released April 7, 2022
Side A: Michael Plater
Track 1: recorded and mixed by John Hannon
Track 2: recorded by John Hannon, Michael Plater, and Tony Millman. Mixed by Mark Beazley
Track 3: recorded and mixed by Marsden Williams
Mastered by Adam Dempsey
Michael Plater: voice, acoustic and electric guitars, backwards drones and sound manipulations
John Hannon: violin, cello, drums, percussion, bagpipes (track 1), plucked violin, recorder loops
(track 2)
Stafford Glover: bass (track 1), piano (track 2)
Fawnia Mountford: mermaid vocals (track 2)
Tony Millman: percussion (track 2)
Matt Palmer: drums, 12 string guitar, electric guitar (track 3)
Marsden Williams: organ (track 3)
Side B: Enclosed and Silent Order
Stafford Glover: bass
Amy McKenny: violin
Alastair Johnson: synth
recorded live in Leigh on Sea, Autumn 2021
recorded and mastered by Alastair Johnson
Artwork: Amy McKenny
www.hypostatic-union.com
Film clip on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfr72Z9KB6Y
"Originally available on a now sold out cassette “An Alchemical Gathering” is a split album featuring Michael Plater and Enclosed & Silent Order. Beginning with a hypnotic guitar , Michael Plater lures us in as “The Alchemist” weaves some magic, his deep and rich voice perfectly enhanced by droning violin, bagpipe and minimal ritual percussion. As the song progresses the spell takes hold, the music enveloping you beautifully. Treading a similar musical path, “A Sailor's Song” has a sinister undertone, a ship caught on the rocks, Sirens singing, the drones mimicking the incoming storm, the strummed guitar pulling us in. To complete his contribution, Michael completes the perfect hat-trick as “An Alchemical Gathering” dives deeper still, a heart-beat drum guiding us through the drones, the sound of an organ creating ambience and magic.
Offering one long track, Enclosed & Silent Order takes us deep under ground with “Gethsemane” a piece recorded live using, Synths, Bass and Violin. Harsh and filled with low tones, the music envelopes the room, the synths adding points of light and energy to the sonic rumble, the textures so dense it is difficult to differentiate each instrument from the whole, the track rising to almost unbearable tension as it moves forward until slowly dissipating into nothing. I do like a split release and this one is filled with quality" (Terrascope)
www.terrascope.co.uk/Reviews/Rumbles_Spring_23.xhtml