Vision Valley

Hello friends! It's been an incredible last few weeks, many things have come to fruition and it almost seems like fate is on our side for once.

1) Recording on 'Lens Flare' is completed. Since January we've been there, week in week out, recording guitar parts, vocals, keyboards, using sound samples, and yet the very last thing to be laid down for the album was Jon (our designer/webmaster) playing his euphonium on the song 'Loki'. It is sounding simply amazing. Now just a few weeks of mixing/mastering and artwork design to go and we're done. I really can't wait for you guys to hear it (even though nobody reads this blog).

2) 'Freak Out' is finally released on DVD through Anchor Bay! Before forming a band with James some 3 years ago, I spent 5 years helping produce a low-budget British horror-comedy called Freak Out. Very purile, very immature, but very funny and filmmaking to make Spielberg blush. I left the project after its completion because my heart was more in music, but the guys toiled on and finally got it distributed by the company that released the 'Evil Dead' films on DVD -- and now you can own it!!! It's a 2-disc special edition featuring many commentaries and comprehensive behind-the-scenes footage showing just how we made it, and can be ordered from either www.play.com www.amazon.com or from the film's website www.freakoutmovie.com - go order now!

3) It was my birthday 2 weeks ago, and thanks to my wonderful friends tomorrow I am off to the Download festival to watch Metallica, Guns 'n' Roses and ALICE IN CHAINS who are the single reason me and James started writing songs together. It won't be the same without Layne Staley there, granted, but the combo of Jerry Cantrell and those songs is enough to have me salivating!

By the way, the official Alphino website is down at the moment due to technical probs, and will be back soon with a brand new look. In the meantime, you can get all the news here.

Thanks everyone, take care and look after each other,

Ian xxx