Wednesday, December 28, 2011

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

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Alternative 4 tour

We got back from the tour late last night after a heavy travelling schedule and minimal amounts of sleep. Thanks to everyone who showed up, bought cds, and those who travelled from other countries just to come and see us. Also thanks to the promoters, club owners & support bands, plus Mighty Digger and Salvadore for guiding us around Italy. Last but not least big up to the other lads for being a pleasure to tour with and for really doing the songs justice. Looking forward to the next one, wherever that may be. We still have some The Brink album cover t-shirts left over from the tour, please email sales@duncanpatterson.com for details. Below is some decent quality footage from the Sofia gig.
Cheers!

Duncan


Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The Brink t-shirts

A run of t-shirts are being printed for the upcoming Alternative 4 tour. They feature the cover artwork from The Brink and are available in XL/ L / M / & fitted girlie sizes. In black, with a limited number of charcoal coloured shirts in size L. Anyone interested please email sales@duncanpatterson.com and we'll be able to sort you out before we head out on tour.


Tuesday, November 15, 2011

The Brink - competition


As always, there's a competition to win a copy of the new album.
So, to win a copy of the new ALTERNATIVE 4 album 'The Brink' just answer this question via email to this address:- competition@duncanpatterson.com


Q. From which country is Alternative 4 vocalist Mark Kelson from?


The winner will be announced on November 28th

Friday, October 28, 2011

Pre-ordering details for 'The Brink' ltd edition & 'Eternity' double vinyl

They reckon good news comes in threes, so hopefully my bets will come in on Saturday at 5pm. I just got news today that the new Alternative 4 album 'The Brink' is ready to pre-order on October 29th. And also the re-release double vinyl edition of Anathema - Eternity is available to pre-order now.

The Brink is initially available as a limited edition package:-

"Saturday, October 29th we will start taking pre-orders for ALTERNATIVE 4 'The brink' Limited Edition. The box includes the digipack cd, a photocards set, sticker and it is numbered to 100 copies only. Furthermore, as a pearl in a rare shell, the package will include a digital coupon valid to buy an Alternative 4 / MonumentuM split 7" ep with T-Shirt: in other words the coupon/code will grant you the priority to order the ep+tshirt bundle package (very limited offer, literally to a few tens) at reduced price before this bundle (if lasting) will be finally offered to public customers at standard price."





The Eternity re-release is available on either black or white vinyl. Limited to 500 copies of each:-

"Duncan Patterson, the band mastermind at the time, wanted Eternity to be Anathema's White Album. He wanted the cover artwork to pay homage to the Beatles classic, but Music for Nations considered the concept uncommercial. So the album cover ended up sporting an image of an angel lost in cheesy CGI space. The Svart vinyl reissue has the music spread over two albums for maximum fidelity - the original MFN vinyl had everything stuffed on one platter - and, for the first time ever, the artwork as Patterson originally wanted it to look. Available on white and black heavyweight vinyl. Also features new liner notes by Mr Patterson."


For any queries about the releases, or if you have problems with the links, feel free to email info@duncanpatterson.com

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

December tour

Now that the European tourdates are confirmed we are pleased to announce that Mr Martin Powell (ex- My Dying Bride) will be playing piano and keyboards for these gigs, and Paulo Basilio, who mixed The Brink, will be joining us on 2nd guitar. 

Unfortunately, the proposed Budapest gig on December 9th is not going ahead now. To say I'm unhappy about this is a huge understatement, after losing a lot of money on flights. Hopefully we can get over there sometime in the future. Apologies to those who were looking forward to it.
Anyway, onwards and upwards! Hope to see you in December.



Thursday, October 13, 2011

Alternative 4 tourdates

I finally have details and confirmed dates of the Alternative 4 tour in December. This will follow the mid-November release of The Brink 
Hope to see you there!
  • December 8th - The Zanzibar, Liverpool UK
  • December 9th - Budapest CANCELLED
  • December 10th - Onirika, Parma ITALY
  • December 11th - Pieffe, Gorizia ITALY
  • December 12th - Tacu Tacu, Padova ITALY
  • December 13th - Blues House, Milan ITALY
  • December 15th - Kulturhaus, Bucharest ROMANIA
  • December 16th - Party Centre 4km, Sofia BULGARIA
  • December 17th - Old School Rock Bar, Istanbul TURKEY
For information about any of the gigs please email info@duncanpatterson.com

























Sunday, September 18, 2011

The Brink album preview

Finally you can hear clips from the new Alternative 4 album 'The Brink' here! I'll have some December tourdates to post soon but for starters we will play The Zanzibar, Liverpool on the 8th December.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

The Brink completed

Mixing for Alternative 4's debut album 'The Brink' has been completed this week by Paulo Basilio and Duncan Patterson. Updated tracklisting is as follows :-

1. The Brink
2. False Light
3. Alternate
4. Underlooked
5. Still Waters
6. The Dumbing Down
i. The Travesty Waltz
ii. Steakknife's Theme
iii. Silent Approval
7. Automata
8. Autonoma
9. The Brink (reprise)

The Brink will be preceded by a 7" vinyl release of False Light, split with cult Italian legends MonumentuM. Both the album and 7" are to be released by Avantgarde Music.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Avantgarde-Music
http://alt4.blogspot.com/
 

Monday, July 25, 2011

Boa tarde! Back to work.

Ola ola. I'm writing from sunny Portugal at the moment, getting prepared to mix the new Alternative 4 album 'The Brink'. We're also shooting a video here this week for the forthcoming 'False Light' 7" due for release in September. Details here. Then a video clip for the monotonous epic 'Underlooked' will coincide with the album release itself in October. Also next month will see the re-released version of Anathema - 'Eternity' as a limited edition gatefold vinyl package. Looking forward to seeing how that turns out. Things are happening.
We are currently working with promoters in the Balkan region to arrange a tour for December, promoting the release of 'The Brink'. Any interested promoters in the region please get in touch info@duncanpatterson.com
Bye for now. Ate logo!


Friday, July 8, 2011

Alternative 4/MonumentuM split 7″ ep release

"Duncan Patterson’s new project band will unleash the song ‘False Light’ in late September, as a warm-up to their full length album ‘The Brink’, to be released one month after the EP.
Quoting Duncan’s description, “False Light is probably the heaviest thing I have written in the last decade, at least in its portant riff. It is actually about (music) media control paralleled with religious control, the sheeple and the victims of circumstance.”

It will be presented in a slightly different and edited mix than the album version will be.

Following up the release of the Shape of Despair/Before the Rain split 7″, Avantgarde Music will also release ‘False Light’ as an artists joint venture that will feature on Side B italian dark/doom pioneers MonumentuM, officially at their come back after a few years hiatus. MonumentuM’s contribution will be an interpretation of Pj Harvey’s dramatically beautiful ‘The River’ and will remain exclusive to this EP release, not to be included in their next coming album.

The 7″ will also be optionally offered in bundle with two exclusive (50 ex limited) T-shirts, one per each band and including a cd-listening copy too (mailorder orders only) for those who don’t own a turntable or the lazy owners"

Avantgarde Music

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Alternative 4: Studio Report: Mark Kelson

Alternative 4: Studio Report: Mark Kelson: "Work continued this month on The Brink. This recording session has been in Melbourne, Australia"

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Alternative 4: Studio Report: Mauro Frison

Alternative 4: Studio Report: Mauro Frison: "As the album recordings continue today in Melbourne, Australia, drummer Mauro Frison reflects on his experience of the initial sessions..."

Friday, May 20, 2011

Alternative 4: Studio Report: part 1

Alternative 4: Studio Report: part 1: "Drummer Mauro Frison, and myself entered Transmission Room Studios on Monday morning to start laying down the tracks for The Brink. The stud..."

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

On The Brink

Work began in Transmission Rooms Studio on Monday morning for the new album 'The Brink'. Check out http://alt4.blogspot.com/ For a studio report. Pics and footage to follow soon.





Alternative 4 - The Brink

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Please read

Dear friends,

In 3 days, the EU will ban much of herbal medicine, pressing more of us to take pharmaceutical drugs that drive the profits of big Pharma.

The EU Directive erects high barriers to any herbal remedy that hasn't been on the market for 30 years -- including virtually all Chinese, Ayurvedic, and African traditional medicine. It's a draconian move that helps drug companies and ignores thousands of years of medical knowledge.

We need a massive outcry against this. Together, our voices can press the EU Commission to fix the directive, push our national governments to refuse to implement it, and give legitimacy to a legal case before the courts. Sign below, forward this email to everyone, and let's get to 1 million voices to save herbal medicine:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_herbal_medicine_ban/97.phpcl_tta_sign=920a59e83b672afea09d0a1638bf7014

It's hard to believe, but if a child is sick, and there is a safe and natural herbal remedy for that illness, it may be impossible to find that remedy.

On May 1st the Directive will create major barriers to manufactured herbal remedies, requiring enormous costs, years of effort, and endless expert processes to get each and every product approved. Pharmaceutical companies have the resources to jump through these hoops but hundreds of small- and medium-sized herbal medicine businesses, across Europe and worldwide, will go bust.

We can stop this. The directive has been passed in the shadows of the bureaucracy, and it cannot stand under the light of democratic scrutiny. The EU Commission can withdraw or amend it, and a court case is currently challenging it to do so. If European citizens everywhere come together now, it will give legitimacy to the legal case, and add to growing pressure on the Commission. Sign below, and forward this email to everyone:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_herbal_medicine_ban/97.php?cl_tta_sign=920a59e83b672afea09d0a1638bf7014

There are arguments for better regulation of natural medicine, but this draconian directive harms the ability of Europeans to make safe and healthy choices. Let's stand up for our health, and our right to choose safe herbal medicine.

With hope and determination,

Ricken, Iain, Giulia, Benjamin, Alex, Alice, Pascal, Luis and the rest of the Avaaz team.

SOURCES:

EU herbal medicines law set for legal challenge:
http://www.euractiv.com/en/health/eu-herbal-medicines-law-set-legal-challenge-news-503563

European Union directive to ban natural remedies in favor of pharmaceuticals:
http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/8826364-european-union-directive-to-ban-natural-remedies-in-favor-of-pharmaceuticals

Traditional Chinese medicine firms may face delisting in EU market:
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/7343301.html

EU crackdown on herbal 'remedies':
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/eu-crackdown-on-herbal-remedies-2628345.html

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

The Pendle Way completed

We managed to finish The Pendle Way walk on Tuesday evening after a fairly tough but enjoyable ramble. It was a real pleasure to visit these special places, with good friends, and for a really good cause. Thanks to everyone who has donated so far. The donation page will remain open for a while so we can still reach our target. I have posted some pics up today as proof that we actually did it ;) So please help us to reach the 100% mark and help improve the quality of life for the children at Claire House.

http://www.justgiving.com/pendle-walk-2011



Tuesday, March 29, 2011

The Pendle Way (reminder)

Myself, Mick Moss (Antimatter), Karl Sinclair, and hopefully a few more friends will be walking the Pendle Way for charity next weekend. All proceeds will go to the Claire House childrens hospice in the north west of England. You can sponsor us by donated via this page.











All donations are appreciated, however big or small. Thank you in advance for supporting us!

Monday, February 28, 2011

Q & A Chat - Wednesday 2nd March

There will be a live Q & A chat session with Mick Moss and myself on Wednesday 2nd March at 7pm GMT. Discussing the 'Alternative Matter' box set, my two albums planned for this year, Mick's future plans for Antimatter, plus anything else that is relevant.

Click HERE for the chatroom.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Duncan Patterson signs to Avantgarde Music

I'm pleased to announce that I have signed a deal with Italy's Avantgarde Music with regards to the Alternative 4 project. I'm looking forward to work together with them, carving out this new chapter in my career.

Recording will commence in May at Transmission Rooms Recording Studio, Ireland, and the album will be tracked at various sessions during summertime. Although 'The Brink' has been written by me in it's entirety, I will be accompanied by long time collaborator and friend Mark Kelson (The Eternal) and drummer Mauro Frison who joined me for the gigs in Argentina 2010. Choral and orchestral sections are being recorded in Monterrey, Mexico. The Brink is a cinematic rock album that I have written conceptually about the dumbing down of society, touching on the music scene, and the corruption of people in power both on a global scale and in the music industry.

I fully understand what I am going to attract by choosing this title for my project, but I see that as a perfect irony considering the subject matter. Those who understand can afford themselves a wry smile, I certainly will. Plus it will allow me to tackle something head-on that has been an albatross for me for over a decade.

Anyway, I'm proud to be working with everyone involved in this and I truly appreciate their enthusiasm for fresh original music. It's a rarity in these times.

Onwards and upwards.


Tuesday, February 8, 2011

The Pendle Way

Myself, Mick Moss (Antimatter), Danny Cavanagh (Anathema), Karl Sinclair, and hopefully a few more friends will be walking the Pendle Way for charity in April. All proceeds will go to the Claire House childrens hospice in the north west of England. You can sponsor us by donated via this page.






All donations are appreciated, however big or small. Thank you in advance for supporting us!
http://www.justgiving.com/Pendle-Walk-2011

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Madre, Protégenos t-shirts: still in stock

I still have some of these lovely shirts in stock, in sizes L & S.  13 euro including shipping.





Email sales@duncanpatterson.com to order

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Mexico City - cancelled

The DJ thing is cancelled. Sorry about that, we'll do it another time.

I'm going to be DJing @ Samadhi Cafe , Mexico City on Saturday 29th January. Be early if you're lazy or dead old and want a seat. Its a nice cafe with imported beers and that.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Q & A Chat - Wednesday 5th January

There will be a live Q & A chat session with Mick Moss and myself on Wednesday 5th January at 7pm GMT. Discussing the 'Alternative Matter' box set, past releases, and future plans.

Click HERE for the chatroom.