A noteworthy figure on the Scottish music scene, Barry Reid has made his presence felt both through membership of bands like the Treacherous Orchestra and Croft No. Five, and also as a studio engineer and producer. Breathing Space, however, is Reid’s debut solo album.
Inspired by the rural landscapes of Ross-Shire and Inverness-Shire and recorded at his own Rose Croft Studio in the Highland village of Muir of Ord, Breathing Space fuses folk and electronica to create ten self-composed instrumental tracks.
Alongside Reid, the album boasts an impressive line-up of guest musicians in Lauren MacColl, Hamish Napier, Laura Wilkie, Innes Watson and Ali Hutton.
“For many years I’ve wanted to make an electronic based album of music that not only reflects myself as a musician but also the places I love to be in, where I find calm amongst all the chaos,” Reid writes in the album sleeve-notes.
He’s not the first to do this, of course. A number of musicians have been tempted to explore that intersect of folk and electronica and in recent years we’ve been seeing more albums treading this same path. However, both for the sheer wealth of instruments involved (which include acoustic guitar, synthesizers, harmonium, drums, samples, keyboards, percussion and vocal drone as well as fiddle, flute and whistles from the assorted guest musicians) and for the incorporation of mood-setting sounds from the natural landscape, Reid has come up with something that’s both evocative and highly inventive.
Released: 2 March 2022

For years, my listening of electronic music essentially was limited to Jean-Michel Jarre’s “Oxygene” and Klaus Schulze’s “Timewind”. Lately, I’m finding myself dabbling in electronic music more frequently and liking it.
Based on sampling the first few tracks, “Breathing Space” sounds like an intriguing album.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oxygene always takes me back to my first year of high school. I bought it second-hand on CD recently!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love the spacy feel, especially if you listen to it with headphones. Make you feel like you’re floating in space. Very relaxing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Loving the peaceful rhythms in these upbeat folk tunes. . Getting my toes tapping! Any tours planned ? Cath from deepest darkest Stockport ..❣️
LikeLiked by 1 person