Prog ensemble Circuline are excited to announce a new lineup! Keyboardist/vocalist Andrew Colyer (Robert Berry’s 3.2 Band, The Tubes), drummer Darin Brannon (Downing Grey, Surface Tension), and lead vocalist Natalie Brown (Evita, Rocky Horror Picture Show) welcome new band members Shelby Logan Warne (Kyros) on bass and vocals, and Dave Bainbridge on guitars (Strawbs, IONA, Lifesigns).
Six years in the making, Circuline’s new album “C.O.R.E.”, released on the Inner Nova Music label, will be available as an album of eight tracks available in a gatefold digipak CD, with an eight-page booklet of lyrics and liner notes. The album will be released on Friday, September 20th, 2024.
This album explores themes in romantic relationships, surviving abuse, finding one’s own personal power, and the turbulent times in which we live. Where does the album title come from? Collectively, we’ve all lived through a unique time in history, and the band has had quite a few personnel changes, which are discussed in the new “Behind the Scenes” Album Launch video. We are Circuline. We are Original. We are Reimagined. We are Evolving. We are the “C.O.R.E.”.
Says Andrew, “Written and recorded between 2018 and 2023, for this album we really wanted to keep all of the writing “in-house” within the band. So, the majority of the material was written by myself, Darin, and Natalie. Billy Spillane had input into almost every song before he decided it was time to move on. Two of the songs were co-written with Matt Dorsey, who is still a good friend and colleague of ours – I’m performing with his band at the International ProgStock Festival this year. Alek Darson had invaluable input during the writing and arranging stages. Shelby and Dave brought new perspectives and their own unique artistry to these songs, and we couldn’t be happier with the result. The icing on the cake is to have our good friend Joe Deninzon (Kansas, Stratospheerius) as a Guest Artist for some killer electric violin parts!”
The 2024 “C.O.R.E.” Virtual Tour begins in January 2024, and will consist of 56 events in 48 weeks, with Single releases, Lyric videos, Official videos, “Behind the Scenes” videos, and Livestream Q&A events where the band is able to connect with their fans around the world.
Number #1 in Portugal. Top 10 in Japan. Prog-Award Nominated. Global Music Award Winning. With sales in 23 countries, modern progressive rock band Circuline’s fanbase is growing daily. Circuline has toured with Glass Hammer, repeatedly co-headlined the three-day Sonic Voyage Festival, and toured England opening for IO Earth. Circuline has performed at the International Rites of Spring festival (RoSfest), Philadelphia’s Liberty Music Fest, Chicago’s Progtoberfest, New Jersey’s ProgStock, and England’s Harmonix Festival.
In closing Andrew has this to say to the band’s listeners, “We are all part of the human condition on this planet. We all have to find a way to coexist. From a band perspective, just keep going! Never give up. When there’s a goal you want to accomplish for your life, only seriously consider the opinions of people who have actually accomplished what it is that you want to do.”
Track Listing
1.) Tempus Horribilis (6:22) – out of the gate, a proggy epic about the turbulent times we’ve been living in…..
2.) Third Rail (4:20) – a short-form song about the hazardous topics in relationships…..
3.) Say Their Name (6:18) – think “Steven Wilson meets Pierre Moerlin’s Gong”…..
4.) All (7:54) – co-written with Matt Dorsey, it’s a prog epic in 9…..
5.) Temporal Thing (5:51) – a song about the ambivalence that can present in long-term relationships…..
6.) You (6:22) – dark, man…..
7.) Blindside (6:08) – co-written with Matt Dorsey, it’s your power ballad anthem…..
8.) Transmission Error (9:23) – another song about relationships, “finding yourself”, or space creatures. We still can’t decide. It’s your 10-minute prog epic to close the album!
Recorded at:
The Cave, Red Hook, New York. Engineered by Andrew Colyer.
Old Street Studios, London, England. Engineered by Shelby Logan Warne
Open Sky Studios. Baltimore, Maryland. Engineered by Dave Bainbridge.
Joe’s Place. Kansas Touring Rig. Engineered by Joe Deninzon.
Mixed by Billboard-charting veteran producer Robert Berry (Keith Emerson, Carl Palmer, Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, John Wetton, Jordan Rudess, Ambrosia, Sammy Hagar, December People, 3.2 band, Six by Six band) at Soundtek Studios in Campbell, California.
Artwork – The album cover was painted by 98-year-old New York artist-activist-actor Henrietta Mantooth Bagley. Band photography by Chris Nostrand and Don Chaffin. Graphic design and packaging by Darin Brannon.
Circuline and founding member William “Billy” Spillane have parted ways. “It’s time for me to move on. I wish you all the best of luck” – was the band text received from Billy this morning.
For the past seven years, Billy has been a core member of Circuline, starting with them in the progressive rock tribute band, Downing Grey. Highlights have included Billy performing live with Circuline on an East Coast Tour opening for Glass Hammer, on two of the traveling Sonic Voyage Fests, Chicago’s Progtoberfest, opening for IOEarth in England including the HarmonixFest, and the inaugural 2017 ProgStock Festival in New Jersey. Billy’s vocals can be found on Circuline’s first two studio albums, Return and Counterpoint, and his live performances can be experienced on the two live CD/DVD/Blu-ray products CircuLive::Majestik and CircuLive::NewView. We can’t thank Billy enough for his contributions to Downing Grey and Circuline from 2013 to 2021.
We know this is upsetting news to many friends and fans of Billy’s, and we are very sorry for that. This decision was not an easy one for either party, nor was it one we took lightly. There are many variables that brought us here, issues about which we will not comment publicly, out of respect for all parties involved.
Band aesthetics and workplace cultures are tricky things; all the right elements must be in harmony (no pun intended), and every band member must find it an environment in which to thrive.
Billy is a great guy, a great musician, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
Thank you so much to Background Magazine’s Henri Strik and Tracy van Os van den Abeelen, for this FANTASTIC review! We are reprinting it here IN FULL, and if you want to read it on their website, the link is included at the bottom of this post. 😀 ~
For many lovers of progressive rock living in the USA is Circuline a rather well known name. However for those living on the other side of the Atlantic ocean this name doesn’t ring any bells for most of them. They don’t know that they started early 2014 and released already two studio albums. Namely Return (2015) and Counterpoint (2016). This sextet from New York occasionally does some live performance in their country and also wants to climb the stage in Europe. But as with many bands from North or South America it is rather difficult to reach their audience outside their home country and see them face to face. Therefore it is sometimes a good way to come with a live release. This also occurs for Circuline. Therefore they decide to come up with a second live release in their career after putting out Circulive::Majestik back in 2018. So it’s now time to welcome Circulive: New View. It’s a release which is without any doubt a great bundle to own. Why? Because it brings out the audio and video on CD, DVD and Blu-ray in one package. How cool is that!
New View was recorded at the ProgStock Festival October 14th in 2017. It was done in a line up consisting of Andrew Colyer (keyboards / vocals / percussion), Darin Brannon (drums / keyboards), Natalie Brown (lead vocals / percussion), William Spillane (lead vocals / rhythm guitar / percussion), Joel Simches (bass / bass pedals / drums / acoustic guitar) and Alek Darson (lead and rhythm guitars).
The whole release is rather entertaining and gives us a cross-section of their already mentioned two studio albums. There is also one composition written by Sound of Contact, namely Pale Blue Dot. A great version if I may say so. Moreover we have the great Piano Challenge between Andrew Colyer and Darin Brannon. A medley with scraps of classical music as well as excerpts of Tarkus (ELP) and Awaken (Yes). Also nice is The Drum Feature that follows the soundscape-like Forbidden Planet. Instead of just letting the drummer go behind his kit on his percussion, everyone taps, drums or plays on a percussion instrument. Nice for variety and as a show element and is something which Gentle Giant and Lazuli have also done on stage.
For me it is the instrumental parts such as in Fallout Shelter, Forbidden Planet and Stereotypes that appeal to me very much because everyone has mastered their instrument well and radiates pleasure playing. In addition to the pointed but delightful guitar solos, the classical piano playing and the flashy bass playing on the Rickenbacker are particularly striking. Off course it doesn’t mean that the songs in which the two singers are included are the worst compositions done. Both singers have strong voices and add really something to the band.
All in all you can say that the keyboards stand out, and you can tell who is holding the strings here. But the guitar work is not neglected either and supported by an excellent rhythm group.
The DVD contains the same material as the CD, but the Blu-ray offers additional video content: concert with audio commentary, backstage and behind the scenes material, official videos, onstage photo slide show and concert poster slide show. So the fan gets a lot of material here and will be thrilled.
In the end Circuline offers the fan the best-off par excellence but also the perfect live album which will obviously delight all the followers of the group but which will also serve as a starting point for all those who want to discover this great American band. This is a real must for fans of Glass Hammer, Renaissance, Magenta and Yes! And of course for lovers of progressive rock in general! Well done indeed! Next time please get to the other side of the Atlantic!!!
**** Henri Strik (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen)
Thank you so much, MUSIC IN BELGIUM and reviewer Philippe Thirionet, for this fantastic 4-Star (out of five) review! We’re reproducing the entire article in English, via Google Translate, below.
It is indeed an ultra complete Live box set that is given to us by the New York group Circuline which since 2015 has been navigating between progressive rock, cinematic rock or even crossover-prog and classic-rock with here near of 13 compositions available in 3 distinct formats. So let’s dive into this imposing preciousness with first of all the analysis of the CD opening on an intro then, the music of the group begins with first of all a nice bass sound that serves as a door to ‘entry to a rather classic rock-progressive with also modern and atmospheric synths which, offer a very melodic note to American rock … a progressive in fact where the synths twirl sometimes recalling the great Genesis . Between the songs it’s Natalie Brown who thanks the audience and suggests the songs that will be played. But enough talk, I therefore offer you two first ‘promo-clips’ to listen to, to discover the group and its music:
Where we perceive a rock both tinged with folk, progressive but also classic-rock since here, we find acoustic passages like certain more neo-classical moments, when the piano is heard. Overall this is a music that represents well it seems to me an accessible and multifaceted rock because obviously, the group is able to tack between genres while keeping in focus the will to build a Classic-rock where we feel the imprint of the seventies via the sound of the organs without counting, neo-classical or progressive scents see heavier passages come to flesh out the sound content of our Americans. And I have not yet talked about the vocal part where, the song of Natalie is regularly added to choirs carried by one or the other protagonist who accompanies the beautiful, song and vocal harmonies perfectly complementing the musical picture of this concert given in fact in 2017! In fact you could find other promotional extracts on YouTube but what I offer you is a complete composition resulting from this stage performance:
This will allow you on the one hand to see the impressive material on stage (you will be able to see it again of course when the DVD is broadcast) and on the other hand, a complete performance next to a song dating from 2016 with also beautiful instrumental passages! The whole album is in the image of a colorful performance where each protagonist is in his place, masters his subject and therefore offers a musical game and / or a vocal work without reproach while remaining in a rather classic niche. rock or progressive.
Other extracts are of course available, I offer you one by the way, with one of the last compositions of the concert captured for the occasion:
Clean and well done work that does not suffer from any false note, but let’s move on to the DVD which obviously offers us an additional dimension with the image of the scenic performance which shows us even better all the logistics on stage but especially all the professionalism developed by the whole group. The sound-image capture is impeccable and therefore worthy of a quality DVD, the same of course for the Blu-Ray version which perfectly complements a most complete and successful box set!
In the end Circuline offers the fan the best-off par excellence but also the perfect ‘Live’ album which will obviously delight all the followers of the group but which also, will serve as a starting point for all those who want to discover the American formation. In terms of classic-rock, classic progressive and American rock, this is a must!
This article was originally posted online on November 22nd, 2020:
