Search - Skyedance :: Labyrinth

Stands out from the crowd!

Brianna Neal | USA | 01/01/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Following in the pattern of their debut album, "Way Out To Hope Street", Skyedance continues to celebrate a fusion of traditional Scottish music with elements of world music and smooth jazz. There's an intensity and creative spark to this group's work that I just love! The six instrumentalists use fiddle, flute, pipes, piano, bass and drums to explore genre boundaries and go beyond, fertilizing new ground. Mick Linden's sultry, laid-back use of the fretless bass gives a decidedly modern, jazzy underpinning to the music, while percussionist Peter Maund, equally at home playing music from the twenty-first century or the twelfth, adds an exotic twist with his use of eastern hand-drum rhythms (especially in track 10, "Into the Labyrinth"). A great variety of mood and emotional content is conveyed by the instrumentals, from wistfulness to joy, but always there a lightness to the music, never brooding or over-produced. Group members have taken turns composing and arranging the material, and all have done an artful and intelligent job. Their music really draws the listener in! For more recordings by the individual members of Skyedance, check out the Renaissance stylings of the Baltimore Consort featuring flutist Chris Norman, percussionist Peter Maund's Medieval improvisations with Ensemble Alcatraz, or any of the solo recordings by Norman, fiddler Alasdair Fraser, pianist Paul Machlis or piper Eric Rigler. Rigler and bassist Mick Linden also play together in a rock-oriented group known as Bad Haggis(!)."

Terrific musicians, mixed material

P. Lozar | Santa Fe, NM USA | 08/11/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I found this CD less exciting than "Way Out to Hope Street," its predecessor, but it's still far more substantial than most of the mindless fluff that passes itself off as "Celtic music" these days. The band's greatest strength, and weakness, is its personnel: they're all superb musicians, but their talents as composers vary widely, so the quality of the tunes doesn't always measure up to the consistently excellent performances (note to the guitarist: stick to performing!!). The traditional-sounding tracks appealed to me the most, although I also like the Middle-Eastern-flavored "Into the Labyrinth," with its lovely violin and flute solos (I've used it as a veils piece in my belly dance class!). But other tracks just don't work, e.g., "Ariadne's Thread" starts off consonant with the labyrinth theme, but then turns into a bouncy Celtic reel -- huh?? Still, overall this CD is a pleasure to listen to."

Wonderful CD

Brianna Neal | 06/05/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Considering the collection of musicians on this CD, how could you go wrong. A nice blend of celtic w/a bit of mellow jazz. The first track is awesome. Just close your eyes and enjoy the journey."