Cave In The Sky Live @ Byron Theatre

Cave In The Sky. The name conjures up beautiful imagery doesn’t it? Of a soft, warm place of sanctuary amongst the clouds.

That place of sanctuary is probably where you’ll find yourself at the end of a Cave In The Sky performance.  If you’re like me, you won’t want to leave your cave to step outside to reality.

The Cye Wood Fan Club

Cave In The Sky is a new project of gifted Australian musician and composer Cye Wood.

He’s an artist so far unknown to too many people in the world – but respected and admired for his artistry and musicianship by everyone who’s ever had the pleasure to come across his music or his playing.

Putting Cye Wood’s other musical talents aside for a moment, he’s a very special artist in my world of music for one very important reason: the sounds of his violin (which he picked up and learned to play by ear at the ripe old age of 3 ) move me more intensely and profoundly than any other musical sound in the world has ever moved me.

Cye Wood with Cave In The Sky live @ Byron Theatre

Cye Wood

Since picking up that violin at 3 years old, Cye Wood has clocked up a long list of solo music projects and collaborations with other talented artists.  You can read about those collaborative projects here and check out sample tracks from his past projects below.

Cave In The Sky Live

Cye Wood recently formed Cave In The Sky with renowned Australian percussionist Tunji Beier and vocalist (and sister) Purdie Wood.

Cave In The Sky live @ Byron Theatre

I caught Cave In The Sky’s first ever live public performance at Byron Theatre.  There I found myself deeply moved by this delicate and beautiful music of a totally unique kind in this world.

Cave In The Sky live @ Byron Theatre

Cave In The Sky live @ Byron Theatre

Layer Upon Layer

Piece by piece, layer upon layer, loop upon loop, Cave In The Sky compositions are put together live right before your eyes and ears – with no use of playbacks.

All three artists utilise a variety of instruments to create the sound layers which make up those compositions:

Cye Wood on piano, guitarlele, loop pedal, effects pedals, vocals, bass viola – and of course violin.

Tunji Beier on an exotic range of percussive instruments including, tavil, zarb, ghatam, drum kit, bells and stones.

Purdie Wood on unique vocals of an exquisite kind as well as a number of percussive and wind instruments including shakapa, rattles, drone flute, melodica and singing bowl.

Feeling Intensely

In each Cave In The Sky composition, the sounds of Cye Wood’s improvised violin parts come later.

Cye Wood with Cave In The Sky live @ Byron Theatre

If you’re like me, those sounds will penetrate and awaken every cell of your being, and stir up every emotion inside of you until they want to burst out of your body.  They will bring a crazily-delicious kind of pain that feels so good, and so so right. Whatever it is those sounds make you feel, you will feel them, intensely.

And feeling anything intensely is a healthy thing yes? Isn’t that what we want  from all the music we listen to?

Awaking Alive & Well

By the end of the Cave In The Sky performance the audience is left in a state of calm and quiet. It’s like waking up from a beautiful dream and wanting to go back to sleep so you can be in it again.  You can’t, because Cave In The Sky have finished playing. But you’ve been moved inside, deeply. And you leave with a knowing, and a feeling, that every single cell inside of you is alive and well.

Cave In The Sky live @ Byron Theatre

Take a break from your busy life to watch these short videos from Cave In The Sky performing live at Byron Theatre  – and get a small glimpse of what you can only truly experience by finding your own live Cave In The Sky show…

               ‘The Gift’                                                                         ‘Sola’

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http://youtu.be/qSOn2K7XB8g                              http://youtu.be/bk3cshm8wA8

Cye Wood Projects Past

The Trail of Genghis Khan

Cye Wood’s most recent studio release was a soundtrack to Tim Cope’s documentary The Trail of Genghis Khan.  That album was made in collaboration with none other than the incredibly talented and ethereal sounding Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance.

Check out this sample track from the The Trail of Genghis Khan – keeping in mind, as always, it’s just  an mp3. You can buy the real CD and hear all the sounds of the music made, plus enjoy its stunning album art, direct from the artist here

Cye Wood & Lisa Gerard - The Trail of Genghis Khan Soundtrack (2010)

The Trail of Genghis Khan (2010) – Cye Wood & Lisa Gerrard

‘Sukhe’ – The Trail of Genghis Khan – Cye Wood & Lisa Gerard

 

Araya

Before The Trail of Genghis Khan came Cye Wood’s solo EP Araya.

Listen to a sample track from Araya here (which can also be bought in CD format, direct from the artist here)…

Araya - Cye Wood

Araya (2009) – Cye Wood

‘Storm Boy’ – Araya – Cye Wood 

Your Own Personal Cave In The Sky

This is just the beginning for Cave In The Sky.  Cye Wood will soon head off to Iceland to finish the album – and in the meantime and afterwards, Cave In The Sky will be touring in Australia and Europe.

Keep your eyes open to find your own personal Cave In The Sky experience amongst the clouds.

Kooii – Kickin’ It Live At Kulcha Jam

After a bit of a gig hiatus, Kooii took their uplifting Afro Beat/reggae/jazz/groove fusion sounds to Byron Bay to play live at Kulcha Jam.

Kooii poster- Kulcha Jam- 2013 - www.beaveronthebeats.com

The gig was a positive, feel good experience for all –  same as every Kooii gig I’ve been to over the years.

Kooii - Live - Kulcha Jam - www.beaveronthebeats.com

It was 10 years ago when I bought Kooii’s first release – Hijacker.  Since then the group has morphed its members and its music, but the things that make up the goodness that is Kooii remain.

Kooii Goodness

The Blend

*The faultlessly blended and fantastic sounds of Afro Beat, reggae & jazz in the music. Quality Afro Beat played by Australians, in Australia yes – that makes Kooii extra special in my books.

Vocals & Trumpet

*Kooii’s principal song writer and vocalist Peter Hunt: His lyrics with their simple and positive messages; and his beautiful trumpet playing that I am always hanging to hear.

Kooii - Kulcha Jam - www.beaveronthebeats.com

Musicianship

*The incredibly tight musicianship of every Kooii band member.

My musically hard to please (and also musically brilliant) friend said this to me during the gig: 

Those guys are such amazing musicians that the music they play transcends the genres they’re playing.

Each member of Kooii is a well respected and significant part of Brisbane’s contemporary (I’d say fusion) music scene in their own right. Via Kooii yes, but also via other bands they have been or are now a part of. That includes Kafka, Bobby Alu, Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes, Laneous & The Family Yah, Ruby Blue  and Promiscuous.  Brisbanites will know exactly what I’m talking about.

Kooii are: Peter Hunt (Vocals & Trumpet); Darcy McNulty (Saxophone); Tom Hinchliffe (Bass & Vocals); Lachlan Mitchell (Guitar & Vocals); Dominic Hede (Drums); Conan Griffiths (Guitar); Charles Wall (Percussion).

Connected In the Round

Gigs at Kulcha Jam are the best live musical experiences you’re likely to have in any Byron Bay venue.

Kooii - Live - Kulcha Jam - www.beaveronthebeats.com

I’ll probably have more to say about good vibes Kulcha Jam another day. Suffice to say for now – this is a community & cultural arts hub where you’ll find coconut juice instead of beer; chocolate covered strawberries; and a no-shoe-policy in the music & other arts space.  People are there to listen, dance and appreciate the music.

Importantly, you’ll be dancing around the band playing in the middle of the space, on the same floor you’re dancing on. You will see, and feel connected to the artists and everyone else in the room who you’re sharing that musical experience with.

Everyone Agrees

It seems everyone at Kooii’s Kulcha Jam gig agrees with me about its excellency.

Here’s a great piece that Rachael Torise from community radio station Bay FM, put together about people’s experiences there.

https://soundcloud.com/chopsuey-roaming-radio/live-in-the-shire-kooii

+ a video of Kooii performing live at Kulcha Jam…

Indescribable Support

Last but not at all least, Kooii were supported at Kulcha Jam by the musical genius of Cye Wood on violin and Matt Ostila on the Swiss Hang, electric bass, African kalimbas and a loop pedal.  I could tell you they played ‘world music sounds’ but that means nothing much. They created indescribable but beautiful, improvised, experimental music. I love to hear these musicians play whatever they are playing, whenever they are playing.

Matt Ostilla & Cye Wood

Matt Ostila & Cye Wood

Kooii and their support act absolutely kicked it at Kulcha Jam – just like Kooii sing in their song below that you can check out 🙂 .

Listen

Kooii tracks for listening here… (available to buy through Vitamin Records – and of course much better sounding than these MP3 versions )

Call Out (2012)

Call Out (2012)

‘Kick It’ – Kooii – Call Out (2012)

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‘Hold It Up’ – Kooii – Call Out (2012)

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Beads On A String (2005)

Beads On A String (2005)

‘Meeting Place’ – Kooii – Beads On A String (2005)

“The music as a meeting place, for all to come, for all to be.”

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‘We Get Around’ – Kooii – Beads On A String (2005)

 

In This Life (2010)

In This Life (2010)