Evan Fraser and Vir McCoy's new album, Guardians, is out on Interchill Records on November 12th 2020. It is a follow up to their 2014 release Yakaruna that they produced in collaboration with renowned Yoga teacher Shiva Rea. As we get closer to the end of 2020 the healing and inspirational powers of music are now more essential than ever before. The track Fertile Ground, which features Chloe Smith from Rising Appalachia, shares a message of regeneration that rings true for these times.
Evan and Vir are accomplished multi-instrumentalists who have been recording and performing music together in different bands over the last 20 years, including Hamsa Lila, House of Hamsa and The Dogon Lights. For six of the eleven tracks they invited a number of their extended musical family to collaborate; Evan's bandmate in Dirtwire, David Satori, lays down a bowed banjo part for the Bedouin Trap inspired track Hookah Dome (named after the camp at Burning Man). Rising Appalachia appear on three of the tracks; Chloe Smith sings on Fertile Ground, Leah Song on Yes It's You and they join bandmate David Brown on the song Water She Dances, which was originally released in 2014 by The Dogon Lights and is included here with a new mix by Grant Chambers. The album recordings also took place at Grant's studio and he lent his ears and experience to the final album mix. Siberian shamanic singer Zarina from OLOX (who made a powerful impression on America's Got Talent with a cover of the Cranberries track Zombie) takes the track The Condor to a whole new level with her spellbinding vocals. Soriah, who performs with Evan and Vir in House of Hamsa, is a master of Khoomei (Tuvan overtone throat singing) and his performance adds depth and richness to the track Rare Earth.
From the funky Moroccan groove of Bombola to the atmospheric devotion of Shavasana Journey, to deep into the earth on Yakumama, the global roots sound of Guardians is rich, worldly, magical and refreshing.
Vir McCoy plays: Turkish Jimbush, Moroccan Sintir and Guimbri, Malian Djeli-Ngoni, Moog Synthesizer, Acoustic and Electric Guitar, Electric Bass, Drum samples, percussion and vocals.
Evan Fraser plays: West African Kamale Ngoni, Bass Kamale Ngoni, Jaw Harp, Kalimba, South American Bombo drum, Synthesizer, Drum samples, Vocals, and a dizzying array of percussion including Frame Drum, Shakers, Calabash, Spoons, Coins, Clay whistles, Leaves, Bones and whatever else he can get his hands on.
Listen on Spotify here ...
https://open.spotify.com/album/5CCRo7DpcS4P1q28z0hMWt?si=0IEUnDFWR7qt1mEd7oHdiQ