Price: £5.99
Format: cd
Artist: A Marble Calm
CatNo: bshed0304
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tim bowness peter chilvers marble calm cd
A loose collective centred around the nucleus of Peter Chilvers and reclusive marimba/vibraphone virtuoso Jon Hart, A Marble Calm's debut release is an ambitious collection combining textural instrumentals and drifting songscapes. Featuring Burning Shed regulars Tim Bowness, Sandra O'Neill and Theo Travis and clocking in at 74 minutes long, the album distinctively blends influences from Contemporary Classical (Gorecki/Pärt), ECM Jazz, Sigur Rós and the ambient songwriting of Sylvian, Eno and No-Man.
Containing two atmospheric collaborations with Tim Bowness (No-Man), which build upon the duo's previous work on 'California, Norfolk', the album also boasts strong contributions from Alias Grace vocalist Sandra O'Neill and guitarist Rob Jackson (Boo Hewerdine/Low Country) - both featured to dramatic effect on the intriguing ambient-country cover of the Gillian Welch epic, 'I Dream a Highway'. Theo Travis (Cipher/No-Man/Gong) additionally provides haunting flute textures and saxophone on two of the album's instrumental tracks.
Full details and soundbites available from
"Sandra O'Neill's singing on Gillian Welch's "I Dream a Highway" is heart-meltingly beautiful.  I think this song deserves a new category - something like 'future country'. More, soon, please!" - Brian Eno
1. surfacing (12.28)
2. another world (9.03)
3. winter's voice (7.24)
4. the conquer and divide (10.35) 
5. starlift (4.04)
6. in flight (8.31)
7. i dream a highway (14.13)
8. submerging (7.05)

a marble calm are
peter chilvers
piano, electric piano, organ, synth, sampler
guitars, fretless bass, space bass, double bass
jon hart
vibraphone, marimba, mbira
tim bowness
vocals and lyrics on another world and the conquer and divide
acoustic guitar on another world
sandra o'neill
vocals on winter's voice and i dream a highway
rob jackson
electric and pedal steel guitars on starlift and i dream a highway
theo travis
flute loops on winter's voice and in flight
wah-wah soprano saxophone on winter's voice