Bill Nelson

Esoteric Recordings announce a new release on their recently launched Cocteau Discs imprint, a limited edition reissue of Bill Nelson’s classic 4 disc ambient boxed set "Trial By Intimacy (The Book of Splendours)”. The set was originally released on Bill’s Cocteau Records label in October 1984 and comprised recordings made by Bill at his Echo Observatory home studio. Comprising some eighty pieces of music, the set was a fine example of Bill Nelson’s grasp of Ambient music and has subsequently been hailed as a ground-breaking work. Long deleted, the set is made available once more with this newly re-mastered Cocteau Discs edition. The new release fully restores the original elements of the "Trial By Intimacy” box and is an exact facsimile, reproducing a 32 page book and eight art postcards that featured in the original set.

Bill Nelson - Joy Through Amplification (2012) {Sonoluxe}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 438 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 156 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 42 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2012 Sonoluxe / Bill Nelson | CD022
Rock / Art Rock / Experimental / Modern Instrumental

Released July 2012. Limited Edition of 1,000 CDs. 'Joy Through Amplification' is perhaps the most 'rock' oriented Bill Nelson album for some years. It features raw, edgy guitar work and strong percussion. The album's 13 vocal tracks are separated by 13 short, abstract guitar instrumental interludes which provide an experimental element, almost like an album within an album.

Esoteric Recordings announce a new release on their recently launched Cocteau Discs imprint, a limited edition reissue of Bill Nelson’s classic 4 disc ambient boxed set "Trial By Intimacy (The Book of Splendours)”. The set was originally released on Bill’s Cocteau Records label in October 1984 and comprised recordings made by Bill at his Echo Observatory home studio. Comprising some eighty pieces of music, the set was a fine example of Bill Nelson’s grasp of Ambient music and has subsequently been hailed as a ground-breaking work. Long deleted, the set is made available once more with this newly re-mastered Cocteau Discs edition. The new release fully restores the original elements of the "Trial By Intimacy” box and is an exact facsimile, reproducing a 32 page book and eight art postcards that featured in the original set.

Bill Nelson - The Palace Of Strange Voltages (2012) {Sonoluxe CD023}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 465 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 175 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 43 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2012 Sonoluxe / Bill Nelson | CD023
Rock / Alternative / Ambient / Experimental / Art Rock / Modern Instrumental / Guitar

Released October 2012 - Limited Edition of 1,000 CDs. It contains long-form instrumentals, mostly improvised compositions centered around keyboards, treated guitars and electronica. Hard to describe but somewhere between the 'Non Stop Mystery Action' album and some of the live improvs I (Bill Nelson) performed at last year's Leeds College of Music concert. Only 7 tracks but it is over 74 minutes long in total. This release sees a return to Bill's 'nostalgia for the future' home-spun music, which has represented his sound for a number of years now. This is one of two releases put together for the annual Nelsonica get-together recently in York. 'Return To Tomorrow', the other release, is next up.

Bill Nelson - Songs Of The Blossom Tree Optimists (2011) {Sonoluxe SLSCD 002}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 374 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 131 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 60 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2011 Sonoluxe / Bill Nelson | SLSCD 002
Rock / Alternative / Electronic / Art Rock / Ambient

Following on from 2011's 'Model Village,' Sonoluxe's Super-Listener Series presents 'Songs Of The Blossom Tree Optimists,' a 15 track, neo-baroque, dream-folk album featuring acoustic guitars, minimalist orchestra and percussion, all topped off with Bill's melodic vocals. The album's lush odes to Spring and the rustic, sensual pleasures of imaginary Summer evenings take the listener down green and leafy paths to secret gardens and shining fountains. A splendid companion piece to 'Model Village' but at the same time something entirely new.

Bill Nelson - Model Village (2011) {Sonoluxe SLSCD 001}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 298 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 115 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 26 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2011 Sonoluxe / Bill Nelson | SLSCD 001
Rock / Alternative / Electronic / Art Rock / Ambient

A concept album celebrating a day in the life of an English Village. This instrumental album, is a sort of 'post-neo-classical' style…it's thematic, melodic and will give you hours of listening pleasure as you gradually become familiar with its multiple layers, colours and tonal textures. No guitars on this, only keyboards. The keyboard sounds are familiar from the backdrops to his usual releases, but the overall feel is orchestral, and not the usual ambient/pop/rock.

Bill Nelson's 1971 solo debut (after playing in several local bands) was financed by his local record store, the Record Bar in Wakefield, England. After a copy found its way to BBC disc jockey, John Peel, he began playing tracks regularly, which helped pave the way for a real record contract (the label initially wanted him to re-record Northern Dream, but he had other ideas, which led to the formation of Be Bop Deluxe). While largely acoustic, singer-songwriter fare - at some points he sounds like an Anglicized Neil Young, in fact, filtered through Michael Chapman - and typical of its day (even down to the way Nelson looks on the back cover, with patched flares and long, stringy hair), there's also a spirit of future experimentalism lurking under the songs…

Bill Nelson's 1971 solo debut (after playing in several local bands) was financed by his local record store, the Record Bar in Wakefield, England. After a copy found its way to BBC disc jockey, John Peel, he began playing tracks regularly, which helped pave the way for a real record contract (the label initially wanted him to re-record Northern Dream, but he had other ideas, which led to the formation of Be Bop Deluxe). While largely acoustic, singer-songwriter fare - at some points he sounds like an Anglicized Neil Young, in fact, filtered through Michael Chapman - and typical of its day (even down to the way Nelson looks on the back cover, with patched flares and long, stringy hair), there's also a spirit of future experimentalism lurking under the songs…

Bill Nelson - Blip! with bonus disc Blip! 2 (2013) [2CD] {Sonoluxe}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 792 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 281 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2013 Sonoluxe / Bill Nelson | CD025 / CD026
Rock / Alternative / Ambient / Experimental / Modern Instrumental

Blip! contains 22 vocal and instrumental tracks originally released in June 2013 as a highly collectable limited edition pressing of 500 CDs. Blip! 2 'The Tremulous Doo-Wah-Diddy' album contains 14 vocal and instrumental tracks in a similar style to the first Blip album. Was originally produced as a limited edition hand-made CDr which was signed by Bill and given to each person who attended the launch party for the first Blip! album. It was highly sort after due to there being under 200 copies. All music composed, played and recorded by Bill Nelson.

Bill Nelson - The Dreamshire Chronicles (2012) {2CD Set, Sonoluxe CD024}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 812 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 292 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 63 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2012 Sonoluxe / Bill Nelson | CD024
Rock / Alternative / Ambient / Experimental / Modern Instrumental / Guitar

'The Dreamshire Chronicles' is a double album, written and recorded in a sort of waking trance. I wasn't quite sure, when I began work on the project, what the concept of 'Dreamshire' might mean. Now, with hindsight, it seems to be about a haunted realm filled with beautiful ghosts. It's a place built on memory and fantasy, sometimes brightly lit, sometimes pale and flickering, shadowy. The two discs feature solid arrangements, but with nebulous overtones, big walls of sound that are also fragile and delicately transparent. 'Dreamshire' exists in a time and space somewhere between twilight and dawn.