Hailing from Tullamore in Ireland, Chasing Abbey have been on a decorated musical adventure since forming a decade ago. The trio of Ronan Bell, Jonathan Byrne and Ted Conway bring together electronic production and traditional Irish influences, creating music where the past and future collide in spectacular fashion. Their early momentum came in 2017 with the debut single “That Good Thing” earning them a record deal with 3 Beat UK and Universal Music Group, while their 2019 EP The Oddessy Project debuted at number one on the Irish Music Charts.
After returning with “Oh My Johnny” in 2023, the group signed with Warner and dance label Spinnin’ Records. Now, Chasing Abbey are opening an exciting new chapter with Cyber Celt, their long awaited genre-breaking debut full-length record which takes the trio’s fusion of Celtic instrumentation and modern electronic production and brings is into a more culturally conscious and deliberately confrontational sphere. Influenced by artists including Kneecap, Lankum and The Mary Wallopers, Chasing Abbey are part of a modern Irish musical landscape where Gaeilge carries renewed context, capable of connecting history, identity and modern experience.
Cyber Celt is built around a conversation between generations, with Chasing Abbey looking backwards to the lessons offered by their ancestors, particularly ideas surrounding respect for nature and tradition, while simultaneously facing the mistakes that have travelled through history. The album brings pride, defiance, heritage and tradition into contact with messages addressing corruption, greed and colonialism, giving its sound both a human and political charge.
Using Irish has become increasingly important to that expression for the trio, with Ted explaining, “Kneecap reignited the flame, in a way.” He sees Chasing Abbey as having a responsibility to help progress culture and tradition through their music, while noting that expressing themselves in Irish felt easier on this album. In that sense, Gaeilge becomes part of the album’s wider attempt to reconnect the present with something older.
Mapping out the album’s ambition on opening track “Gorta,” the release starts off with the bounce of dusty percussion and the twang of plucked instrumental tones, forming a lively folk scene that expands with the pulse of low end energy and chanted vocalisations. Rolling with rhythmic vocal delivery and steady march, the track offers an epic display of the band’s ability to reimagine traditional musical styles in cutting edge settings.
“T.a.L” forms with jittery rhythms and slick vocals leads before softly surging with the rise of punchy energy to serve up a thrilling showcase of the band’s knack for melting an array of styles into enthralling musical moments. “Íorónta,” the Irish word for ‘ironic’ becomes the title of a hair-raising exploration of oppression, colonialism and the ways narratives can be manipulated against those fighting back. Chasing Abbey draw a connection between the historical experiences of the Irish people and oppression elsewhere in the world, including Palestine, focusing on the loss of rights, language, culture and history.
The new single “Greedy Pigs” was inspired by Ted’s experiences working as a butcher alongside his uncles and grandfather, turning an observation from that environment into a wider metaphor for unchecked greed. One pig would bully the others and consume everything available, becoming increasingly enormous without ever satisfying its appetite but its greed was ultimately accelerating its own journey towards the slaughterhouse. In the song, the image becomes a pointed reflection on those consumed by accumulation while remaining blind to its consequences and the suffering around them.
Closing the record with “Isa Rud Crua,” the blend of synth tones, organic instrumentation and crisp percussion forms an invigorating backdrop for expressive vocal leads, forming an infectious and danceable finale to the band’s sensational debut album. The band’s unstoppable momentum now carries into the Cyber Celt World Tour, which started at Dublin’s Vicar Street on before travelling extensively through the UK, Europe and the USA and eventually reaching Perth, Australia, on the 14th of December before returning to Ireland for an additional five shows.
Listen to Cyber Celt below
More from Albums
Debut album from Melody Briar
Some songs begin with a melody, others with a lyric or a brief idea waiting to be developed but for …
Brand new album from The Society of Rockets
Rising from San Francisco's underground music scene around 25 years ago, The Society of Rockets have spent their career following …
John Goldrust shares ‘Like A Phoenix’ album
Oxford-based singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer John Goldrust has spent much of his musical life exploring the space between known traditions …
