From the Caves of the Iron Mountain
From the Caves of the Iron Mountain is unlike anything else in Tony Levin's catalog — a singular sonic adventure born from a truly unique setting. Recorded entirely inside the Widow Jane Mine in New York's Catskill Mountains, the album captures Tony alongside percussionist Jerry Marotta and multi-instrumentalist Steve Gorn in an atmospheric, deeply immersive collaboration.
Engineer Tchad Blake captured the sessions using a binaural microphone setup, letting the natural acoustics of the cavern become an instrument in their own right. The result is an experience that comes fully alive through headphones, placing the listener right inside the stone walls of the mine.
The music draws on a rich palette of instruments — Tony's Chapman Stick and NS electric upright bass weave together with Gorn's reed instruments and East Indian flutes, Marotta's wide range of percussion, and even a brief, playful turn on squeezebox. The album ranges from ethereal and meditative to rhythmically driven, always guided by the remarkable space in which it was made.
Track Listing:
- Approaching the Cavern (1:26)
- Man Walking from A to B (3:40)
- In the Caves of the Iron Mountain (3:35)
- Drumming on Water (3:30)
- Devil's Kitchen (3:50)
- Shakers in Five (3:54)
- Glass Beads (3:26)
- Joyous Lake (2:35)
- Catskill Gallery (8:06)
- Shepherd's Song (3:37)
- Catacombs (4:17)
- Magic Meadow (3:44)
- The Widow Jane Mine (3:11)
- Squeeze Box (1:02)