STUDIO AND LABEL
Restless Music is set in a charming old Queenslander on a 32 acre property, “Folkstone”, overlooking Storm King Dam in Queensland 's Granite Belt, home to Australian folksingers, PENNY DAVIES & ROGER ILOTT.
Restless Music was originally established in 1982 by the then Sydney based folksingers in Balmain, Sydney . From 1983 until August, 1987, when Penny and Roger relocated to Stanthorpe , Queensland , the Restless Music studio, located in a tiny 19th century worker's cottage in Campbell Street , Balmain, was the centre of the Sydney folk music recording scene. During that time, Penny and Roger produced 20 albums on the Restless Music label, as well as albums for other small labels such as Tindola , Sandstock and Crossover . They also produced documentaries for clients such as the Combined Railway Unions .
Now in its 25th year, Restless Music has recorded over 100 albums, mostly on Penny & Roger's own Restless Music label. The label is well known for its Australian focus, featuring many Australian songwriters and bush poets, and is Australia 's second largest folk music label.
Since its inception , Restless Music has specialised in the recording of Australian folk and acoustic music, but has also recorded many bush poetry albums, radio documentaries, soundtracks, and meditation albums. Restless Music recordings such as Penny & Roger 's “Where The Cane Fires Burn”, "Hey Rain!" , "Beside A Railway Line" , "The Monkeys Sing Soprano" , “Ridin' On The Fruit Train” and "Night Fire" , John Broomhall 's "Song Of The Trees" and Bill Scott 's "Boundary Rider's Tale" , besides featuring prominently on Ian McNamara 's "Australia All Over" Radio Programme, have appeared on the chart topping ABC "Australia All Over" series of albums. Their recordings of bush poets such as Jack Drake , Milton Taylor, Gary Fogarty, Ray Essery, Marco Gliori, Carmel Randle and Carol Heuchan have won major national awards, including many at the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
The Restless Music Studio provides a warm, friendly, country atmosphere for recording. As a producer, ROGER ILOTT is renowned for his ability to create a clean, clear and intimate sound. Roger is one of the most recorded musicians in Australian folk music, playing a variety of acoustic and electric guitars - Maton 300/6 Southern Star (1970), Maton M125/12 string (2001), Rickenbacker 360/12 string (2000), Rickenbacker 450/12 string (1976), Fender Telecaster with string benders (1973), Art & Lutherie Parlour Guitar (2004), MSA pedal steel (1972), a hybrid Gibson banjo (date unknown), Kentucky mandolin (1985), as well as a Technics KN1000 keyboard, and a Korg CX-3 organ. Penny plays a K.Yairi YF20 (1983) acoustic guitar, mandolin and percussion. Their son, Jordan, plays drums and guitars. In addition, Penny and Roger also specialise in backing vocals.
Restless Music is a fully professional 8 track studio, utilising digital and analogue equipment to create the best sound in acoustic music. The studio houses a Mackie 1604–VLZ Pro 16 channel mixer, Tascam DA-38 digital 8 track recorder, Tascam CD-RW700 digital mastering unit and a Tascam 32 analogue 2 track recorder, plus dbx 163, Presonus Blue Max, and Behringer compressors, DOD and Yamaha stereo reverbs, Effectron JR1050 Delay unit, Tascam CD-160 CD player, and Sony TC W-290 cassette deck. Monitoring is through Yamaha HS80 powered monitors, and a 1978 BGW 210 amplifier, driving classic Auratone Cube speakers, and Sennheiser, Fostex and Roland headphones. Microphones include a RODE NT2 Condenser, a PEAK Studio Condenser, a classic 1970's Shure SM7, Sennheiser MD421, 2 x Shure SM58's, AKG D1200, and Shure 565SD and PE15L. Location recording can be arranged if required.
Some of the people we've recorded at RESTLESS MUSIC
Penny Davies & Roger Ilott, Gary Shearston, Gordon Bok & Carol Rohl, Dave de Hugard, Bob & Margaret Fagan, Denis Kevans, John Dengate, Skewiff, Spangled Drongoes, Bill Scott, Lee Williams, John Broomhall, Julie McGonigal, Margaret Walters, Wayne Gillespie, Harry Robertson, Richard Brooks, Vincent P. Brophy, Gill Rees, Alan Scott, Chris Kempster, Peter Kearney, Jill Stevens, Jim Gregory, Sonia Bennett, Mark Davidson, Noel Gardner, Lionel O'Keeffe, Sharon Doro, Murrumbidgee Whalers, Phil Hungerford, Jenny Shimmin, Teri Welles, Paul Best, Bruce Jones, Rusty Dusty Bros, Sticky's Mob, Celtic Cowboys, John Warner, Phaedra, Justin Murphy, Johnny Spillane, Kerrie Maguire, Dan Kerwin, Lorraine Turner, Tricia Lucas Armstrong, Marie Kerwin, Mark Carter, East Street Singers, Loose Canon A Capella, Grievous Bodily Harmony,
Bush poets: Jack Drake, Milton Taylor, Marco Gliori, Gary Fogarty, Carol Heuchan, John Major, Ray Essery, Bill Scott, Carmel Randle, Stuart Nivison, Max Jarrott, Keith Hollinshead, Rob Edgar, Ron Brown, Graham & Louise Dean, Carmel Dunn.
Restless Music is a Publisher Member of Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners' Society (AMCOS). Penny and Roger are Full Writer Members of APRA, and members of AMCOS.
Penny has a B.A. in Communications and a Certificate of Audio Engineering, and is affiliated with Kodaly Music Association of Australia as a Do Re Mi “Music for Children” Teacher.