Jul 24 2024 18 mins
David Arkenstone discusses his 2024 release Quest For The Runestone. David is joined in this episode by Eric Rigler. Eric is featured on Uilleann pipes on Quest For The Runestone, providing stirring, emotional waves of Celtic sound throughout. Described as “the most recorded bagpiper of all time,” Eric's playing has been a hallmark of numerous movie soundtracks including Braveheart and Titanic.
Quest For The Runestone was inspired by David's deep love and connection to Celtic, Nordic, and cinematic music traditions. This recording is a bold and brilliant experience reminiscent of this New Age visionary’s previous “concept” albums.
“Earlier in my career, I was very pleased to see how the concept albums I recorded were met with great enjoyment from my fans,” David says. “I sort of miss that time, now that most music consumption has become mainly ‘track based,’ meaning people commonly listen to curated playlists of songs from various artists. That is a great way to discover new music, of course, but I wanted to create something that would be a rich and engaging experience from start to finish.”
As he was in the initial stages of conceptualizing the album, David asked his son Dashiell to write a story, which kicked off a flurry of creativity. “What Dash delivered to me was so full of powerful imagery that I became very excited and started composing furiously and immediately. Quite soon, I had an album’s worth of music ready to be recorded. I then called on some fabulous musicians, and their artistry elevated the music to another level.”
Quest For The Runestone is packaged in a special box with several “surprise” elements and keepsake items, along with an original story in a 48-page booklet. The Quest For The Runestone tale and music combine to transport listeners during such otherworldly tracks as “Prophecy,” “Ancient Magic Awakens,” and “Secrets of the Runestone.” Says David of the complete package, “I wanted to do something meaningful for my legions of fans and followers.”
Quest For The Runestone is also available in Dolby Atmos® immersive sound experience on supported streaming services.
Since the release of his first album Valley in the Clouds in 1987, David Arkenstone has become one of the most engaging and prolific instrumentalists of our time, receiving Grammy® nominations in 2022 for Pangaea, 2020 for Fairy Dreams, 2004 for Atlantis, 2000 for Citizen of the World, and 1992 for In the Wake of the Wind. With over 1.1 billion Spotify streams, 70+ albums, NBC Sports themes, and game score compositions for W
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David Arkenstone's Musical Tales From The Bamboo Room
Recorded in The Bamboo Room
Producer: David Arkenstone
Co-Producer: Cynthia Gage
Production and Concept Associates:
Valinor Arkenstone
Ethan Gage