It’s been more than a decade since the world last heard of Mario Parga, and when it did, the British six-stringer was involved in an acoustic project with his former taskmaster Graham Bonnet and bassist Beth-Ami Heavenstone, the project that apparently didn’t work out. However, “the world” in question here would be one of rock ‘n’ roll only, because what Parga did on his half-voluntary vacation approached art from a totally different angle, as Mario simply swapped instruments from guitar to brush and became a painter whose landscapes and portraits piqued interest of quite a few lovers of alluring imagery. Yet, with personal affairs taking a turn for the better, the veteran is back with a new album, titled “Shadows & Light” and ready for release on May 20th.
“This new album has taken eighteen years to record and release,” explains Mario. “I didn’t actually spend all this time recording it, but with our moves, dismantling and reassembling the studio multiple times, combined with other issues and life in general, it’s taken a while to record and finally release. When we’re young, time seems to almost stand still, but as we age, time seems to move faster and faster and, before we know it, years and decades pass in the blink of an eye. I’ve named this album ‘Shadows & Light’ as it tells ten stories that are a mix of light and dark. It’s a very personal album and it will be best heard in its entirety in the running track order. Personnel-wise, it’s just me behind all guitars, keyboards and orchestration – I’m also the composer, arranger, producer, mixing and mastering engineer – plus Tim Luce on bass and Mark Mendez on drums.”
Shadows & Light
1. Ra’s Dream
2. Hollywood
3. Echo Bay (for Shawna)
4. Bayou Fantome
5. Kyoto Belle
6. Kelso Depot
7. Electric Lounge
8. Twilight Rain
9. The Guitar Man
10. The Living End
