I’ve just added a playlist of Christmas and wintery tunes I’ve written. Enjoy and Merry Christmas! http://www.mattowens.co.uk/orchestral/

Delighted that Baked A La Ska’s new album Skalloween was reviewed in The Sunday Times by Clive Davies.

As if Halloween wasn’t scary enough, Baked A La Ska are back and casting a hideous floating eyeball over some of the most beloved spooky classics of all time. Join the band for their freakish fifth album: Skalloween.

Recoil in horror as favourites such as “Ghostbusters”, “The Addams Family” and “Ghost Riders In The Sky” all receive the band’s trademark skanking treatment. Shriek in fright as the legendary Mancunian ska heavyweights bring ghoulish good times to 10 classic halloween cuts including madcap originals such as first single “Calling All Ghosts” and their nod to Scooby Doo, “Pesky Kids”.

As ever, the band’s increasingly ridiculous range of vocalists: Frank N. Stein, Grave Robin Sunflower, Tom B. Stone and Kuntri Ranks share vocal duties. There’s even room for up and coming MC Darth Vader on a dubbed up version of Star Wars’ Imperial March.

Check out the new video of the opening track Calling All Ghosts co-written with David Knopov and Tom Briggs.

Available from our bandcamp site https://bandcamp.com/bakedalaskaband

I’ve uploaded a few tracks of orchestral music I’ve written here http://www.mattowens.co.uk/orchestral/

Enjoy!

I was playing a gig in Manchester’s Midland Hotel when I noticed a sepia print hanging on one of the walls. It was of Edwardian musicians playing on the rooftop of of the hotel. It intrigued me so I took a photo of it with my phone and promptly forgot all
about it…

…until a year or so later. As I was finished of my album The Aviators’ Ball I accidentally deleted the contents of my phone. When I restored the back up the photo of the musicians came up and immediately seemed like the perfect album cover. I tracked the photo down though Manchester achieves and found they where actually a set of six of so prints from an afternoon tea at the Midland.

Interestingly all the instruments that can be seen in the pictures, piano, violin, clarinet, cello and double bass feature on the album. Also the piano is a Broadwood, the same make as the one I grew up with, which as well as the skyline of Manchester (where I now live) being shown, is a nice connection for me.

The is some more insight into the roof garden in a recent Manchester Evening News article: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/midland-hotel-roof-terrace-manchester-12727551

I’ve spent a lot of time listening to the French radio station FIP so am delighted that they have included Black Is The Colour  from my album on their new compilation FIP Vol 2 la playlist qui rythme votre vie. Here’s a link.

I really enjoyed performing the music from The Aviators Ball in the Bridgewater Hall Foyer as part of the Little Bite Concert Series. It was great to here the full ensemble with the Souza Wind Quintet and tuned percussion combining so fluidly with the jazz quartet. Here is Black Is The Colour feat. Ríoghnach Connolly live

You can watch the full concert here.

Here are a couple of new piece premiered by The Amika Strings and The Chorlton Arts Festival.

Over the last year I’ve been writing music with Justin Shearn for http://thehaus.tv.

One of the tracks we’ve co-written has just been used on Catch & Release’s promo film.

I’ve been asked to write a few pieces for string quartet by The Amika Strings. I’m looking forward to hearing them premiered at The Chorlton Arts Festival in the wonderful acoustic of St Werbergs’ Church on Friday 20th May. More info here: http://www.chorltonartsfestival.com/event/jukestrings/