We’re getting some thumbs ups for our new track Simple Minds, released 9 October on Bandcamp & YouTube and going global on all major streaming platforms 4 November. Many of you guys are telling us you get the message it’s putting out, so we thought we’d let you into a little secret: it was written back in 2003! In Moscow. But sad to say humanity is still sleepwalking around today, 20 years on.
But back to the music. The first draft was recorded in Bath, UK, in 2005 and then when drummer Koos joined Dmitry in 2016, they discussed the track. Koos even laid down some impromptu drums. But then the song got put on a back burner to make way for the instrumental album Witchcraft Jazz (2018).
So here’s a little video from that early session, 2016. History in the making!
Well, Koos and Dmitry have managed to snatch time in their busy schedules to finish mixing two tracks for the new album: Socket Swing, and Swagger. We’ve just got the masters back from Chris Longwood of SugarHill Recording Studios – he’s worked his magic – great results!
So that means we’re one step nearer to our NEW ALBUM – WITCHCRAFT JAZZ. It’s going to be another great album, and we’re especially pleased that Victor Mikheyev is joining us again on bass, for three tracks.
Victor and Dmitry working on tracks in Bulgaria, Byala, 2013.
And last but not least, to give you a taster of the album, new single CHICKEN & EGG will be released on October 27.
This video footage is from the first Low Bishopley Sessions, February 2015, when Dmitry and Koos were selecting tracks for recording and production. Here, Dmitry improvises around the main theme from Chicken & Egg and discusses how it could be developed. Actually, it took quite a different turn in the end…
Above is some early archive VIDEO material for CHICKEN & EGG, new single from MetaQuorum’s forthcoming album WITCHCRAFT JAZZ.
Cover art by Dmitry’s old and dear friend Petrovich, known in the West as Alexander Voitsekhovsky.
We’ve just released the last in our series of summer songs: City Folk – Folk/Prog/World Beat Fusion track inspired by the pulse of urban life.
This track is quite different from our other pieces, a more lilting tune with plenty of space, punchy shuffle drums and oriental percussion opening out into soaring rock organ harmonies.
THE BEGINNING
Actually, the basic theme for this track was the very first thing Dmitry played on his Yamaha Motif when it came out of the box back in 2004 when he was living in London.
Barnes, 2004. Motif just arrived.
Carol doing yoga stretch by Motif. Barnes, 2004.
So City Folk reflects the rhythm of urban life, and we’ve dedicated it to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, a city where arts meet business, Georgian architecture blends with super-modern structures, and the River Tyne flows through it all.
THE MIDDLE
Koos and Dmitry ran into serious technical trouble with this track – we won’t bore you with the details, suffice to say, we had to take the hard drive apart with a drill…
THE END
But we managed to salvage it all in the end, and Chris Longwood did a great job on the master, so we’re proud to present: CITY FOLK.
You can stream and download the track on all the usual channels:
WHAT NEXT?
We’ve got one more single ready to release in September and are working on a couple of EPs, so we’ll have lots of new stuff for you in the Autumn.
Meantime, have a relaxing summer!
The latest in our volley of new singles, Cyber Funk. Here’s what Dmitry has to say about it:
“I was curious to see how we could fuse some elements of IDM dance music into our meld style – although I don’t listen to IDM much, I do like some stuff, so for this track we used an IDM-like drum sequencer for the first few bars, alternating it with Koos live on his Roland V-drums kit. Fun!
And of course, we love our funk, so Cyber Funk is partly a tribute to George Duke and his fantastic instrumental funk.
And we called it Cyber Funk because, well, it’s a cybernetic sound!” 😉
We had some technical trouble with this one, but rather than bore you with the details, we wanted to share our ‘eureka moment’ with you 😉 (Thanks for capturing it on film, Carol!)
Roaring dance sequencers and G-Funk leads combined with jazzy piano improvisation, slap and Boogie synth bass, strong, upbeat drums, Go-go percussion and Electro Funk vocoder – Cyber Funk is a rollicking Funk Jam piece, an unusual meld of several styles and beats.
An electrifying track with a hip hop beat, some snazzy effects and a funky vibe, The Piper and The Frog takes us from Celtic pipes through tropical frogs to a soaring crescendo as guest artist Markus ‘Bluesharp’ Bossert from Basel,Switzerland, carries us away with his bluesy solo on the harmonica. The Piper and The Frog – an IDM/Hip-Hop/Funk/Prog crossover with a sense humour.
Markus ‘Bluesharp’ Bossert (Photo courtesy AndreaA-rt)
BEHIND THE SCENES
Koos and Dmitry worked on producing the track in the Low Bishopley Home Studio last spring. The biggest challenge was trying to fit the original recording – an MP3 recorded on a stereo mike from the speakers, made back in 2000 – to the new grid to even out the rhythm.
Koos pondering sound-engineering techniques. (Photo by Carol Ermakova)
We’d not worked with a guest musician before – Markus sent several versions of his solo over from Switzerland so we had to pick the best and join them together to make a smooth, seamless track.
THE TRACK
The Piper and The Frog is an electrifying track with a hip hop beat, some snazzy effects and a funky vibe. It takes us from Celtic pipes through tropical frogs to a soaring crescendo as guest artist Markus Bluesharp carries us away with his bluesy solo on the harmonica.
A UK based progressive rock project by Dmitri Ermakov and Koos van der Velde recently put out two new songs: “Jonathan Livingston” and “Migration.” The band that grabs inspiration from plenty of different genres talked with Progarchy about their creative chemistry.
The first in our series of new singles was released a couple of days ago! Jonathan Livingston is already enjoying airplay and reviews, and we have 3 interviews lined up for next week.
As you might guess from the name, this track was inspired by Richard Bach’s book Jonathan Livingston Seagull which influenced so many during 70-80s and beyond.
“You have the freedom to be yourself, your true self, here and now, and nothing can stand in your way.”
― Richard Bach, Jonathan Livingston Seagull
The release is live on scores of download and streaming services so you’ll be able to tune-in wherever you are.
For STREAMING please follow us on Spotify @ https://goo.gl/i5n4rW, if you can – it costs you nothing and we get some pennies dropping each time it’s played.
Or for the full list of services see bottom of the post 😉
PRESS:
“MetaQuorum are being very bold in May, with two singles released; fans of their funk laden electronica are in for a real treat as new track Jonathan Livingston is released on Sunday 15th May with Migration following on Saturday 28th May.
Jonathan Livingston is filled with punchy grooves, and is powerfully atmospheric. Mellow yet melodic, it makes full use of funk-filled slap bass lines and smooth electronic effects. All set against a soundscape of seagulls, it’s a dense, moody instrumental that harbours an emotive expressive representation of our longing for freedom. Migration is a similarly progressive track, an epic sound echoing the expanse of the solar system, it’s all filled with dance-trance rhythms.”
By Simon Beckwith on Thursday, May 5th, 2016.
NARC. Magazine @ http://goo.gl/xTxUY5
NEXT RELEASE
We’ll be bringing out our first song – Migration – in just 10 days. We’re all very excited about it, looking forward to sharing it with you all!
Well, in amongst all the excitement of our forthcoming new releases , our debut single and album are enjoying some well-deserved radio play.
Tune into Beyond the Dawn radio @ http://goo.gl/S3yFSh at 9pm UK time to hear Circle & Square, or if you miss the show, MetaQuorum will be on high rotation all this week.
And North Sea Fret has joined For The Love of Music’s playlist – lots of great music there, check it out @ http://www.fortheloveofmusic.info/
MetaQuorum 