Dark Queen Mantra

“…unfettered mastery” – Pop Matters

“…addictive…goes through the roof” – anearful blog 

“Best Of 2017: The Top 25” – AnEarful

“Best Chamber Recording 2017” – Sequenza21

Like many worthwhile endeavors, Dark Queen Mantra began with a friendship. Charlton first met guitarist Gyan Riley while playing in an ensemble led by the composer/bassist Gavin Bryars. “I’d been wanting to find more opportunities to play with Gyan ever since we met,” Charlton explains. “And with Terry’s 80th birthday on the horizon it seemed a perfect time to commission a new piece for all of us to play together.” The quartet had its first chance to play the music of Stefano Scodanibbio thanks to Gyan Riley, who curated a memorial concert celebrating Scodanibbio’s music at The Stone in New York and invited Del Sol to participate. An avant-garde double bassist, Scodanibbio was also a collaborator of Terry Riley, notably on diamond fiddle language, and so Del Sol pairs his music with Riley’s on this album.