Scottish electro duo Valtos, comprising Skye natives Martyn MacDonald and Daniel Docherty, have teamed up acclaimed neo-trad trio Project Smok for the new single ‘Liberate’ which will be released on Friday 3rd February.

The upbeat record celebrates the independent spirit of Highlanders, using vocal samples from the late Charles Kennedy to drive home the poignant message.

Mr Kennedy who died in June 2015, served as member for Ross, Skye, and Lochaber for 32 years and was much loved by his constituents.

In the single the Highlander can be heard passionately speaking about championing Scottish tradition and putting the people first.

This is fused with the unmistakably skilled and infectious whistle-playing of Project Smok’s Ali Levack and driving guitar rhythm and a banging electronic beat on the track, which brings a late-night club sound to music rooted in place and traditional.

Valtos

                                                                                                                   Project Smok

Last year marked a hugely successful period for MacDonald and Docherty as Valtos scooped the up-and-coming artist of the year accolade at the Scots Trad Awards 2022 following the release of the self-titled debut album in June. They are joined by fiddle player Euan McLaughlin on Liberate.

Project Smok is the neo-trad trio of Ali Levack on whistles, Pablo Lafuente on guitar and Ewán Baird on bodhrán, whose nonconformist and progressive Scottish traditional music has set them apart since their formation in 2017, making them a household name in the traditional music scene.

They boast nominations for Best Up and Coming Artist at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2018 and the Belhaven Bursary for Innovation in 2019, not to mention an unforgettable collaboration with 2019 Scottish Album of the Year nominee Edwyn Collins on their 2020 debut album, Bayview.

Martyn MacDonald said: “We wanted to start 2023 with a bang and what better way than a collaboration with Project Smok.

“We are such huge fans of the band and have wanted to work with the boys for years. The vision for this single was pure energy from start to finish – that’s just what you expect with Project Smok, so it worked perfectly.”

Daniel Docherty added: “This felt like the easiest collaboration of all time, it all came together in a matter of hours – sometimes tracks just form like that.

“Project Smok are one of the hottest trad bands around currently and we’re chuffed with the collaboration.”

Valtos will have collaborative shows coming up throughout the year, with details to follow on their website.

Liberate, which has been chosen as Radio Skye’s track of the week, will be available to stream and download on all major digital platforms on Friday 3rd February.

For more information, you can visit the websites of Valtos and Project Smok.