Colin Edwin
Wednesday, 22 June 2022
O.R.k. - "As I Leave" - Video by Chiara Orsi
Sunday, 19 June 2022
O.R.k. - "As I Leave"
Cover image for "As I Leave" - the first single (or focus track, or whatever else they are known as these days) to be taken from the upcoming O.R.k. album will be out on June 22nd.
“As I Leave” is an ambiguous contemplation on the inexplicable reasons for close personal bonds and human connections. It’s a song for anyone who ever desired deeper connections with another, but in some puzzling way, just couldn’t make it work. The profoundest differences are rarely geographical, as most of us have discovered over the last few years. There’s often unknowable reasons under the surface, did your blow your chance? … or did your dreams just get old?
"As I Leave" will be accompanied by a video, soon to be found on the O.R.k. youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ORkband
Presave link for the track here: https://orcd.co/as_i_leaveSaturday, 28 May 2022
O.R.k. - New Album
Friday, 18 March 2022
Oy Yak Viydu - Guadi Remix
Friday, 4 March 2022
Bandcamp Appeal Update
Wednesday, 2 March 2022
British Red Cross Ukraine Appeal
I’ve decided to remove the two collaborative albums of Ukrainian “Collision Music” - Astarta/Edwin (the original album and the remix album “Outages”) from my Bandcamp page.
In an attempt to help the relief efforts these releases (and others forthcoming.…) will be available on a new Bandcamp page set up specifically to raise funds for the British Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal here:
As well as raising funds, I think it important that Ukrainian music, perhaps lesser known outside the country, is able to reach as many people as possible, to present an example of something positive from Ukraine, and to let the wider world know that Ukrainians posses a distinct and rich culture of their own, so therefore everything will be available on a “pay as you like” basis, and will remain so, but I would like to encourage everyone who can, to please make a donation to aid the humanitarian efforts.
The war in Ukraine is destroying the lives of many people, and the musicians I’ve made these recordings with have had their lives upended along with many of their compatriots, please share, tweet, download, donate…..
Small reminder, this Friday is “Bandcamp Friday”, where Bandcamp waive their usual cut from sales, so the maximum amount of donation can be passed on.
Friday, 25 February 2022
Ukraine Appeal
When I first started working with Ukrainian musicians and singers, back in about 2012, I used to get a lot of people asking me "....what's up with those Russians you are playing with".
I could forgive the ignorance though, for a lot of people like myself who grew up in the Cold War era, the East side of most European maps was just a mass of red labelled "U.S.S.R", and most of us never expected to go there, much less to interact with any of the inhabitants or bother to learn the differences between the many Soviet Republics.
In more recent times even the most ignorant amongst us has learnt the difference between Russian and Ukrainian, and sadly not because of any great cultural understanding, but because of the most tragic and serious recent events.
It has been a great experience for me on a personal level to go to Ukraine and to find musical bonds with people from totally different backgrounds who I struggled to converse with, and it's been an ongoing and deeply satisfying artistic journey to continue working with the hugely talented and passionate Ukrainian folk singer Inna Kovtun, to explore a small part of the intriguing Slavic folk music canon with it's unique character and beauty.
The last few days I've been bouncing between shock, anger, deep concern for the Ukrainian people now living in real danger and fear, and a feeling of helplessness about what, if anything, I can do.
There's also a new Red Cross Appeal:
https://donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-crisis-appeal
I'd also urge anyone in the UK to write to their MP to push for the firmest sanctions possible against the Russian Government and it's elite citizens. The UK's weak response to date is nothing short of shameful, demonstrating a greater regard for the assets of kleptocrats and their stolen funds than the lives and security of Ukrainian citizens under attack.
It's easier than you might think to write to your MP, please click below:
Best,
Colin