ROB COTTINGHAM RECEIVES KURZWEIL ENDORSEMENT

A little bit of pre-Xmas cheer...for me!

See Press Release content below...it goes on a bit, but Kurzweil wanted to know all about me and the band, and spread the word.

Which is nice.

TTFN

Rob

PRESS RELEASE 1/12/08

Rob Cottingham, founder, lyricist, vocalist and keyboard player of the UK-based rock band TOUCHSTONE is delighted, and indeed proud, to announce his endorsement by none other than the historically-renowned Kurzweil Music Systems, based in California, USA.

Kurzweil Music Systems produces electronic musical instruments for professionals and home users. Website:
http://www.kurzweilmusicsystems.com

Founded in 1982 by Raymond Kurzweil, a developer of reading machines for the blind, the company made use of many of the technologies originally designed for reading machines and adapted them to musical purposes. They released their first instrument, the K250 in 1983, and have continued producing new instruments ever since. The company was acquired by Young Chang in 1990. Hyundai now has a stake in Young Chang and has appointed Raymond Kurzweil as Chief Strategy Officer of Kurzweil Music Systems.

Jeff Dunmire, National Sales Manager of Kurzweil Music Systems stated:
“Kurzweil are pleased to have Rob Cottingham on board as an Artist Endorsee. It is clear from our conversations what a passion Rob has for the Kurzweil brand. Furthermore, apart from being a great keyboard player, Rob is also a talented composer and singer, too, and we have been very impressed with what he and Touchstone have produced to date. We see a bright future for the band, and are very happy to be associated with Rob.”

Rob presently plays a Kurzweil PC2, which he describes as his ‘mainstay’ in terms of reliability, keyboard action, power and ‘that Touchstone sound’, and has recently upgraded to a PC3, thanks to the support of Kurzweil.

In a statement, Rob said: “I’d just like to thank Kurzweil for endorsing me, which I see as a tremendous honour. I have been a big fan of the Kurzweil keyboards, and indeed, sound, for years, and ever since seeing a hero of mine, Peter Gabriel, playing on his K2600X. I’m looking forward to getting a handle on my new PC3, which will feature on our next album, and seeing what Kurzweil come up with as a replacement to the K2600X. I’d just like to thank Jeff and his team out in California for their tremendous support.”

Previous or existing users are too numerous to mention, but include:

Peter Gabriel
Richard Wright (Dec’d 15/9/08 ), of Pink Floyd on their 1994 Division Bell Tour - and on the album itself
Keith Emerson of Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen 1984 Tour
Duran Duran
Guy Babylon, Elton John Band
Lisa Brigantino (Lez Zeppelin)
David Paich (Toto)
Terry Lawless (U2)
Tori Amos
Peter Gabriel
David Bowie
Jordan Rudess, Dream Theater
Jean Michel Jarre
Vangelis
Stevie Wonder (he was already a user of Kurzweil reading machines)
Billy Joel, usually only in concerts.

History

Rob set up Touchstone in 2002 as a potential vehicle to play live some tracks off a solo album, “Behind The Orchard Tree” which he recorded at Linford Manor Studios (other previous artistes there included Feeder, Jamiroquai etc).

In April 2003, after original guitarist Michael Daly left the band, Rob met up with Adam Hodgson, and recruited in Adam as guitarist. Since then he and Adam have worked hard as a partnership and have been consistently looking for a high skills level within band members to be able to achieve the musical heights they wanted to reach. After many personnel changes, they managed to find a band who had the talent to really capture people’s imaginations, and recorded and released their first album, Discordant Dreams in September 2007, after the successful release of an EP, Mad Hatters, in 2006.

Jeff Wayne of War of the Worlds fame is a big fan, and has added his endorsement to the band, and John Wetton from Asia has also shown his support. Indeed, John handed over an award in January to Touchstone. Furthermore, the actor John Shrapnel (Gladiator, Troy, Chemical Wedding and many more) has added his endorsement recently, describing the music as “tremendously accomplished”.

Touchstone have played numerous gigs over the last few years from headline gigs to supports of bands which include It Bites, Marillion, Magenta, and Threshold.

Recent awards & gigs

Touchstone have a management company, Lycan Media Group, run by Ralph Rea, and have recently toured with It Bites across the UK.

In January this year, Touchstone were voted Best New Band by the Classic Rock Society whose patron is Rick Wakeman and whose members are spread far and wide, not just in the UK. They also came second in the Best Album category – not bad for their first attempt.

They were also voted Best New Indie Prog Rock band by the global Progressive Hall of Fame Awards this year, based in the US.

Touchstone also played at the Cambridge Rock Festival held in July 2008, where they had a great reaction from the crowd – indeed they sold out of their stock of CDs!

Touchstone were also approached by the RosFest (Rites of Spring festival) organisers and will be appearing in Philadelphia, USA in May 2009.

Recent press

Touchstone received an 8/8 from Powerplay magazine recently.

Touchstone also appeared in the July 2008 publication of Classic Rock magazine, published by Future, with one of their tracks (Shadow) featuring on the cover compilation CD, as one example of emerging new rock talent. They also recently had a photo shoot by the magazine and an interview with Geoff Barton (Number Two of Classic Rock magazine and, indeed, the founder of Kerrang magazine), and feature in an ‘Introducing’ feature about the band in the magazine’s November 2008 publication, in which they are favourably compared as a cross between Yes and Van Halen.

Distribution

Touchstone have also this year set up a distribution deal with Proper Music – fourth largest distributor in the UK – who in February 2008 were nominated as Best Distributor amongst others such as EMI and Universal. This has opened up their distribution network via the likes of HMV, Tescos, Zavvi etc, and, indeed, their album is in HMV West End stores.

The band also distribute through iTunes and Amazon websites.

Keyboards

Historically, Rob has played other types of keyboards as well as Kurzweils - but his previous PC2X and now PC2 have always been his ‘mainstay’ in that the keyboard has a certain ‘oomph’ which he describes as “difficult to describe, but easy to enjoy!”

Any other boards he plays tend to revolve around what he does with his PC2, which he uses as his mother board.

Rob tried a ‘one keyboard solution’ with a competitor a while back with a view to a quick set up and break down of gear (as he use three boards presently – not ideal for small stages or flights abroad) but it just did not have the power and quality of sound of the Kurzweil – so it was not long before it was sold, and Rob was back to using his Kurzweil.

Rob advises “the key action was far too ‘synth-like’ on this other board. I love the key action of the PC2 as it is almost ‘hammer-action’ quality – highly unusual for a 76-note board, and one of the key reasons I love using Kurzweil. I am also upgrading to the new PC3, as I feel that with the VA-1 synth engine included under the bonnet, and the improvements in layering of sounds, it may well do all that I need in terms of ‘live essentials’. I’m also quite excited to find out what Kurzweil come out with as a successor to the K2600X.

In the short term, I want to eventually have the option to just use the PC3, especially as some of our gigs will be abroad, and I would much rather take a fully programmed board with me than rely on hiring and trying to programme on the fly. I did that before for a solo gig in Germany – nightmare!

For our September/October UK tour, supporting It Bites, I used my PC2 – thoroughly reliable, as always.

Since the tour, we are writing our new album, due out in Spring 2009. I intend to use the PC3 on the album, so that I can replicate the sounds live after the new album is out – kicking off with the RosFest 2009 festival.”

Website

The band’s website is www.touchstonemusic.co.uk, and their MySpace site is at www.myspace.com/touchstonemusicuk

--END OF PRESS RELEASE--

Shortened Press Release - here:
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