It’s a great honour not only to get a really good review in fRoots current issue (available from today for subscribers, on sale on the 20th), but also we got chose among “album choices of the month playlist”
The review for our first album in 2013 came like a surprise, we had never played in the UK, were not distributed, had got actually absolutely no review in France, it felt really like a recognition for us. For our album B, we weren’t sure fRoots would like it, it’s much darker, and rock. Yet they still recognized that it is nothing but 100% traditional Breton music, and this is truly a very nice surprise again!
Your friends might thank you for letting them know about our music !
Since last album, I had forgotten this odd “in-between” time after the album’s release. The time it takes to go from “the release” to “what’s next”.
Since the album’s release then, a couple of fans bought it straight away, fans that follow us regularly, that were waiting for it- you’re probably among them: big thank you! :). It’s a big reward when the first orders come in. (and a relieve also, let’s be honest !!! )
Our first album’s review in Songlines magazine in 2013
In the meantime also, we keep sending albums+press reviews to magazines and radios, although net-works can be powerful, traditional media have their audience for which they will select the music they think they will like. And from previous experiences we know how it brought attention from people that now follow us on a regular basis. Because this is the concrete real outcome of a good review, it isn’t about praising our musicians’ ego with nice and pleasant words. It really can help to spread the word around our project, and make it successful, help to touch more people and also be a plus when it comes to book new gigs and concerts.
Being aware of that brings a tiny bit of pressure.
What if they don’t like it? What if they don’t play it?
And there is also something we all know, nowadays, everything goes pretty fast. In the case of radios, either our music will get played straight away, either it will never be. All of this has a direct crucial impact on the music we might or might not be able to create and play in the up-coming month. Not that we would stop playing music!!! 😀 But we have the intuition that a slightly bigger audience would inspire us quite a few new cool projects!
So… we’re waiting…
§ Simone
Your friends might thank you for letting them know about our music !
It will probably be an habit for us, but every time we play in Ipswich (Suffolk, East Anglia), it has a special taste. This last gig was in the Library, that was opening that night specially for the event (and serving drinks too!)
We had met last June Gwendal Moel, a “local” breton singer and got the brilliant idea to guest him on some “kan ha diskan” (traditional way of singing, with 2 singers), and it was …. beyond any of our expectations, really wild and crazy, and the audience really responded to the music. Really cool and up-lifting night!
We even took the chance to record the song with him on the day after, so that soon, we’ll release another studio version. I’m personally very blessed to have found Gwendal, you can potentially sing with anyone, but in my perception, it is still something a bit “personal”, it creates a connection. It’s a magical feeling to forget it was the first time we were singing together (on stage, we had a couple of rehearsals).
Enjoy this video if you haven’t yet…
§Simone
Your friends might thank you for letting them know about our music !
The first review from our album is out, and we’re pretty sure it will bring us loads success! If you have time to read it carefully, you’ll probably find out a few things about our music – just like we did. Yes! Believe it or not, it feels odd, but it’s as if the reviewer knew more about us than we do… 😉
Brittany is a region of France which thanks to Astrakan Project, I have now researched in depth. I’ll give you the bare bones description: five regions, two native dialects and more history across it’s territory than my own country could ever hope to attain. Nearly everyone in the ancient world passed through, from the Romans to tribes and clans so obscure that time has erased all traces of them. Almost. For their second album, Simone Alves and Yann Gouvril have tracked down some truly remarkable songs from ages long gone, gilding them with music which only they could make. The level of accomplishment is high, the benchmarks have been exceeded and in their place new ones have been born.
This pair have, since their inception, continually striven to deliver as they say “music from beyond our world” and continue…
For the release of our album B, we have created some cool bundles…
They are 9 of these bundles specially made for Art and Astrakan lovers, each with a little original artwork created for the album booklet, which means, each of them is unique, and it’s of course a super limited edition that will each include:
The album of course!
A link to download the full album
One of the last copies available of or EP Torkad – Kofrig ar Sorserez… released in 2005! 100% acoustic, and it includes the very first version of “Sell ouzh ar Stered” (with different lyrics Adam hag Eva)
An original piece of artwork used to create the album booklet. Sizes differ a bit (and price also because it depends on the postage costs). They are all on very good quality watercolour paper and include various styles of mixed-media depending on each piece. (pleased note that it isn’t framed to keep the cost of postage reasonable)
Some personal notes regarding the song linked with the art-work and hand-written lyrics
A post-card with some of Simone’s Artwork print
Shipping anywhere in the world + nice and safe packaging
Here they are…
1 – Sell ouzh ar Stered (Look at the Stars)
Sell ouzh ar Stered (Look at The Stars) Approx size 15.5*15.3 cm (6.10*6 in)
Sorry… already sold !
2 – En Anv Doue ma Mamm
En Anv Doue ma Mamm – approx size 15*16.5 cm (5.90*6.5 in)
Bundle price : 45€
3 – Gwerz Inês
Gwerz Inês – approx size 21.5*21 cm (8.46*8.25 in)
Bundle price : 55€
4 – Sekrejoù ar C’Hloareg
Sekrejoù ar c’hloareg – approx size 15*15.5 cm ( 5.90*6.10 in)
Sorry… already sold !
5 – Gwerz an Yougoslavi
Gwerz an Yougoslavi Approx size 14.5*15 cm ( 5.7*5.9 in )
Bundle price : 45€
6 – Seizh Bloaz
Seizh Bloaz – approx size 15*15.2 cm (5.90*6 in)
Bundle price : 45€
7- My beloved has died
My beloved has died – approx size 15*15.2 cm (5.90*6 in)
Bundle price : 45€
8 – Ar c’hased Arc’hant
Ar c’hased arc’hant – approx size 15*15.2 cm (5.90*6 in)
Bundle price : 45€
9 – Ar Plac’h Yaouank ag an Oriant
Ar plac’h yaouank ag an Oriant – approx size 15.5*14.8 cm ( 6.10*5.8 in)
Bundle price : 45€
Your friends might thank you for letting them know about our music !
So, we’ve arrived in England last Friday, and we had an “acoustic rehearsal” in Hadleigh (Suffolk), and, well, it still sounds good! (this video has been posted on Facebook, but you still can access it)
… and in London, we performed with other bands from Brittany. We’ll soon have some pictures and even some video, and it was nice to see again Urban Kelt lovely team.
Happy to see Bunney from Urban Kelt again!
We also had the great pleasure to be at BBC Cambridge for a lovely interview with Sue Marchant, you can stream it here until the 11/10/2014 (we appear around 10 minutes at the beginning!)
Simone & lovely Sue Marchant – you can’t say they don’t seem to have fun!Yann & Simone by Sue Marchant
What’s up for today? Yann is practising Irish tunes on this rainy day (well, yes, it’s raining!)
Last but not least… we have our albums. Well, not all of them, the promotional edition only, so we can keep on getting ready for the release…[drum rolls!] … October the 23rd for New Moon! We are very happy with the way the artwork artwork came through the manufacturing process, the quality is really lovely, we definitely made the right factory choice + they are super nice and supportive with us!
Thank you all for your lovely support !
§Simone
Your friends might thank you for letting them know about our music !
Our album is right now being manufactured, it’s a big achievement already! We still have a lot to do, but we can be more relax since the first big deadline is over (and we made it! 🙂 ) And since we were so busy last week, here’s a sneak-pick on how we created the album cover.
Our music too is pretty much also about “sacrificing” ancient (and beautiful) a-capela songs to turn them into new pieces. Sometimes we barely dare to. For some tunes, including some on next album, we waited for years before we dared to. Not by fear really. But because it’s sometimes hard to transform a song into a new tune that will at least compete with the original version.
§ Simone
Your friends might thank you for letting them know about our music !
What we love about our musician’s life is the amazing people we get to meet. Last July in Portugal we met a very sweet photographer, a lovely person, the kind of person anyone loves at first sight. Only when we came back we realised she was also such a talented photographer…
It was breathtaking to discover her amazing work. We had never imagine someone would so powerfully translate our rough music threw pictures. It almost felt like someone had captured our souls and spirit and put it into a picture everyone could see.
Like the idea we have from our music, it’s not sweet or pleasant in the way you would expect it. We’re blessed we can use Maria João Arcanjo’s amazing pictures on next album cover! We can’t wait to see it!
PS: copyright Maria João Arcanjo – all rights reserved: None of my images should be reproduced or used,electronically or printed, in its all or partially, without my written consent. NO DOWNLOADS. But you can SHARE them within facebook.
Your friends might thank you for letting them know about our music !
. astrakan project . 