Blending his affinity for American blues and roots music with his love of travel and world beat rhythms and instrumentation, Mike Starling has created an earthy, organic sound all his own. Street musicians in Sydney, Australia, for instance, gave Mike his first exposure to the didgeridoo, and he immediately sought to incorporate the earthy sound of this ancient Aboriginal wind instrument into his music.
The resulting album, DIDJERIBLUE, VOL. 1, won rave reviews for its chilled-out blend of deep bass grooves and funky drum loops with droning didges and bluesy guitars. “Makes me wanna wear my moose pelvic headdress and power dance spring equinox mountain chants beside the Matanuska Glacier,” said one Alaskan reviewer. Tracks from the CD have been featured on documentary program soundtracks on the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, the Travel Channel, Biography Channel, A&E, MTV, VH1 and other cable networks.
GUITAR MOODS, Mike's newest release, is a sensuous six-string tour of the dusty back roads and remote destinations of a mythical musical landscape. The 12 guitar-based instrumental compositions that make up this album were inspired by Mike's travels in Ireland, Latin America and America's own Great River Road. They blend elements of American blues and roots music with Celtic, South Pacific, and Latin American influences.
Major musical influences include Ry Cooder, David Gilmour, Bill Frisell and Miles Davis. Mike has also contributed original songs to recordings by bands like Bean Hoy and The Sons of Distortion – also available on CD Baby.
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