Aluminum Sea by Mike Weterings Band

MWB is music without borders...Mike Weterings is the best cross-cultural artist around. His music is an effortless blurring of musical categories into a clear new CD listening experience. The albums' 10 songs seamlessly weave styles and cultures together, connected by Mike's strong vocals, rhythms, melodies, intriguing lyrics and songwriters' point of view.

From the influences of rock (Daybreak, Shameless), to African dance grooves (Dance, Here's Looking at You), to folk ballads (Let You Go, Too Late) to Art Rock (You Give Me, Had to Come Back, Satisfy You) and to pure pop (Someone I Can Lean On) this album is a coherent musical journey meant to be explored by anyone.

With over a 1,000 independent copies sold, some CD's have stories as unique as the music. The CD has journeyed across Greenland as the only music a cross-country skier took for the 4 week solo journey. Other copies have been stuck in bathroom CD players and endlessly listened to over and over again...copies have been stolen from vehicles only to be repurchased.

Mike grew up on a standard western musical diet of rock, pop, jazz, folk and classical music. He also spent 3 years hitch-hiking around the world visiting 50 countries and 5 continents.

During the last half of his global travels (after thumbing most of the way from Cairo to Capetown), he ended up working odd jobs in South Africa. Surrounded by African culture, he stayed for more than a year, experiencing a unique insight into a different life and music. In addition to already being able to write great songs, when confronted with vibrant Soukous or Gumboot dancing in African clubs he realized a new uncharted direction for his writing.

His ambition now is to weave the energy and instrumentation of African music into many of his songs, creating a new global sound-introducing the audience to the awesome power and possibilities of African music-while still sounding familiar to Western audiences.

Since returning home, he has spent his time not only immersed in African music but also studying music theory, jazz performance and pop/rock song writing.

Today, as the principal songwriter and full-time touring performer with his band, Mike Weterings Band (MWB) his music has created a true synthesis of all the styles that he has loved throughout his life; pop, African, folk, jazz, rock and classical.

The band puts on a high-energy show of unstoppable grooves and plenty of opportunities to just jam out. The songs from Aluminum Sea always keep the night in motion. "Dance" and "Here's Looking at You" are the crowd favourites and get them on their feet.

Mike began performing as a solo singer/songwriter at Vancouver open mics after returning from travelling, but the band got started when he was initially joined by a cellist. An electric guitar playing classmate, then a drummer and a bassist later joined in. An African dancer/djembe drummer often performs with the group as well.

MWB's high-energy show has become a staple in the Vancouver live scene as well as developing a regular tour circuit throughout western Canada. They are regulars at many university and college campuses, nightclubs, Western Canadian ski resorts, regional festivals, community events, as well as numerous benefits and private shows throughout Western Canada.

The band won the $5,000 first prize "Battle at the Barn" in 2003, competing with 10 other great local Vancouver bands. They have also had several live TV and radio appearances. Their live Shaw Cable TV performance in January of 2003 was recently selected to be part of a "Best Of" rebroadcast series selected from their entire 2002-3 season.

In April, 2003, two songs ("Here's Looking at You" and "Too Late") from their album Aluminum Sea, won Runner's Up in the annual NSAI international song contest (out of nearly 7,000 entrants). The album Aluminum Sea was also nominated for 2 West Coast Music Awards for Song of the Year (Someone I Can Lean On) and Producer of the Year (Jeff Holl). They have recently begun recording songs for their follow-up album, which should be available by Christmas 2004.

Only an independent artist could produce an album this dynamic, and which sets a standard for others to follow. Discover for yourself why this CD never gets returned once it has been loaned out to a friend, and buy it today....pick one up for your friend too.

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