“It was an honour to be featured on ‘The Gift’. Having been a longtime fan of Tesseract and Dan, this was a wonderful collaboration to take part of. People are going to be floored with this release.” – Matt Heafy
First single ‘The Gift’ a brand new song to accompany the album, features Trivium frontman and guitarist, Matt Heafy, a friend who is also a prominent streamer on Twitch. When Matt agreed to contribute to ‘The Gift’ as a collaboration, both Matt and myself tracked our vocals direct to fans, live on our Twitch channels (matthewkheafy and dmtesseract)
‘Ruins’ is a new and heavy interpretation of my debut solo album Castles (originally produced by Eddie Head of Haji’s Kitchen) set to be released on 11th December via Kscope.
The album was re-written by and co-produced alongside Paul Ortiz aka Chimp Spanner. It’s a much more aggressive record, pulling me back to my roots as a rock and metal artist. I also decided to take up the guitar and having been endorsed by OD Guitars, it’s definitely been another new and exciting aspect to my solo work. I’m also very pleased to say that my good friend Plini has also contributed to the album with some wonderful guitar work!
‘Ruins’ is significantly different to Castles with the addition of Tompkins’ signature aggressive versus clean vocal style. It was felt that renaming the album and each song was appropriate and aside from the lyrics, it is essentially a completely new album’ – Kscope.
I’d also like to thank Mark Leary of ASYLUMseventy7 for his amazing front cover and album artwork. It’s always a pleasure to work with someone who’s as efficient and as talented as Mark. He really brought to life the vision that I had in my head from the start.
I’m truly grateful to everyone involved and as far as my own music goes this album is a definite highlight. In the current climate I appreciate we’re all a little bit worn down but I’d like to encourage fans to pre-order the record and support us in this challenging time.
DANIEL TOMPKINS RELEASES NEW SINGLE & VIDEO FOR “LIMITLESS” TAKEN FROM HIS FORTHCOMING DEBUT SOLO ALBUM CASTLES
Ahead of the release of Castles, the debut solo album from talented musician & songwriter Daniel Tompkins on 31st May, Daniel has released the new single and video for the song “Limitless”.
The song, he explains “explores the theme of loneliness and desperation. In our romantic relationships we can all make mistakes at some point or another, often we’re able to navigate difficult times but sometimes we can cause irreparable damage. Limitless is experienced through the eyes of a person having lost such a relationship, aimlessly wandering and constantly reaching dead ends. Sometimes it’s better to simply reset, move on and start again without the baggage of the past. That being said, the outcome of the decisions we make will shape the people we become and while memories fade, they’re never truly erased.”
Tompkins travelled to the US to shoot the “Limitless” clip with directors Steven Cleavland (@steven.cleavland) & Kyle Kadow (@kylekadow); having worked with them previously on ZETA and TesseracT projects, “they created such an incredible visuals for those projects and have great working relationships with local actors. Interestingly, both the male lead actors seen in the Causeway video were also featured in TesseracT’s King video, as we thought that would be a nice link, plus they are incredible actors. The elder male lead, Timothy Barnes, also features in “Limitless.”
He continues “When it comes to music videos, I have only ever filmed in the UK on single day shoots, which has mostly been down to budget and busy schedules but with ‘Limitless’ I travelled to Milwaukee to work with Kyle, Steven and a small team for a whole week, filming in several different locations. The scenes in limitless were filmed in a Motel 6 hotel room, a small restaurant called ‘Soup Otzies’, a laundrette called ‘Candy’s’, the Plymouth Church, a local bar and various car scenes around the local forests and countryside. However, the star of the show has to be the car that I had the pleasure of driving around on the last days shoot – a silver 1988 Oldsmobile Toronado Trofeo Silver that was kept in stunning condition. Driving it was like stepping back in time and was a real nostalgia kick.
It’s so gratifying to have pushed myself as far as I did to create this video, not just in travelling overseas or because of how difficult it was to shoot for hours on end each day, but because I actually had to act out a narrative and if it wasn’t for the team surrounding me, I would not have been able to pull this off. The whole idea behind the video surrounds a theme of loneliness and desperation and some scenes, like the ones shot at Plymouth Church, were very moving. Acting is not my forte but I wanted to challenge myself. Kyle and Steven shot and directed the video so well that the end product ties together perfectly in what I view as one of my highest achievements so far.”
Castles, was written & engineered by Tompkins alongside US producer Eddie Head (Haji’s Kitchen) and recorded at both the UK’s Celestial Sound Studio (Vocals) & The Color And The Sound Studios (Music) in the US, with mastering by Acle Kahney at 4D Sounds; together they created the dynamic realisation of Tompkins’ expansive ability and taste: pulsating synths, beautiful keyboard lines, powerful electric guitars, heavy crash cymbals, and both skittering and forceful beats. The space created by the production allows Daniel’s voice to switch skilfully from tender and introspective to soaring emotion in a blend of pop-rock-electronic sounds that engages his eclectic audience. The result is a masterclass in tension and release.
This 13-track album features six alternative versions, which feature special guests Acle Kahney (TesseracT), Grammy-nominated Randy Slaugh (Periphery, Architects, Devin Townsend), Paul Ortiz (Zeta, Chimpspanner) and producer Dmitry Stepanov. With the stunning artwork created by Ani Artworks (www.aniartworks.org ).
A diverse vocalist, Tompkins has established himself as a highly respected artist with a dedicated worldwide fanbase garnered from his work with the global progressive metal sensations TesseracT and Skyharbor, the experimental pop oriented White Moth Black Butterfly, which recently included a collaboration with percussive guitarist Jon Gomm, and the rise of his more accessible solo material.
Castles will be released on CD, LP (180g black vinyl) and digital (pre-orders receive “Saved feat. Acle Kahney” & “Limitless” as instant downloads) PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE HERE
CASTLES – THE DEBUT SOLO ALBUM FROM AWARD-WINNING AND INNOVATIVE BRITISH SINGER-SONGWRITER DANIEL TOMPKINS
Due for release 31st May 2019 on Kscope
PREMIERE OF FIRST VIDEO “SAVED FEAT. ACLE KAHNEY” (TESSERACT)
Kscope are extremely proud to announce the release of the debut solo album from talented musician & songwriter Daniel Tompkins. His new solo album, entitled Castles, is due for release on 31st May.
Daniel Tompkins, already part of the Kscope family as the vocalist in TesseracT, comments on signing to Kscope as a solo artist “I’m ecstatic to have the backing of Kscope. They believe in what I’m producing and wish to support me as I freely express myself as a solo artist. I cannot thank them enough”
Within Castles, the listener will explore an album inspired by the arc of relationships – tragic mistakes, misjudgements of character and victorious, passionate love.
Daniel expands on this theme “Everyone has experiences that are relatable to one another in their romantic relationships. We make huge investments of trust and care and commitment into one another and sometimes they simply fail. In fact, most fail. That said, some survive, thrive and create incredible lifelong partnerships or at least important, long lasting love. But sometimes, we make massive misjudgements of character and the true nature of someone is always revealed over time. Sometimes tragic mistakes, physical or mental abuse, compulsion or addiction are an issue and create irreparable harm to relationships and lives, no matter how in love two people may be. This is the area where the most tragic outcomes occur. The album is somewhat cathartic lyrically but in other areas it explores amazing, victorious, passionate love. A lot of this story is told from the perspective of someone seeking that perfect partnership and the ultimate fulfilment of finding it.”
This emotionally charged album theme is showcased in the first single & video, directed by Blacktide Productions, to be taken from Castles, “Saved”, which features Acle Kahney (TesseracT).
Castles, was written & engineered by Tompkins alongside US producer Eddie Head (Haji’s Kitchen) and recorded at both the UK’s Celestial Sound Studio (Vocals) & The Color And The Sound Studios (Music) in the US, with mastering by Acle Kahney at 4D Sounds; together they created the dynamic realisation of Tompkins’ expansive ability and taste: pulsating synths, beautiful keyboard lines, powerful electric guitars, heavy crash cymbals, and both skittering and forceful beats. The space created by the production allows Daniel’s voice to switch skilfully from tender and introspective to soaring emotion in a blend of pop-rock-electronic sounds that engages his eclectic audience. The result is a masterclass in tension and release.
This 13 track album features six alternative versions, which feature special guests Acle Kahney (TesseracT), Grammy-nominated Randy Slaugh (Periphery, Architects, Devin Townsend), Paul Ortiz (Zeta, Chimpspanner) and producer Dmitry Stepanov. With the stunning artwork created by Ani Artworks (www.aniartworks.org).
A diverse vocalist, Tompkins has established himself as a highly respected artist with a dedicated worldwide fanbase garnered from his work with the global progressive metal sensations TesseracT and Skyharbor, the experimental pop oriented White Moth Black Butterfly, which recently included a collaboration with percussive guitarist Jon Gomm, and the rise of his more accessible solo material.
In creating Castles Tompkins found the freedom to truly express his originality and artistry, he explains “I have directed and produced every aspect of the project. It’s been an extremely liberating project to have full control and essentially redesign my image and approach to music creation. This feels like a new start as an artist and the most excited I have personally been so far throughout my career”
Castles will be released on CD, LP (180g black vinyl) and digital (pre-orders receive “Saved feat. Acle Kahney” as an instant download) PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE HERE
Have you ever wanted to learn to sing? Are you interesting in finding your own voice? Are you looking for a vocal coach?
The DTVC team is pleased to announce that after months and years of hard work, the educational vocal coaching website ‘Daniel Tompkins Vocal Coaching’ is now OPEN to the public. Simply watch the video or head directly HERE to signup and become a member of the site! Current courses include the following complete with HD videos, Podcasts, Blogs, Webinars, Live Vocal Run Throughs, Members Forum and Community, Exclusive Behind the Scenes Footage and more.
The Singers Lifestyle • The Mechanics of the Voice • The Mechanics of Breathing • Vocal Routines • Pitch and Meditative Drones • Breathing Exercises
“This is a website for every ability of singer. It’s for life will continue to grow with newly added content. I’m personally over the moon with how this has taken shape. I only wish I had something like this when I started out. I remember having nobody to relate or turn to and I learnt the hard way. The ‘DTVC’ website contains the techniques and secrets that have shaped me into the singer that I am today. We never stop learning and I hope this will be very useful tool for singers all around the world to get a fresh perspective on contemporary singing” – Daniel Tompkins
The video was directed by Kyle Kadow and Steven Cleavland and filmed in Wisconsin in the aftermath of a brutal storm.
Bassist Amos Williams says: “We have been very lucky to work with two cinematographers of such vision and quality as Kyle and Steven. We gave them free reign with the creation of the first story board.
“They chose to explore the theme of claustrophobia and how fear can control our lives. Using a luminary figure as a beacon of hope and escape for the characters.”
As for the concept behind King, vocalist and lyricist Daniel Tompkins says: “Far too often we find ourselves lead into conflict and inner turmoil.
“Life is surely a battle, history has a bad habit of repeating itself and when living with the constraints of an onerous life, it’s easy to overlook the greatest gift we’ve ever received – life itself.”
Sonder will be released on CD, LP, clear vinyl, picture disc and via digital platforms, while a 2CD version will come with a binaural album bonus disc, which will provide a 360-listening experience specifically designed for headphones.
Sonder is now available for pre-order – CLICK HERE
Tesseract have live dates scheduled in North America and Europe throughout 2018 – CLICK HERE
KING
You died within me //
The boatmen came to sail me down the river /
Bind me up with visions of a blind man //
I operate this way /
Turn nothing into gold //
Death on such an ugly day /
You dine like a king on top of the world •
You show us all //
That forgiveness is the weakest call /
And now revenge //
Against that grudge inside your tiny head /
Remove the crown of absolution //
Let the retribution fly /
The king has all the king has all //
But words can kill and maim and take their toll /
And you massacre my dreams at night //
And eat away at every thought /
Until we take control //
The king has all totalitarian and carnivore •
Bow down submit to me and kiss the ground //
Until it’s safe to breathe and coexist again /
Bow down submit to me and kiss the ground //
Until it’s safe to live and coexist again •
They’re taking away the freedom to be just you //
They’re taking away the freedom to be just you /
They’re taking away the freedom to be just you //
They’re taking away the freedom to be just you /
But the sun always shines for you //
They’re taking away the freedom to be just you •
You’d kill to find me //
But the crown above my head is deadly •
They’re taking away the freedom to be just you //
They’re taking away the freedom to be just you /
