Agent Starling Release European Howl

We are delighted to announce that the Agent Starling album, European Howl officially releases this week. It is available from all the usual digital outlets, but the best place to get it from is our Bandcamp site here: https://loudhaileruk.bandcamp.com/album/european-howl

Bandcamp is the only sales outlet that treats musicians fairly, especially on the first Friday of the month when they waive their revenue share, helping to support musicans who have lost income during the pandemic. That’s today! So, if you would like to listen or download European Howl today is the ideal time.

The album has been a joy to record, a labour of love, and I am thrilled with the lovely comments we’ve had so far:

In all the years since this podcast started I don’t think we’ve ever knowingly featured a hurdy-gurdy -but there’s a first time for everything thanks to Agent Starling. (Tom Robinson, BBC Radio 6 Music)

Lots of wonderful hurdy-gurdy, drones, bass experimentalism, and other worldly goodness. Recommended! (Ian Stacey)

This is wonderful. It has a feeling of antiquity and a feeling of something new. The music is a blast and the images are a constant wow (Dan Kellaway – Luthier)

Its epic! Really well constructed, like reading a book. (Jim Mclaughlin Director Musicport Festival)

Very interesting instrumentation, textures and approach… ambient meets world. Very unique and enjoyable. (Kluane Takhini)

A multlayered varied thing, wonderful! (Rick Stuart, Roots & Fusion Radio)

This is wonderful. Love the fluid bass figures (Landi Michaels)

You went deep with this! Cool experimental track! (Minor Surgery) (Jaguar – BBC Introducing Dance)

Brilliant again! If someone ever did a spaghetti western film in the graphic novel cinematic style of Sin City – this would be perfect music for it!

Very tasty mix of beats with the exotics. Great work! (Junkyard of Silenced Poets)

Such original use of a hurdy-gurdy (Readifolk Radio)

Absolutely loving these tunes (Mark Whitby Dandelion Radio)

I love the sound of a hurdy-gurdy and this album’s wonderful arrangements of hurdy-gurdy, strings, percussion and softly spoken lyrics really hits the spot for me (Folk Roots News)

This stunning track is difficult to pigeon-hole since it is too organic to be considered electronic, too ambient to be considered anything to do with Rock but does verge on classical. Lou provides enigmatic story-telling spoken word while the music develops from long chords, tremolo violin and a host of other ideas and techniques to create a semi-meditative feel despite the busy activity continuously driving it along. Earthy but complex, this is an impressive demonstration of how they are able to combine such individual timbres to create such an uplifting atmosphere. (Trust the Doc Edition 54)

Congratulations on your new release! I really enjoyed listening to it today, there’s so much depth! Very interesting sounds too, it reminds me of Lithuanian folklore at some points. (Jonas Lapinas)

Here’s what BBC 6 Radio presenter Tom Robinson had to say about the Agent Starling track European Howl.

‘Now in all the years since this podcast started I don’t think we’ve ever knowingly featured a hurdy-gurdy but there’s a first time for everything thanks to Agent Starling.’ (Tom Robinson BBC Radio 6)

What a great song (Maija Handover Sound UK – Extraordinary musical encounters)

Great video and what a wonderful, unusual sound! (Aine Kennedy)

Agent Starling – I see the deserts of Mongolia and flags blowin’ in the wind (Cowboy DC)

Love this stuff soul-moving (Kelvin Richmond)

I am listening to this as I write. I will certainly play something from the album in next week’s show. I am only halfway through listening but already this has gone on to my long list for Album of the Year 2021 … it’s up there with anything else I have received this year. (Ian Blues and Roots Radio)

It’s a 21st century Van Der Graaf Generator (Andrew Lee)

What a wonderful album. It’s the kind of sound and complexity that I love to hear as well as play. (Cruise Cycle)

Beautiful in every way. The music, the playing and the photography are all amazing (Richard Harries)

This was a fascinating experience… Interesting, confusing, thought provoking, earie, troubling and hypnotic – all at the same time. I didn’t know what to make of it – but loved it! I think it’s more – a piece of art than it is music, it begs to be part of a larger physical experience within an art instillation or a maze or to be listened to while rotating in a gyroscope… All in all – very interesting!

For once I am lost for words… In short, I think this is something with much greater potential than just the music on its own. It’s very clever and powerful – I hope you have plans for it. I’d be interested to know what happens next? Congratulations on creating something truly original and uniquely mystifying… (Trevor C. Krueger Founder Equal Ability Radio)

Klasse!! (Merit Zloch)

Beautiful, and great production (Don V.Lax)

The album is freaking excellent! (Michael Hunter Roots and Branch Radio Australia)