After a decade, Irish trio Chasing Abbey finally release their debut album, Cyber Celt, a collection which brings together traditional Celtic instrumentation, electronic production and lyrics delivered in both English and Gaeilge. The album arrives after a decade which has seen the group have build their reputation through a catalogue of singles and EPs.
Made up of multi-instrumentalists, producers and vocalists Ronan Bell, Jonathan Byrne and Ted Conway, Chasing Abbey use ‘Cyber Celt’ to explore Irish identity and the relationship between tradition and contemporary culture. Across the record, the trio draw on themes including heritage, pride and defiance alongside subjects such as greed, corruption, colonialism and social injustice.
Those themes are particularly evident on recent single “Greedy Pigs.” Inspired by Conway’s experiences working as a butcher alongside members of his family, the track uses the behaviour of a dominant pig as a metaphor for unchecked greed and its consequences. From start to finish, ‘Cyber Celt’ is an open door to the modern day challenges faced in Ireland with Chasing Abbey citing bands such as Kneecap and The Mary Wallopers as two examples of the resurgence of Irish culture in modern music.
That being said, while not as controversial as Kneecap or as entertaining as The Mary Wallopers, the outpouring of pride for their Irish culture, language and roots absolutely drips from ‘Cyber Celt’. For example, “Íorónta,” the Irish word for “ironic,” addresses the historical oppression of Irish people and connects that experience with oppression taking place elsewhere in the modern world. The track considers colonialism, the loss of language and culture, and the way resistance can be characterised by those in power. A thought-provoking track, it is just one of many moments throughout ‘Cyber Celt’ where the Irish trio make you sit up and listen.
Musically, ‘Cyber Celt’ is equally as proud of its traditional Irish roots placing those Celtic elements alongside contemporary electronic sounds, reflecting the band’s intention to connect Ireland’s past with its present and future. The use of the Gaeilge language to deliver the powerful themes explored by the trio adds another level of authenticity to this album as it becomes difficult to see how Chasing Abbey cannot take their message to the kind of audiences the aforementioned Kneecap or The Mary Wallopers are hitting.
Listening to tracks like “Aris Is Aris” and “T.a.L”, are not only passionate, straight from the heart, unfiltered insight into modern life in Ireland, but, given their multi-million stream numbers, they are also tracks which through messages of unity and hope, have brought together music lovers the world over. People talk about the power of music and the impact the right message can have and, in ‘Cyber Celt’, these three artists from Ireland have summed that in this hard-hitting collection of songs.
In support of the album, the trio kick off a world tour next month promising shows that are more a spiritual awakeneing than just a music concert. On the evidence of ‘Cyber Celt’, you‘d be a fool to miss an opporunity to experience these songs alongside ten years of Irish heritage so pick up the album and your tickets from their Official Website.
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