New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Described as "The hottest guitarist in the world"*, MILOŠ is back with his fourth studio album, and his first recording since 2016, poignantly entitled Sound of Silence. The first single, "The Sound of Silence" is out today ahead of the release of the new album on
September 13 via Decca Classics/Universal Music.
Last time we saw the Montenegrin-born and London-based classical guitarist, his
Beatles album Blackbird had been received with unanimous acclaim, his new record was already in development and a major international concert tour was booked. It was then that MILOŠ was struck by an inexplicable but devastating hand injury. Unable to play, he was forced to pull out of multiple engagements and studio dates, with no real sense of when or if he might recover.
MILOŠ explains, "There were wonderful audiences waiting for me in concert halls everywhere, from the Royal Albert Hall, to China and Japan, Australia and New Zealand, USA; the craziest dreams were coming true. And then this: I couldn't play a note."
At the highest point in his career, the multi-award-winning musician reached the lowest point in his life, and it is this that inspired Sound of Silence.
MILOŠ travelled across
Europe seeking help from experts and went through a variety of treatments but each time, after an initial improvement, he would end up feeling weaker. During this time he eventually found a doctor in Zurich who set him on the road to recovery. "One step at a time, with an insane amount of patience and analysis, I finally understood the issue. It was not all about my hand... It became clear that I had suffered an intense burnout too - first physically, from work overload, and then mentally, from the psychological pressure to recover."
This album is MILOŠ' personal reflection on this time. It includes classical guitar pieces he played while rebuilding himself from the ground up, as well as beautifully varied songs he listened to when he had to rest and escape from it all. MILOŠ' very own takes on songs like Portishead's "Sour Times", Radiohead's "Street Spirit" and Leonard Cohen's "Famous Blue Raincoat" sit alongside guitar pieces by Pujol and Tarrega. Star saxophonist and friend, Jess Gillam joins MILOŠ for two melancholic duets, as well as hang player and regular collaborator of Björk, Manu Delago for a very special take on the classic song "Nights in White Satin". The whole record is a moving snapshot of an outstanding artist in full grasp of his extravagant musical gifts at a critical moment in his life and career, now set on an exciting new path.
It has been a steady journey back to full health for MILOŠ for over a year now - with tours in the US and Asia already under his belt, and equally importantly, exploring what happened, immersing himself in his guitar playing with a new sense of understanding and using every opportunity to talk in depth and share his experiences with others. Last summer, MILOŠ made a triumphant return to the concert stage - and not just any stage but that of London's iconic Royal Albert Hall, where in 2012 he had given the first ever solo guitar recital in the great hall, which was, again, lauded by critics.
In the 2019/20 season, MILOŠ embarks upon an extensive live tour of the UK and the world. What's more, he has a new mission: to help others who find themselves in a similar situation: "Amongst other things, I want to start an inclusive, open and constructive series of conversations about performance related issues. So much of it is unknown and unclear to us. With everything I went through, I just don't want other musicians to suffer in silence."
