Cocteau Twins legend Robin Guthrie presents new 'Astoria' EP, second of two EPs in 2024

November 9, 2024

Following up his luminous 'Atlas' EP, released this summer, legendary Scottish songsmith Robin Guthrie is back to kiss off 2024 with his new 'Astoria' EP, released via his Soleil Après Minuit imprint. Delivering another four powerful and captivating instrumentals recorded earlier this year, 'Astoria' takes further inspiration from his post-pandemic travels and produced in his studio in Bretagne.

A rich crucible of sound packed into four tracks, Guthrie takes the listener on a peaceful and contemplative journey of dreamy and atmospheric instrumentals. Like a Part 1 and Part 2 of his 2024 output, 'Astoria' and 'Atlas' represent Guthrie's first output since 2021, a prolific year that marked the end of a nine-year hiatus with the release of his 'Pearldiving' album and three EP's - 'Mockingbird Love', 'Riviera' and ' Springtime'.

“My EP 'Astoria' picks up where my release 'Atlas' had set off towards - a conclusion of a journey, like an arrival at a far-off destination. I enjoy the continuity, and the EP format allows me to express these ideas in an episodic form," says Robin Guthrie.

Nearly 45 years since founding legendary dreampop / ethereal wave band Cocteau Twins, Robin Guthrie has certainly been its most prolific member, offering a steady and stellar stream of material over the years with a production style and signature guitar sounds that have shaped multiple genres and generations.

Guthrie's approach to music is akin to that of a painter or a photographer. The adept use of light and shade, melody and counter melody, the carefully and precisely arranged instrumentation, musical textures and colorings gives his music a depth and level of detail which marks a master craftsman.

In his time, Guthrie's output includes film soundtracks and collaborated with many outstanding people, the latest impactful release happening with 2021's 'Another Flower' with Harold Budd, released just a few days before Budd's untimely passing. They had also jointly composed the film scores for Gregg Araki's ‘Mysterious Skin’and ‘White Bird in a Blizzard’. Other notable collaborators include John Foxx, Mark Gardener, Telefon Tel-Aviv, Eraldo Bernocchi and Jay Jay Johanson.

He has produced and remixed countless artists, including Lush, The Veldt, A.R.Kane, Dif Juz, Chapterhouse, Felt, Mahogany and Violet Indiana, which he'd formed with Siobhan de Maré in 1999. More recently, Guthrie worked with Heligoland, Jack Colwell, Resplandor, Fawns of Love, Ummagma, Hatchie and Tam aryn.

The 'Astoria' EP is out now, available on CD and also digitally from fine platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp, where Guthrie's rich back catalogue can also be found. Released via Soleil Après Minuit, the EP is distributed in North America via The Orchard and in Europe by Cargo.

Cocteau Twins legend ROBIN GUTHRIE marks 60th birthday by releasing 'Springtime' EP

January 4, 2022

Following the late 2021 releases of the 'Mockingbird Love' EP, the full-length album 'Pearldiving' and the 'Riviera' EP, the new year brings yet another new release by legendary Scottish music sculptor Robin Guthrie.

On January 4th, exactly sixty years after his birth, Guthrie is releasing his 'Springtime' EP via his Soleil Après Minuit imprint with distribution in North America via Darla and in Europe by Cargo. These four new titles were recorded in the summer of 2021, soon after completing 'Pearldiving', his first album in nine years.

'Springtime' is a standalone collection featuring Guthrie’s ever present signature sound and atmosphere. His approach to music is perhaps more akin to that of a painter or a photographer. The adept use of light and shade, melody and counter melody, the carefully and precisely arranged instrumentation, musical textures and colorings gives his music a depth and level of detail which marks a master craftsman.

Guthrie comments, “After 'Pearldiving', I thought about taking a break as my release schedule has been a bit excessive of late, but I took some time in the studio and got very quickly focused on this as my first release for the new year. Spring is an important time for me. Often it’s time to prepare for what’s to come. It can represent new growth. It can also be a good excuse to use a great photo of some springs that I had taken”.

40 years on from founding Cocteau Twins, Robin Guthrie has certainly been its most prolific member, offering a steady and stellar stream of material over the years. His film scores include Gregg Araki's ‘Mysterious Skin’ and ‘White Bird in a Blizzard’, co-written with long-time collaborator Harold Budd. His many other collaborators include John Foxx, Mark Gardener, Telefon Tel-Aviv, Eraldo Bernocchi and Jay Jay Johanson.

Last year, Guthrie released 'Another Flower' with Harold Budd just a few days before Budd's untimely passing. His recent credits as a producer and remixer include Heligoland, Jack Colwell, Resplandor, Ummagma, Fawns of Love, Hatchie and Tamaryn.

'Springtime' is available on CD, as well as digitally on all major platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp, where it can already be obtained directly from Guthrie himself.

CREDITS
Written and performed by Robin Guthrie
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Robin Guthrie at his studio in Brittany
Album cover by Robin Guthrie
Released by Soleil Après Minuit : SM2104/SM2104CD
EAN: 0602024696254

Trailblazing music icon Robin Guthrie to release new 'Mockingbird Love' EP

October 12, 2021

Robin Guthrie will release 'Mockingbird Love', an EP, on October 15th via Soleil Après Minuit. Ahead of the release, the track 'My Courtesan' is available to stream and as an instant grat download for anyone ordering directly from the artist via Bandcamp https://robinguthrie.bandcamp.com. Distribution in North America is via Darla and in Europe via Cargo.

'Mockingbird Love' is the first new music from Guthrie since the 'Another Flower' album with the late Harold Budd, released just days before Budd's passing in December 2020.

“Of late I've been very focused on my instrumental music, which is increasingly an intense endeavour, all the more so as I don’t really share it with anyone. So here I am, finally, with some words about my next releases. ‘Mockingbird Love’, a four track EP, is the first small collection of music that I have felt comfortable to release for a while. This is my October,” says Robin Guthrie.

“‘Mockingbird Love’ is concise, to the point, with a big sound and baritone guitars. But it’s just an appetizer as my November release and subsequent December releases will show. I have everything in production now and, hmmm, what could go wrong?”

The first in a series of releases that Guthrie will be releasing this year, Brooklyn Vegan notes that "it's a typically gorgeous instrumental, drenched in Guthrie's signature shimmery layers".

39 years on from Cocteau Twins' debut release 'Garlands', Robin Guthrie has certainly been the most prolific member, offering a steady and stellar stream of material over the years. Having formed Violet Indiana with Siobhan de Maré (formerly of Mono) following Cocteau Twins' dissolution, he has since strongly focused on creating instrumental music, while also releasing collaborative albums with Harold Budd, John Foxx (Ultravox) and Mark Gardener (Ride).

Apart from the film scores for Gregg Araki's ‘Mysterious Skin’ and ‘White Bird In a Blizzard’, which were co-written with Harold Budd, Guthrie has also scored the film '3:19’, Kaboom and the TV series ‘Now Apocalypse’…

More recently, Robin produced and mixed the new Heligoland album 'This Quiet Fire', as well as creating remixes for artists such as Hatchie, Fawns of Love, Resplandor, Ummagma, Ulrich Schnauss and Tamaryn at his studio in France.

'Mockingbird Love' will be released on CD as well as digitally on all major platforms.

CREDITS
Written and performed by Robin Guthrie
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Robin Guthrie
Released by Soleil Après Minuit
Catalogue number SM2105CD
Album cover by Robin Guthrie

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