
Colin Bass and Daniel Biro have announced the forthcoming release of a collaborative album of ambient songs and cinematic synthscapes to be entitled Still. Due for release on 26th June 2020, Bass (vocals, bass, piano) and Biro (keyboards, synths) have created a collection of meditative, ambient songs that range from intimate personal stories to global human topics. While Bass leads on all vocals, instrumentally the dialogue is between his melodic bass playing and Biro’s layered Rhodes electric piano and analogue synth arrangements. Finnish acoustic guitarist Joonas Widenius was asked to contribute on two tracks.
Bass and Biro started discussing the idea of working together on an album of songs in 2014. The idea is that each of them would contribute an equal number of compositions. With Bass living in Wales and Biro in London all the work was done remotely. But despite the distance they developed an immediate symbiotic understanding of what the project should be. The almost complete absence of drums gives the songs a floating sense of space and timelessness. From the pattern-based ‘Summer’ to the freeform ‘The Man Who Never Was’, and from the sparse minimalism of ‘Once Was a Time’ to the epic ‘Heaven’, Still draws the listener in to a place of quiet emotions and nostalgic reflection. Recently, the song ‘Old Europe’, originally written as an ode to Europe, has taken on new and topical meanings. Still is dedicated to the memory of Jim Cuomo who sadly passed away in 2018.
Track List
01. Still Life 1 (Bass/Biro) – 4:05
02. Summer (Biro) – 5:58
03. Still Life 2 (Bass) – 0:59
04. Old Europe (Biro) – 5:59
05. Once Was A Time (Bass) – 4:26
06. Faces (Biro) – 4:22
07. The Man Who Never Was (Bass) – 7:41
08. Heaven (Biro) – 7:00
09. Still Life 3 (Bass) – 1:15
10. Hands (Biro) – 5:58
11. Still (Bass) – 6:16
Credits:
Vocals, bass, piano: Colin Bass
Keyboards: Daniel Biro
Special guest: Joonas Widenius (acoustic guitar on ‘Old Europe’ and ‘Hands’)
Produced by: Colin Bass Daniel Biro
Executive Producers: Mike Lichtman, Richard Schilder, Bert Rothkugel
Recorded at: BiroBureau, London and Wild End Studio, North Wales
Mixed by: Daniel Biro. Mastered by: Peter Beckmann at TechnologyWorks, London.
Cover design and Illustrations: Lenya Bass (LBASS: www.lbass.de).
Portrait photography: Judith Burrows. Other photos by: Daniel Biro and Colin Bass