New Daniel Crommie "Earthbound Facing Skyward" album release

On June 20th the new Daniel Crommie ambient/experimental album "Earthbound Facing Skyward" will be released at Band Camp, preceding the projected July 5th release at iTunes, Amazon, et al. A combination of electro-jazz infused found-word experiments dissolves into a meditative ambiance in the calming conclusion. Flutes, samples, found words and synth-colored backdrops paint this hour-plus exploration with one extra track exclusive to Band Camp.

Track listing: 1. Far East 2. Deimos v Phobos 3. Kabocha 4. The Jay Walk 5. A Singing Comet Speaks 6. Dodecahedron 7. China Air 8. Fleur Aprilis 9. Fallen Winter* 10. Earthbound Facing Skyward. *Band Camp exclusive track not available elsewhere - Listen to "Kabocha" here.

Echo System - live at East Avenue 1987 released

Echo System (Daniel Crommie and Jamie Haggerty) recorded four albums during their two plus years of electronic collaboration, only performing live on three occasions. Two of those performances were recorded and these pieces are from those shows in 1987 – and with the exception of a few overdubs on the first track, they are presented as they were performed live to two-track digital in front of a small audience at East Avenue Tavern in Portland, Oregon.

Jamie Haggerty: synthesizers, and tape manipulation.

Daniel Crommie: flutes, synthesizers, sequencer, drum programs and tape manipulation.

Track Listing:

1/ Glass Houses / Marshland by Twilight

2/ Echo System including:

Echo Sysytem

Brutal Beat

Andy Warhol

Echo System (reprise)

Magic African Gourd

Download this at Band Camp

Group Du Jour "Down to the Wire" remastered

Group du Jour's "Down to the Wire" has been newly remastered and the 25th Anniversary Edition is available for download at Band Camp with an extra track from the original sessions. Recorded in the summer of 1989 live - direct to digital stereo with no overdubs and engineered by Jamie Haggerty, Daniel Crommie, Bo Parker and Paul Parker released the album on CD the following spring of 1990. The album was met with excellent reviews: 

"Group Du Jour's stock-in-trade are songs of a moody bent, built on lyrics that approach poetry, beautifully sung." - Steven McDonald All Music

"Please excuse me, But I need to rave about a unique band from deepest Portland" - Grant Alden The Rocket

"I haven’t listened to an album as often as this one since Fairport’s Gladys’ Leap or Brian Eno’s Before and After Science. The band is an unusual blend of pop/rock, ethnic and ambient music with plenty of synthesizers, electric guitars and the driving percussion that make up most rock bands. The difference with this group is the obvious talent each member has, the complex but never boring arrangements and rhythms that keep your feet tapping." James Morman Dirty Linen 

Track Listing:

1. Ride to the Top

2. A Quiet Pandemonium

3. Predictable Heart

4. Under a Spell

5. Great Big Soul

6. That Familiar Scream

7. Soft Focus

8. Shaky House

9. Where Will I Sleep

10. Afraid of Heights

11. We Built the Machines (bonus track)

You can order the original 1990 CD from Band Camp too.

New DC Sound Collective albums and EP

Two + years in the making, two new DC Sound Collective albums have been issued. The first album "A Memory of Errors" was released on Tuesday, October 27th at iTunes and Monday, October 12th at Band Camp. Musicians featured on this project include David Duhig and Colin Henson from Jade Warrior, Bruce Hazen (from The 350's, Hi-Fi and Iain Matthews) and James Havard. An EP "Drifting Away" was released August 31st exclusively at Band Camp and has the single mix of "Drifting Away" from "A Memory of Errors" plus a full-length version of "Molecular" from the same album, and a non-album track "Outtake". On December 1st another companion album "A Memory of Errors Volume 2" will be released - all-instrumental compositions featuring most of the same musicians from Volume 1 plus others. Pre-order at Amazon!

Saturnalia Trio's "Skin, Wood and Steel" released August 11th

 The first Saturnalia Trio album since 2009's "Hummingbirds" was released on Tuesday, August 11th on iTunes, Amazon, et al. Recorded this past winter/spring, "Skin, Wood and Steel" features mostly Medieval and Renaissance tunes and original tunes in the style of historic Medieval dance tunes - sprinkled with a few original songs and a cover of The Beatles "Norwegian Wood". 
 English publication fROOTS said "Pleasant, undemanding, yet curiously uplifting Medieval and modern tunes sounding at times like Robin Williamson’s Merry Band or the soundtracks to Robin of Sherwood or Merlin."
 This album is available as a limited run CD and is downloadable from Band Camp. You can also order from CD Baby and Amazon. Read a review here.

Here's the track list:

01.      February Blues (Crommie) 1.42 For John Renbourn

02.      Pastourelle (Crommie) 2.24

03.      Chansonnette (Colin Muset) 13^th C. 1.39

04.      Cats & Birds (Crommie) 2.27

05.      La Mora de Borja (Alfonso X) 13^th C. 2.17

06.      Ungaresca 16^th C. 1.28

07.      Norwegian Wood (Lennon/McCartney) 2.25

08.      Ladyglen (Crommie) 1.07

09.      Branle (C. Gervais) 16^th C. 1.29

10.      Allemande (C. Gervais) 16^th C. 1.38

11.      Tourdion (T. Arbeau) 16^th C. 2.13

12.      Trillium Tarentelle (Crommie) 1.33

13.      The Lady in White (Crommie) 4.13

14.      Golden Sickle and the Wren (Crommie) 2.30

15.      The Stags Dance (Crommie) 1.46

16.      Schiarazula Marazula (Mainerio) 16^th C. 2.49

17.      La Tierche Estampie Real 14^th C. 3.22

18.      Ungaresca Reprise 16^th C. 1.50

19.      Morrison Jig (Irish trad.) 2.04

Daniel Crommie: vocals, six-string dulcimer, flute, recorders, balalaika, whistles, cornamuse, bul bul tarang, jaw trump, aux percussion, electric dulcimer.

Leslie Gray: violin & viola.

Michael Treadwell: bodhran, tombec, frame drums, glockenspiel.

With:

Jamie Haggerty: hurdy gurdy, glockenspiel and percussion.

New Daniel Crommie solo album released July 21st

A new ambient flute-based album was released at iTunes, Amazon et al on July 21st and a month earlier at Band Camp with 2 exclusive Band Camp-only tracks. Recorded in April and May 2015, this album is dedicated to the ambient music stylings of Eno/Fripp and Jon Hassell. All instruments were played by Daniel: concert flute, synthesizers, drum loops and devices.

Track list:

Ether Oro 8.50

Leaf Maze 2.31

Found Jewel 5.05

Deep Cave Antlers 5.41

Aluminum Flyer 4.34

West of Reason 4.47

Shine On Ceres 2.11

Rock Face 5.12

Metal Petals 1.51

Feldspar 3.53

Glass Cloud 3.32

Torque 2.57

Moonlit Procession 5.04

Savanna 7.04

Listen to a song sample here.

Here's a review

New review of "Rotation" from DPRP

The Dutch progressive rock online site DPRP has a positive, well-written and informative review of the 2013 DC Sound Collective album "Rotation".

"Musically, the album creates an ethereal ambience as it gently glides along. Variation is given by musical devices such as the clever use of counter melody between the voice and guitar on City Of Industry. It serves to create the necessary degree of disturbance, while the tune never moves above its slow-paced start. Eldon contributes a funky bass throughout, which comes to the fore on the light-fingered instrumental A Jungle Of Apparitions; winding, snake-like around the rhythm, as keys and guitar create the wash of sound above."

"Apophis is certainly the highlight of Rotation and makes the album a worthwhile purchase for lovers of the kind of airy, electric ambience I have attempted to describe."

Roger Trenwith - DPRP, December 2014

Read the full review here. Buy "Rotation" at Band Camp or Amazon.