We’ve had this footage of Alora Crucible live at Cafe Oto here in London kicking around on the desk top for ages, filmed back in March 2022, this is Alora Crucible performing KayoDot’s 2012 piece Gamma Knife. Alora Crucible is actually Toby Driver’s solo project, Toby Driver of kayoDot and this is footage of the impromtu encore after what was an excellent show. The piece is with Timba Harris on violin, (did he know the piece already?). Here’s the review from that night – We’ve had this footage of Alora Crucible live at Cafe Oto here in London kicking around on the desk top for ages, filmed back in March 2022, this is Alora Crucible performing KayoDot’s 2012 piece Gamma Knife. Alora Crucible is actually Toby Driver’s solo project, Toby Driver of kayoDot and this is footage of the impromtu encore after what was an excellent show. The piece is with Timba Harris on violin, (did he know the piece already?). Here’s the review from that night – ORGAN THING: Toby Driver as Alora Crucible at Cafe Oto – great sweeps of emotion, simultaneously introspective and connected to a vast sublime landscape…

We share this with you today because a rather beautiful new Alora Crucible album has landed here this moring. Oak Lace Apparition is due to be released in late August, more on the album in a couple of days. That link to the live review will tell you more about Toby Driver’s always rewarding solo project.

“At long last, I’m overjoyed to announce my new “solo” album, once again in the figurature of Alora Crucible with their second manifestation: “Oak Lace Apparition,” an adventure begun in 2021 when I decided to invite the hammered dulcimer into my life.

The album is about 80 minutes long and will be released August 30 by the wonderful House of Mythology on double LP printed on green (literally), sustainable, recycled vinyl. We’ll release the first single soon, but the preorder is available today and the pressing will be limited to only 500 copies, so we thought we’d let you get a jump on it.

The album features myself on guitar, hammered dulcimer, and voice, and in crucial roles Ana Cristina Pérez Ochoa on synths, piano, organ, and voice, and Timba Harris on violin. We also have a guest appearance from Jeremiah Cymerman on the Moog.

This absolutely stunning cover artwork was created especially for our album by Jérôme Minard”.

We last encountered Toby on the just released Extra Life album – – ORGAN THING: Not an inch of excess, every second, every note vital, this is economic music. Have Extra Life released the album of the year already?

Find lots of Toby’s music including Kayo Dot and Alora Crucible releases on his Bandcamp page. More on the new album in a couple of days…