Tag Archives: new album

Kiev Remixes – New Album From Ummagma

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Formed in Moscow in 2003, Canadian Shauna McLarnon and Ukrainian Alexx Kretov have been consistently writing and recording music whilst living between Ukraine and Canada. Shauna’s delicate airy gossamer-like vocals hold glimmers of Cocteau Twins, Stereolab, The Sundays, Curve, Lush, and Slowdive. Alexx’s guitar, vocals, synths, beats and programming create cinematic soundscapes with elements of Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Bill Nelson and Brian Eno, enabling the listener soar above the music.

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Ummagma debuted with 2 simultaneous LPs (‘Antigravity’ and ‘Ummagma’) in 2012. They’ve built on the success of those records by collaborating with Moscow’s Sounds of Sputnik on their ‘New Born’ LP, which will be released by UK label Ear to Ear Records on November 21st 2014.

In 2013, Ummagma won the Alternative Eurovision, hosted by Amazing Radio, from 21 countries and repeated the feat in 2014 on Pure FM. They received 2 awards at the 2013 Australian Independent Music Video Awards, often feature in The Scottish New Music Chart, and landed a full-spread feature in Rolling Stone Russia. Ummagma has also caught the attention of Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins) and Malcolm Holmes (OMD), who have remixed tracks for forthcoming release.

Despite heavy turmoil in Ukraine, Ummagma are showing a solid footing, looking forward to a brighter future for Eastern Europe. In ‘Kiev’, this Canadian-Ukrainian team celebrates their freedoms, exploring the root of today’s problems to create beauty in the face of hostility.

‘Kiev’ is the capital of Ukraine and the epicenter of massive civil unrest this year, but with this release of the same name, Ummagma rise above the decay and mayhem encountered in that country to embrace diversity and beauty, while taking their music in new directions. ‘Kiev’ is a essentially message of hope.

This release is an impressive package featuring the original track ‘Kiev’ plus 9 remixes from 9 fantastic artists from nearly as many countries, celebrating the splendor of the original composition in their own unique styles.

Auxiliary tha Masterfader transforms the duo’s work into an Italoesque electro-disco-pop gem. A Copycat’s handclap-dream-pop version is tender as a peach skin with a retro summer groove factor. Statickman’s synths shoot like laser guns into the retro-synth future. A Copy For Collapse goes for a more experimental, industrial approach, while David Garcet’s trippy chillwave edit brings downtempo bliss. Mikael Fas dishes up a beautiful trance-imbued deep house version. Celebrated Japanese chillwave artist Haioka takes everything to the next level with sounds reminiscent of an angelic playground. Sounds of Sputnik presents a stripped-down 90s indie version laced with synth-guitar harmony. Brazilian electro-child Mind Movies delivers a fragmented, dubby and loud breakbeat adaptation that probably comes closest to the actual state of mankind if we could listen to its rhythm.

The outcome shows that what is the end for one person may be the start for another. Even more important, it shows that beauty can blossom even in the midst of ugliness.

Emerald & Doreen Recordings is a German boutique record label for futuristic indie, chill & dance music, curated by dedicated audiophile music makers and lovers who pride themselves on selecting the most exciting original material they can find, engaging the services of the most innovative remixers. Emerald & Doreen Recordings released Ummagma’s ‘Rotation/Live and Let Die’ single in December 2013, followed by the ‘Lama’ extended EP in late May 2014.

RIYL: Stereolab, Curve, Cocteau Twins, Broadcast, Everything But The Girl, Dubstar

Released 31 October 2014

 

 

Four Or Five More Johnny Cash Albums Coming Says Son

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Good news for Johnny Cash fans: His son, John Carter Cash, says that there are several more albums worth of previously unreleased records in his archive, along with some outtakes from his father’s American Recordings sessions.

new Johnny-Cash albums to be released

John said to the Guardian: “There are a few things that are in the works right now – probably four or five albums if we wanted to release everything, There may be three or four albums’ worth of American Recordings stuff, but some of it may never see the light of day.”

Out Among the Stars, which was recorded in the Eighties, was released this week.

American Sessions producer, Rick Rubin said: “We released the work we had been planning to release along with John [Carter Cash] and the idea of the Unearthed box set of outtakes was his idea, We will probably put out additional unearthed material recorded since the last unearthed box, in keeping with John’s wishes.”

There are 12 previously unreleased Cash tracks on Out Among the Stars recorded between 1981 and 1984. Including duets with June Carter Cash and Waylon Jennings.

Are you excited?

Beyoncé Releases Visual Album

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With the secret release of Beyoncé’s self titled visual album today, Queen Bey is the woman that everyone is taking about. Get Beyoncé’s music video looks from Soft Paris, as featured in ‘Jealous’ and ‘Haunted’.

beyonce

Beyonce released her new album which went straight to iTunes without warning in the middle of the night. She announced it on Instagram. Bearing a brand new music video for each of its 14 tracks as well as four bonus videos, we are pretty excited and just in time for Christmas too. Let’s hope someone puts it in our stocking (metaphorically anyway)  A 30-second preview is below. What do you think?

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Katie Melua’s Charting Success

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Katie Melua’s sixth studio album Ketevan has entered the UK album charts at number 6. Katie joins a small group of female artists, which includes Madonna and Kate Bush, who have scored 6 consecutive UK top 10 studio albums.

Katie_Melua releases new album 

Katie signed to independent label Dramatico when she was still studying at the Brit School and released her first album ‘Call Off The Search’ in 2003. The first single, ‘The Closest Thing To Crazy’, launched the 18 year old to a British audience and the album went to number 1. Her following album ‘Piece By Piece’ entered the UK charts at number 1 and its lead track ‘Nine Million Bicycles’ introduced Katie to a global audience and she became the best-selling British female artist throughout the world. Katie’s subsequent albums, ‘Pictures’, ‘The House’ and 2012’s ‘Secret Symphony’ entered the UK charts at numbers 2, 4 and 8 respectively. Katie is now one of Britain’s most successful recording artists of the millennium selling more than 11 million albums, 1 million concert tickets and receiving 56 platinum awards.

 

Katie will be performing a 10th anniversary concert at London’s Roundhouse on October 2nd.

Sam Sparro Return’s To Paradise.

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New album ‘RETURN TO PARADISE’ released 18th June

Sam Sparro will release his sophomore album, ‘Return To Paradise’, on Virgin records 18th June 2012. Also just confirmed are two very special UK shows in Birmingham and Manchester to celebrate the release.

Part soul crooner, part pop star with an ever-morphing, chameleon-like quality, Sam coasts a fine line between disarmingly earnest and a chic, credible cool. He has become known not only for his distinct, scale-defying vocals and epic live shows, but also as a visual artist and style icon.

Signed to EMI Australia in December 2011 Sam has spent the last couple of years working on the follow up to 2008’s eponymous debut release. With a Platinum single (‘Black & Gold’), a Gold album, a Grammy nomination and 5 Arias under his belt, Sam has also been busy collaborating with the likes of Mark Ronson and Basement Jaxx as well as writing for other artists such as Natasha Beddingfield. His fans include Katy Perry, Beyonce, Cee-Lo Green and Adele who covered ‘Black & Gold’ in the Radio 1 Live Lounge.

Sam’s new album, ‘Return To Paradise’, is a play on nostalgia and “paradise garage” – a genre derived from the hedonistic discotheque scene in New York in the late 70s that began in a parking lot giving rise to the term “garage” famous for its unique and eclectic style of disco and dance music. It has been co-produced with long time collaborator Jesse Rogg.


It took a considerable amount of time as Sam was determined to get it right. “It is the product of a lot of experimenting and songwriting – I changed direction at least 2-3 times, completely. I started doing more rock oriented stuff, then I went in a pop direction and then through the process of scrap booking stuff that was inspiring me I ended up with an album that was influenced by music from 1978 to 1984”.

The central themes are love and loss and the quest for inner joy and happiness. “A lot of the songs are about me trying to find my sense of innocence and peace of mind and things that I felt had escaped me for a while”.

Whilst drawing on influences from the 70s and 80s the album is very contemporary with a modern take on these themes.

Working between the USA and UK – Sam is conscious of the sense of disillusion and struggle many people are facing. “I know things in Australia are still pretty good but things in America – especially with the economy, people are struggling and disillusioned and looking for escapism and when times are tough people resort to nostalgia”.

During the process of making this album Sam says he tapped into a new found confidence to become a more prolific song-writer and generally more self assured. “I’m more comfortable now and I’ve left things a little bit raw and not completely polished – so much modern pop music is so polished that you lose the soulfulness and essence and human touch”.

‘Return To Paradise’ challenges this and triumphs!

Sam will head out on two UK tour dates in next month:

Thu 14th June Birmingham O2 Academy 2 0844 477 2000

Sat 16th June Manchester Deaf Institute 0161 832 1111

Tickets are £10 adv and go onsale Wednesday 9th May at 9am – www.gigsandtours.com / 0844 811 0051