Soundcloud update

I've recently updated my Soundcloud page with a selection of my solo material, and also some tracks from the Ex-Wise Heads back catalogue.

Below is the track "Nothing Alarming" from my first solo album "Third Vessel":

....and here's "Subumbrella" from Ex-Wise Heads, the album before last "Liquid Assets"

Lots of other stuff there too, 

Best,

Colin

"Burnt Belief" - Colin Edwin / Jon Durant

Below, a short trailer for the forthcoming album "Burnt Belief" - a collaboration between your humble scribe, and guitarist, composer, photographer ( and, I learnt only yesterday, graphic designer) Jon Durant:



I worked with Jon last year on his "Dance of the Shadow Planets" album, which you can read about in a previous blog entry here.

"Dance of the Shadow Planets" came together in such an enjoyable and inspiring manner, I had hoped that Jon and I would work together again before too long.
With Jon and I seemingly sharing a particular wavelength, the process of creating "Burnt Belief" has felt like a natural continuation, the main development being that my role has expanded to adding electronics, rhythm programming, a certain amount of sonic sculpting and composition, as well playing both electric and double bass.

Jon, along with his unique guitar stylings, has also expanded his palette, playing prepared, and electric pianos, and we are joined by percussionist Jerry Leake (who also worked on Shadow Planets) with a spellbinding array of metallics and drums of various types, adding a rhythmic depth to the tunes, last but not least, my fellow Ex-Wise Head, Geoff Leigh who plays a mighty fine flute solo on one track.

The album is due out on December 21st this year - which the more observant reader will realise is a significant date ......

I'll be sharing some more info about the album in the near future.

Best,

Colin

Metallic Taste of Blood Reviews (Part 1)

The eponymous Metallic Taste of Blood album, released last month, has been getting some great reviews.

Here's a selection below, click on the links to read.....

Louder than War

Hellbound

Critical Jazz

Something Else Reviews

The Digital Fix

Jazzchill

Mass Movement

I like the use of the term Cognitive Dissonance here, as I've just read "When Prophecy Fails" which I highly recommend......

.....and this one from Italy. (No idea what is says, as I don't parlano Italiano)

My colleagues and I also did an interview with Hellbound, which you can read here

There's also now a brand new Facebook page....here,

.....finally the Metallic Taste of Blood website has a had a bit of a revamp.

More to follow,

All the best,

Colin

Polaroid

Interesting image of my double bass, taken with a Polarid 600 and some Silver Shade film.

Just getting into the Polaroid thing, although I have the Diana Instant back, which is fun.

Bye for now,

 Colin

Astarta/Edwin

Collision Music.

Anyone who has heard Ex-Wise Heads will guess already that I have always had a very strong interest in hearing music from all over the world.

I can trace this back to being about 16 and getting out random cassette tapes (remember them?) from the local library in order to discover things like Balinese ritual music, Bulgarian Wedding music or Sufi music from Pakistan. I've continued to delve into so-called "World Music" (a bit of a ridiculous term to me) and explore the unfamiliar over the years, sometime unearthing real gems, other times just feeling mystified.....

However, I have to say, although I have taken the time to listen to some music from Eastern Europe, folk music from Ukraine is something I really know next to nothing about. (edit: on reflection, about which I know nothing at all.....)

The whole notion of folk music is quite interesting to me; song forms that have existed for a long, long time, handed down through generations, often describing events, things or people from ages past and which are perhaps even a strong part of the self-identity of an individual or group of people.

In the UK, I always sense that people are perhaps embarrassed by their own folk culture, I guess the closest you can get is that some summer evenings, in the right places, it's possible to see see Morris Men, generally much older guys, who always look to me to be looking for an excuse to drink beer rather then connect with their ancestral root culture.

Anyway, shortly after I visited Kiev with Ex-Wise Heads last March, I was invited to collaborate with the vocal talents of Astarta, a female vocal duo “updating” Ukrainian folk music for the present time, by specifically mixing contemporary elements with ancient songs.

ASTARTA

Although I have really no idea about the language or the meaning of the words, the sounds of the two voices working together is something I find quite compelling, containing an almost pagan “joie de vivre” quality rarely heard these days, and the flowing nature of the melodies often conceal odd rhythmic patterns which appeal to my love of exotic time signatures.

Therefore, I'd like to present here a two track digital download single “Kalina/Vesnanyochka" the first two tracks in what is developing into an ongoing collaboration, hopefully a full album length before too long:

Given that I have no real knowledge or experience whatsoever of the folk idiom, I'm thinking of this as being almost “Collision Music”, exploring the unknown (for me at least), I sincerely hope it's as rewarding to listen to, as it is to be involved in.

Best,

Colin

Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower, a photo by colinedwin on Flickr.

Redscale film and the Lomography Sprocket Rocket.

PVZ....last copies...

People,

After being out of stock for a while, a very small number of the Limited Edition USB key versions of my solo album "PVZ" are up now at burning shed

For more info about the album, please see my previous blogs here and  here and for some background about the inspiration behind the album please click here

"PVZ" is also available as as download from burning shed,  iTunes, and here

There's a preview of selected tracks over on my SoundCloud page.

....and finally I'd like to extend my thanks to those who have taken the time to write to me, comment, and indeed buy the album so far....

Best to all,

Colin