Cáo Xuěqín’s 18th century novel, Dream of the Red Chamber, little known in the West, is a Chinese national epic, occupying a role in the literature of China roughly akin to that of Shakespeare in English. With its principal plot arc of two beautiful, sensitive and aristocratic young people whose love affair is doomed, the play it most resembles is Romeo and Juliet. Despite this resemblance, the fabric from which Dream of the Red Chamber is woven is shot through with many unfamiliar and unsettling threads.

Elysian Fields is a progressive rock band formed and led by Mark Jeffry Dye in 1973. In 1978 the band moved to Los Angeles amd changed their name to Impulse and they released five albums on the Electric Fantasy label. While living in Los Angeles Mark became a Midi and synthesis specialist for many top artists like Van Halen, Guiffria, Gino Vannelli, and even appeared on Entertainment Tonight as a technical adviser for electronic music. He now operates a state of the art digital recording facility in Saint Petersburg, Florida. He is now retired but continues to pursue projects that he hasn't had time for over the last 40 years. The Elysian Fields releases should be considered as part of the overall M J D discography and vice versa.

"This album is a composite of many different influences. From Yes to ELP and Bach, I went wherever my mind felt like going. The songs Revelation and Rocket Fuel first appeared on our 2005 album, Homage. For 2020, I've seriously improved both tracks. Check 'em out!"

Fika (pron. 'fee-ka') is an exploration of my Swedish heritage and the links group members have with Scandinavian. It is the recording I always wanted to do but only felt able to achieve at this point in my life.