by Marc Gunn

Artist: Mark Saul and his techno bagpipe music
Album: Mixolydian
Year: 2004

When I got Mark Saul's CD, Mixolydian in the mail, I didn't jump to listen to it. I saw something about progressive bagpipes, and it didn't really appeal to me. But last week, I was cleaning my house when I thought I should give it a try. I figured bagpipe music would be good for sparking a wee bit o'energy.

Whoa! Was I surprised. Mark Saul doesn't do a "wee bit", he goes all the way. I've heard techno bagpipe music before. It's usually done by some Celtic band that's trying to sound cool. Rarely is it by someone who KNOWS how to write electronic music.

Mark does a brilliant job opening it up with a beautiful "E minor Theme" that also closes the album. Then he merges electric guitar with bagpipes, fiddle, banjo, and all behind some thumping, techno drum loops creating an electro dance CD with tasty bagpipe goodness. Each track shines with it's own spark of brilliance.

To quote track 3, "Forget the Golden Rules" or rather, the rules in general. Mixolydian might not have you doing traditional Scottish dance, but the next time you go to a night club, you'll be begging the DJ to spin some bagpipes!

Find out more about Mark Saul and his techno bagpipe music on his website.

Labels: cd_review_2004

Posted by Marc Gunn, Monday, July 26, 2004.
New to Celtic MP3s Music Magazine? Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or sign up to get email updates. Find free Celtic music downloads from Marc Gunn!