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Ritual Echo Records releases the vinyl edition of Dec Burke‘s latest album “Paradigms & Storylines” on January 16th. The double LP is pressed on 180g vinyl and is housed in a stunning gatefold sleeve and slip-case designed by Paul Tippett of Vitamin P.
The album is mixed and produced by Stefan Fanden, best known for his work with Swedish prog band Carptree.
Galahad formed in 1985 just for fun playing half covers (Genesis, Zeppelin, Rush, Sabbath, Focus, Marillion etc.) and half original material. Galahad then supported a few fairly well known ‘Progressive’ bands that were coming up at the time including IQ, Pendragon, Haze and later Pallas and Magnum.
After mixing it with the ‘bigger boys’, Galahad decided to take it more seriously, playing only original material resulting in the release of their first proper album in 1991, “Nothing Is Written”, which was purely self-financed and released independently but which went on to sell several thousand copies.
Beau, real name Christopher John Trevor Midgley, was born in Leeds in 1946. As a teenager he played with The Raiders rock group, performing mostly instrumental and R&B music. With a strong social and political conscience however, Beau started to hone his song writing with the 12-string guitar at which point he started to get noticed. Beau played at the opening night of BBC Radio Leeds in 1968 and was even interviewed for The Yorkshire Evening Post by then reporter and rock star in waiting, Mark Knopfler. Continue Reading →
Dec Burke is a UK guitarist/vocalist who has written, recorded and performed with Frost* and Darwin’s Radio. He has also toured with Frost* supporting Spock’s Beard and Dream Theater.
Dec formed Darwin’s Radio in 2003 with Mark Westworth. The band released the “Pictures” EP in 2003 and “Eyes of the World” in 2006, culminating in their appearance at RosFest in Philadelphia in 2007. Following its success the band released the follow up “Template for a Generation” in August 2009. Continue Reading →
With “Battle Scars”, veteran English progsters Galahad have produced a thoroughly modern release that embraces a myriad of styles, veering into techno, ambient and dance territories at times. Echoes of Riverside, Oceansize and even System Of A Down also resound in an album of breathtaking ambition. Continue Reading →
“The Way It Was”, the brand new studio recording by Beau, marks the famous folk troubadour’s return to the music scene after what seems like an eternity. There was the recent expanded version of his classic “Creation”, this time aptly named “Creation Recreated”, but who could imagine this would spawn a full-fledged return by Beau, both in the studio and live!
This time round, Beau has decided to release his album with Ritual Echo Records, a brand new record company specialising in vinyl releases. “The Way It Was” sounds really wonderful and the LP comes fully equipped with lyrics and background information on Beau.
“Beau must have storing up his best tracks over the years as there isn’t a weak song”
To celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the release of “Creation”, folk star Beau aka Trevor Midgley’s last studio album for John Peel’s Dandelion label, Cherry Red has released “The Way It Was”, a newly-recorded set of fifteen tracks.
To say he has rolled back the years would be an understatement. Like his classic single “1917 Revolution” and accompanying 1969 self-titled album, Beau’s songs are stripped back to just vocals and Harmony twelve-string guitar.
There’s something about going back to basics and to their original muse that’s worked sensationally for artists such as Donovan (1996’s Sutras) and Johnny Cash. In a similar way Beau does this with “The Way It Was”.
You have to admire Dec Burke’s single minded pursuit of his visions. In the admired Darwin’s Radio he oversaw the release of an excellent second album that comprised of a mere three songs. For his own solo mission, following the failure of DR to capitalise on their forward momentum, he unleashed an even more solid set of tunes with last year’s “Destroy All Monsters” that would surely have made more of an impact had it not been somewhat derailed by a curious mix. However, Burke’s talent for an infectious melody aligned with a dextrous flash of musicianship was there for all to hear, as it is again on “Paradigms & Storylines“. This time however, the sound mix has been nailed. So instead of sounding like you were hearing them underwater, the explosive opening trio of “Days Like These“, “March of the Androids“, and “A Price for Life” are razor sharp, mixing a modern techno edge to a harmonious classic rock sound. Yet if it’s the modern slant that opens the album, Burke opts for no holds barred bombast with an epic closing triptych of “Yesterday’s Fool“, the emotive “December Sun” and the three-part title track. It’s as good a prog work as you’ll hear all year.
Jerry Ewing (Editor)
Classic Rock Presents Prog, Issue 21, November 2011
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In conjunction with Dead Pilot Records, I am pleased to announce that the first Ritual Echo Records release is “Departures” by Message to Bears. The LP which is pressed on high quality 180g virgin vinyl and housed in a beautiful, hand-numbered “tip-on” sleeve is now available from the Ritual Echo Shop.
Also available: the second full length album, “Folding Leaves” (blue vinyl), and for the first time on vinyl, the eight track “EP1” (red vinyl).
Message to Bears I know sod all about. I remember hearing the last single and thought it was OK but I wasn’t particularly taken by it. The new album “Departures” arrived early this week wrapped up in string and brown paper and I took it upon myself to check it out forthwith as it looked amazing. The second time I heard it I was totally blown away. I had the whole goose pimple bumpy arm thing which I rarely get with new music these days. It’s gorgeous acoustic guitar music punctuated by some neo classical beauty. There are some amazing tracks on here. Continue Reading →