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| Artist | Song | Time | Album | Year |
| Edward Reekers | The Present Day | 4:03 | The Liberty Project | 2023 |
| Edward Reekers | The Disease | 5:03 | The Liberty Project | 2023 |
| Edward Reekers | Good Citizens (ft. Damian Wilson) | 4:31 | The Liberty Project | 2023 |
| Diablo Swing Orchestra | Malign Monologues | 4:57 | Swagger & Stroll Down The Rabbit Hole | 2021 |
| Diablo Swing Orchestra | Celebremos Lo Inevitable | 4:52 | Swagger & Stroll Down The Rabbit Hole | 2021 |
| Diablo Swing Orchestra | War Painted Valentine | 3:58 | Swagger & Stroll Down The Rabbit Hole | 2021 |
Fatma’s Artist Spotlight 6 : Edward Reekers
Edward Reekers is a Dutch singer and voice actor. Most notable is his work as lead singer for Dutch progressive rock band Kayak. And his newest album was released very recently.
Is it a rock opera, a musical, or a concept album? It’s all three wrapped up in a double album extravaganza. So, what’s it all about? Imagine there had been a second Big Bang. Would that have altered our evolution or even created a parallel world? And if so, what would that world look like? Who would be its inhabitants?
Reekers says, “I wanted to create a story within a story, so I introduced the characters, Thomas and Catherine, falling in love, splitting up and finding their way back together. With a society in turmoil around them where politicians, bankers, and journalists, amongst others, comment on the situation they’re confronted with”.
On the first song released from the album “The Present Day”, Thomas, welcomes us to his day and age. “We call the time we live in the present day, but so did the people who lived a hundred years ago, and so will the people who will live a hundred years from now,” Edward explains. “After this second Big Bang, we find ourselves in a parallel world very similar to the one we live in. The song is the first song on the album with a lead vocal. It has a powerful beginning and an almost hymn-like touch to it.”
Edward Reekers – The Present Day (Official Lyric Video )
“The recording process was an overwhelming experience for me”, Reekers confesses. “We had Vandenberg’s Koen Herfst on drums, giving it his all, Mark Bogert on guitars, Johannes Adema on basses, a string section, a mixed choir and even a children’s choir. Having composed all the music and written all the lyrics for the project, it really was a dream come true for me to hear it come to life with so many great musicians and singers giving me the benefit of their wonderful talent”.
It may have been 15 years, but we’re presented with a grand total of 17 glorious tracks. And what immediately attracts attention is the diversity of the material. It ranges from ballads to heavy metal, pop songs, rock-orientated power tracks, genuine blues, and almost classical instrumentals. So, is it a rock opera? Yes. Is it a musical? Yes. Is it a concept album? Most definitely!
Edward Reekers- The Disease (Official Lyric Video) https://youtu.be/De7m1MEYxnY
Official lyric video for Edward Reekers track Good Citizens from The Liberty Project, out Aug 4. This track features Damian Wilson (Ayreon, Threshold) on vocals.
Edward Reekers – Good Citizens (Official Lyric Video) https://youtu.be/fE-j8Gcm4S4
Fatma’s Artist Spotlight : Diablo Swing Orchestra
The Diablo Swing Orchestra is an avant-metal and progressive metal band from Sweden, founded in Stockholm in 2003. The origins of their name are explained on their website, though the story has more to do with fiction than with fact. According to it, in the 16th Century there was an orchestra in Sweden that “played like no other” and that defied the ruling, wealthy, powerful Church with music that give the people a “new view” of life. The Church deemed the music satanic, calling the ensemble “the Devil’s Orchestra”. As the influence of the ensemble proved hard to eliminate, according to the story, its members were finally framed for murder and forced to hide. After a reward was offered, the orchestra’s members were finally caught and hanged.
The legend says that, before being captured, the orchestra’s members “signed a pact saying that their descendants were given the task of reuniting the orchestra in 500 years and continue their work of spreading thought-provoking music”. Thus, a few centuries later, two of the current Diablo Swing Orchestra’s members, supposedly descendants of the original 16th Century members, reunited in a local music shop and start talking about music, which only lead them to discover that they were the ones meant to resurrect the Orchestra of old. And this is how The Diablo Swing Orchestra came to exist. (quotes from the band’s MySpace site).
Diablo Swing Orchestra – Malign Monologues (5.01 min) (Swagger & Stroll Down the Rabbit Hole album 2021)
The music they play is a highly original avant-metal. Lots of jazz, (swing), some funky tones, but also a big classical influence (with operatic vocals) and, of course, rock and metal. The orchestration of the songs is also very unique, with all kinds of keyboard, wind instruments and percussion. If one moment one can think the music is just plain metal (even power metal), it only takes one second for the band to switch to styles as varied as flamenco or jazz, or go for more atmospheric, gloomy passages. If there’s one band that truly deserves to be called “avant-metal”, then this one is it.
Diablo Swing Orchestra – celebramos lo inevitable (5 min) 2021 https://youtu.be/JyfcbeLfYbI
Diablo Swing Orchestra – war painted valantine ((4.02 min)) 2021