CONTENTS :
# 1. Asturias (arranged by Eoghan Neff) - Slide: This is my love, do you like her? Asturias jig: Xiga de Mudreiros. Reel: Tincéir Longphoirt
# 2. Cath Eachroma (arranged by Eoghan Neff) - March: The Battle of Aughrim. Breton tune: Ciarán Ryan's. Breton tune: Gan Ainm
# 3. Promenade (arranged by Eoghan Neff) - Single jig: An Port Ciarraíoch. Single jig: Promenade. Breton tune: Gan Ainm
# 4. Clockworx (arranged by Eoghan Neff) - Reel: Gan ainm
# 5. Róisín san Ind (composed and arranged by Flaithrí and Eoghan Neff) - Slow air: Turas Róisín chuig an Ind (Flaithrí Neff). Reel: Cóisir san Ind (Eoghan Neff)
# 6. Gleannta Eatharlaí (arranged by Eoghan and Flaithrí Neff) - Reel: The Glens of Aherlow (Seán Ryan). Jig: The Miller's Maggot. Jig: Celanova Square (Diarmuid Moynihan)
# 7. Rakish Paddy (arranged by Eoghan and Flaithrí Neff) - Reel: Páidí Réice. Reel: Baile Clúiteach an Mhóta. Reel: Dúrúnríl. Reel: Bláthanna an Chnoic Rua
# 8. The Octopus (arranged by Eoghan Neff) - Polka: Biddy Martin's. Polka: The Gortnatubrid (Séamus Creagh). Polka: The Octopus (Eoghan Neff)
# 9. Leitrim 1798 Suite (composed and arranged by Flaithrí Neff) - Slow air: Radhairc an Chnoic (Flaithrí Neff). March: Máirseáil an Chnoic (Flaithrí Neff). Slow air: Caoineadh an Chnoic (Flaithrí Neff)
# 10. Ceiltis (arranged by Eoghan and Flaithrí Neff) - Reelish: Ceiltis (Flaithrí Neff). Reel: Peter Brown's. Breton tune: Suite de Loudeac [1st movement]. Reel: Scaip na Cleití
# 11. My Lagan Love (arranged by Eoghan Neff) - Slow air: My Lagan Love. Single jig: An Peidhleacán. Breton gavotte: Gan Ainm
# 12. An Gallóglach (arranged by Eoghan and Flaithrí Neff) - Jig: An Bóthar Tarra go Sligeach. Jig: The Gallowglass. Breton gavotte: Gan Ainm

RELEASE :
A début album needs a follow up album to test the waves with maturing sounds. And again critics liked very much what they were hearing on Ar Scáth a Chéile (Each Other’s Shadow). Eoghan in particular had an urge to realise what was swirling around in his mind and was the driving force to excite Flaithrí in the idea, They priced equipment to set up their own home studio where all the recording, mixing, mastering and design took place. Here we have the vision and the artist’s desire to have control of his work.

Again with no assistance, just self-reliance, they both worked on their music with artistic drive and youthful energy. Assured of the stability of their cultural music and their own liberty they are not afraid to absorb.

John O Regan got it so right, “It is this delightfully oblique angle at which the Neff Bros view traditional music as well as the speed and alacrity with which they attack their craft that renders them among the most imaginative young players of their generation. The individual solo tracks Clockworx sees Eoghan using six fiddles in a gloriously inventive take on a familiar reel while Flaithrí's epic 11 minute Leitrim 1798 Suite is a solo piping piece par excellence. They rock and roll through tunes twisting them inside out and upside down yet replenishing their melodic heart each time. Elements of Jazz, Rock, Hip-Hop, Classical and World music cruise through the mix yet the result is a uniquely Irish sound each time. Ar Scáth a Chéile is a blatantly experimental and different look at traditional music seen through the eyes of quickly maturing visionaries.” (Irish Music Magazine).

If anything they are adventurous, the adventure is in their music.

COMPOSITION :
Original compositions together with special arrangements of traditional material (of Ireland, Brittany and Asturias) offers a window into the pair’s extensive creative energy, earning them the reputation as being musicians of tremendous versatility. And what is more remarkable is that while the album’s music is acclaimed these young men also produced, recorded, engineered, mixed and mastered the whole thing.

“Highlights include the pizzicato string-laden 'Clockworx'” Hotpress, Sarah McQuaid.

“... Several tunes which really demonstrated a creative edge included “Clockworx,” a very unique tune where the instrumentation resembles the ticking of a clock and “Róisín San Ind,” an East Indian inspired medley (I swore I heard a sitar here), exotic and passionate which progresses into a really wild musical ride ...” Celtic Beat, Joanne and Art Ketchen.

“Programmed sitars launch Flaithrí’s commemoration of his cousin Róisín’s visit to India. It shouldn’t work but it has great charm. Computer-generated tables add percussive interest to ‘Cóisir san Ind’. Irish Examiner, Pat Ahern.

Points of interest :
Title : Ar Scáth a Chéile / Each Other’s Shadow
Own label : Teaghlach (T003)
Artists: The Neff Brothers
Playing time: 62’.31”
Produced, Recorded and Engineered by Flaithrí & Eoghan Neff
Mixed by Eoghan & Flaithrí Neff
Mastered by Eoghan Neff
Artwork and graphics by Éibhear Neff
Guest musicians : Marion Neff, Éibhear Neff.

Tracks arranged by Eoghan Neff :-
#1. Asturias
#2. Cath Eachroma
#3. Promenade
#4. Clockworx
#8. The Octopus (NB 3rd tune The Octopus composed by Eoghan)
#11. My Lagan Love

Track composed and arranged by Flaithrí & Eoghan Neff :-
#5. Róisín san Ind (Slow air composed by Flaithrí; Reel composed by Eoghan)

Track composed and arranged by Flaithrí Neff :-
#9. Leitrim 1798 Suite

Tracks arranged by Eoghan & Flaithrí Neff :-
#6. Gleannta Eatharlaí
#7. Rakish Paddy
#10. Ceiltis (NB 1st tune Ceiltis composed by Flaithrí)
#12. An Gallóglach

New angles: Flaithrí and Eoghan Neff's second album Ar Scáth a Chéile/Each Other's Shadow puts an experimental take on traditional music.

A New Slant on Tradition ... There are nods in the direction of the Bothy Band and other luminaries of the past but Ar Scáth a Chéile/Each Other's Shadow is largely experimental.

The basic stock is traditional but there is a clear determination to seek out new angles. Experimentation is vitally important in every branch of music. Traditional music does it on a micro scale. It sees change as a continuous process where progress is measured in barely perceptible increments, rather than in bold quantum leaps. The Neffs challenge that attitude. Experimentation carries responsibilities; the Neffs show an awareness of this. The lazy experimenter, for example, hears both reels and reggae as sharing a 4/4 time signature and attempts to superimpose one on the other without regard to the fact that the result compromises both musical forms.

The Neffs bring an internal, more subversive approach. They slice the tune apart and reconstruct it in unexpected, and occasionally inspired, ways. Despite the title, Flaithrí and Eoghan step from each other's shadow to produce perhaps the two best tracks on the album, Clockworx and Róisín san Ind. Clockworx sees Eoghan coaxing an extraordinary range of sound from his multi-tracked fiddle. He bows, plucks, strums and scrawls his way through an unnamed reel in a tick-tock arrangement dedicated to his great great grandfather, a clockmaker and jeweller who came from the Black Forest to Cork in the mid-19th century.

Programmed sitars launch Flaithrí's commemoration of his cousin Róisín's visit to lndia. It shouldn't work but it has great charm. Computer-generated tables add percussive interest to Cóisir san lnd. Flaithrí's Leitrim 1798 Suite is a well-matched set of three tunes featuring pipes over a synth background.

The Neffs may not be the first to use samples in traditional music, but they have certainly done it with most imagination. They have used recent advances in music technology to create a broad and deep soundscape for thernselves, but have not allowed it to overshadow the music itself. A thumb piano, bought in Miltown Malbay many years ago, introduces the slide, This is My Love Do You Like Her? So far, so good. But the underlying bass motif, while well executed, is simply too obvious and lacks the subtle dance shuffle typical of the slide. Bonzouki takes the rhythm role on the Asturian jig, Xiga Murdeiros, before a clever slip into the commonish reel, The Longford Tinker.

Karl Nesbitt adds bouzouki, Ger Harrington's bass fills out the lower end of the sonic spectrum, Adrian Curtin's cello provides a sonorous intro to the Kerry Jig; and Muireann Neff, the lads' mother, plays bodhrán on a number of tracks.

... if you're looking for what's happening at the innovative edge of the traditional music continuum, look no further.

TOP

“After their genteel début, Soundpost and Bridle (2000), Cork brothers Flaithrí and Eoghan Neff could so easily have settled into the "seriously talented and enormously respectful" back row where they'd be guaranteed accolades for their virtuosity but might have died from the boredom of it all within jig time. Instead they've ricocheted due north, south and east, bouncing off a plethora of styles and cultural tics en route. Eoghan's convulsing fiddle traces shadows where few fiddlers deign to venture on his own Clockworx, and while the itinerary is utterly unpredictable and downright precocious, their willingness to stretch and bend while they've got the elastic in their pants is something to revel in - for listener and player alike.”

TOP

“Piper Flaithrí and fiddler Eoghon Neff have both garnered multiple awards and academic honours in their brief but impressive musical careers to date, .....

Ar Scáth a Chéile is a tad more adventurous than their 2000 debut Sountpost and Bridle, delving enthusiastically into tunes from Spain and Brittany as well as some fine original compositions. Highlights include the pizzicato string-laden 'Clockworx'. Flaithrí's slow air 'Turas Róisín chuig an Ind' and an interesting suite of tunes inspired by the 1798 rebellion.”

TOP

“ … Tout comme sur Soundpost and Bridle, les frères Neff ne se cantonnent pas aux traditionnels irlandais, puisque quelques compositions trouvent aussi leur place ainsi qu’une suite enjouée des Asturies et pas moins de cinq airs bretons (gavottes et suite de Loudéac) …. Nous avons même la surprise d’entendre un morceau aux colorations indiennes.

Pour autant l’lrlande n’est pas oubliée et Flaithrí et Eoghan donnent à entendre ici ou la une multitude de reels, polkas ou jigs toutes plus plaisantes les unes que les autres.

Seul bémol à cet admirable album, la pochette qui fait figure de parent pauvre. Sa tristesse ne reflète absolument pas la gaieté se dégageant à l’écoute du disque.”

TOP

"As I listened to this CD, it was convincing that Flaithrí and Eoghan Neff, both young instrumentalists from Ireland are nothing short of genius.  The creativity and musical artistry on this CD is magnificent and the manner in which they incorporate tunes from other Celtic nations such as Asturias and Brittany interwoven into medleys with Irish jigs and reels is amazing.  It was obvious upon listening to the opening medley, "Asturias" featuring fine uillean piping and an Asturian jig rendered nicely on fiddle as part this set that brilliant things were to follow such as "Cath Eachroma," which featured a Gaelic march followed by two Breton tunes (the last "Gan Ainm" dynamic and inviting to dance to).  Several tunes which really demonstrated a creative edge included "Clockworx," a very unique tune where the instrumentation resembles the ticking of a clock and "Roísin San Ind," an East Indian inspired medley (I swore I heard a sitar here), exotic and passionate which progresses into a really wild musical ride.  The CD also includes a dynamic rendition of "Rakish Paddy" where the piping really shines and a great polka medley "The Octopus" which progresses flawlessly … and there are many other fine musical gems on this release to discover.  For real musical genius, this CD comes highly recommended."

TOP

"This is the second album from piper Flaithrí and fiddler Eoghan Neff. Anyone lucky enough to have heard their debut CD Soundpost & Bridle will know that the brothers are a class act. Each Other's Shadow doesn't disappoint in this respect, or in any other: long on quality as well as quantity, there's a feast of fine music on this recording. Neff Bros draw their inspiration from several sources: their native Cork, musicians such as Paddy Glackin and Robbie Hannon, and of course the Bothy Band. There's also a good helping of tunes from the Breton tradition here, and one or two from northern Spain, plus a handful of Neff compositions. It all adds up to a rich and varied hour of powerful music.

Each Other's Shadow opens with a fine emulation of Keenan and Burke on the Bothy Band classic This Is My Love: praise indeed. The Asturian jig which follows is a smasher, and then it's back to Burke and Keenan for The Longford Tinker. But this isn't just a Bothy Band tribute album: track 2 starts with a wonderfully innovative arrangement of the great slow march The Battle of Aughrim, and the innovation continues with fiddle fireworks on the following set of jigs. Eoghan's party piece Clockworx is a reel arranged for six contrapuntal fiddles, using all the acoustic possibilites of his instrument. Then it's all change for a pair of Neff compositions with an Indian flavour before plunging back into old favourites such as The Glens of Aherlow and Rakish Paddy.

A quirky set of polkas leads into a pair of heart-stopping slow airs on the pipes. Then there's a pan-Celtic romp which ends in a brilliantly sparky treatment of Toss the Feathers, followed by an absolutely perfect fiddle slow air. The grand finale is a set of jigs from Ireland and Brittany given the time of their lives by Neff Bros. And then it's over, and you're wondering where the time went. These two brothers from Cork, and a small roomfull of their friends, have put the universe on hold for an hour with Each Other's Shadow."

TOP

“… It is this delightfully oblique angle at which the Neff Bros view traditional music as well as the speed and alacrity with which they attack their craft that renders them among the most imaginative young players of their generation. The individual solo tracks ‘Clockworx’ sees Eoghan using six fiddles in a gloriously inventive take on a familiar reel while Flaithrí’s epic 11 minute ‘Leitrim 1798 Suite’ is a solo piping piece par excellence. They rock and roll through tunes twisting them inside out and upside down yet replenishing their melodic hearts each time.

Elements of Jazz, Rock, Hip-Hop, Classical and World music cruise through the mix yet the result is a uniquely Irish sound each time. ‘Ar Scáth a Chéile’ is a blatantly experimental and different look at traditional music seen through the eyes of young yet quickly maturing visionaries.”

TOP

"Pipes and fiddle are one of the great combinations in traditional Irish music. Following close in ar scáth a chéile(i.e. in each other's shadow) are two young talented brothers from Cork City: Flaithrí & Eoghan Neff. Flaithrí was captured by the sound of the uilleann pipes and Eoghan took an interest in playing the fiddle, their teachers being Tomás Ó Canainn and Gary Cronin, respectively. Awards and competitions won by Flaithrí and Eoghan are too numerous to mention. Flaithrí makes full use of drones and regulators, something not every young piper is doing today. Eoghan’s fiddle playing has been rightfully described as a real killer punch. The material is traditional and traditional-like, chiefly from Ireland, but Asturias and Britanny as well. Purists will certainly disapprove of the shenanigans in their playing, and accompaniment as synth, electric bass guitar, wah-wah bouzouki and ethnic drumming. But with an open mind you will find some real treasure. And if you ask about the rather strange sounding surname "Neff," their great great grandfather, a watchmaker and jeweller from the Black Forest, Germany, came to Cork in 1864. Meanwhile these lads are fully rooted in the Irish tradition, even when expanding it, so watch out these jewels! "

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"... this album they seem to have fully entered the experimental stage, employing a variety of sounds. Everything from thumb piano to cello, tablas, synthesisers and electric bass make an appearance to support the musical vision these two lads quite clearly have. ...

... The brothers Neff display some fearless chops and are not shy of putting it out there. The pipes are remarkably tuneful given the complexity of some of the material and the pipes and fiddle together are tight in the way that familial musicians usually are. Comparisons are inevitable: some things are Lunasaesque in manner, others are very Liam O'Flynn with orchestra. Other young pipes and fiddle oriented bands (Calico, for example) get the nod as do old warhorses like The Bothy Band. ... the album is a consistent listen from start to finish. ..."

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