Recorder virtuosa Genevieve Lacey explores gardens, real and imagined, old and new – from the original ‘Pleasure Garden’, a series of exquisite musical vignettes by the Dutch nobleman Jacob van Eyck, to contemporary compositions contemplating our relationship with the botanical world. Jacob Van Eyck’s mid-seventeenth-century Der Fluyten Lust-hof (The Flute’s Pleasure Garden) is a recorder player’s treasure trove. A compendium of European popular song from the High Renaissance, Der Fluyten Lust-hof is the largest surviving collection of solo woodwind music from any age.
‘Virus’ is the culmination of a musical thought experiment which started with the ‘Vector’ writing sessions in 2017 and holds intriguing potential for the band’s future, as vocalist Ross Jennings explains, “whilst ‘Virus’ can absolutely be enjoyed as a stand-alone work, it is thematically and conceptually linked with ‘Vector’, so our intention is to perform both albums back to back for a special performance someday”.
2nd album from the truly impressive USA Prog Rock band founded by the talented multi-instrumentalist/composer/producer/engineer Shane Atkinson! EVERSHP are a league ahead of much of the new Prog bands we get to hear these days – with influences from the divide that crosses between GENESIS, YES, KANSAS and QUEEN, this band are something SPECIAL! The EVERSHIP sound just oozes quality - The keyboards are melodic and symphonic, yet edgy and dramatic at the same time; the guitars range from powerful to sensitive and the rhythm section – much in the same way as YES – runs the gamut of tight and driving to sensitive and atmospheric. The standard of musicianship is high; the compositions are classy with quality production, ranging through melodic, hook-laden songs with incredible anthemic choruses and gentle ballads, with plenty in the way of bombastic, complex arrangements with extended instrumental arrangements going on in-between.
Considering the tight run of albums since the first part of the Gullvåg Trilogy in 2017 – three double and a single album in less than four years – the 16 months wait for Ancient Astronauts must feel like an eternity for the fans. Much of the music continue in the manner of the band’s popular long form “N.O.X.” suite from “The All Is One” (2019) album, including “Mona Lisa/Azrael” and “Chariot of The Sun”, the latter clocking in at 22 minutes, being the band´s longest instrumental track to date. Most of Ancient Astronauts was recorded in Amper Tone studio in Oslo during five days in August with old compadre Deathprod at the helm.