News of the collaboration between Dan Whitehouse and Max ZT…

New York’s celebrated Max ZT (House of Waters), and Tokyo/Black Country’s lauded Dan Whitehouse combine their inventive energy to present their debut album Ten Steps. 

ZT, the hammered dulcimer player and the ever-regenerating Mr Whitehouse, use spoken word and virtuoso playing to create impactful pieces with a belief in the healing power of music at its core.

The collection Ten Steps (to be released on vinyl and all digital platforms on September 8th) shows how effectively they have fed off each other’s unique creativity to deliver stunning recordings plus a live UK tour (in October) promising to deliver captivating, immersive performances. 

“Our record and our live shows incorporate elements of improvisation, we try to be in the moment as much as possible,” says Max about the duo who originally met and collaborated online via the Womex award-winning international Global Music Match scheme, organised by English Folk Expo in partnership with 19 other countries. They’ve toured in the UK (November 2021) and have now collaborated to record this album. 

Here’s the title track:

Side A of Ten Steps (tracks 1-5) was recorded between New York City and Tokyo and completed during 2021, while Side B (tracks 6-7) captures Max ZT’s improvisations performed at their meditative live gigs in November of that same year, which inspired Dan’s own words and music.

We’ve recently feathered Dan’s own Reflections From The Glass House on our pages, while ‘the Jimi Hendrix of the hammered dulcimer’ Max ZT is known as a musical innovator, although he can trace his roots back to Irish folk music. He creates complex and beautiful compositions from a much-expanded set of influences. Part of the celebrated trio House Of Waters, ZT is signed solo to Six Degrees Records. 

Pre order the vinyl here

Max ZT online: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bandcamp

Dan Whitehouse online: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bandcamp

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