Dolans Presents are proud to welcome home one of Limerick’s own, Alan Keary aka Shunya, who has been announced as support act for Henge who are set to play Upstairs at Dolans on April 26th.
Alan Keary is a multi-instrumentalist and producer. One of the supremely talented Keary family, Alan has been writing and producing music from the age of fourteen.
Now based in Manchester and performing under the alias Shunya, his sound is an amalgamation of influences, ranging from his early musical background of classical violin to the sounds of Manchester's electronic music scene which compliment his highly accomplished abilities as a jazz bassist.
With influences referencing artists such as Flying Lotus, Bjork and Eric Whitacre, Shunya's name saw a rapid increase in notoriety when his single Wonder N Wane (feat Hayley Pip Williams) was picked up by Huw Stephens (BBC Radio 1) and BBC radio Manchester. Ilovemanchester also ranked Shunya in their “top 5 local bands making it big in Manchester”.
His recent collaboration with DJ Yoda's & Breakfast of Champions live band has gained Shunya a notable reputation as a collaborator. With co-writing on tracks such as "Pebble Beach" going on to be play listed by BBC 6Music.
Other notable collaborations include Werkha, (Tru Thoughts, Brownswood Bubblers) & Josephine Oniyama (Rubyworks), lending arrangement and performance of strings & bass.
Shunya's self-titled release also features appearances from GoGo Penguin drummer Rob Turner and session drummer Craig Hanson on the track 'The Beauty of Being the Void'. Singer Hayley Phillipa Williams features throughout the E.P and brings a haunting yet soulful feel to tracks such as 'The Elaborate Hoax', suggesting connotations reminiscent to the music of Kate Bush. Shunya continues to collaborate with various artists and musicians with a vision to combine everything into one boiling pot, defying the notion of 'genre'.
Speaking of Shunya, Gogo Penguin said: 'We've been watching him since he first started out. His latest EP Mountain Gazer is a massive leap forward in both production and composition. Definitely one to watch out for’.
Shunya will be supporting the Manchester-based Henge who have quickly established themselves as a must-not-miss at festivals and gathering a cult-like tribe of followers.
Their fun live show and positive message for mankind is set to music that is simultaneously anarchic and wholesome. From its freaky opening to its euphoric conclusion Henge's live show takes you on a joyous and imaginative journey.
Henge are a true crossover band fusing musical elements recognisable from electronic dance music, prog, psychedelia etc ... but when genre tags inevitably fall short in describing their unique sound we are encouraged (at the band's behest) to refer to this music as 'cosmic dross'.
In July 2017 they released Cosmic Dross on Love Love Records, a five track EP of electronic madness so unique and captivating that it firmly cemented their reputation with the alternative festival community.
The band have proved popular with a variety of audiences. Together with the much respected Age of Glass they throw their own wild, sci-fi themed raves - a night called Space Cassette, then of course they’ve impressed at festivals such as Womad, Boomtown, Bestival and Fusion to name a few. They also curate a Space Cassette takeover at Bluedot festival each year and as demand for their lively, colourful show has increased amongst more family-oriented festivals they have responded by hosting hugely popular matinee shows so that their younger fans can attend.
Henge's first full length album Attention Earth released on October 19th 2018, is a mind blowing piece that has already gained many advocates in press and radio. To top off an amazing year the band were voted ‘best live act’ at the UK Independent Festival Awards, the same accolade that IDLES won in 2017.