DOWNES BRAIDE ASSOCIATION – CHRIS BRAIDE And GEOFF DOWNES Release Suburban Ghosts Album

Three years after their critically acclaimed debut, Pictures Of You, creative powerhouse duo Chris Braide and Geoff Downes come together again for the second chapter of their joint venture the Downes Braide Association – DBA in short. The album, entitled Suburban Ghosts, is out now via Cherry Red Records.

Singer songwriter and producer Chris Braide has written and produced songs for Beyonce, Lana del Rey, Paloma Faith, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, David Guetta, Sia, Afrojack and Marc Almond’s latest album The Velvet Trail; in his accomplished career he was awarded Ivor Novello, ASCAP and Billboard Awards.

Prog legend Geoff Downes has played keyboards in The Buggles, Asia and YES. He co-wrote the hits “Heat Of The Moment” and “Video Killed The Radio Star”. It was at The Buggles’ reunion show in London back in 2010 that Chris and Geoff’s paths crossed for the first time.

From there, with Braide busy working with both Paloma Faith and Lana del Rey and Geoff recording YES’ Fly From Here, it took a year of secret ‘moonlighting’ sessions to create Pictures Of You; the stunning result left critics in awe.

Roll on to 2015: once again, the Downes Braide Association doesn’t let a busy schedule deter them. Chris has just released the debut album for This Oceanic Feeling, his new project with Ash Soan and Lee Pomeroy, while Geoff is on the road with YES. Again, the duo’s creative juices seem to thrive in those stolen sessions, and Suburban Ghosts is born.

Chris Braide explains: “Suburban Ghosts is an album about isolation and loneliness in small town suburbia.”

The story goes back to his and Geoff’s childhood in the small county of Cheshire in the North West of England: its beautiful varied countryside landscapes in contrast with grey industrial wastelands, the feeling of claustrophobia that led them both away looking for a new adventure and those sentiments of nostalgia as they come back to a town populated with the ghosts of their past.

“A blank town under a sky full of stars, the same blank town you left behind,” continues Braide – “Now everyone has long gone, you’re haunted by images of those former frost covered school gates and the laughter of children in the park and of the lovers you had once loved. The alternative life you could have lived. You see a photograph that reminds you how fragile we are. Somebody close to you whom you should have been there for. But it’s too late to go back now. It’s time to let them go, those suburban ghosts.”

Geoff Downes says about Chris Braide: “He never ceases to amaze with his application to the finest detail. And as on our previous collaboration Pictures Of You, I once again provided him with the musical fabric and raw materials, and from that point he has manufactured and polished our latest gem with the precision of a Swiss watchmaker.”

Talking more about the creative process and influences behind Suburban Ghosts, he adds, “Of course, the massive history of the thriving 60’s, 70’s of the music scenes of both Liverpool and Manchester can not be ignored and would be indelibly stamped on all of us, right the way from the Beatles to 10cc. But that’s only a small part of the picture… I find it is quite difficult to describe in words as it’s a natural creation that comes from our collective hearts. Sure, some might say: technopop, 80’s, electronica etc, but to us it’s much more than a label. This music is made with love. It is a true joint project.”

Join Chris and Geoff on this journey back to the land of their childhood as they relive the memories and put their suburban ghosts to rest. Immerse yourself in this powerful soundscape, let your own ghosts finally find their peace.

Tracklisting:

“Machinery Of Fate”
“Suburban Ghosts – Parts 1 And 2”
“Suburban Ghosts – Part 3”
“Vanity”
“Number One”
“Interlude”
“North Sea”
“One Of The Few”
“Time Goes Fast”
“Live Twice”
“Dreaming Of England”
“Finale”

Pre-order here.