Under the Radar: Valtos

Skye-based duo Valtos have carved out a reputation for their remixes of other acts including Peatbog Fearies, Niteworks, Lapywng and Project Smoke. However, they recently started to release their own tracks debuting with the single Home which combined trad elements with mid-tempo house and featured guest vocals from Eilidh Cormack and Lana Pheutan.

This is set to be followed on 8 April with the song Ceòl Dannsa, which featured a vocal sample from erstwhile Runrig frontman Donnie Munro and is described as avant-garde electro-trad. Moving from atmospheric beginnings into a fiddle-driven hook recorded by by Euan MacLaughlin at Glasgow’s GloWorm studio, its title is Gaelic for dance music. And following in the footsteps of Martyn Bennett, Nightworks and DJ Dolphin Boy, it should appeal to both clubbers and lovers of trad.

An eponymous album is in the pipeline and Valtos have a string of live dates lined up in the coming months including Broadford Village Hall (16 April), Edinburgh’s Sneaky Pete’s (20 May) and King Tuts (4 June) and Doune The Rabbit Hole (15 July). For more information, see www.valtosband.co.uk

Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon run music industry seminar and social night Born To Be Wide, www.borntobewide.co.uk

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