Latest News
Masters of Tradition on Tour 10th Apr
Hot Press like Foxlight 26th Oct
Hand In Hand - Live Video 21st Oct
Peter Gabriel on Foxlight 27th Sep
Irish Times praise Foxlight 27th Sep
Glistening Fields Free Download 9th Sep
September live dates 8th Sep
News
Masters of Tradition on Tour
Masters of Tradition on Tour with Iarla O Lionaird, Martin Hayes and five other Irish 'masters' begins first American tour on April 13 in NYC. For more details see http://www.facebook.com/MastersOfTraditionOnTour
Hot Press like Foxlight
IARLA O'LIONAIRD
Foxlight - Real World Records
SPACE AGE THRILLS FROM ETHEREAL FOLKIE
This is Iarla O'Lionaird's third solo album. It is a truly haunting record, as O'Lionaird's extraordinary voice is juxtaposed with a broad palette of sonic textures.
Opener "The Heart Of The World" has seductive Eastern overtones while there's an ethereal quality to Norwegian singer Sara Marielle Gaup's wordless keening vocal on the evocative "Daybreak". A meditative stillness infuses "Seven Suns", "Eleanor Plunkett" and "Fainne Gan An Lae". Elsewhere. O'Lionaird eases for the more lightly ornamented "The Goat Song", which adheres closely to the Irish vocal tradition. The title track one of the album's most compelling, featuring delicious strings and sparse percussion. And time stands still through the wonderful "Stay"
Build around O'Lionaird's stirring voice and the musical artistry of Leo Abrahams, Foxlight also features the magical skills of Simon Edwards, Graham Henderson and Neil McColl. It would be sacrilege to treat this as mere chill-out music as some have suggested. Foxlight takes listeners to distant musical planets from which they may not wish to return.
Four Stars
Jackie Hayden
Hot Press
Hand In Hand - Live Video
Real World Records have just uploaded a live video of Iarla and band performing Hand In Hand live at The Sugar Club in Dublin. View it at the link below...
http://www.youtube.com/user/RealWorldRecords#p/a/u/1/f0ypde8CxpM
Peter Gabriel on Foxlight
Peter Gabriel a long-standing fan of Iarla says of Foxlight..
"I have loved Iarla Ó Lionáird's voice for many years, and this latest record is the perfect backdrop against which to set his extraordinary voice. Iarla and his main collaborator, Leo Abrahams, have used sparse and subtle arrangements and created a work of simple and satisfying beauty".
Peter Gabriel
http://realworldrecords.com/news/foxlight-by-iarla-o-lionaird-released-today
Irish Times praise Foxlight
The Irish Times have reviewed Foxlight and have whole-heartedly praised Iarla's new album...
Iarla Ó Lionáird has ploughed an idiosyncratic furrow for so long that he stands alone in Irish music. Often dismissed for his attempts at enhancing his sean-nós stylings with experimental touches that hint of too much exposure to the avant garde, Ó Lionáird breaks new creative ground with Foxlight , his second solo album. A collaborative process lends effective nuances: Jon Hopkins, Leo Abrahams (who also produced), Leafcutter John, Graham Henderson, Caoimhín Ó’Rathalliagh and Neil MacColl each add their creative tuppenceworth.
The result is not so much a fusion or synthesis as a melting pot of sublime pure- note singing, a charming sense of almost monastic oddness, and some of the most sky-kissing melodies you’ll hear all year. Ask me if I understand what Ó Lionáird is singing about and I’ll say I haven’t a clue – the language is as much an instrument as any that features on the record
4 Stars
Tony Clayton-Lea
The Irish Times
Glistening Fields Free Download
Real World Record are giving away an advanced free download of the track 'Glistening Fields' taken from the new album.
http://realworldrecords.com/offers/glisteningfields_download/
September live dates
Iarla launches his album in Ireland with live shows with his new band. Dates include Thursday 15 September at Belltable Arts Centre in Limerick, Friday 16th at The Sugar Club in Dublin and Saturday 17th at Triskel Christchurch in Cork. The London launch is at the wonderful St Giles in the Fields London on Friday 23rd September.
More details on the live page.
New album 'Foxlight' released on September 26th
Iarla Ó Lionáird's new album 'Foxlight' is set for release on September 26th, with advanced pre-orders being available on the 12th from the online Real World store. Internationally acclaimed as the voice of Afro Celt Sound System, Ó Lionáird, on his latest solo release, has produced an impassioned and sublime set of songs that shimmers with versatility and exposes his exquisite voice.
http://realworldrecords.com/news/release-date-set-for-iarla-lionirds-new-album-foxlight
Iarla O'Lionaird Foxlight Preview Shows This Summer
Always an artist on his own journey O'Lionáird signed to the prestigious Realworld label in the mid 1990’s he would go on to make many ground breaking recordings with the multi million selling Afro Celt Sound System receiving two Grammy nominations. Solo albums "Seven Steps to Mercy" (1997, produced by Michael Brook) and "Invisible Fields" (2005) brought widespread acclaim confirming O’Lionáird as one of contemporary music’s most ambitious singers and recording artists. His latest "Foxlight" is produced by Leo Abrahams a features Leafcutter John, Geese, Adjagas, Neill McColl and more as guests. All eleven songs are imbued with a sense of time and place, of connections and myths. From ancient rhythms to modern electronics, Ó Lionáird’s exceptional voice is the fulcrum around which everything pivots.
O'Lionáird has always been a collaborator and an artist seeking new fields of engagement. From his collaborations with Peter Gabriel on Ovo, this has taken an increasingly classical form. His song-cycle with Gavin Bryars, Anail De (The Breath of God) reflects a deep artistic collaboration and friendship with the composer. Similarly he has worked extensively with acclaimed Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy and his group The Crash Ensemble. He also a featured soloist on the Nonesuch debut label release of Dennehy’s “Grá agus Bás “ with Dawn Upshaw and Crash Ensemble released on May 3rd.
Foxlight Preview Shows:
- 19 July, Galway Arts Festival, St Nicholas Church, Galway
- 29 July, WOMAD, Charlton Park, Siam Ten.
- 5 August, Dranouter Festival, Belgium
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