All posts by Marcus Davidson

05 Feb 2020
Sticky Post By Posted in News Permalink

Great review in Adverse Effect Magazine

Sticky Post By On February 5, 2020
Many thanks for the great review of our album ¨The Wave¨ in Adverse Effect Magazine by Richard Johnson.

STANDING WAVES The Wave CD (self-released, 2019)

Seven collaborative compositions by Marcus Davidson, already known for his work with Chris Watson and Philip Jeck, and classical violinist Roger Huckle that merge the music of the eastern and western hemispheres. Following the first one, ‘Tabla Dance’, a heady and rousing number one can imagine many letting their feet respond wildly to, ‘Elegy’ is rather more restrained and polite as it veers away from the folkish nature towards a chamber piece a little out of place as the rest of the album unfolds to reveal an approach generally more in keeping with the opener. Fourth cut ‘Hildegard’s Dream’ includes a powerful and mesmerising vocal performance from Kat Kleve, whilst ‘The Wave – Part 1’ throws in vocalisations from Jayson Stilwell and assumes a more sober posture without losing the eastern elements that buoy almost everything else so well. The second part of the title track is more spirited despite a slightly sorrowful air hanging over the proceedings you can still imagine being jigged to, then the final, wonderfully titled, ’Sky of Consciousness’ brings everything to a close on the kind of atmospheric high note commanding further returns to this fray. Although not quite as subtly envelope-pushing as, say, Michel Banabila’s own dabbling with such areas, this delivers like it would be great in its original setting with films from Kam Wan and the European Space Agency accompanying it. (RJ)

 
https://adverseeffectmagazine.com/2020/01/31/reviews-february-2020/
09 Nov 2019
Sticky Post By Posted in News Permalink

Hildegard in Brighton

Sticky Post By On November 9, 2019

Musical Harmony, a setting of the text by Hildegard von Bingen, written by Marcus was performed by Voice trio at Hildegard Tranfigured, in the Brighton Early Music festival at St. Martin´s on 8th November.

An SATB version can be found here.

 

07 Nov 2019
Sticky Post By Posted in News Permalink

Anima remix

Sticky Post By On November 7, 2019

A remix of Anima from ¨The Conscious Sky¨ was performed at Avgarde´s Samtidskunst disco (contemporary music) at Landmark, Bergen on 6th November. Below is the set list. Bergen composers supplied tracks for a great evening of music and dancing!

26 Sep 2019
Sticky Post By Posted in News Permalink

Great review of Bristol concert

Sticky Post By On September 26, 2019

Great review of our Bristol concert on Keith Beasley´s blog Conscious Evolution Today!

September 19, 2019
The Sound of Sky Consciousness

Review of Standing Waves at St. George’s Bristol (18/9/19) and on CD

The best music of any genre, or from any part of the world, has the ability to transport the listener to another dimension. When that music is also a fusion of Eastern & Western and of Classical with digital soundscape then you have something special.

I enjoy anything that transcends boundaries of any description so, as long as the quality of performances matched the intent, I was always going to find this concert inspiring. Thankfully they did. Roger Huckle’s violin playing, for some reason I can’t quantify, reminded me of Stephane Grappelli. It often had a positively haunting quality to it that seemed to silence the thinking mind. Just what one needs after a hard day at the office!

Kat Kleve’s soaring soprano voice was as equally captivating as it was natural. Apparently effortless it seemed to lend itself to the pieces: particular Hildegard’s Dream, based on a chant written by the 12th Century abbess. Not surprisingly this piece was meditational. So too were a number of the others: enabling, in me at least, a strong sense of connection to ‘something beyond’.

Sky of Consciousness was one such piece. In the context of this blog on the Conscious Evolution Today website, it could indeed be offered as an example of what ‘consciousness beyond the rational’ sounds like. If the sky, like the rest of the cosmos has a natural energy and presence of its own might not one facet of it, in the human range of perception, feel and resonate with us as this number did for me?

For others it was probably the guest appearance of Pee Wee Ellis that provided the highlight. This legendary saxophonist blended superbly with the Bristol Ensemble in a piece especially written by Marcus Davidson.

As always, the acoustics of St George’s supported the compositions and performances wonderfully. As on the CD (see http://www.standingwavesconcert.com/) the depth and breadth of Davidson’s soundscapes provide ample for the modern, easily-bored mind to engage with.

For anyone exploring music beyond genres, or cosmic consciousness, Standing Waves is highly recommended.

https://consciousevolution.today/…/the-sound-of-sky-consci…/

03 Aug 2019
Sticky Post By Posted in News Permalink

Toperiodiko write up!

Sticky Post By On August 3, 2019

Thanks to Toperiodiko (Greece) for the great write up of our album ¨The Wave¨ in Auditorium on 2/08/2019.

¨. . . without aesthetic limitations. . . an enjoyable, atmospheric ambient collage.¨

www.toperiodiko.gr/auditorium-καινούριες-μουσικές-στην-σκηνή-της/#.XUVZLlB9gnX

 

29 Jun 2019
Sticky Post By Posted in News Permalink

Head Cinema!

Sticky Post By On June 29, 2019

Thanks to Bad Alchemy for the great write up this month of our album The Wave, described as ¨head cinema!¨