I often listen to music whilst painting and one thing I'd like to get around to is a collection of paintings that have their roots in the music, rather than the location. The music I return to is increasingly folky (e.g. Unthanks, Bill Callahan) or contemporary Celtic (e.g. Martyn Bennett). Other singer/songwriters I enjoy are Bonnie Prince Billy, Richard Swift, Joni Mitchell (Blue), Richie Havens and more recently Jo Hamilton.

It is though the music of Martyn Bennett (1971-2005) that is most rooted in the hills. Martyn was an inventive piper, fiddle player, composer and producer who combined classical and jazz elements with traditional Scottish music and 90s dance beats, creating powerful and colourful compositions. He also created instrumental compositions for strings and small pipes. His albums are:

• Martyn Bennett - Martyn's first venture into electronica and cross-over music, released 1995.
• Bothy Culture - Traditional and modern music combined once again, released 1997. 
• Hardland - Scottish hardcore dance music on his own label Cuillin, released 2000. 
• Glen Lyon (a song cycle) - A more traditional Gaelic recording released in 2002.
• Grit - Archive recordings in an electronic setting, his final CD recorded and released 2003.
• Mackay's Memoirs - commissioned for the opening Scottish Parliament in 1999, this composition for pipes, clarsach and orchestra is based around the theme and first variation of the piobaireachd 'Lament For Mary MacLeod' and released posthumously in 2005.
• Birds & Beasts - in 2010 Mr McFalls Chamber released an album of Martyn’s music alongside original works by Fraser Fifield.

A few of his albums are still available, others require patience on ebay. The links for each album contain audio samples.