UtopiaXO was formed by Dave Hesketh, a composer, poet and philosopher. He spent over a decade working in some of the most successful recording studios on the planet before focusing his creative output on his own work. His first album, The Light, was released on the 25th May 09 to critical acclaim. His new EP Supernature was released in the Spring of 2010. He is currently working on a major project due for release before year end 2010.

He lives with his family in a small, hidden valley in the West Country of Britain. He likes good food, real cider and hill walking. He dislikes cities, commercialism and crowds.

Postscript since the launch of The Light

It has been very encouraging to find people from all over the world relating to music and nature in the same way – direct and from the heart. English ambient has been embraced from people in the deserts of southern America, in Canada, France, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Russia – in fact all over the world. A common theme – to discover the sound that depicts the spirit of the earth – has bound us all.

Radio stations – from specialist ambient stations to more national mainstream stations, have played the music and spread the word – which is all I can ask for.

It is this generous encouragement which gave me the inspiration to write Supernature, which is to be released April 2010. It’s a shorter piece (35 minutes in length) with two versions (one instrumental and one with singing and poetry). It features many more acoustic instruments. I see it as the sister of The Light – more softly spoken, unassuming and relaxed. It also acts as an interim release prior to the release of a major new project I’ve been working on for the past 12 months. This should be released late Summer / Autumn 2010.

Please let me know your thoughts, ideas and inspiration – it’s great to correspond with the like-minded.

Light,

David. Hope Bagot, 4th April 2010.

The story of UtopiaXO

UtopiaXO had been an idea for what seemed an eternity – having spent a decade in recording studios as an engineer and producer, having a family and running a company in the creative industries, there simply had not been the time to give birth to the music.

But by 2005 I knew the time had come. I ached to create a musical statement without compromise. Elaine and I searched for the perfect location – an English rural idyll where we could live and work inspired by our surroundings.

On the day of live 8 in July 2005 we arrived in Hope Bagot – a mystical place with a 2000 year history. A place not touched by time tucked away in a picturesque valley. A place with a holy well whose waters are believed to heal, an old pagan worship site with a sacred yew tree dating back more than 2000 years and ghost stories abound.

We nearly missed the turn up a ‘dirt track’ to the house as there was no ‘for sale’ sign and the house was hidden behind what used to be an old water mill. However, our car braved it and we eventually parked in front of the house.

As we got out of the car we were greeted by a picture postcard scene. In front of us was a classic 17thcentury timber-framed house with pear trees running up to the first floor bedrooms, the land surrounding the house was overgrown with Victorian flowers and shrubs. The more we looked around the property the more we found interesting features – a natural spring & stream, a view over the valley from the top of the garden and last but not least, a dilapidated barn behind the house which just said ‘studio’ the minute we saw it. It seemed perfect and we had not even been in the house!

The house itself was in need of major renovation. And without boring you with stories of digging trenches, knocking down walls, putting in staircases, meeting the house ghosts, treating 400 year old beams and living on a building site for 12 months we finally completed the barn in September 2006.

Now the real work could begin! The console room was installed on the first floor, with the ground floor being a dedicated live studio for drums, guitars and vocal recording – perfect as we had installed a stone floor and allowed for a 40 feet high ceiling for ambience.

And it’s from here the real work could start…

Discovering English Ambient and writing my first album ‘The Light’

This album started its life in the late summer of 2007. I was sat in the studio experimenting with a midi guitar. After playing for 20 minutes I noticed a feedback loop had started within the music – it was a beautiful, inspiring sound that meandered along – seemingly in control of itself.

An hour later the whole structure for this album was mapped out through utilising this feedback technique. You can hear this original sound throughout the album. In fact, it’s the first sound you’ll hear on ‘The Light’. We named this sound the ‘noosphere’ – a concept coined by Teilhard de Chardin to describe a collective unconscious energy that we as individuals can tap into.

I then, by chance, met Jacqueline Barr. She explained to me that our home and the studio (in our garden) sat on a sacred and special site. It was thought that the studio may lie right in the path of a powerful earth energy line – sometimes called ‘leylines’. I immediately knew that I had tapped into this energy that summer morning when I had sat down with the guitar.

I investigated further by contacting the dowsing association who arranged to have an experienced dowser visit the site. Unprompted, he immediately found the energy line – the largest he’d ever experienced. It seemed we were not the only people who realised there was something special about this place.

Opposite our house and studio, behind the old Norman church, sat an ancient yew tree (carbon dated at 1,200 years by David Bellamy but he thought it was much older than that). The ancients obviously understood the power of the earth. There is also a holy well. I also found websites abound extolling the virtues of this special place.

So English earth ambient music was born.