Ms. Spontaniety Meets Dr. Structure

Feb. 1, 2010 - PRLog -- FEBRUARY 1, 2010 (SAN FRANCISCO, CA) -
Eleven months after meeting singer/songwriter, Catherine Conlin, master guitarist, Konstantine Baranov sifts through over 35 successful recorded pieces between them and produces a 12-song cd, named AWE.

Their styles and backgrounds could not be more disparate. Baranov, born and raised in Moscow, grew up playing guitar in the avant-garde bands touring Russia and Europe and playing to mainly large audiences and arenas. In the U.S., Baranov has been involved in three bands and more than a dozen projects since 1994 and has 11 solo CDs to his credit (http://www.kbaranov.com). His experience is accompanied by a strong regard for structure and a deep understanding of how to create mellifluous sound.

Conlin, on the other hand, had some early classical piano training but did not pick up the guitar until her 30s. Prior to meeting Baranov, Conlin started her own band, wrote her own music and managed her floral design business and her music career out of the same San Francisco studio. In October of 2008, she decided to give up the business and devote her time and space to music. Having spent years writing poetry and practicing free-write, Conlin is able to grasp the tone and essence of a musical composition within seconds of hearing a piece.

Stand-up bass player and colleague on previous projects with Conlin, David Rodriguez (now in Japan) describes Conlin as a "poster girl for the real good San Francisco--free and beautiful, open, wild…so alive."

Conlin describes her nature as feral, defiant and headstrong.

AWE is comprised of dreamy, witty, spontaneous lyrics by Conlin over with Baranov's masterful guitars, creating sultry music, deep with content inspired by things like a beautiful abandoned church in her South of Market neighborhood, overgrown gardens, sea urchins, and espionage.

In "Canadian Spies", we get a glimpse into Conlin's defiance:
               
               You're gonna have to kill me,
               If you want the answer.
               You can't know my secrets,
               if you kill me.

               I passed top-secret clearance,
               I get paid for this.
               Mr. Secret-Agent-Man don't make me tell you what you don't wanna know.
               I put your number on a piece of paper.
               You can't get it from me.
               I swallowed it...I get paid for this!

Myles Boisen of Guerilla Recording says:

"Conlin's smart-yet-vulnerable vocal delivery ranges from innocent to wicked, often sounding like surreal samples pulled from some obscure European movie…ambient vocal settings of Portishead et. al."

In "Shadow Tattoo", Conlin digresses from her fascination with the camera into a journey of light and dark and comes out of the experience with existential conclusions that lead to more questions:
                 
                 Shadows are an inevitable part of light
                 or are they the absence of light?
                 Or is light the absence of shadow
                 and shadow, the negative space of light?

Producer and guitarist, Richard Michos describes this piece as "haunting dream poetry reminiscent of Laurie Anderson's best work.”

Baranov insists that in all his experience, he has never been so excited about a piece of work. He is emphatic that the listener should understand that Conlin's work on AWE is all first-take. Nothing is premeditated nor is it edited afterwards. He also emphasizes that Conlin had not heard the majority of this music prior to him having had the idea to sit her down in front of a microphone with headphones.

Baranov's guitars are "subtle yet impeccable", says guitarist and producer, Richard Michos. They "swirl, soar, bubble and caress an intoxicating framework for each composition."

Audio Engineer and Producer Myles Boisen says that Baranov's guitars "clearly have their roots in vintage prog and space rock, but are leavened with a solid melodic focus and never get long-winded."

Ambient and ballad-like, AWE is only the first step in this collaboration between two prolific artists who are clearly enamored of one another's talents and with the world around them.  Baranov’s structure and experience create an elegant foil for Conlin’s spontaneity as they tell compelling dream stories with music.

AWE is available on i-Tunes and through CD Baby.com. For more details including lyrics go to www.awesf.com or www.myspace.com/CatherineConlinAWE.
For further information, contact Konstantine Baranov 415.505.9931.

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About AWEAWE is a collaboration between two talented artists and musicians, Catherine Conlin and Konstantine Baranov who met in December 2008 and within a few months had recorded over thirty pieces of new material.