Gareth Koch Releases New Solo Album ‘Saladin’s Dream’

July 9, 2021 Leave a comment

Soundslikecafe is proud to present this brilliant new Instrumental World Music/Classical album as our latest feature release

On his new solo project, ‘Saladin’s Dream’, Gareth explores the fanciful notion of Saladin’s dreamworld – his unconscious desires and wishes.  Saladin (1137-1193) was a warrior/sultan & ruler of Egypt, best known for his war against Christian Crusaders and the capture of Jerusalem.
Dreams and their significance in waking life are an enduring source of mystery.  On this album Saladin is visited nightly by ancient gods, bringing with them their harps & music of the underworld.  He then spirals into the mayhem of dark assignations with a succubus before veering into the chaos of an Egyptian bazaar. In his free-flowing dreams Saladin embarks on a surreal journey into the future, encountering Macbeth’s witches and their cats.
The album meanders effortlessly through a landscape of goatherds, ancient cities and other worlds.  Saladin’s Dream can be seen as a synthesis of Gareth’s musical journeys, ranging from classical, flamenco, medieval, folk & rock, flowing seamlessly into the realm of free experimentation & creativity.

Tracklist

Song Descriptions
Bazaar
This soundscape like track takes you to the Middle Eastern Markets of The Silk Road in ancient times. With oud’s, guitars, hand percussion, even some calls to prayer like wailing this truly evokes a time and place – think The Arabian Knights put to music.

Saladin’s Dream
The title track to this new album by Gareth Koch, exactly half down the track order it creates a neat bridge from some of the more eastern sounds into what we may term more classical ones. Some beautiful guitar melodies layered onto backing that includes resonating vocal textures.

The Nefarious Goatherd
Belying the tongue in cheek title this song moves along at a good pace and includes some solid bass and low-end percussion that keeps up the pace nicely. With similar instrumentation to the album – background vocal layers, stringed instruments over the bass and percussion elements.

Saladin’s Dream is OUT TODAY July 9th – via MGM
All DSP’s and CD’s from

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Anya Alchemy releases her second single ‘For You’

April 22, 2021 Leave a comment

Soundslikecafe is proud to feature this outstanding new young artist, well worthy of support.

17-year-old Anya Alchemy is a gritty singer-song writer from the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia.

Anya first erupted into the music scene with her debut single ‘Home’ featuring popular Australian rapper Pez.

Home drew attention to the protection of childhood innocence in the face of threats

including underage marriage, child labour and violence.

Anya Alchemy is now releasing her second single, ‘For You’, a heart-grasping, acoustic track—

exploring a collective history of one-sided love stories—recounting a narrative built from a collage of heartbreak.

Employing an articulate and polyphonic atmosphere of melodic guitars and string quartets, Anya has created a piece that
perfectly embodies the emotional build-up of this supercut of doomed romances. The minimalist lyric style cuts to the core
and plucks the heart strings, perfectly complimented by her intimate delivery.

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Anya is sure to become a rising star in Australian Music with her upcoming releases, but for now join her for a deep
and heartfelt experience lined with nostalgia as you listen to ‘For You’.

Stream the single:

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Adam Jones releases new Single ‘Keep Trying’

March 8, 2021 Leave a comment

Since mid 2020, just after the first coronavirus restrictions lockdown in Melbourne, Adam has been working on a concept double-album called Lockdown Blues/Acoustic. The first album, an electric blues full band production of 10 songs featuring Adam’s friend and brilliant guitarist Warren Adams on electric guitar, and the second an acoustic folk-rock and blues album. The new single ‘Keep Trying’ and B-Side ‘Alternative’ have been released from the forthcoming Lockdown Blues album.

These songs are about trying to overcome adversity during tough times, and questioning our existence and future as humans. Adam will shortly be moving to Adelaide to stay a while and do some concerts, whilst travelling back to NSW to finish recording the double album.

Keep Trying
Up-tempo Blues at its best from Adam Jones with signature slide guitar, rocking rhythm section and acoustic beds.

Alternative
A more laid-back tune from Adam, with some thought provoking lyrics, done in live blues format, drums, bass, acoustics, electric backing – and with a copacetic guitar solo to put the cream on the cake.

Check it out –

Julie Anne Marshall- New Single Heart and Soul

November 9, 2020 Leave a comment

Heres a great new tune from Julie Anne Marshall

Julie-Anne Marshall is a singer-songwriter hailing from Adelaide but currently residing in Melbourne. This artist keeps surprising us with her ability to move between genre’s as a songwriter and a performer. Heart and Soul is her latest release and differs in style to her previous release Rich Woman (a pop 40’s song with rap). Heart and Soul is a song of reflection with lyrics and vocals that are deep, raw and powerful. Julie-Anne has kept the recording of this song in it’s purest form, allowing the emotive vocals and lyrics to stand front and centre – vulnerable, raw and exposed with no where to hide.

Stream Now

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MrHarvey – Its Kool to be Kind

October 23, 2020 Leave a comment

MrHarvey New Ep It’s Kool to Be Kind

Release Date: October 23 (Foghorn/MGM) ALL Digital Platforms

MrHarvey is the stage name of singer-songwriter Nathan Harvey. Having only picked up a guitar in 2015 at 44 years old, his music is as interesting and diverse as his life! A blend of blues, folk, country and rock, Nathan’s music is very lyrics focused as he draws on a myriad of musical and life experiences.

Former Channel V host and media personality in the 90’s, Nathan retreated from the spotlight leaving his hometown of Sydney for the Gold Coast working as a show announcer and FOH mixer at SeaWorld. It was here that he literally learnt the ropes from scratch after befriending the Ski Captain to become a professional water skier.

In 2010 a near fatal water-skiing accident in Canada whilst skiing with old SeaWorld buddies saw Nathan return to Sydney with a titanium plate and 4 screws holding his neck together. Always loving music and being a drummer in his teens, Nathan played in a fun “pisstake” band during his V days called “The Velvet Underpants” alongside Ken Stewart from Mr Blonde and Anthony Ousback former MTV host. His debut single “Brand New Day” was played nationally on the Triple M / Austereo Network and reached No 3 on the overall Triple J Unearthed Charts.

Arranged and produced by Nathan Harvey with Magnus as co-producer the EP features Nathan on vocals, guitar, some keyboards and various other instruments, Magnus on Clarinet, BVs and lead keyboards along with Catrina Bargwanna, Tara Resch on Violin / BVs, Alex Gresley on lead and bass guitar, Luke Spies on drums and Brett Chapman on Harmonica.

It’s Kool to Be Kind is OUT NOW – via MGM

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The Plant Society-Headache

October 22, 2020 Leave a comment

Here’s a feature tune just added to our playlist to checkout-

The new single Headache from Melbourne’s ‘The Plant Society’

Dealing with Covid19 lockdown, they did what all good artists do when locked away- write and record.

Melbourne based band, The Plant Society makes Lo-fi supersonik elektronik synth unpop music and music videos clips. Consisting of 3 member, Hanson on guitar, Aravind on bass/vocals and Teo on keys/vocals, playing original songs and cover songs. This band has been created during the pandemic and the group connected via the music app Vampr. The group is creating a demo catalogue of tracks right now, to be able to perform live once restrictions are over, but in the mean time they will have a few virtual shows online.

Checkout the Song

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Gareth Koch New Album The Guitar Player

October 6, 2020 Leave a comment

GARETH KOCH NEW ALBUM THE GUITAR PLAYER

Following the EP Code Blue earlier this year and taking time out from multiple Steve Kilbey projects Gareth has put together this superb selection of his classical guitar work recorded in two European locations, a remote Austrian village chapel & a baroque Viennese monastery, while living in Europe for over two decades.

A curious & ancient bond unites the selections on this recording. Performed entirely on the ‘Spanish’ guitar, these works have been moulded by the traditions of Spanish classical music & the passionate folk art of flamenco. The musicological connection between folk & classical music is well documented, a phenomenon in which composers incorporate the spirit of folk music into their work. Spanish music is often imbued with the fire of ‘Gypsy song’, whose powerful artistic reach extends well beyond Spain.

ARIA Award winner Gareth Koch is uniquely placed as an interpreter of Spanish music. Trained in Vienna & Madrid, he brings both classical & flamenco perspectives to his interpretation. He is joined on tracks 3, 9 & 12 by Viennese cellist Herwig Tachezi – former Principal Cellist of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

‘The Guitar Player’ is an entirely natural acoustic recording using direct source microphones and purely the ambient spaces of the chapel’s thereby avoiding any extra processing.

Gareth Koch is an ARIA Award winning recording artist, guitar soloist, composer & songwriter. He has recorded a diverse repertory across multiple albums spanning works for classical guitar, flamenco, original compositions, arrangements, medieval projects & songwriting. He has appeared at major festivals within Australia, Europe, Asia and North America.
Born in Milan, Koch began his musical studies on piano and clarinet, and at age 12 was accepted into the Mozarteum in Salzburg. He received his Bachelor of Music degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music before winning a scholarship for advanced guitar study at the Vienna Academy of Music. He holds a PhD in Music.
In 2002 Koch formed what might be termed the first guitar supergroup. Saffire – The Australian Guitar Quartet soared to number 1 on the classical music charts and appeared on the pop charts. The quartet released a total of 3 best-selling albums.
Gareth is involved with many cross genre projects & in 2020 released two collaborative albums with ARIA Hall of Fame inductee Steve Kilbey (The Church).

The Guitar Player is OUT NOW – September 18 via MGM
All DSP’s and CD’s in store from October

Connect with Gareth Koch:

Stuart Dwyer-Wait Another Day Single and Video

September 16, 2020 Leave a comment

Here’s the new single from Stuart Dwyer’s Debut EP ‘Before The Night’ featuring on soundslikecafe.

Stuart Dwyer is a singer, songwriter and guitarist from Sydney, Australia.

There are many ways to describe Stuart, unique, talented and charismatic just seem to scratch the surface. However, there is one word that ties them all together and is true to their character: Stuart’s music is Real. Few people sing so honestly from their heart and soul. Stuart’s music does so in just the right way, combining art, story, and song in perfect unison.

You can get a great sense from the video for the song shot in Tasmania

Stuart’s first EP “Before the night” was released in February 2020 with his next single “Nobody Else” due to be released in October 2020.

Listen here

Connect with Stu

Official Site

Adam Jones – Fool In The House

September 11, 2020 Leave a comment

Australian blues, folk-rock and alt-country singer/songwriter/musician Adam Jones’ new single Fool In The House is released 11 September 2020. Adding ‘hip-hop’ to the acoustic blues that features on his first 3 studio albums, this socio-political song in support of racial equality, features a rap written and performed by 22 year old South African artist Sabelo Cyprian.

After seeing on the TV news the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the murder of African-American George Floyd, and some subsequent actions by the US President, Adam wrote this song on the 1st of June during the ‘pandemic lockdown’ in Melbourne, Victoria. Coincidentally, just after the decision had been made to record the song, Sabelo made contact with Adam after seeing his profile on social media and enjoying his music, and a rap was written and added to the song, with Sabelo going in to a recording studio in Durban, South Africa, to track his vocals.

Fool In The House was recorded at Echidna Studio in Christmas Hills, up the Yarra valley from Melbourne, by studio owner, engineer and talented musician Greg Macmillan, who performs bass guitar, electric lead guitar and congas, along with programming the drums and percussion and mixing the song. Fool In The House was then mastered by Andrew Beck at Damien Gerard Sound Studios, Sydney Australia.

“He’s the fool in the house on high while we fight on the street and die!”, implores Adam, before Sabelo raps about his experiences of racism growing up in South Africa. Adam concludes that “the righteous will no longer hide” and “we must give this world a better turn”.

Margaret Anne and the Rock it Man – Don’t Look Back(Official Video)

August 28, 2020 Leave a comment

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