MerlinMoon Confirms Feature of Reggae Super Star Alborosie in His Sophomore LP 'Younity' (BangyBang Records)

"Last of kings"; a song written in memory of Bob Marley, the Lion of Judah.

MIAMI, Jan. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Reggae superstar Alborosie, co-producer of Younity, is being featured in MerlinMoon's single "Last of kings"; a song written in memory of Bob Marley, the Lion of Judah. Since the death of Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, the reggae genre has evolved, yet Younity remains true to the roots of authentic reggae rhythm while incorporating the cerebral feel of Pink Floyd and British Neo Psychedelic Rock. Their shared love of vintage equipment brought Alborosie and Merlinmoon together, initiating both a friendship and many artistic collaborations.

Helios was founded when Island Records founder Chris Blackwell convinced Abbey Road designer Dick Swettenham to build a custom console for his Basin Street Studio. The Helios consoles were used to mix and record legendary artists such as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The RollingStones, The Who, Roxy Music, Queen and Jimi Hendrix. MerlinMoon's debut album Iconography LP, (2017), was recorded and mixed in a Helios at BangyBang Records in Miami, as shown in the documentary webisode series "Historic Sounds".

BangyBang records' Helios console originally resided at the legendary jazz ECM Records and was used to record artists such as Pat Matheney and Keith Jarret before being sold to lead singer of Creed, Scott Stapp. Alborosie, on the other hand, found a hidden Helios type 69 console originally from Harry J Studios in Jamaica, famously used by Bob Marley.

After months of "gear talk" between Alborosie and MerlinMoon, the idea of blending the cerebral rock feel of MerlinMoon with Alborosie's reggae influence arose and was put into action when the rhythm section was recorded in Kingston Jamaica by seasoned musicians.

"I decided to collaborate with MerlinMoon cause I felt the vibe was right and the energy was moving into the same and right direction, the passion for vintage equipment brought us together and the love for real music keep on pushing us toward new frontiers, long life to reggae," explains Alborosie.

PJ Olsson (Alan Parson's band) & Juan C. Nieto (IbeatHouse), BangyBang's team, joined forces with MerlinMoon to finalize the 10 songs LP in BangyBang Records Studio in Miami. Younity was originally set to be released on Oct. 10, 2019, exactly two years after the release of Iconography LP, but the album had to be postponed due to MerlinMoon's prolonged work composing music for an undisclosed documentary at the Vatican City in Italy. Last of Kings featuring Alborosie will be the first single to be released early 2020. "Alborosie is an inspiring humble human, with an immense talent already in the process of making history, and Younity is just the first collaboration of many more to come," states MerlinMoon.

Shaping Humanity With Music, MerlinMoon Announces His Sophomore Album 'YOUNITY' (BangyBang Records)

MerlinMoon joins forces with renown reggae artist Alborosie on his new production for the BangyBang Records catalogue.

MIAMI, July 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- MerlinMoon announces "Younity," his second full-length studio album. The album is set to be released worldwide on Oct. 10, 2019, exactly two years after the release of MerlinMoon's debut LP, 'Iconography. YOUNITY'S lyrics transcend the boundaries of race and genres, with a universal message promoting the unity of all mankind. The sound blends the rhythm of Trenchtown reggae with splashes of British neo-psychedelic rock. This conceptual artistic production aims to bring awareness about how politics, corporate greed and widespread media thicken the lines that separate people by race, religion, belief and nationality.  

Curating unchallenged songwriting and vintage analogue sounds, MerlinMoon chases his idealistic standards with the prowess acquired by listening to his majestic idols. Emerging himself in the purity of reggae, respecting the authenticity of the message it preaches, MerlinMoon stays rooted to his rock and indie legacies. He intricately weaves a complex musical web of various genres, creating his signature indie sound.

MerlinMoon was oblivious to racism while growing up. Bob Marley's lyrics introduced MerlinMoon to racial issues that still today divide humanity. Bob Marley's song "War" says: "That until there no longer, First class and second class, citizens of any nation, Until the color of a man's skin, Is of no more significance, than the color of his eyes, Me say war." MerlinMoon believes that Marley's words should be sung as a creed for humanity. He explains that, "A stoned blind humanity, touching life sightless would lead to a racial neutral state. He who considers of any human being lesser is who defines ignorance and is who promotes the division of mankind." In his last few productions, including Lithography 1 EP (2017) & Lithography 2 EP (2018), his songs embark on a journey promoting life and love while condemning the ones who destroy earth. In this new work of music, MerlinMoon embraces the wars fought for freedom and the angry riots of equality to justify the sacrifices endured by the brave Martyrs.  

CREDITS:

All songs written and composed by MerlinMoon.

Produced by MerlinMoon, Alborosie & Juan Carlos Nieto.

Co-Produced by PJ Olsson. 

Mixed by Juan Carlos Nieto & Richard De Avila @ BangyBang Studio (Miami Florida)

Mastered by Juan Carlos Nieto & Richard De Avila @ IBeat House (Miami Florida)

YOUNITY: A Stoned-Blind Humanity.

“A stoned blind humanity, touching life sightless would lead to a racial neutral state. He who considers of any human being lesser is who defines ignorance and is who promotes the demographic division. Constantly being played, manipulated, and confused by the powers of men who make believe that the current political and economic state define the future, instead it expands the agenda of greed at the cost of humanities well-being. Confusion inside chaos require a series of blunts to neutralize judgment, envy and expand the mind's eye. Humans should care about humans deeply, plant food to feed, embrace love to heal and merciful forgiveness to make evolution possible. The Greeks dreamed of absolute democracy and technology has developed the tools for humanity to retrograde its senses towards an objective perception, away from obliviousness. Nostalgia fueled by suffering, stain our existence with the idea of belonging to a specific race, religion and nationality. The wars fought for freedom and the angry riots of equality, have been capitalized by the minorities to martyr memories into debates pouring acid in the wounds that already healed, Younity is love”

#Quantum #Matrix...

The cycle countdown begins. Enormous Computers used for simple calculations evolved into tiny micro chips. The first half of this century advanced humanity a relative millennium. The next half will define whether we are worthy of existence . The power of the Quantum Horizon, will merge the carbon and silicon worlds into the future of man kind.

The Sound of YOUNITY

Sometimes it’s not easy to retrace the steps we have walked. The speed in which the modern world forces change makes it difficult for us not to question our purpose. Even if our roots remain strong, the atmosphere in which we coexist morphs into an unfamiliar territory. For this reason, the nostalgia of our influences births the will to worship the artists who shaped our creativity. In a world full of racism and constant separation of minorities, we tend to forget that everyones journey ends in darkness. The lack of humility and wrong pursue of ideology, creates a hazardous world, where no one is safe. Through memory, the sound of reggae projects a sense of tranquility, hope and good vibes. Apart and away from the real world of suffering and pain, music offers healing in a form of truth. YOUNITY is born, expanding on the teachings of the “last of kings”, Bob Marley. Promoting a united world where the color of our skin is as meaningless as the color of our eyes.. Recorded in-between Kingston Jamaica, and Miami Florida, the sound of MerlinMoon’s indie rock blends easily with reggae roots forming a new perspective and vision of change. Produced by Alborosie and MerlinMoon in collaboration with Pj Olsson and Juan C. Nieto, the album is set to be released Summer/Fall 2019.

After 16 Million Youtube Views, MerlinMoon Releases 'Lithography II EP' (BangyBang Records)

MerlinMoon releases second indie EP featuring PJ Olsson, Jivan Gasparyan Jr, Arturo Solar, Johan Frank, Shawn Anthony & Juan C. Nieto.

MIAMI, Oct. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- After two independent releases in 2017, full-length album "Iconography" (October 2017) and "Lithography EP" (May 2017), and 16 million YouTube views with approximately 38.4 million minutes watched, MerlinMoon releases "Lithography 2 EP." While working on a full-length album with reggae artist/producer Alborosie, set to be released early 2019, he keeps us busy with a 5 song EP, exploring different genres without compromise, melting bites of Trip Hop, Acid Jazz, Neo Psychedelia and World Beat in a sensitive yet rough soundscape.

MerlinMoon's crystalline British influences splashes through the sound of three decades, starting with Pink Floyd in the seventies, Peter Gabriel in the eighties and Bristol Urban Underground Sound, which emerged in the early 90s with bands such as Massive Attack & Tricky.

The opening title "Cyborg" mixes Pink Floyd's "The Wall" bouncing bass and guitar delays with Massive Attack's mood and granular sounds, the aftermath is an unorthodox British blend turning into a classic MerlinMoon experimental track. Cyborg Features Shawn Anthony, the platinum selling songwriter/artists, who has been featured many times in HBO series such as "Entourage" and "Ballers."  

The succeeding track "Yesterday is Gone" was written more than a decade ago, and MerlinMoon declined to officially release it until now. "It's the first song, the song that changed everything, none of the past versions felt right until now," says MerlinMoon. Showcasing a direct influence of David Gilmour's electric guitar bends and acoustic guitar arpeggios, complementing the laid back feel of Nick Mason's beat. Merlin features his good friend PJ Olsson, lead singer of Alan Parsons' Band, who responsibly extends the song's lyrics with an airy voice that resuscitates and empowers the existence of Richard Wright. The synthesizer solo in the bridge was played by Juan C. Nieto with a vintage VCS3 "The Putney" synth through a stereo Leslie speakers. "Juan has been an incredible influence in this album, his sound textures and perspective in production, mixing and mastering truly enhanced the message and voice of each track," expresses MerlinMoon. Drums were recorded by British drummer Steve Holley (Wings, Paul McCartney) at ShoreFire Recordings by engineer Joe DiMaggio.

Inspired by Peter Gabriel's World Beat genre, the middle track "Some Kind of Way," was written in collaboration with guitar player friend Johann Frank. The song entails the constant tarnishing of Earth by humans, featuring Johann Frankin a lap steel guitar and classic DNA blues.

The fourth track "Empty Shell" features Jivan Gasparyan Jr., grandson of the Godfather of the Armenian Duduk Gjivan Gasparyan. The incredible sound of the Armenian duduk extends the canvas of the song to another planar dimension. "The Armenian Duduk trembles the bones of my soul, it affects me deeply, I am a big fan of both Jivan and his grandfather," expresses MerlinMoon.

MerlinMoon closes the curtain with Shexy. A sexual Acid Jazz tune, featuring trumpet player Arturo Solar in a journey between the Harmon Mute Trumpet & the Flugelhorn. Minimalistic production with original samples of wine glasses, wood sticks and vocoders on top of classic swing jazz groove. A completely experimental track, with provocative vocals and lyrics.

All songs were produced, written and composed by MerlinMoon, except "Some King of Way" which music was composed in collaboration with Johann Frank, who was discovered by Phil Collins at the age of fourteen in his hometown in Switzerland, and since that day he has toured alongside many world-renowned artists. The album was recorded in various locations – BangyBang Records Studio in Miami Florida, Eagle Wing Sound in WinterPark Colorado, and Shorefire recordings in New Jersey. Juan C. Nieto and Richard De Avila Co-Produced, Mixed and Mastered the EP. The EP was mixed through a highly modified 1/4 inch tape reel to reel into a 14-Bit VHS converter to achieve a unique sound texture inspired by the album "Protection" by massive attack.  

During the past eleven years, MerlinMoon worked with 12-time Grammy Award winner producer/engineer Rafa Sardina; Grammy Nominee Alan Parsons, renowned for his work on Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" as well as PJ Olsson, Mark Needham and Phil Tan, and none of the music was ever released. Scoring the Dance Billboard chart with a remix by DJ Hector Fonseca late 2016, with the unreleased single "Believe," encouraged the idea of re-recording MerlinMoon's unreleased catalog featuring friends and artists under the concept name "Lithography." Now, MerlinMoon's production & engineering team consists of Juan C. Nieto, PJ Olsson & Richard De Avila, keeping the work in-house to develop further the sound of BangyBang Records.

"Tough time to tame two talking tigers" -- MerlinMoon

Indie Rock Artist MerlinMoon Releases the Long-Awaited Album ICONOGRAPHY

MIAMI, Oct. 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- After seventeen months brewing in a mind full of uncertainty, insecurity and an unparalleled vision of a road less travelled, MerlinMoon has finally released his full length debut album "Iconography", a nostalgic and pure analog odyssey. The album embodies a limited canvas of infinite notes, inspired by nostalgia, loss and unbreakable will and consists of a ten song, thirty-five minutes journey, following the EP "Lithography" released on May 5th, 2017. "Lithography" surpassed  its million YouTube views mark with more than 2.5 million minutes played in the first 90 days.

MerlinMoon presents "ICONOGRAPHY". A limited canvas of infinite notes, inspired by nostalgia, loss and unbreakable will.

Available worldwide as of October 10, 2017. The album reflects MerlinMoon's various influences: from Peter Gabriel's intense percussive bitters, with the mellow psychedelia of Pink Floyd and King Crimson, to a touch of  Sting's sensitivity and Bob Marley's subtle appeal to a higher spiritual atonement. 

As an independent artist, MerlinMoon has always focused on transforming music into an art for the soul, rather than just a form of entertainment. Music, as Plato once said, "gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything."  And "Iconography" delivers. It captures the sound of a vintage vinyl recorded on analog equipment and calibrated tape machines, resulting in a soothing sound quality that reflects the nostalgic sounds record collectors and music enthusiasts appreciate and love. 

"Staying pure during this past decade of piracy and music degeneration has not only been hard but it also required a slight level of insanity," says MerlinMoon. "Iconography" was recorded and mixed in a vintage Helios Console that came from the legendary Jazz label ECM Records (Talent Studio, Norway) now at BangyBang Records studio in Miami, Florida, USA. The production team on the new album includes PJ Olsson (Alan Parson's Band Singer), M.Domain and IBeat House (Juan C.Nieto and Richard DeAvila). The sound texture of "Iconography" embodies the emotional purity and sound quality of classic albums infused with a contemporary canvas transcending futuristic soundscapes.

Limited Edition 180 Grams Vinyl LP with Poster offered exclusively through the BangyBang records website 

ALBUM TRACKLIST  
1. ICONOGRAPHY • 3:02  
2. BORN TO FEEL • 3:23  
3. SAVE ME • 3:38  
4. LULLABY OF LOVE • 3:54  
5. HOLD ON TO THE MAGIC • 4:00  
6. THE SEARCH • 1:23  
7. PEARL OF MY HEART • 4:22  
8. NO MAN'S LAND  • 3:15  
9. BEYOND THE SUNRISE • 3:35  
10. SPIRIT RISING • 4:44

After a Decade Underground, MerlinMoon Releases Lithography EP (BangyBang Records)

MIAMI, Aug. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- After a long hiatus, MerlinMoon is ready to release. During the past ten years, MerlinMoon worked with 12-time Grammy Award winner producer/engineer Rafa Sardina; Grammy Nominee Alan Parsons, reknown for his work on Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon as well as PJ Olsson, Mark Needham and Phil Tan, and yet none of the music was ever released.

Scoring the Dance Billboard chart with a remix by DJ Hector Fonseca late 2016, with the unreleased single "Believe," encouraged the idea of re-recording MerlinMoon's unreleased catalog featuring friends and artists under the concept name "Lithography."

This first edition released on May 5, 2017, features world famous producer and artist Rico Love who is featured on records with T.I., Usher, Jermaine Dupri and Jamie Foxx, and has written and produced songs for Usher, Beyonce and T.I.

The second song "BangyBang" features rapper Shawn Anthony. The Platinum Selling songwriter/artist has also been featured many times in HBO series such as Entourage, and Ballers.

The third song "Albatree" is a story of an endless journey to inspiration. MerlinMoon features his good friend PJ Olsson, lead singer of Alan Parsons Band. The EP closes with a track inspired by MerlinMoon's spiritual journey during a life changing Ayahuasca experience.

Originally "Aya" was the back curtain of the MerlinMoon's upcoming (10 track) new album "Iconography" (Oct. 10, 2017). The song features Djivan Gasparyan Jr. — grandson and successor of Djivan Gasparyan, the God Father of Armenian Duduk — who collaborated with many artists, such as Sting, Peter Gabriel, Brian May, Lionel Richie, Brian Eno and Hans Zimmer. After listening to "Duduk of the North" from the "Gladiator Soundtrack," he felt compelled to add the Armenian Duduk in one of his compositions. "It has been a great accomplishment to close the first edition of the Lithography EP with such an emotional piece," says MerlinMoon.

All music recorded and produced at BangyBang studio, Miami, Florida.