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#michaelo’shea #vinyl #vinylrecords
Michael O’Shea’s remarkable album holds a special place in our hearts as one of our all-time favorites. Produced by Bruce Gilbert and Graham Lewis of Wire at the Dome studio in 1982, it is a truly unique and magical piece of music that never fails to move us to tears. Introduced to us by Blackest Ever Black at the beginning of this decade, we have become captivated by its sublime melodies and rhythmic patterns, spending years trying to obtain the licensing for its reissue. Finally, in 2019, we were granted this invaluable new edition, making the material available on vinyl once again after almost four decades. This reissue has introduced a whole new generation of listeners to the beauty of O’Shea’s music, captivating everyone from diehard collectors to casual listeners who had no prior interest in the subtleties of the music world we often find ourselves immersed in.
Michael O’Shea was a multi-talented individual, busking and venturing into various trades. With a childhood split between Northern Ireland and Kerry in the south of Ireland, and extensive travel throughout Europe, Turkey, and Bangladesh, he created his own instrument, the Mó Cará (meaning ‘My Friend’ in Irish) – an electrified dulcimer. O’Shea performed with this instrument at iconic venues such as Ronnie Scott’s, and shared the stage with renowned artists like Ravi Shankar and Don Cherry. He even recorded with Matt and Tom Johnson of The The.
While O’Shea contributed to the Stano album, ‘Content To Dine In I Dine Weathercraft’, his first and only solo album remains his main body of work. It showcases a unique artist who intuitively blends various world styles into hypnotic and awe-inspiring compositions. Using his custom-made instrument, which combines elements of a zelochord and a sitar made from a salvaged wooden door in Munich, O’Shea absorbed the sounds of his travels and channeled them back through his instrument, resulting in mesmerizing and intricately-layered pieces.
The album opens with the breathtaking and eclectic ‘No Journey’s End’, a fifteen-minute track that leaves listeners breathless and deeply moved. It creates an almost religious experience, setting the stage for the intimate and enchanting ‘Kerry’, which beautifully captures the essence of O’Shea’s coastal home. ‘Guitar No. 1’ brings a hint of the post-punk era to the album, while still feeling timeless and ancient. The haunting ‘Voices’ and the pulsating ‘Anfa Dásachtach’ showcase O’Shea’s metaphysical influences and reverberate with immense depth and emotion.
O’Shea’s extraordinary talents were recognized during his lifetime, and his personal description of himself as a joker, inventor, traveler, musician, and more encapsulates the vibrant and multifaceted nature of his life. His untimely death in 1991 was a tragic loss, as we can only imagine what incredible music he would have created during the early days of techno, considering his growing involvement in London’s rave scene.
It’s difficult to describe just how deeply this record has resonated with us. It has cast an indescribable spell, leading us on wild goose chases in search of its origins. We apologize for the excessive gushing, but we simply can’t contain our love for this transformative album and the music of Michael O’Shea.
