HADRA- Produced by Jef Stott and Michael Emenau.
Released on Hearts of Space/ Valley Entertainment label.
This is the first collaboration with MNO and I with Irina Mikhailova and she delivered some amazing performances. She shines particularly on Stiga and Zamak which is a fully realized jungle track with live Arabic percussion and a full Balkan choir with all parts sung and arranged by Irina. It is a dark brooding blend that for me is reflective of the post Stellamara era. It carries with it a sense of loss, rage and a primal desire to rise up again. I feel this is the album where I really began to find my voice as a producer and overall it is a fine record with many great tracks.
This CD has become quite popular with the Urban Tribal Belly Dance companies in the U.S. and I have had the honor of seeing material from the album used in conjunction with many captivating performances. Also some earlier versions of the material from the album has been used in the motion picture “High Ambitions” a documentary about the perils of mountain climbing in the Himalayas directed by Curt Dowdy. I am hopefully collaborating with this director again for a major motion picture release exploring the history of climbing on Mt. Everest.