| The Tower of Silence | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 26 November 2012 | |||
| Recorded | 2007–2012 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock, baroque pop | |||
| Length | 33.55 | |||
| Label | Grand Harmonium | |||
| Producer | Steve Adey | |||
| Steve Adey chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from The Tower of Silence | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Sunday Times |  [1] |
| Uncut | (8/10) [2] |
| Q | () [3] |
The Tower of Silence is the second studio album by Steve Adey. The album was released in the UK by Grand Harmonium on 26 November 2012.
It was announced via Steve's official website over the summer of 2012 that a new album will be available from September as a special LP bundle direct from the artist. An official release was to follow in November through the Grand Harmonium label. The album was recorded in Edinburgh, Scotland, in Adey's recording studio (a church). A full string section was employed during the initial recording. The sound is more "live" with more emphasis on a stronger "band feel." The album was recorded over five years and when asked why the delay? Adey commented "The album mutates to the point where you become a passenger; an observer – the more you get immersed in the recording process the less control you have over the duration and possible trajectory." [4]
The album cover art is an illustration of a whale suspended by balloons and parachutes. The theme continues throughout the LP/CD booklet. Matt Canning contributed all illustrations for the album's artwork and worked with Adey to integrate the visuals and soundscapes.
The Tower of Silence received critical acclaim including The Sunday Times 'Album of the Week' and Q magazine cited the album as "beautiful and grandly." [5] MusicOMH called the album "a meticulously crafted, sparse and funereally paced soundscape on which every note seems to have to earn its place; an eerie, sweeping soundtrack of grand orchestration." [6] Uncut gave the album 8/10; "Highlights are the wintery 'Just Wait Till I Get You Home' and a cover of Alasdair Roberts' maudlin ballad 'Farewell Sorrow', which Adey renders as a tremulous reply to Will Oldham's 'I See a Darkness.' With added darkness." [7] Mojo 's Andy Cowen writes "There's a breathtaking sonic purity to Adey's second album. Stripped down to the barest of bones, the songwriters heartfelt paeans, delivered in his beautifully rich baritone, are up there with the best of Bill Callahan and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy." [5]
All songs written by Steve Adey except where noted.
The Geto Boys was an American hip-hop group originally formed in Houston, Texas. The Geto Boys enjoyed success in the 1990s with the group's classic lineup consisting of Bushwick Bill, Scarface and Willie D, earning several certified albums and hit singles, including "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" which reached No. 1 on the Hot Rap Songs and #23 on the Billboard Hot 100. The group was formed in 1986, and was active until the 2019 death of Bushwick Bill.
Delerium is a Canadian new-age ambient electronic musical duo that formed in 1987, originally as a side project of the influential industrial music act Front Line Assembly. Throughout the band’s history, their musical style has encompassed a broad range, including dark ethereal ambient trance, voiceless industrial soundscapes, and electronic pop music. They are best known for their worldwide hit "Silence". The band is known to feature female guest vocalists on their albums since their 1994 album Semantic Spaces.
Adam Leonard is an English singer-songwriter working mainly in the folk, psychedelic and electronic music fields. His style is often described as lo-fi and the subject matter of his songs somewhat unconventional. Since his debut album How Music Sounds in 2003, he has released many EPs, albums and mini-albums on various small labels. Live performances, which have so far been limited to the UK are as intriguing as they are rare. In 2008 he opened for British folk musician Steve Ashley. He regularly collaborates with other musicians, most notably Pat Gubler, Ashley Cooke (Pulco), Gareth Davies, and Steven Collins of The Owl Service, a band for which Leonard provided vocals for their 2010 album The View From A Hill. At the close of 2010, a limited edition album entitled Nature Recordings was released on vinyl only by the London label The Great Pop Supplement. In 2011, Leonard provided the soundtrack to Claudia Heindel's award-winning independent film, Lucky Seven. In 2012, Nature Recordings was issued on CD by Manchester-based label The Northwestern Series.
Tindersticks are an English alternative rock band formed in Nottingham in 1991. They released six albums before singer Stuart A. Staples embarked on a solo career. The band reunited briefly in 2006 and more permanently the following year. The band recorded several film soundtracks, and have a long-standing relationship collaborating with French director Claire Denis.
John Charles Edward Alder, also known as Twink, is an English drummer, actor, singer, and songwriter who was a central figure in the English psychedelic movement.
I See a Darkness is the sixth album by American musician Will Oldham, released on Palace Records on January 19, 1999 as the first album under the name Bonnie "Prince" Billy. The album features appearances from Bob Arellano, Colin Gagon, Paul Oldham, David Pajo, and Peter Townsend.
Marissa Nadler is an American musician and fine artist. Active since 2000, she is currently signed to Sacred Bones Records and Bella Union, and released her ninth full-length studio album, The Path of the Clouds, in October 2021. As a singer-songwriter, her music has been characterized as blending "traditional folk, Gothic Americana, and dreamy pop into an original musical framework". Her music "is rooted in old-school country and folk but brings in elements of experimental and black metal". Sometimes the term "dream folk" has been invoked to describe her work.
Alasdair Roberts is a Scottish folk musician. He released a number of albums under the name Appendix Out and, following the 2001 album The Night Is Advancing, under his own name. Roberts is also known for his frequent collaborations with other musicians and writers, as well as for being a member of the folk supergroup The Furrow Collective.
"Enjoy the Silence" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode. Recorded in 1989, it was released as the second single from their seventh studio album, Violator (1990), on 5 February 1990. The single is Gold certificated in the US and Germany. The song won Best British Single at the 1991 Brit Awards.
Trouble is the debut studio album by singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne. It was released on September 14, 2004, in the United States, and on September 20, 2004, in the United Kingdom. Although the album was released in 2004, the song didn't enter the top five of the UK charts until August 2006. The album was produced by Ethan Johns, released on RCA Records, marketed by BMG and distributed by Stone Dwarf Records.
This is a list of recordings by Will Oldham.
The Liberty of Norton Folgate is the ninth studio album by the British band Madness, released on 18 May 2009. The band worked on the album for close to three years and it was their first album of new material since 1999's Wonderful.
Steve Adey is an English musician and singer-songwriter. His music is characterised by slow tempos, minimalist arrangements, underpinned by piano and a rich baritone vocal. As of 2018 Adey has released three studio albums and various EPs and singles.
All Things Real is the debut album by English singer-songwriter Steve Adey. The album was released on 6 March 2006 through Grand Harmonium Records. The album comprises original compositions, plus covers of Bob Dylan's Shelter from the Storm and Will Oldham's I See a Darkness.
This is a list of released recordings by English singer, songwriter Steve Adey. To date, Adey has released two studio albums and various EPs and singles.
Alive Till I'm Dead is the first studio album by the English rapper Professor Green, released on 16 July 2010. The album includes guest vocals by Lily Allen, Example, Labrinth and Emeli Sandé, among others.
Olivia Chaney is an English folk singer, pianist, guitarist, harmonium player and songwriter. Her debut solo album, The Longest River, was released on Nonesuch Records in 2015. Her follow-up solo album, Shelter, was released on Nonesuch on 15 June 2018.
A Winged Victory for the Sullen is the eponymous debut studio album by the ambient music duo A Winged Victory for the Sullen. It was released on 8 September 2011 on Erased Tapes Records and Kranky. Recorded over a two-year period at six studios throughout Europe, A Winged Victory for the Sullen features extensive use of natural reverb and combines classical instrumentation with soundscapes and drones. In addition to members Dustin O'Halloran and Adam Wiltzie, the album features several prominent collaborators, including Hildur Guðnadóttir and Nils Frahm.
MG is the second solo studio album by English musician and Depeche Mode member Martin Gore, and the first to include self-penned material rather than cover-versions. It was released on 27 April 2015 by Mute Records and consists of sixteen electronic instrumentals. A music video for "Europa Hymn", directed by M-I-E and incorporating illustrations by Jan L. Trigg, was released to YouTube in February 2015.
Stand for Myself is the second studio album by English singer and songwriter Yola. It was released on 30 July 2021, through Easy Eye Sound and distributed by Concord Records. The album debuted at number 196 on the Billboard 200 chart and at number 46 on the UK Albums Chart chart, being her first entry on both charts. The album was nominated for Best Americana Album at the 2022 Grammy Awards.