Uploaded September 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago

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On top of having a brilliant career as a visual artist, Costin Chioreanu is also a very unique and prolific musician. Over the last 2 decades, he has produced lots of records with bands, solo projects and exclusive live shows. The Romanian visionary is also known for his musical adventures featuring iconic musicians like Attila Csihar (Mayhem / Tormentor / Void Ov Voices), Rune Eriksen (Ex-Mayhem, Vltimas, Ruim), David Tibet (Current 93), Tomas Lindberg (At The Gates), Mat McNerney & Kimmo Helen (Hexvessel), Mirai Kawashima & Dr. Mikannibal (Sigh), just to name a few.

2024 brings Chioreanu’s first solo record since his 2020 celestial opera "Alcyone." This new aural experience is titled "Untouchable" and is the result of a successful collaboration with acclaimed English musician, Aaron Stainthorpe (My Dying Bride, High Parasite). "Untouchable" is split into 2 songs, contains 27 minutes of explorations of various realms of dark and melancholic music and represents the way the artist chooses to celebrate his authenticity. The record is being released on October 18th, on digital format and also as a surprising unique gatefold vinyl, whose covers and inserts were handmade illustrated by Chioreanu himself.

"I am doing my best to quit all mirages, chimeras and hallucinations I've been programed by this society regarding music and art,” Chioreanu says. “So, this new record will be physically released as jewelcase edition, limited to 100 copies worldwide and as only one gatefold vinyl copy. Only one LP copy will be available worldwide, similar to what happens with an original painting in an art gallery. It is the ultimate respect I can show to my own legacy, which started way back in the mid 90's, when I was creating my first music, by using ultra primitive recording solutions to produce a unique cassette, handmade illustrated and with handwritten text which was for my own collection.”

About the concept of the record, Chioreanu says:

"It has a strong concept, of going directly in connection with your shadow and everything you mean, in order to finally meet your self own self. The last few years gave me a wide range of intense experiences which led me towards fighting to meet my real self, recap with who I came here in the first place and not with the illusion I was confounding with, of being locked behind some social and cultural type of manifestation. That kid was always fighting to remain, that kid knew everything pretty clear, from the first place. But no matter how much I run towards him, will be forever impossible to touch my observer in a human way, even if it is pretty ironic, as we are all one being, at the same time. This means, very roughly what ‘Untouchable’ means for me."

About “untouchable” and the collaboration with Costin Chioreanu, Aaron Stainthorpe comments:

“When I first heard the music that Costin sent to me I was immediately captivated by it’s multitude of layers and complexity along with a dark ambience that had me imagining all manner of melancholic imagery with an underlying menace somewhere just out of focus. I wrote carefully and with great consideration for this recording as I needed to do the music justice and embellish what Costin had already created. A collaboration such at this does not come along often so it was a deep and meaningful pleasure to take part and I hope the listener will garner as much satisfaction from hearing it as I did to help create it.”

"Untouchable" digital:
costinchioreanu.bandcamp.com/album/untouchable

"Untouchable" jewelcase cd:
https://www.bloodandfire.ro/products/costin-chioreanu-untouchable-cd

"Untouchable" vinyl:
Gatefold edition
costinchioreanugallery.com/products/costin-chioreanu-untouchable-unique-gatefold-12-vinyl

1 copy worldwide of 12" gatefold vinyl
- covers and insert are handmade illustrated by Costin Chioreanu.
- disc labels are professionally printed.
- vinyl pressed in Italy.
- gatefold material: Raw Kraft Record Jackets with Spine for 12
- insert material: Schut Acryl Paper 360 g / m2, manually aged with coffee

SIDE A:
The Untouchable

SIDE B:
Warden, The Inmate

Music by Costin Chioreanu
Vocals and Lyrics by Aaron Stainthorpe
"Untouchable" was produced by Costin Chioreanu and mixed by Cristian Siteavu.
Digital and Jewelcase edition mastered by George Bokos at Grindhouse Studios Athens.