Artist description An internal voyage through the landscape of sound and image. Elements of ethereal and ambient music blend with acoustic moments and occasional folk insipred guitar.

Music Style ambient, gothic, psychedelic, folk, industrial

Musical Influences death in june, current 93, psychic tv, sol invictus, coil, black atmosphere, david sylvian, marc almond, velvet underground

Similar Artists coil, death in june, black atmosphere, current 93, david sylvian, ordo equilibrio, rason d'etre, morthound, lustmord

Artist History The Blue Hour (formerly The Dawn) was created in the summer of 1993 as a solo project of Brian Hodges, later a member of Black Atmosphere. Since that summer, the Blue Hour has played numerous live shows, supporting the likes of Sol Invictus, Gitane Demone, Switchblade Symphony, In Gowan Ting, the Wake, and many others. The Blue Hour has released 1 Cassette EP and 2 cassette LPs, “The Landscape of His Dreams” and “Stones in a Well.” The Blue Hour has been featured on three compilations, “The Glory of Destruction,” “Sol 3” (a compilation of hand chosen music by Tony Wakeford of Sol Invictus) and World Serpent/Suffering Clown tribute compilation to William Blake. The Blue Hour also has a soundtrack credit for the movie “Sex, Death, and Eyeliner,” for Red Sands, an ambient orchestral number.The Blue Hour blends traditional folk melodies with haunting ambience and some classical structures. The overall sound is hard to define, but it is an otherworldly and hypnotic effect. The songs are generally arranged around some organic sounds, on top of which is layered keyboards, classical and steel string guitars, flutes, chimes, and ethereal vocals.

Group Members Brian Hodges - voice, classical, acoustic and electric guitars, flutes, tapes, programming, keyboards, mandolin, percussion, and assorted other noisesChristoph Gladis - 12-string and electric guitars on select tracks, additional programmingTom Moller - percussionZaac Aubrey - guitars, vocals, spiritTy Pamfiloff - sounds and treatments

Instruments acoustic guitar, keyboards,

Albums The Dawm EP, The Landscape of his Dreams, Stones in a Well, Evensong

Press Reviews Review of the live performance of February 12, 2000 with Sol Invictus:The first band was the Blue Hour, a band unknown to me, but most assuredly a local act. They announced that their first song to be played was appearing on Tony Wakeford's compilation Sol 3, to be released on Tursa. And to my pleasant surprise, I could see why he decided to include them. The trio had an intimate sound, using acoustic guitar, electric guitar with acoustic effects, and tastefully done keyboard sequences. For a couple of songs they also used a Celtic-styled frame drum. The vocals were shared by two members which were wistful and didn't fall into the trap of self-indulgence. The atmospheres fit very well within the WSD camp and it was an all-too-short set.The Dawn EPThe Blue Hour (The Dawn) is the work of Brian Hodges (vocals, keyboards, programming, tapes, guitars) with assistance from Christoph (additional guitars). Inspired by folk, soundtrack, traditional religious and modern music, Brian has produced two cassettes and a 7", and is currently recording a first full-length CD.The band's cassette (The Dawn 1996 EP2) is a mystical dreamscape utilising digital and organic sound. The cassette has five tracks (repeated on the second side), the quality is high and it's apparently selling well.The opening track, 'Journey To The Beginning', consists of an eerie musical accompaniment to an instructional magickal monologue delivered by Pete Carrol, former head of the IOT magickal order.'I Am The Wind' has layed-back vocals and accoustic guitar with a gently pulsing synth, while 'The Navigator (Part 1)' is pleasant instrumental-ambient soundtrack music in neo-classical style, but with industrial undertones.The fourth track is a cover version of Tony Wakeford's 'Lex Talionis'. This version is not as strident and angry as the original but it still bears a suitably sinister edge. Although Brian's music is well-worth following in its own right, Sol fans will be particularly interested in this track.The last track, 'Moments', is another example of spoken-word and has minimal musical accompaniment.We await further releases with keen interest.Landscape of his Dreams Cassette LP:A combination of apocalyptic folk, neo-classical, industrial rumbles and spoken word samples combine to produce a mysterious and slightly disturbing sound on The Landscape Of His Dreams, the latest demo tape from Brian Hodges. Acoustic instrumentation has now taken precedence over the layered keyboards in his earlier work, but the overall style is recognisably similar. New review from Germany's BlackMagazin: THE BLUE HOUR ist ein Soloprojekt des Künsters Brian Hodges, der so ganz nebenbei noch ein Mitglied der in Seattle ansässigen Gothic-Band THE BLACK ATMOSPHERE ist. THE BLUE HOUR hat aber mit Gothic Musik nicht viel am Hut, sondern präsentiert dem geneigten Hörer eine schöne Melange aus traditionellen Folk- Melodien und schaurig-schönen Ambient- Collagen mit Einflüssen klassischer Musik. Brian zupft die Akustik- Gitarre in bester Neofolk Manier und seine Songs - wie z.B. "Eyes of Nature" oder "A Tree Stands Alone" - erinnern sehr stark an Künstler wie BACKWORLD, CURRENT 93 oder SOL INVICTUS und FIRE& ICE und er singt von bittersüßen Momenten, Melancholie, Vergänglichkeit und Einsamkeit. So ganz nebenbei jubelt er uns eine Coverversion des SOL INVICTUS- Klassikers "LEX TALIONIS" unter und geleitet uns auf verschlungenen Wegen durch seine düster- traurige Welt aus Wäldern, Mooren und kargen Feldern. Doch auch wenn Brian Hodges aus einem ander Genre zu stammen scheint, so hat er irgendwie ein Händchen für organische Sounds, atmospherische Arrangements und tiefgehende Texte. Sein Song "Red Sands" - sicherlich einer der spannendsten Momente auf "EVENSONG" - hat gar den Weg auf den Soundtrack für den Film ''Sex, Death & Eyeliner' gefunden. Ein durch und durch gelungenes Debut von einem Künstler, der es anscheinend faustdick hinter den Ohren hat und von dem wir in naher Zukunft sicherlich noch mehr zu hören bekommen werden. Vielleicht auch ein bißchen Konkurrenz für die Herren Pearce, Wakeford, Budenholzer und Read, die schon viel zu lange an der Spitze diese Genres ausharren...die Zeit ist Reif für etwas Abwechslung. Meine Wertung für "Evensong"...10 volle Punkte.

Location Seattle, WA - USA

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