Music has been a passion of mine since my teens. The nights I’ve spent in my candlelight room, sitting on my bed, record player on my right, sound boxes on both sides for maximum effect. Playing records like Dire Straits Alchemy Live , Mike Oldfield’s Incantations, The Door’s Absolutely live album, or Jeff Wayne’s War of the worlds. I still cherish those nights. Somehow I’ve always felt a deep emotional connection with music. With a good song, I can feel every note played. Not that I can play myself or that I can sing, no I just connect with it. In a deeply emotional way. A good song makes me cry, shiver, smile, dance or feel deeply, deeply happy. It makes me let go of all the things that bother me at that specific point in time. Music has always been my means of escape, my way of coping with the world. A world that for a large part of my younger years was a big, scary, frightening thing.
I also always wanted to share that passion. I wanted to share the music that meant so much to me. I still do. Working for CeltCast gave me the platform to do that. To reach out to you all and share the beautiful music that I am allowed to hear. So I did. With all my heart.
The downside of it is: there is this risk of a passion becoming ‘a job’. That you feel you are obliged to write with the same passion about every album you are asked to listen to. Which is impossible. One is bound to fail if one tries. So I failed, big time. So much so I almost wanted to stop writing reviews altogether.
And then Jyoti Verhoeff released this album. The Sky of You. As I listened to it Jyoti opened every single door to my heart. Her music took me on a much-needed journey. Deep into my soul. Hitting every nerve it found on its way. And as happened so many times before the music became the answer I needed. While listening I found my passion back. I wanted to write about this. I HAD to write about it! Not only about this CD, but also about some other lovely albums I had listened to during my absence the last months.
…..But first The Sky of You. And I sincerely hope you will enjoy this beautiful record just as much as I did. Here it is.

Cliff

A band that combines Scandinavian folk with singer-songwriter skills, artpop and chamber music, using the unique combination of vocals, guitar, cello and…..Bass Clarinet. It was an interesting mix I saw when I got my hands on HIMLA‘s debut album called Himla. I was intrigued, to say the least.
Well, it ended up being a brilliant mix! One that is right up my sleeve. And it will be up the sleeves of everybody that loves the alternative Scandinavian folk scene, trust me! So follow the link and dive into the world of HIMLA. A world that is as intriguing as it is beautiful.
Ha det gøy med oppdagelsesreisen!

Cliff

Every year at the end of November the young kids in Holland get all excited. Saint Nicolas, (Or Sinterklaas as we Dutch call him), comes all the way from Spain to celebrate his birthday with us here in the Netherlands. He arrives two weeks before his birthday on a steamboat, loaded with presents for the young kids. The evening before his birthday, the 5th of December, he and his helpers travel the rooftops of the Dutch houses and throw presents down the chimneys of those who have been good that year. As Sinterklaas is an old man by now, he travels the rooftops on his trusty companion, the white stallion Amerigo.
The Dutch kids, knowing that Sinterklaas may come, will put their shoe next to the stove, hoping that they will find a present in it the next morning. Some of them will put small notes in those shoes for Sinterklaas. It could be a list with presents; a nice drawing for Sinterklaas to put on the wall, or a carrot for his horse Amerigo, or a bit of hay. You just never know if this could persuade Sinterklaas to give a bigger present.

That is where The Carrots come in. They mailed us their EP Driftwood as a surprise on December the 5th, even adding some marzipan Carrots with it, just as the Dutch children would do on the nights before December the 5th. Well I can tell you, we loved this surprise and I’m very happy that I can introduce this fun trio to you all. Something tells me this won’t be the last time we hear something from this fun trio. The Carrots just ooze out talent. But for now, we will focus on their 2020 EP Driftwood. Here is the link so you can read more about them.