| Dakota Suite & Quentin Sirjacq |
| There Is Calm to Be Done |
Dakota Suite & Quentin Sirjacq — There Is Calm to Be Done
♦♠♦ Pocit z alba? Mohla by to být filmová hudba, každá melodie vyvolává živý obraz v mysli. Základem alba jsou písně, zároveň jsou tady četné instrumentální pasáže, rozházené po celém záznamu, citlivě vmísené do organizmu písní. Hlavním srdcovým pohonem je klavír, přítomnost mosazných dílů, dřevěného nástroje, kontrabasu a široké škály jiných nástrojů ozvláštňují zvuk do výsledné vícebarevné vznešenosti.
Location: Liverpool, Leeds, Britain, England, UK
Album release: Worldwide: Jul 11, 2014/USA: Jul 22, 2014
Record Label: Karaoke Kalk (EU)/Schole (Japan)
Duration: 55:06
Tracks:
01. This Is My Way Of Saying That I Am Sorry 4:04
02. Flat Seat 4:40
03. In The Stillness Of This Night 3:22
04. Committing To Uncertainty 3:19
05. Nu Dat Deze Dag Voorbij Is 2:50
06. Dronning Maud Land 5:20
07. Ask The Dusk 3:40
08. Be My Love 3:47
09. Nothing Is Gone 4:11
10. The Tears That Bind Us To This Place 4:31
11. The World Touches Me Too Hard 4:29
12. There Is Calm To Be Done 5:40
13. I Miss The Dust 5:13
Members:
Ξ Chris Hooson Vocalist
Ξ David Darling Cellist
Ξ Quentin Sirjacq Pianist
ε• Following 2011's The Hearts of Empty Liverpool based band Dakota Suite led by Chris Hooson in collaboration with David Buxton are back with another superb album on Karaoke Kalk. While Hearts of Empty was a distinctly jazzy instrumental album, There Is Calm to Be Done takes us further down a path of left-field song-writing and alternative pop. The album was produced together with Quentin Sirjacq with whom Dakota Suite have already worked in the past, on Valissa (2010) and the side of her inexhaustible heart (2012).
ε• The most striking thing about the Dakota Suite sound is their immense instrumentation. While most songs are driven by the piano they are adorned with all kinds of instruments to provide an overall timbre of great majesty. The presence of brass parts, woodwind, double bass and a wide array of instruments makes for a special sound. Rhythmically, the drum parts throughout the majority of ‘There Is Calm to Be Done’ are played with brushes, which takes the edge off and adds a gentleness that only the swooshing of brushes can achieve. The use of lap steel on the opening number ‘This Is My Way Of Saying That I Am Sorry’ conjures up a definite country rock feel. While the album is mainly song based, there are vast instrumental passages strewn throughout the record and intermingled between songs. ‘Flat Seat’ is one such instrumental tune with a decidedly filmic character; a lilting composition both mesmerizing and intriguing. Much of the album feels as if it could be film music, and each tune conjures a vivid image in the listeners mind to which the music plays the soundtrack.
ε• Hooson’s vocals are striking both for their singing style and lyrical content. ‘Dronning Maud Land’ for example begins with the humorous line “I seem to have grown myself a pair of old mans hands” but the delivery is sombre and melancholy. ‘In the Stillness of this Night’ is a powerful ballad that fuses the touching vocals and lyrical style that is so prevalent on the album with an evocative arrangement. In keeping with its title ‘Committing To Uncertainty’ is a somewhat darker composition. The brass and woodwind orchestration builds to a powerful crescendo. ‘Be My Love’ stands out as a prime example of singer-songwriting as it relies solely on acoustic guitar and vocals. Without the support of a backing arrangement, the song has to be that much stronger to stand on its own amongst all the instrumentation of the rest of the record. It is an unspeakably tender song with a highly fragile yet resolute emotional lure. The penultimate track on the album is also its song and true to its name is a delightfully calm tune. The record draws to a close with the minimally orchestrated “I Miss The Dust”, a very delicate instrumental that drifts away like leaves on a breeze.
ε• Dakota Suite's music has covered such diverse genres as lo-fi, folk rock, electronic, ambient and taken in elements of jazz and modern classical. The band has their very own, highly personal and unique sound used so frequently by film makers and theatre pieces. ‘There Is Calm To Be Done’ explores the art of song-writing while also venturing beyond, into new fields to create something new and subtle.
Label: http://www.karaokekalk.de/
Label: http://press.morrmusic.com/
Website: http://www.dakotasuite.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZrZcgfik80
_______________________________________________________________
• This is my way of saying that I am sorry
• flat seat
• in the stillness of this night
• committing to uncertainty
• nu dat deze dag voorbij is
• dronning maud land
• ask the dusk
• be my love
• nothing is gone
• the tears that bind us to this place
• the world touches me too hard
• there is calm to be done
• I miss the dust
• onzekerheid (Japanese version only)
• • • the idea at this stage is that it will be available in the following formats..., CD
• vinyl (Karaoke Kalk only)
• out-takes and prints version
• this will be both the CD and the out takes in a handmade sleeve containing individual prints as well as an individualised hand written note
• each version will be unique / Notes:LP Includes A Free Download Voucher For The CD Album.
_______________________________________________________________
Artist Biography by Bryan Thomas
The loosely configured lineup of Leeds-based Dakota Suite is centered around the group's talented frontman, singer/guitarist Chris Hooson; the only other firm member of the group is producer Richard Formby — formerly a collaborator with Spaceman 3, the Telescopes, and Jazz Butcher — who handles occasional guitar chores and various other instrumentation, including harmonium, Fender Rhodes, lap steel, bowed double bass, and tape effects. Various other members have included David Buxton on bass guitar and pedal steel; John Sheppard on drums; Peter Haslam on piano; and Colin Dunkley, who also plays the piano, provides the strings, and co-writes much of the group's instrumentals. Hooson — whose vocal style is often compared to Red House Painters' Mark Kozelek, Spain's Josh Haden, and Mark Eitzel — often bases his songs on haunting personal experiences; he attempted suicide in late 1995 (taking to his bed, he tried to will himself to stop living). Hooson has also worked at in a hospice for terminal alcoholics, witnessing first-hand the despair and psychic pain that infuses his languid and somewhat sad country-flecked songs, which are highlighted by simply-strummed acoustic guitars, brushed drums, brittle horns, keening lap steel, soulful electric piano, and the occasional cellos and violins. The group also perform chamber orchestra music.
In late 1996, Hooson and Formby first met, when Hooson was recording his first demos. Later, Formby and the owner of a Leeds-based record shop set up the Amos label to release these recordings as three Dakota Suite EPs, in late 1996 and early 1997; they've since been compiled as Alone With Everybody, a CD released in 1998 with additional unreleased material. Mostly positive press and word-of-mouth raves about subsequent 7" and split-7" singles on various labels led to a more formal arrangement with the Glitterhouse label, who issued Dakota Suite's Songs for a Barbed Wire Fence in 1998 (Hooson's original choice for the CD's title was "Bereavement and Loss"). When it came time to play live, Formby volunteered his services, and the band continued touring for nearly a year while Hooson held down his hospice job. Hooson and a variety of additional musicians continued recording at Formby's house or used old churches for the grand acoustics. Hooson ultimately forfeited his sole opportunity to sign to a major label (stating he enjoys his job too much), choosing instead to release Dakota Suite's albums via the German-based Glitterhouse independent label; in turn, they have been licensed by Hooson for release in the U.K. via Loose Recordings, the U.S. via Badman, and Japan via the Tokyo-based Painted Sky Records.
Hooson's wife Johanna's photographs — bleak, starkly black-and-white compositions used as cover art — perfectly reflect the music to be found inside. Navigator's Yard — instrumental pieces for piano and assorted instruments — was released in 1999, followed by Signal Hill (2000) and Morning Lake Forever (2001). The Way I Am Sick, instrumental pieces for a chamber orchestra, was released in 2002; Painted Sky Records has also issued this CD with the non-Navigator's Yard instrumental pieces from the other albums as an extra bonus disc. A two-CD/LP compilation of the first two Dakota Suite albums was also issued as Blown About a Moon. This River Only Brings Poison was recorded in San Francisco with Bruce Kaphan and Tim Mooney (ex-American Music Club), and in Nashville with Derri Daugherty (the Choir).
Discography:
1999 Navigators Yard Glitterhouse Records
2000 Signal Hill Badman Recording Co.
2001 Morning Lake Forever Glitterhouse Records
2001 Songs for a Barbed Wire Fence Glitterhouse Records
2001 Alone With Everybody Glitterhouse Records
2002 The Way I Am Sick Glitterhouse Records
2003 This River Only Brings Poison Glitterhouse Records
2007 Waiting for the Dawn To Crawl Through and Take Away Your Life Glitterhouse Records
2008 The End of Trying Karaoke Kalk
2010 The Night Just Keeps Coming In Karaoke Kalk
2011 The North Green Down Lidar
2011 The Hearts of Empty Karaoke Kalk
2011 The Side of Her Inexhaustible Heart Glitterhaus / Glitterhouse Records
2014 There is Calm To Be Done KARAOKE KALK
2014 An Almost Silent Life Glitterhouse Records
2014 Vallisa Glitterhouse Records
Fortaken: http://www.allmusic.com/
_______________________________________________________________
PRESS:
ε• “Dakota Suite heeft opnieuw zo’n unicum gemaakt, en dompelt ons onder in uitgepuurde ballades overgoten met een vette jazzy vleesjus. Die wel triestig blijven, vergis je niet, want "waiting for the dawn to crawl through and take away your life" kun je toch bezwaarlijk een aangenaam vooruitzicht noemen” — Het Oor
ε• “Beautiful, tender, damaged and unloved, much like chris hooson himself perhaps feels, these are songs on another planet to anything you’d compare them to. a true talent hidden away (probably intentionally) behind other lesser artists more interested in glossy TV campaigns, magazine covers and BBC interviews, dakota suite have made a great record with no bells, no whistles and no bullshit, but more heart and soul than anything you will hear this year” — Pennyblack
ε• NME gave Signal Hill an "8 out of 10." Melody Maker praised them with 4 Stars! ε• "Dakota Suite's singer Chris Hooson is very, very sad indeed, and it sounds magnificent. Employing cellos, violins and the ever-trustworthy harmonium, Dakota Suite offer their bruised and battered heart to us, with painstakingly gorgeous, lush and brooding rock". — Independant
ε• I mean, at times, Dakota Suite can outdo even the best of the woe-is-me sad sacks: American Music Club, Will Oldham, Red House Painters' Mark Kozelek. But I'll admit, it's probably been a while since a singer/songwriter's morbid depression has translated into such a surprisingly simple, beautiful record. — Pitchfork
ε• Who knows if Dakota Suite will release another record? There’s certainly more than enough room for more of this. Beautiful, tender, damaged and unloved, much like Chris Hooson himself perhaps feels, these are songs on another planet to anything you’d compare them to. A true talent hidden away (probably intentionally) behind other lesser artists more interested in glossy TV campaigns, magazine covers and BBC interviews, Dakota Suite have made a great record with no bells, no whistles and no bullshit, but more heart and soul than anything you will hear this year — Pennyblack
ε• ‘The End of Trying’ is an instrumental record with Chris (Dakota Suite) accompanied by David Darling on cello. It is an absolutely stunning piece of music. I adore it. Chris Hooson’s music deserves to be heard by more people. It is beautiful. It is tender. It feels like somebody who has struggled with life pouring out everything he has onto his piano. A flood of heart and soul. If you believe that music comes from a place deep within somebody’s being. If you care about music like that, then you are going to adore Dakota Suite. Knowing the story of Chris’ life. His battle with depression it’s hard not to be affected by his work. Even his own words about his forthcoming record ‘The North Green Down’ and other future releases tell a story. He says “and how they can be released without everyone getting more bored than they already are with my whining caustic pointlessness”… I for one don’t think I could ever tire of this man’s work. If you can find a musician who puts more of himself into the music I would be surprised. Dakota Suite is tender. Dakota Suite is tragic. Ultimately Dakota Suite’s music is beautiful and whilst the story might be bleak the music will leave you warm and happy. Of that I am sure. Please check out his work. Enjoy. — The Steinberg Principle
ε• Have you ever found a band that upon listening to their music, your entire body breathes a sigh of relief? When music stirs up from just a single note and slowly begins to entwine itself around every fibre of your body; you start to realise that this is a lot more than just music. This is someone’s soul personified through sound. The End Of Trying is a desperately barren record that is devoid of hope and brimming with melancholy. It’s as stark as it is sparse and holds a beauty that simply cannot be described within a review. Hear it, feel it, cry to it, scream to it, relax to it, it doesn’t matter, just get it.
ε• This album has been given a 9 for the simple fact that it's a number below what is considered "perfect" so please keep in mind that this album doesn't deserve a representative "score". It deserves more than that, it demands more than that. It's not perfect (nothing is) but it's something so unique and incomprehensibly beautiful that just the act of bestowing a digit upon it is almost an offence. — Strangeglue
ε• This beautiful sad music is clearly not meant to brighten up your day. But it might soothe your sadness with rays of hope shining through empathic, understanding themes and fabulous cello sounds.
ε• 'The End of Trying' is one of the most beautiful albums I have heard this year, and it even gains strength with the companion CD that was released shortly after the release of the original: "The Night Keeps Coming In". — Ambientblog
ε• The result is so deeply sad, so melancholy and yet fragile, beautiful, that sounds like snowflakes melt when it hits the ear drum. Contemporary classical music with feeling and untold value. (Vallisa, reviewed by thegap.at)
ε• Zeitgenössische Klassik . Für Vallisa spreche ich hiermit eine absolute Empfehlung aus. Pflichtkauf für die unvoreingenommenen, Mutigen unter uns.... — Schallgrenzen, december 2010
ε• (The result is wonderful, deeply sad music that moves in its delicacy and vulnerability. The beautiful cello playing like a weeping and wailing from the depths of the human soul. Contemporary classical music. I speak for Vallisa an absolute recommendation. A must for the impartial and courageous among us ....)
ε• "Stunning Chamber Music created by Dakota Suite’s mastermind Chris Hooson, Cellist and Grammy-Winner David Darling and French piano master Quentin Sirjacq. Together they have created a magic album that easily crosses boundaries between Chamber-Pop, Jazz and Classical, recorded at Vallisa Auditorium, a small chapel in Bari, Italy. The trio conjure a wide range of moods and emotions with their intuitive arrangements, gracefully sweeping us between sombre, melancholic solo piano and graceful chamber pieces with an elegantly solemn atmosphere. This album will nourish the spirit of those in need of a secluded, intimate experience. Lovely."
ε• The North Green Down' also features the marvellous cello of David Darling who creates textures and waves of melancholy unlike anyone else. Almost 80 minutes of fragile pianos, guitars, cello & subtle electronic elements...cinematic, hypnotic & simply beautiful! — Thrilljockey, January 2011
ε• DAKOTA SUITE, Vallisa is probably one of the biggest achievements of 2010. Merging the typical sadness of Dakota Suite with more playfull jazzy moods of David Darling along with abstract improvisations on piano by Quentin Sirjacq (replacing at the last minute Sylvain Chauveau), this could be a very important record for 2011’s modern classic evolution.
ε• Se qualcuno crede ancora che esistano dischi non riducibili all'asetticità di una valutazione critica, ebbene, "The North Green Down" può a pieno titolo annoverarsi tra questi. Perché le personalissime profondità emozionali che hanno ispirato un'opera del genere non sono misurabili, ma meritano soltanto un rispettoso tentativo di interpretarle, di farle proprie, alla ricerca di un'empatia preziosa come quella conseguita dei due artisti che l'hanno realizzata. — (review of The North green down, Ondarock)
ε• For almost 80 minutes, fragile memories and painful emotions are conjured by an intimate mixture of piano, guitars and cello, sometimes augmented by very light strokes of electronics. The main theme of opener The North Green Down (Part I) is repeated throughout the album under different variations and elaborations, that demonstrate Hooson’s immense talent for composing music of achingly personal and delicate qualities. Case in point being the majestic Part VI featuring David Darling’s cello, telling a spine tingling story of fight and surrender — an absolutely wonderful and emotionally draining experience. Dakota Suite and Emanuele Errante have created a work of immense sensibility, impeccably illustrated by the album cover. This music displays an intimate and impeccable balance of restrain and beauty — an essential album. — Fluid-radio review of ‘the North green down’
ε• Soms kan schoonheid gewoon pijn doen. Een mooier eerbetoon dan dit kan je niet wensen, een mooier album van beide heren eigenlijk ook niet. Dakota Suite en Emanuele Errante hebben een tijdloos en bloedmooi meesterwerk gecreëerd. — (The North green down reviewed by Jan Willem Brook — Subjectivisten.typepad.com/caleidoscoop/)
ε• This album may go on to inspire a new wave of contemporary jazz-like sounds from artists outside of the discipline, much like what has been occurring with modern day classical music. As such, ‘The Hearts of Empty’ should be considered as an essential album, and one only hopes it will be consumed by many despite its composer’s fascination with solitude. — Fluid-radio.com
_______________________________________________________________
| Dakota Suite & Quentin Sirjacq |
| There Is Calm to Be Done |
♦♠♦ Pocit z alba? Mohla by to být filmová hudba, každá melodie vyvolává živý obraz v mysli. Základem alba jsou písně, zároveň jsou tady četné instrumentální pasáže, rozházené po celém záznamu, citlivě vmísené do organizmu písní. Hlavním srdcovým pohonem je klavír, přítomnost mosazných dílů, dřevěného nástroje, kontrabasu a široké škály jiných nástrojů ozvláštňují zvuk do výsledné vícebarevné vznešenosti.
Location: Liverpool, Leeds, Britain, England, UK
Album release: Worldwide: Jul 11, 2014/USA: Jul 22, 2014
Record Label: Karaoke Kalk (EU)/Schole (Japan)
Duration: 55:06
Tracks:
01. This Is My Way Of Saying That I Am Sorry 4:04
02. Flat Seat 4:40
03. In The Stillness Of This Night 3:22
04. Committing To Uncertainty 3:19
05. Nu Dat Deze Dag Voorbij Is 2:50
06. Dronning Maud Land 5:20
07. Ask The Dusk 3:40
08. Be My Love 3:47
09. Nothing Is Gone 4:11
10. The Tears That Bind Us To This Place 4:31
11. The World Touches Me Too Hard 4:29
12. There Is Calm To Be Done 5:40
13. I Miss The Dust 5:13
Members:
Ξ Chris Hooson Vocalist
Ξ David Darling Cellist
Ξ Quentin Sirjacq Pianist
ε• Following 2011's The Hearts of Empty Liverpool based band Dakota Suite led by Chris Hooson in collaboration with David Buxton are back with another superb album on Karaoke Kalk. While Hearts of Empty was a distinctly jazzy instrumental album, There Is Calm to Be Done takes us further down a path of left-field song-writing and alternative pop. The album was produced together with Quentin Sirjacq with whom Dakota Suite have already worked in the past, on Valissa (2010) and the side of her inexhaustible heart (2012).
ε• The most striking thing about the Dakota Suite sound is their immense instrumentation. While most songs are driven by the piano they are adorned with all kinds of instruments to provide an overall timbre of great majesty. The presence of brass parts, woodwind, double bass and a wide array of instruments makes for a special sound. Rhythmically, the drum parts throughout the majority of ‘There Is Calm to Be Done’ are played with brushes, which takes the edge off and adds a gentleness that only the swooshing of brushes can achieve. The use of lap steel on the opening number ‘This Is My Way Of Saying That I Am Sorry’ conjures up a definite country rock feel. While the album is mainly song based, there are vast instrumental passages strewn throughout the record and intermingled between songs. ‘Flat Seat’ is one such instrumental tune with a decidedly filmic character; a lilting composition both mesmerizing and intriguing. Much of the album feels as if it could be film music, and each tune conjures a vivid image in the listeners mind to which the music plays the soundtrack.
ε• Hooson’s vocals are striking both for their singing style and lyrical content. ‘Dronning Maud Land’ for example begins with the humorous line “I seem to have grown myself a pair of old mans hands” but the delivery is sombre and melancholy. ‘In the Stillness of this Night’ is a powerful ballad that fuses the touching vocals and lyrical style that is so prevalent on the album with an evocative arrangement. In keeping with its title ‘Committing To Uncertainty’ is a somewhat darker composition. The brass and woodwind orchestration builds to a powerful crescendo. ‘Be My Love’ stands out as a prime example of singer-songwriting as it relies solely on acoustic guitar and vocals. Without the support of a backing arrangement, the song has to be that much stronger to stand on its own amongst all the instrumentation of the rest of the record. It is an unspeakably tender song with a highly fragile yet resolute emotional lure. The penultimate track on the album is also its song and true to its name is a delightfully calm tune. The record draws to a close with the minimally orchestrated “I Miss The Dust”, a very delicate instrumental that drifts away like leaves on a breeze.
ε• Dakota Suite's music has covered such diverse genres as lo-fi, folk rock, electronic, ambient and taken in elements of jazz and modern classical. The band has their very own, highly personal and unique sound used so frequently by film makers and theatre pieces. ‘There Is Calm To Be Done’ explores the art of song-writing while also venturing beyond, into new fields to create something new and subtle.
Label: http://www.karaokekalk.de/
Label: http://press.morrmusic.com/
Website: http://www.dakotasuite.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZrZcgfik80
_______________________________________________________________
• This is my way of saying that I am sorry
• flat seat
• in the stillness of this night
• committing to uncertainty
• nu dat deze dag voorbij is
• dronning maud land
• ask the dusk
• be my love
• nothing is gone
• the tears that bind us to this place
• the world touches me too hard
• there is calm to be done
• I miss the dust
• onzekerheid (Japanese version only)
• • • the idea at this stage is that it will be available in the following formats..., CD
• vinyl (Karaoke Kalk only)
• out-takes and prints version
• this will be both the CD and the out takes in a handmade sleeve containing individual prints as well as an individualised hand written note
• each version will be unique / Notes:LP Includes A Free Download Voucher For The CD Album.
_______________________________________________________________
Artist Biography by Bryan Thomas
The loosely configured lineup of Leeds-based Dakota Suite is centered around the group's talented frontman, singer/guitarist Chris Hooson; the only other firm member of the group is producer Richard Formby — formerly a collaborator with Spaceman 3, the Telescopes, and Jazz Butcher — who handles occasional guitar chores and various other instrumentation, including harmonium, Fender Rhodes, lap steel, bowed double bass, and tape effects. Various other members have included David Buxton on bass guitar and pedal steel; John Sheppard on drums; Peter Haslam on piano; and Colin Dunkley, who also plays the piano, provides the strings, and co-writes much of the group's instrumentals. Hooson — whose vocal style is often compared to Red House Painters' Mark Kozelek, Spain's Josh Haden, and Mark Eitzel — often bases his songs on haunting personal experiences; he attempted suicide in late 1995 (taking to his bed, he tried to will himself to stop living). Hooson has also worked at in a hospice for terminal alcoholics, witnessing first-hand the despair and psychic pain that infuses his languid and somewhat sad country-flecked songs, which are highlighted by simply-strummed acoustic guitars, brushed drums, brittle horns, keening lap steel, soulful electric piano, and the occasional cellos and violins. The group also perform chamber orchestra music.
In late 1996, Hooson and Formby first met, when Hooson was recording his first demos. Later, Formby and the owner of a Leeds-based record shop set up the Amos label to release these recordings as three Dakota Suite EPs, in late 1996 and early 1997; they've since been compiled as Alone With Everybody, a CD released in 1998 with additional unreleased material. Mostly positive press and word-of-mouth raves about subsequent 7" and split-7" singles on various labels led to a more formal arrangement with the Glitterhouse label, who issued Dakota Suite's Songs for a Barbed Wire Fence in 1998 (Hooson's original choice for the CD's title was "Bereavement and Loss"). When it came time to play live, Formby volunteered his services, and the band continued touring for nearly a year while Hooson held down his hospice job. Hooson and a variety of additional musicians continued recording at Formby's house or used old churches for the grand acoustics. Hooson ultimately forfeited his sole opportunity to sign to a major label (stating he enjoys his job too much), choosing instead to release Dakota Suite's albums via the German-based Glitterhouse independent label; in turn, they have been licensed by Hooson for release in the U.K. via Loose Recordings, the U.S. via Badman, and Japan via the Tokyo-based Painted Sky Records.
Hooson's wife Johanna's photographs — bleak, starkly black-and-white compositions used as cover art — perfectly reflect the music to be found inside. Navigator's Yard — instrumental pieces for piano and assorted instruments — was released in 1999, followed by Signal Hill (2000) and Morning Lake Forever (2001). The Way I Am Sick, instrumental pieces for a chamber orchestra, was released in 2002; Painted Sky Records has also issued this CD with the non-Navigator's Yard instrumental pieces from the other albums as an extra bonus disc. A two-CD/LP compilation of the first two Dakota Suite albums was also issued as Blown About a Moon. This River Only Brings Poison was recorded in San Francisco with Bruce Kaphan and Tim Mooney (ex-American Music Club), and in Nashville with Derri Daugherty (the Choir).
Discography:
1999 Navigators Yard Glitterhouse Records
2000 Signal Hill Badman Recording Co.
2001 Morning Lake Forever Glitterhouse Records
2001 Songs for a Barbed Wire Fence Glitterhouse Records
2001 Alone With Everybody Glitterhouse Records
2002 The Way I Am Sick Glitterhouse Records
2003 This River Only Brings Poison Glitterhouse Records
2007 Waiting for the Dawn To Crawl Through and Take Away Your Life Glitterhouse Records
2008 The End of Trying Karaoke Kalk
2010 The Night Just Keeps Coming In Karaoke Kalk
2011 The North Green Down Lidar
2011 The Hearts of Empty Karaoke Kalk
2011 The Side of Her Inexhaustible Heart Glitterhaus / Glitterhouse Records
2014 There is Calm To Be Done KARAOKE KALK
2014 An Almost Silent Life Glitterhouse Records
2014 Vallisa Glitterhouse Records
Fortaken: http://www.allmusic.com/
_______________________________________________________________
PRESS:
ε• “Dakota Suite heeft opnieuw zo’n unicum gemaakt, en dompelt ons onder in uitgepuurde ballades overgoten met een vette jazzy vleesjus. Die wel triestig blijven, vergis je niet, want "waiting for the dawn to crawl through and take away your life" kun je toch bezwaarlijk een aangenaam vooruitzicht noemen” — Het Oor
ε• “Beautiful, tender, damaged and unloved, much like chris hooson himself perhaps feels, these are songs on another planet to anything you’d compare them to. a true talent hidden away (probably intentionally) behind other lesser artists more interested in glossy TV campaigns, magazine covers and BBC interviews, dakota suite have made a great record with no bells, no whistles and no bullshit, but more heart and soul than anything you will hear this year” — Pennyblack
ε• NME gave Signal Hill an "8 out of 10." Melody Maker praised them with 4 Stars! ε• "Dakota Suite's singer Chris Hooson is very, very sad indeed, and it sounds magnificent. Employing cellos, violins and the ever-trustworthy harmonium, Dakota Suite offer their bruised and battered heart to us, with painstakingly gorgeous, lush and brooding rock". — Independant
ε• I mean, at times, Dakota Suite can outdo even the best of the woe-is-me sad sacks: American Music Club, Will Oldham, Red House Painters' Mark Kozelek. But I'll admit, it's probably been a while since a singer/songwriter's morbid depression has translated into such a surprisingly simple, beautiful record. — Pitchfork
ε• Who knows if Dakota Suite will release another record? There’s certainly more than enough room for more of this. Beautiful, tender, damaged and unloved, much like Chris Hooson himself perhaps feels, these are songs on another planet to anything you’d compare them to. A true talent hidden away (probably intentionally) behind other lesser artists more interested in glossy TV campaigns, magazine covers and BBC interviews, Dakota Suite have made a great record with no bells, no whistles and no bullshit, but more heart and soul than anything you will hear this year — Pennyblack
ε• ‘The End of Trying’ is an instrumental record with Chris (Dakota Suite) accompanied by David Darling on cello. It is an absolutely stunning piece of music. I adore it. Chris Hooson’s music deserves to be heard by more people. It is beautiful. It is tender. It feels like somebody who has struggled with life pouring out everything he has onto his piano. A flood of heart and soul. If you believe that music comes from a place deep within somebody’s being. If you care about music like that, then you are going to adore Dakota Suite. Knowing the story of Chris’ life. His battle with depression it’s hard not to be affected by his work. Even his own words about his forthcoming record ‘The North Green Down’ and other future releases tell a story. He says “and how they can be released without everyone getting more bored than they already are with my whining caustic pointlessness”… I for one don’t think I could ever tire of this man’s work. If you can find a musician who puts more of himself into the music I would be surprised. Dakota Suite is tender. Dakota Suite is tragic. Ultimately Dakota Suite’s music is beautiful and whilst the story might be bleak the music will leave you warm and happy. Of that I am sure. Please check out his work. Enjoy. — The Steinberg Principle
ε• Have you ever found a band that upon listening to their music, your entire body breathes a sigh of relief? When music stirs up from just a single note and slowly begins to entwine itself around every fibre of your body; you start to realise that this is a lot more than just music. This is someone’s soul personified through sound. The End Of Trying is a desperately barren record that is devoid of hope and brimming with melancholy. It’s as stark as it is sparse and holds a beauty that simply cannot be described within a review. Hear it, feel it, cry to it, scream to it, relax to it, it doesn’t matter, just get it.
ε• This album has been given a 9 for the simple fact that it's a number below what is considered "perfect" so please keep in mind that this album doesn't deserve a representative "score". It deserves more than that, it demands more than that. It's not perfect (nothing is) but it's something so unique and incomprehensibly beautiful that just the act of bestowing a digit upon it is almost an offence. — Strangeglue
ε• This beautiful sad music is clearly not meant to brighten up your day. But it might soothe your sadness with rays of hope shining through empathic, understanding themes and fabulous cello sounds.
ε• 'The End of Trying' is one of the most beautiful albums I have heard this year, and it even gains strength with the companion CD that was released shortly after the release of the original: "The Night Keeps Coming In". — Ambientblog
ε• The result is so deeply sad, so melancholy and yet fragile, beautiful, that sounds like snowflakes melt when it hits the ear drum. Contemporary classical music with feeling and untold value. (Vallisa, reviewed by thegap.at)
ε• Zeitgenössische Klassik . Für Vallisa spreche ich hiermit eine absolute Empfehlung aus. Pflichtkauf für die unvoreingenommenen, Mutigen unter uns.... — Schallgrenzen, december 2010
ε• (The result is wonderful, deeply sad music that moves in its delicacy and vulnerability. The beautiful cello playing like a weeping and wailing from the depths of the human soul. Contemporary classical music. I speak for Vallisa an absolute recommendation. A must for the impartial and courageous among us ....)
ε• "Stunning Chamber Music created by Dakota Suite’s mastermind Chris Hooson, Cellist and Grammy-Winner David Darling and French piano master Quentin Sirjacq. Together they have created a magic album that easily crosses boundaries between Chamber-Pop, Jazz and Classical, recorded at Vallisa Auditorium, a small chapel in Bari, Italy. The trio conjure a wide range of moods and emotions with their intuitive arrangements, gracefully sweeping us between sombre, melancholic solo piano and graceful chamber pieces with an elegantly solemn atmosphere. This album will nourish the spirit of those in need of a secluded, intimate experience. Lovely."
ε• The North Green Down' also features the marvellous cello of David Darling who creates textures and waves of melancholy unlike anyone else. Almost 80 minutes of fragile pianos, guitars, cello & subtle electronic elements...cinematic, hypnotic & simply beautiful! — Thrilljockey, January 2011
ε• DAKOTA SUITE, Vallisa is probably one of the biggest achievements of 2010. Merging the typical sadness of Dakota Suite with more playfull jazzy moods of David Darling along with abstract improvisations on piano by Quentin Sirjacq (replacing at the last minute Sylvain Chauveau), this could be a very important record for 2011’s modern classic evolution.
ε• Se qualcuno crede ancora che esistano dischi non riducibili all'asetticità di una valutazione critica, ebbene, "The North Green Down" può a pieno titolo annoverarsi tra questi. Perché le personalissime profondità emozionali che hanno ispirato un'opera del genere non sono misurabili, ma meritano soltanto un rispettoso tentativo di interpretarle, di farle proprie, alla ricerca di un'empatia preziosa come quella conseguita dei due artisti che l'hanno realizzata. — (review of The North green down, Ondarock)
ε• For almost 80 minutes, fragile memories and painful emotions are conjured by an intimate mixture of piano, guitars and cello, sometimes augmented by very light strokes of electronics. The main theme of opener The North Green Down (Part I) is repeated throughout the album under different variations and elaborations, that demonstrate Hooson’s immense talent for composing music of achingly personal and delicate qualities. Case in point being the majestic Part VI featuring David Darling’s cello, telling a spine tingling story of fight and surrender — an absolutely wonderful and emotionally draining experience. Dakota Suite and Emanuele Errante have created a work of immense sensibility, impeccably illustrated by the album cover. This music displays an intimate and impeccable balance of restrain and beauty — an essential album. — Fluid-radio review of ‘the North green down’
ε• Soms kan schoonheid gewoon pijn doen. Een mooier eerbetoon dan dit kan je niet wensen, een mooier album van beide heren eigenlijk ook niet. Dakota Suite en Emanuele Errante hebben een tijdloos en bloedmooi meesterwerk gecreëerd. — (The North green down reviewed by Jan Willem Brook — Subjectivisten.typepad.com/caleidoscoop/)
ε• This album may go on to inspire a new wave of contemporary jazz-like sounds from artists outside of the discipline, much like what has been occurring with modern day classical music. As such, ‘The Hearts of Empty’ should be considered as an essential album, and one only hopes it will be consumed by many despite its composer’s fascination with solitude. — Fluid-radio.com
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