Dominic Appleton has been a member of London dream-pop group Breathless since the 1980's but is perhaps better known for his vocal contributions to This Mortal Coil albums 'Filigree & Shadow' and 'Blood', including a cover of Chris Bell's 'I Am The Cosmos'. Matteo Uggeri is a composer and producer living in Milan whose most recent solo album was released by Infraction in 2019.

Redolent of trip-hop, electro-pop, shoegaze and other beat-driven forms of modern pop music, Starlight And Still Air vibrates deeply with Uggeri's unique production language, Appleton's instantly-recognizable voice, and a supporting cast of European musicians on cello, trumpet, guitar, backing vocals, and more.

In early 2019, Dominic Appleton met up for lunch in London with 4AD co-founder Ivo Watts-Russell while the long-retired label boss was visiting from his home in New Mexico. Who better to encourage Appleton to take the plunge into his first songwriting collaboration outside of longtime band Breathless than the man who invited him so many years ago to contribute vocals to This Mortal Coil, Watts-Russell's collaborative supergroup? At the time of their lunch Appleton had already agreed to work on an album with Italian composer and producer Matteo Uggeri but was suffering from a minor crisis of confidence. As he told British writer Barry Fry last year, "I loved the music Matteo sent me and had agreed to work with him but was dragging my heels. It was a confidence thing, it's hard to be openly creative and expressive with someone you've never met. I needed a push out of my comfort zone and Ivo gave me an encouraging kick up the arse.” Lucky for us, thanks to Uggeri’s persistence and Ivo-Watts’ timely encouragement, we have Starlight And Still Air, their stunning, memorable, and downright addictive debut album as Starlight Assembly.

"Without exaggeration, Dominic Appleton is by far my favourite living male vocalist. He has such a beautiful, sad voice and comes up with melodies that do the same" – Ivo Watts-Russell (4AD founder)

"Hearing Dominic Appleton take his voice in quieter, more intimate directions, exploring new textures and strengths, in combination with Matteo Uggeri’s flowing production, makes for a striking experience. Interesting and unexpected." – Ned Raggett (Bandcamp/The Quietus)