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Orange Sky at StarCity

From L to R: Orange Sky members Richard Hall, Nigel Rogas, Obasi Springer, Adam Murray, Nicholas Rogas and StarCity director of operations Lily Salinas

Far from where they started back in the early 1970s, longtime Kansas drummer Phil Ehart and producer Jeff Glixman are working at StarCity with Orange Sky, a heavy metal reggae band from Trinidad and Tobago. Glixman and Ehart were in Trinidad recording a Kansas record in 1996 when they met Nigel Rojas, a teenager in a local band, Jaundis-I, with whom Glixman went on to produce a record. Hooking up with Nigel’s new band, Orange Sky in Barbados 2 years ago, the commitment was made for the team to begin work. Glixman and Ehart are currently enjoying the fruits of their efforts, as Orange Sky recently began its first tour of the United States in support of their debut CD, Upstairs, and DVD, Live in Trinidad. The group is appearing with guitar legend, Yngwie Malmsteen.

Recorded at Real 2 Reel in Atlanta and mixed at Roselane East in Wildwood, N.J., Upstairs was produced by Glixman; Ehart serves as the band’s manager. The influence of Caribbean music is deeply entrenched within Orange Sky’s distinctive style. One of the most popular Trinidadian bands, Orange Sky was founded by vocalist/lead guitarist/songwriter Nigel Rojas and features rhythm guitarist Adam Murray, keyboardist Richard Hall, bassist Nicholas Rojas and drummer Obasi Springer.

In an additional effort to capture the band’s unique and energetic style, Ehart and Glixman decided to capture a live performance of Orange Sky at Club Zen in Trinidad. In front of 1,500 fans, Orange Sky powered through a set of original songs and one cover: Cat Stevens’ “Peace Train.” The show was recorded for 5.1 DVD release and mixed in Surround Sound at StarCity Recording in Bethlehem, Penn. by Glixman, the studio’s executive vice president, and Carl Cadden-James, StarCity’s vice president of engineering.

“Working with Orange Sky is a unique experience,” Glixman stated. “We handled preproduction recording in the Caribbean, which presented many challenges. Simply finding equipment like guitar strings is more difficult than here in the States. It’s not as if we could run to the local Guitar Center to pick up the equipment as needed. We shifted to Real 2 Reel for the recording of ‘Upstairs’ and everything went smoothly.”

Producing the DVD was vital for Orange Sky’s presence, according to Glixman. “The DVD enables would-be fans an opportunity to witness the band’s distinctive live performance style and passionate dedication to music. There is also a short documentary that provides an excellent feel for the band members, truly talented and humble individuals. The strategic simultaneous release of the CD and DVD will help further bolster the band’s fan base.”

For more information on StarCity, visit www.starcityrecording.com.

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