By 2010 Ra lead guitarist David Groves left the band. With the addition of two new members joining – Brian Jones taking the role of lead guitarist and Richard Benjamin on vocals – it was decided to now call the band Ra Rising and work began on recording new material.
Ra Rising in April 2010: Steve, Dai, Richard, Rob & Brian
In 2010 Steve signed a publishing deal with Silk & Denim Publishers in Nashville, USA for a track called “Sam Hain” for use in a horror film set in rural Ireland but not used by the director.
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)”.
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.
Artwork designed by Steve & painted by Linda
In October 2011 Silk & Denim Publishers in Nashville, USA published a track called “Excite!”
In February 2012 they also published another cue called “Running Free”
Both “Excite!” & “Running Free” were assigned to a Las Vegas reality TV talent show called Vertical Pole Challenge.
February 27th 2012 saw the re-release of 1996’s RIDING THE STORM album as a remastered digital download via CDBaby, iTunes, Amazon, etc.
Artwork designed by Steve & painted by Linda
May 9th 2012 saw the re-release of 1999’s CONVERGENCE album as a remastered digital download via CDBaby, iTunes, Amazon, etc.
Artwork designed by Steve & painted by Linda
July 16th 2012 saw the world wide release of LAST LIGHT (Alternate Version) as a download only single via iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby etc.
July 23rd 2012 saw the re-release of OPENER OF THE WAYS as a remastered digital download via iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby, etc.
Artwork designed by Steve & painted by Linda
23rd April 2013 1983’s FROM DISTANT SHORES was released as a remastered download including the 5 bonus tracks as per the limited edition 2007 CD-R.
Artwork designed by Steve & painted by Linda
An album comprising tracks from 1985’s EVOCATIONS and 1986’s NEW HORIZONS was also released as a download on 23rd April 2013.
Artwork designed & painted by Linda
On May 20th 2013 an album comprising tracks from 1987’s TIMELEVELS and 1988’s WORLDS BEYOND was released as a download.
Artwork by Steve
On May 27th 2013 an album comprising tracks from 1989’s PHASES and 1990’s LABYRINTH was released as a download.
Artwork by Steve
Released 9th December 2013 “CONTINNUM” was re-released as a download.
Artwork by Steve
17th March 2014 two versions of the track “Tunnel Vision” (Orchestral Version & Single Edit) featuring vocalist Jerri Roberts and lyrics by Dave Rees were released as a download . The orchestral version of “Tunnel Vision” is also featured on the audio book version of Dave Rees & Phil Friend’s book “Why are you pretending to be normal?”
Tragically, in September 2014 Steve’s wife Linda passed away. She had always been there on so many levels right from the very beginning in the 70’s and onwards to encourage and finance Steve to pursue music.
November 1st 2014 Ra Rising’s SEIZE THE DAY was released as a physical CD & download. The album was produced by Max Read of the The Enid.
- BETWEEN THESE WALLS (Mike Beck / Adrian Polley)
- INDIGO MOUNTAIN (Brian Jones / Richard Benjamin / Martyn C Jones)
- A TIME THAT WAS (Steve Hillman / Dai Rees)
- HOLY MAN (Neil Saunders)
- AGAIN (Richard Benjamin)
- ALIVE AND WELL (Rob Andrews / Jackie Robinson / Dai Rees)
- FLYING HIGH (Steve Hillman / Dai Rees)
- THE REAL WORLD (Adrian Polley)
- RED CLAY (Richard Benjamin)
- MATTER OF THE HEART (Rob Andrews / Neil Saunders / Dai Rees)
- CARPE DIEM (Richard Benjamin / Dai Rees)
- SHOEGAZER (Rob Andrews / Dai Rees) incorporating “Dm” (Max Read)
- TWO BIT HERO (Mike Beck / Kevin Browne / Adrian Polley)
- KIDS ON THE SAND (Martyn C Jones)
30th March 2015 saw the release of LIVE FOR TODAY, the follow up album to “The World Over” but this time with the addition of vocals with lyrics written by Ra Rising drummer Dai Rees. As well as being available as a digital download via all good download sites, physical CD’s with colour disc & six page fold out booklet are also available.
Live For Today | Steve Hillman (bandcamp.com)
1) Contract of a Kiss (feat. Cayman Ilika)
2) Under Cover of Night
3) Now or Never (feat. Brent Miller)
4) The Soundtrack of Our Lives (feat. Cayman Ilika)
5) Underwater Rendezvous
6) Contract of a Kill
7) If Only I’d… (feat. Brent Miller)
8) Tunnel Vision (full version feat. Jerri Roberts)
9) Silent Understanding
10) The Girl With the Sun in Her Hair (Sunny Girl Version)
11) Out With a Bang
12) Live For Today (feat. Cayman Ilika)
Further information about the album can be found at: Live For Today – Steve Hillman – The Official Website of the Electronic / Prog / Space Rock – Orchestral – Composer and Musician
13th February 2016 DJ Terry James Hawke of HFM Radio dedicated the first session of his show to Linda and interviewed Steve live on air.
20th January 2017 the album “Empyreal” by Greek synthesist Thaneco and Steve was released.
Empyreal | Thaneco & Steve Hillman | Thaneco (bandcamp.com)
The Dark Sea Holds A Secret
With Lydian Wings
Helios
Star Alchemist
Oriental
Twelve
Cycles Of Cosmos
For The Departed Angels
29th December 2017 “The New Year’s Waltz” was released as a digital download.
THE TRANCE DIMENSIONALS
In February 2016 Steve had met with the legendary Nik Turner, a founder member of the space rock group Hawkwind, and they discussed working on an album together. Steve had already written enough material for an album and he decided to form the TRANCE DIMENSIONALS band as a way of presenting the new material with Nik fronting the band. Some of the tracks Steve wrote specifically for Nik, in particular “Thunder Rider Invocation” and “Sekhmet”, which purposefully harkens back to Nik’s Egyptian themed album from 1978 called “Xitintoday”.
At the time Steve was also a member of a prog rock band called Ra Rising and he asked their drummer Dai Rees and bassist Rob Andrews to join the band.
Angel Flame, the dancer in Nik’s Space Ritual and the Crazy World of Arthur Brown, also agreed to join and soon after Dave Anderson, who had played bass in the German band Amon Duul II, the Groundhogs and on Hawkwind’s 1971 album “In Search Of Space” also came onboard.
Recording sessions commenced with Nik, Dave & Angel at Foel Studio, Wales April 2018.
Dai, Angel, Dave, Clog, Steve. Photo by Mike Bew
Nik’s sax at the ready! Photo by Mike Bew
In 2018 Steve began collaborating with Sally Oldfield to create youtube videos for her beautiful and magical music to accompany the limited deluxe version of the release of her “The Enchanted Way” compilation released May 25th 2018.
Steve was interviewed live on air on June 24th 2018 by DJ Terry Hawke on the “Hawke Chill-Out Sessions” at Harborough FM.
“I’ll be chatting to Steve about several of his releases, and a little about his new band, The Trance Dimensionals and much, much more, it’s been many years since I last spoke with Steve, it’s gonna be fun ‘catching up’ fer sure!”
14th April 2019 Steve’s track “Towards The Past”, a previously unreleased track from 1978, was included on the “From Inner To Outer Space, a celebration of electronic music (vol. 1)” compilation released by Thaneco Records.
1st June 2019 Steve’s track “Beyond The Tor”, the end section of “Evocations 2” from 1985, was included on the “From Inner To Outer Space, a celebration of electronic music (vol. 2)” compilation released by Thaneco Records.
In June 2019 The Trance Dimensionals had their debut live performance at the Sonic Rock Festival, Stoke Prior in Worcestershire, England. The band were: Nik Turner sax & vocals, Angel Flame dance and vocals, Steve Hillman guitar, Clog bass guitar, Dai Rees drums, Andy Pickford keyboards & Jez Creek oscillations.
Photos by Kim Hadley:
In August 2019 the Sleep Fuse label released a limited numbered expanded CD-R of “Ashtar”.
30th August 2019 The single “Destination Void” by the The Trance Dimensionals feat. Nik Turner was released as a download. Now deleted.
3rd October 2019 the second album by Thaneco and Steve titled “Call Of The Ancients” was released. This was a very special album as the concept was to incorporate previously unheard recordings that Steve had made in 1978 around which Thaneco built up the tracks.
Call Of The Ancients | Thaneco & Steve Hillman | Thaneco (bandcamp.com)
Call Of The Ancients
Driving Force
Return To Ynys Wydryn
Night Fall
The Orbs Of Light
Walking The Ley Line
Sun Tower Dance
Akramelis
Out On The Astral
1978
9th December 2019 “Conjunction”, a previously unreleased demo was released as a download.
22nd December 2019 “Angel In The Snow” was released as a download.