"The Painted Caravan: The Peter Ulrich Collaboration" To Be Released In The U.S. February 2014

Oct. 10, 2013 - PRLog -- Peter Ulrich, celebrated singer/songwriter/percussionist, has already achieved success as a member of iconic British band Dead Can Dance.  Now he has formed The Peter Ulrich Collaboration, joining with a number of talented master musicians to release the new album"The Painted Caravan."

Embarking on his newest musical journey, Peter Ulrich helms this joint project which features a stellar cast of artists including among others Sara Wendt, David Steele, Jen Elliott and I.V. Webb.  Originally a concept developed by Ulrich and Trebor Lloyd (CEO of City Canyons, LLC), principal contributors include Ulrich, Lloyd (producer and principal songwriter), Wendt (songwriter, lead and background vocals), Steele (lead and background vocals, guitar) and Anne Husick (principal songwriter, guitar).  Full credits are listed in the CD sleeve.

Pre-released in the UK in the spring of 2013 to rave reviews, "The Painted Caravan" is scheduled for release in the U.S. on February 14th, 2014, by AIS Records (under exclusive license from City Canyons, LLC) and in the works are plans for U.S. concert dates in the New Year.

British journalists have already sung the praises of this album.  AAA Music calls The Painted Caravan "an unconventional, eclectic mix of songs which captures the spirit of baroque, folk rock, global roots and psychedelia..."   Higher Plain Music writes: "The Painted Caravan is utterly phenomenal from start to finish... Easily a contender for album of the year."  R2 (Rock & Reel) Magazine gives The Painted Caravan four out of five stars, describing: "As you might expect from a collaboration brokered by a Dead Can Dance alumnus, there are mediaeval and non-Western references."  And Music Week's "Tastemaker Review" heralded the CD as: "a smorgasboard of music past, present and future, and a bonafide contender. A collaboration to cherish."

The Painted Caravan unveils the development of Ulrich's distinctive sound, creating a genre that combines the beauty of a plethora of intriguing sounds gathered from all corners of the globe.  The diverse array of instruments on the album includes Chinese moon guitar, ocarina, Uilleann pipes, Irish whistle, Wagner tuba, tabla, darabuka, djembe, military bass drum, Chinese and Turkish cymbals, Mayan drum, guiro, bagpipes and didgeridoo!  Add to this the stunning guest vocals and you have a blend unlike on any other album.

One English journalist summed it up like this: "Mesmerizing grandeur, solemn beauty, intricate craftsmanship and sonic depth are all traits deeply inherent within this album. The Painted Caravanis likely to appeal to fans of Richard and Linda Thompson, Smoke Fairies, Faun Fables, Beirut, Luminescent Orchestrii, PJ Harvey's quieter moments and, of course, Dead Can Dance."

To give you a brief flavor of the album, here's an introduction to the first six of the CD's twelve tracks:"In This Or Other Skin," a modern folk ballad with a universal message about brave men and brave women fighting for freedom.  "Pureland" melds both Indian mantras and Gregorian chants to transport the listener to a place of perfect peace.  "The Secret Gardener" takes you into the mind of a fictional serial killer while "Dark Lover" incorporates the sounds of Eastern European and Balkan music into the story of an extra-marital affair, sung with a punk-rock edge reminiscent of Patti Smith.  The otherworldly and romantic "Starship (Golden Eye)" is the heart ache tale of a space traveler searching for the love left behind, and "Children Of The Rain" spotlights the soulful vocal blending of Ulrich, Jen Elliot, David Steele, Sara Wendt and Saskia Dommisse (of folk duo Poets To Their Beloved.) "Hanging Man" is a saga of love gone wrong, murder and vengeance, described as: "...a highly accomplished, rich addition to the canon of 20th century versions of traditional standards matching Fairport Convention's 'Matty Groves' as an engrossing yarn full of drama and tragedy."  The balance of the album, another six songs, is equally unique yet all of a piece.

Recorded, mixed and mastered primarily in New York's world-class studio Engine Room Audio, The Painted Caravan was also born overseas, in Peter's home studio in London, Kingsley Sage's studio in Brighton, England and Saskia Dommisse's studio in the Netherlands.

A world-renowned multi-instrumentalist, Ulrich is lauded for his drums and percussion work in the iconic Dead Can Dance and This Mortal Coil, as well as for his two acclaimed solo albums.  The first, 'Pathways and Dawns,' was described by Alternative Press as "...the album the Beatles might have made had they signed to 4AD instead of Capitol."

In 1983 Ulrich became a member of Dead Can Dance, then signed to 4AD. He played on their eponymous debut album, the "Garden Of The Arcane Delights" EP and albums "Within The Realm Of A Dying Sun" and "Spiritchaser," on both John Peel sessions, and virtually all live shows from 1983 to 1990. Ulrich also contributed the track 'At First and Then' to This Mortal Coil's "Filigree & Shadow"album, and made percussion contributions to recordings by 4AD label-mates Wolfgang Press, and Pieter Nooten (Xymox) and Michael Brook.  Post Dead Can Dance, Ulrich tried his hand at solo albums and released the much-praised "Pathways and Dawns" in 1999 and "Enter The Mysterium" in 2005, as well as making contributions to Piano Magic's 2009 album "Ovations" and Daemonia Nymphe's 2013 album "Psychostasia."

The Painted Caravan's producer Trebor Lloyd recalls, "As the collaboration concept slowly came into being, we had in mind that we were not interested in creating another album of good but similar tracks, variations on a theme. We were interested in creating a musical journey where you felt you set sail at one place and made a voyage, with various ports of call."

To request a download or physical CD for review purposes, or to schedule an interview with Peter, contact Ida S. Langsam (islpr@aol.com) at ISL Public Relations.