Island Lost
Aurum is a collaboration between Atlanta based guitarist/composer Max Goldston (Western Age) and Barcelona based musician/engineer Antoni Colomar. This collaboration started during the Fall of 2006. The 2007 cd release, "Island Lost", is a collection of acoustic guitar instrumentals composed by Max Goldston (Western Age style) with production and arrangements by Toni Colomar. Fingerstyle picking instrumentals with an ambient, Ibiza chill sound. 20th Century Guitar Magazine Aurum Review May 2008 Edition By Robert Silverstein "Following up the release of his 04 debut,Georgia-based guitarist Max Goldston continues to record guitar instumental music that moves your mind and spirit.Borrowing some from the Windham Hill sound of the 80's,and some from the chill music Ibiza,Goldston-together with producer/arranger Toni Colomar-coaxes some atmospheric,neatly arranged instrumental guitar centric music on the 2008 cd of his group Aurum.The 12 track 50 minute "Island Lost" doesn't overpower with technique and style but goes more for a compositional edge." Max Goldston's Bio Max Goldston’s new cd Emancipation was recorded back in May of 2008 at Will Ackerman’s Imaginary Road Studios in Windham County Vermont. Will Ackerman is the founder of Windham Hill Records and Grammy Award Winner. He is also the recipient of multiple Platinum and Gold Records and producer of George Winston and Michael Hedges among more than 70 artists in his 34 year career. The cd was recorded, mixed and mastered by Grammy award winner and sound engineer, Corin Nelsen. Emancipation is Max Goldston’s 3rd cd. The cd is comprised of 10 acoustic guitar instrumentals. For more about Max Goldston read the bio. My father, Robert Goldston, was a renowned historian, and author. My mother was a classical pianist. In the 1950's they moved from Greenwich Village to a small island in the Mediterranean called Ibiza, famous amongst artists and intellectuals at the time. There I was born. We traveled back and forth pretty much all our lives. When I was 5 I started playing the pots and pans in Vermont. My parents hence bought me my first drumkit with a Dave Clark 5 logo on it - I started learning classical guitar, blues, and rock when I was 11. Throughout my younger years I was involved in jam sessions with adult players. In 1976 we moved to upstate New York. At college I formed a duo with an old friend from Ibiza. We were called Tim and Max and we had a great following. We played original acoustic folk. After a few years I moved back to Ibiza and fell in love. In 1987 I formed an all original, Spanish American Pop Rock band called Limites.In 1989 we entered the VII Pop-Rock contest the most important contest in Spain. We moved through the semi-finals to the Finals and ended up 5th out of 65 bands. As a result we were invited to record our best song "Dejame Estar" on an LP at Joan Bibiloni's Swing Studios in Mallorca. In the Summer of 1989 we were curtain callers for the number one band in Spain "Los Ronaldos" at the annual Estiu Jove Concert. Limites is a legendary name in Ibiza-well remembered by all it's diehard fans and musicians of the islands. Not only were we the first band from Ibiza to get national recognition for original rock, we set the path for the rest of the struggling and younger musicians in Ibiza to play original music and not give in to covers and hotels. In 1991 I moved back to the States; Atlanta. In 1993 I hooked up with my old partner from college and formed a more mature and serious version of our duo with management. In less than two months Bellows and Stone were playing concerts at all of the most important venues of Atlanta including Eddies attic, Red light café, Dark horse tavern, neighbor's Pub...In '94 we recorded a demo in Dede Vogt's Sound and Fury studios. We started traveling regularly to Asheville where we filled coffee houses, played at the famous "Be Here Now" several times opening up for Acoustic Alchemy and Aztec 2step. We also had an interview on NPR radio. We were gigging regularly all over Atlanta, Asheville and Athens and our venue list was growing to include NYC,ChapelHill-Durham, Athens, and more. To check out Bellows and Stone opening for Acoustic Alchemy go to http://cdbaby.com/cd/bellowsstone In 1996 I started writing and recording on my own. The CD Western Age is a homemade collection of instrumentals written from 1996 to the present.Acoustic western fingerstyle rock with a western/new age feel.Hence the label Western Age. It is a blend of my own original feel and reflections of my main influences-- JJ Cale and Micheal Hedges-For more info go to http://cdbaby.com/cd/goldston2 My 2nd CD is a collaboration with Barcelona based musician/engineer/producer Antoni Colomar. This collaboration called Aurum started during the Fall of 2006. Our CD "Island Lost" is a collection of Max Goldston's acoustic guitar instrumental compositions with production and arrangements by Toni Colomar. Very unique acoustic guitar driven instrumentals. Acoustic guitar ambient music. For more info go to www.maxgoldston.com www.myspace.com/maxgoldston www.myspace.com/aurum1 www.myspace.com/bellowsandstone REVIEWS July 2005 edition 20th Century Guitar Magazine: - "Growing up in Ibiza and Spain, Max Goldston has enjoyed a colorful life and in 2005 the U.S.-based guitarist puts his talents to good use on his latest CD project called Western Age. Citing influences like Michael Hedges, J.J. Cale and Acoustic Alchemy, Goldston masterfully sets the sound stage with nine evocative acoustic guitar instrumentals that crisscross jazzy folk sounds with a New Age vibe. Overall, Western Age reveals a unique depth of appealing musical ideas that translates quite well to the acoustic guitar medium." Robert Silverstein REVIEWS by musicians at Tascam forums "The clever tunings,the hidden counter melodies,subtle rhythmic sonorities...all hidden under a very sneaky disguise of a laid back performance." "There's some mighty fine acoustic guitar work to be heard here!" "Completely dig your stuff man...keep it coming." "Beautiful work.I love that harpsichord sounding low end on the guitar.Very sweet chord work and changes.What a mood." "Superb!As usual.Very original.Very musical,creative,extremely well played!" "I've also become a big fan,Max.You've got one of the best acoustic guitar recorded sounds I've heard in a long time." "Hey,awesome man,really warm sound very cool atmosphere again!Keep up the good work." "Very cool vibe,and your playing is very cool.I like the harmonics and the way they fit in." "Love this tune.Wonderful acoustic guitar sound.How did you get this?" "All I can say is Wow!Very impressive compositional and performance skills to say the very least!" "Very tasteful guitar playing here!" "I really like your chord voicings.A very Southwestern vibe to it." What the judges at Tascam forums song contest had to say: EERIE STREET Entry # 257 "Eerie Street Good instrumental. Liked the song. Well arranged and performed." "Great twangy guitar sound. Great harmonica playing. WATERS Entry # 306 "I thought this an extremely well done tune all around.Well executed,mixed and original. I thought a great composition." "Good instrumental. Good three dimensional placement of the instruments. Well performed and arranged. The mix translated well from stereo to monophonic." WRANGLED Entry # 537 "Very well executed composition. Very good mix for balance,clarity." "Nice...a song in 3/4 finally! Nice sounds from the guitar, and nice work on them too." For more info please go to www.maxgoldston.com