Monthly Marker January 2021: ZiRP

01 Jan
Cover: ZiRP-Cirlce Divine

🎼 Happy new year, new month, and of course a new Monthly Marker!

ZiRP – Low Lights (Circle Divine, 2020) 📀

We cannot deny, that these are dark times of worry and loss, and most of us are secluded to our homes, staying safe by minimizing our physical interaction with the outside world. Yet reflecting on the year we are leaving behind us, we are delighted to see that so many beautiful things can arise from our confinements too. Creative resilience brought us livestreams, online festivals and lots, lots of music. 🎶

Going through all the wonderful albums that were recently released, there was one that stood out. The ‘Circle Divine’ of ZiRP is a collection of tracks that are exquisite to dance to, some really powerful bourrées, a cuddly mazurka, bouncy polkas and, of course, a divine circle. But it was the closing Scottish track that struck that chord where we immediately feel we’ve found the one.

Inquiring about the background story of this masterpiece, it became clear why. 🎙Florian: “The song is dedicated to a very good friend, who was a life-long musician, an accordion teacher and also my father. Jürgen Fügemann left this world far too soon in 2017 because of cancer. He would have loved this album, I’m sure, and this song, in particular, reflects his kind of soul. I owe the ‘soft side’ of myself to him.“

Florian was not always a drummer. In fact, he started with playing the piano at his parents’ home, the one where the whole family played on. And for his part of this track, he put aside his drumsticks and sat down at that very same piano, still at their house, and recorded his take there. 🎹

Stephan wrote the tune on his Irish low whistle and to keep the piece quiet, Olaf played a reduced picking and Flo took the double bass.

Florian: “Alex, who mixed it, had some trouble connecting all the pieces. But isn’t that closer to what life is really like? It’s not always perfect, but if we find love, we can pass it on. This is what I see in this song.“

And as indeed we currently are all struggling and trying to piece things together, this is the core of what CeltCast strives for: at the heart of it all, we want to pass on the love through music and strengthen our connection in these solitary times. Which is why with a heartfelt virtual hug we are happy to play ‘Low Lights’ five to six times a day for the full month of January. 📻

And to boost your spirits and have you dancing in your own livingrooms, we definitely recommend that you listen to the whole album. As I type, Cliff is actually writing his review… and I can already tell you: it is a perfect bringer of those festival vibes, while we eagerly await to get the chance to see ZiRP perform there some sunny day when we meet again. 🥰

– Love, Alex

ZiRP can be found here:

Monthly Marker December 2020: ANÚNA

02 Dec
Cover: ANÚNA-Mai it Be

New Monthly Marker: ANÚNA feat. Sara – May it Be 🍀

As darkness falls across the Northern hemisphere, far from home, we walk our lonely roads and journey on. But here, from the realms of Middle Earth, comes an evening star to shine upon us, and help believe we will find our way to light the day. ✨

Her message, so beautifully sung in both English and Quenya, comes back to us from decades past, when recognized as ‘Best Song’ it won The Academy Awards (FB) in 2002. This time around, in the last month of 2020, it will be our Monthly Marker, to strengthen our Fellowship, 5 to 6 times a day in December, and grow the trust that we will rise to find the sun.

Like Enya (FB) before, it is Sara who rekindles the promise that lives within us, with her enchanting vocals and captivating delivery.

Thank you once again, Michael McGlynn, for dreaming up ANÚNA, the unsurpassed choir of Éire, and high praise too to the artist Renso Tamse, who created the stunning depiction of the Elven-maiden Sara.

Please all, enjoy ANÚNA’s latest single.

Stay safe, stay strong, and stay healthy.

Love, Alex. 💚

You can find ANÚNA here:

Monthly Marker November 2020: Sowulo

01 Nov
Cover: Sowulo-Fæcele

⏳ NEW MONTHLY MARKER ⏳ – Sowulo – Fæcele (2020) 📻

In these darkest times of the year, it is nice to retreat into the safety of one’s own home and reflect while staring into a fire, and this month’s marker is well suited for just that! Light your fire with Sowulo’s Fæcele (which means “Torch” in Anglo-Saxon) and enjoy its warmth with us! 🔥

Fæcele is based on the “Gungnirs Gap”, a story-telling track featured on their 2020 album GRIMA, telling the story of Odin hanging from Yggdrasil for nine days and nights. 🌙

The song was recorded in Auroch Audio Studio by Faber Horbach, mixed by Fieke van de Hurk in the well-known Dearworld studio, and mastered by Nico van Montfort in XPZ sound studio. Working together, once again they delivered a beautifully produced track! 💻

Come join us in our digital homes throughout the month of November and let’s share the comfort of this beautiful torch! 🥰

– Arjan

Sowulo can be found here:

Monthly Marker October 2020: Cesair

01 Oct
Cover: Cesair-Dies, Nox et Omnia

🎶 NEW Monthly Marker 🎶

October is CeltCast’s birthmonth, and because of that always a moment to look back a bit. But what if we were to look way, way back? 📻

This month’s Monthly Marker is Cesair‘s Atiny Naya, which is not only a song from their first album, but also the very first song that was played on CeltCast! 🥳 On the 24th of October 2014, at 18.00 CET, these lovely sounds, provided at that time by Monique, Thomas, Jan, Sophie and Fieke, signalled the beginning of our journey, and we will always thank them for this! 🎻

‘Atiny Naya commends the value of music as a force that rises above men’s daily concerns. “Bring me the flute,” the speaker says, “and sing…” This song, unmindful of worries and troubles, attunes the hearts of men, who each are but a watercolour sketch drawn from a sea of ink.‘ according to Cesair themselves. 🎼

Join us throughout the month and dream away to the amazingly soothing sounds of this masterpiece, five to six times a day! 🎧

Cesair can be found here:

Monthly Marker September 2020: Basia Bartz

01 Sep
Cover: Basia Bartz-A Girl At Dusk

📀 – Basia Bartz – A Girl at Dusk – 📀

A new month, a new monthly marker!

You may have already heard it streaming on the station (because yes, we’re a day late in announcing 😊 ) and we hope it has caught your ear as it did ours.

With a slow, almost timid opening of this rendition of an old Polish folk song, Basia draws you into a mystical world. But stay alert, as just before the first-minute mark she unpacks this track with an energy reminiscent of Martine Kraft Music! Where the remaining three minutes go I cannot tell, because I only come back to reality when my index finger tries to find the ‘replay’ button on my phone.

To go with the unmistakable emotion that permeates through the song, she explains its meaning as follows: “The song is a tribute to all those who have to work beyond their ability, often without any recognition or understanding for the difficulties they face, and the strength they must possess to persevere, despite their own exhaustion.”

Basia debuting this way with a solo project promises many more pieces of art awaiting us in the -let’s hope not too distant- future. At CeltCast we can hardly wait how she will progress, building of course on her many years of experience playing the violin in a myriad of bands.

Thank you, Duncan Menzies (of PerKelt) for bringing her music to our attention. Thank you, Ben Walker for your support in this endeavor. And most of all: thank you, Basia for your courage, creativity, and deliverance. You turned a traditional into an instant classic!

And to our listeners, please enjoy ‘A Girl at Dusk’ which we will happily play for you 5 to 6 times a day in the month of September.

– Alex 🎻

You can find Basia Bartz here:







Player

Please support us through: iDeal or PayPal

Recent tracks

Loading ...