The Sun’s Gone Dim And The Sky’s Turned Black

Friend of Chewing Pixels, James Underwood, who long time readers might remember for his guest mix earlier last year, has just returned from touring as Jóhann Jóhannson’s violinist.

Jóhann’s album IBM 1401, a User´s Manual was one of Chewing Pixels’ favourite things last year and the final track on the album, The Sun’s Gone Dim And The Sky’s Turned Black, even featured in the site’s Top 10 Songs of 2006 mix recently.

James runs the Iskra String Quartet and has provided backing to some pretty sweet artists in the last couple of years – which is brilliant as we’ve been friends for years and I’ve been with him through all those darker times of relentless teaching and playing for Ronan Keating and stuff. Jóhann actually approached Iskra via their myspace page which shows that not everything you read in the papers about musicians making it via social networking sites is a lie. Anyway, it’s good when a plan comes together and your heroes come looking for you so congratulations James.

A couple of years ago Iskra released their debut album – a mix of classical standards and some new material, one track of which we collaborated on. This basically means that Chewing Pixels is now in Jóhann’s band and if you want anything signed you’ll have to get to the back of the queue.

Oh! And pics of the tour in a pretty slideshow here.