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Vic Mars
The Beacons
Clay Pipe Music (pipe 037)
Release date: Nov 17, 2023, UK
While his previous two albums were inspired by the pastoral landscapes of Herefordshire, The Beacons, embarks on a journey westward into Wales, inviting listeners into the rugged terrain of the Brecon Beacons and the Black Mountains. Using a darker more ominous sonic palette, and pushing the sound of the Moog synthesizer to the fore, The Beacons captures the feel of mountains silhouetted against dramatic skies, craggy summits and the overall grandeur of the landscape and its rich folklore.
Stories of plane crashes, a monument honouring a missing boy, and legends such the mysterious door within Llyn Cwm Llwch lake— said to open to an invisible island - all helped shape the making of the record. With the addition of live drums, viola, a Juno 60 and field recordings alongside his distinctive Mellotrons and flutes, Vic has explored new ground, but still maintains the melodic interest and home spun charm of his earlier records.
Although now based in London Vic grew up in Hereford, in winter time the distant ice capped peaks of the Beacons served as a childhood barometer, a hopeful indicator that the city might also be graced with snow. In better weather there were days out with family or friends, clambering up Pen-y-fan or visiting the beautiful waterfalls at Ystradfellte. All these formative experiences seep into the music on this record, weaving an enchanting spell that captures the vastness of the mountain ranges and the stories they tell.
A1
Picws Du
A2
Foel Fraith
A3
Corn Du
A4
Memorial Cairn
A5
Y Gryn
A6
MF 509
B1
Pen Y Fan
B2
Cwm Llwch
B3
The Obelisk
B4
Sandstone And Fern
B5
Maen Llia
B6
Ystradfellte