Based on the Irish reel of the same title from O’Neill’s “Music of Ireland”, the track moves into ethereal chants to the goddess Eostre, underpinned by framedrum, tamborine, and a squishy downtempo groove. An additional atmospheric mix is available exclusively with the Bandcamp single.

Cover Image:
Eostre, goddess of the dawn, greets the morning star (Venus) with symbols of springtime renewal and rebirth - hares, flowers, and eggs. According to Bede (672-735), Eostre was given offerings during the lunar month of Eastremonath (roughly April or Easter-time today).

While the winter winds are still blowing, I offer you my latest single, “Wild Hunt”

The Wild Hunt is a ghostly ride through the stormy night skies of winter, said to appear in many regions of Britain and Northern Europe from late autumn to early spring. Its specific lore appears in many guises, varying by locality and culture. In my cover image, the leader of the hunt is Woden (Odin) on his 8-legged horse, accompanied by hounds, gathering up lost souls and ghosts along the way.

The track is mainly in a tribal/trance style (128 BPM) infused with ghostly wails and eerie atmospheres. There is half-time middle section which incorporates the melody of “Catherine Martin” by Turlough O’Carolan, the great Irish harper and composer (1670-1738).

Four dance tracks, two atmospheric pieces, and one in-between : “Oak and Ash” is a re-imagining of traditional melodies from the British Islands, quickened by energetic framedrum and tamborine rhythms, and alchemized with elements of electronic trance and ethereal atmospheres.

Opening with a bass-heavy and tribalistic take on a Scottish melody (“Strathspey Drummers”) the album has four tracks aimed at the contemporary eclectic dancefloor, including the midtempo groove of “Flitter Dance”, the pulsing and trance-like “Morning Dew”, and rollicking “Paddy on The Erie”.
A slowly-swaying and languorous version of “Apples in Winter” brings the album into the downtempo realm, and following this, there are two atmospheric tracks, the dark and Renaissance-styled “Oak and Ash”, and the tranquil low whistle of “Island Air”

Available exclusively on Bandcamp, there are five alternate mixes , all of which strip away the electronic beats to bring forward the more subtle organic and ambient dimensions of the music. There are mostly-acoustic, framedrum-driven versions of “Strathspey Drummers”, “Apples in Winter” and “Flitter Dance”, plus drumless meditative mixes of “Morning Dew” and “Island Air”

About the cover image:

A wreath of seven autumn leaves; 3 of oak and 4 of ash - two trees which are rich in associations and symbolism in northern traditions.

Oak, the sacred Druid’s tree in Celtic lore, associated with Thunor (Thor) the thunder god in Germanic traditions, and everywhere a symbol of great power and strength. Its wood could furnish the central beams of buildings or ships.

The ash is connected with Woden; its hard (yet somewhat flexible) wood was the first choice for spears, and the the Old English Rune Poem says of Ash that it stands firm, “although it fights against many men”

The two trees have many complementary meanings, yet share the common element of strength, resilience and perseverance against adversity.

At the center is a magpie, a bird of omen and prophecy.

The symbol above the magpie’s beak is a combination (bindrune) of four staves; at the top and bottom are “Ac” and “Aesc”, the old English runes meaning oak and ash, and the lines projecting out of the left and right sides of the central vertical are the Irish Ogham characters “Duir” and “Nin”, again meaning oak and ash.

The title “Green Mantle” refers to one of the tunes which appears on the EP - “Her Mantle So Green” - and also the forest canopy of seasonal leaves and evergreens. The seven tracks on this EP continues in the Celtic & Medieval folktronica style of my previous album “Elfhame”, with a greater emphasis on low whistle melodies alongside tambourines , framedrums, and deep bass beats. The music explores a wide range of tempos and moods for celebration or contemplation. Each track is based on a traditional melody, including a jig, two reels, energetic fiddles and ethereal slow airs. Music to transport you to the forest - or perhaps to the elven realm!
An additional atmospheric piece, "Orbis Factor/Nightshade" is available exclusively on Bandcamp with the purchase of the complete EP.

I am happy to present my new 8 track album, “Elfhame” On this album I interpret Irish, Scottish and English medieval melodies, weaving them into dancefloor-oriented folktronica with intricate percussion rhythms and deep bass beats.

The title is a variant of an old Scots expression meaning “Elf-Home” or “Fairyland” (also related to old Norse “Alfheim”, the realm of the elves). The cover image alludes to elves as artists of natural beauty and protectors of nature, friends to all creatures of water, land, and air.

A wide range of tempos and rhythmic styles is represented here: There is a bright and upbeat Celtic dance energy in “Rose in the Heather”, “Aandowin at the Bow”, and “O’Keefe’s Slide”. Other tracks have an air of medieval mystery, with one track based on a Gregorian chant (“Of the Mystery Sing”) and another a rendition of the oldest English secular song with surviving notation (“Mirie It Is While Sumer Ilast” , dating back to the 13th century.)

A set of acoustic “unplugged” mixes is included exclusively as bonus tracks with a purchase of the full album on Bandcamp. These versions strip back the beats and electronic elements to reveal more of the underlying melodies, as well as the acoustic framedrum and tamborine parts, which form the rhythmic foundation of all of my music.

I hope you enjoy my latest journey through rhythm, melody, and musical heritage!

“Sunne and Mona” (“Sun and Moon” in Old English) reflects my own cycles of change and evolution over the past year.
Each of the eight tracks is rooted in a traditional melody from the British Isles (Scottish, Irish, and English Renaissance), interpreted through my own drumming (tamborines and framedrums) , whistles, and a selection of other melodic instruments. I have set all of them in a dancefloor-ready foundation of tribal beats and deep bass: intended for the ecstatic dance experience, flow-arts performance, or pure pagan revelry!
The cover image is my own work, a 24”x24” acrylic painting representing the cycles of the day, the moon’s phases, and the solar year. It depicts the the sun and moon as they are envisioned in northern mythology - drawn around the sky by horses and pursued by wolves - until the end of the current cosmic cycle.