The Obscurants

Preproduction for the 2nd Alternative 4 album 'The Obscurants' is underway in northern Mexico. Musically it is not as 'extreme' as it's predecessor, as in the drearyness and monotony, but at the same time it's far from conventional rock music. Big dynamics and some epics themes run throughout the album, and again we are using classic instrumentation with more of a nod to the mighty 1970's than before. The general theme deals the intentional covering up of truth, wisdom, and enlightenment. I'll keep it like that for the time being, otherwise this will turn into an essay. Everything is well planned and prepared well in advance, leaving no room for procrastination or any kind of laziness or rock n roll 'missing in action' episodes. Even the artwork is finished already. I'm quite excited about this one, which is rare for me really.

Tracklisting is as follows:-

Theme For The Obscurantist
Chilling Effects
Returning The Screw
Paracosm
Dina
The Tragedy Shield
Mr Black
Disclosure

In other news, we are preparing extra material for the reissue of The Brink, which will be released by our new label Prophecy Productions. This will include live tracks from our European tour in December, remixes and alternate mixes of the album tracks, plus promo videos and live clips. Watch this space for a release date and ordering details.

Best wishes!

Duncan

Sponsored ramble in aid of The Sophie Lancaster Foundation

Mick Moss, myself, and a few others are going on a sponsored ramble in Wales next weekend to raise money for the Sophie Lancaster Foundation. Sophie and her boyfriend Robert Maltby were kicked, stamped on and left unconscious – for nothing more than looking different. Sophie later died from her injuries.

Following the horrific murder of Sophie Lancaster, her family wanted to ensure a lasting legacy to their beautiful, bright creative daughter and so The Sophie Lancaster Foundation was established and it became a registered charity in 2009

The aims and objectives of the Charity are as follows:

• To create a lasting legacy to Sophie.
• To provide educational group-works that will challenge the prejudice and intolerance towards people from alternative subcultures.
• To campaign to have the UK Hate Crime legislation extended to include people from “alternative subcultures” or “Lifestyle and Dress”

As always, we have set up an online donation page where it's very simple to sponsor and support the cause. https://www.justgiving.com/deevalley2012

Thanks in advance!

Duncan Patterson

Alternative 4 sign to Prophecy Productions

I'm pleased to announce that a long term deal has been signed between Alternative 4 and Prophecy Productions. Teaming up again, ten years since they put the first Antimatter albums into the cosmos. It's good to be back onboard a label who have always had respect for my work, regardless of how obscure or 'uncommercial' it often turns out. In todays musical climate it is difficult to find a decent label who are genuinely focused more on the artistic/innovative side than anything else. For me that is essential as I've no plans to start playing and writing fashionable music as a career move, not unless I do it accidentally that is.

I'm currently working on the second Alternative 4 album 'The Obscurants' which is a concept based around those who deliberately withhold truth, knowledge, and enlightenment from others. It's a slight continuation of the theme from The Brink, which also dealt with the abuse of power. The line up remains the same as The Brink, with Mark Kelson and Mauro Frison in the fold. We plan to record The Obscurants later this year - 2012.


Finally, big thanks to Avantgarde Music for getting the Alternative 4 project off the ground last year. Onwards and upwards!


Duncan Patterson


www.prophecy.cd
www.alternative4.co.uk

The Brink vinyl & digibook

The digibook, and vinyl editions of ALTERNATIVE 4 - The Brink are finally available here:- http://www.audiocave.8merch.com/

Handsome packaging I reckon.

All the best!

Duncan 

Alternative 4 t-shirts

We now have some Alternative 4 shirts in stock. Available in black or grey and featuring the cover art from The Brink. Please email sales@duncanpatterson.com for details if you're interested.

Alternative 4 - 'Underlooked' video

We have a new video from a track from The Brink album - "Underlooked". Directed by Nicolas Giraldon & Mehdi Messouci.

Alternative 4 - Underlooked video - http://vimeo.com/34569122

Underlooked

Chronically underlooked, yet all of it you took
The missing pages from someone elses book
Papered over the cracks in front of their backs
None of you were told to look

Lost you there in the blink of an eye
You took a dive on my blindside, playing for time
Where could I hide in my downtime?

Black lies sigh, aligned across the ocean wide
Im sat five thousand miles away
The fat cat vies to actify her evil eye
Alikened to vile, confined to the backslide

Narrate my case to the flock behind these ragged gates
Parasites lost, stimulated to adulate
Do we imitate as to accumulate?
Or lie in wait till the scapegoat escapes?

Alternative 4 - False Light

Here is a full track from The Brink album. It was already uploaded on Youtube so I decided to put up a better quality version for you. All the best!

Light... spills out with the landslide

Bleating heroes with single-glazed eyes

Cashing in on the straight side

Stalked out on the threshold

Crashed out with the loving lost souls

Smoked out of the priest hole

Faith... laid out with the average waste

Lapped up by the fair weather fakes

Sold on by the ingrates

Pushed out under false lights

Laughed out on the slandering line

Crossed out of a moment in time