Ashtar by Linda & Steve Hillman
1985's "Ashtar" was a collaboration with my late wife Linda who played flute. On my first album, 1983's "From Distant Shores", there was a track titled "Jewelled Eye" which featured Linda improvising against my ambient synth backing. The track caught the eye, or rather ear of a Bristol based label called Mirage run by Martin Reed who liked the track so much that he said he would be interested in releasing a whole album of similar material.
The underlying concept that Linda and I had in mind was that the music would utilise various ancient musical modes (Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian etc.) to create music that was by turns mysterious, tranquil, meditative, atmospheric and to hopefully evoke vistas of long forgotten civilisations. Recording commenced on a humble four track portastudio in 1984 and the resultant album "Ashtar" was released by Mirage in 1985.
It was then released on our Eye Tapes label in 1987 but with some melodic synth lines added to the title track and to “Silver Sleep” as we thought the original versions needed some extra textural sounds. “Reflections”, from 1985’s “Evocations” album, was also included with some new synth added. The album was re-released as a limited edition CD-R on the Auricle Music label in 2003.
Since then it has remained unavailable but here it is again, this time in an expanded form to include “Solace”, which was recorded during the sessions in 1984, plus the original 1985 Mirage release versions of the title track and “Silver Sleep”.
Notes by Steve Hillman to accompany the limited numbered CD-R which was released by Sleep Fuse in August 2019 www.reverbworship.com
Tracklist
| 1. | Ashtar | 4:58 |
| 2. | Courtyard of the Lion | 2:20 |
| 3. | Temple Dance 1 | 2:41 |
| 4. | Reflections | 1:56 |
| 5. | Sea Child | 4:31 |
| 6. | Chamber of the Moon | 3:22 |
| 7. | Silver Sleep | 7:27 |
| 8. | Valley of Enchantment | 4:42 |
| 9. | Ancient Dawn | 4:18 |
| 10. | Temple Dance 2 | 5:28 |
| 11. | Pillars of Sand | 2:15 |
| 12. | Golden Flame | 4:44 |
| 13. | Awakening Dream | 3:48 |
| 14. | Twilight | 3:24 |
| 15. | Solace | 4:16 |
| 16. | Ashtar (Original 1985 Version) | 6:34 |
| 17. | Silver Sleep (Original 1985 Version) | 7:32 |
Credits
Linda Hillman: flute.
Steve Hillman: synths, keyboards, production, painting & layout.
Remastered August 2019.
License
All rights reserved.
Steve has been creating music since the 1970’s and has had albums released in a variety of genres ranging from electronic, synth rock, progressive rock, jazz and orchestral soundtrack music.
His most recent project is THE TRANCE DIMENSIONALS, a space rock band he formed with the legendary Nik Turner, founding member of Hawkwind.