Alcyone

With their debut full-length album, The Stars Are Real (released August 23 on System Recordings), San Francisco, California's Alcyone unveil nine exceptional compositions with flourishes of ambient, dub, trance, breaks and deep house. Producer/keyboardist Alex Newman and vocalist/composer Suzanne Sterling draw upon their years of studio and stage experience to create a sound that is exciting, sophisticated, and highly infectious. Drawing on elements of classic electronic music in the vein of Orbital, The Orband William Orbit, Alcyonehas created an album that is equally suitable for home listening and the dancefloor.

Newman and Sterling bring a rich legacy of experience to Alcyone from their studio and stage work as producer and lead vocalist of internationally renowned, pioneering electronic dance act Medicine Drum. Newman produced, cowrote, and engineered Medicine Drum's 2003 third album Original Face, which was given a rave review by Billboard: 'A Major Thrill... one cool track after another.' Newman and Sterling have toured the USA extensively and performed internationally with Medicine Drum - as keyboardist and lead vocalist - including the recent Australian tour, shows in Japan, and as the opening act for popular electronic/live crossover band Sound Tribe Sector 9 on their 2003 US tour. Alcyone has become a popular choice with clubbers, festival-goers and all-night party people, playing peak-time performances at Earthdance, Harmony Festival, Burning Man's Sol System, Solfest, Anon Salon's Sea of Dreams, San Francisco Decompression and many more events.

THE ALCYONE CREW

Alex Newman has produced and co-written over half a dozen albums, and each year his composition, 'Prayer for Peace' is played simultaneously by DJ's worldwide in over 100 locations as the pinnacle of Earthdance, the world's largest synchronized music and dance festival. Suzanne Sterlingis an esteemed songwriter and has received critical acclaim as a performer and a recording artist. In addition to Alcyone and Medicine Drum she is well known for her work with Bhakti, Skyclad, Kali's Angels and her music has been commissioned for theatre, film and video. Joining Alcyone in live performance, percussionist Jason Drumfire brings years of professional experience and an added sonic dimension. A virtuoso with Congas, Bongos, Timbales and Djembes, he has already made a strong impression on the electronic dance music world as percussionist with internationally-known live act Afro-Mystik. Although self described as a Drum Animal he plays with precise speed and grace - as well as power and groove. Look for Alcyone on tour performing live in support of The Stars Are Real.

Alcyone The Stars Are Real Tracklisting:

1. Drift
2. Warm Fuzzy
3. Black Arrow Dub
4. Brighter
5. Pan Position
6. The Dunes
7. Reflections
8. Neptune
9. Starfields


The Stars Are Real is currently available on iTunes.