Maston’s Darkland is a breezy collection of the material from the Tulips sessions that didn’t make it on to the original LP. Originally a digital-only release for those in the know in the autumn of 2018, after re-issuing Tulips in 2020 it made too much sense for Be With to give Darkland a vinyl release.
Like Tulips, Darkland was recorded mostly in Hoorn, in the Netherlands, between 2015-2017 during downtime from Frank’s touring duties with Jacco Gardner’s band. Bits were also done in Los Angeles on some extended trips back home.
The collection plays like an alternate view of Maston’s instant modern classic Tulips; a companion piece to the LP proper with similar mixture of shorter themes and more full length tracks. As Frank Maston explains: “I think Darkland is the shadow of Tulips in a way… what it might’ve been in a different universe. But the heart of Tulips beats in these songs as well and they evoke the same memories and feelings for me. I see my process playing out across these songs - lots of experimentation and trying out new techniques and sounds and just sort of going for it.”
Whilst we were working on Darkland’s vinyl release Frank explained more specifically about the music that didn’t make it on to Tulips: “When I was putting together the tracklisting for Tulips I was already thinking that whatever didn’t make it onto the LP would be cool to release eventually somehow. The response to Tulips has been so passionate over the years that it’s nice to be able to offer another piece of that world. And for me personally it’s amazing to have more of my work out there in the world. Most common bit of feedback was that many of these songs should have been on Tulips. The odd friend says it’s much better than Tulips.”
Just like Tulips before it, Simon Francis’s vinyl mastering for Darkland has been cut at 45rpm so you can trip out to this as well at a woozy 33 1/3. The artwork too has been designed by Frank himself as a literal visual continuation of the Tulips cover.
We couldn’t possibly say whether Darkland is better than Tulips, and luckily we don’t have to decide.
– Be With Records
Tracklist:
1. Darkland [00:39]
2. Tulips [02:55]
3. Immaculate Conception [00:46]
4. Love Theme Nº 3 [01:23]
5. The Owl in Daylight [00:51]
6. Innovative Patterns [02:24]
7. Osiris [00:58]
8. Raincloud [03:57]
9. Phonic [00:48]
10. Love Theme Nº 2 [01:58]
11. Groove Experiment Nº 3 [01:49]
12. Italian Summer [00:52]
13. Endless [02:11]
14. Wonder Theme [01:09]
15. Willow [01:08]
Format: 12-inch Vinyl LP
Label: Be With Records
Catalog: BEWITH096LP
Released: July 2021
Genre: Jazz / Pop / Downtempo
