We’ve been waiting a while for new music by Ulrich Schnauss, which is one reason we were so behind Winterlight’s Hope Dies Last with it’s Schnaussian shoegaze moods. Schnauss reports a new direction and album is in the offing. Meanwhile, he’s completed a project with Mark Peters called “Balcony Sunset” that has the earmarks of…
Reviews & Commentary
New Age Music Reborn
It took 22 years, but I knew if I waited long enough New Age would become hip again. The Los Angeles Times has given its code of approval to a new wave of musicians like Animal Collective and Blues Control (Who have a tune called “Paul Winter’s Solstice”), who wave their New Age flags high.…
Reviews & Commentary
An Icon of Echoes Returns: Patrick O’Hearn.
Patrick O’Hearn has been a mainstay on Echoes from the beginning. In fact, his music is one of the reasons why Echoes was created. It’s been four years since his last release during which time he’s been touring and recording with John Hiatt. But he’s getting a new album ready for a late summer release…
Best Of
Best of Echoes 2011 So Far.
Skuli Severrison, Agnes Obel and Moby Top Echoes Mid-Year List We usually wait until the end of the year for these lists but why not take stock as we pass the half-way mark of 2011. Here’s our25 favorite Echoes CDs from the first 6 months of 2011. Skuli Sverrisson – Seria II (click for review…
Reviews & Commentary
Alu’s Casket Salesman
While we wait for a new CD by LA goth chanteuse, Alu, she’s just released a video of one of her quirkier songs from the album, Lobotomy Sessions. Hear interview with Alu from 2009. John Diliberto ((( echoes )))
CD of the Month
Ambient Celtic Music Echoes July CD of the Month.
Secret Garden’s Fionnuala Sherry Takes Tradition Ambient on Songs From Before On her solo debut album, Fionnuala Sherry tackles the old chestnut melodies of her Irish home, but Songs from Before is far from a traditional album. Instead, Sherry has reimagined these songs, pulling them out of an Irish mist, coaxing them slowly from the…
Best Of
Winterlight Melts Echoes June Top 25
Winterlight’s Hope Dies Last leads Echoes Top 25 for June The sun is shining and it’s in the 90s in the land of Echoes, but Winterlight didn’t melt under the heat as it leads the Echoes Top 25 this month. His album, Hope Dies Last was the Echoes CD of the Month for June. That…
Reviews & Commentary
Moby @ Moogfest 2011
Moby has just been added to the already impressive line-up of Moogfest 2011. He’ll be playing with a full band. His shows in 2009 were stunning. (See review) In addition, they’ve added the Lunz Project, which is the ambient chamber music collaboration between Tim Story and Hans-Joachim Roedelius who is already on the bill with…
Reviews & Commentary
New Eno Produced Track from Seun Kuti & Egypt 80
Brian Eno is apparently out producing African music again. He did a great job with Geoffrey Oreyema and Baaba Maal many years ago. This time he’s paired with Seun Kuti & Egypt 80. I can’t say I hear much of an Eno-effect here and you’re unlikely to hear it on Echoes, but it’s a pretty…
Reviews & Commentary
Moog-Minimalist Pioneer David Borden makes rare Concert appearance.
Mother Mallard’s Portable Masterpiece Co. Re-opens for Business. Back about 1972, David Borden founded the trio, Mother Mallard’s Portable Masterpiece, Co. They were arguably one of the first performing electronic ensembles and used Moog Modular synthesizers and other keyboards, all pre-computer, pre-digital and live. They preceded groups like Tangerine Dream in creating, cyclical, sequencer based…