MUCH ANTICIPATED ALBUM FROM DAMIAN HELLIWELL’S PROJECT ‘METTA’

Metta

RELEASE DATE: Monday, 9th June, 2014

 

Having released an EP in January, the much anticipated self-titled album, Damian Helliwell’s “Metta”, will be released on the 9th June.

Acclaimed for his musicianship and compositional flair with the renowned Gaelic band Dàimh, “METTA” steps out of the genre to showcase Damian’s most accomplished and progressive work to date.

Damian Helliwell’s Metta is a groundbreaking compositional debut that uses the traditional genre as a platform to expand and develop from. It is also a project featuring some of Scotland’s most highly respected traditional musicians, with Eilidh Shaw on fiddle, Jen Hill on double bass, Andy Thorburn on piano and Donald Hay on percussion alongside Helliwell on mandolin and tenor Banjo. The result breaks norms in instrumental hierarchy and stretches the boundaries of rhythm and melody. This innovative debut marks Helliwell’s Metta out as one of the most exciting new acts on the Scottish music scene.

Helliwell’s uniquely individual approach is apparent on all levels of this project, not only in his compositional style. Six years ago the self-taught instrumentalist vanished from an active life in Edinburgh’s traditional music scene, returning to the remote Hebridean island of his upbringing. Here he quietly set about single handedly building a straw bale house and recording studio, creating the perfect environment to foster and nourish creativity. At the same time, he was writing prolifically, relishing the creativity that the space and solitude inspired.

This album is the fruitful culmination of Helliwell’s efforts and ambition, finally brought into form with a star studded group of the most expressive and sensitive musicians in the country, and recorded in the ancient Pythagorean tuning of A=432hz (said to access the resonance of the full harmonic overtone series). A vibrant, atmospheric sound that defies easy categorisation, Metta is richly emotive, passionate and original.

The album was recorded and produced on the Hebridean Island of Eigg. Damian is a proud resident of Eigg and releases the album to coincide with and celebrate the 17th anniversary of “Eigg Independence Day” on the 12th June, which marks the date of the historic community “buy out” of the island, 17 years ago.

Damian is extremely passionate about this album and indeed the Isle of Eigg. His emotions are best described by the man himself:

This project and album is the culmination of several years of writing and a lifetime of playing, a reflection of the beauty of the environment I live in and an expression of my passion and love for that beauty.

To realize this new music I was privileged to have four incredible musicians working with me. Their naturally expressive musicality fitted the material perfectly and I am sincerely grateful for their creative input, professionalism, experience and love that they brought to this project. They enabled it to reach the place I dreamt of.

We recorded this album over two weeks, in the inspirational tranquility of my studio in Eigg. To capture the raw energy of the music, it was recorded, live and in the resonant pythagorian tuning of A=432hz”

Artists’ website: www.metta-music.com