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The Rowan Amber Mill



Last Updated: 12/10/2009

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Status: Single
City: East Devon & Cornwall
State: Southwest
Country: UK
Signup Date: 4/24/2008

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Tuesday, October 13, 2009 

Current mood:Studio-bound
 


The recording of the 12 track album began last week. This is a few weeks later than had been planned due to some consideration of the best place to make the recordings, but we are all happy and comfortably ensconsed in our now familiar surroundings. The album has been meticulously planned so we hope recording will be swift and (mostly) painless, and that it will be finished and ready for release early in the new year.  We will be twittering the minutae of the recording process at twitter.com/RowanAmberMill  and occasional photos will appear on The Rowan Amber Mill Facebook page. We intend to make some work in progress downloads available as we go along.  
 
Our previous CD release midsummers sold out a couple of months ago, and since then we have been receiving enquiries about making the CD available again. So we have done just that, and we have put together with our own fair hands a hand-crafted 2nd edition release of Midsummers. If you would like a copy please go to our mill shop at  www.millersounds.co.uk/shop.htm, and they are also available on Ebay for all those who like the comfort that Ebay brings. You can also download midsummers from an ever expanding number of MP3 emporia including iTunes, CDbaby, indmill.com amongst others. In due course it will be available on Amazon, Napster and all those other ones too numerous to list - we'll let you know when that happens.
 
As from September we have expanded into a four piece band. We are delighted to announce the arrival of our fourth member Sharon, who is a multi-instrumentalist and virtuoso recorder player. In the short time since she has joined, she has settled into our groove really well and has already made a real impact on the music. It has been an absolute delight to be able to make music with her.

Hope you are enjoying the colours of autumn.
10:01 AM 
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Friday, July 17, 2009 

Current mood:  frisky

 

A couple of more reviews of our 'Midsummers' mini-album / extended e.p. have just been posted up. We thought we'd share them with you.

From the wonderful The Shadows Commence.com: "I was waiting quite impatiently for this album to come. I discovered THE ROWAN AMBER MILL though MySpace, and have been listening to their preview songs many a times the last year. There is something in their psychedelic, pastoral folk that I find very, very attractive. Can't put my finger on what though. I just get the feeling that this is so very special every time I hear it. And I love Kim's haunting, somewhat deep vocals what that they do to lift the sound high above ground.
So, ”Midsummers” is the simple title. The CD comes in a simple cardboard digipak with a sticker on, holding all the artwork. From a little tray inside the packaging you can find a sheet with the titles of the tracks and some information about each and every one of them. I'd say the design and the artwork is amazing.
And I'd say the same about the music. It's hard to categorize and hard to describe, but to call this neo-Wicker Man music would be pretty fair I think. It's mysterious, darkly crafted, psychedelic folk with lots of interesting and unexpected turns taken. Yet, at the same time, it's all so very obvious.
The instrumentation is a strange blend of today and yesterday. I especially fancy the hollow sounding flutes in ”Sumer is a Cumen In” , a fantastic song that appears in several different dresses through out these 10 tracks.
I also LOVE the ninth track, the title one called, you've guessed it, ”Midsummers” , that seems to summarize the album by throwing out short clips from each track over the sounds of a flickering fire.
Too bad the album is over pretty much just after it starts. Yes, it suffers from shortness, but then again, see it from the bright side; that way nothing is stopping you from playing it again and again and 10 times per day!
I'd say that THE ROWAN AMBER MILL is for me today, what THE OWL SERVICE was for me last year. And their album later appeared when I summarized 2008's best albums. That statement should hopefully leave you exited enough to go look for this album. And I'm pretty sure you'll agree with me when I say that THE ROWAN AMBER MILL might just be one of the most promising folk acts to date. ”Midsummers” is beautiful, interesting, intriguing and a wonderful craft.
Score: 88%"

A review by Fatea Magazine: "Some songs become so associated with an event that people forget to perform it, "Sumer Is A Cumen" is such a song, forever linked to "The Wickerman" so power to The Rowan Amber Mill for reclaiming it on the mystical and majestic "Midsummers" album, an album of English folklore and themes. You can almost smell the cut grass in the hay meadow, watching the windmill turn in the breeze whilst enjoying a countryside picnic and yet at the same time be reminded that nature can be dark and beautiful as well as pretty and faye. This album catches both aspects."

All very lovely and much appreciated. Heartening words for the long process of recording a full length album that we have just commenced upon.
Currently watching:
Midnight Is A Place [DVD]
Release date: 2008-10-20
7:23 PM 
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Saturday, July 04, 2009 

Current mood:  enlightened


Our debut CD midsummers was released on 24th June 2009.

Here are some reviews of midsummers

A review by the wonderful Terrascope.co.uk (in their July 09 rumbles section) reads:
 "Regular readers will remember us applauding the ‘Beyond the pale’ psych-folk compilation earlier this year, and in particular a contribution by The Rowan Amber Mill, which we described as “intense and magnificent, a hypnotic banjo adding menace while an incessant drone nags away at the back of your mind”. The song was ‘Blood and Bones’, and appears again in a considerably reworked form on the band’s CD-EP ‘Midsummers’  on which the trio of Stephen Stannard, Kim Guy and Terry Stacey gambol through a collection of English folk song, from the traditional (the 14th century ‘Sumer is a Cumen In’, a version of which appeared as the climax to the movie ‘Wicker Man’), to the contemporary (the superb ‘Spinning and Singing’, featuring gorgeous harmonies and pastoral slide guitar) via ‘The Paper Owl and Golden Hare’, a jaunty flute-driven folk song inspired partly by the novel The Owl Service and the 1970s TV adaptation. Although unrelated, if you are already a fan of folk-psych outfit The Owl Service you’ll love these guys too. Top marks for packaging as well – my copy came in a hand-crafted card cover (makes note to self: write and ask them where they found the parts to craft this, as it’s truly exquisite)" 

A review by http://www.folkwords.com reads thus:
"There’s a good way to celebrate Midsummer’s Day - listen to ‘Midsummers’ by The Rowan Amber Mill. Soak up this peaceful music in the fading light of a warm evening, glass of wine in hand as the breeze gently teases the trees - a true antidote for stress. This album is a gentle piece of pastoral psych-folk that celebrates the other world of the English summer. That’s the world that still lies beyond the noise and haste of modern life – if only you decide to search for it.
This music has a mysterious, airy quality that fits the elements and essence of summer. The album opens fittingly with two versions of the 13th Century round ‘Sumer Is A Cumen In’ (made popular by its inclusion in The Wicker Man). There’s ‘Olde & Moderne’ (with vocals) and ‘Medievale Carnivale’ (instrumental - my favourite) for you to enjoy. And just in case you don’t like either interpretation, track 8 is yet another version – complete with spooky whisperings in the background.
Excluding the rearranged traditional pieces Stephen writes the intricate, engaging songs while Kim lends her moving voice. ‘Blood and Bones (2009)’ is classic psych folk, with a tune that creates a sense of foreboding while the portent-laden lyrics reinforce the message. ‘Corndolly’ blends wraith-like strings and wind to create a tranquil
tune that calls to mind the gods of the harvest blessing the fields. ‘Midsummers’ mixes the sounds of burning fields fashioned over morphing string and pipe-driven memories of previous tunes to evoke fading summer and the arrival of Autumn. The CD offers you ten tracks, with three different versions of a traditional tune and two remixes of the same song. So perhaps this is more an extended EP or is it a mini-album? No matter, it gives a fine introduction to The Rowan Amber Mill. To discover gentle tranquillity this summer there’s not too much better for your soul than their music."

Currently listening:
Tale to Tell
By The Mummers
Release date: 2009-04-13
2:53 PM 
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Tuesday, June 09, 2009 

Current mood:  chipper


Our debut CD midsummers is released on 24th June 2009.
We are making available a strictly limited first edition run of 50 CDs that will be available exclusively from our official web site www.millersounds.co.uk.
 
Housed in a handcrafted gatefold CD case (made from eco-friendly 100% recycled chipboard), with a 4 page full colour booklet containing exclusive artwork and liner notes. There is also a standard jewel case edition with slimmed down artwork.

The 35 minute CD contains 10 tracks. This includes 7 completely new songs, a new and radically different version of Blood and Bones (plus the original version only previously available from us on our download ep). Plus a newly updated and remastered version of Spinning and Singing.

For full details go to our website www.millersounds.co.uk

We have posted up a couple of tracks from the CD on the myspace player for you to check out. We hope you enjoy them. 
Currently reading:
Forests Of Britain
By Thomas Hinde
7:26 PM 
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Sunday, April 05, 2009 

Current mood:  blissful
Category: Music






The Rowan Amber Mill are currently in the "studio" recording a number of tracks for their debut CD that will be released in the coming months.

You can follow the progress in minute detail over on The Rowan Amber Mill Twitter page, and also in Photographic form over on The Rowan Amber Mill Facebook page, plus hear the progress on The Rowan Amber Mill Reverb Nation page.

To be the first to hear the details of the CD release dates / pre-ordering and forthcoming live dates sign up to our mailing list.

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Wednesday, February 18, 2009 
For those that do that kind of thing, The Rowan Amber Mill now have their very own page at Last FM.
Go over to our The Rowan Amber Mill Last FM profile page to check what is there.
More will be added their as soon as we work out quite what it is. It must be alright as lots of our friends are already over there.
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Monday, February 02, 2009 
We are pleased to announce that our track 'Blood and Bones' will appear exclusively on CD on a newly released superb Psyche Folk compilation.

The lavishly presented double CD compilation entitled 'Beyond The Pale' has been put together by the wonderful 'Sideways Through Sound' radio show, and features tracks by some top weird folkists (including some of our own faves such as Arborea, Silver Pines and The Gentle Good).  

Our own track on the compilation is 'Blood and Blones' and it appears on CD for the first (and only) time.

The CD is available via the official Sideways Through Sound myspace page and also from the official Sideways Through Sound home page. 



10:27 AM 
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Thursday, January 29, 2009 

Current mood:  talkative

The Rowan Amber Mill are currently recruiting for extra musicians to join the band. So if you live in the Devon / Cornwall end of the South West and you can sing or play violin or percussion or flute or autoharp or something else, and want to join us in our many musical reveries, then please drop us a line. 
You heard it here first - beware of imitations.
 

Currently reading:
Wildwood: A Journey Through Trees
By Roger Deakin
3:02 PM 
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Friday, August 29, 2008 

'Autumne is a cumen in'.

The music of Rowan's Amber Mill will be played on the radio on 2SER 107.3, Sydney, Australia at 22.30 (Australian time) on Monday 1st September on the lovely Sideways Through Sound show. For those who don't know, Sideways Through Sound is a gorgeous radio show playing a wide range of pyschedelicy folky tunes.

It is also being streamed on the internet so it can be heard all over the world (and beyond) on the 2SER website. If you want to tune in you will need to adjust your timepieces. If you are in the UK tune in at 13.30. Berlin 14.30. USA - NY 08.30, SF 05.30 etc.

Love,

The Rowans.

Currently watching:
Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (Valerie a týden divu)
Release date: 2004-01-13
3:20 AM 
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Sunday, August 24, 2008 

The first release by Rowan's Amber Mill is a 6 track mini album entitled 'folk devils and moral panics'. The mini album is currently available as a download only on the rather lovely and totally ethical downloads website the indmill.

So what is so great about the indmill site? (well quite a lot of things actually). 

Firstly, their downloads are very reasonably priced at £1.25 / $1.70 per album and £0.45p / $0.70 per single / e.p.

Secondly, the music is available at higher bit rates than other download sites - either cd quality 320kbs or near as dammit 256kbs. 

Thirdly, the artist gets 90% of the proceeds of the sales.

Fourthly, the site is also geared towards a percentage of each and every sale being made to charitable organisations. 

What more incentive do you need? You could say that this is what post-medieval society has been waiting for. 

We are very pleased and honoured to have our music made available on such a fantastic site. So why not check out Rowan's Amber Mill page at the indmill.

Love,

'The Rowans'.

Currently reading:
Wildwood: A Journey Through Trees
By Roger Deakin
5:47 AM 
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