HUW

We’re The Asimov Soul Orchestra, and we’re here to tell you the truth. We don’t exist.

The Golden Age of music, when the songs were soulful and timeless. When humans poured out their stories with a solid and clean rhythm section laying back with an undeniable groove. Was it the sixties and seventies? The nineties? Or was it now? As we rush headlong into our future the lines of time are blurred, as information trips over itself to stream across the planet, we get a distorted sense of time. Artifacts get lost, artifacts get found, and those that can navigate new technology write history for future generations to discover.

In the midst of this tumultuous time, Aaron Dolton has shown us a way in which man and machine can harmoniously interact and coexist. His knowledge, memories, and nostalgia come together as he presents The Asimov Soul Orchestra, an ensemble forged in virtual reality, an avatar to explore our relationship with technology, each other, and ourselves. What is the truth? Where can we find it? Will we know it when we hear it?

True insight depends on the disarming of critical faculties, and while ASO first presents our left brain with a puzzle, it soon dissembles all definitions within our brains as the music just feels great. One is resigned to no answer, just the simple truth of timeless music.

The Asimov Symphony Orchestra is NOT AI, it is one artist using technology to its fullest.

The vision for Music from the Multiverse is one of seeking the alternative, of the power of collaboration and growth through change. It’s about exploring personal potential, supporting each other through difficult times and knowing that anything is possible, and that perhaps it is already happening, somewhere beyond our perception. The featured artists bring this to life in their lyrics, there’s an honesty and generosity in every vocal track, born out of a mutual respect and a freedom of expression that demonstrates the deep connections between the artists involved. The instrumental tracks achieve this in a more abstract way, with compositional and production elements that confound expectations. There’s a strong DIY ethic here, and the enthusiasm and passion for the process and the technology shines through. Within the soundtrack it’s possible to trace influences from diverse sources such as Nu Jazz, IDM, Hip Hop, Dub, even the soundtracks of cult TV and cinema.

The LP began as a series of sketches on the laptop. Over time the melodies and changes were translated into recordings through the hardware synths in the studio, and the rhythms evolved from samples of drum sessions, chopped, sliced and mangled into new patterns worked around the electronic material. Acoustic instruments then found their way amongst the layers of audio, humanising the sounds of the machines. Early versions of the tracks were sent to musicians and artists currently living and working across Europe and the UK. Online collaboration was key to the success of this project. As the vocals were added, a spirit of cooperation became integral, with versions sent back and forth for feedback and further edits. Music from the Multiverse seeks to prove that everything is connected, that we can bridge the gap.

About huw

HUW is multi-instrumentalist and producer Aaron Dolton. His brother, Mike, is the principal collaborator on the project. Both brothers compose and perform, with Mike holding down the rhythm while Aaron provides the production skills that realize their sound. Their music is a downtempo blend of electronica, jazz and soul. Raised in the Peak District, UK, the brothers have always shared their passions for music, technology, gaming, cinema, cult TV and alternative culture. Musically, Aaron cites influences from the worlds of jazz and electronic music, while Mike’s passion is for classic and contemporary rock and blues. These influences run deep, informing their production style, resulting in an immersive exploration of future jazz. Expect intricate compositions, psychedelic overtones and visually evocative scores that blend homegrown samples, synths, saxophones and guitars glued together with combinations of live and electronic rhythms.

Their early musical activities laid the ground for this experimental collaboration. Compositions were created on their Amiga home computer, samples and sequences played out through homemade amps and effects, with beaten up outboard bought from the classified pages of sound production magazines. An obsessive interest in synthesis and sequencing remains, and is a key feature of their sound. The addition of live instrumentation brings a human dynamic, adding imperfection and complexity, creating depth and an organic feel to their music.

Both were students at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, where they gained further skills and experience to explore their artistic vision. Aaron moved on to a community studio where he studied audio engineering. At the same time, he continued as a session musician. His first residency as a sax player saw him supporting the biggest names in UK Hip Hop. Meanwhile, Mike kept the groove for blues and jazz artists in studios and venues across the UK and further afield in Japan.

Their first release for Ropeadope in 2010, Amplexus, was an eclectic mash-up of live and electronic material, heavily inspired by the sounds heard in the UK Nu Jazz scene. Their follow up LP, Anamorphic, found the duo working a soulful blend of programmed sound, detailed rhythms and instrumental breaks inspired by the world of cinema, composed as the soundtrack to an imagined movie. The next release, Audiography, was a love letter to geek culture, with sound design influenced by TV and film soundtracks, and track titles containing coded references to cult media.

Music from the Multiverse is a step beyond, a collaboration with vocal artists and musicians that adds a new dimension to the project. This is audio alchemy designed to light up your senses; we invite you to take a trip with HUW.