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"I have had the great privilege of working with Sol horizon on three occasions. As individual musicians they are great, but as a band they are awesome. Their sound is unique and their positive energy will keep any audience dancing to the light through the night. Sol Horizon gets a 10/10 from me."
- Pato Banton
"Sol Horizon has a High that brings you up - but never lets you down."
- Presade (High Times Magazine)
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Since their self titled debut album release in 2004, Sebastopol's Sol Horizon has blossomed, becoming one of the most popular and forward thinking bands of its genre. Sol has had the opportunity to share the stage with legendary acts such as Morgan Heritage, The Meditations, Eek-A-Mouse, Yami Bolo, and the J.G.B. Band - to name a few. The release of their latest album, "First Light", and recent tours of California and Hawaii, as well as collaborations with England's reggae star Pato Banton should erase any doubt that Sol Horizon is on the rise. Sol Horizon’s highly anticipated 3rd album “Party Revolution” features Pato Banton on the title track mixing it up with the Sol crew in classic dance hall style.
Led by vocalist Michael Litwin, Sol Horizon’s conscious lyrics reveal the band’s authenticity and sincerity: commitment to the sustainable living community. By promoting global awareness and planetary activism, Sol Horizon’s presence is undeniable and compels you to participate. Sol Horizon continues to support that movement, a movement borne of the "conscious struggle" of us all to improve the planet. And once you’ve experienced being in a crowd with everyone shouting: “Truth, Knowledge, Wisdom, Understanding at this Party Revolution! Open your eyes and make the right decision!” you’ll know why their positive vibration is unforgettable. You can’t help but join in, jumping and singing, ready to be a part of all the positive change in the world.
Festivals: Kona Island music festival, Harmony Music Festival, Earth Dance, Whole Earth, Sol Fest (Real Goods). Has Shared the Stage with: Morgan Heritage, The Skatalites, Prezident Brown, Shinehead, The Itals, Pato Banton, Eek-a-Mouse, Yami Bolo, Wisdom, Pepper, Marty Dread, Lost at Last, The JGB Band, The Meditations. Clubs: Pipeline Café (Oahu), Lahina Civic Center (Maui), Matteel Community Center, The Last Day Saloon, Caspar Inn, Belly up Tavern, Mazzottis, Mystic Theatre, The Phoenix Theatre, Slims, 19th and Broadway, Inn At The Beginning, Trinidad Town Hall, Six Rivers Brewery, Ukiah Brewing Company. Proud to Help: Mattole Watershed, Adopt An Activist, Ripples, Permaculture Earth Artisans (PEA), Willowwood Waldorf School, and many more.
Come be a part of the music Revolution...
"Drawing soul inspiration,
Golden sunrays fill the air,
First light is here, flowers face the sun
Reggae vibes with Sol Horizon!"
- Michael Litwin
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Michael Litwin
High energy, passion and true entertainment is what you get when 24 year old Michael Litwin steps up to the stage.
Having grown up in a small town, Litwin's lyrics are based on the values of community awareness, sustainability and self empowerment.
But Litwin just doesn't sing about consciousness - he practices it. He is the Cofounder of a local planting group that creates both free and low cost gardens for both the community at large as well as to people who wouldn't other wise be able to afford them; The result is a healthy environment and healthy body, and a healthy community.
In addition he is an avid runner and soccer player keeping both mind and body strong.
Michael Litwin's vision is to bring heartfelt, danceable music with a positive message to all those who listen throughout the world, one note at a time.
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Jeremy Cooper
Jeremy is perhaps the most technically studied musician in Sol Horizon. He has an education in Jazz and blues that starts before he can remember. His parents tell them that he started playing the piano around the age of 2. Wow.
His father was also a musician playing folk guitar.
Having played so long, his influences are many. Here is a short list: Jimmy Smith, Mcoy Tyner, Orbital, Orb, various electronica.
Jeremy's other interests include computer and web programming and reverse engineering.
He is also Sol Horizon's in-house technician having fixed several of our various electronic keyboards and gizmos.
Have soldering iron - will travel.
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Peter van Gorder,
Sonic Alchemist, percussionist, Drummer
Philosophy: Every sound and movement we make is but a mere carrier wave for the more interesting data of: Thoughts, Feelings, and Emotions. His unique view and teaching style has led him to create "Conscious Drumming" a workshop where the mind and body-energy are the primary instrument and the drum is the amplifier.
As a facilitator he has organized and led drum circles, sound circles, and ‘fire, drum and dance’ circles. His main instruments are: drum set, hand percussion, didgeridoo, and various electronica. He has also studied Tuvan throat singing, guitar, and piano.
Peter has performed at:
Reggae On The River, BurningMan, The Fillmore, Hog Farm, Health & Harmony, Earthdance, Trinity Tribal Stomp, and The Seirra Nevada World Music Festival - but his favorite is the more intimate settings of rituals, kirtans and meditation gatherings, and taking people on a sonic Journey with Didjeridoo and Native American frame drum.
As for the other half of his brain, Peter is also a Software, Web & Audio Engineer.
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Colin Menzies
Music is a special mystery. In my early teens I felt the call to learn about the mystery of music. Inspired by Jimi Hendrix I chose the guitar, and spent lots of time learning chords and scales and maybe a song or two. But the real pleasure for me was just feeling and expressing thoughts and ideas with sounds and playing until the sound started to play itself.
Never even thought of performing, I always just considered it the art of grooving, having fun and expressing whatever I felt in that moment.Later on, in high school, Alexei, Clayton and I got into the Grateful Dead which for us was all about getting the music groove on. We would learn a song and then jam it out for a long time, taking turns learning how to lead and follow, inventing new patterns, and eventually learning to compose our own songs. Inspired by psychedelic visions of healing, world peace, and the revolution of collective consciousness toward truth and justice, we aspired to play music that would help these visions become a reality.
Playing in various band configurations I soon learned about the dynamics of group relationships. It soon became very clear to me that being a good musician is one thing, but equally important is the skill of being able to work in a group. With this insight I spent a good part of my mid-twenties studying group dynamics and wrote my college thesis about sustaining group relationships.As far as musical influences go, I have never stopped being inspired by new forms of music. I have studied elements of jazz, Hindustani classical, free improvisation, jam, African, Brazilian, trance, and others. And I have enjoyed learning to play on all kinds of different instruments such as flute, bass, sitar, percussion, drums and guitar.
I learn the most about music when playing with others and I have been honored to play with some great musicians and hope to play with many more in the future.Playing with Sol Horizon is a dream come true. Like any group experience, things get crazy sometimes, but when things are on in that mysterious way it’s some of my favorite music. And of course, the greatest joy is the opportunity to share the music with you, so I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! Peace
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Clayton Randall Hunt
Clayton grew up as the son of a composer of contemporary classical music, to find himself embracing the guitar as a means to fill the void of modern suburban society.
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Alexei Brown
Out of the darkness I reach to see, lighting the long road back to my family tree
Way back before today’s insanity my people danced and sang lovingly;
Conceived the year after 1970 high school sweet hearts in a time of uncertainty
Just a little too young to be able to keep me, adopted soon after birth I grew up in Berkeley
With a crazy ol’ doc and the elegant miss sweetly, steeped in the sounds of Areatha, Marvin, Marley and Stevie
Raised me with love
respecting the way I see, but it’s hard to raise a child in a world so crazy
I flirted with college but hit the road early, searching for the right colors
to form my identity
On the "Love Bus" I traveled all across country, dancing with the Dead and some good L.S.D.
Didn’t take long for the travel bug to bite me, and I flew off to India to become a yogi
But in the streets of Madras a voice came to me, Said "Yo young warrior, go back to Cali!
What your looking for isn't here in Indi, but lies up in the branches of your family tree."
After twenty eight years I found my blood family, confirming my sense that my roots span many countries
So sit back and enjoy some of my home-grown herbally verbally, while I fix you a taste of my genetic recipe
Then we’ll get back to the Sol party, yes
.. g.o.d.y.o.u.a.n.d.m.e.
It takes a little shot of Irish Scotch, a few pints of English brew
A heaping helping of Guamanian pride, slow-cooked in an Indian stew
You can taste the Mexican when I’m low-riding, "Pasa la salsa por favor"
I’ve even got some Japanese Samuri "Ari Gato," check it out - I’ve got more!
"Soy guerro valiente y muy peligroso," I’m a Spaniard - feel me strong like the stone -
And in me sings Native American blood, you can see it if you look in my bones,
My people come from every corner of this world; my heart’s got love for every one;
It makes no sense to me why we keep on struggling; we’re all Gods children under the sun.
I’m searching for the right road
..searching my self through and through
I’m home in the music, I home in the dance, I’m home when I’m home with you
So let’s bump that hip-hop, punk rock, one drop, never stop
Soul groove, jazzy smooth, my love runs deep so let me prove
With my paint brush, my yoga mat, my surf board, my A’s hat
My vocal chords and guitar, a lion tattoo and a few black stars
Some rich soil and seeds too, I’ll grow enough food for me and you
I’m a simple man
I don’t need much, just real friends and healing touch.
This journey we’re on, it makes me high, I know Sol Horizon’s gonna hit the sky!
I’ll tell you though, I don’t want to be a star, unless being a star is where you are,
But wait - I got side-tracked must - be getting really high on that herbally verbally I began to think we could fly -
But my mission is to wake your auric taste buds, with a treat called Prince Alexei
Also known as Operation Positive Vibration, made with certified organic L. O. V .E.
So I’ll just put it in the oven now, it’ll only take a little while,
Light the candles and dim the lights, we’re gonna do this thing with style.
I give my heart, I give my soul, I give my love so true.
I got juicy love to share
And I give it all
To you.
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