The 1990's and Beyond
1990 saw the last of Steve’s Eye Tapes cassette albums, the 90 minutes long LABYRINTH.
LABYRINTH
1990 Eye Tapes 90 min cassette EYE 009
Nebula
Opener Of The Ways
Timedancer
Ectoforms
Labyrinth
Stormbringer
Riding The Storm 1-5
Nocturne no 2
Citadel
Vale Of Thela
Automaton
Lyra
Pantheon
Rider
Herald
Riding The Storm 6
With the release of LABYRINTH Steve had decided to call it a day for the Eye Tapes label as ever since the early 80’s he had been battling with what was then a mysterious debilitating illness (later diagnosed as ME/CFS) and life had become increasingly difficult along with the resultant lack of finances to carry things forward any further. However, Steve was then approached by Clive Littlewood, the founder of the Electronical Dreams Label in Cornwall, to record an album and this helped to take the pressure off Steve as he could just concentrate on making music. Sadly though, having recorded the album the equipment it was recorded on irreparably broke and could not be replaced! Consequently, the recording of his tenth and last cassette album, titled CONTINUUM, had to be delayed for several years until 1993 when it had to be recorded all over again! For the same reasons several planned live appearances also had to be cancelled. However, in the interim an unreleased track from "Continuum" called "Continuum Pt 9" and an Andrews/Hillman track called "Eyes of Janus", which had been mastered just before the equipment breakdown, appeared on the compilation cassette A CHANGE FOR THE DIFFERENT Messenger MRJ 6 in 1991, compiled by Rob Andrews. (Later released on CD-R).
Artwork: Bill Jones
CONTINUUM
1993 Electronical Dreams 60 min cassette ED 031
Continuum
Transitions
Etheric Bridge
Centre Of Forces
Chronotron
Altar Of The Serpent
Essence
Departure
1993: "Continuum", "Transistions" & "Centre of Forces" appeared on the cassette-zine SEQUENCES No 5, compiled by Mick Garlick.
1993: An unreleased track, "Before Dawn" featuring Linda on flute, appeared on the ESCAPE FROM THE CAGE VOL 3: IMAGES OF INFINITY Auricle cassette AMC 044, compiled by Alan Freeman. (Later released on CD-R).
1993: An unreleased track, "Mysterium" appeared on the ARRIVAL sampler cassette AM 001, compiled by Kevin O'Neill. (Later released on Steve's "Riding the Storm" CD).
Later in 1993, Malcolm Parker, who was a long time fan of Steve’s music, wrote to ask if he was interested in being signed to a new branch of the US and Canadian Griffin Record Label which was owned by Malcolm’s brother Neil. Malcolm was starting the new label up and was looking for a roster of progressive rock artists. Into Steve’s later cassette albums he had brought elements of progressive rock and Malcolm wanted Steve’s music to feature these much more and with lots of guitar! Steve duly signed to what was to become Cyclops Records and in September 1994 they released his debut CD titled MATRIX.
MATRIX
September 1994 Cyclops CD CYCL 011
Overdrive
Matrix Part 1
Interchange
Ascendant
Sphinx Dancer
Into Space
Taken To The Limit
Sequent Seven
Matrix Part 2
Dawning Light
Into The Blue
Tritone
1994: "Into the Blue (Alternative Version)" appeared on the CYCLOPS SAMPLER CD CYCL 007, compiled by Malcolm Parker.
1994: "Into the Blue (Alternative Version)" also appeared on the SEQUENCES No 9 cassette-zine, compiled by Mick Garlick.
It was decided that the follow up CD, 1996's RIDING THE STORM, would be a remastered compilation of some of the best tracks from Steve’s cassette album years.
RIDING THE STORM
May 1996 Cyclops CD CYCL 035
Departure
Link
Stormbringer
Riding The Storm Parts 1-5
Pillars Of Sand
Chronotron
Mysterium
Point Of Contact
Earthpulse
Chamber Of The Moon
Accumulator
Sashida
Altair
Riding The Storm Part 6
Journey Back
1996: Several unreleased tracks, "Winter Sketches Parts 1-4" and "Improvisation",
appeared on Rob Andrews's Messenger label compilation cassette APHELION MRM 9 compiled by Rob Andrews.
1997: "Dawning Light" from the "Matrix" album appeared on the CD compilation "NEW AGE BABEL" Gruppo Futura CD (Italy) NA10.
Steve 1998. Photo: Linda Hillman.
Steve decided that his next album would pay homage to progressive rock and the century ended with 1999’s CONVERGENCE album with it’s nods to Rick Wakeman, Steve Hackett, Pink Floyd, Camel, etc. The album also featured a progified version of 1986’s NEW HORIZONS title track. An unused track called OVER THE EDGE was earmarked for that years Cyclops Sampler CD but Cyclops dropped the track at the last minute. However, it was to make an appearance some years later...
CONVERGENCE
November 1999 Cyclops CD CYCL 069
Wheels Within Wheels Part 1
Against All Odds
A Time That Was
Against All Odds reprise
Moongate
Flying High
The Earth Sleeps Below
Down To Earth
New Horizons
Pulsator
Obelisk
Upon The Hill
Convergence
A Time That Was
Wheels Within Wheels Part 2
Twist Of Fate
Upon Reflection
Wheels Of Change
Finale
For What Is To Come...
The 00's
2001: The compilation cassette A CHANGE FOR THE DIFFERENT, previously released in 1991 was released as a CD-R on Rob Andrews's Transfer label TRJ 6.
In 2000 Steve began working on a similar styled follow up to the prog rock aspirations of CONVERGENCE and had the material composed and ready for recording when circumstances dictated a different direction. Due to a demand for more of his cassette material Cyclops decided that he should compile a follow up to the RIDING THE STORM CD. This time though, Steve decided that the tracks would be completely re-recorded and re-arranged. The resultant album, OPENER OF THE WAYS, was released in June 2002. Once again an unused track, a new and longer arrangement of LAST LIGHT, was put forward for that years Cyclops Sampler CD only to be dropped at the last hurdle (again!) as the album was exceeding its running limits.
OPENER OF THE WAYS
June 2002 Cyclops CD CYCL 123
(New recordings of cassette album tracks)
Continuum
Transitions Part 1-3
Nebula
Opener Of The Ways Part 1-2
Trancer
Golden Flame
Centre Of Forces Part 1-2
Night Tides
Sea Child
Island Part 1-2
Last Light Part 1-2
2002: The compilation cassette ESCAPE FROM THE CAGE VOL 3: IMAGES OF INFINITY, previously released in 1993, was released as a CD-R on the Auricle label AMSCDR 009. Copies available from:
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/ultimathule/tachyon/variousartists.html
ASHTAR
With LINDA HILLMAN
2003 Auricle Ltd. Edition CD-R AMCDR 028
(Remastered version of Eye 004). Copies available from:
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/ultimathule/tachyon/hilmman.html
2004: A track from Steve's vaults recorded in 1978 titled "Moon Drone" appeared on the Auricle CD-R ¿DRONSZ? AMCDR 038 compiled by Alan Freeman. Copies available from:
http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/green/aobk53/variousartists.html#dronsz
Ra
In 2004 Steve became the keyboard player in the newly formed UK progressive rock group Ra.
2005: The previously unreleased alternate version of "Last Light" from "Opener of the Ways" was briefly available on the short lived PORTALS IV album overseen by Chris "Etherfysh" Christou. Rain of "Cerulean Blue" fame remastered the track.
DREAMFAST
Steve is also a huge admirer of the film composer John Barry and throughout the 90’s had recorded several albums worth of material that tapped into the spirit of Barry’s 1960’s jazz flavoured musical scores with the emphasis on melody, drama, adventure and mystery, etc. but the material had never seen the light of day. However, a fortuitous chain of events allowed Steve’s ambitions to become realised and to record a John Barry influenced album.
In 2005, Lew Fisher, a founding member of the US Progressive Music Society bought Steve’s OPENER OF THE WAYS album on the strength of the cover art and thankfully was not disappointed when he heard the music! Lew asked Steve to become a member and soon after a UK writer, singer, musician and producer also joined called Rain who had released the critically acclaimed album CERULEAN BLUE and Steve struck up a friendship with him. Later in 2005, the President of Dreamfast Cinema, artist and film director Bruce Wood, joined the society and he expressed the desire to launch a record label of his own and to sign new acts. Steve therefore sent Bruce a demo of some of his Barry influenced music and Bruce, having liked the demo, proposed that Steve record an album as if for an imaginary movie and offered him a contract to do so. Rain agreed to produce the album and with the budget provided by Dreamfast and Rain’s contacts in the musical world, it was possible to bring in some high calibre musicians to play on the album:
The sax player Iain Ballamy on Tenor & Soprano Sax. Iain was the winner of the BBC Radio 3 award for innovation at the British Jazz Awards in 2001 and was also a member of the former drummer of Yes and King Crimson Bill Bruford’s band Earthworks.
The principal flautist of the London Symphony Orchestra and Professor of Flute at the Royal Academy of Music, Gareth Davies on Flute & Alto Flute.
The son of the conductor Arthur Davison CBE, Darryll Davison on Cello.
Yours truly Steve Hillman on Keyboards, Drums & Percussion.
A former member of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC Philharmonia Phil Morgan on Viola & Violin.
As well as producing and mastering the album, Rain also contributed his musical expertise by playing bass and guitar.
Come March 2006 and Steve’s most ambitious album to date THE WORLD OVER was finished. It became available for digital download in the US in August 2006 and available as a CD from US stores on September 5th 2006. Unfortunately the album was initially beset with distribution and availability problems due to the distributors going bankrupt but a deal was struck with another distributor and the album was launched again on January 9th 2007. It is also now available worldwide as a download via iTunes, Amazon etc. A live concert in London was in the planning stages but sadly had to be cancelled as backing fell through. For samples and further details please go to: www.afapress.com/Dreamfast/Hillman.html Promotional material (PDF Format): http://www.afapress.com/Dreamfast/Press/Hillman%20Onesheet_72rgb
THE WORLD OVER
2006 Dreamfast Cinema CD DF003
Design: Anthony Abbinanti
Fired Up
Linda’s Theme
Long Hot Night
The World Over
As Chance Would Have It
Flute Jazz
Thirties Thing
Looking Back
In Dreams
Slow Down
What The Hell
Regrets
The Chase Is On
Journey’s End
The music for a follow up album to “The World Over” has now been composed with some tracks featuring vocals especially written by lyricist Dai Rees. Hopefully this will be recorded during 2012.
In February 2007, Terry Hawke of Radio HFM 102.3 FM in the UK asked Steve to compose a theme tune for his Chill Out Sessions radio show and live DJ gigs and the resultant piece titled HAWKETRONIQUE had its first airing on Saturday 7th April 2007 and can be heard opening DJ Hawke’s show every Saturday night. Steve & Linda were subsequently interviewed live in the studios of HFM on May 5th 2007. DJ Hawke also commissioned a video for HAWKETRONIQUE:
Video: JT
As well as Terry Hawke being a DJ he has also written several sc-fi narratives and in 2007 he put forward the idea to Steve that he could incorporate some of them into one of Steve's musical projects. Inspired by this concept, earlier in 2009 Steve sketched out several tracks and the basis for a new space-rock album was conceived. Terry hopes that Miss Angel, the principal dancer for the space-rock band Space Ritual (which features former members of the legendary Hawkwind), will choreograph a "visual" interpretation of the narratives combined with music & imagery. Hopefully 2012 will see the project developed further!
In June 2007 Steve had the great honour & pleasure of playing electric guitar on four tracks on THE MYSTIC &THE MACHINE album by US based Alpha Wave Movement which was released later that year on the Harmonic Resonance Recordings label
HRR 070901. www.myspace.com/alphawavemovement
The Ethericom label was set up in 2009 to release Steve’s archive material onto CD-R. Steve’s first album, 1983’s “From Distant Shores”, was released in 2009 with an additional 27 minutes comprising five previously unreleased tracks recorded in the same time period as the original album. Excerpts of tracks can be heard at: www.myspace.com/stevehillmansethericom
In March 2011 a newly remastered version of Steve’s 1994 “Matrix” album was released as a digital download via CD Baby, iTunes, Amazon etc.
Go to the Ethericom page for further details
In 2010, as part of a remix contest, Steve remixed Bryan Ferry’s “Shameless” track from his "Olympia" album called "Shameless (Ethericom Spirit of '72 Mix)" which can be heard at:
http://www.beatportal.com/remix/detail/shameless-ethericom-spirit-of-72-mix/
In October 2010 Steve signed a publishing deal with Silk & Denim Publishers in Nashville, USA for some horror film music cues: “Sam Hain Pts 1-10” & “Sam Hain Pts 11-13” which are available for licensing for use in film, TV etc. They can be heard at:
http://silkanddenimmusic.com/music-group-583.html
In October 2011 they also published another cue by Steve called "Excite!": http://www.silkanddenimmusic.com/music-group-86.html
Steve, Royal Albert Hall, London, June 2011. Photo: Linda Aubergine.