Album Notes

Chris Conway – theremin, keyboards, low whistle, zither, voice, effects
Simon Styring – electric guitar, guitar synthesizer, effects
John Runcie – drums, percussion

Yttrium is the 3rd album by improvised electronic jazz trio Continuum and their first wholly recorded in the studio. While their first two albums focussed on the ambient side of their music, with the percussion playing an atmospheric supporting role, on Yttrium they wanted the whole jazz drum kit to be an equal third of the sound.

John Runcie is a superbly impressionistic jazz drummer in the mould of ECM label regular Jon Christensen. He has worked with Lee Konitz, John Surman and Barbara Thompson to name a few. His restless creativity abounds, and his subtlety is evident, interacting one minute, and driving the band the next.

Simon Styring’s guitar style comes out of Robert Fripp, blending his sustainiac-loaded guitar with guitar synthesizer and effects in intriguing ways. From sustained Frippatronics to splintered Metheny-like free jazz guitar.

Chris Conway paints pictures with his theremin, and with the help of mountains of delays and effects he moves from wild screams to subtle chordal soundscapes which blend with his low Irish whsilte and vocal effects to produce a rich deep layered sound. He has worked with a strangely diverse set of musicians including Talvin Singh, Peter Tork (Monkees), improviser Derek Bailey, Martin Barre (Jethro Tull), composer Gavin Bryars, violin masetro Dr L Subramanium, ECM saxman Martin Speake, and Brazilain jazz diva Ithamara Koorax.

Together they create so many sound combinations as they veer from space sounds to ambient electronica, free jazz to minimal patterns. Out on the edge – not always tonal but with atonality on the brink of breaking out. And vice versa…

www.chrisconway.org