FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For
more information, contact:
Konstantine Baranov
1045 Mission Street #421
San Francisco, CA 94103
(phone) 415.505.9931 (e-mail) press@awesf.com
Ms.
SPONTANIETY MEETS Dr. STRUCTURE
Two Diverse Artists Combine Talents To Release Their Debut CD:
AWE
FEBRUARY 1, 2010 (SAN FRANCISCO, CA) -
Eleven months after meeting singer/songwriter, Catherine Conlin,
master guitarist, Konstantine Baranov sifts through over 35 successful
recorded pieces between them and produces a 12-song cd, named
AWE.
Their styles and backgrounds could not be more disparate. Baranov,
born and raised in Moscow, grew up playing guitar in the avant-garde
bands touring Russia and Europe and playing to mainly large audiences
and arenas. In the U.S., Baranov has been involved in three bands
and more than a dozen projects since 1994 and has 11 solo CDs
to his credit (http://www.kbaranov.com). His experience is accompanied
by a strong regard for structure and a deep understanding of how
to create mellifluous sound.
Conlin, on the other hand, had some early classical piano training
but did not pick up the guitar until her 30s. Prior to meeting
Baranov, Conlin started her own band, wrote her own music and
managed her floral design business and her music career out of
the same South of Market studio. In October of 2008, she decided
to give up the business and devote her time and space to music.
Having spent years writing poetry and practicing free-write, Conlin
is able to grasp the tone and essence of a musical composition
within seconds of hearing a piece.
Stand-up bass player and colleague on previous projects with Conlin,
David Rodriguez (now in Japan) describes Conlin as a "poster
girl for the real good San Francisco--free and beautiful, open,
wild
so alive."
Conlin describes her nature as feral, defiant and head-strong.
AWE is comprised of dreamy, witty, spontaneous lyrics by Conlin
over with Baranov's masterful guitars, creating sultry music,
deep with content inspired by things like a beautiful abandoned
church in her SoMA neighborhood, overgrown gardens, sea urchins,
and espionage.
In
"Canadian Spies", we get a glimpse into Conlin's defiance:
You're
gonna have to kill me
if you want the answer.
You can't know my secrets,
if you kill me.
I passed
top-secret clearance,
I get paid for this.
Mr. Secret-Agent-Man don't make me tell you what you don't wanna
know.
I put your number on a piece of paper.
You can't get it from me.
I swallowed it...I get paid for this!
Myles
Boisen of Guerilla Recording says:
Conlin's smart-yet-vulnerable vocal delivery ranges from innocent
to wicked, often sounding like surreal samples pulled from some
obscure European movie
ambient vocal settings of Portishead
et. al.
In
"Shadow Tattoo", Conlin digresses from her fascination
with the camera into a journey of light and dark and comes out
of the experience with existential conclusions that lead to more
questions:
Shadows are an inevitable part of light
or are they the absence of light?
Or is light the absence of shadow
and shadow, the negative space of light?
Producer and guitarist, Richard Michos describes this piece as
"haunting dream poetry reminiscent of Laurie Anderson's best
work."
Baranov insists that in all his experience, he has never been
so excited about a piece of work. He is emphatic that the listener
should understand that Conlin's work on AWE is all first-take.
Nothing is premeditated nor is it edited afterwards. He also emphasizes
that Conlin had not heard the majority of this music prior to
him having had the idea to sit her down in front of a microphone
with headphones.
Baranov's guitars are "subtle yet impeccable", says
guitarist and producer, Richard Michos. They "swirl, soar,
bubble and caress an intoxicating framework for each composition."
Audio Engineer and Producer Myles Boisen says that Baranov's guitars
"clearly have their roots in vintage prog and space rock,
but are leavened with a solid melodic focus and never get long-winded."
Ambient and ballad-like, AWE is only the first step in this collaboration
between two prolific artists who are clearly enamored of one another's
talents and with the world around them. Baranov's structure and
experience create an elegant foil for Conlin's spontaneity as
they tell compelling dream stories with music.
AWE is available on i-Tunes and through CD Baby.com. For more
details including lyrics go to www.awesf.com or www.myspace.com/CatherineConlinAWE.
For further information, contact Konstantine Baranov 415.505.9931.
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