Authentic Light Orchestra – Forgotten Runes

Authentic Light Orchestra is an international band and it was founded by multi-instrumentalist and composer Valeri Tolstov in 2009 with an idea to combine different musical genres such as world, jazz, pop, armenian folk and classical music. The band is based in Switzerland but it consists of musicians from Armenia, Russia, Germany, Switzerland and Kazakhstan.

The above mentioned genres are harmonically supplementing each other by this producing and original interpretation of Armenian folk.

The Swiss singer of the band Veronika Stalder sings Armenian folk songs in armenian language as it was her mother tongue. It was often mentioned by critics in armenian press.

The main inspiration of the musicians of Authentic Light Orchestra is creating a fresh view on folklore music to acheive a new musical language or a new sound specific to the band. The bands repertoire is armenian folk music arrangement and own compositions which are composed mainly by Valeri Tolstov.

In 2014 the band has performed about 70 concerts in 40 cities including a concert in Kremlin Palace in Moscow for 4000 people. The band has also won the grand prix of Armvision contest Tsovits Tsov for best arangement and performance of a folk song. In 2014 the band released the second studio album Forgotten Runes on Art Beat music label. At this moment the band is working on the new album and plans to present the new album by the end of 2015.

Credits:

Valeriy Tolstov – flute, electro-flute, ethnic instruments, guitars;
Veronika Stalder – vocal;
Franz Hellmuller – guitars;
Hovannes Djibian – keys;
Beat Gisler – bass;
Andi Pupato – percussion;
Mario Caspar – drums.

Strings ensemble:

Rustem Monasypov – violin;
Asia Abdrahmanova – violin;
Svetlana Ramazanova – violin;
Aiken Utesheva – violin;
Nadezhda Andrianova – violin;
Natalia Golub – violin;
David Shneyebeli – violin;
Eldar Saparaev – cello;
Michael Matnishyan – cello;
Alexandra Ramazanova – cello;
Hachatur Savzyan – double bass.

Special guests:

Vladiswar Nadishana (3); Dima Gorelik – acoustic guitar (3); Michael Voskanyan  (3,9); Avag Margaryan (3,4,11); Vartan Gasparyan – acoustic guitar (11); Alexander Grigoryan – ethnic percussion (3,4,9,11).

Tracklist:

1. Day Light
2. Country of Eternal Sun 
3. Araspel
4. Mountain Dance
5. Oror
6. Through Night and Hopes
7. Chanson du Feu Follet
8. Feather on the Wind
9. Mer Tan Itev
10. Forgotten Runes
11. Country of Eternal Sun (Epilogue)

Release date: 2014