Echo Collective

“Post-classical”, “neo-classical”, “non-classical” : nobody knows what to call this music – but Neil Leiter and Margaret Hermant, aka Echo Collective, don't mind one bit. Orchestral instrumental music from outside the classical establishment has become huge over the past few years, and Leiter and Hermant have witnessed the evolution and extraordinary rise of this movement right up close. They've worked with some of the most important players, both in the recording studio and for concerts worldwide. And though the Echo Collective members themselves very much do come from within the classical music establishment, they don't care which side of the fence they are seen to be on.


Echo Collective essentially came together around A Winged Victory For The Sullen: the duo of Adam Wiltzie and Dustin O'Halloran. During this time they were also playing in related projects: with Wiltzie's much revered other duo project Stars Of The Lid, with O'Halloran's solo work, with Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson.


The ability to flow easily from black metal to Erasure, Radiohead to Stars Of The Lid shows exactly what kind of musicians Echo Collective are. Without prejudice, without over-reverence, without particularly caring about genre boundaries - but always with utmost seriousness - they take on challenges set by others and put their own mark on them, they dig for the musical motifs that work for them.