We've kicked off the O.R.k. Tour with three Italian dates so far, the rehearsals and preparation have paid off and we're fine tuning the set, with a lot of the new "Ramagehead" material.
The link below shows all the upcoming O.R.k. tour dates on my own Bands in Town page:
I am very happy to announce the new O.R.k. album "Ramagehead", is now due for release on February 22nd via Kscope.
Commencing work after a short break at the end of our "Soul of an Octopus" Tour earlier this year, "Ramagehead" was written recorded between March and September, and has been mixed by the Grammy winning Marc Urselli and Adrian Benavides, with mastering by Micheal Fossenkemper of Turtle Tone Studios.
It certainly feels like the most complete and developed album we've made together. As before the distinctive elements of Pat Mastelotto's ever inventive drumming, Carmelo Pipitone's striking and original guitar work and Lef's distinctive and powerful vocals have blended together with me in the middle somewhere, and from my perspective we've certainly gained a lot from our live experiences in the last couple of years, something difficult to quantify, but an even greater group "oneness" and unspoken shared intent perhaps.
We have a very special guest vocalist in the shape of Serje Tankian, and Eleuteria Arena, who is a frequent live guest, also provides backing vocals and some beautiful cello.
Starting in February, Lef, Carmelo Pipitone, Pat Mastelotto and myself will be touring Europe in support of "Ramagehead", including some dates with Pineapple Thief.
Complete list of tour dates and ticket information can be found here.
I'm getting myself ready for the upcoming O_R_k live dates, and here is a "LiveStudioDistanceRehearsalRecording" version of "Capture or Reveal" from the most recent album "Soul of an Octopus", magically concocted live from multiple simultaneous timezones, and featuring our guest cellist/vocalist Eleuteria Arena. We'll all be in the same place and time at the following dates very soon...
So far this year, I've played various live dates across Europe with O.R.k. Gaudi, Tim Bowness, Twinscapes and SDang! and recently I discovered a bandsintown.com page for myself which had been set up without my knowledge.
I've decided to take over the page, so from now on, any upcoming live dates can be found listed here:
To celebrate the release of the new O.R.k.album "Soul of an Octopus" please enjoy this new video for the track "Till the Sunrise Comes".
Distributed by Cargo, "Soul of an Octopus" is widely available from all the usual retail channels, in both digital and physical (regular digipack CD and stunning yellow Vinyl) formats, and also from Burning Shed on the following link:
We're looking forward to taking the album live with a selection of dates across March where we'll be joined by special guests Eleuteria Arena, Mattia Boschi and Marco Machera on selected dates.
Italy:
Friday 3rd March - San Dona Di Piave - Teatro Astra
Tuesday 7th March - Milan - Serraglio
Wed 8th March - Brescia - Latteria Molloy
Thursday 9th March - Pompegliano D'arco (NA) - Frequency
Friday 10th March - Catania - Zo
Saturday 11th March - Mesina - Retronoveau
Sunday 12th March - Lamezia Terme CZ OFF
Tuesday 14th March - Rome - Monk
Wednesday 15th March - Porto Sant'Elipidio - Teatro Delle Api
At the time of writing this, I have just completed the first gigs on the current O.R.k. tour, and it's my first chance to reflect after a short, intensive rehearsal period followed by several consecutive dates and travel days.
It's truly amazing to be with my bandmates playing the "Inflamed Rides" material live, to receptive audiences, little more than a year after we first started our tentative steps in recording the music.
I am also pleased to say the there's plenty of room in the music to expand and explore the recorded tracks live. As expected, the chemistry is working…..
Links below to a selection of photo galleries and reviews (in Italian) Linea Diretta Magmusic
I'll be touring in Europe with Obake in December, dates confirmed so far can be found here and more will be added in due course. You can also track the dates as they come in by following the link below:
http://www.bandsintown.com/Obake
Official Press Release:
"M" is the latest track to be released from Obake's upcoming second album, Mutations, which will be released via Rare Noise Records this October. Like a number of the new album tracks, it begins with a familiar sound, a thick, sludge- like groove recalling numerous titans of the Southern Rock scene, however it soon breaks down all conventions with a game-changing unsettling vocal interlude which segues into mind-boggling progressive rock, replete with minor chords and epic crescendos. It is songs like this that go a long way to show how Obake take their influences and create something that is uniquely their own.
Obake are Lorenzo Esposito Fornasari (vocals, piano, electronics), Eraldo Bernocchi (guitar, electronics), Balazs Pandi (drums) and Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree - bass). This second album arrives at the place where the energies of metal fuse with ambient electronica, jazz, and noise with the precision of math-rock and the groove of blues. Obake's sound harks back to the dawn of hard-rock, drawing upon a variety of influences from Sunn 0))), Popul Vuh, Ashra Tempel as much as Slayer, Tool, Melvins and Coil. Obake are made all the more distinctive by the fluid lyrical delivery and musings of a commanding operatic voice.
Imposing in its darkness, encompassing in its beauty and ever powerful, Obake have lost none of their might since the release of their debut, if anything, they are more captivating now than ever before.
Mutations was recorded by Daniel Sandor at Metropol Studio in Budapest, produced and mixed by Eraldo Bernocchi and Lorenzo Esposito Fornasari at The Place in Tuscany and mastered by Michael Fossenkemper at Turtletone Studio - NYC.
Lastly, for a flavour of the upcoming album "Mutations" due in October, here's "M":
