Description
Beyond The Treeline is the new album from the eclectic and multi-talented musicians Julie Walkington and Jim Howard, forthcoming on swiftly developing East London label Elsden Music.
An enchanting project featuring trumpets, effects pedals, gongs, singing bowls and other tuned percussion, the duo have combined their burgeoning creativity to produce fascinating and beautiful musical landscapes. The result is a hypnotic and captivating body of work that transcends conventional musical boundaries. Beyond The Treelinewas inspired by Julie Walkington's desire to combine her experience of playing gongs in a sound healing setting as part of her work as a qualified complimentary therapist, with her extensive career as a professional jazz bass player.
The bold uniqueness of this project is further enhanced by the powerful yet subtle sound of Jim Howard's trumpet. His improvisational skills and work as a film composer made him the perfect partner to build on the soundscapes created by Julie. Jim's subtle use of live electronics and loops gives additional depth, warmth, and complexity to the music.
Recorded live in the studio with no overdubbing, each of the eleven pieces are first takes and it's clear that Jim and Julie have a strong chemistry developed from playing together in other settings.
The music has a cathartic quality that also brings a sense of wellbeing, and the sounds produced move through many different moods and emotions, evoking a sense of calm.
From the opening sounds and vibrations of the gongs on 'Catching the Dawn' , to the electronic soundscape of 'Watering Hole' with whisps of melody from the trumpet, and the faint echoes of Miles Davis detected in the muted horn towards the end of 'Byway', Beyond The Treelineis absorbing, soothing and beautiful; a standout release for 2025 by all who encounter it!
Julie Walkington: Gongs, hand percussion & singing bowls
Jim Howard: Trumpet, flugelhorn & electronics
Recorded and mixed At Studio 45 by Greg Dowling. Mastered By Manuel Scaramuzzino