On the evening of 27th October last year Troy and Dave set up their gear in the cavernous surroundings of the 900 year old Lincoln Cathedral and improvised together for over an hour, taking their inspiration from their surroundings and the wonderful acoustic properties of the building.
The recording was literally “choreographed” by Dallas Simpson who is an expert in binaural recording – a technique which gives a fantastic sense of movement and involvement within a recording (particularly when listened to on headphones). Dallas was really excited with the prospect of recording Troy and Dave¹s music which he thought was ideal to demonstrate the effectiveness and depth of binaural recording. As the duo played, Dallas, wearing his binaural headset microphones (and some very warm looking white wooly socks to minimise noise from the stone flagged floor) choreographed his movements to the music, almost like a conductor following a score.
The resultant sound is very dynamic, with Dave¹s keyboards and electric guitar and bouzouki loops swirling around and sounding much more organic and alive than on a conventional recording. And as the persective shifts around, Troy’s pipes and whistles at once sound close and intimate, and then far away and distant, and though becoming part of the cathedral itself.
The material on the album is presented exactly as it was played, with no overdubs and only a couple of edits for technical reasons (a strange, loud electronic buzz suddenly appearing through Dave’s gear a couple of times). Definately an album to chill out to. Available now.
Coming soon — When Worlds Collide – Troy Donockley and Dave Bainbridge
This is a good representation of the material that Troy and Dave have been performing to enthusiastic audiences in both the UK and Japan recently. With a mix of material spanning Troy’s solo projects, the Iona repertoire and the traditional, expect big dynamic contrasts ranging from acoustic intimacy to the full on epic. At the time of writing Dave Bainbridge is mixing the album. Expected release date June 2005.
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Celtic Spotlight: Iona
Celtic Christian Music Forum at Yahoo Groups
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