The Unusual History of Ether: A Distant AGe

The title "A Distant Age" hints at the expansive nature of this record. It covers a wide musical and philosophical terrain, and crosses many borders in the process. The band have taken the dramatic undertones of their first EP (2012's 'Part One' ) and have brought them to the fore with an intense new energy, producing grooves that are tightly wound with threads of dark pop melody.
 
This richer sound is a result of extensive live performance following the release of 'Part One' in early 2012. While the EP was hailed as a "breathtaking" and "heartbreakingly beautiful" debut by the Danish press, "A Distant Age" delivers on the promise of these live performances by capturing the band playing live in studio, with only minimal overdubs being added in the production process.
 
The philosophical approach to song-writing, combined with a sound that is restlessly trans-genre, is due to the multifaceted nature of the band itself: The Unusual History of Ether is the songwriting partnership of Irish singer, keyboardist and songwriter Rebecca Collins and Danish jazz guitarist and composer Mikkel Ploug. They played together for the first time at the Dublin Fringe Festival in 2007 and immediately forged a musical connection. However, their own projects kept them busy in the years that followed. Rebecca toured in support of her two solo records, opening for artists such as John Parish and Luka Bloom in the process. Mikkel released several albums with his groups Equilibrium and Mikkel Ploug Group, and toured widely. When the two finally found time to collaborate in 2011, things happened fast. After a few months of swapping musical ideas online, The Unusual History of Ether was formed and Rebecca relocated to Copenhagen.
 
Bassist Jeppe Skovbakke (of I Got You On Tape) and drummer Jeppe Gram (Grammofunch) completed the band's line-up during the recording of 'Part One'. Both highly-accomplished musicians from the vibrant Copenhagen music scene, Skovbakke and Gram helped to seal The Unusual History of Ether into a powerful four-piece that went on the road and started to build a following at home and abroad. Rebecca's native Ireland was particularly fast to embrace The Unusual History of Ether, and the band has made several live radio and television appearances there in the past year.
 
"A Distant Age" embodies the band's adventurous spirit. It takes the listener on a whirwind journey across a visceral musical landscape, stretching from the far reaches of the cosmos to the deepest shadows of the human interior…