The Orange Tulip Conspiracy (J. Schimmel of Secret Chiefs 3)

I just caught wind of a new band and a new release from Jason Schimmel (member of two of my all-time favourite bands, Secret Chiefs 3 and Estradasphere).

The band is called Orange Tulip Conspiracy. Schimmel has apparently spent the last five years putting together this release - composing and producing with the help of over a dozen amazing musicians from the L.A., Bay Area and Seattle music scenes (including the legendary Trey Spruance of Secret Chiefs 3). The album has been released through the label Web of Mimicry and is available right now. I know I am intensely curious to know what this is going to sound like. For a preview check out http://www.myspace.com/orangetulipconspiracy

What follows is a review from Alan Bishop (Sun City Girls, Sublime Frequencies, Abduction Records) provided with the press release:

Written and arranged by Estradasphere guitarist Jason Schimmel, Orange Tulip Conspiracy is an audio thrill ride into an expanding universe of drama, action, beauty and horror. Entirely instrumental, cinematic in scope, and backed by a monster cast of players (including Seattle's Bill Horist and Dave Abramson, Secret Chief 3's Trey Spruance, and the members of Estradasphere) Schimmel has composed and arranged 12 unique and highly-stylized tracks featuring countless areas of exploration with an array of sharp solos and clever tempo changes.

Although Schimmel is an amazing guitarist and he proves it beyond any doubt on this record, there is a balance of spotlight and the list of insanely diverse instrumental elements all put to well-crafted use is staggering: pianos, Fender Rhodes, cello, bazooki, various brass, violin, organs, clavinet, vibes, accordian, banjo, exotic percussion, and much more drifting over powerful rhythm sections that morph from one mood to the next with seemingly no effort whatsoever. This should be a highly sought-after document for those interested in investigating the frontier of modern popular instrumental ensemble music, and an absolute must for any Estradasphere fan.