Currently
My latest album An Bhuatais and The Meaning of Life comes in a beautiful hard back 112 page book with gold foil lettering.
This is music for contemplating and it comes in a package that is made to last, and which delves into the philosophical basis of traditional music, life, folklore, and mythology. I have put a lot of thought into this one, and so I am delighted the title track An Bhuatais was nominated for the Traditional Folk Track Of The Year at the 2021 RTE Folk Awards
An Bhuatais & The Meaning of Life can be bought from my store here on Bandcamp
Recent things
Here are a few things I have recently completed or produced
Preab Meadar Rhythm and Rhyme was a development of the voice and fiddle duo of myself and Daire Bracken. We teamed up with traditional dancers, Caoimhe Ní Mhaolagáín and Liam Scanlonn, and created a beautiful symbiosis of dance movement and rhythm. Here is a video from our tour.
Buile Suibhne is based on the medieval Irish legend The Frenzy of Sweeney. This is an intriguing story of a tyrant king who is driven to madness and transformed into a bird. All sorts of interesting subjects are dealt with in this tale of PTSD. This was commissioned by Gaelphobal Thamhlachta. It features voice, wind, and guitar.
The Táin at The Model was the result of a special commission to tie together three interpretations of the Iron-Age Celtic Epic, The Táin.
1916 - Visionaries and Their Words, was written to commemorate the centenary of the Easter Rising. It's a show of music, archive visuals, and spoken word which received critical acclaim in Ireland and internationally. The show was a huge success, the album is beautiful. order Visionaries 1916 here
In brief
Lorcán Mac Mathúna is a singer, writer, and arranger whose work confounds categorisation. Working extensively in the realm of improvised music, with many stylistic inspiration derived of sean-nós vocal techniques and musical philosophy; his music is tonally rich, nuanced, and dynamic.
His work has included arrangements based on airs in the oral vocal tradition; contemporary music composition; writing collaborations ; improvisational and electronic music: and compositional theory development.
His accomplishments have included four commissioned compositions; four albums and counting; the feature track on a No. 1 album; numerous tours; and a winning song in the ISC 2012.
about | read more
An attendee at the premier performance of one of Lorcán’s projects, An Táin, described the effect of his voice:
"Lorcan MacMathuna gathers from the air something which is older than the Tain - ageless, primaeval and haunting. He has caught and manifest for us a sound which is fundamental; which has existed since men and women first sang - sang to express what they felt and what they knew to be true. It is the music of mythology - all the cadences of history and prehistory residing in one man's voice. It calls to the soul. And the soul answers. And we are privileged to listen and to hear in our own blood and in the fibres of our understanding."
From the cradle Lorcán Mac Mathúna was surrounded read more
videos etc | view more
"An raibh tú ag an gCarraig," a traditional song of lost love, played with collaborator Seán Mac Fhir Léinn in DLight studios in Dublin in 2013.
For selection of beautiful videos from a cross selection of different collaborations and projects visit the videos page
what people have said | reviews / testimonies
"every now and again you need to be challenged and shaken from your reverie. You need to expose yourself to people that take a different direction and manage to take you with them. Lorcán and company have pushed the boundary but not to the point where they lose you. They have opened the door a little, and you have taken a glimpse..." - more reviews
Powerfully affecting vocal music - fROOTS
projects/accomplishments| read more
With roots in sean-nós and traditional singing, and a destination far beyond in improvisation and composition, Lorcán Mac Mathúna constantly pushes boundaries. Boundaries of what is conventionally accepted as tradition; and the boundaries of genre and creativity. His projects are not just about great music; they are also about compelling stories, and exploration.- Exploration of culture, identity, and art. find out about Lorcán's projects
