Photo of the Day
BTD
BTD
Shoutbox

sysmalakian: Birthday month starts now!
362 days ago

diceophonic: Vampiro Classics 2024 reissue
344 days ago

SabedLeepski: Sunburn Surf Fest for some scorching hot surf music: https://sunb...
301 days ago

skeeter: I know a Polish sound guy.
228 days ago

skeeter: I know a Czech one too!
228 days ago

PatGall: Surfybear metal settings
148 days ago

Pyronauts: Happy Tanks-Kicking!
127 days ago

midwestsurfguy: Merry Christmas!
95 days ago

sysmalakian: HAPPY NEW YEAR!
89 days ago

SabedLeepski: Surfin‘ Europe, for surf (related) gigs and events in Europe Big Razz https://sunb...
50 days ago

Please login or register to shout.

Current Polls

No polls at this time. Check out our past polls.

Current Contests

No contests at this time. Check out our past contests.

Donations

Help us meet our monthly goal:

100%

100%

Donate Now

Cake March Birthdays Cake
SG101 Banner

SurfGuitar101 Forums » Music Reviews »

Permalink The Madeira: Tribal Fires

New Topic
Goto Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next

well, I was listening carefully to this record and, frankly, I love it....congratulations guys!....I really love the way that mix there the shadows and heavy metal!.....my favourite tunes are the powerfull "tribal fury" (the detuned guitar is great!), the lovely, shadowy "twilight" (love the strings there a la "atlantis"), the very climatic "jungle drums" with that lovely percussions and , of course, zanzibar, that really remind me to the huntington cads atmospheric sounds. I really think that the production and the sound is great, all the tunes are great, and I really can see that this guys trying to change ideas, sounds and puting there a lot of different colors to make it interesting all the time.....frankly, I like this a lot more than all the early stuff, I think that this is a lot more free and mature, with the better The Madeira melodies ever Yes

El Papu & los Fantasticos Reverberantes

I received my copy and have given it one full spin. I've been a big fan of Ivan's work for a long time and this release is at the quality that one expects from these guys. They simply never disappoint! This is a great release from arguably the best surf band in existence.

All of the tracks are very strong, well written/arranged, and played. The production is very good. I think Ivan's guitar sound stands out more in the mix on this record than their previous releases?

I've heard most of these songs before, so I was pretty familiar with the new material. Just a few first impressions:

I really, really like Twilight. I've been reading on sg101 that this was an hommage to The Shadows. Frankly, that's not what came to my mind when listening to it. I immediately thought of Lennart Clerwall. I don't know how much influence (if any) he has had on Ivan, but for whatever reason, Twilight really reminds me of the beautiful instro tunes Lennart composed.

On Fire Sacrifice, I love the nod to Ritchie Blackmore's epic solo from Rainbow's Stargazer. I wonder if that was intentional, or just one of those happy accidents?

Buy this album immediately! It is a very strong release by one of the best in the biz. The Pongracic/O'Connor songwriting team strikes again!!

Sean/Ivan: Any plans for a potential vinyl release of this? Probably not in the cards, but I thought I'd ask.

Ryan
The Secret Samurai Website
The Secret Samurai on Facebook

Last edited: Mar 16, 2012 10:19:18

I'm on my third spin and so far the song that really jumps out and grabs me is Patrick's Arcadian Voyage. I think it is the most typically "surfy", probably because it drips reverb all over the place but it also has a very happy, upbeat melody and rhythm that just makes me feel good like a summer day at the beach. The drums on that song are really cool.

Brian wrote:

Thanks so much, everybody! It means a lot to me to see you all enjoying the CD.

It's especially nice to see everybody bringing up different songs as their favorites - that usually testifies to the quality of the whole album rather than just having a couple of good tracks and that's it.

Brian wrote about the song Tribal Fury:

Ivan your tone is incredible! It has a very ethereal but scorching quality to it.

Thanks very much! On the main body of the song, the lead guitar sound is the combination of the Gomez Surfer through two 15" JBLs, and a reissue AC30. But starting with the solo, another guitar track comes in and stays through the end of the song. This track is my '62 Bandmaster through the 2x15" JBL cab, but cranked to 10, breaking up quite a bit. It plays the solo, then trades off back and forth with the other guitar, and then just doubles the main lead through the end of ths song. That was a lot of fun to record! A bit of a challenge.

Dane's drumming is just freaking perfectly amazing

I personally think Dane is the star of this album. I think he really stepped up to the plate and delivered big time. His drumming is very creative and always complementing the songs. I think he was having fun with the whole 'tribal' concept.

big_papu wrote:

I really love the way that mix there the shadows and heavy metal!

I love that! Never thought of it that way, but I guess there's something to it....

zanzibar, that really remind me to the huntington cads atmospheric sounds.

That's really interesting! Yeah, I think it's got a bit in common with them.

I really can see that this guys trying to change ideas, sounds and puting there a lot of different colors to make it interesting all the time.....frankly, I like this a lot more than all the early stuff, I think that this is a lot more free and mature, with the better The Madeira melodies ever Yes

Very cool, thank you Papu! Mature surf music - uh oh..... Smile We tried to really make a diverse album, exploring many different facets of surf music. That's personally something I greatly enjoy about surf music, all the different sounds and feels - showing that it doesn't all sound the same! Smile

Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
The Madeira Official Website
The Madeira on Facebook
The Blair-Pongracic Band on Facebook
The Space Cossacks on Facebook
The Madeira Channel on YouTube

Wait a min.
Not all surf, doesn't sound the same?
that's it, I'm outta here.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Thanks very much for the amazing compliments, Ryan and Doug!

Ruhar wrote:

All of the tracks are very strong, well written/arranged, and played. The production is very good. I think Ivan's guitar sound stands out more in the mix on this record than their previous releases?

Funny, I thought the other instruments were mixed a bit higher this time around! But my guitar tone is the best I've had, as far as I'm concerned, so maybe it's that?

I really, really like Twilight. I've been reading on sg101 that this was an hommage to The Shadows. Frankly, that's not what came to my mind when listening to it. I immediately thought of Lennart Clerwall. I don't know how much influence (if any) he has had on Ivan, but for whatever reason, Twilight really reminds me of the beautiful instro tunes Lennart composed.

That's an interesting observation. I'm mostly familiar with Clerwall through his songwriting for the Swedish band 1961, who I greatly enjoy - but to my ears, Clerwall was simply amazing at aping Shadows songs, writing songs that have references to certain parts of Shadows songs while still being different enough to be considered their own songs. So, I'd say he was a master Shadows rip-off artist! To the extent that this is what i tried to do with this song, I guess the reference makes a lot of sense - though I think the band 1961 captured the Shadows sound better than we (or at least I) did, they were amazing at it. But at no point did I think of him or 1961 while writing this song. I spent a lot of time listening to and deconstructing Atlantis and Wonderful Land and a few other Jerry-Lordan-penned Shadows songs while working on Twilight. I hadn't listened to 1961 for a couple of years probably. Anyay, thanks and glad you like it so much!

BTW, I really REALLY want to credit Ferenc and Karen for their strings/keyboard part which adds SO MUCH to this song, I think. In addition, Ferenc provided a few key editing suggestions that make this song a lot better. Got some talent, that boy, fo' sho'!

On Fire Sacrifice, I love the nod to Ritchie Blackmore's epic solo from Rainbow's Stargazer. I wonder if that was intentional, or just one of those happy accidents?

Smile It was intentional. Just having a bit of fun. I noticed some similarites in the chord progressions and the scope of the track, and thought throwing in that reference would be a bit subversive - for a surf song! Smile

Sean/Ivan: Any plans for a potential vinyl release of this? Probably not in the cards, but I thought I'd ask.

I discusssed it with Sean, but he doesn't think there's enough commercial potential for it, and I think he's right. So, sorry, no go.

Thanks again!

Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
The Madeira Official Website
The Madeira on Facebook
The Blair-Pongracic Band on Facebook
The Space Cossacks on Facebook
The Madeira Channel on YouTube

Last edited: Mar 16, 2012 11:47:20

I discusssed it with Sean, but he doesn't think there's enough commercial potential for it, and I think he's right. So, sorry, no go.

Yeah, based on the sales of our recent 7"s, as well as sales of the few LP's we've stocked over the years, I don't think we'd sell enough to cover even half of the manufacturing cost. Plus, I'd want to do it with one of those MP3 download vouchers included, but those cost money as well.

I do promise that if I ever win the lottery, or one of our releases somehow hits Adele like sales numbers, we'll make this, as well as the rest of the Double Crown catalog, available on vinyl!

Sean
Double Crown Records
www.doublecrownrecords.com


Surf CD's / Vinyl / Fanzines / DVD's
The Desolate Coast - Without A Planet CD
Hipbone Slim aka Sir Bald - Wiggin' Out With CD
Continental Magazine - Issue #36 w/21 Song CD

Damn people, buy more vinyl! Especially the Double Crown 7 inches. They are great!

Rev

Canadian Surf

http://www.urbansurfkings.com/

Last edited: Mar 16, 2012 20:09:19

Just listened to my copy for the first time.

WOW!!

The production is dead-on perfect. Yes, the lead guitar is very prominent but it works with these songs. If I could play like that I'd want to be up front in the mix as well. As has been said, the guitar tone is just killer.

I have to admit that I am a HUGE Space Cossacks fan and have generally preferred the Cossacks' material (not the production, though) to the Madeira's as it is more, um..."surf-y". I lean toward the trad side since I've been playing instrumental surf/rock for 48 years. With that said, this album sets a new standard for listenable progressive instrumental surf.

Again...WOW!!

A stellar job, Ivan.

Jack
aka WoodyJ

The Mariners (1964-68, 1996-2005)
The Hula Hounds (1996-current)
The X-Rays (1997-2004)
The Surge! (2004, 2011-2012)
Various non-surf bands that actually made money
(1978-1990)

Last edited: Mar 17, 2012 11:09:27

Thanks so much, Jack! (Sorry for the delay in reply, I was out of the country since Saturday, just got back home last night.)

WoodyJ wrote:

The production is dead-on perfect.

Thank you very much, I'm very glad you think so. This is the third time we've worked at the same studio with the same team. We all worked pretty hard to make it sound big and fat and clean while still being true in some important ways to traditional sounds of surf records rather than making it sound completely modern. I think the engineers know what we're going for, and we've gotten better at getting the sounds we want. It's a great relationship.

I have to admit that I am a HUGE Space Cossacks fan and have generally preferred the Cossacks' material (not the production, though) to the Madeira's as it is more, um..."surf-y". I lean toward the trad side since I've been playing instrumental surf/rock for 48 years. With that said, this album sets a new standard for listenable progressive instrumental surf.

That's very interesting. I feel like I've been doing the exact same thing with the Madeira that I was doing with the Cossacks, but obviouly with a bit more experience each time and trying to evolve and not repeat myself. I don't think the Cossacks were any more trad, really. But it's interesting how other people perceive these things. I guess Doug is a more traditional surf drummer than Dane, so that may contribute a bit to it, and maybe the Cossacks' production was a bit more 'authentic'. I think Patrick's songwriting, which is a huge part of the Madeira, often tends to be a bit more traditional than my own, and one could make the same parallel with Catherine's and Mark's writing in the Cossacks (being more trad than my own), though Patrick's songs sound a lot different than Catherine's and Mark's, and are hugely important to the Madeira identity and sound. But my own writing was always inspired and motivated by the outer edges of '60s surf music - the Atlantics, the Fender IV, Ventures In Space, some of DD's wilder stuff. I feel the stuff I write is just a continuation of the '60s surf sound, though not what most people think of as the typical '60s surf sound. That's how I try to impart our own individual style and sound to our surf music, and how I wish for us to push it into somewhat new and different directions, evolve it a bit. And I feel I was trying to do that with the Cossacks as much as I am with the Madeira.

Anyway, forgive the pondering. I'm very glad that you find the new Madeira stuff so appealing, and that we're living up to the high standard set up by the Cossacks!

Again...WOW!!
A stellar job, Ivan.

Thank you again, Jack, though let's not forget my three bandmates - they had just as much to do with this release sounding and being so good! I feel truly blessed to be playing with these three super-talented and super-cool guys for the past eight years. They're so damn good!!

Thanks!

Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
The Madeira Official Website
The Madeira on Facebook
The Blair-Pongracic Band on Facebook
The Space Cossacks on Facebook
The Madeira Channel on YouTube

Last edited: Mar 23, 2012 12:37:33

Congrats again to The Madeira for the great reception of this fantastic record. I don't suppose we should actually get to vote on these things, but if I could wish to hear something from this record in Chapel Hill in May it would be Pre-Ritual/Ritual. I find it personally interesting that Ivan doesn't trust how great those tunes are. To my ears (from the release party webcast performance) they are especially successful at weaving the mystery the album title promises.

On a related note, I've been holding out to buy my copy at the Instro Summit and would appreciate a heads-up if they'll be sold-out by then. Silly, I suppose, but wouldn't it be great if they did sell out that fast? I mean as long as I got my copy? Big Grin

This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.

As a listener and fan of both bands, I think the music produced by the Madeira could very well have been where the Space Cossacks would have gone with subsequent releases, although that doesn't factor in the songwriting of Patrick or the input of the other band members. I think for me, what makes the Space Cossacks seem more "surf" is outside factors - the band name kinda ties in with the other sci-fi surf bands, who all have a very strong trad element to them. Also, the Space Cossacks recorded more surf covers, while the covers the Madeira have performed or recorded are more varied.

IvanP wrote:

I have to admit that I am a HUGE Space Cossacks fan and have generally preferred the Cossacks' material (not the production, though) to the Madeira's as it is more, um..."surf-y". I lean toward the trad side since I've been playing instrumental surf/rock for 48 years. With that said, this album sets a new standard for listenable progressive instrumental surf.

That's very interesting. I feel like I've been doing the exact same thing with the Madeira that I was doing with the Cossacks, but obviouly with a bit more experience each time and trying to evolve and not repeat myself. I don't think the Cossacks were any more trad, really. But it's interesting how other people perceive these things. I guess Doug is a more traditional surf drummer than Dane, so that may contribute a bit to it, and maybe the Cossacks' production was a bit more 'authentic'. I think Patrick's songwriting, which is a huge part of the Madeira, often tends to be a bit more traditional than my own, and one could make the same parallel with Catherine's and Mark's writing in the Cossacks (being more trad than my own). My writing was always inspired and motivated by the outer edges of '60s surf music - the Atlantics, the Fender IV, Ventures In Space, some of DD's wilder stuff. I feel the stuff I write is just a continuation of the '60s surf sound, though not what most people think of as the typical '60s surf sound. That's how I try to impart our own individual style and sound to our surf music, and how I wish for us to push it into somewhat new and different directions, evolve it a bit. And I feel I was trying to do that with the Cossacks as much as I am with the Madeira.

Sean
Double Crown Records
www.doublecrownrecords.com


Surf CD's / Vinyl / Fanzines / DVD's
The Desolate Coast - Without A Planet CD
Hipbone Slim aka Sir Bald - Wiggin' Out With CD
Continental Magazine - Issue #36 w/21 Song CD

Noel wrote:

Congrats again to The Madeira for the great reception of this fantastic record.

Thank you, Noel!

I don't suppose we should actually get to vote on these things, but if I could wish to hear something from this record in Chapel Hill in May it would be Pre-Ritual/Ritual. I find it personally interesting that Ivan doesn't trust how great those tunes are.

You're right, I don't! I think the whole band is in agreement on that one. But thanks for letting us know, I'll bring it up with the band and we'll discuss it. I suspect these songs may work better with hard-core surf fans than they do with most of the people that are more likely to be at our regular shows, but maybe we can whip it out for the Instro Summit, that might be a good place for it....

To my ears (from the release party webcast performance) they are especially successful at weaving the mystery the album title promises.

thanks for that, Noel, I like that a lot.

On a related note, I've been holding out to buy my copy at the Instro Summit and would appreciate a heads-up if they'll be sold-out by then. Silly, I suppose, but wouldn't it be great if they did sell out that fast? I mean as long as I got my copy? Big Grin

Smile I don't think you have to worry about this one iota. The album sold like 30 copies in the first two weeks. It's hard persuading people to buy music anymore, even most people hanging out on this site.... People are more interested in discussing gear than checking out new surf music.

Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
The Madeira Official Website
The Madeira on Facebook
The Blair-Pongracic Band on Facebook
The Space Cossacks on Facebook
The Madeira Channel on YouTube

Last edited: Mar 23, 2012 12:38:03

IvanP wrote:

The album sold like 30 copies in the first two weeks. It's hard persuading people to buy music anymore, even most people hanging out on this site.... People are more interested in discussing gear than checking out new surf music.

This is a Crime,
but I have to be fair and say that the Economy is really putting a hurt on a a lot of people.
There is quite a few releases that I wanna get right now, but just simply can not afford right now.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Last edited: Mar 23, 2012 15:47:01

Well at least one of the Tribal Fires CDs that were sold is in Australia as it's in my car right now. This is excellent stuff.

https://www.facebook.com/lostremoleros/

Last edited: Mar 23, 2012 16:46:34

planning on picking up a copy in chapel hill

www.surfintheeye.com

Ivan,
I don't know how many cds you have,
but I would suggest taking at least 100 or more to both the Instro Summit, and SG101 convention.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

I should clarify this, because Ivan asked how many copies had sold over the first couple of weeks of release. At that time it was about 30 CD's - but these were just direct sales through Double Crown. There were also another 40-45 copies that went out to Double Crown Music Club members (people who paid $35 to receive 4 consecutive Double Crown releases), which can be considered as sales. Since we traded e-mails I've probably sold another 30 copies, and another 60 or so have gone out to distributors. So that figure of 30 CD's sold is now probably closer to 150-200 sold. We still have about 600 left though, so there's no immediate danger of it selling out.

IvanP wrote:

Smile I don't think you have to worry about this one iota. The album sold like 30 copies in the first two weeks. It's hard persuading people to buy music anymore, even most people hanging out on this site.... People are more interested in discussing gear than checking out new surf music.

Sean
Double Crown Records
www.doublecrownrecords.com


Surf CD's / Vinyl / Fanzines / DVD's
The Desolate Coast - Without A Planet CD
Hipbone Slim aka Sir Bald - Wiggin' Out With CD
Continental Magazine - Issue #36 w/21 Song CD

Actually, make that about 550 CD's remaining - forgot about the promo CD's I've sent out to radio, press, websites, etc. so far.

Sean
Double Crown Records
www.doublecrownrecords.com


Surf CD's / Vinyl / Fanzines / DVD's
The Desolate Coast - Without A Planet CD
Hipbone Slim aka Sir Bald - Wiggin' Out With CD
Continental Magazine - Issue #36 w/21 Song CD

get it now before it's out of print folks,
Wink

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Goto Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next
Top