Browsing Tag

Enya

Surrender your senses to the spiritual sanctity within Catherine Grace & Mark Dwane’s electronic folk single, Broken Wide Open

Posted on 30 July 2024
Broken Wide Open by Mark Dwane / Catherine Grace

In the spirited soundscape of her childhood home, reverberating with the likes of Johnny Mathis, Fleetwood Mac and Barbra Streisand, Catherine Grace found her calling, which would eventually lead her to her collaborative partner, Mark Dwane. Their relationship, marked by seamless creativity and a deep mutual understanding, has culminated in scores of cultivated-with-soul releases, including their latest titularly poetic single, Broken Wide Open.

The track unfolds at a cathartically measured pace, not rushing to reveal its depths but rather allowing listeners to immerse themselves in its spiritual and soulful melodies. Catherine’s ethereal harmonies, when coupled with Dwane’s electronic folk underpinnings, create a profound sonic synergy that transcends mere musical collaboration. The duo has mastered the art of building a track that ebbs and flows with rhythmic magnetism, weaving together notes that resonate with an arresting affirmation of their unique artistic alchemy.

Amidst personal challenges and life’s unpredictable turns, music has been Catherine’s sanctuary, a theme that resonates powerfully throughout their latest offering. With Broken Wide Open” Catherine Grace and Mark Dwane invite the listener into a shared experience of renewal and revelation. Their collaborative spirit evokes comparisons to the iconic Enya, yet with a distinct identity that firmly roots them in the contemporary indie scene.

As you surrender to the lush, layered textures of Broken Wide Open, you’ll revel in the power of sound to soothe, inspire, and awaken.

Broken Wide Open is now available to stream and purchase on Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Georgia Polyniki – Shadows of Brightness: an operatic ode to 80s electro-pop

Posted on 5 April 2021

With slight reminiscences to Enya, Bjork and the Human League echoing throughout Georgia Polyniki’s latest uplifting pop track, the aural nostalgia defined by decades gone by is instantly perceptible. By switching between operatic and pop vocals, with Shadows of Brightness, she stamped down her radiating signature sound on the airwaves.

With her unique take on synthy electronica complemented by her empowering piano melodies, Georgia Polyniki ensured that no other 2021 pop track could lift you higher. It’s a perennial pop earworm that you’ll never want to leave.

Shadows of Brightness released on March 8th; you can hear it for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

ASWIRL MUSIC ORGASM; Holt – A Man Of Glass

Posted on 15 October 2017

Okay, so this masterpiece by Holt is the kind of music that one can easily mistake as a song that’s centred right in the heart EDM genre. All thanks to Linkin Park band and other rock bands, It is automatically assumed by most music enthusiast that each time a song title has anything relating to glass that the song gotta be a work adorn in metal rock and audio inferno sound, however, this is quite not the case here.

Undoubtedly, most times the word ‘glass’ was used as song title was mostly the song that’s associated with a rock song. If you’ve not heard this song before, your first impression after some few notes and sound hit your auditory meatus would probably be “oh wow I thought this was gonna be a metal-head”

This song is the perfect orgasmic song in New Age music genre that’s wrapped with a unique chilly sound and tranquil inductive quality. Simply put, Holt’s ‘A Man of Glass’ is Cool Calm and Collected New Age music. This music is stuffed with appealing smooth delivery of the message, great vocal melody, balanced background instrumental arrangement, naturally simple rhythm and to top it all, everything was perfectly pitched in the right proportion.

I must really commend Holt for her nice choice of music mix and adopting a sound that’s unique to her own vocal power and range, although I’d still love to hear what she will sound like when she’s doing a song that’s not in any way a low pitched song.

If you’re into those songs that always whispers reverie in the ears of its listeners or if you enjoy the musical works by Mike Oldfield, Yanni, Enigma and Enya then you probably would find this holt’s sound really interesting and a perfect drug for surrealistic music adventure.

-Lilian-Debrah.

A&R Factory Present: Anna Madsen

Posted on 14 June 2016

Hailing from Utah, Anna Madsen currently calls New Hampshire home. Taking inspiration from classic romanticism, fairy tales, and her personal experiences, Anna uses story telling through music as a way to create worlds that listeners can enter and completely absorb.

Musically, Anna has been described as “Lana Del Rey meets Kate Bush meets Enya,” but ultimately her music is completely her own and expands beyond one genre. Her influences include contemporary classical composers, church hymns from her childhood, world music, and modern Alternative Rock and Folk / Americana.

Melodic vocals and lush harmonies define her sound, while cellos, violins, subtle synths, atmospheric guitars, and propulsive drums and loops provide the sonic backdrop. Lyrically, Anna explores topics ranging from mystical romance, fate, and courageous characters from history and her imagination.

In addition to writing and performing music, Anna is a photographer, model, and actress. In August 2015, Anna acted in the motion picture Granite Orpheus, which is scheduled for release in mid-2016. The film’s soundtrack features Anna’s song, “Palm Reader” as well as an Anna Madsen/Alex Preston duet, “I Would Save You.”

For her 2015 debut EP, “Palm Reader,” Anna worked with award-winning producer Brian Coombes and his team at Rocking Horse Studio in Pittsfield, NH. The EP features musical contributions from co-producer Joey Pierog; Pat Gochez and Bobby Rice of Pat & the Hats, noted fiddle player Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki, and cellist Jeremy Harman from the New York City-based Sirius Quartet.

The EP quickly garnered positive reviews. The music site yourband.info praised the EP’s “lush landscapes of sound” and called it “the most creative and spectacular album of the year.” The music site Musical Discoveries named Palm Reader its 2015 Best of the Year EP.

In January 2016, Anna received two New England Music Awards nominations (Best New Act and Video of the Year) and was invited to perform at the Awards Show in April 2016 at the Blue Ocean Music Hall & Event Center in Salisbury, Massachusetts. In February 2016, she was invited to perform for New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan and the Executive Council at the State House in Concord, New Hampshire.

Her first full length album, Efflorescence, was released on May 21, 2016. The record features notable appearances from Anthony Phillips of Genesis and Jonathan Mover of GTR.