PYRAMID PARADIGM by Solaris
Solaris are Ilya Truskovsky and Vladimir Khlopovsky who have together created an ambient film music album entitled Pyramid Paradigm, an ambient, acoustic project that’s been recorded in huge pyramids near Moscow, which were built by a crazy Russian scientist.
The album’s aims were to be creative and scientific, as evidence has been found via practical experiments that show how the pyramids have a huge impact on accumulation and redistribution of energy.
The pyramids were built exclusively using the classical “Golden Section”, hence creating “a proportion which is considered to be particularly pleasing to the eye.” The album has been creating using the natural reverberation generated by the pyramids, meaning that no artificial reverb has been used in the mix.
This collaboration incorporates two musicians, each with their own burgeoning careers. Starting out as a classical Pianist, Russian-born Ilya Truskovsky is a composer, musician, producer and electronic artist who creates symphonic music for films.
Since moving to Los Angeles, Ilya is getting noticed and has just finished an eclectic score comprising club electronics, ambient and symphonic music with some Arabic dance for a big feature drama “Buy Me” with Oscar-nominated direct Vadim Perelman.
In 2016, Ilya worked with Ralph Fiennes’ younger brother, composer Magnus Fiennes on music for two shows on Sky “Hooten and the Lady and “Death in Paradise. Season 6”. Ilya is already booked in for 2018 for various projects on both sides of the Atlantic, such as a co-production between the UK and Hollywood “The Three Hares”, which is currently in development.
During the year 2016 Ilya worked with famous composer Magnus Fiennes (younger brother of an actor Ralph Fiennes) on the two TV shows for Sky network: “Hooten and the Lady” and “Death in Paradise. Season 6”. He’s schedule looks very busy on both sides of the ocean, he is already signed for a number of projects in Los Angeles and in Europe for 2018. One of the projects is a brand new franchise “The three hares”, it’s a Hollywood/UK coproduction that’s being developed right now.
Ilya collaborates extensively with well known music and sound provider for the gaming industry Somatone Interactive and has composed for over 20 games already and his catalogue of work can be experienced on his IMDB profile.
Previously, Ilya and Vladimir Khlopovsky co-wrote and produced another album “Voice of Lama”, one of the best selling albums in its genre, after Vladimir went on a 3 year retreat to a distant cave and afterwards the pair were approached by a lama. Vladimir wanted to record mantras with western sounds. One of the tracks was performed during the coronation of Buddha in Nepal and was noticed by Cher, who is known for her appreciation of Buddhist culture.
Vladimir Khlopovsky was noticed by soviet composer Gennady Gladkov when he was six years old and won second prize at a Moscow piano competition aged 13. However, Vladimir went on to study guitar at the Moscow Conservatory college, graduated onto Gnesin’s Music Academy and then in the early 1990s, took his postgraduate in Lübeck, which was the music Mecca when Zakhar Bron comes to mentor, bringing many brilliant students including Vladimir with him, rocking and raising the musical life of Europe to a new level. Vladimir performs in ensemble with such luminaries as Zakhar Bron, Berent Korfker and Valery Oistrakh.
At the turn of the millennium, Vladimir teaches guitar at Gnesin’s Music Academy and starts concentrating on recording, producing movie soundtracks and experimenting with electronic musicians and DJs. In 2002, Vladimir and Ilya are amongst those who establish Déjà vu Records, which goes on to be the best electronic label in Russia, receiving multiple awards. A few years later, the pair move on to create Rombida Records and a post production facility for movies.
Since recording Pyramid Paradigm, Vladimir has embarked on a classical music tour of the United States and Europe, playing in California, Nevada, New York, Montenegro, Cyprus, Russia, Germany. His latest solo album is being mixed and prepared for release in both digital and vinyl formats.
IN SEARCH OF THE SNOW LEOPARD by Kel Pritchard
Kel Pritchard is a record producer and a composer. He has had a number of CDs released worldwide by several record companies. Much of his work has appeared on film and TV. He has been composing in a wide variety of styles since the ‘80s. His music has a vibrant and rhythmic feel combining modern technology and traditional instruments. He has worked with and produced a variety of artists over the years.
Steve O’Connor – Just Me (Sam’s Song)
Just Me (Sam’s Song) is the upcoming single from Liverpool’s roots musician Steve O’Connor that has been receiving huge interest from producers working on films and documentaries about autism worldwide.
“Samantha, or Sam as she likes to be called, a young lady from Edinburgh, Scotland with Autism who is herself a singer and a visual artist, inspired Steve to write the song Just Me (Sam’s Song) and her mother played the demo to the producer of a 6 part series on autism, which is currently being filmed after she exceeded all expectations about given to her parents by doctors when she was younger. The producers of the documentary requested the full studio production of the song, which was recorded in May 2017.
As a prolific songwriter who has had his music performed worldwide by a variety of artists and was asked to feature at a 9/11 Memorial Concert in New York for his track Fallen City, originally composed for the Hillsborough Disaster in 1989 and adapted into Fallen City NYC. Steve wrote Just Me (Sam’s Song) to raise awareness about what Autism means from the inside looking outwards, for those who sometimes can’t speak for themselves. This is their song, their voice.
Over his musical career, Steve O’Connor has received acclaim for his fresh and timeless song-writing and recordings, such as a feature in a Journal of Roots music called No Depression in 2014. On Steve’s album Roll the Dice (2008), journalist Tom Semioli writes: “O’Connor could put this album out every year and it will still sound as fresh, passionate and contemporary as those rendered by tunesmiths half his age”
Steve is working on a new album and the first release in 2018 will be Just Me (Sam’s Song) and the song is currently doing the rounds amongst film and documentary makers from New Zealand, France, Canada and Los Angeles currently working on portrayals of people with autism. Having played everywhere from the Blue Bird Café in Nashville to Scotland, where he first picked up a guitar and later created the tribute track Hail Caledonia, which has led to him headlining concerts celebrating music from Scotland organised by societies in New York.
Showing that no inspiration is out of reach, his record company chairman asked Steve to write about greed and the present imbalances of the world today and he penned “The Needs of the Many”, which exemplifies the musical integrity of this prolific and inspired songwriter and roots musician’s sustained recording career.
Notes for editors:
Just Me (Sam’s Song) is also registered as Just Me (Samantha’s Song)
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BODY DISCOVERY by Callel
“Young, talented revelations Callel are a four-piece with a refreshing urge to sound that bit different…Callel look to a super future.” – The Scotsman
The four members of the indie Rock – Britpop crossover band Callel grew up in the same area of Granton in Edinburgh; they went to the same school, played in the same football team, caught the same nits…but it wasn’t until years later that they got together as a band.
They soon found their feet on the live scene and supported Paolo Nutini, Rooney, Asobi Seksu, The Hip Parade, The Bluetones and The Holloways among others.
Their music has featured on BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio Scotland, Forth One, XFM, and 6 Music.
WE By Zach Prather
A bluesman born in Chicago in 1952, who has played with blues icons including Willy Dixon and Screamin’ J Hawkins as well as Mick Jagger and Etta James releases a new song called We on 27th February 2019.
Zach Prather, based in Switzerland, currently producers his own music in a studio owned by his drummer Eric, who built it from scratch.
Zach says his new single We is about: “a typical love gone bad scenario. How hard it is to say goodbye even when you know it won’t work. How clear it seems at the time what was needed to make it right but somehow the last burst of strength is missing.” Like all Zach’s songs, We is about something he has gone through personally.
A huge Rolling Stones fan, Zach says rehearsing and playing on stage with Mick Jagger has been a career highlight, while also working in the state of the art studio in Luzern, Switzerland with his band. He started writing We in the summer of 2018 after a personal experience.
Not a great lover of music critics, Zach gets on with what he loves doing without worrying about what people think about him, hence, the LA Times called him “The Bad Boy of the Blues” meanwhile the blues press think he is the full package.
In a time of specific genres, Zach plays B Funk, and now based in Europe, Blues In Britain published a review by blues fan Mike Rainsford saying: “Prather is obviously talented and this set gives a good indication of the stylistic breadth of those talents.”
Zach’s songs have been published for Motown, such as his work with big league Motown hitmakers Holland, Dozer, Holland plus Gwen Gordy and ATV Publishing. This has meant Zach has been signed to Areola America, Universal Music, producer Willy Dixon’s label Dixon Landing, French labels Melode/Encore and Taxi Records in Paris.
We is released on 27th February on Aardvark Records and can be streamed or downloaded from digital music sites.
BREAK AWAY By Zach Prather
Zach Prather, based in Switzerland, is a blues funk artist and singer-songwriter who has worked with renowned acts including Mick Jagger and Etta James as well as Screamin’ J Hawkins and Willie Dixon, who have been part of Zach’s journey to create his own “B Funk” style.
Born in Chicago in 1952, Zach was in the right city to have been produced by icons of Chicago Blues such as Willy Dixon as well as Horst Lippman, founder of the American Blues Fest for two decades from 1962 and credited with bringing American blues to Europe.
Across his career, Zach has been signed to various labels for various projects including Universal Music, Areola Amercia, Dixon Landing and two imprints based in France: Taxi Records and Melode/Encore.
Over this time the producer of Earth Wind and Fire, Denise Williams and The Emotions; Charles Stephany has recorded with Zach on various occasions.
As a songwriter, Zach has written for Motown, ATV Publishing and Holland, Holland. The latter was started by hit writers Holland, Dozer and Holland of Motown.
Zach has recently performed live gigs over social media from his studio in Switzerland with his band The Tribe, while producers have finished mastering his latest recordings.
The press have already responded well to Zach Prather and The Tribe. The LA Times has described him as “The new bad boy of the blues” recently and Living Blues says: “He’s got the chops, the voice and the funk to garner a wide and modern blues audience.”
Now Zach releases his latest single Breakaway on Aardvark Records on 10th March on digital music sales such as iTunes.
Break Away is available on Amazon and iTunes from 10th March