San Francisco Bay Area, California-based progressive acoustic guitarist and composer Mark Vickness with his musical collective MVI (Acronym for Mark Vickness Interconnected) recently released his new instrumental album “In The Rain Shadow.” The power-packed themes in this dynamic album are inspired by the nature, most part of which comes from Mark’s journey to California’s Owens Valley toward the second half of 2020.
Stream the full “In The Rain Shadow” album on Spotify.
Owens Valley lies in the High Desert region. It does not receive any rainfall since the mountain ridges block the entire rainy environment on the other side. This meteorological phenomenon is known as rain shadow, and this is where the album gets its title from. Just like the daily gratifying experience of living in the beautiful environment of rain shadow, the lush instrumentation pieces in this album are peaceful, tranquil and thrilling.
“In The Rain Shadow” Tracklist
This instrumental album has nine amazing tracks:
- High Desert
- The Gorge
- Alluvial Fans
- Stillness (for Will)
- Roadrunner
- Rupak (for Ty)
- Cloud Shadows
- On the Cliffs of Mohr
- In The Rain Shadow
The opener “High Desert” is a unique blend of East and West. It’s an awesome familial music with superb bass. The second piece “The Gorge” presents an infectious blend of violin, cello and percussion.
“Alluvial Fans” has somewhat filmic quality. It sets the tone with layered violin and intricate guitar. The music gets hypnotizing as it progresses to fuse different soundscapes using tabla, bass and cello, among others. “Stillness (for Will)” calms the senses with free-flowing rhythm, while “Roadrunner” has a lot of melodic jazziness.
Watch “Roadrunner” Music Video:
“Rupak (for Ty)” is titled after the North Indian rupka taal. The reeds and strings add a Western classical vibe, while the raga rhythm takes us eastward. “Cloud Shadows” is peaceful and reflective with captivating reeds’ melody, while “On the Cliffs of Mohr” is folky and Celtic with fantastic string melodies.
The album closes with the title track, bringing all the elements and artists together. The instruments are clear and well-defined within the track. The striking beauty of the arrangements makes it an absolute joy to listen.
Watch “In the Rain Shadow” Music Video:
More Info About MVI and “In The Rain Shadow”
Starting his piano training at a tender age of six, Mark has come a long way to become a modern fingerstyle guitar virtuoso and composer. Today, he has several studies to his credit, including a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in composition. He has been performing as a jazz guitarist, composer and arranger for several decades now, and has scored music for several films and dances.
MVI or Mark Vickness Interconnected is a collective of seven talented artists including Mark Vickness on guitar, Mads Tolling on violin, Matt Renzi on winds, Joseph Hebert on cello, Dan Feiszli on bass, Ty Burhoe on tabla and MB Gordy on percussion.
Produced by Mark Vickness and Dan Feiszli, “In The Rain Shadow” is mainly progressive acoustic and covers a vast expanse of secondary genres, such as instrumental, progressive, global fusion, acoustic, fingerstyle, jazz, classical, folk and acoustic rock. Fans of Chris Thile, Jacob Collier, Snarky Puppy, Hawktail and Punch Brothers are sure to find a new favorite in this beautiful fusion.
Here are some quick links to help you learn more about MVI and their work:
