Reformed in 2008 after a sabbatical of 18 years, Curved
Air's concert and festival appearances in the UK, Japan, Italy,
Malta, Germany, Portugal, Holland and Belgium continue to thrill a
steadily increasing mass of new and old fans. Their experimental
blends of classical themes, electronic sounds and pop/rock energy and
beautiful, timeless songs are performed with fire and passion and
tremendous musicianship.
Now, much to the excitement of their
fans worldwide, Curved Air have released a new CD/DVD titled 'Live
Atmosphere' - 'Songs of revolution, insanity, loss, desire and
ghosts: a unique compilation of powerful Curved Air songs played by a
vital contemporary Curved Air'.
'Live Atmosphere' includes potent new versions of
many of the band's classic early 1970's
repertoire, including the hits "It Happened Today" and "Backstreet Luv"
as well as fan favorites such as "Propositions", "Phantasmagoria" and
"Stretch". Produced by Marvin Ayres
it showcases both new and original members of the band and
comes with a bonus DVD with a tour featurette and an atmospheric
visual collage.
The band, still fronted by Sonja
Kristina, selected the tracks after multi-track recording the entire
first leg of its Live Atmosphere World Tour. Sonja Kristina
elaborates by saying, "We recorded this album to capture the invention and
interplay of these virtuoso musicians. Robert Norton is exceptional - as is Paul Sax, a master violinist,
one of the first entrants to the Yehudi Menuhin school - a passionate
and brave performer very well qualified to step into Darryl's light.
All the band are brilliant players and inspiring people. Chris Harris
is literally our root on bass and Kit Morgan the fire on guitar.
Great chemistry and communication..."
Tracks:
Atmospheric Overture (intro), Marie Antoinette, Propositions, Easy,
Hide and Seek, Screw, Phantasmagoria, Melinda, Everdance, Back Street
Luv, Stretch, It Happened Today, Atmospheric Overture (outro).
'Live Atmosphere' is available from www.CurvedAir.com and other online stores. A new studio album will follow by the end of 2013.
About Curved Air
Considered (according to AllMusic) "one of the
most dramatically accomplished of all the bands lumped into Britain's
late-'60s prog explosion", Curved Air is a pioneering progressive rock group of musicians from mixed artistic backgrounds.
They are famed for their unforgettable live performances and 'Art Rock' music - the quasi
classical imprints of Terry Riley hooked onto beautiful and demonic
violin combined with electronic adventurous synths and interwoven
with brilliant guitar wizardry mesmerisingly embroidered by the
subliminal and exotic presence of a unique girl lead singer Sonja
Kristina. All these elements elevated them from the underground Roundhouse scene to top the album charts in the early '70s.
Along
with High Tide and East of Eden, Curved Air was one of the first rock
bands after It's A Beautiful Day and The United States of America to
feature an electric violin, inspiringly and dramatically explored by the
excellent Darryl Way and now by the dynamic Paul Sax. Original keyboard
player/guitarist Francis Monkman was the trailblazer for future
'electronica' and ambient extemporization. Robert Norton has inherited
this sonic template and himself a spinner of ethereal soundscapes
extends the boundaries towards further horizons while Florian Pilkington
Miksa on drums then and now, with Chris Harris' bass guitar artistry,
provides the expressive rhythmic pulse that is the Curved Air signature.
Curved
Air released eight studio albums and though progressive innovators they
were hailed as Pop Stars when their single, the sultry "Back Street
Luv" was a Top 5 hit in 1971. The 'Live Atmosphere' line-up of Sonja
Kristina, Florian Pilkington-Miksa, Kit Morgan, Chris Harris, Robert
Norton and Paul Sax have been touring together since 2009.
Sonja Kristina
Before Curved Air, actress and singer Sonja Kristina performed in the
British Folk Clubs during her teens. In 1968 she starred as "Chrissy" in
the radical Tribal-Rock Musical 'Hair' when it opened at the
Shaftesbury Theatre in London. As Curved Air's lead singer and lyricist
she topped the British female vocalist polls - the first UK girl singer
to front a Rock band. She won the hearts of a generation of young men
and boys and the music cognoscenti.
The constant flame leading Curved Air through
the decades, Sonja Kristina's hypnotic attraction endures today, "vibrant and edgy as ever, Sonja, the original
prog diva gives a charismatic and highly visual performance. Looking
like a glamorous gipsy queen with her flowing red hair and dressed in
sparkly black, that signature voice is still smoky and seductive as she spins around the stage around the excellent
musicians who are Curved Air". (Music Street Journal)
Curved
Air is: Vocalist Sonja Kristina, Drummer Florian Pilkington Miksa,
Guitarist Kit Morgan, Violinist Paul Sax, Bass Chris Harris and Keyboard
Player Robert Norton.
No comments:
Post a Comment