Rome - The Dublin Session 2 - CD DIGIPAK

In the autumn of 2022, ROME's Jerome Reuter made another trip to the Emerald Isle to spend a few weeks among friends in Ireland. As was to be expected, porters and laughs were had, songs were written and at the end of the journey, another stout-fueled 'Dublin Session' comprised of all-new and gripping folk compositions had seen the light of day.

In order to give the tracks the trademark Irish spit and grit, co-Producing long-time friend and musical collaborator Brian Brody (Rack & Ruin) recruited renowned fellow travellers and local talents such as Ronan O Snodaigh (Dead Can Dance, Kíla) on bodhran; Eoin O Cionnaith on uilleann pipes (Van Morrison, Christy Moore); Matthew Hanaphy on banjo and tin whistles; Goshia Gasior on violin; Andy Slowey on bass.

Whereas the tracks of the first session were cut in Dublin's legendary Sonic Studio, this second one was held in rural Ireland, at Brian Brody's Ballycale Studio, county Wexford. The songs on 'The Dublin Session II' are all completely new and unreleased songs that combine Irish traditional folk music with ROME's contemporary proto-folk. Among the compositions are songs like the catchy, almost danceable 'Hold the Line' and the tongue-in-cheek 'The Tsarist Army', which set a counterpoint to more melancholic compositions like 'My White Rose' and 'Muse of Fire'. Much like the first Dublin Session, this second one boasts a multitude of European tongues: French on 'La Peau Dernière', German on 'An der Landwehr', but most notably Brian Brody's and Ronan O Snodaigh's Gaelic spoken words on tracks like 'Deoch an Dorais' and 'Eirigh Anois!'.

All of this to show that, in ROME, the European spirit is alive and well.