Album: Iona

Band History

January '05   /  From Silence & Iona DVD Released Virtually no live work for the band this year but 2005 turns out to be a bumper year for cd and especially dvd releases! The band focus their attention on recording especially in the latter part of the year with work on their first new studio album since 2000's 'Open Sky' as well as completing mixing and editing on the "Live In London' DVD and recording additional material for a proposed 'History of Iona' DVD that Voiceprint are putting together.

'From Silence' - Troy and Dave's first duo album (from the Lincoln Cathedral improvised performance) is released on Iona's Open Sky label. Recorded in 'binaural' - a technique which gives a fantastic sense of movement and involvement (particularly when listened to on headphones), the resultant sound is very dynamic, with Dave's keyboards and electric guitar and bouzouki loops swirling around and sounding much more organic and alive than on a conventional recording. And as the persective shifts around, Troy's pipes and whistles at once sound close and intimate, and then far away and distant, as though becoming part of the cathedral itself. The material on the album is presented exactly as it was played, with no overdubs and only a couple of edits for technical reasons.

January also sees Iona's first DVD release. An documentary originally filmed for a Dutch TV series back at the end of 1990 and subsequently released on video (but deleted many years ago) is now re-released on DVD. The half hour programme, which was filmed largely on the islands of Mull and Iona, catches the band soon after the release of the first album and includes rare interview and rehearsal footage as well as some live film from one of the band's first ever concerts - a TV festival in Holland.

Work continues on Troy and Dave's next duo album 'When Worlds Collide'.

Dave continues to prepare tracks from his 'Veil of Gossamer' album for release on 'dual disk' - a new cd/dvd format. The release, planned for later in the year, will be through a new US company called Jhana Music and will feature the album mixed in 5.1 surround sound and also film footage of Dave discussing the making of the album and playing a few extracts. Meanwhile 'Veil' continues to receive some tremendous reviews during 2005.
Jo and Frank get together in Ireland putting initial ideas together for the album that will eventually become 'Rafael's Journey'.

History by Album:
Iona  ('90)
The Book Of Kells  ('92)
Beyond These Shores  ('93)
Journey Into The Morn  ('96)
Heaven's Bright Sun  ('97)
Woven Cord  ('99)
Open Sky  ('00)
The River Flows: Anthology Vol. 1  ('02)
Songs for Luca  ('03)
Veil of Gossamer  ('04)
Iona  ('04)
The Circling Hour  ('06)
Live In London  ('06)
Songs for Luca 2  ('07)
Live In London  ('08)
Life Journey  ('09)
Raphael's Journey  ('10)
Another Realm  ('11)