Signal to the Stars

Callisto

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 9, 2004)
• Original Release Date: November 9, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: A.D. Music
• ASIN: B0006GQMGY
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #438,074 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

"The seed for Callisto was sown in 2003 when David Wright discussed ideas for his 15th solo album 'Continuum' with friend and colleague Dave Massey. A number of musical ideas were put aside simply because they did not fit into the album's overall identity. Yet, both felt that these ideas deserved to be nurtured and developed into another direction. An exchange of musical ideas began and thus Callisto was born.

The two had already worked successfully as members of ambient electronic band Code Indigo, and both musicians share a passion for melodic, rhythmic, electronic music in the classic tradition of the early works of Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Kitaro and Vangelis, so 'Signal to the Stars' had a direction mapped out from the start. However, both artists were determined to ensure that the Callisto sound would be 'original'.

David Wright is now considered a veteran of the EM scene with a perennial sales record and an established fan base spanning 15 solo albums since the late 80's and a further 5 albums with his band Code Indigo. David is also the founder and driving force behind the AD Music label and its publishing arm FX Media.

Dave Massey has been producing music as a solo musician and with his brother, under a variety of pseudonyms for over 10 years, producing more than a dozen new age and world music albums for labels like North Star. Dave has also produced successful trance and dance music under numerous guises and is a respected producer. The creative process behind a successful collaboration such as this is often intuitive and therefore difficult to define. However, in broad terms, David Wright developed the musical and compositional dimensions whilst Dave Massey concentrated more on the production,developing ideas and refining increasingly sophisticated rhythms and sequences. After long, intense but highly productive studio sessions 'Signal to the Stars' was carefully crafted."

Product Description

'Signal to the Stars' is full of memorable and melodic themes, set against a backdrop of powerful and hypnotic rhythmic moods, augmented by inventive sequences, atmospherics and spontaneous keyboard solos. To quote writer Steve Roberts: "Listening to music of this quality is always an enriching and uplifting experience. Enjoy your first journey into 'Signal to the Stars' as you will revisit frequently and discover new depths and emotions every time. As for Callisto, this is just the beginning of the voyage."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An astonishing debut from CALLISTO! Rates right alongside the great artists/albums of electronic instrumental music! , February 28, 2007

By	Jeffery K. Matheus (Indianapolis, IN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Once in a while you discover an artist or album that takes you completely by surprize. For me, this was one such album! I'm a huge fan of veteran artists like Kitaro, Tangerine Dream and Patrick O'Hearn, and over the last year or so I've been trying to discover new, exciting, younger artists in that same field of instrumental synthesizer music. Sadly, my search has mostly turned up a lot of duds! Much of the "new age music" being released today is either far too sparse and minimalistic and for my tastes (i.e. Ray, Liquid Mind), or includes operatic and/or "wordless" vocals (i.e. - Amethystium, Aria), something that sort of defeats the whole purpose of buying instrumental music - don't you think?? : ) I also found a lot of ambient "space music" (i.e Between Interval, John Serrie), but most of it lacks the very things I loved most about the early electronic pioneers - namely melody and structure!...Well, I was just about to give up on finding any great new synthesizer artists, and was even contemplating moving to desert island with my Kitaro collection, when I found an interesting-looking CD in the "used" section of a local record store. The CD was CALLISTO's "Signal to the Stars". I had never heard of the group, but after looking over the track titles, and reading through the insert booklet, I decided that for only $5.99 I should at least give this band a chance. Later I popped the CD into my player and strapped on the headphones, not knowing if I was in for a gem, or yet another dud. All I could say after the CD finished was "WOW! Now THIS is the kind of music I've been looking for!!!"...Born in 2004, Callisto is a UK-based duo comprised of keyboardists/composers David Wright and Dave Massey, both of whom maintain their own solo careers, as well as serving as members of the popular electronic group Code Indigo. According to the liner notes, their collaboration as "Callisto" began when the two Davids found themselves with some strong leftover material that just didn't fit in with another project they were working on - material that was inspired by their common love of artists like Vangelis, TD, Klaus Schulze, & Jean Michel Jarre. The music here does indeed show those influences, but it's much, MUCH more than a clone-like "tribute" to any of these artists. Rather, Callisto interprets the influneces of their musical heroes with a more updated, contemporary array of synth & percussion sounds - and there is something in their compositional style that displays a lot of creative ingeninuity all their own. The 5 featured tracks, often divided into multi-part movements, all have an "epic" scope to them, and allow plenty of room for the musicians to breathe and show their wares. One thing that stands out immediately is that these guys know how to write strong, memorable melodies, and then back those melodies with rich arrangements full of detail and nuance (something that is totally lacking in some of the more "minimalist" genre artists.) There is also a healthy amount of variation in terms of mood, tempoes, and synth sounds/styles - from plantive piano, to percussive "Berlin school"-style backdrops, to lush symphonic flourishes! I also find that there is something in Wright & Massey's keyboard playing that is very distinctive - in particular, a spontaneous, very "human" feel to the synth solos. Although sequencers are used, this does not feel like overly-"programmed" electronic music at all!...With over 69 minutes of music, this album certainly gives buyers their moneys-worth. But even better yet is that fact that it holds the listeners rapt attention for its entire duration - or at least that's what it does for me. I quite honestly like every track here, so it's hard to pick any stand-outs, but if I was hard-pressed I would say that "Setisphere", in just under 17 minutes of running time, nicely sums up everything that is great about this duo, while "Iosphere" contains a main theme/arrangemnt of such haunting beauty that, once heard, it will not be forgotten!...All in all, if you love melodic electronic music, this album is not to be missed! In fact, I would say that this album rates right alongside some of the finest artists & albums of the entire electronic genre (and certainly beats the pants off of Tangerine Dream's recent "Dante" series!) I now look forward to Callisto's upcoming 2nd album, due sometime in 2007. (IMPORTANT NOTE: Be careful when buying "Callisto" CDs. I have found that there is another band by the same name, who play gothic death-metal of all things!!! The electronic/new age outfit Callisto only have this one title, "Signal to the Stars", released so far, with their follow-up album to be titled "NYX". Any other "Callisto" titles are that of the completely-unrelated death metal group...so buyer beware!!!)