Echoes (Venezuela) – “Nature / Existence”
San Francisco Bay Area-based pianist and composer, Michael Gill, has been writing and performing music since age 7. A musician from a family of generations of musicians, Gill has been a fan of Progressive Rock since attending his first Yes concert as a young boy in 1974. He has performed in a variety of bands over the years and has many writing credits to his name. Gill has written music for theater, industrial films, television commercials, planetarium shows, and was the composer for the documentary "Kyimolung – A Hidden Valley in the Himalayas". About half of the CD is devoted to creative musical interpretations of favorite Speculative
Fiction novels including Robert A. Heinlein's "Time Enough for Love", Mary Stewart's "The
Hollow Hills", William Gibson's "Neuromancer", and Frank Herbert's "Dune". Featuring guest performances by drummer Dave Weckl and saxophonist Dave Koz, "Blues for Lazarus" is the new worldwide Progrock Records release from Michael Gill and will be released late December 2009 and available in stores on February 10, 2010.
Echoes has been an oddity right from the start, in a country where Latin rhythms dominate and radio friendly pop/rock has just found its sound footing, metal, prog and electronica still are regarded as odd genres to play. Inspired by traditional folk music, ‘70s and ‘90s prog-rock and math metal Echoes started its run in late 2004, the idea, making music that incorporated many ideas without the traditional limitations imposed by genre compatibility, going as far as to incorporate a "cuatro" (traditional Venezuelan folk instrument, similar to an ukelele) into the already adventurous soundscape created by three guitars, 6 string bass and keyboards. “Nature / Existence”, Echoes' first album is a mixture of prog-rock and math metal with a lot of post-rock, pop and industrial electronica thrown in for good measure. With collaborations from Tobias Jansson (vocals), Nick Storr (vocals), Carl Webb (vocals), Pedro Castillo (vocals), Dave Duffus (saxophone) and the Anechoic Chamber String Quartet, “Nature / Existence” tells a story of love found and lost over the cyclical nature of life, where epilogues are the beginning of new experiences and breakups are a prolog to life shifting again. “Nature / Existence” is the new worldwide ProgRock Records release from Echoes. The album will be released late December 2009 and available in stores on February 10, 2010.
