Craig's classical debut, Memory Takes My Hand, is released today.

The album, featuring three works, 'Immer', 'One Minute' and 'Memory Takes My Hand' was recorded with the BBC Symphony Orchestra - each piece reflects Craig's musical influences and interest in contemporary electronic music.

In 'Immer' Craig creates a specific acoustic sonority with techniques found in contemporary music software, using slow loops that phase in and out with one another, creating a blurred tonality, with the solo violin singing above the orchestra - a technique which also has its roots in early music; repetition, canons, fugues etc.

'One Minute' is a work composed of 15 one-minute pieces for orchestra, each minute functioning as a self-contained piece. It was commissioned by the Horse Cross Trust for the opening of the new Concert Hall in Perth.

'Memory Takes My Hand' was a commission from the Glasgow City Council to write a new concert work for the re-opening of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in October 2006. Craig Armstrong collaborated with the playwright Peter Arnott for the words, in this work sung by the British soprano Lucy Crowe.

You can watch an exclusive interview with Craig Armstrong, where he talks about Memory Takes My Hand and the thought process behind it, over on YouTube by clicking here.

The album is available in UK on download and CD from the following stores:

Buy CD from Amazon.co.uk

Buy CD from Play.com

Buy CD from Zavvi

Buy download from Play.com

The album is available in France from the following stores:

Buy CD from FNAC

Buy CD from Amazon.fr