Solstice

When Ralph Towner burst onto the contemporary jazz scene in the mid-70s, listeners were well aware of his awesome talent as a member of Oregon. But when Solstice was issued on the ECM label, it took the brilliant guitarist's caché to a much higher level, especially as a composer. With the otherworldly curved soprano sax and flute playing of Jan Garbarek, the precise drumming of Jon Christensen, and unique bass sounds of Eberhard Weber, the music on this album lifted the ECM/Euro-styled jazz and improvised music to a new realm of pure expressionism. Simply put - this music is stunningly beautiful. The incredible "Oceanus" begins with Towner's cascading guitar, followed by the swelling and symphonic bass of Weber, a swinging drum line by Christensen with Garbarek's atmospheric and dramatic curved soprano layering contrasting timbres, symmetry, and unusual colors…

Italian talent Alberth is next on Steyoyoke with a beautiful 4 track EP, titled ‘Solstice & Equinox’. This EP contains 2 impressive originals and two great remixes, one of them by the label boss himself, Soul Button. The Original Mix of ‘Solstice’ kicks things off with Steyoyoke’s classic atmosphere of relative tension, mastery and mistiness. Well defined percussive elements, silent and impactful drops and intriguing melody. Lunar Plane, whose remix follows, enhances its primary melody, giving it more intensity and complexity, taking it to another level…

Solstice/equinox is an exquisitely crafted jewel of an album whose multiple facets enchant the listener. As Diana's pristine voice lures us to follow her through the changing seasons, she takes us on a journey through time and space echoing both the ephemeral and enduring qualities of the cycles of love and life…

BBC - The Sky at Night: Solstice (2013)
HDTV | 1920x1080 | .MKV/AVC @ 5669 Kbps | 19mn 50s | Audio: English AAC 128 kbps, 2 channels | Subs: English | 804 MiB
Genre: Documentary

Every year thousands flock to Stonehenge to celebrate the summer solstice. Seeing the rise of the summer sun at Stonehenge is one of the most obvious connections between ancient man and the celestial calendar, but there is still fierce debate about possible links between this ancient site and the moon and stars. The team join in the solstice revelry and also launch the Moore Moon Marathon, with some easy things to look at on the moon over summer.

Formed in 1980, English band Solstice is first and foremost the band project of Andy Glass (guitar), the only musician participating on all the band's productions and the main composer for the band in it's various guises. Similar in style to such bands as Marillion, Twelfth Night, Pendragon, and IQ, they released five studio and two live albums. Their first three studio albums and live album (The Cropredy Set) were remastered and reissued with bonus tracks as ‘Definitive Editions’ in 2007.