Scorched Earth

Music:

Member Since: 10/11/2006
Band Website: rehabrecords.co.uk
Band Members: Mike Gates, Guitars and Vocals. Chris Bowden, Alto Saxophone, Keyboards, String Arrangements. Percy Pursglove & Simon Smith, Double Bass. Andy Wheeler, Drums and Percussion.
Influences: John Martyn, John Coltrane, Pink Floyd, Weather Report, Nick Drake, Miles Davis, Lambchop, Leonard Cohen, Radiohead, EST, Pat Metheny, Michael Brecker, Zero7, Nick Cave, Roy Harper, Brad Mehldau, Terry Callier, Shakti, life and death and all the sad and beautiful things that affect the universe and scorch our hearts and blow our minds
Sounds Like: Think John Martyn with a 21st century twist" - Birmingham Post, Nov 06 ------------------------------ALBUM REVIEW by Steve Bradley, Midlands Weekly Media, 17th Nov 06."The quiet village of Marston on the outskirts of Sutton Coldfield is the backdrop to one of the finest CD's ever to have been released by a local musician.Mike Gates has come up with the gem Resistance to the Passage of Sound, in league with saxophone ace, Ninja Tune and Soul Jazz recording star Chris Bowden.The pair have teamed up with percussionist Andy Wheeler and acoustic bassist Simon Smith for the folk-jazz oriented disc, which well and truly transcends the early comparisons made between Gates and the seemingly omniprescent Nick Drake. True, Gates shares a sort of poetic yearning with the late hero, who also lived in rural Warwickshire - something in the air perhaps.But he has added something grittier and darker to this recording, with Bowden supplying arrangements full of melancholy, aching beauty, empty spaces and warm textures.Opener Out of the Darkness sets the tone for this set which, Coltrane-like, seems forever to be questing for eternal truths, and which soon earns the right to be taken seriously. Gates delivers this guitar led meander with a fragile yet soulful Mark Hollis style vocal, and those who enjoyed Talk Talk's more accessible experiments will soon latch on to this, the musical equivalent of a glorious autumn walk in the park.Track 2 Colours echoes Gershwin's Summertime but adds some extra hues and a different melody, while Gates and Bowden do their best Pat Metheny-Michael Brecker link-up on the instrumental track SevenFour.Where Did all the Bebop Go? finds Gates getting all worked up, in a Roy Harper vein, while the epic Wait begins like a Devendra Banhart ballad before Bowden hints at Paul Desmond and Dave Brubeck's Take Five, then Gates takes it out with a waltz reminiscent of Ennio Morricone.Sometimes Flowers Live Longer is a psychadelic folk-pop song distinguished by Bowden's dramatic ascending chords. The beautiful Tibetan Folk Song echoes the sentiments of All You Need Is Love, albeit set against China's oppressive foreign policy.The meditational, reflective and gorgeously melodic approach continues with Golden Leaves and Lipcurl, the quirky instrumental If Brad Mehldau Could Sing providing some unlikely Indian flavours, before the tender Matters brings the album to a close.This is a multi faceted set, with lovely sleeve artwork recalling the covers of the kinds of early 70's British jazz-rock LP's that DJ Gilles Peterson has been heavily plugging of late.Go get it, in shops or via www.discovery-records.com"

Where to buy our music:

If you would like to experience the hands on beauty of reality flowing around your fingers, you could speak very nicely to your little plastic friend and go to one of the following lovely lovely people who will send out to you with a happy heart and a mellow smile some very mindfuly packaged and thoughtfuly prepared music.In the UK and Europe go to: www.discovery-records.com or www.tunetribe.com or www.amazon.co.uk or HMV and many indie stores.In the USA and beyond go to: www.cdbaby.com