Dead Can Dance's Lisa Gerrard and Jules Maxwell release outstanding 'Burn' LP.
Lisa Gerrard and Jules Maxwell, best known for their work as part of the legendary band Dead Can Dance, present their studio album 'Burn'. Produced by James Chapman (MAPS), this long-play is being released via Atlantic Curve, a London-based label that is part of the Schubert Music Europe.
The record began its journey more than seven years ago, when Lisa met Irish theatre composer Jules Maxwell before working together for the first time. Things really took root when Gerrard and Maxwell began writing songs for their earlier collaboration 'The Mystery Of The Bulgarian Voices (Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares)'. They were later introduced to Chapman and asked him to produce this album, which represents a stunning departure for all three of them.
Jules Maxwell explains: "'Burn' was never planned to be an album. Like many joyous things in life, it grew slowly and unexpectedly. One song at a time. The seeds had been planted by Lisa and I whilst we were working on songs for another album, but didn't begin to flower until months, years later. Without Daryl Bamonte's tenacious encouragement and James Chapman's sonic vision it would not have come to fruition at all. Lisa Gerrard is in my opinion one of the most important singers of her generation and it continues to be an enormous privilege for me to be working with her. What we have created still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up from time to time. Listen to it in one go from beginning to end if you can."
Lisa Gerrard introduces this long-play "The album begins with 'Heleali', a meditation on the eternal rise and fall of the tides. It is a call to let go of the past and reflect on the elusive shadows of evaporation."
With Chapman joining the duo as producer, ideas generated freely and over time, a distinct sound for their work began to emerge. Their focus was to create something that was both euphoric and compelling; more inventive than what they had worked on separately in the past. From gentle beginnings, each track builds and intensifies, creating a hypnotic experience to listen to from start to finish. With Lisa remaining in Australia, Jules adding his keys and percussion from France, and James bringing new light to the sound from England, the three were literally worlds apart, but those worlds fused in this music.
"It was such a huge honour for me to work with Lisa and Jules in making this album, and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process. My role was really to build on the ideas, and it was a pleasure to work with such rich and exciting material. I was very grateful to be given the freedom to explore the production, there was a real trust between everyone from the beginning, which made things very exciting for me. Having such freedom from the start enabled me to be more confident in the ideas, which in turn created more possibilities with the choices that were made. When I listen to the album now, I feel that freedom and excitement within each track," says James Chapman.
Sosna's video is among seven specially commissioned films to accompany the release of the album. The first of these, created by Polish director Jacob Chelkowski's video for the title track 'Noyalain (Burn)', proves more than a little provocative in these days of Covid, as it portrays the simple, traumatic act of touching.
Early March, Jules Maxwell also released his sophomore solo album 'Nocturnes' - the debut release for the newly-formed Archangelo Recordings. This beautifully melancholic collection of instrumental pieces was written and recorded over the past four years, much of it in collaboration with the acclaimed UK-based Vincent Dance Theatre.
41 years ago, producer/fan/friend Ric Ocasek (The Cars) brought SUICIDE: ALAN VEGA · MARTIN REV to ZE Records to record "The Second Album" (May 1980).
Suicide was always about life:
Nightlife decadence with “Diamonds, Fur Coat, Champagne”… “Mr. Ray” who was the arresting officer - Detective Inspector Ray - when Alan & Marty got caught up in a raid on The Clash & Suicide's hotel in Blackburn on that infamous Clash On Parole Tour (1978)… street drama in “Harlem” and a sweet sexy lady “Shadazz” that came from outta the skies.
During the recording January 1980 at Power Station Studios, NYC, Alan Vega and Martin Rev received a surprise visit by Bruce Springsteen. A quarter of a century later The Boss would cover “Dream Baby Dream”, the single Suicide recorded with Ric Ocasek a year prior to the album’s release.
Listen for yourself why SUICIDE: ALAN VEGA · MARTIN REV is no “Fast Money Music” and just as essential as its predecessor. “Dance”-Dance-Dance. All night long.
Martin Rev and Alan Vega of Suicide working with Ric Ocasek of The Cars on their second record at the Power Station in New York City on January 12th, 1980. (Photo by Ebet Roberts)
The 1999 re-issue on Blast First/Mute contains The Second Album plus 3 bonus tracks: “Super Subway Comedian” and the “Dream Baby Dream”/“Radiation” single. Also included is a bonus disc with The First Rehearsal Tapes, recorded by Suicide at Museum - Project for Living Artists, NYC 1975.
Martin Rev and Alan Vega - Suicide (Original tracklist)
Side A
01. Diamonds, Fur Coat, Chanpagne
02. Mr Ray (to howard t.)
03. Sweetheart
04. Fast Money Music
05. Touch Me
Side B
01. Harlem
02. Be Bop Kid
03. Las Vegas Man
04. Shadazz
05. Dance
Suicide - Mr. Ray (Fan video)
Suicide - Shadazz (Fan video)
This month it’s been 43 years since Kraftwerk released Die Roboter / The Robots!
This month it’s been 43 years since Kraftwerk released Die Roboter (The Robots), the first single which was taken from their iconic album Die Mensch-Machine (The Man-Machine) album (May 1978).
The original 7” single releases contained Die Roboter (The Robots) on at the A-side and Spacelab on the B-side. Both were shorter (radio) edits as they would appear on the album. The single was released with German sung version of Die Roboter, as well as an English sung version on the A-side. Both featured the English sung Spacelab on the B-side.
The lyrics reference to the at that time revolutionary technique of programming robots and how they can act as slaves for the human race.
The Russian words "Я твой слуга" (Ya tvoy slugá, " mean “I am your servant") and "Я твой работник" (Ya tvoy rabótnik, "I am your worker”).
When the song is performed live, the band is nowhere to be seen onstage but is replaced by legless robotic copies bearing recabling faces of all members.
In 1991, a re-recorded and re-arranged version of the song was issued as a single from the band's album The Mix.
Die Roboter - 7”
A. Die Roboter 4:20
B. Spacelab 3:34
Die Roboter - Lyrics
Ja tvoi sluga
Ja tvoi rabotnik
Jetzt sind wir voller Energie
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir funktionieren automatik
Jetzt wollen wir tanzen mechanik
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Ja tvoi sluga
Ja tvoi rabotnik
Ja tvoi sluga
Ja tvoi rabotnik
Wir sind auf alles programmiert
Und was du willst wird ausgeführt
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir laden unsere Batterie
Jetzt sind wir voller Energie
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Ja tvoi sluga
Ja tvoi rabotnik
Ja tvoi sluga
Ja tvoi rabotnik
Wir sind auf alles programmiert
Und was du willst wird ausgeführt
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir funktionieren automatik
Jetzt wollen wir tanzen mechanik
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Songwriters: Ralf Hütter / Florian Schneider-Esleben / Karl Bartos
© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc
Chart peak postions (1978)
18 German Singles Chart
39 US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play
After the highly acclaimed 2020 double album The Air Below The Water, AUTUMN TEARS is thrilled to present their newest offering The Glow of Desperation, featuring 64 minutes of brand new music, presented as a limited CD and digital download.
"To put it simply enough, the theme of the album to be construed is that sometimes we get so desperate that it actually manifests into luminescence. All of the songs actually deal with some form of hope and desperation."
The Glow of Desperation features a fully orchestrated, classical ensemble as well as:
Classical / opera singer & composer Caroline Clarke (Trovatori),
Singer / songwriter Tamar Singer (Zeresh, Cruel Wonders, Necromishka),
Singer / composer / vocal coach Anne "Anaé" Laurent (Anaé & The Petrichor, Adrana),
Tenor opera vocalist Darren Clarke (Trovatori),
Lead vocalist Agnete Mangnes Kirkevaag from the legendary
Norwegian progressive metal act Madder Mortem
Mark Garrett from the avant garde, progressive metal act Kardashev
Classical / opera singer Ann-Mari Edvardsen Alexis, best known as the Former vocalist of Norwegian doom metal / avant-garde band The 3rd and the Mortal (Nightswan, Painting on Glass, In This Room).
Also returning is singer / songwriter Brona McVittie.
Analog mastering by Michael Venia from Sound Mixology.
The CD features a 20-page lyric booklet lavishly illustrated with paintings by award winning artist Marcela Bolívar - http://www.marcelabolivar.com
This month it is 33 years ago Front Line Assembly released their EP Disorder!
Disorder is one of the two EPs released in 1988 on Third Mind/Wax Trax by Canadian electro-industrial band Front Line Assembly. Originally it was available on vinyl only but later Disorder was released together with the other ’88 EP Corrosion as a CD album called Convergence (1988) and 1995 repackaged with additional tracks as Corroded Disorder.
At the time of recording Front Line Assembly was Bill Leeb and Michael Balch, while Dave Ogilvie was their engineer/producer.
Disorder (12" - WAX 041 / TMLP 24)
A1. Body Count
A2. Obsession
A3. Aggression
B1. Lurid Sensation
B2. Die-Sect
B3. The Wrack
