Nick Rhodes and Wendy Bevan unveil ‘Astronomia II: The Rise of Lyra’

Founding member/keyboardist of Duran Duran, Nick Rhodes, and visual/performing artist, Wendy Bevan, come together to reveal the second installment of their fourfold series, “Astronomia II: The Rise of Lyra”!

If you are unfamiliar with the Astronomia project, Nick and Wendy have united to execute 52 vivid, movie score-like tracks inspired by the Universe itself! The tracks will be divided amongst 4 different records, each with its own release on the equinox/solstices of 2021.

The first record “The Fall of Saturn” was published on the Spring Equinox (March 20th), and the sequel landed on the Summer Solstice (June 20th). The following records will naturally be released on the Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice.

Nick Rhodes revealed his thoughts on the project Astronomia -

Wendy and I began a musical journey not knowing where it would lead us...It was the intrigue of the unknown that steered our project, each soundscape creating a new terrain leading to the next. As the music varies greatly, from the calm ambiance to grand orchestral, this gave us infinite possibilities for drama and dynamics across each record and the entire series.

When we began work on the second album, our musical language had already been established, and so as we wrote the compositions they developed in surprising new ways...I found myself trying to seize opportunities before they passed me by an atmosphere, a haunting melody, a foreboding sound, they all drifted in and out of the pieces, slowly forming ‘The Rise of Lyra.’

Wendy Bevan shared her reflection on the project -

Astronomia is a sacred time capsule that gently cradles the memory of our times in 2020 and the fragility of living on this Earth...Astronomia became a lifeline for me during the lockdown. It allowed me to have space for my emotions to flow into music, a sacred space to create my own universe, with endless freedom.

‘The Rise of Lyra’ is the second album in the Astronomia series. Some of the tracks feel angelic, for example, 'Cat's Eye Nebula' and 'Inferno', and elevate us from reality. These recordings became a musical diary of acceptance, a record of change on a vast scale in our lives. The sonic space the album creates explores the ebb and flow of emotions that we endured on a global level.

Accompanying the Astronomia series will be curated visuals for each of the 52 tracks in the project. These visuals can be seen on Nick Rhodes and Wendy Bevan’s Astronomia Instagram, as the duo share an appreciation for photography and film.

Give “Astronomia II: The Rise of Lyra” a listen, available on all streaming platforms now!