{"title":"Stuart Mccallum","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStuart McCallum is a highly talented guitarist known for his work with The Cinematic Orchestra. With his unique style and skill, he has contributed to the band's distinctive sound and success. His music is often described as a fusion of jazz, ambient, and electronic genres, creating a captivating and atmospheric experience for listeners.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition to his work with The Cinematic Orchestra, Stuart McCallum has collaborated with various artists in the industry. Some of these include Slowly Rolling Camera, Richard Spaven, Matthew Halsall, and Ambient Jazz Ensemble. These collaborations have allowed him to showcase his versatility as a musician and explore different musical landscapes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith influences ranging from Mike Walker to Terje Gewelt, Stuart McCallum continues to push boundaries in the world of music. His innovative approach to guitar playing has earned him recognition among both critics and fans alike. Whether performing solo or alongside other talented musicians, Stuart McCallum never fails to deliver an unforgettable musical experience.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"distilled-live","title":"Distilled Live","description":"\u003cp\u003eJust over a year after the Cinematic Orchestra guitarist Stuart McCallum released his acclaimed Naim debut album of ambient jazz-electronica, the Mancunian's distinctive and ethereal guitar playing headlines this new long player 'Distilled Live'; captured live during the 40-date European tour that succeeded the release of his studio album 'Distilled'.  McCallum premiered the 'Distilled' album at Royal Northern College of Music's Opera Theatre during Manchester Jazz Festival to a raucous homecoming reception, in the summer of 2011, setting an impressive tone with 16-piece ensemble and stunning visuals from artist Linder, heralded for her iconic and controversial 'Orgasm Addict' artwork for The Buzzcocks. The music, a culmination of McCallum's own musings from the last few years, carefully reflect the concept of 'distillation'; sampling the strongest cuts and using them as the bed with which to inspire new ideas, repeating the process, until arriving at the perfectly distilled version of his desired expression.  As McCallum's inventiveness sits at an intriguing cross-roads between the acoustic and the techno-acoustic, the past twelve months of hard touring have ranged from a McCallum\/laptop duo of beats loops and guitar, to trio\/quartet arrangements, right through to the inclusion of woodwind sections and even a nine piece string section (an expanded version of McCallum's touring string players, The Prism Quartet). The simply titled 'Distilled Live' features several such occurrences, with a 13-piece orchestral ensemble underpinned by the incredible rhythm section of drummer Dave Walsh (a Manchester scene veteran, who like McCallum now tutors at Leeds College Of Music) and bass player Robin Mullarkey (celebrated for his distinctive work with Zero 7 and Jos? James in equal measure). No stranger to big productions, having worked on Cinematic Orchestra's 'Live At The Royal Album Hall' performance and subsequent album, McCallum remains humbled; \"Being able to tour Distilled with such experienced musicians and good friends has been a lot of fun. I was able to adjust the size of the band to suit each individual venue ? from the large ensemble in concert halls, to solo performances by myself in small, intimate club settings.\"  Heralded for the beatific flurries she added to the studio album Distilled, harpist Rachael Gladwin also contributes in equal measure. Despite the practical challenges of touring with an instrument as large as a harp, McCallum quickly realised the value of Rachel's parts in the live context, not just visually but texturally. \"The harp has such a fantastic visual presence on stage, but also blends really well with the guitar. During the tour it has been great to play the written textures with Rachael, as well as to hear her open up in the improvising sections that were left for her to fill\", approves McCallum.  'Distilled Live' opens with a new treat for studio album lovers. \"What Is Beauty?\" samples the soothing intonation of Indian philosopher Krisnamurti, whose teachings have deeply inspired McCallum's music and outlook, resting upon a cradle of strings, driving bass and soaring modes from McCallum's deft guitar playing. Although, in a contrasting running order to the original studio album, 'Distilled Live' features all the same high points including the minimal melodic groove of \"dR Doctor\", the soaring momentum of \"Inflight\", Part I and Part II of \"Hillcrest\" combined into one epic enactment and two exclusive as-yet-unheard compositions 'The Wait' and aptly titled closer 'And Finally?' available on the compact disc album.  The 'Distilled' dynasty marks an unforgettable time in McCallum's life, who became a parent for the first time a week after the release of 'Distilled'. He says, \"I'm glad that I managed to finish the album before we had the baby! Although I've had a lot less time to myself than I'm used to, I've still written a lot of music this year ? it's been a wonderfully inspiring time.\"  Whilst McCallum continues to field offers to perform the music from 'Distilled' in Europe, he has been invited to tour the UK in an acoustic guitar duo with Mike Walker (of The Impossible Gentlemen), scored a ballet that will premiere at le Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville in Paris in January 2013, composed, recorded and performed original music for Tokyo's Ropponghi Art Night (alongside Nitin Sawhney and Ghostpoet), contributed to the new album from Richard Spaven (drummer with Flying Lotus, Jos? James and Gregory Porter) and is beginning to write the next Stuart McCallum album for Naim. \"I'm really excited about the new record that I'm working on ? it's going to be a big step up from the foundations that were laid with Distilled, in terms of composition, production and guitar playing\".  'Distilled Live' is definitely the triumphant closing paragraph in an exciting chapter in Stuart McCallum's career.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naim","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50477853933899,"sku":"2017646","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_f2601dca_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727478461"},{"product_id":"city","title":"City","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe beautiful ambient-electronica-jazz soundscape City is the new album from Manchester guitarist and composer Stuart McCallum and his second studio album for Naim. City features a handful of seasoned musicians including McCallum on guitars, Robin Mullarkey, bass (ESKA, Roisin Murphy), Sean Foran (Trichotomy), Rhodes and Richard Spaven (Flying Lotus, Jos? James) drums, synths and electronics. Violinist Emma Sweeney guests on one track, Trio Seven. The album also features guest vocalists on four tracks, JP Cooper (newly signed to Island Records), Sharlene Hector (Basement Jaxx), Fridolijn Van Poll and Sophie Barker (Zero 7).   For his new album, City, McCallum steps even further into the world of electronica, whilst still maintaining that magical combination of both acoustic and electronic instruments that gives his music such a distinctive sound. However, two things make City stand out from his previous work. First, the addition of vocals and second, the decision to bring in London based drummer and producer, Richard Spaven, who he met during his time playing with Cinematic Orchestra, not only to perform, but to co-write and produce the album (all tracks are co-written by McCallum and Spaven apart from City).   Key tracks on the album include the evocative City; sampled extracts of JP Cooper's 'Something You Can't Have' play like glimpses of a city snatched from a car window. North Star, featuring Sharlene Hector, was written the old fashioned way, after studio computers decided to take an unscheduled rest. Effergy is simply sublime, an ambient meditation with McCallum's guitar hinting at something darker beneath the surface, with haunting vocal textures by Fridolijn Van Poll, while Said and Done features the otherworldly vocals of Zero 7's Sophie Barker.  Stuart McCallum's music has always thrived in that beautiful space where genres blur. With a wide range of influences from Machinedrum, Lau and Martin Simpson to Debussy, Taylor McFerrin and Burial, it's not difficult to see how this has come about. His 2011 Naim debut, Distilled, was a series of beautiful instrumental soundscapes and glorious melodies that owed as much to dance music as it did to jazz. Since then he has been busy with a wide range of other projects, including several collaborations with British artist Linder, scoring music for the Northern Ballet and working in an acoustic duo setting with Mike Walker.  Spaven has played with a host of artists, including 4hero, Mark de Clive-Lowe, Flying Lotus, Gregory Porter, Jos? James and Robert Mitchell. His production style lies somewhere between the realms jazz and electronica and subtly bridges the gap between these two worlds using grooves that blend contemporary jazz and bass-heavy downtempo electronics. The melodies and layered harmonies from McCallum's guitar, as well as synth pads and bass, are all driven by Spaven's hypnotic grooves and provide the perfect foil for McCallum's often delicate and captivating\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naim","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50478230012235,"sku":"2017453","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_19a4d414_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727481731"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_b790ee4e_thumbnail_4096_7d2c0d53-dcf5-4c72-9b7d-181056f2f5d4.jpg?v=1727478444","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/stuart-mccallum.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}