On their second and most recent CD, Faerie Stories, the Peatbog Faeries take traditional Scottish instruments - pipes, fiddle, whistles, and bodhran (though the whistle and bodhran are Irish, but let's not quibble). They pace ‘em up, tossing in sampling, keyboards, some nice percussion, bass, and "general weirdness," producing a fusion of reggae, techno, various other things, and funky bagpiping that is best described as utterly lively and infectious. Don't worry - there's not a terrible lot of random sounds in spite of the dose of "general weirdness," and the percussion always keeps things moving along even during the mellower spots. The whistles and pipes stay in focus with some simply wonderful pipe action. (Yes, you will notice I am a great fan of the Gael's ancient implement of war!) A variety of modern forms and rhythms overlay the traditional instruments, and the whole thing is done skillfully, with smooth and expert transitions. Be prepared to move and sway - it's hard to stay still. If you're out for something different, and have open ears for good music, plop down the hard sterling and get this CD. The album never degenerates into random and cumbersome blends of the modern rhythm and the traditional instruments, but rather the whole thing works masterfully together to make an excellent CD that will leave you feeling very much alive. Jonathan Allen, Chasing Hats
Faeries: mystical small Celtic people who lived in a past age famous for their magic.Legend has it that those who came across the faeries would live in faerie hill and party with them for 7 years then to be released 7 years older without ever realising they had been away. Peatbog: glorified mud cut into slabs and used as fuel in the Celtic Kingdom.
Media Reviews
From 'The Oyster Woman's Rant' to 'Alexander MacAkill Of Bernera, Harris', this will have you reaching for your porridge oats.
Psychedelic dub techno with bagpipes - that just about sums up this excellent Celtic-Electric CD recorded on the Isle of Skye in the Hebrides. Mixing up traditional Scots tunes with the latest electronic club rhythms is all the rage at the minute (also check out the excellent Shooglenifty) but the Faeries add a certain Gong/Steve Hillage trancey rock vibe to the whole thing to give that extra lift. From 'The Oyster Woman's Rant' to 'Alexander MacAkill Of Bernera, Harris', this will have you reaching for your porridge oats. The Rakes Progress
a truly infectious, pumping sound of pipes and whistles and electric goodies
Heard two tracks on the BBC, and was hooked. Peatbog Faeries produce a truly infectious, pumping sound of pipes and whistles and electric goodies, with a fine bass and percussion background to keep things moving. I prefer the faster-paced stuff on Faerie Stories over their earlier album, and indeed I think this cd is perhaps the best in the genre- Celtic-techno-funk or whatever it should be called! Rolling down one's windows in South Mississippi with booming roiling bagpipes is also a great thrill.
a storm of pipes, guitar and keyboards, that'll get you shaking...
A few years now since the Peatbog's first wowed us from the Isle of Skye with their gloriously dancey Celtic fusion that is steeped in the misty isles of tradition but rolls it in music of today from the bass driven beats of reggae and hip-hop to the more jazzed out and techno'd up influences. Like all good music it draws you in and fires up the limbs whilst pleasing the head, the atmospheric, two tracks to pick out 'The Folk Police' which rocks through a storm of pipes, guitar and keyboards, that'll get you shaking whereas the slowly building title track shows a different more tranquil side of the bands music. Please come and play live for us again soon. NetRhythms
Yep, it's the Faeries again, reaffirming their 'Skye is the Ibiza of the North' approach to the Celtic canon. There are chill-out tracks like Get Your Frets Off among the full-on dance tracks, without which no rave event would be complete ...
Starts with the sound of running water, then into one of those 2001 type synth pads so beloved of the ambient crowd: whistle enters with a fast reel, accompanied by a few primeval digital howls: then the rhythm section kick in with a typically solid, relentless Faeries loop. Track two - a bagpipe alone then the hi-hats, then synth squawks and bloops then, yes, the rhythm section crash in, set the groove away for 16 bars or so, then drop to kick drum and hi-hats, then back in with a slightly different bassline and busier synth arpeggios and loops ...Yep, it's the Faeries again, reaffirming their 'Skye is the Ibiza of the North' approach to the Celtic canon. There are chill-out tracks like Get Your Frets Off among the full-on dance tracks, without which no rave event would be complete ...The running water samples recur here and there (including a sampled bog which possibly belonged to a bloke called Pete), perhaps to add something else on the 'organic' side of things alongside the beautifully played whistles, pipes, mandolins and such: the whole affair is executed with unmistakeable musical nouse and the excellence of the tune-playing throughout is enough to silence the more reactionary listener. If I seem to be less enamoured of this album than I'd like to be, it's possibly because my local Alldays minimart doesn't sell the kind of tobacco I feel would be the perfect adjunct to this particular listening experience: bet they're fab live though!
Customer Reviews
Superb record Simon T
This was the first album I heard of the Peatbogs and one which was orginally meant to be released on a USA label. Right from the off it really swings and the fusion between the traditional music and electronic dance really works. I saw them play this album live at Celtic Connections festival and danced all night!
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