Live at New Century is the new album by alt-folk duo The Breath recorded live at the English Folk Expo in Manchester on 21 October, 2023. The Breath are singer and flautist Ríoghnach Connolly and guitarist Stuart McCallum.

Live at New Century is no ordinary live album… a spellbinding performance designed from the ground up for total sonic immersion which saw Connolly and McCallum performing in the round. The duo utilised the immersive d&b Soundscape PA system to envelop their audience in a magical sound world that seamlessly fuses folklore with textured acoustic and electronic soundscapes. To preserve the intimacy and depth of the event, the set was captured and mixed in Dolby Atmos and is released on digital platforms solely in Dolby Atmos and Binaural stereo, ensuring that the Connolly and McCallum’s deeply engaging live energy now translates into the ultimate immersive listening experience. Headphone listening is recommended.

Across the album Ríoghnach Connolly’s glorious vocals, with her emotions laid bare, are righteous, sorrowful and joyous, whilst Stuart McCallum’s playing is astonishing, mesmerising in its unshowy mix of subtlety and power. Authenticity is at a premium.

“We’ve done a lot of gigs as a duo and become stronger and more confident in just us two, in not hiding behind anything. This performance allowed us to envelop the audience and ourselves in a magical soundscape. It was a really special show that we’re excited to share in this immersive format.” At the time, the show heralded the release of the band’s third studio album, Land of My Other, but the nine songs of Live at New Century are taken from across the band’s three acclaimed studio albums for Real World Records.

The album was mixed by Grammy award winning engineer Hans Martin Buff, renowned for his work in immersive audio. The live show was produced by Ríoghnach Connolly, Stuart McCallum and Gary McClarnan. Immersive production by Stuart McCallum and Hans-Martin Buff.