Month: August 2013

Russian Circles premiere first track from forthcoming new album Memorial

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/104565881″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] Russian Circles hit the road in the EU and UK with Chelsea Wolfe (who also supplies guest vocals on the album’s title track) in October. Both bands will play full headlining sets. Perhaps the most immediately apparent characteristic of the fifth Russian Circles album, Memorial is its … Read more

Merge to release debut album from Delicate Steve offshoot, Saint Rich

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/102109353″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] Saint Rich is the musical partnership of Delicate Steve bandmates, Christian Peslak and Steve Marion.  Under the name Delicate Steve, Steve Marion recorded Wondervisions, an instrumental record released by David Byrne’s Luaka Bop label that entered the world via a glowing New York Times review.  He followed … Read more

Adrian Utley's Guitar Orchestra 'In C'

Following Portishead’s spectacular set at Glastonbury last weekend, Adrian Utley has announced his new album to be released on 30th September on Invada Records. 

Utley brings together an orchestra of electric guitar players to interpret Terry Riley’s ‘In C’.  Written in 1964,‘In C’ is one of the most influential pieces of music from the  20th Century, it established minimalism as a music genre.  In C‘s simple musical rules – 53 musical phrases in C and no duration – allow for infinite variations.

Utley’s impressive Guitar Orchestra is augmented by organs and a clarinet making for a mesmeric sound experience.  The Guitar Orchestra consists of 24 musicians from Bristol: 19 guitarists including John Parish (PJ Harvey), Thought Forms, and Jim Barr (Portishead live band); 4 organs and a bass clarinet.

“I’ve been exploring the sonic possibilities of massed guitars for a while now in various contexts from pure noise to the sacred choral music of Arvo Part.  So it was interesting to see what would happen if we had 20 electric guitars plus organs playing ‘In C’.  It is an amazing piece of writing and original thought.  A new free idea of organised group playing.  The beginnings of what we know as minimalism.”  Adrian Utley

The performance was recorded live at St Georges Hall, Bristol, one of Britain’s leading concert halls which is known for its astounding acoustic and unique atmosphere.