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Astraluna’sdebutalbum,ThePassofStorms,wasreleased(onCDandtheusualdigitaloutlets)on15thOctober.OnthatsamedaythealbumwaspremieredliveatOtleyParishChurchwithanaudienceofsome350people.ThealbumwasrecordedattheWoolpackMusicStudiosinOtley,mixedbySteveChrisanthou(CorinneBaileyRae,NewtonFaulkneretc)andmasteredbyKevGraingeratWiredMasters.Astraluna is thestagenameof JenniferBirch.Prior toundertakingsoloworkasAstraluna, Jenhadextensiveexperienceofperformance,recordingandtouringaspartofCorinneBaileyRae’stourband.HavingbeenclosefriendswithCorinnesinceage10,thetwoofthemfoundedanIndieband(Helen)inthe1990s-whichbecamewellknownontheLeedscircuituntilCorinnegotherbigbreakwithPutYourRecordsOn.SubsequentlyJentouredwithCorinneworldwidefrom2009-2011forthealbumTheSea(onrhythmguitar,keyboardandbackingvocals)andhas,inthatcontext,performedonGlastonburymainstage,andatvariousstadiainEurope,theFarEast,andtheAmericas,aswellasawritingcreditonthatalbumforDivingforHearts.Shealwaysharbouredadesiretocreateherownmusic,andthisiswhathasledtoAstralunaandThePassofStorms.TosaythatAstraluna’smusicisukulele-basedistogivethewrongimmediateimpression.Hersongsrangefromepic,etherealsoundscapestostrippeddownemotions. Hauntingandpurevocalscomplimentherwarmukulelesound,whichisattimesdelicatelyharp-likeand,atothers,aheavybackingformulti-layeredvocals,bassandpercussion.Astralunasingsallpartsandplaysallinstruments(8and4stringuke,bass,drumsandpercussion)onthealbum,whichisrecreatedlivebylivelayeringofvocalandukuleleparts,usingaloopstation,augmentedwithliveplayingofdrumandpercussionsamples.Thesoundshecreatesisunique,powerfulandbeautiful.“Wewerecompletelyblownawaybyherutterlybeautifulvoicehereinthestudio”(JerichoKeys,BBCIntroducingYork&NorthYorkshire)FeaturedinTomRobinson’sBBC6Music‘Bestof2016Mixtape’“…Astraluna’simpassionedvocalssetthemelodyonfire…..[‘PlayWithFire’]cracklesandsparkswithenergyallthewaythrough…”(RichardDowling,FreshontheNet)“Thelayeredcelestialvocalsatopachimingukulelesound,bothsweetlywrappedinresonantreverb,createahaunting,atmosphericandairychambertohouseAstraluna’sdelicatesongwritinggift.”(UkeMagazine,December2016)
