Following their European tour last summer, covering 35 cities in 11 countries, Norwegians "Gazpacho" now signs with the British record label Intact Records. Having sold several thousand albums during the 2004 tour, and gaining thousands of fans all over Europe, Gazpacho will now have sales all over the world through Intact Records.

On Intact Records, Gazpacho will be labelmates with with the likes of Richard Barbieri (Porcupine Tree), John Wesley, and Marillion.

The first release on Intact Records will be Gazpacho's third album titled Firebird; a blend of inventive neo progressive rock and mellow, melancholy-filled music taking the listener on a diverse musical journey. Appearing on Firebird is none other than Marillion's guitar legend Steve Rothery contributing with stunning melodic guitars in 'Do you know what you are saying?'.

Album release date; August 30 2005

Purchase link: http://www.marillion.com/racket/albums/gazpacho.htm - http://www.marillion.com/racket/albums/gazpacho.htm

Background:

After many years in the studio, the 5 musicians who regularly got together in the studio to write music for the pure pleasure of it, decided to show the world what they were up to. Their two previous albums "Bravo" (2003) and "When Earth Lets Go" (2004) were launched entirely on their own merit and awareness spread by "word of mouth" throughout the world. It didn't take long until four of their tracks were in the top 3 in the old mp3.com from their debut record "Bravo". But mp3.com went bust, changed hands, and the band needed to change their tactics.

A smaller batch of records sent to the appropriate media channels lead to critical appraisal in over 40 magazines and e-zines, with headlines as:

"Pop Kings for the Future" (Panorama)

"Gazpacho have to be Norway's best unsigned musicians" (Monster Magazine)

"..seldom I have been blown away this much by a new band." (Dutch Progressive rock pages),

"Their debut album is a rare beauty" (Oor Magazine)

"If you can't appreciate this music, then you have no soul" (StereoHead)

Gazpachos debut album Bravo sold, without any backing from record companies or management, in excess of 2000 albums in 2003, debuted in the dutch indie charts at #6, and hit #1 three times on Mp3.com. This introduction to the big world was mostly thanks to the internet.

Internet proved to be a useful tool, not only in communicating with fans across the world and selling records, but it saw a unique collaboration between continents (USA, Norway, and New Zealand) on the song "Novgorod". This track was written and produced between these places without even paying for a single bus ticket. The American singer Esther Valentine, producer Peter Kearns from New Zealand teamed up with gazpacho to write this atmospheric song entirely by sending files back and forth through the internet. Strange thing is, they've actually never met face to face, and still haven't to this day.

Their second album WELG, released in 2004, provided a new twist of fate. Gazpacho, still an independent band, were contacted by producer Steve Lyon (The Cure, Paradise Lost, Reamonn, etc). This ended up as a collaboration on one of the tracks featured on WELG, 'Substitute for Murder'.

2004 also provided Gazpacho with a giant leap in awareness, as they toured 11 countries throughout Europe supporting Marillion. This resulted in 31 concerts performing for in total 30,000 people at respectable venues from 013 in Holland, Elysée Montmartre in Paris, to Razzmatazz in Barcelona. Today they stand with 5000 albums sold and finally professional distribution channel to the world through Racket Records.

Journalists and record companies struggle to label the category in which gazpacho belong. Perhaps a headache for the general industry, but in turn is much to their fans appreciation. Their varied, unpredictable musical style keep their fans "on their toes" as appreciative listeners, exploring their own grounds for musical appreciation... The 5 musicians "from the studio" feel they have captured essence of this with Firebird, something Intact Records are supporting through their recent release of the album. We hope you will feel it too.

For more information: http://www.gazpachoworld.com - www.gazpachoworld.com