''Atavachron'' is the fourth studio album by guitarist
Allan Holdsworth
Allan Holdsworth (6 August 1946 – 15 April 2017) was a British jazz fusion and progressive rock guitarist and composer.
Holdsworth was known for his esoteric and idiosyncratic usage of advanced music theory concepts, especially with respe ...
, released in 1986 through
Enigma Records
Enigma Records (also known as Enigma Entertainment Corporation) was a popular rock and alternative American record label in the 1980s.
History
Enigma Records launched as a division of Greenworld Distribution, an independent music importer/d ...
(United States) and JMS–Cream Records (Europe).
[Patterson, John W]
"Atavachron - Allan Holdsworth"
''AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...
''. RhythmOne
RhythmOne , previously known as Blinkx, and also known as RhythmOne Group, is an American digital advertising technology company that owns and operates the web properties AllMusic, AllMovie, and SideReel.
Blinkx was founded in 2004, went publ ...
. Retrieved 16 April 2019. It features Holdsworth's first recorded use of the
SynthAxe, an instrument which would be featured prominently on his future albums.
[ The album's title and seventh track, as well as the cover art, are references to the Atavachron alien time travel device from the '']Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vario ...
'' episode " All Our Yesterdays". "Funnels" refers to the three funnels of the .[ Holdsworth, Allan (1992). "The Things You See". ''REH Video: Allan Holdsworth''. CPP Media Group. Event occurs at time 03:11–03:15.]
Critical reception
John W. Patterson of AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...
awarded ''Atavachron'' four stars out of five, describing it as "semi-progressive
Progressive may refer to:
Politics
* Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform
** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context
* Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...
" with a "symphonic element" and praising it as "clear evidence of the genius Holdsworth was demonstrating release after release". He also highlighted the use of the SynthAxe, as well as praising the "beautiful female vocals" of Rowanne Mark, who makes her first of two appearances on a Holdsworth album; the other being '' Secrets'' (1989).[
]
Track listing
Personnel
*Allan Holdsworth
Allan Holdsworth (6 August 1946 – 15 April 2017) was a British jazz fusion and progressive rock guitarist and composer.
Holdsworth was known for his esoteric and idiosyncratic usage of advanced music theory concepts, especially with respe ...
– guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...
, SynthAxe, engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
, mixing, production
*Rowanne Mark – vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or witho ...
(track 7)
* William Edward Childs – keyboard (tracks 2, 5)
* Alan Pasqua – keyboard (tracks 3, 4, 6)
* Gary Husband – drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...
(tracks 1, 2, 4, 6)
* Chad Wackerman – drums (tracks 3, 7)
* Tony Williams – drums (track 5)
* Jimmy Johnson – bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gui ...
Technical
*Robert Feist – engineering, mixing
*Dan Humann – engineering, mixing
*Bernie Grundman
Bernie Grundman is an American audio engineer.
He is most known for his mastering work and his studio, Bernie Grundman Mastering, which he opened in 1984 in Hollywood. The studio, which includes engineers Chris Bellman, Patricia Sullivan, and ...
– mastering
*Francois Bardol – cover art
References
External links
Atavachron
at therealallanholdsworth.com (archived)
{{Authority control
Allan Holdsworth albums
1986 albums
Enigma Records albums