Ripple 

Ripple is the solo project of Ian Tothill, a fiddle player with cajun, country and western swing bands. It is a complete departure from his usual territory. After years of playing other people's music, Ian has come up with a genre busting album which captures personal and universal feelings. 

A head full of ideas, a fiddle, assorted acoustic instruments and a sequencer are combined to produce music which defies categorization. Tunes emerge out of soft backbeats, skittering along, changing direction heading towards conclusions and drawing the listener in with unexpected twists. A few whispered lyrics hint at private sadness. The music is both uplifting and calming, held together by strong fiddle playing. 

This is an album that has to be heard to be believed. It sounds like fiddle players from all over the world, dub reggae producer Lee Perry, and Four Tet quietly jamming at 4.00 a.m. while the rest of the world sleeps

 

Why not visit Tribe Of Ones own website at:

www.myspace.com/thetribeofone

History

Tribe of One is the personal music project of fiddle player Ian Tothill. He still loves to play wild solos in rockabilly, cajun and country bands. However since Hank Williams is long gone and has no further need of a band member, Ian has come up with something completely different. Tribe of One music fits no known category and is an attempt to represent the contents of Ian's head in musical form. It comes out of all the music he has ever been passionate about. Listening to the kind of eclectic sounds found on BBC Radio 3 programme "Late Junction", he has been inspired to devise pieces that emerge from fragments of tunes, half remembered ideas and cut up loops lurking in the MC303 sequencer. The scales used hint at lyra music from Crete or borrow from Algerian rai, but the overall effect is one of a unique musical form. The fiddle shares the limelight with a saw, a timple (Canarian 5 string instrument)and acoustic guitar. The beats sometimes drive the music along or may shimmer in the background or disappear altogether. Ian has recently been recording with guests who play the parts which he can't do himself. There are no plans to perform the music live but Ian is always open to possibilities. He can be heard guesting on The Rootsman CD "New Testament" and is available for further collaboration