Colouratura’s WTF Was That?! On Vinyl

Colouratura, an art rock trio from the Ohio Valley USA, have reissued their fourth album “WTF Was That?!” on vinyl on Melodic Revolution Records (Amplified Distribution). Sporting a fresh new mix from bandleader and producer Ian Beabout, “WTF Was That?!” is a varied and ambitious record inspired by West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania life and folklore. 

The band consists of Ian Beabout (flute, synths, backing vocals, production), Nathan James (bass, vocals, piano), and Derek Pavlic (guitars, viola, mellotron, synths, glockenspiel, vocoder), aided by distinguished guests including Refestramus’ Derek Ferguson (drums and percussion), plus talented friends including drummer Dave Trik of Brimstone Coven, and Chris Boros (mellotron). The name, Colouratura was conceived by Nathan James as a metaphor on the various stylistic shifts implemented by the band - together they draw on the likes of metal, prog, pop, funk and folk music. 

 

About the album’s production and vinyl reissue, Beabout says that remixing the vinyl has “given our album new life! Thanks to this sonic overhaul I feel it better represents what we all had in mind when writing and recording it, because when we finished the album for CD and digital release, I was limited by a dying MacBook. When I upgraded my production gear and software, I felt it was a good time to revisit the sonics of the recording. I think it now has a fuller, more robust sound.” 

 

The vinyl has a beautiful presentation, including a light blue splatter design and a full color insert with the band photo. An unboxing video can be viewed on Beabout’s YouTube channel https://youtu.be/KEmRm8BNc60?si=cRi0p8nBpPe6Mbn5. Songs from the new vinyl mix can be heard on the group’s Bandcamp page. colouratura.bandcamp.com/album/wtf-was-that-2024-lp-remix.

 

“The original version will always be the canonical one, it is the one on streaming,” says Beabout, “but to me the album is finally finished and it is something I’m very proud of.” 

 

Press:

"Honest ‘70s-style rock music with nods to early Wishbone Ash, early Tull and Traffic even as hints of Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and Anekdoten creep in here and there. A thoroughly satisfying listen!"

-Steve Roberts, ZNR Records

 

“The band's music is more progressive than progressive. The album offers a sound that is more like so-called ‘mixture rock’ than ‘progressive rock,’ as if their musical tastes are all stewed together. What awaits the listener after listening to the playful and free-spirited arrangements, which will betray the listener's expectations? This is a work that you should definitely hear for yourself.”

- CDs Vinyl Japan Store

 

“The results are vertiginous-- blissed-out and blessed in the music’s festive concern: let’s just hope the ‘was’ in ‘WTF Was That?!’ doesn’t mean this record is the group’s last.”

- Dmitry Epstein, dmme.net review

 

“This does not seem like a modern recording at all, as there is something about it which cries analogue as opposed to digital and playing a download just seems wrong as this should be vinyl, nothing less. This is music which has been allowed to breathe and move in whatever direction it needs to.”

- Kev Rowland, ProgArchives Review

 

“This is their fourth release and they are making waves with their 'off the wall' music and sounds. I find this to be a real treat for all listeners. I must admit, they have a great '70s sound, Are they true hippies in 2023?”

- Jim Allford, Steel Notes Magazine 

 

“Takes the music seriously, but it doesn’t take itself seriously!” 

- Jason Berry, CatSynthTV

 

New Music Video From Robeone

Plus New Merch Company &

Playing the National Anthem for Bob Moog’s 90^th Birthday Thursday!

Robeone’s new music video, “Broken Days” contrasts chess and keyboard. How Robeone attacks his movement as he plays keytar shows common motions with an “ebony and ivory” man and woman flowing from a standard chess board into one the size of a large living room! In the end the couple unites with calm confidence. The video was created by Robeone’s longtime video producer Blake Carpenter and is live on YouTube.

Robeone says, “’Broken Days’ is about all the turmoil in the world every day. The two people fighting in the chess game at the end become friends, a hopeful thought.”

The “Broken Days” digital single on Transglobal Records/ The Orchard-Sony is available on streaming media. Fans can buy downloads of the composition on Bandcamp.  robeone.bandcamp.com/track/broken-days-2

Ultimately this track will be on Robeone’s next album, which is still being created.  Proceeds from the single’s sales-- and all of Robeone’s releases—go directly to the Bob Moog Foundation which teaches children Music and Science.

Robeone is engaged in a number of projects including work on another Red32 album. He set up a new relationship with the New Jersey-based, Bandwagon USA merchandise site.  Visit thebandwagonusa.com/collections/robeone 

Robeone has released six albums— “Robeone,” “Circles,” “My World,” “Piano Stories,” “Keep the Music Flowing,” “Halos and Dogs,” and “Dream Suite.”

Robeone’s alter ego Robert Schindler was keyboardist in bands including States, Mayson, Blue Angel, Ruth Copeland, Ronnie Spector, Rhett Tyler.  He’s played on albums by Johnny Nash, Star Cruiser, Rian Adkinson, Joe Mac's American Garage (on Melodic Revolution Records)...  He composed and recorded the Award-Winning Documentary Soundtrack "The Fiery Narrows - Following The Path Of John Charles Fremont."  

On Friday, May 24, Robeone performed the National Anthem on a Moog Liberation Keytar at a soccer game in Asheville to celebrate Bob Moog’s 90^th birthday and the fifth year anniversary of the Moogseum!    

Refestramus’ New Video “Smiling” and Album "Intourist"

  Refestramus’ new music video is called “Smiling” and on YouTube at

Directed by Anna Fokin, “Smiling” features Romanian actress/actor Monica Pop (https://www.facebook.com/MonicaPopArt) as Agent M. Refestramus’ drummer/songwriter/Wizard Derek Ferguson discovered Ms. Fokin’s work on YouTube, where she has “the absolute best video series for learning Russian”: (https://www.youtube.com/@yourrussian6200).

Derek loves “recurring characters, like 'Aqualung' and 'Cross-Eyed Mary,' which appear in multiple Jethro Tull songs. Combined with my belief that Prog needs to be more photogenic, I created the character Agent Mikrovolnovka, which is a joke. 'Mikrovolnovka' sounds mysterious and alluring, but it is actually the Russian word for 'microwave oven.'”

Both the song and video for “Smiling” are about maintaining other people’s happiness by not expressing your own displeasure. There’s a bit in the middle of the video and song where the music stops, the aquarium breaks, and all the water breaks loose, and that's a metaphor for bottling things up and then having them all spill out.

Art rock group Refestramus, pronounced re-fes-TRA-mus, is named after a word that Derek’s mother made up to mean “rearrange.” Colouratura’s Ian Beabout produced the new album, "Intourist" (Melodic Revolution Records)!

Much of the group was found on Fiverr.com: Induction lead singer Craig Cairns, Brazilian keyboardist maestro Rogelio Desouza, and rock vocalists NIDA, Denisse Ferrara, and Vedrana Lina. The rest of the group came from work connections Ian and Derek have, including Colouratura bandmates Derek Pavlic and Nathan James, saxophonist Mitch Lawrence, plus multi-instrumentalists Jerry King (bass) and Dave Newhouse (accordion).

"Our music seeks to embrace the full spectrum of human emotions, weaving narratives that reflect both the peaks and valleys of life, in line with Prog Magazine's praise of our 'high-brow concepts and bizarre comedic turns.'"

Refestramus.com

Refestramus’ “Intourist” New Album May 4 on Melodic Revolution Records

 

Copyright © Michele V. Wagner Photography, Inc.

Art Rock Wizard Derek Ferguson Dealing with Depth of Light and Darkness   Coming May 4 is “Intourist,” the third album from Refestramus and the album’s new music video “Smiling.”  The video premiere is set for 12 PM CT/10 AM PT  (Friday night/Saturday morning) on May 4 at https://youtu.be/WYJ_I0f236c   Pre-Sale link for the album is officially up at Pre-order the New Album Intour​í​st (lsnto.me). “I’m the writer, I play drums, I pay for everything,” states Derek Ferguson, the Wizard who leads the progressive rock studio ensemble known as Refestramus.  Named after a word his mother made up to mean “rearrange,” Derek and his producer – Colouratura’s Ian Beabout – liked it because it wasn’t a legitimate word, “A web search will only turn up our band!,” which means the latest search for “Refestramus” will show their new album, Intourist (Melodic Revolution Records)! As the bearer of this music, Derek’s powers are rooted in inspiration through his writing and finding musicians. He discovered many on the Internet gig site, Fiverr.com: Induction lead singer Craig Cairns, Brazilian keyboardist maestro Rogelio Desouza, and rock vocalists NIDA, Denisse Ferrara, and Vedrana Lina.      Derek writes from the depth of emotion. The album’s first video, “Smiling," he says, “delves into the complexity of concealing one's sadness to maintain others' happiness, offering a poignant reflection on the masks we wear in society.” Refestramus was born May  2020 as Derek’s home studio project during the COVID pandemic. Having been in a variety of progressive rock bands in his native Chicago and an avid listener of Ian Beabout’s Internet radio program “Prog Rock Deep Cuts,” he reached out to Ian to mix and master the recordings. Ian, who plays flute and sings on some tracks on Intourist, introduced Derek to Colouratura bandmates Derek Pavlic and Nathan James, Saxophonist Mitch Lawrence and Wisconsin multi-instrumentalist Jerry King, who plays bass on Intourist. Adding prog multi-instrumentalist Dave Newhouse, who contributed accordion, helped Derek Ferguson guide the album to completion. Favorite songs on Intourist include “The Red Apple” based on Maxim Gorkiy's story about a gypsy horse thief and themes of rejection and longing. “Asunción” is a heartfelt tribute to the city of Asunción, “You know how bands used to say ‘we’re big in Japan’? We’re big in Paraguay - they even play us on their national radio station there from time to time!” “Side Hustle” is a Jethro Tull inspired song. "‘Mr. Darwin’ offers a lighthearted take on human survival and natural selection.” The album’s title track is a 3-part epic that combines themes of resilience with the supernatural realms on earth including “zombie love” in the third part of the track, “Intourist.”    In addition to acoustic versions of “Asunción” and “The Red Apple,” the physical CD features a cover of Spirit’s “Mr. Skin.” Spirit is one of Derek’s favorite bands, and he points out, “the songwriter here also has the last name Ferguson” Refestramus’ debut album, Decoupage, was released in December of 2021. Expose’s Peter Thelen, who has reviewed thousands of Progressive Rock albums over the years, declared it a “Solid opening move.” In 2022, Refestramus  released the EP, From the Sublime to the Ridiculous, which featured possibly the “Prog-iest” track on the album “The Devil Returns” - drawing inspiration heavily from Bulgakov’s famous novel “The Master and Margarita.”         Bandcamp: https://refestramus.bandcamp.com   Copyright © Michele V. Wagner Photography, Inc.

“Peace A Dream” a New Single & Music Video from Robeone

(Note: “Robeone” pronounced “Row-B-One”) 

“Peace A Dream” is the first single and music video from the 8^th and upcoming solo record from Robert Schindler (Robeone). Robert is signed to Transglobal Records (The Orchard/Sony). 

Robeone’s goal with his composition, “Peace A Dream” is to bring peace of mind in these troubling times. The Video and music are meant to carry you away to a peaceful place even just for a few minutes.”

Paul Miritello praises “Peace A Dream” on YouTube, “What a wonderful piece of music, puts me in a tranquil mood but with a bit of excitement thrown in for good measure!! The landscape images and music meld together perfectly like a beautiful little song book, fantastic work indeed Robert!!!”

Recently Robert performed at the ProgStock music festival to support The Bob Moog Foundation. Robert’s last video, “Hollow,” from his most recent album, “Dream Suite,” won first Prog UK Magazine’s Video of The Week.

Robert’s also been busy as a member of Red32 on Melodic Revolution Records and Tony Romero’s Vortex Zen, plus Joe Mac’s American Garage.  (MRR Records). As a keyboardist, Robert’s played live with artists and bands including States, Mayson, Blue Angel, Ruth Copeland, Ronnie Spector, Rhett Tyler.  His studio work has included working with Johnny Nash, Star Cruiser, Rian Adkinson.  Robert wrote and composed “The Fiery Narrows-Following The Path of John Charles Fremont,” which received “The Filmmaker’s Choice Award” in Wyoming Short Film contest. (View it at youtube.com/watch?v=-Ap5vZikS6s ).