RICHARD BARBIERI Shares New Single and Video For “SERPENTINE”

Preview of the Pioneering Artists’ New Solo Album Accompanied by Nightmarish 360 Degree Visual

(photo credit: Carl Glover)

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “SERPENTINE” HERE

Richard Barbieri has shared a new single “Serpentine” – the first single from his upcoming solo album Under A Spell released on 26th February through Kscope.

Boasting a ground-breaking career that began in the late 70’s with synth-pop visionaries Japan and more recently as a member of influential art-rock band Porcupine Tree, Under A Spell is the first full length solo record from Richard Barbieri since 2017’s Planets + Persona.

The first song to be heard from Under A Spell, “Serpentine” is a winding and expansive six-minute soundscape that weaves through multiple genres and ideas. Complex, calming, engrossing and experimental, “Serpentine” is the perfect primer for Under a Spell – the work of a visionary musician working at his creative height.

The song is accompanied by a new 360 video created by Miles Skarin, allowing the viewer to travel along the floor of a foreboding forest, inspired by a nightmare Richard experienced and explained to the filmmaker.

Barbieri didn’t plan to make an album like Under A Spell, originally intending his fourth solo album to be a direct follow from its predecessor. That record, made in different studios across Europe and heavily incorporating live performances from a range of musicians, was adventurous and bold, showcasing Barbieri’s endlessly inventive song writing and mastery of electronic music. The follow-up would pick up where it left off, journeying further into the expansive terrain he mapped out on the previous record. And then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and everything changed. “I wrote and recorded it in my studio at home, with all this strangeness going on outside,” says Barbieri of Under A Spell. “It became something completely different: this weird, self-contained dream-state album.”

Barbieri's willingness to constantly redefine his own musical boundaries are never more evident than on the brilliant, hypnotic Under A Spell – the latest milestone on this utterly unique journey.

Richard Barbieri:
“Miles Skarin has created an amazing 360 degree video for the track ‘Serpentine’ from my new album ‘Under A Spell.’ It’s based on a vivid nightmare I experienced from the perspective of a snake. He has created this dense forest where past spells and rituals are glimpsed, strange voices are heard and where danger lies ahead. Don’t keep to the path! The track features a masterful bass arrangement from Percy Jones and the ‘hidden’ voices of Lisen Rylander Love and Steve Hogarth.”

You can see the video here.

NOTE: Viewing is recommended in Chrome or Safari and Firefox users may experience difficulties with the 360 elements. A VR headset will greatly improve the experience and we would recommend viewers with VR headsets to use them.

Under A Spell was released on Kscope on 26th February, on CD, gatefold double black vinyl LP, limited edition gatefold double red vinyl LP (exclusive to the Kscope store) and digitally with pre-orders available HERE (https://RichardBarbieri.lnk.to/UnderASpell)

Follow Richard Barbieri:
https://www.facebook.com/RichardBarbieriOfficial/
https://www.instagram.com/richardbarbieri_music  
http://kscopemusic.com/artists/richard-barbieri

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

RICHARD BARBIERI Shares Video For “Flare 2” Taken From His New Solo Album UNDER A SPELL

Richard Barbieri has shared a new visual for “Flare 2” to mark the release of his new solo album UNDER A SPELL through Kscope. Boasting a groundbreaking career that began in the late 70s with synth-pop visionaries Japan and more recently as a member of influential art-rock band Porcupine Tree, UNDER A SPELL is the first full length solo record from Richard Barbieri since 2017’s Planets + Persona.

Taking place over a period of nine minutes, “Flare 2” is a sprawling and evolving soundscape of synths, trumpets and intriguing classical instrumentation. Indicative of the bold and progressive composition and production of Richard’s work on UNDER A SPELL, “Flare 2” now has an equally enthralling visualiser courtesy of animator Matthew Entecott.

WATCH THE ANIMATED VIDEO FOR “FLARE 2” HERE

(Photo credit: Carl Glover)

Released today, UNDER A SPELL was originally intended as Barbieri’s fourth solo album and a direct follow up to its predecessor, 2016’s Planets + Persona. That record, made in different studios across Europe and heavily incorporating live performances from a range of musicians, was adventurous and bold, showcasing Barbieri’s endlessly inventive song writing and mastery of electronic music. The follow-up would pick up where it left off, journeying further into the expansive terrain he mapped out on the previous record. And then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and everything changed. “I wrote and recorded it in my studio at home, with all this strangeness going on outside,” says Barbieri of UNDER A SPELL. “It became something completely different: this weird, self-contained dream-state album.”

Barbieri's willingness to constantly redefine his own musical boundaries are never more evident than on the brilliant, hypnotic UNDER A SPELL – the latest milestone on this utterly unique journey.

Videos available from UNDER A SPELL:
“Flare 2” - 

“Serpentine” - 

UNDER A SPELL is out now on CD, gatefold double black vinyl LP, limited edition gatefold double red vinyl LP (exclusive to the Kscope store) and digitally available HERE (https://RichardBarbieri.lnk.to/UnderASpell)
(Please note in North America the retail release is 5th March and in Germany 12th March)

Praise for UNDER A SPELL:
“Its in Richard Barbieri’s solo work that a gift for painting with sound finds full fruition” – Uncut
“Atmospheric, jazz-inflected art-prog” - Classic Pop
“a crossover combination between Tangerine Dream’s Zeit and David Bowie’s Low.” – Echoes & Dust

Follow Richard Barbieri:
https://www.facebook.com/RichardBarbieriOfficial/
https://www.instagram.com/richardbarbieri_music  
http://kscopemusic.com/artists/richard-barbieri

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, Billy James, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Richard Barbieri (Japan, Rain Tree Crow, Porcupine Tree) Returns With His New Album 'Under A Spell'

Released on Kscope on 26th February

(photo credit – Carl Glover)

The man whose illustrious career began in the late 70s with synth-pop visionaries Japan and more recently as a member of influential art-rock band Porcupine Tree follows up 2017's Planets + Persona with new album Under A Spell.  

CHECK OUT THE TRAILER HERE:

Richard Barbieri didn’t plan to make an album like Under A Spell, originally intended his fourth solo album to be a direct follow from its predecessor, 2017’s Planets + Persona.

That record, made in different studios across Europe and heavily incorporating live performances from a range of musicians, was adventurous and bold, showcasing Barbieri’s endlessly inventive song writing and mastery of electronic music. The follow-up would pick up where it left off, journeying further into the expansive terrain he mapped out on the previous record. And then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and everything changed. “I wrote and recorded it in my studio at home, with all this strangeness going on outside,” says Barbieri of Under A Spell. “It became something completely different: this weird, self-contained dream-state album.”

On Under A Spell, Barbieri was intent on capturing the atmospheres and moods that his disconnected brain was conjuring rather than slaving over arrangements and melodies. Songs such as ‘Flare’, ‘Serpentine’, ‘Sleep Will Find You’ and its companion piece-of-sorts ‘Darkness Will Find You’ are sharply defined despite their dream-inspired genesis. He points to the evocative opening and closing tracks, ‘Under A Spell’ and ‘Lucid’, as the keys that unlock the album. “Those two tracks have the whole meaning within them,” he says. “The first song, ‘Under A Spell’, is leading you down a path, moving into places where you’re not sure what’s going on. There are whispers in the background, spells being cast in a deserted wood. Then the final track, ‘Lucid’, is the opposite. You’re in this comforting lucid dream, but then you're drifting further away from it, trying to come out of it. There are voices saying: ‘Wake up, wake up, come back alive...’”

Listeners will be able to make out those voices but there are no vocals, these voices, collaborators, include Marillion frontman Steve Hogarth and Swedish singer Lisen Rylander Love (who co-wrote ‘A Star Light’).

The album’s title perfectly encapsulates the haunting, evocative world Barbieri has created. Songs such as the skittering, billowing ‘Clockwork’ and ‘Sketch 6’s dub-inspired soundscape hang suspended in that strange half-world between sleep and waking – a subconscious reflection of the surreal state the planet has found itself in over recent months. “I was having a lot of bizarre, recurring dreams that were hanging around after I woke up,” says Barbieri. “They were based around this woodland pathway, which is really summed up by the album cover – this surreal, deserted, Blair Witch Project type of environment. You’re going through these woods, heading towards this light, almost like you’re leaving life. That’s where the title Under A Spell came from – it was a feeling of not being totally in control. Almost as if your dreams are pointing you in directions that sometimes you can control and sometimes you can’t.”

As ex-founder of Japan, the new-wave pioneers and one of the most ground-breaking bands of their era, Richard Barbieri helped spark the electronic music revolution that followed, his synthesiser sound not only defined the band but influenced the likes of The Human League, Duran Duran, Gary Numan and Talk Talk. Following Japan’s split, Barbieri joined Steven Wilson to form the legendary progressive outfit Porcupine Tree, that saw him play on nine of the band’s albums, including 1999’s Stupid Dream, 2002’s In Absentia and 2007’s acclaimed Fear Of A Blank Planet. Following PT’s hiatus Barbieri has pursued a solo career, releasing albums that include 2005’s Things Buried, 2008’s Stranger Inside and 2017’s Planets + Persona, as well as his recent EP series, Variant.1-5.

Barbieri's willingness to constantly redefine his own musical boundaries are never more evident than on the brilliant, hypnotic Under A Spell – the latest milestone on this utterly unique journey.

Under A Spell tracklisting
1. Under A Spell [07:19]
2. Clockwork [02:33]
3. Flare 2 [08:51]
4. A Star Light [03:50]
5. Serpentine [06:22]
6. Sleep Will Find You [02:51]
7. Sketch 6 [06:30]
8. Darkness Will Find You [04:58]
9. Lucid [06:14]

Under A Spell will be released on Kscope on 26th February, on CD,  gatefold double black vinyl LP, limited edition gatefold double red vinyl LP (exclusive to the Kscope store) and digitally with pre-orders available HERE https://RichardBarbieri.lnk.to/UnderASpell

For Hi-res images please go to www.kscopemusic.com/media/richardbarbieri

Follow Richard Barbieri:
https://www.facebook.com/RichardBarbieriOfficial/
https://www.instagram.com/richardbarbieri_music
http://kscopemusic.com/artists/richard-barbieri

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com