MuzikMan's Reviews And News

11/13/2019

Contemporary-Classical Instrumental Review: Dulce Joya-Devotion

Release Date: October 11, 2019

Label: housemaster records

It has been over two years since I have the wondrous and beautiful piano playing of Dulce Joya. My first journey with this amazing soloist was Reality of Dreams.

Now the curtain opens again for Dulce on Devotion, a collection of 10 instrumental and epic piano compositions for those with an ear for a classical, new age, ambient, or just a good music without words type of listen.

Once again, I find myself mesmerized by this music. The tracks comprise the entire scale of human emotion and everything else in between. What Dulce creates is a soundtrack that could fit into so many lives and film scores for that matter. I heard the excitement, sadness, the rolling of the ocean's tide as it hits the shore, sunshine, rain, well let’s just say her range is amazing. And to cover all of this within one recording to affect one listener in this manner is an implausible achievement. It takes a lot to get my attention after 21 years of covering music from around the world. It has to be quite exceptional for me to dive in and be able to flow with the music and let my words develop and flow as I listen.

Dulce’s passion and technical expertise with the ivory keys are exceptional and all 10 tracks can offer a demanding listener enough to hold their attention from start to finish. The classical influence is strong in her presentation however she does allow the discipline some breathing room so she goes into different directions and moods within one song. To articulate it as improvisation is almost a stretch because it is organized and so perfected. I am not sure how to explain it beyond that. I think that many listeners would consider it a new age classical as well. Essentially all you have to do is let it be whatever it is for you the individual. I think that is the most important factor for anyone’s listening experience.

I can tell potential listeners that this is beautiful music to be enjoyed anytime or anywhere. It is more than background music though, it absorbs you, relaxes you and empty’s your mind to make room for all the positive things in life. It is not happy time music, it is more of a time to reflect, focus and just let the sounds, emotions, and changes of the tempos guide you. It can take you away from the stresses of life we all experience for a while. For this listener, that is the absolute best kind of listen to take in.

Dulce is streaming one track from the album currently title “Yes It Is You,” which I have included here and on my New Age Music Reviews Spotify Playlist.

When I hear artistry like this on display, I wish that I could manipulate an instrument and create such beauty. But for now, my music is my words and I hope it captures your imagination like this music just did for me.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

November 12, 2019

Founder of:

New Age Music Reviews

Rate The Tracks

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

Tracks:
01. Passione Nocturnale
02. Yes It Is You
03. The Sound of Your Voice
04. Eternal Love
05. Forgotten Worlds
06. Oceanally Hearts
07. My Untamed Soul in Yours
08. The Endless Feelings of Mine
09. From Ancient Time We Meet Again
10. Mystery Among Candles

Focus Bass Player Udo Pannekeet Announces the Release of His New Solo Album 'Electric Regions' - OUT NOW!

Electric Regions is the latest solo album by the current bass player of FOCUS and skilled composer, Udo Pannekeet.

The album features an epic length track, along with new compositions written throughout Udo Pannekeet’s career and recorded here for the first time.

The album features guest appearances by current Focus guitarist Menno Gootjes and a former member of Focus, Eef Albers.

Udo Pannekeet said of the album: “I'm so pleased to finally share this music with you! I worked on it for quite a while. Thanks to the amazing musicians I worked with on the album, it has become more than I could have imagined. I'm humbled by the beautiful reactions I received so far from all over the world!”

The album is the tenth release on the band’s own IN AND OUT OF FOCUS RECORDS, via Cherry Red.

TRACK LISTING:

1. ELECTRIC REGIONS PART ONE
2. INTEGRATION YES
3. LITTLE NURA
4. THE ANTIBES SITUATION
5. COCON COCON

The album is OUT NOW and available via the below links:

CD edition: https://geni.us/ElectricRegions
GooglePlay: https://geni.us/ElectricRegionsGP
iTunes: https://geni.us/ElectricRegionsiTunes
Spotify: https://geni.us/ElectricRegionsSpotify

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Focus Bass Player Udo Pannekeet Announces the Release of His New Solo Album 'Electric Regions' - OUT NOW!

11/12/2019

Henry Rollins/David Bowie Guitarist Chris Haskett To Release New Instrumental EP "Insufficient Necessities" on November 15th

Chris Haskett is a Grammy-nominated American guitar player mainly known for his time in the Rollins Band in the 1980s and 90s. After eight albums, Chris is releasing an instrumental EP of original tunes, “Insufficient Necessities,” primarily featuring his European band (Mike Baker of DC go-go band Rare Essence does bass duties on the opening song “Going Back”) on November 15, 2019. The emphasis is decidedly on funk with nods to Chris's hometown go-go scene as well as New Orleans second-line grooves.

As on his other releases, Chris looks to strike a fragile balance of technique, tonal color and letting “interesting accidents” find their way in to the music. He wears his influences on his sleeve, and echoes of Beck, Ribot and Richard Thompson all peek through at various points. As he says himself, “I think I like things to teeter between being fluidly funky and a little fractured too.I'm hard to categorize because I straddle a kind of venn diagram/middle ground where hard rock meets downtown avant garde (with a little bit of 'Dark Star' sprinkled on top).”

The recordings are a mix of both studio and concert multi-track recordings re-edited and overdubbed, sometimes in the studio and sometimes in the concert venue. The four originals on this EP are part of a much larger batch of recordings. The rest, an eclectic collection of covers, are due for release in 2020.

Most of Chris's early life was spent in Washington DC though, by chance, he was living in the UK just as punk was breaking in 1977. The rule-breaking freedom offered by punk had a profound influence on him and remained with him on his return to the US in 1978. His first band, the Enzymes, synthesized diverse influences from both the early punk/no-wave scene as well as the avant-garde and free jazz musics of the time. This overlap of influences reluctance to be pigeonholed has been a constant throughout his career.

Moving back to England in 1980 brought him into collaborations with the Birthday Party's Rowland S. Howard and for Public Image bassist Jah Wobble. It was also during this time that he reestablished contact with old DC friend Henry Rollins who was then singing in Black Flag. When Black Flag broke up in 1986, Rollins immediately suggested they do a project together. The result was the genesis of the Rollins Band. Over the following ten years, the band became known for uniquely powerful, uncompromising hard rock that spanned and yet stood apart from both the grunge and metal scenes of the era. After ten albums, a Grammy nomination and nearly a thousand concerts across the globe, the band members decided to part ways in 1997.

Even in the midst of the Rollins Band's punishing schedule Chris found time for instrumental side projects. In 1995 he released “Language,” a mix of angular acoustic guitar pieces and musique concrête that also featured duets with Rowland S Howard. 1997's “Non-Fiction” was a collaboration with Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers drummer Brandon Finley. This electric guitar album incorporated DC's signature go-go beats alongside a clear influence of both Zappa and Sonny Sharrock. The subsequent releases, “Not Part of the Solution” (2002), “The Return of the Geary Act” (2004), “Maybe Definitely” (2012), “Gravity:Left/Right” (2013), “The Courage Born of Conflicting Terrors” (2014) and last year's “Comprovisations in Linear B,” all defy easy categorization but share a distinctive musical sensibility: funky, angular, lyrical and unpredictable.

In 1999 Chris was hired by David Bowie who said he was looking forward to Chris's “nose bleedingly hostile” guitar to complement Reeves Gabrels for an upcoming tour. The planned tour got sidelined but Chris can be heard alongside Reeves on Bowie's “Hours” album.

Aside from numerous concerts fronting his own bands in the US, Europe and Australia, some of Chris's other touring and performance credits include Steven Brown (Tuxedomoon), The Cassandra Complex, Elliott Sharp, Reeves Gabrels, Pigface, Chris D (Divine Horsemen), Utah Saints, and Foetus.. More recently he has been invited as onstage to perform with Helmet as well as MC50.

Chris divides his time between the US, Europe and Australia and is currently working on a percussion-heavy psychedelic live band.

“I first heard Chris Haskett with the Rollins Band, surely one of the most powerful of late 80s bands, and was instantly struck by the intelligence driving the molten guitar tone. What a pleasure to come to know his wide-ranging solo works, spanning the gamut from fun and impressively detailed electric workouts to truly thought-provoking and meditative acoustic compositions. Chris makes guitar music anyone can feel good about obsessing over.” - Mike Keneally

“Chris Haskett !!!!! Love the mans work all the way from Henry Rollins to the present.” - DeWayne Blackbyrd McKnight

“Chris is a gifted musician and guitarist who should be followed as the music he is involved with is real and engaging.” – Paul Reed Smith

“He’s always seemed to effortlessly cross genres with an authenticity and honesty that few are able to match, even in one genre. From punk to jazz, experimental to funk, he brilliantly manages to weave everything together on his albums. He’s like the perfect marriage of Snakefinger and Jeff Beck and a little Ornette Coleman.” - Rich Fortus

To purchase:
https://chrishaskett.bandcamp.com/
also available iTunes, Amazon etc.

For more information:
https://chrishaskett.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Chris-Haskett-170955906298411/?eid=ARAV-yPcX0vDe8yooqan8hqN-naUOuURxzhorNIcGV16tVbfRLmlvqhiSWh8Pi0rKEnXMFsm3Hgad9si

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

11/11/2019

Curved Air Announce Plans For New Projects and the Band's 50th Anniversary Year in 2020

Curved Air was formed in 1970 and ever present original member Sonja Kristina will be continuing to lead the band into the band’s 50th Anniversary year with a range of projects and a world tour.

The band will be recording a new studio album in 2020, along with contributing to the release of a 50th Anniversary Compilation which will include newly recorded tracks, featuring former and current members of the band, recording together in various combinations.

Curved Air will be touring the Americas, Japan, Europe and also appearing on Cruise to the Edge in 2020.

The 50th Anniversary year line-up has also been solidified with Curved Air welcoming back Kirby Gregory to the line-up after a break of 3 years. Kirby was originally in the heyday era line-up which recorded Air Cut in 1973. He returned to the band playing guitar for the recording of the very successful North Star album. Kirby was professionally committed to other projects from the end of 2015 until now, and he is looking forward to embarking on the 50th Anniversary World Tour in 2020.

The current line-up was completed when, after much searching, the band found and welcomed Grzegorz “Greg” Gadziomski to the line-up. Greg is a classically trained Violin player who likes to play in many genres but prefers Progressive Rock/Fusion as a particular passion. The band would like to acknowledge and thank Paul Sax who has decided to retire from touring after a lifelong career. Paul was a member of Curved Air from 2009 and the band wish him much happiness and peace in his retirement.

The accomplishments of the previous line-up and former members were recently showcased with the release of two titles on the band’s own Curved Air Records via Cherry Red: “The Curved Air Family Album” and “Live at Under the Bridge”.

“The Curved Air Family Album” features 26 tracks including rare and unreleased band and solo recordings, including by current and former members which Sonja Kristina described as “How appropriate that many Curved Air members past and present have contributed to a special collection called The Curved Air Family Album for our 50th year. I’m excited about this – it’s so great to hear all the unique sounds, surprising collaborations, eclectic songs and haunting instrumentals including from Francis Monkman, Darryl Way, Stewart Copeland, Kirby Gregory and Robert Norton – they all make for a very enjoyable double album.”

Amazon CD: https://geni.us/CAfamily
iTunes: https://geni.us/CAfamilyiTune
Google Play: https://geni.us/CAfamilyG
Spotify: https://geni.us/CAfamilySpotify

“Live at Under the Bridge” captures the band live playing Air Conditioning in its entirety, with special guests Darryl Way and Ian Eyre, as well as tracks from North Star and other Greatest Hits. Of this release, Sonja Kristina said “The 45th Anniversary of the release of Air Conditioning was a triumph of performance, musicianship, presentation and appreciative reception. Original and current members on stage together - what joy! Robert Norton’s pristine production perfectly captures the sound and energy of our night of celebration.”

Amazon CD: https://geni.us/CAbridge
iTunes: https://geni.us/CAbridgeiTunes
Google Play: https://geni.us/CAbridgeG
Spotify: https://geni.us/CAbridgeSpotify

Curved Air is:
Sonja Kristina
Kirby Gregory
Chris Harris
Robert Norton
Andy Tween
Grzegorz “Greg” Gadziomski

Photo by Howard Rankin

Curved Air is managed by Daniel Earnshaw at QEDG Management daniel@qedg.co.uk

Curved Air Official Website: www.curvedair.com
Curved Air Official Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/CurvedAir
Curved Air Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/curvedair1
Curved Air Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curvedair/

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

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11/13/2019

Contemporary-Classical Instrumental Review: Dulce Joya-Devotion

Focus Bass Player Udo Pannekeet Announces the Release of His New Solo Album 'Electric Regions' - OUT NOW!

Focus Bass Player Udo Pannekeet Announces the Release of His New Solo Album 'Electric Regions' - OUT NOW!

11/12/2019

Henry Rollins/David Bowie Guitarist Chris Haskett To Release New Instrumental EP "Insufficient Necessities" on November 15th

11/11/2019

Curved Air Announce Plans For New Projects and the Band's 50th Anniversary Year in 2020