For More Reviews of the Film SOMNILOQUIES . . .

There are a lot of excellent articles appearing about SOMNILOQUIES, the Verena Paravel/Lucien Castaing-Taylor film featuring Michael Barr’s dream recordings of Dion McGregor (eg, Patrick Gamble’s review at CineVue). To read more, follow @TorporVigil on Twitter.

Hollywood Reporter on Dion McGregor’s “Madcap Dreams” in the Paravel/Castaing-Taylor Film SOMNILOQUIES

In his THR review of somniloquies, Jordan Mintzer refers to Dion McGregor’s slumbrous vocalizations as “a cross between the somnambulist poems of Robert Desnos and the standup of Lenny Bruce,” while invoking movie director David Lynch and painter Francis Bacon in reference to the film’s imagery. Nicely done.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/somniloquies-review-975922

Another fine review of the Dion McGregor film somniloquies by Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel

Bert Rebhandl at Frieze Magazine offers insights into two Berlinale films by directors from Harvard’s Sensory Ethnography Lab—”probably the most influential ‘school’ in contemporary world cinema.” Somniloquies is “brilliant” and “haunting.”
https://frieze.com/article/desert-sleeps

DION McGREGOR FILM PREMIERE!

Véréna Paravel and Lucien Castaing-Taylor are premiering their Dion McGregor movie somniloqiuies today at the prestigious Berlinale international film festival in … where was it again … oh yes, Berlin! This project—featuring an all-Dion soundtrack—has been in the works for some time and it’s very exciting to see it emerge into the world. A glimpse can be had through the link in the photo above, along with a nicely synthesized account of Dion McGregor’s sleeptalking history (download “additional information” at the bottom of the page) .

WOMAN FOR PRESIDENT! Dion McGregor’s Somnolent Prediction—from the 1960s

An unreleased Dion McGregor somniloquy, recorded a half-century before Hillary Clinton’s run for the USA’s top office. (Click on image for audio.)

Annie Paladino “Dreama”s Again

Annie Paladino’s show inspired by the dreams of Dion McGregor

Annie Paladino is remounting her wonderful solo show Dreama, in Seattle. The show was “written” by Dion McGregor in his sleep: Annie inhabits his dream world as she vocally recreates some of the great sleeptalker’s somniloquies. Here’s the Facebook page, and the link to tickets:
https://www.facebook.com/events/234811356710684/
https://pockettheater.vbotickets.com/event/DREAMA__Theater_Solo/4589

Kickstarter: Final Week

This is the final week for the Dreaming Like Mad Kickstarter campaign!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1823544782/dreaming-like-mad-with-dion-mcgregor *

NPR, USA Today, and Kickstarter Updates

Dion McGregor (from the archive of Phil Milstein; photographer unknown)

The awareness/fundraising campaign for the forthcoming Dreaming Like Mad with Dion McGregor album got a boost from Whitney Matheson in her USAtoday.com column Pop Candy, and tracks from the new album will soon be featured on the NPR program All Things Considered. For details, and to read other updates on the DLM Kickstarter campaign, the best idea is to go here:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1823544782/dreaming-like-mad-with-dion-mcgregor/posts

Dreaming Like Mad promo video

Kerry Zentner’s cover illustration for the 2014 Dion McGregor album from Torpor Vigil Records

Here’s the first promo video for the forthcoming Dion McGregor album.

Dreaming Like Mad with Dion McGregor (promo video)

Dreaming Like Mad cover illustration by Kerry Zentner
http://www.kerryzentner.com

Two Classic Dreams by Sleeptalker Dion McGregor

Richard A. Kirk’s cover illustration for the 2004 Dion McGregor album from Torpor Vigil Records

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Dream World of Dion McGregor (Decca, January 1964), here are a couple of my favourite McGregor somniloquies. These are from the 2004 Torpor Vigil album The Somnolent Adventures of Dion McGregor: More Outrageous Recordings of the World’s Most Renowned Sleeptalker. The new album—Dreaming Like Mad with Dion McGregor—is scheduled for release in April of this year. These recordings were made by McGregor’s roommate Michael Barr. McGregor, amazingly, was fast asleep at the time.

There will be more and more Dion McGregor activity as the year goes along. Currently, there are projects underway on many fronts, including audio, film, publishing, theatre, and illustration. Hang on a minute and I’ll also post the promo video for the forthcoming release!

Steve Venright

Further Somniloquies cover by Richard A. Kirk
http://www.richardakirk.com/