Ethan Matthew’s Echo Us release extended nft of their latest album, Inland Empire.
Inland Empire, Echo Us' seventh full-length studio album and first archival release, has received an nft-upgrade. The nft-exclusive version includes two bonus tracks, also completed in 2013 alongside the album. The 12-track album is released on Opensea.io and is purchasable with Ethereum. Multiple mintings are available and the extended 12-track version of Inland Empire is exclusive to the nft/opensea release.
The Inland Empire CD-edition was released March 7, 2023 and has been featured in a wide variety of press and radio across the United States and Europe.
Unlike most archival works, Inland Empire is new to Echo Us fans, as no demos or bootlegs of the album have ever been released or leaked. The album appears in 2023 exactly how it sounded in 2013 - down to the use of the original mix and masters. A short documentary about the album’s production is also now available to fans, running on the heels of Echo Us’ 8th music video release, It’s Time For Winter.
The Inland Empire nft release is available on OpenSea HERE starting Thursday, April 20, 2023.
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Exploring Echo Us' deep & ethereal past uncovers an Inland Empire...
Ethan Matthew’s Echo Us release their first archival work spanning 2007-2014, and it sounds like no time has passed.
Inland Empire, Echo Us' seventh full-length studio album might be seen as an epilogue to the original Echo Us trilogy (2009-2014). It’s opener, Across The Star picks up where 2014’s A Priori Memoriae closed but then spins through seven year’s worth of unreleased material. Inland Empire stands as its own as a completely new album from a previous era – seemingly frozen in time.
“Although it can be called an epilogue, it is absolutely its own work” says Matthews. “The tracks segue together seamlessly like most Echo Us albums, but I did not know where they belonged at the time they were composed; it was like plucking out things from the whole that didn’t quite fit before, but they fit together perfectly as their own work”.
Although the album was completed at the same time as 2014’s A Priori Memoriae, its closer cousin remains the award-winning Tomorrow Will Tell The Story, with its deep, ambient, and consciousness-shifting waves and soundscapes. Inland Empire fuses the unhinged electronics of Tomorrow Will Tell The Story with a more groove-based and down-tempo feel. Some Inland Empire tracks were played live in 2014-2015, forming a good percentage of the set supporting the release of A Priori Memoriae. Inland Empire features Ethan Matthews (multi-instruments) with a guest spot from Aaron Bell (Vibrassae & Degree Absolute) on bass.
“In many ways it feels like it might have been composed much later – it felt ahead of its time. Usually when I finish an album I detest listening to it, but with Inland Empire I remember listening to it a lot casually until we started rehearsing and playing live. It seemed to age well, so I think that was part of the reasoning to hold onto to it and release it later.”
As years passed and other releases came, the album was kept as an archival work except for one track (It’s Time For Winter) which saw limited release as a single in fall 2016. Unlike most archival works, Inland Empire will be very new to Echo Us fans, as no demos, bootlegs, or other material from it have ever been leaked. The album appears in 2023 exactly how it sounded in 2013 - down to the use of the original mix and masters. A digipak and digital release will be out March 7, 2023, as well as an nft with extra unlockable audio content shortly thereafter.
Echo Us’ most recent release The Windsong Spires has captured ears and minds across the progressive rock and ambient music worlds this summer. Now Ethan Matthew’s long-standing solo project has released its latest music video, “If You Can Imagine”. If You Can Imagine is Echo Us’ 8th music video since 2012’s The Mirror In The Window, and reverberations from that initial conceptual animated work are reflected in this new video single.
Unlike many previous Echo Us videos, animated elements are minimal. If You Can Imagine was created predominantly from short macro photography and macro video clips.
The Windsong Spires, Echo Us’ sixth full-length album is available on CD and all digital services and has been featured in diverse publications – from RockHard Italy, to Orkus! Magazine (Germany), to Echoes Radio (NPR) in the United States.
If You Can Imagine is now available for viewing on Echo Us’ Youtube channel.
The Windsong Spires brings Echo Us’ musical journey back to earth’s atmosphere: weaving ethereal, classical voice with its trademark ambient sound waves. The titles of the two and three part suites form a continuous musical story, and act as an interpretive metaphor for the listener.
Composer and project producer Ethan Matthews began working on the album shortly after the release of the Celtic-themed To Wake a Dream in Moving Water in late 2017. The Windsong Spires is Echo Us’ 6th full-length release.
In concert with the Celtic waves of To Wake a Dream in Moving Water, hammered dulcimer and bodhran make ample appearance but are augmented by the drumming of Andrew Greene. Andrew recorded drums for 2009's The Tide Decides and has performed and recorded with numerous Pacific Northwest groups. Windsong Spires features the voice of Charlotte Engler, who has sung with Portland, Oregon bands like Daydream Machine and The Whole Wide World, and frequently performs with choral ensembles Cantores in Ecclesia and Cappella Romana. Charlotte takes lead vocal duties alongside Ethan on the progressive-pop anthem “If You Can Imagine” and others.
Matthew’s mainstay in his early years, Greyhaven, is still known today as one of the pioneering, independent bands of the 1990s progressive metal/rock scene, having combined new age ambient music with progressive metal.
Since 2005 Echo Us has released multiple critically acclaimed albums in the fields of progressive rock, ambient, and world music, collaborated with Grammy-nominated vocalist Henta and others, and received NPR airplay (Echoes Radio, top 25 Oct.-Dec. 2017). In 2012 Echo Us won an Independent Music Award (Best Eclectic) for their album, Tomorrow Will Tell The Story.
The Windsong Spires will be released Tuesday, June 22, 2021 as a physical CD in the United States and Europe, as well as on digital download and streaming services.
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Echo Us’ most recent release The Windsong Spires has captured ears and minds across the progressive rock and ambient music worlds this summer. Now Ethan Matthew’s long-standing solo project has released its latest music video, “If You Can Imagine”. If You Can Imagine is Echo Us’ 8th music video since 2012’s The Mirror In The Window, and reverberations from that initial conceptual animated work are reflected in this new video single.
Unlike many previous Echo Us videos, animated elements are minimal. If You Can Imagine was created predominantly from short macro photography and macro video clips.
The Windsong Spires, Echo Us’ sixth full-length album is available on CD and all digital services and has been featured in diverse publications – from RockHard Italy, to Orkus! Magazine (Germany), to Echoes Radio (NPR) in the United States.
If You Can Imagine is now available for viewing on Echo Us’ Youtube channel.