Valtos (band)

Last updated
Valtos
Origin Isle of Skye, Scotland
Genres Celtic fusion, house music, Gaelic music
Years active2021–present
LabelsIsland Life (2022−present)
Members
  • Daniel Docherty
  • Martyn MacDonald
Website www.valtosband.co.uk

Valtos is an electronic Celtic fusion duo based on the Isle of Skye. [1] [2] Their name comes from the village of the same name, close to Staffin on Skye.

Contents

History

2021: Formation

Valtos was formed in 2021 by Martyn MacDonald and Daniel Docherty, both natives of Skye. They performed their first show together in December 2021. [3] Both members possess backgrounds in electronic music, with experience in DJing and music production. [4]

2022: Valtos

Prior to their debut album, Valtos attracted listeners through "sensational" live shows in Glasgow [5] and by remixing well-known artists' songs. [6] In January 2022, they released their debut single, a remix of "Marx Terrace" by fellow Skye band Peatbog Faeries. [4] They followed this in February with "Home", featuring vocals in English and Scottish Gaelic from Eilidh Cormack and Lana Pheutan of Sian. [1] [7] In April they released "Ceòl Dannsa", incorporating a vocal sample from Donnie Munro of Runrig, [1] [8] and in June, they remixed "Ceitidh's" by Glaswegian trad group Project Smok, before releasing their self-titled debut album on Bandcamp.

Valtos featured collaborations with Donnie Munro, Gary Innes of Mànran, acclaimed fiddle player Euan McLaughlin, Allan MacDonald of Niteworks, and Eilidh Cormack and Lana Pheutan. The album achieved over 100,000 streams in its first few weeks. [6] Its title tracks makes reference to the flight of Charles Edward Stuart after Culloden, the Strip the Willow, and natural features of Skye including the mountains and sea. [5] Valtos was well-received by critics in the Scottish trad scene, particularly for its success at mixing house beats with traditional sounds. [5] [9] [10]

Following their debut album, Valtos continued to collaborate with other artists. In August, they remixed "Flashback" by Manx trad group Mec Lir, before collaborating with Scottish bands Talisk and Elephant Sessions to release a charity EP for Movember. [11]

In December 2022, Valtos received the award for 'Up and Coming Artist of the Year' at the Scots Trad Music Awards. [12]

2023–2024: Touring & Singles

Following their win at the Scots Trad Music Awards, Valtos spent most of 2023 touring and releasing new singles in collaboration with other Scottish artists.

In January 2023, they performed a sold-out show alongside Project Smok at Glasgow's Celtic Connections. [13] In February they released "Liberate" with Project Smok; in March, "Lose Control" with Siiga; in April, "Faili" with Eilidh Cormack and Ruairidh Gray; in June, "Lost in Translation" with Lana Pheutan and Man of the Minch; in November, "Spearhead" with Gnoss; and in December, "1990" with Elephant Sessions.

In January 2024, Valtos reappeared at Celtic Connections, joined by several of their longtime collaborators. In April, the duo released "A' Chuthag" (The Cuckoo), featuring vocals from acclaimed Gaelic folksinger Julie Fowlis, ahead of their appearance as the opening act at Edinburgh Tradfest. [6]

Influences

Valtos have cited pioneers of the Celtic fusion sound, Martyn Bennett and Peatbog Faeries as major influences on their sound, as well as electronic musicians outside of Scotland including Madeon, Odesza, and Bicep. [6] They describe their genre of music as "electro-trad". [5]

Differentiating themselves from earlier bands, the duo said: "Where Niteworks and the Peatbog Faeries take traditional music and add electronic elements, we describe our music as turning that on its head, taking electronic music and adding traditional elements." [5]

Valtos' artistry strongly derives from the natural beauty of their home, and the rich history of the Gaelic language and culture. [6] Regarding the latter, they have received commendation for the political messages contained within their work. Their 2023 single "Liberate" features vocal samples from former Liberal Democrat leader and advocate for the Scottish Highlands, Charles Kennedy. [14] Meanwhile, their 2022 single, "Beinn", references the old Gaelic proverb "Siud mar a tha, ’s mar a bha, ’s mar a bhios" (that's how it is, was, and will be), before inverting it to "Siud mar a tha, ’s mar a bha, ach seo mar a bhios" (that's how it is and was, but this is how it will be), thus reclaiming use of the Gaelic language in defiance of its historic repression. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Runrig</span> Scottish Celtic rock band

Runrig were a Scottish Celtic rock band formed on the Isle of Skye in 1973. From its inception, the band's line-up included brothers and songwriters Rory MacDonald and Calum MacDonald (percussion). The line-up during most of the 1980s and 1990s also included Donnie Munro (vocals), Malcolm Jones (guitar), Iain Bayne (drums), and Pete Wishart (keyboards). Munro left the band in 1997 to pursue a career in politics and was replaced by Bruce Guthro. Wishart left in 2001, also to pursue a career in politics, and was replaced by Brian Hurren. The band released fourteen studio albums, with a number of their songs sung in Scottish Gaelic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donnie Munro</span> Musical artist

Donnie Munro is a Scottish musician and the former lead singer of the band Runrig.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karen Matheson</span> Scottish folk singer

Karen Matheson OBE is a Scottish folk singer who frequently sings in Gaelic. She is the lead singer of the group Capercaillie and was a member of Dan Ar Braz's group L'Héritage des Celtes, with whom she often sang lead vocals, either alone or with Elaine Morgan. She and Morgan sang together on the Breton language song "Diwanit Bugale", the French entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996. She made a cameo appearance in the 1995 movie Rob Roy singing the song "Ailein duinn".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peatbog Faeries</span>


The Peatbog Faeries are a largely instrumental Celtic fusion band. Formed in 1991, they are based in Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.

Celtic fusion is an umbrella term for any modern music which incorporates influences considered "Celtic", or Celtic music which incorporates modern music. It is a syncretic musical tradition which borrows freely from the perceived "Celtic" musical traditions of all the Celtic nations, as well as from all styles of popular music, it is thus sometimes associated with the Pan-Celtic movement. Celtic fusion may or may not include authentic traditional music from any one tradition under the Celtic umbrella, but its common characteristic is the inspiration by Celtic identity.

The Hebridean Celtic Festival or HebCelt is an international Scottish music festival, which takes place annually in Stornoway on Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Headliners to date include Runrig, Van Morrison, Deacon Blue, The Fratellis, The Levellers and KT Tunstall. Many other acts take part in the event, including visiting international artists, solo artists and local musicians. The festival regularly attracts over 16,000 attendees and provides significant economic and cultural benefits for its host area.

The Scots Trad Music Awards or Na Trads were founded in 2003 by Simon Thoumire to celebrate Scotland's traditional music in all its forms and create a high profile opportunity to bring the music and music industry into the spotlight of media and public attention. Nominations are made by the public and in 2019 over 100,000 public votes were expected across 18 categories.

<i>Mellowosity</i> 1996 studio album by Peatbog Faeries

Mellowosity is the debut studio album by Scottish Celtic fusion group Peatbog Faeries, released in 1996 on Greentrax Recordings. After forming as a vocal-based Celtic rock group in 1994, the duo had settled into becoming an instrumental Celtic fusion group by the release of Mellowosity. The album draws from a wide range of musical styles and influences including jazz, reggae, afrobeat, rock, Eastern music, dub and funk, that are mixed in with the band's traditional Scottish folk/Celtic sound featuring fiddles and bagpipes.

<i>Faerie Stories</i> 2000 studio album by Peatbog Faeries

Faerie Stories is the second album by Scottish Celtic fusion group Peatbog Faeries, released in 2001 on Greentrax Recordings. The album was reissued in 2008 as a digipack. The album is large departure from the sound of their début album Mellowosity (1996), and sees the band explore a largely electronic sound mixed with their traditional Celtic fusion sound. Influences of electronic genres such as electronica, house, dubtronica and trip hop, in addition to even dub music and African music can be heard on the album fused with traditional Scottish Celtic music.

<i>Welcome to Dun Vegas</i> 2003 studio album by Peatbog Faeries

Welcome to Dun Vegas is the third album by Scottish Celtic fusion group Peatbog Faeries, released in July 2003 as the first release on the band's own Peatbog Records label. The album was recorded in a cottage on the banks of Pool Roag, near Dunvegan, on the Isle of Skye. Following the electronic-infused Faerie Stories (2001), Dun Vegas was co-produced between Calum MacLean and the band's drummer Iain Copeland. The album is experimental, mixing traditional and modern Celtic music with other genres and styles such as African music and electronica and featuring experimental effects including backwards drumming and a track based around a kitchen cooker timer.

<i>Croftwork</i> 2005 studio album by Peatbog Faeries

Croftwork is the fourth album by Scottish Celtic fusion group Peatbog Faeries, recorded in Roag on the Isle of Skye, and released in 2005 on the band's own Peatbog Records label. It was released as the label's second album following on from the band's previous album Welcome to Dun Vegas (2003). They recorded the album at Phat Controller Productions on the band's native Isle of Skye.

<i>Play Gaelic</i> 1978 studio album by Runrig

Play Gaelic is the first album by the Scottish Celtic rock band Runrig. It was released in 1978 on LP and tape by Neptune Records. In 1990 it was re-released on CD by Lismor Recordings with different cover art.

<i>What Men Deserve to Lose</i> 2007 studio album by Peatbog Faeries

What Men Deserve To Lose is the fifth album by Scottish Celtic fusion group Peatbog Faeries, recorded at Skye Recording in Roag on the band's native Isle of Skye in 2007, and was commercially released on 16 July 2007 on the band's own label Peatbog Records, though the album had been sold at festivals, and from the band's website, since 22 June 2007. It is the band's first album to feature Graeme Stafford, who brings what the band described as a "dancey" feel to the album.

Duncan Chisholm is a Scottish fiddle player and composer. He has released seven solo albums as a solo artist. His studio album, Affric, released in 2012, was longlisted for the Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award. In 2022, he released a seventh studio album, titled Black Cuillin. He tours with the Scottish Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis' band. He is also a founder member of the folk rock group Wolfstone. He played fiddle for Runrig.

<i>Dust</i> (Peatbog Faeries album) 2011 studio album by Peatbog Faeries

Dust is the sixth studio album by the Scottish Celtic fusion band Peatbog Faeries, released on 8 August 2011 on Peatbog Records, although pre-release copies were released on 20 July 2011 through the band's online shop. Following the band's 2008 tour and subsequent live album, the band's fiddle player Adam Sutherland and drummer Iain Copeland left the band, replaced by Peter Tickell and Stu Haikney respectively whose experience helped stir the band in a new direction. The band set to record Dust in 2011 with longtime producer Calum MacLean, beginning work in Orbost and concluding work at Cumbernauld College. Haikney brought experimental fiddle techniques to the band, and similarly experimental production techniques, whilst the entire band experimented with various genres of music including African music, funk, reggae, ambient music and electronic music alongside the band's traditional Celtic fusion sound. The brass sound of previous albums also returned. The album was also an attempt to translate the band's live sound to studio work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niteworks</span> Electronic Celtic fusion band

Niteworks is an Electronic Celtic fusion band from the Isle of Skye. The band are known for writing new songs in Gaelic and melding the bagpipes and Gaelic song forms such as puirt a beul with techno and house beats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Cormack</span> Musical artist

Arthur Cormack is a Scottish Gaelic singer and musician from Portree, Isle of Skye and was educated at Portree High School.

<i>Blackhouse</i> (album) 2015 studio album by Peatbog Faeries

Blackhouse is the seventh studio album by Scottish celtic fusion band Peatbog Faeries, released in May 2015 by the band's label Peatbog Records. After recording their acclaimed album Dust (2011), the band played live for the following few years, during which time fiddler Peter Tickell left the band, to be replaced by Ross Couper. As the band had not recorded an album for some years, they returned to record Blackhouse mainly in a cottage in Kilchoan, Ardnamurchan during 2014, although recording continued into 2015. Their first album with Touper, and their first without a brass section since Welcome to Dun Vegas (2003), Blackhouse was produced by Calum MacLean and displays a very eclectic array of genres, fusing the band's Scottish celtic roots with genres such as jazz, funk, reggae, dance and house.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skye Live Festival</span> Music festival at The Lump, Scotland

Skye Live Festival is an annual two-day music festival taking place at The Lump, the traditional home of the Skye Highland Games, in Portree on the Isle of Skye in Scotland.

Sian is a Scottish all-female traditional band who are known for their Gaelic vocal harmonies and celebrating Gaelic songs composed by women. They formed to raise the prominence of work by female Gaelic bards, which might not have received much attention or credit otherwise.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Under the Radar: Valtos". The Scotsman . April 3, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Seo mar a bhios: Young Gaels are redefining their language's place in modern Scotland". The National .
  3. ↑ "Valtos". Valtos. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
  4. 1 2 MacLeod, Rhona (February 14, 2022). "Meshing Genre: Introducing Electronic Trad Band Valtos". Brig Newspaper.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Og, Seuras (2022-06-16). "Valtos - Valtos: Album Review". At The Barrier. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Edinburgh Tradfest". Edinburgh Tradfest. 2024-05-03. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  7. ↑ "Skye duo Valtos release debut electro-trad album". The Oban Times. May 14, 2022.
  8. ↑ https://www.scottishfield.co.uk/culture/music/skye-duo-valtos-release-track-with-donnie-munro/
  9. ↑ "Valtos by Valtos". brightyoungfolk.com. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  10. ↑ "FATEA - Home". www.fatea-records.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  11. ↑ "Skye band Valtos release Movember charity EP". November 4, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Na Trads recognise project honouring witch-hunt victims, island music festival founder and Highland village hall". The Scotsman. December 5, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Valtos and Friends". www.celticconnections.com. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  14. ↑ MartyM (2023-01-27). "Valtos hone spirit of Charles Kennedy in new single | Radio Skye" . Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  15. ↑ "Seo mar a bhios: Young Gaels are redefining their language's place in modern Scotland". The National. 2022-11-15. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.