Alongside Chris Eckman you’ll see the adorable female singer and songwriter Chantal Acda (True Bypass, Sleepingdog, Nu Nog Even Niet, Isbells) from the Netherlands/England. Chantal is well known for her work with the band the Isbells and recorded her last solo album “Let Your Hands Be My Guide” with Nils Frahm and Peter Broderick of Efterklang (“Exquisite. As soft as snow” – MOJO 04/05, “Starry-eyed beauty” – Uncut 08/10). Next to her and Chris there’s percussionist and composer Eric Thielemans (Tape Cuts Tape, The Love Substitutes) of the EARR Ensemble who’s famous for his work with the legendary Sun Ra saxophonist Marshall Allen. You’ll see that Distance, Light & Sky consists of 3 musicians coming from a different backround connected by a common musical vision.
Their debut “Casting Nets” is a melancholy but optimistic album made of quiet and calm sounds, multifarious and nuanced, shaped by its composers and their various characters Eckman, Acda and Thielemans and the unique recording technique of producer Phill Brown. It’s a true pleasure to listen to the duets of Chantal Acda with her female voice and Chris Eckman with his sonorous baritone voice. Most fascinating of all is the fact that these 3 totally different artists made the grade to bunch their varied influences into a homogenous and harmonic sound construct called “Casting Nets”.Distance, Light & Sky explore new horizons and they’ll help you to escape the drab monotony of everyday life. “Casting Nets” is an unspectacular but truly wonderful album for the cold seasons of the year.
