Hey guys

My first CD release is now available to buy - either by cheque (UK only) or by paypal (UK and International). Anyone wishing to purchase by cheque - please contact me through myspace.

To read what the reviewers have said about it - please click here

Click on the 'Buy Now' button below for the paypal payment form

CD Track Listing is as follows:

1. Awakening
2. Swallow The Pill
3. One Way Trip
4. Deviation
5. Ctrl+Alt+Dlt
6. Halcyon
7. Assess & Realization
8. Subliminal

CDs are £5 (+ £1 postage and packaging)

Cheers guys!
Aortan

Aortan CD Reviews

 

 

 

 

 

Review 1.

 

If you are looking for an instrumental type album that is not just fifty minutes of a guy playing notes as fast as he can, then Aortan is where it is. There is enough diversity in sound and rhythm on this CD to have something for everyone to like.

 

I am extremely impressed with Aortan's amazing guitar work and look forward to listening to more of his music. Aortan's debut outing is an astounding instrumental album that demands your undivided attention. - The Atomic Chaser, THE DRP Music Source E-zine/ALL ACCESS Magazine

 

 

Review 2.

As an admittedly rather unimpressive guitar player, I always find myself amazed when listening to the likes of Joe Satriani, John Petrucci and fellow virtuosos. So when I received the recent release from Aortan, a self-described "One man, guitar instrumental experiment" I was intrigued, as I'm sure you can imagine. Diving into waters dominated by the aforementioned guitarists is bound to draw comparison, which may find Aortan slightly lacking, admittedly. But such comparison is really quite unfair, as Aortan is undeniably talented, and some of the tracks on his latest album would be heralded as great if performed by a better-known guitarist.

As you would probably expect from an album of this nature, there is a lot of variety, from lighter tracks like 'Deviation' or 'Subliminal', to the dark sounding 'Swallow the Pill' or the very heavy sounding 'Ctrl Alt Dlt'. But almost all of them are a treat to listen to. ('Halcyon' being the exception – a short and wholly unremarkable track.) But having said that, I do have one major gripe with the album. At only 29 minutes long, it's simply not enough time to show off the full extent of his skills. If you're a fan of the guitar though, I'd say it's still worth looking into. Review by AJ Carlile for Live4Metal.Com

 

 

Want to review my album - then please contact me either through myspace or at aortan@blueyonder.co.uk and I will send you a copy of the album to review - please state what magazine, online site, radio station etc you are reviewing for when contacting me.

*More reviews will be added as they are received - please keep checking back*

 

Hey guys, Im in between writing sessions for the new Aortan material and knocked this together while I had some spare time. I've made it downloadable as it'll only be available for a week or 2, this is simply something I did for amusement and wont be on any Aortan releases, so listen while you can!

This is one of those songs that has probably inspired hundreds of metal guitarists out there like myself, so here is my tribute to the thrash band with the solos...

Hangar 18

Hi guys

Firstly - thanks to everyone who has sent me get well soon messages - as some of you already know I've been ill for the past few months and not able to spend as much time online or to reply to my messages. I do read every single one and appreciate your support and well wishes. Hopefully I'll be back on form soon and I will get back in touch with everyone who has written.

Thanks and HELLO to all my new friends and supporters - so many of you guys have joined up and been giving me feedback about my tracks and the good news is that there is more on the way. Having been ill has meant I've not had a lot of chance to write as much as I'd like, but again, that will all be changed soon.

My CD will be released in the next few months, with some major news to follow. I'll update my blog with the details when I can release that news to you.

I've also recently managed to get back into the photography studio with WAKENTHEDEAD PHOTOGRAPHY and she's done some amazing photographs and artwork for my upcoming release and promotional images - these will be uploaded to the site soon for you all to see. She's an amazing photographer an I'd urge you to check out her artwork, design and photography by clicking here to visit her myspace page.

Finally - thank you for your continued support - please add my banner to your page or feel free to spread the word about my music by bulletin or email. Copy the banner code below by hitting reply to this mail and grabbing the code and add it to your page - please let me know if you do so and I'll visit you and say thanks.



Cheers

Aortan!

allo folks! first of all, thanks for all your comments and feedback - you guys rock. All your comments good or bad are really appreciated and the fact that you guys have all come to me and commented without me asking is just amazing. I'll get some more songs up soon, but the plan for the moment is to get as many CD's out as possible, so if you've emailed, bear with me, I'll be sending out a mass mailer soon

Also, I've just had another photo day with wakenthedead photography, we've discussed some new ideas for promo and cd artwork and I just want to say, this stuff is going to be f**king smart when its done, I'll post the results on here when they are ready

Anyway, keep the messages and comments coming, I want to hear from all like minded musicians out there, wether you are in to extreme metal or skiffle  (even triangle players welcome)

speak to you soon all

 

Aortan

quick update on whats going on, got another couple of songs finished and I'm now ready to go in to the studio and get things recorded properly.  I've been speaking to one studio in particular who I know is going to make the stuff sound amazing, so really looking forward to that and to hearing the finished product

Will keep you all updated as things happen, and may even post another couple of tracks up before I take them all down and upload the new and improved, re-mixed and mastered versions!

Also - to all the people that have been asking for CD's, just want to say huge thanks for the interest, im really glad you like the stuff enough to want to contaminate your CD players with it, so thanks, and wont be long now til I have something on disk that I can send out to anyone thats interested

cheers guys, and let the solos be with you...   :P

Aortan

Happy New Year folks, hope you had a good one.  Thanks for all your xmas and new year greetings, I didnt get online at all over the festive period so thanks to everyone who took the time to leave comments and sorry i couldnt reply to you all!

 

Anyway, thought I'd put up some more ideas that will eventually go on to the album, nothing spectacular, just a wee intro and a full length track that will probably be going on somewhere near the start of the album.  These are just rough demos and there are a few bits that need to be ironed out but you'll get the idea.  I've only just uploaded them to myspace as well so if they don't play first time, just be patient and keep trying

 

Cheers folks, and speak to you all soon

I've put up an a section from an idea I had to transcribe a piece of classical music for electric guitar and I thought there would be nothing better than to take a piece of music that I has been with me for most of my life.  I used to play it on the piano when I was 4 years old and I still get the same feeling when I hear it now, so here is an excerpt from Beethoven's 7th Symphony transcribed for fingerpicked and electric guitar

The first section incorporates all the melodies into one guitar part and is all finger picked, this took me a while to work out as it was written for a strings section in an orchestra, but I think i've managed to capture what was originally intended. The louder section splits the melody lines up and I have used one melody line per guitar, resulting in a massive sound that the orchestra would usually capture!

There's nothing complicated here, its just a piece of music I have always liked, hopefully you will enjoy too!

well its been a few weeks since putting my ideas up on here and I have to say all the messages and responses people have sent me have been really re-assuring and inspiring.  It wasn't that long ago that I was thinking of giving all this up and a few kind words from certain people have really helped me get through it and realise that this music is a part of me and I'll never escape that.  If anything I will do this purely for the enjoyment that I get out of playing, regardless of wether it gets me any where or what people think of it

Don't get me wrong I don't just disregard people's opinions but ultimately I have to do this for myself and this is kind of what Aortan is about, just playing the music that comes from within, and playing what you feel

The plan for the next while is to carry on writing material for an album which I will then release (hopefully under a small label) so that I can let as many people as possible hear what I am thinking musically. Even if it touches one person and inspires them to persue what their heart tells them to I will be happy    :)

 

Thanks to Waken the Dead Photography for the promo pics, I think you will agree an awesome job has been done!

More pics to come so I'll keep you all posted

Check out www.myspace.com/wakenthedeadphotography for more quality pics