Reviews
ALBUM REVIEWS
CELTECH - Celtech (Osmosys Records OSMO CD 052)
The Musician, Summer 2010
Celtic dubmasters. Using a palette of traditional , fiddle-led reels and swirling psychedelic dub, the band serve up an original banquet of the old, new and exotic that's guarenteed to stun audiences and enhance their growing reputation. Very promising.
R2 Rock and Reel July/August 2010
With varying degrees of success there have been several attempts to create tradition-based contemporary dance music, and this latest from West Country electro-folk fusionists Celtech is definately one of the more successful.
Centered on the driving rhythm section of brothers Ed and Sonny Davidson (drums and bass respectively), the album quickly establishes an organic, electronic, world, beat and dub groove over which the rest of the band add their embellishments to produce a set that will appeal to traddies and the "wave yer arms in the air" brigade in equal measure.
That it works so well is in no small part due to the sympathetic interplay between musicians from the dance music and traditional music camps, the latter including piper, whistler and pastoral oboe player Jonathan Shorland (ex-Fernhill) and hurdy-gurdy/fiddle player Sille Ilves (Sild). Combined with the Davidsons' rhytm section, Daygan Robinsons mandolin and Torbz's guitar and synth they create hypnotically danceable music that neatly combines all the disparate elements without being biased to any one of them
This works a treat on the psychedelic dub of "Righteousness", the sonic soundscape of "Sound of Stone" and especially on the East European vibe of "Equilibrium", which can only be described as the music that would result from a collaboration between Hawkwind and Blowzabella!
DAVE HASLAM
Maverick Magazine, September 2010
What do you get if you layer hypnotic percussive rhythms with what can best be described as yodelling (at least to these sensitive English ears…come to think of it it’s probably Gaelic mouth music) plus ambient mandolin, pipes, fiddle, accordion and hurdy gurdy to the mix? You basically have a great end of festival band. Celtech being the band in question bring back memories of the French based one-man project Enigma who had hits throughout the early 90’s with his gently invasive trance type nurdlings. There’s no problem with this particularly if you allow the infectious grooves to wash over you and not think too much about why you enjoy it so much. Each of the members; Ed Davidson, Sonny Davidson, Daygan Robinson, Jonathan Shorland, Sille Ilves and Torbz combine to create a heady mix of all things Celtic including Breton style dans plins, Irish and Scottish reels and possibly even a little Manx for good measure driving things along at a nice, measured pace. For those budding musicians out there the band employ many standard tunes all of which are performed at a reasonable speed including a quirky take on the much used “Faery Dance” and would be great if you want to play along. This is the kind of band that will probably upset many of the traditional old guard of the ‘folk’ music scene because it will be seen as too nu-folk (whatever that is) but at least it should create a bit of controversy…and there’s nothing wrong with that.
PETE FYFE
Folkworld.eu, October 2010
Keltische Tanzmusik und Elektrobeats sind gar nicht so weit von einander entfernt, wie man annehmen möchte. Fiddle, Drehleier, Flöte, Mandoline und Akkordeon vertragen sich sehr gut mit Dub-Beats und chilligen Sounds. Das beweisen nicht nur die entspannenden Nachtmix-Sessions auf Klassik-Radio, sondern vor allem Soundsysteme, wie das Afro-Celt-Soundsystem. Mit Celtech beweist ein neues Fusionexperiment, wie wunderbar sich traditionelle Musik und Clubsounds verbinden können. Dieses coole Album wird keine Sekunde langweilig. Fernab der Riverdance-Musicalästhetik gelingt hier ein modernes Soundspektakel, das in Tanzclubs und auf Festivals generationsübergreifend Liebhaber finden sollte.
Celtic dance music and Electronica (or elektro beats) are not as far seperated as one might suspect. Fiddle, Hurdy-Gurdy, Flute, Mandolin and Accordian mix together together very well with dub beats and chilled sounds.
This is not only witnessed on the relaxing evening sessions on 'Klassik Radio' but also with groups such as Afro-Celt Sound System. Celtech prove that the experiemental fusion of traditional music and club-sounds can be acheived. This cool album is not boring for one second. Far from the likes of the Riverdance 'musical aesthetic', Celtech display a modern spectacle of sound, that should find fans in clubs and Festivals of all age ranges.
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