Mythos
Mythos has been described as ambient yet groove oriented, ethereal yet grounded, and otherworldly. The Canadian duo first achieved international acclaim with their self-titled 1998 Higher Octave Music/Virgin Records debut, combining electronic sounds with an eclectic range of ancient and modern flavors. The album quickly reached No. 18 on the Billboard New Age albums chart, and the duo’s second release “The Reality Of A Dreamer” reached No. 6 on the same chart. Victoria’s Secret used the music of Mythos for their Cannes 2000 fashion show, and many film and television shows have used the music of Mythos to enhance their visuals. Mythos songs have also been featured on several compilation CDs such as Warner Music’s “Escapes II”, the Due South compilation CD, and a special charity CD “Love Conquers All” featuring Canadian artists in support of the September 11th fund.
Bob D’Eith (piano) and Paul Schmidt (guitar) collectively wrote, produced, and performed on the albums with the help of various session performers. The centerpiece of the Mythos sound rests on the beautiful acoustic guitar and piano, which are accented by haunting and powerful vocals. Tastes of different cultures are combined to achieve an ancient yet timeless ring.
Mythos last album was entitled “Eternity”, a 16 track collection that combines the timeless and ethereal qualities with expanded influences including jazz, Brazilian, Middle Eastern, and British electronic flavors. Although traditionally wordless, their most recent work features the lyrical vocals of acclaimed session singer Tania Hancheroff and Canadian Music Award winner John Bottomley.
The fifth installment of the Mythos collection, entitled “Eternity” is being released late October 2006 in Canada on Warner Music. The album will be available on-line world-wide via most major pay down-load sites and through the label web site http://www.adagiomusic.ca
Awards:
1998
Winner West Coast Music Award – Best Dance Album
1998
Nominated for Juno Award – Best Instrumental Artist
2003
Winner of Western Canadian Music Award – Best Instrumental Artist
2004
Nominated Canadian Music Award – Best Electronic Artist
Notable Quotes:
“Guitarist Paul Schmidt and Keyboardist Bob D’Eith compose instrumentals that pack quite an emotional wallop of melodic and rhythmic structuring. Instead of tonal ambiguities, the due fashion tight and potent romantic poems that draw as much upon flamenco themes as Enigma-style wordless soprano vocals. Incredibly gifted singer Jennifer Scott makes songs like “November” and “Wind” fascinating to hear. Just when you think her crystalline voice cannot soar any longer, she switches tact and begins chanting in a tribal rhythm that perfectly counterpoints the duo’s gothic instrumentals. The synthesizer showcase “Angel’s Weep” is amazingly lovely, with Christine Duncan’s ethereal voice scaling to heavenly hights before the poignant acoustic guitar lead line resumes. If you enjoy Enigma, Deep Forest, Panagea, or Dadawa, don’t hesitate to get this wonderful album.”
- PJ Birosik - New Age Retailer
“Most impressive is how the album moves so smoothly through the differing styles. The first few songs are very lush and dark, the central songs influenced by Jennifer Scott’s vocals, and as it winds down the only sounds to be heard are Paul Schmidt’s classical guitar, barren and alone.”
- Miss Hell - Music Reviews, Music Reviews, Music Reviews.
“The shadows cast by the web of life fall under scrutiny in this collaboration by two of the Western world’s favorite instruments, guitar and piano. Aptly titled, this release could help clarify the meaning of “gothic” as a category. Pieces such as “Wind”, “November” and “Clockwork” touch on themes of the soul through the routine of a dutiful mind.”
NAPRA Review
“Hard to describe yet easy to fall in love with. The combination of rhythm and space is a total success in utilizing hypnotic dance grooves that churn beneath elegant melodies, all instantly familiar sounding. … it keeps sounding better with each listen ..”
- Heartbeats Preview
“Mythos combines a variety of styles and tempos all of which are refreshingly original. Fans of Deep Forest and Enigma may find themselves really enjoying this one.”
- Hear’s Music World Music In Review
“Call it Delirious, call it Enigmatic, but Mythos’ ambient debut album, Introspection is more than background fluff. Although the album is predominantly derived from classical styles, Mythos draws on everything from jazz and flamenco to monkish chants to create a dense cross-section of melodies and rhythms. Unlike many other ambient albums that rely heavily on synthesized music, this one commands the listener’s attention because of its predominantly acoustic instrumentation.”
Jennifer Van Evra - The Vancover Courier.
Mythos Website
