BlackGate by Caimin Gilmore

On Friday, August 1, 2025, Irish composer and double bassist Caimin Gilmore releases his debut record BlackGate, via New Amsterdam Records in collaboration with Dublin based Ten Spot Records. BlackGate features renowned cellist Kate Ellis, harpist Lavinia Meijer, and Caimin Gilmore on double bass & DX7.

Well-known as one of Ireland's leading young double bassists, BlackGate marks Gilmore's emergence as a major new compositional voice, in a style reflective of his expansive collaborations as a performer. BlackGate is an instrumental composition and genre-fluid journey through myriad evocative sonic spaces, with exquisite writing not just for his own double bass, but for the harp and cello, accompanied by subtle Yamaha DX7 synthesizer passages that provide further sonic depth and color. The record encapsulates Gilmore’s idiosyncratic playing style, which has formed the bedrock to his work with artists across a diffuse spectrum of musical styles—from contemporary music to pop, classical and folk—in turn, becoming a manifestation of them all.

Gilmore is a member of Ireland’s ground breaking new music group Crash Ensemble. An interdisciplinary and versatile modern musician, he has shared the stage with internationally renowned artists like Lisa Hannigan, Dermot Kennedy, Aaron Dessner, Jessy Buckley, Dirty Projectors, Sam Amidon, Greg Saunier, to name a few, and is currently touring with Irish bands Ye Vagabonds & John Francis Flynn (Rough Trade/River Lea). He features on over 40 recordings, including releases from Damon Albarn, Boy Genius, and on Leonard Cohen’s posthumous album ‘Thanks for the Dance’ with European ensemble s t a r g a z e, among many others.

Kate Ellis is Artistic Director of Crash Ensemble, cellist with Martin Hayes’ Common Ground Ensemble and has toured with Bono as part of his Stories of Surrender show 2022-2023. Lavinia Meijer is a Sony Classical recording artist and the only classical musician to have reached the top 10 in the Dutch album charts for 3 consecutive solo albums. Her recording of Philip Glass’ ‘Metamorphosis’ went platinum in the Netherlands.

Commissioned by the BlackGate Cultural Centre Galway using funds from The Arts Council of Ireland / An Chomhairle Ealaíon.

Tracklist

1.	MVE I	4:21

2.	Segue I	1:39

3.	MVE II	5:25

4.	Segue II	0:51

5.	MVE III	4:08

6.	Segue III	1:32

7.	MVE IV	5:35

Credits

released August 1, 2025

BlackGate composed by Caimin Gilmore.

Performed by:
Kate Ellis – Cello & Piano
Caimin Gilmore – Double Bass & DX-7
Lavinia Meijer – Concert Harp

Tape parts improvised by Kate Ellis & Caimin Gilmore.
Strings recorded in Sonic Studios, Dublin, by Adrian Hart & Ber Quinn.
Harp recorded in Studio Joneski, Utrecht, by Sam Jones.
Edited by Adrian Hart.
Mixed & Mastered by Francesco Fabris, Greenhouse Studios, Reykjavik.
Tape Transfer by Sean Coleman & Phil Kinrade.
Half Speed Mastering by Barry “Bazza” Grint at Air Studios London.
Liner notes by Neva Elliott.
Editing by Dhammika Wijetunge.
Photography by David Six.
Artwork Omphalos, 1993, oil on canvas (Diptych) by John Noel Smith.
Design layout by M&E Studio.
Vinyl Production & Project Management by Dek Hynes, Ten Spot Records.

Thanks to Peadar King, Kate Ellis, Lavinia Meijer, Adrian Hart, Bernard Quinn, Francesco Fabris, Sam Jones, André de Ridder, OIsín Walsh-Peelo, Méabh McKenna, John Noel Smith, Gemma Doherty, Ben Sloan, David Six, Olga Barry, Marjie Kaley, Emma Hannon, Dhammika Wijetunge, Ror Conaty, Matty Bolger, Emelie Lidström, John Harris & Jonathan Pearson. Special thanks to Ten Spot Records & New Amsterdam for releasing this record.

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