Astarta/Edwin - "Outages"

 

As is often the case, the Astarta/Edwin album, released in 2016, had a number of tracks which didn't make the final cut, as well as some reinterpretations and remixes which also never came out at the time and which I've subsequently decided to actually finish and expand on. 

I've gathered these out-takes into a companion release entitled "Outages", which I hope will offer a new perspective on the original material, or perhaps even serve as a mini album in it's own right.

The experiences I had while making the album and the (sadly) few subsequent performances we managed together were all extremely memorable. Happily the connection has carried on with Inna Kovtun and I eventually going on to make the Edwin/Durant/Kovtun album with guitarist Jon Durant as a full third collaborator, I certainly hope there will be more to come.

Here's a few notes about the tracks included on "Outages":

1. Still - Anyone familiar with my solo album "Infinite Regress" will recognise the bones of this track, as the bass and drum parts are lifted completely from "Almost Still". Originally, I thought it might be interesting to offer "Almost Still" to Inna, in the hope it might interest her to do a Ukrainian language version. Instead, and surprisingly, she used the backing to sing a completely different song. Eduard Prystupa joins on backing vocals, and although both he and Inna guested on "Infinite Regress", this track didn't make either album. Jon Durant plays some fine guitar, as always.

2. Kalina (Unpainted Canvas Mix) - "Kalina" was the first track we ever worked on together and set the modus operandi of our collaboration from the start, building musical arrangements around the bare twin vocals of Inna Kovtun and Yulia Malyarenko from the ground up. This interpretation removes, almost completely, the original vocal parts, so it's a form of reverse engineering to focus on the elements that were added around the main centre of attention, the twin voices and their beguiling Eastern harmonies. Pat Mastelotto and Jon Durant play drums and guitar respectively.

3. Ves Dub - Not understanding any of the words or lyrics I was working with, I reached out for a few translations and I was fascinated by Inna's explanation of the song "Vesyanochka", which is really an ancient invocation sung in a high pitch to summon the Spring to come and nurture the crops and rejuvenate the natural world after a harsh winter. In a rural society, the importance of the cycle of seasonal rebirth and can't be understated. I wanted to underscore the almost pagan, earthy atmosphere of the original song with an even more Arcadian impression.

4. Cascade (Post Soviet Radio Mix) - A new remix, and a completely different take on the instrumental parts of the original, with a small amount of the vocals treated in a textural manner. There were so many good performances from Jon, Steve and Eduard that remodelling was both an easy process and a real pleasure.

5. Chornomoretc - For running order and space reasons, another track left off the Astarta/Edwin album. Inna Kovtun on lead vocals with Yulia Malyarenko and Jon Durant on multiple guitar overdubs and topping it al off with a splendid solo. For me it's a mysterious tune, the vocal lines have an intriguing rhythmic phrasing and the atmosphere is celebratory, but with an edge of nostalgic yearning, but I could be totally wrong about that of course.

6. Skripka (Twisted Jig Mix) - "Skripka" translates as violin, and the original folk song is apparently a traditional wedding favourite, the Astarta/Edwin version became an ideal showcase for the talents of  Steve Bingham (No Man) who contributed a fantastic set of performances. This remix is basically an extended version of an instrumental coda that never made the album cut. 

7. Kolisanka (Dreamless Sleep Mix)  - The version of Kolisanka (Lullaby) that made the Astarta/Edwin album is more or less a straightforward acoustic ballad with some intense vocal harmonies, upright bass, piano and acoustic guitar. Given that I am unable to understand the lyrics and words, re-presenting the song as an almost wordless mood piece with a more electronic edge seemed a good avenue to explore. Hopefully the subtle and delicate nature of the original remains.

8. Cascade (Allusion Mix) "Cascade" was the exception to the all the other pieces on the album, as instead of building around existing vocal arrangements, and out of a desire to give Inna and Yulia a new context to "do their thing", I created an instrumental piece for them to improvise over and to build an original vocal arrangement over. This was then complemented by the contributions of the others involved; Eduard Prystupa, Jon Durant and Steve Bingham. Consequently, this remix is another reverse engineering exercise which strips away the rhythmic elements and most of the original instrumental parts to bring the vocals completely to the fore.

Happy New Year - "Novorichna"

 

Lockdown has given me the opportunity to delve into the past and rediscover a lot of material I'd forgotten or half finished. "Novorichna" falls into the former category, it was recorded as Astarta/Edwin  but left off the finished album as it really didn't fit, not surprsing really as it's a traditional New Year's Greeting song,  created in our "collision music" method.

 Note that this would refer to the Eastern Gregorian Orthodox New Year, so as of now,  I am not late in sharing it out with all the usual New Years wishes, add to that that 2020 has been so dire for most of us that the opportunity to say goodbye to it twice should perhaps be welcomed.

2021 has already got off to wild start,  so I thought it best to offer this as a free/pay what you like download to spread a little bit of extra positive energy.....click the player above.

Happy  New Year to all.

Hannochka -

Further Travels - Episode 245 "Hannochka" in which yours truly and Jon Durant travel to the impressive Ukrainian capital city of Kiev and meet a mysterious and beguiling lady who transforms us into traditional local costume and custom whilst singing a lament for a lost future.....a meeting of minds that would not have been possible in a not so distant past.

Note: Bridges feature large in our world....build bridges not walls.


"Hannochka" - from the Edwin/Durant/Kovtun album....

Pre-Orders - Edwin/Durant/Kovtun

Inna Kovtun

Below is the first full length track available as a preview from my forthcoming album with Jon Durant and Inna Kovtun.

license

Entitled "Harvest", (Жнивна)  this tune is based on an old Ukrainian folk melody, and also features a great performance from Robert Gualdi on drums and Ukrainian wind instruments courtesy of Levgen Zharinov

Please follow the link in the player above to pre-order the digital version via Bandcamp, alternatively......click here.

There is a pre-order option for CD's on the links below.

The artist friendly Burning Shed:

https://burningshed.com/colin-edwin_jon-durant_inna-kovtun_cd

If you prefer, the less artist friendly option:

https://www.amazon.com/Edwin-Durant-Kovtun-Colin/dp/B07X7D1XMB/

Best,

Colin

Edwin/Durant/Kovtun - Trailer

..a short taste of the forthcoming Edwin/Durant/Kovtun album. (Photos by Al Peck)

The three of us joined by Roberto Gualdi on drums (see also "Twinscapes") and levgen Zharinov on wind instruments.

Pre-order is up on burning shed on the link below:

https://burningshed.com/colin-edwin_jon-durant_inna-kovtun_cd

or Amazon here;

https://amzn.to/2kxGQpx

More soon....

Edwin/Durant/Kovtun

After struggling with what to call ourselves, (EDK being a bit too similar to O.R.k perhaps) 

 my full-length collaborative album with Jon Durant and Inna Kovtun is being lined up for an Autumn release (CD and digital) and will simply be called "Colin Edwin, Jon Durant, Inna Kovtun"

See previous post here.

Above is the cover image design by Radoslav Chrzan. It should be fairly obvious the main image represents a bridge. It seemed apt, as bridges have followed us wherever we go. Inna's home city, Kiev is bisected by the Dnieper river and features a number of impressive bridges. Jon spends a good deal of time in Portland on the West Coast of the U.S.A. which has many bridges,  although he's forever photographing the same one!
We mixed the album all together at Grand Cru Studios in London, on a boat in St. Katherine's Dock,  right next to London Bridge.

More information, audio samples, pre-order links etc when the time comes.......

New Material with Inna Kovtun and Jon Durant.

The turmoil that engulfed Ukraine in late 2014 pretty much put a stop to the activities I had been planning with Kiev based vocal duo Astarta (see previous blog posts here and here) . We just about managed to release our album through Comp Music eventually, but any live performances and further recording was put on hold indefinitely.
I am happy to say that, after a pause of about 18 months, I managed to reconnect with the marvellous vocalist Inna Kovtun, and with the addition of Jon Durant, my partner in Burnt Belief , who also made a lot of fantastic contributions to the Astarta/Edwin album as well as joining us for the live shows we did manage, late 2018 saw us all together for the closing stages of mixing a full new albums worth of material.
As before, the new tracks are built around a set of Slavic folk songs, but extensively reworked and re-imagined by Jon and myself.
Initially working from bare vocals upwards, Inna in turn created fresh vocal arrangements with new harmonies around our newly developed musical backing.
After the mostly remote recording process, Jon, Inna and myself were able to meet up in London for the final mixing sessions on the marvellous Grand Cru Studios in the picturesque setting of St. Katherine's Dock in London.
We've been lucky enough to also have some rhythmic input from the Twinscapes powerhouse Roberto Gualdi on drums.
I am really looking forward to releasing the results of our work together, no firm plans yet, but something else to watch out for later  in 2019......hopefully before too long...

Burnt Belief - Anniversary of the End of the World

It's been quite some time since Burnt Belief decided to mark the end of the world with the release of our eponymous debut album.

For us Armageddon certainly proved to be an auspicious event since Jon Durant and myself have completed a further two full length albums, and Jon also played a huge part in shaping my collaborative album with Ukrainian vocal duo Astarta, …and it's not finished yet, our collaborative journey into Ukrainian music is still ongoing, but more in that in due course.

For now, we've chosen to mark the anniversary of the end, by setting up a Bandcamp page where all three albums - Burnt Belief, Etymology and Emergent - are now available in the usual audio format options.





Happy Solstice to all....

2016 Playlist

A Soundcloud playlist featuring music that I've been involved in this last year:

Burnt Belief "Ghosts Aquatic"

Taken from the current album "Emergent"

Emergent - Trailer

See above, a short trailer for the upcoming Burnt Belief album "Emergent" which is set for release on October 7th via Cargo Distribution, and it will also be available through all the usual digital outlets and Burning Shed too, for pre-order please click here.

Burnt Belief - "Emergent" - cover image and track listing.

"Emergent" the upcoming third album from Jon Durant and myself under the name "Burnt Belief" is now completely finished and set for an early October 2016 release. 

Vinny Sabatino, who joined us on "Etymology" and for a previous live date, is on drums.

The last two albums "Etymology" and "Burnt Belief", having been on import only at the time of release, will also be distributed via Cargo at the same time.

Tracklisting:

1.The Bubble Bursts

2. More Snow

3. The Confidence of Ignorance

4. Emergent

5. Until The Stars Go Out

6. Language of Movement

7. Turning Torso

8. Ghosts Aquatic

Audio previews, press release and other information to follow.

Astarta/Edwin Album Audio Trailer + Interview.

Here is a recent interview talking with journalist Anna Brovchenko from Kiev, (.. see below also for text in Ukrainian…)

Finally the full Astarta/Edwin album is out now on digital release and can be found here:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/astarta-edwin/id1081026284.

For the physical CD click here: https://www.burningshed.com/store/hardworld/product/195/7403/

An interview with Colin Edwin
(українською, будь ласка, читайте це інтерв’ю в наступному пості)

– Colin, what did you know about Ukrainian music before you came to Kiev in 2012?
– Although I consider myself an adventurous listener, I had only heard a little Eastern European folk music on various compilation albums and a few random things I had heard or been given, but really I hadn't yet had any particular incentive to delve deeper.

– Were you surprised when Dilya suggested to try working together? Did you search for a collaboration with folk band at that time?
– Dilya approached me just after I had played a live show with Ex-Wise Heads, he doesn't speak much English so he was actually asking me through someone else. I am always open to things, so I was curious to hear what he might have in mind, but I really wasn't searching for anything. I gave him my email address, and to be honest I didn't really expect it would be something that would interest me, it was more out of curiosity really.

– What impressed you when you heard songs of Astarta for the first time? In one of your interview you said you were amazed. What amazed you the most?
– Dilya sent me audio files for the vocal arrangements of Kalina and Vesnyanochka, but with no other information, so the first thing I heard was just the raw vocals. It's a moment I recall clearly, as although of course I couldn't connect with the lyrics, the sound grabbed me instantly, extremely vibrant and stirring but also very atmospheric, and a little alien to me too, as the harmonies are of a type you don't readily hear in the UK. I was reminded a little of the Bulgarian Choir "Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares", I had one of the cassette tapes way back, but hadn't listened to it in years. In any case there was a clear "quality" to what I was hearing, I could tell immediately these two women could really sing, and what a great combination, they seemed to complement each other perfectly. I was just as impressed with Inna and Yulia when we first started to rehearse, hearing them sing in the real world was even better than listening to the recordings I had been working with.

– Speaking of Astarta/Edwin songs. Could you say anything about Ukrainian people just listening to the music, melodies, voices?
– In places to me, it is evocative of open spaces and it has a naturalness that reflects it's rural origins. The vocals of Inna and Yulia are very soulful, and there is a real range of expression across the material we've worked on. There's a raw, and earthy ethnic quality to the vocals. Pat Mastelotto also described their sound as "uplifting", which I agree with totally. I have always had a bit of a fascination with folk music, on one level music can be just entertainment, but there is something about the way music was and still is used in folk ceremonies, annual festivities or to mark important life events, like weddings, that reminds me of the way that music is really a powerful binding force and becomes part of the fabric of a culture. Inna Kovtun took the time to explain to me how "Vesnyanochka" for example was meant to summon the Spring, hence it was sung in a high pitch so as to be heard clearly. The importance of better weather after a long, hard winter to an agricultural community can't be stressed enough, it might mean the difference between survival and starvation. This explanation gave the song a whole new level of meaning.

– How can you describe Ukrainian folk music in three words?
– Only three? Ok then: Bold, vivid and atmospheric. 

– What Astarta/Edwin project means to you?
– It has been very special to me to create something with people with from vastly different backgrounds and with whom I can barely communicate in words, but the results far exceeded my expectations. It was also a big step into the unknown, we proceeded with no clear plan or intent, but we have made something special and unique I think.

– Some projects invite famous musicians to collaborate with and due to them attracting attention to themselves. But in case of Astarta/Edwin it seems that here seen a mutual interest. Is that right?
– All the musicians were happy to get involved on the basis that they really liked the music and voices, I am really grateful for their contributions, as they each brought something great to the mix. Jon Durant was really enthusiastic as soon as he heard "Kalina", at the time I had no thought of getting anyone else involved, but he contributed some truly marvellous guitar work, from his low key atmospherics in "Troica", to full on abstract solos, like he does in 'Orel'. Of course I work with Jon as Burnt Belief, but he still managed to surprise me in really good way with all the ideas he threw at me.

– It’s said that you used at a studio in Kyiv the EBS TD650 amp which was the same one which you had previously taken as a spare on the Incident tour with Porcupine Tree. Is that true?
– It was actually quite funny, EBS isn't always an easy brand to get hold of in some places, so the studio owner was quite pleased he had found me my first choice. When he told me who the previous owner was, I knew it could only be the same one I had borrowed and had returned to a little rehearsal studio in London at the end of the Incident Tour. Not only did he find my first choice, but the exact amplifier I had used previously...

– Which of your numerous projects is the most priority for you? Or are they all equal?
– On a creative level, everything I get involved in has equal importance to me, especially as one thing always leads to another and lots of things can be great learning experiences. It's sometimes necessary to prioritise things only because certain opportunities might present themselves and I also have to make living.

– How do you make a decision to collaborate with other musicians? What is a main motivation?
– I usually get involved with something or someone if there's either a possibility of doing something that's different and new for me, as I like to surprise myself, or because I already know that the other parties are doing or have done some thing I really like. 

– Could you name certain musicians who have inspired and influenced you?
– Geoff Leigh has actually been a major influence. As a musical partner with Ex-Wise Heads, over the years he has really encouraged me to try new things all the time, so the concept of having a comfort zone is something I no longer care about. Geoff is a seriously creative person, and certainly a hugely under-rated soloist. As for influences, I prefer to think in terms of interaction with whom ever I work with, rather than referencing my own influences.

– It’s written in Wikipedia that you are “a jazz fan”. Who are your favourite jazz musicians?
– Jazz is a broad term really but I enjoy a lot of the 50's -70's stuff: Roland Kirk, Charles Mingus, Miles Davis, Ahmad Jamal, Oscar Peterson, Grant Green, Wes Montgomery and my taste for the more modern type leans towards the Nordic/Scandinavian countries, Esbjorn Svensson, Nils Petter Molvaer, Tord Gustavsen, and also the Swiss minimalists; Nik Bartsch, the band Sonar and I have just discovered Don Li.

– In what music genre you would never agreed to work in and why?
– Fortunately, I get asked to do things that appeal to me, so I have yet to have that problem.

– Колін, чи ви щось знали про українську музику до того, як приїхали до Києва з концертом у 2012 році?
– Взагалі-то, я дуже люблю відкривати для себе будь-яку нову музику, але про фолк зі Східної Європи я знав небагато. Щось чув на збірках, якісь платівки мені дарували, але насправді в мене не було приводу заглибитися у цей музичний матеріал.

– Ви здивувалися, коли Діля запропонував співпрацю? Ви не шукали тоді фолк-проект, з яким можна було б щось разом створити?
– Діля підійшов до мене після мого київського виступу з Ex-Wise Heads. Він не дуже добре говорив англійською, тому його слова мені перекладали. Насправді, я завжди відкритий для співпраці чи пропозицій, тому я з цікавістю поставився до його слів. Хоча тоді я нічого подібного і не шукав. Я дав йому свій імейл. Але, чесно кажучи, не очікував на щось, що мене зацікавить по-справжньому. 

– В одному інтерв’ю ви сказали, що були вражені, коли вперше почули пісні “Астарти”. А що саме вас вразило?
– Діля надіслав мені для аранжування аудіофайли “Калини” і “Весняночки”. Це були лише вокальні партії. Я дуже чітко пам’ятаю цю мить – незважаючи на те, що я не розумів, про що у тих піснях йдеться, звучання голосів захопило мене миттєво. Голоси були настільки тремтливими і хвилюючими... Але у той же час дуже легкими. Звичайно, було одразу зрозуміло, що співають представниці зовсім іншої культури, тому що такі гармонії у Великій Британії не почуєш щодня. Вони злегка нагадали мені болгарський народний хор Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares – в мене давно була їхня касета, яку я не слухав багато років. Так чи інакше, все звучало настільки якісно, що я одразу зрозумів, що ці дівчини не тільки можуть професійно співати, але й доповнюють одна одну просто ідеально. Ще більше я був вражений, коли ми зустрілися з Інною Ковтун та Юлією Маляренко на першій репетиції у Києві. Наживо вони звучали ще краще, аніж на записах, з якими я працював.

– Що ви можете розказати про українців, лише слухаючи українську народну музику, голоси, мелодії?
– Українська народна музика в мене асоціюється з відкритим простором, природою, здебільшого сільським колоритом. Голоси Інни та Юлії сповнені емоцій. І діапазон цих емоцій надзвичайно широкий. Але водночас вони можуть звучати і дуже просто. Пет Мастелотто вважає, що їхні голоси викликають душевне піднесення і надають сили. І я з цим цілком згоден. Фолк завжди мене заворожував. Одна музика існує для розваги, але є й інша. Ця музика була і є частиною щорічних народних свят чи важливих життєвих подій, наприклад, весілля… І це мені нагадує, що вона насправді є тією силою, що єднає. Музика є невід’ємною частиною культури. Одного разу Інна витратила час, аби пояснити мені це на прикладі пісні “Весняночка”. Вона розповіла, що її співали, коли потрібно було “викликати Весну”, саме тому і співається вона на високих нотах. Вирогідно, щоб було краще чутно. Необхідно було призвати тепло, яке приходить на зміну довгій і важкій зимі. І найбільше цього потребують селяни, бо від цього залежить чи буде людям що їсти. Завдяки цьому поясненню пісня набула для мене зовсім іншого значення.

– Як би ви охарактеризували українську народну музику у трьох словах?
– Тільки три? Добре. Сильна, яскрава, атмосферна.

– Що для вас означає проект Astarta/Edwin?
– Вважаю його особливим для себе, тому що мені довелося створити щось з людьми, за плечима яких дуже різний досвід, і з якими я ледь міг спілкуватися однією мовою, але результат перевершив усі мої сподівання. В нас не було чіткого плану або мети, це був стрибок у невідоме. Але, сподіваюсь, ми зробили щось надзвичайне і унікальне.

– Деякі проекти запрошують до співпраці відомих музикантів, аби привернути увагу до себе. Але у Astarta/Edwin ситуація інша – відчувається спільна зацікавленість. Це так?
– Всі запрошені музиканти долучилися до проекту тому, що їм насправді дуже сподобалася музика і голоси. І я дуже вдячний їм за це, бо кожен додав музиці щось неймовірне. Джон Дюран виявив неабияку цікавість до матеріалу, як тільки вперше почув трек “Калина”. Тоді я ще взагалі не думав, що треба запросити когось з музикантів… Але він заграв фантастичні гітарні партії – ледь чутну на атмосферній “Тройці” та дещо абстрактне на треці “Орел”. Звичайно, я співпрацюю з Джоном у нашому проекті Burnt Belief, але він постійно дивує мене своїми ідеями.

– Чи правда, що під час репетиції на одній з київських студій ви використовували той самий підсилювач (EBS TD650), який був у вас під час Incident Tour з гуртом Porcupine Tree?
– Так! Це доволі весела історія. Справа в тому, що такий підсилювач не так вже й легко знайти. Тож, коли хазяїн студії знайшов мені підсилювач саме цієї фірми, він був страшенно задоволений. Але потім він мені розповів, хто був його попереднім власником… І я зрозумів, що це могла бути тільки одна людина з невеличкої студії у Лондоні – та, у якої я свого часу його і позичив, а потім повернув після завершення туру. Отже, у Києві я використовував саме його…

– Серед ваших проектів є ті, що для вас важливіші за інші?
– Всі однаково важливі. Найкраще ж, коли один проект згодом приводить до іншого. Завдяки цьому я вчусь новому. Часом доводиться встановлювати пріорітети. Але тільки тому, що для презентації якогось проекту з’являється більш слушна нагода. І, окрім того, маю все ж таки лишати час просто на життя. 

– Як ви приймаєте рішення про співправцю з іншими музикантами?
– Я завжди погоджуюся, якщо відчуваю, що робитиму те, чого не робив раніше, щось абсолютно нове. Я люблю себе дивувати. Або погоджуюсь тоді, коли мені подобається музикант і все, що він створює. 

– Назвіть, будь ласка, імена музикантів, які надіхнули і вплинули на вас?
– Джефф Лі, безумовно, сильно вплинув на мене. Коли ми працювали над проектом Ex-Wise Heads, він постійно заохочував мене пробувати нове. Тому для мене таке поняття як “зона комфорту” вже взагалі не існує. Джефф – надзвичайно творча людина і дуже недооцінений виконавець. Взагалі, я надихаюся тими, з ким я вже співпрацював.

– У “Вікіпедії” написано, що ви є прихильником джазу. Хто ваші улюблені джазові музиканти?
– Джаз – широке поняття, але я насолоджуюсь музикою 50-70-х років. Роланд Кірк, Чарльз Мінгус, Майлз Девіс, Ахмад Джамал, Оскар Пітерсон, Грант Грін, Уес Монтгомері. А серед сучасних назву музикантів зі скандинавських країн: Есбйорн Свенссон, Нільс Петтер Молвер, Торд Густавсен, а також представників шведської школи мінімалізму – Нік Бартч, гурт Sonar і моє нещодавнє відкриття – композитор Дон Лі. 

– У якому музичному жанрі ви не погодилися б працювати і чому?
– Нащастя, мені пропонують тільки те, що мені подобається, тому допоки не було нагоди стикнутися з цією проблемою.

Astarta/Edwin - Tracklisting and Cover Image

Press-Release: 

Astarta/Edwin – “Astarta/Edwin”

(англійською; українською – у наступному пості)

Astarta/Edwin is the unlikely, intriguing and productive combination of female Ukrainian vocal duo Astarta, UK bass player and producer Colin Edwin and Ukrainian composer and singer Dilya. Also the project’s debut album features contribution from gifted and remarkable guest musicians including US experimental/ambient guitarist Jon Durant, UK violin virtuoso Steve Bingham and legendary US drummer Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson).

This collaborative project and album were born out whilst Colin Edwin was visiting Kiev to perform with his duo Ex-Wise Heads in early 2012. After the event Edwin got introduced to Dilya, who came to this concert by chance. Dilya told him he has produced the folk duo Astarta and wanted to collaborate with him. That day the project Astarta/Edwin was started. 

The main idea was to take the vibrant, emotive and striking vocals of Inna Kovtun and Yulia Malyarenko, the Ukrainian folk songs, which they were found during the folk expeditions throughout Ukraine and infuse them into completely unrelated contexts with Colin Edwin's musical input and production. Edwin didn’t treat them as Ukrainian folk and came at the material from a different direction, blending with Western melodic and rhythmic constructs. 

After live performances in 2013, including the debut Astarta/Edwin show at the Kraina Mriy World Music Festival in Kyiv, solo concert of Astarta with Colin Edwin and Astarta/Edwin live at the Days of Ukraine in the UK in London, the project developed their sound and working methods throughout the recording process. 

Colin explains “Whilst working on the material, I purposely stayed away from attempting any sort of interpretation of the lyrics, instead remaining in wilful ignorance of the actual lyrical content. The Ukrainian language remains a mystery to me, so my focus was always on supporting the twin vocals and trying to create a sympathetic musical content to wrap around and highlight them. It's really not necessary to understand the words to grasp the emotional intention.”

Kicking off with the jaunty, propulsive “Pid Yalinoyu” the album travels through an inviting collection of 12 songs, via the mysterious atmospheric dub of “Oy U Lisi”, ranging from the uplifting “Orel” (aided by particularly inventive guitar work from Durant), to the fragile acoustic ballad “Kolisanka”. The creation of the album allowing the unexpected new interpretations, for example the reworking of traditional song “Skripka” lends a more melancholic undertone to it’s usual cheery mood. 

Together, all parties involved have moulded the folk roots into something unique, in a new and highly unusual way, especially for Ukraine. 

Colin concludes "I hope we are able to present something positive, energizing and beautiful. This album would not exist without the generosity, warmth, energy, creativity and humour from all the Ukrainian people I have met, and the rich culture we have drawn from and shaped together in our own way.”

Tracklisting:

1 Pid Yalinoyu

2 Kalina

3 Oy U Lisi

4 Orel

5 Rekrutska

6 Skripka-Bass

7 A V Nashogo Shuma

8 Vesnyanochka

9 Kupala

10 Troica

11 Kolisanka

12 Cascade

Credits:

Inna Kovtun – vocals 

Yulia Malyarenko – vocals

Colin Edwin – fretted, fretless and upright basses, programming, keyboards, electronics, ebow, arrangement

Recorded at Nightspace (London, UK)

Dilya – keyboards, vocals

Recorded at EP Studio (Kiev, Ukraine)

With:

Jon Durant – electric, acoustic and cloud guitars

Recorded at Mannakin Studios (MA, USA)

Steve Bingham – violin (6, 8, 9, 12)

Recorded at Rectory Studio (Brington, UK)

Pat Mastelotto – acoustic and electronic drums, percussion (2, 3, 6)

Recorded by P@ at The Worm Hole - Dripping Springs (Texas, USA)

Bogdan Kerichok – acoustic drums (4, 5)

Produced by Colin Edwin, Dilya

Co-produced by Igor Romanov

Consulting producer – Anna Brovchenko

Mixed by Colin Edwin at Nightspace (London, UK)

Mastered by Paul Mex at Mex One Recordings (London, UK)

Digital Pre-Order Link

Astarta/Edwin - "Oy U Lisi"

It has taken a while but I am very pleased to announce that the Astarta/Edwin album is out now.


Herewith "Oy U Lisi" ("In the Forest") a metaphorical tale the meaning of which is obvious despite the language barrier, is taken from the forthcoming album:



..more to follow,

Best,

Colin

Astarta/Edwin Christmas song….

A previously unreleased Astarta/Edwin track can be found on Ukrainian musician Eduard Prystupa's latest release "Gabriel's Message, an EP of seasonal songs.

I have to thank Eduard for getting me involved with Astarta in the first place, he also remains the only person ever to have given me a horse made from cheese…

Jon Durant joins in on guitar too.

Please check the links and see below for my thoughts in English:

Завтра – офіційний реліз міні-альбому Gabriel's Message. 

Про співпрацю з Ділею і дуетом AstartA розповідає британський прог-рок басист Colin Edwin, який долучився до роботи над EP: 

"Працюючи над треками для проекту Astarta/Edwin, я цілком свідомо уникав будь-якої прив'язки до змісту пісень. Українська мова лишається для мене суцільною таїною, тому увагу я фокусував на підтримці парного вокалу і намагався створювати обволікаюче звукове супроводження, яке б допомогло виставити вокал на перший план. 

Незважаючи на те, що я не розумів, про що йдеться у піснях, у деяких випадках, слухаючи вокальні партії, я цілком чітко відчував атмосферу треку. І кращим взірцем є "Різдвяна", яка абсолютно не приховує своєї святковості – я одразу відчув атмосферу Різдвяних свят і Нового року. Навіть незважаючи на те, що традиції святкування у наших країнах різні. 

Тому я розпочав трек дзвіночками. Так, звичайно, це кліше. Але й абсолютним кліше є твердження, що музика – це універсальна мова. Хоча водночас це так і є". 

ПРЕМ’ЄРА: Діля – Gabriel’s Message [міні-альбом]

Щиро вдячні усім, хто доклав свій талант до його створення – від невідомих нам прадавніх українців і баскійців до знаного британця Коліна Едвіна і вельмишановного американця Джона Дюрана (send special thanks to Colin Edwin and Jon Durant). А також вдячні усім тим, хто цей міні-альбом слухатиме. 

На відео – особистий message від Ділі до кожного з вас smile emoticon

Слухати і придбати реліз:
iTunes: https://itun.es/ua/HabK_
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1YkJaay
Deezer: http://bit.ly/1NEPa95
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1Mp2fkJ
Spotify: http://bit.ly/1Peegy6

English:

Whilst working on the Astarta/Edwin material, I purposely stayed away from attempting any sort of interpretation of the lyrics, instead remaining in wilful ignorance of the actual lyrical content. The Ukrainian language remains a mystery to me, so my focus was always on supporting the twin vocals and trying to create a sympathetic musical content to wrap around and highlight them. However, in a few cases, on hearing the vocals, the meaning, if not the exact words was very clear to me, the best example of this is probably "Rizdvyana", which has an undeniably "festive" atmosphere. Even without any musical accompaniment, and despite the obvious differences between how we might celebrate the season, the bare voices made me think immediately of the atmosphere around Christmas and New Year....
For that reason, starting the track off with the sound of a bell was an obvious choice, it's a cliche of course, but it's also a cliche to say that music is a universal language, and at the same time, it's absolutely true.
‪#‎dilya‬ ‪#‎dilyaGM‬ ‪#‎colinedwin‬ ‪#‎astartaedwin‬ ‪#‎christmas‬ ‪#‎xmas‬ ‪#‎діля‬ 

‪#‎різдво‬

All the best of the season,

Colin

Spector NS 4H2 MM USA fretless.

Since I received it a few years ago, my Spector USA fretless, has become a firm favourite.

Comfortable, reliable, expressive and tonally flexible, I have used it in a variety of different contexts, always with great results.

EMG Pick ups

High Gloss Cherry finish.

Like most of my basses, it's fitted with a Hipshot D- Tuner

Distinctive Spector Headstock with Logo.

I've recorded and gigged a lot with this instrument over the last few years, below some examples, starting with Twinscapes,:



With O.R.k.



A track with Tim Bowness:



With Jon Durant:




Herd of Instinct:


With Astarta/Edwin:

"Chornomorets" - Outtake

The Astarta/Edwin album is finally finished, mixed and mastered and I am presently awaiting a firm release date from the label.

In the meantime, see below, "Chornomorets" a tune which hasn't made the final track listing.

Left off for reasons of album sequencing rather than quality, as always, great vocal performances from Inna Kovtun and Yulia Malyarenko, and Jon Durant joins us with some extremely lyrical guitar playing, please enjoy:



Best,

Colin

My Basses Part 3 - Wal Fretless

When I started my hunt for a good fretless bass, I had already been playing a fretted Wal for a couple of years, a solid ash model, originally made for my bass playing friend Martin Elliott.

At the time,  I was looking to replace a cheap and cheerful Westone Thunder 1A fretless with something a bit more serious. 

I opted for another Wal for two main reasons, one being that I was already comfortable with the string spacing and fretboard feel, so making the leap to playing fretless was, I reasoned, sure to be less problematic, and secondly, I was confident that in choosing another Wal I could be sure the craftsmanship and materials would mean I was going to find another really great instrument.

Wal basses have become very sought after in recent years, but at the time, a secondhand Wal could be found fairly regularly in the pages of Loot (…now replaced by Ebay and the like) for somewhere around the £400 - £500 mark, which seems amazing today given the prices they go for.

Made in 1984 at Electric Wood in the UK, my Wal fretless has a Brazillian Mahogany Core with American Cherry wood facings and an Indian Ebony fretboard.

Wal's own design active pick-ups, extremely flexible in terms of tone. Note worn varnish above the pick-ups, I  had the bass revarnished by Electric Wood some years ago.

XLR output socket next to the main output visible below the controls. This only works when there is a jack in the main output, it's very useful when recording for taking a signal direct from the bass.

Currently strung with D'Addario Flatwounds.

View of the Bridge.

Headstock, Hipshot D- Tuner not visible.

Serial number on the backplate.

This is probably my most played bass, I used it almost exclusively for a number of years, below a selection of tracks, old and newer:

I am lucky enough to own three Wals, my most recent acquisition being another 80's era fretted which was previously owned by Jack Monck and given a thorough working out on The Incident tour and album with Porcupine Tree.

Bye for now,

Colin

"Novorichna" - Happy New Year

It appears Ukrainians celebrate the festive season a little later than the rest of us, something to do with the Gregorian calendar.



I am hoping to have some news about the Astarta/Edwin project at some point in the not too distant future, but for now it's probably appropriate to share the song "Novorichna" , a Ukrainian NewYear song, not part of the forthcoming album. The lyrics and language may be unfamiliar, but as an expression of hopefulness for the coming year it's easy for anyone to relate to.

Jon Durant is on guitar, Inna, Yulia and Eduard Prystupa on vocals with bass, programming etc, yours truly.

All the Best to all for 2015…..


Colin