast soft rock, these are influences that are clearly visible across the whole of this excellent album.
This Land opens with a gentle beat, synth and keyboards. The vocals fall between pre and post Gabriel Genesis. It's a great opener and a taster of what's to come.
But it's a varied album - distinctly AOR, but with a number of instrumental / semi classical pieces thrown in, all of which add to the overall package. If Only is a brief piano / strings piece and MLE a semi classical flute / lead guitar number. Aftermath another track that wouldn't be out of place on a 1970s Camel album. And While I Breathe is a piece of solo acoustic work that wouldn't be out of place on a Jan Akkerman album.
The main meal though is an AOR smorgasbord. Emile is a stand out track - a lovely ballad, falling somewhere between Toto, and Steely Dan with some excellent lead guitar work from Bob Melanson. Lorraine is pure Don Henley meets Toto, influences appear again on the up tempo Make a Change and The Trail Of Our Past.
The more melodic Genesis influences resurface on In Another World, Without Your Heart. Nothing At All throws some wonderful sax into the mix on a schmaltzy number that could be a Henley/Collins duet. Unspoken is pure Henley.
Written and recorded over a 3 year period, Another World is a slice of melodic AOR as good as anything you'll find this side of your local branch of Ikea.
PETE WHALLEY/Get Ready To Rock"
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Dave Keir |
Interim Reports
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I was born in Glasgow in 1953 and was raised and schooled in the nearby town of Paisley. I've been playing guitar since about the age of 8 years and had some classical guitar lessons early on which, while they put me off classical guitar music for life, taught me how to read music and use my fingers for which I will be eternally grateful. My early influence were the same as everybody else's during the '60s - The Beatles, Dylan… Later I became influenced by, and have studied the music and playing of, John Renbourn, country blues artists through the teachings of Stefan Grossman, Stefan himself, Loudon Wainwright III, jazz guitar players including Charlie Christian and Kenny Burrell, and great romantic composers such as Gustav Mahler and Jean Sibelius.
I was based in London during the 1970s and '80s when I was playing professionally and semi-professionally, and made frequent UK and European tours including a short residence in Germany. I made a couple of LPs during that time ("Dave Keir" & "I Can See Dover, both nla.). I retired from the professional scene in the early 80s to bring up a family and "get a real job", however I continued to write and play occasional concerts, when requested. In 1992 we all moved to Scotland and I am now living in, and playing out of, the north-east of Scotland near the village of Banchory. This year I started recording afresh and I am hoping to reach a wider audience again with my debut CD, "Interim Reports", which was released in August, 2006. |
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Ian Rushton |
Black Sands
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"...Rushton has a masterpiece on his hands. "Black Sands" evokes such powerful images it is impossible not to be enchanted by it."
- Peter Dent, NZ Musician Magazine, Dec/Jan 2006
An instrumental exploration in the style of Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells', with a "Floyd-esque" feel but with an obvious New Zealand flavour and the distinctive Rushton style, accompanied by a cast of talented international musicians from USA, Canada, and Holland. While essentialy an instrumental rock album, Black Sands still remains cloaked in Rushton's characteristic melodic elegance. The album features several atmospheric tracks, which could best be described as progressive instrumental rock starting to go New Age in places. The musical themes are strong and thoroughly explored for around 72 minutes of musical pleasure, with one track luring the listener in slowly and insidiously for an epic journey close to 17 minutes.
Musicians:
Ian Rushton
Steve Fogal
Vaughn Fowler
Lenny "Lee" Ackley
Marcel Ritsema
Wim Koopman
Peter Forster
Scott Kent
Brad Egan
Bob Melanson |
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Dave Smith |
Call Me
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A collection of eleven catchy, mainly guitar based, alternative pop/rock songs, "Call Me" is song writer Dave Smith's first album release. The album was recorded over a period of 18 months in his UK home studio using a Cubase powered DAW. Guesting on piano for "To See You Smile" is New Zealand pianist/composer Ian Rushton, collaborating over the internet.
Dave has been involved in music since he was a young child singing duets with his brother and learning piano. After leaving school he played guitar with cover bands for a while, but his main instrument was the trombone. Dave played with several orchestras, bands and brass groups until 1995 when he took a break from music.
In 1999 the wish to play music again took hold of Dave and he picked up the guitar again and in 2000 he found the power of digital audio workstations. From then he began to write his own music and put together his studio, gradually developing his skill own musical style. "Call Me" is the culmination of that work.
'Dave Smith's album "Call Me" reveals an artist with a talent for producing infectious, foot-tapping pop music at it's best.'
Pete Young, Broadcaster
School Times Radio
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annemarie Borg
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Secrets
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Annemarie was born in Paris, with a French and Swedish background.
Though her love for music started in childhood, she went on to graduate in Business and International Law at the University of Paris.
She came to England and studied music to obtain a diploma in Performance and Opera Studies from Birkbeck University.
She studied acting at the Method Acting School, under the direction of Andy Lucas. Annemarie's career has taken her through Europe and across North America over the past 10 years.
Her passion for French Music and Poetry has led her to combine interpretation and musicality in songs regardless of the time in which they were written. She invites her listener into her own intimate world and understanding of "Chanson".
She speaks fluent French, English, and Swedish and sings in seven languages.
In 1997, in Paris, she was a prizewinner in the Concours General de Musique et d'Art Dramatique for her interpretation of Gabriel Fauré as a Soprano Falcon.She has appeared in London at various venues including the Jermyn Street Theatre and Pizza on the Park, The Cochrane Theatre, St John's Smith Square.
She scripts, and performs her own one-woman shows, with a mixture of sophistication, wit, emotion and charm.
Some of her recent shows were: "Parlez-moi d'Amour", "A la recherche du temps perdu", " Americans in Paris " " Foreign Affairs "
Her interpretation of Fauré songs led to her recording the theme music of the movie "Devil's gate" which is being released in the United States, this February/March.
Her latest show "Secrets" at Pizza on the Park on the 8th and 9th of January coincided with the release of her new CD and was a great success. She presented a program celebrating the centenary of "Entente Cordiale" which was performed in Paris and subsequently in London in April 2005.Her retrospective of the life of the French singer Yvonne Printemps was shown that summer at various Festivals in the South of France. June 2005 saw Annemarie returning to her favourite London spot, the Pizza on the Park with Kenny Clayton and her varied programme of chansons: "Impressions". This year has seen her concentrating on her classical carreer and also returning to her passion for song and Lyric writing...She is currently preparing a new CD of her collaborations with many musicians around the world. This Autumn and beginning of next year will see her performing mainly in Europe with a series of short recitals dedicated to Poulenc and Satie, as well as her new show "I love Paris".
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