The Skys - Rock Band from Lithuania

Rock band from Lithuania

New album "Colors of The Desert" features: Dave Kilminster (Roger Waters band) - guitar; John Young (ex-Scorpions, Bonnie Tyler) - keyboards, bac vocs, producer; Snake Davis (Eurythmics, P.McCartney, Ray Charles, James Brown, etc.) - sax; Martin Beedle (Cutting Crew, Sarah Brightman, etc) - drums; Tony Spada (Holding Pattern) - guitar; Anne Marie Helder (Mostly Autumn, Panic Room) - bac voc. The Album recorded in Mamas Studio (Vilnius, Lithuania) and Liscombe Park Studios (London, UK). Mixed by Steve Rispin (Tina Turner, Elton John, Asia, Tankard, etc) ------------- Lithuanian rock band The Skys was is the leading band in Lithuanian rock scene. The Skys are: Jonas Ciurlionis – vocals and lead guitar Aleksandr Liutvinskij – rhythm guitar Justinas Tamaševicius – bass Božena Buinicka – keyboards and vocals Ilja Molodcov - drums The band had many solo gigs and participated in various festivals in Lithuania as well as abroad: Estonia, Latvia, Russia, Germany, USA, Poland etc.. Some of the bigger events were: "Eurocon" - International Congress of Science Fiction in Vilnius 1996 Festival "Pazvelk kitaip", White House, Vilnius 1996 Eesti Noortebandide Festival in Tartu (Estonia) 1996 Charity concert "Mes irgi galime myleti", Vilnius Sport Hall 1997 UNESCO World Youth Festival "Dialogue Among Civilizations" 2001 Posinger Open Air 2002, Germany The Skys are winners of New York International Music Festival 2004, USA Easter Europe Music Convention, St. Petersburg, Russia, 2005 Baltic Prog Fest 2007 Bauslande Fest 2007, Latvia Pustye Holmy 2008, Russia (45 000 people) Prog Farm 2008, The Netherlands Crescendo Festival 2010, France etc. During its years of existence the band released three albums: "Civilized" (1997), "Dreams" (1999) and "Postmodern Game" (2004). Many of The Skys songs were played on radio and TV. In 1996 song "One Saturday of The Spring" reached radio station "Laisvoji banga" charts where it kept its highest positions for almost two months (No. 1 in April Charts). In 1999 song "Virtual Reality" was filmed on National TV for music telecast "Muzikinis viesbutis". As guests The Skys performed at "Buk Artistas" TV Show. In 2004 The Skys performed at Lithuanian Top 10 on National TV. "The Ancient Indian song" video was also shown on National TV. The Skys music received radio airplay in Lithuania, USA, France, UK, and other countries. Many high quality press articles were published about the band in all major Lithuanian newspapers. The Skys album reviews showed up in USA, UK, Brasil, Argentina, Greece as well as other countries. In 2001 The Skys made a musical theatre performance "Civilized" which was presented in one of the biggest theatres in Vilnius - Jaunimo Teatras. In 2004 The Skys were signed to Sutaras Record label for album "Postmodern Game". AWARDS: - "Best International Band" at New York International Music Festival (2004); - Makato Artist of the Year Award (2nd place) (2006); - 2nd prize at Rockowe Andrzejki Fest (2011); - 1st prize at Rock Masters Fest (2012); - Special Prize at Wielki Ogien Fest (2012); - 2nd prize at Rock Piotrcovia Fest (2012); - 2nd prize at Siedleckie Rockowisko Fest (2012); - Best guitarist and vocalist (Jonas Ciurlionis) at Rock Piotrcovia Fest; - Best keyboards (Bozena Buinicka) at Siedleckie Rockowisko;

Classic Rock Magazine (issu July 2012) by Geoff Barton
"Established in 1995, The Skys are Lithuania's No.1 proggers. Colours... features a host of guest stars including Dave Kilminster (Roger Waters' band) and Anne - Marie Helder (Mostly Autumn, Panic Room). Key to the band's appeal is the male - female vocal interplay, and a musical approach that's both expansive and ethnic. Nuostabus! (Lithuanian for 'amazing)"

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A very good album

The Skys is a truly classic progressive rock band from Lithuania. Formed in 1995, the band has now released ‘The Colours Of The Desert’ which is its fourth album to date. A dual male / female lead vocal arrangement makes for a unique sound and with a Moog analogue synth sound this band is of great interest to the prog purist.

Adding to the multitude of instruments employed on this album, there are many guest musicians, notably Dave Kilmister (Asia, Roger Waters) and the saxophonist Snake Davis (Eurythmics, M-People). The first and title track is fantastic; a combination of a chanting vocal, an analogue and very Moog-ish synth solo and a blistering guitar solo from Kilmister rolled into a seven and a half minute epic full of tempo and key changes. Vocalist Bozena Buinicka comes into her own on the next track, ‘Is This The Way’, with an aggressive choral interchange with fellow lead vocalist, Jonas Ciurlionis.

Common themes emerge during the following track ‘I…He…’; that is, a lavish underlying orchestral synth sound laying the foundation for quirky vocals and punchy instrumental breaks. The subsequent track, ‘Walking Alone’, warrants the epic tag; a nine minute and very Pink Floyd-esque track - vocals kicking in over three minutes from the start and multiple key signature changes. A majestic sax solo break from Snake Davis on ‘When The Western Wind Blows’ brings a new dimension to the album in this otherwise laidback track. The next track, ‘Calling Out Your Name’ has a much more commercial feel to it with a very accessible arrangement comprising a catchy solo and classic rock based guitar sound. As a counterpoint, the following brace of lengthy songs, ‘The Pyramid’ and ‘Lethal Kiss’ provide a very moody and introspective vibe where unusual instrumental sounds and traditional folk rhythms are experimented with. Rather than ending on this intense note, the final track ‘What If?’, albeit very short, is tremendously upbeat with a more standard structure and a warm production along with Snake Davis yet again sending the song into the stratosphere.

This is a very good album with a wide range of song styles displayed based around a progressive yet commercial sound. Best listened through a quality sound system to appreciate all of the album´s sonic landscape!

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