Alice Allen, an Aberdeenshire cellist with deep roots in Classical Music and Traditional Scottish Music, is releasing a new album titled Bass Culture – Live at Celtic Connections 2024.

Bass Culture is Alice Allen’s contribution to the ‘New Voices’ legacy at Glasgow’s annual Celtic Connections festival. Recorded live in January 2024, this album is Alice’s first project of original compositions, inspired by traditional themes and her rich musical life as a freelance cellist living in Scotland. It is her tenth album release, building on a body of work spanning four years and many happy collaborations including the album anthology Strathspey Queens with fiddler Patsy Reid, Where The Good Ship Lands with fiddler Alastair Savage and Stone, Salt & Sky with Delphian Records. Just like Alice’s day job, her writing sits across many styles and influences. In some instances, it begins to take on a film score type quality. Bass Culture showcases Alice’s unique voice as not only a cellist but as a composer.

The album focuses on the cello, an instrument often overlooked in the traditional music scene, yet Alice demonstrates its versatility in both traditional and modern compositions. Her eclectic journey as a musician, grounded in the rich traditions of Scottish folk, brings a fresh perspective to the instrument. Bass Culture celebrates the deep, resonant tones of the cello while pushing the boundaries of what it can accomplish in contemporary settings.

This project speaks directly to the importance of keeping the “human touch” in music, especially as technology increasingly dominates the industry. Bass Culture is a powerful reminder of the emotional and soulful essence that live music brings—something that no AI-generated track could replicate.

Bass Culture features nine tracks and eight original works, three of which are expanded versions of tunes recorded by Alice’s folk trio Lyre. The music is influenced by Alice’s love of groove and stories of the everyday. Her influences are mutli-layered; she leans on her ability to easily express emotion through music, taking the listener through peaceful contemplation, anger, upset, grief and joy. At the same time, the album pays homage to the historical Scottish Bass Lines of the Golden Age of Fiddle Music, something Alice remains both passionate and ever inspired by. Bass Culture challenges the assumption the folk music is fundamentally melody-based.

This album was expertly captured by Keir Long at the New Auditorium, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. It was mixed, mastered and co-produced in another great collaboration between Alice and Stuart Hamilton of Castlesound Studios. It features an all star line-up, a band of eight of Scotland’s most outstanding musicians. The album was recorded live and at a time where AI, autotune and digital enhancements are common place in the industry, the is album is a bold counter-statement about preserving the authenticity and soul of live music.

Available to download and stream from all major platforms.

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