Recorded by Jim Sclavunos (Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds / Grinderman) in Chapel Studios in Lincolnshire and then Toe Rag in East London, and mixed by Sclavunos and Mikey Young.
The Wytches second album All Your Happy Life draws on a lifetime’s worth of new experiences shoehorned into two whirlwind years since their acclaimed debut album Annabel Dream Reader. There’s no difficult second album syndrome here. This black-hearted set is a combination of heavy comedown psychedelia and bilious and brilliant baroque ‘n’ roll. It’s portentous and scathing. Scabrous and bold. Utterly nihilistic.
Influences and inspiration is drawn from unexpected places – reading Tolstoy’s stories of dysfunctional relationships on the tour bus, digging the warm Hammond-and-acoustic tones of Elliot Smith, loads of underground metal bands – but mainly it is informed by observing small town English life with new eyes, having traversed the planet on that first wave of success that followed their 2014 debut. It’s not so much the sound of the calm after the storm, but the howling vortex that follows in its wake.
All Your Happy Life marks a creative leap for The Wytches. Some might say it is the sound of a band finding their place in the world but really it is about world being allowed to enter the sphere of The Wytches - on their terms.
Additionally, The Wytches will play a string of headline shows and festival this Summer, including a special headline show at Hebden Bridge’s The Trades Club and appearances at Bestival and Psych Fest. The full list of shows is as follows:
29th July Kendall Calling, Lake District
5th August The Trades Club, Hebden Bridge
6th August Skeleton Coast Festival, Liverpool
3rd September 1-2-3-4 Festival, London
9th September The Ritz, Manchester
11th September Bestival, Isle Of Wight
24th September Psych Fest, Liverpool
The Wytches are: Kristian Bell (vocals, guitar, organ), Daniel Rumsey (bass) and Gianni Honey (drums)
White Lies have announced details of a new album, tour and single for their first new material since 2013’s ‘Big TV’ album.
Out on October 7, ‘Friends’ is self-produced by the trio of Harry McVeigh, Charles Cave and Jack Brown and was recorded at Bryan Ferry’s London studio.
The album is preceded by new single ‘Take It Out On Me’, which can be streamed below and impacts on August 12. Bassist Charles Cave said of the song: ““Right up until we recorded the song it was called ‘89-1-3’. It was inspired by a lunatic on Instagram who kept commenting on a friend’s photos in pseudo-Biblical verse. From his profile, I discovered he lived in a remote cabin with a rough-looking dog. He posted weird videos in which he quoted random numbers. As a challenge, I turned them in to a song. The only problem was that it went so well everyone said it should be the first single, so I relented and gave the chorus real lyrics.”
Listen below to the single.
Source: NME
Familiar is Obel’s first new material since her UK breakthrough album Aventine (2013), which yielded the BBC 6Music playlisted singles Dorian, Words Are Dead, and title track Aventine, and saw the Berlin-based Dane headline gigs at Somerset House, Shepherd’s Bush Empire and Barbican in 2014.
Familiar was recorded, produced and mixed by Obel at Aventine-Neukölln and BrandNewMusic-Studios in Berlin. Featuring violin by John Corban and cellos by Kristina Koropecki and Charlotte Danhier, Obel provides keys, rhythms and the song’s mesmerising vocals. By altering the tone of her voice in the chorus, Obel is in effect duetting with herself. A stunningly original return, Familiar sounds anything but familiar.
Established as a major star across Europe, Agnes Obel has sold almost a million copies of her first two albums, Philharmonics (2010) and Aventine (2013), and has had over 250 million track streams worldwide. She will embark on an extensive European tour this coming Autumn.
European Tour 2016
Oct 29: New Fall Festival, Johanneskirche, Dusseldorf Germany
Oct 30: New Fall Festival, Liderhalle Mozart-Saal, Stuttgart Germany
Nov 01: Den Atelier, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Nov 02: Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, Belgium
Nov 03: Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Nov 06: Falconer, Copenhagen, Denmark
Nov 08: Rockefeller, Oslo, Norway
Nov 09: Kagelbanan, Stockholm, Sweden
Nov 11: Stary Manez, Gdansk, Poland
Nov 12: Stodola, Warsaw, Poland
Nov 14: Admiralspalast, Berlin, Germany
Nov 15: Theaterfabrik, Munich, Germany
Nov 17: Volkhaus, Zurich, Switzerland
Nov 18: Salle Metropole, Lausanne, Switzerland
Nov 20: Amphi, Lyon, France
Nov 21: Cite De Congres, Nantes, France
Nov 22: Casino De Paris, Paris, France
Nov 24: Colisee, Lille, France
Nov 26: Anson Rooms, Bristol, UK
Nov 27: Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London, UK
Nov 29: Town Hall, Birmingham, UK
Nov 30: Albert Hall, Manchester, UK
Dec 01: Vicar Street, Dublin, Ireland
The album, a personal “best of" compilation by KMFDM protagonists and masterminds Sascha Konietzko and Lucia Cifarelli, who claim the re-imagined, re-mixed pieces would be an "ideal playlist for a live set", commemorates the band’s 32nd anniversary.
Ranging from remixes by Bradley Bills of CHANT to producer/musician extraordinary Marco Trentacoste and Sascha Konietzko himself, the re-worked versions extract the essence of KMFDM’s music and, at the same time, place new emphases.
In true KMFDM tradition, “ROCKS” bears all the band’s trademarks: the (mostly) five letters commonly used in the title, as well as the iconic graphics of Aidan Hughes aka BRUTE!, which are reminiscent in the style of early Soviet Constructivism propaganda. Add to this KMFDM's signature industrial sound, a crossover between techno/dance and heavy metal, and densely distilled political lyrics, which never fail to challenge ignoramuses of every breed, and it is clear why KMFDM is regarded as the epitome and synonym for the musical style of the harder variety.
“ROCKS – Milestones Reloaded”, the personal "Best of"- / retrospective album of KMFDM, will be released as CD+DVD mediabook including the DVD “We Are KMFDM”, CD Standard, 2LP and Digital on September 9th, 2016 on earMUSIC and is to be followed by a new studio album and an extensive tour in 2017.
TRACKLIST
1. KUNST
2. ANIMAL OUT
3. LIGHT (Remix by Andy Selway / KMFDM)
4. SON OF A GUN (Remix by Bradley Bills / CHANT)
5. AMNESIA
6. A DRUG AGAINST WAR
7. PROFESSIONAL KILLER (Remix by Sascha Konietzko / KMFDM)
8. (STILL) SUCKS (Remix by Sascha Konietzko / KMFDM)
9. FREE YOUR HATE
10. TOHUVABOHU
11. WWIII (Remix by Sascha Konietzko / KMFDM)
12. KRANK (Remix by Victor Love)
13. AMNESIA (Remix by Marco Trentacoste)
14. A DRUG AGAINST WAR (Remix by Marco Trentacoste)
Doric is the moniker of the purist, Stathis Leontiadis (Human Puppets, Exetix, Plexiglas). Being involved in various avant garde/new wave music projects since 1996, intrigued by the 'all' analogue mentality of the late '70s - early '80s music field, he is passionatelly commited to vintage synths and machines, creating a very distinctive and specific style and considered by many as a “specialist”.
On this release,the main subject of the record is creative interplay. The first side (the “Asleep”side), includes songs, written by the artist alone, using sleep as a metaphor of loneliness and seclusion from the oppressive, everyday society that smothers anything unique under the struggle of daily routine. However, on the second side, Doric mutes his skeptic, internal monologue for a bit and collaborates with two very talented and like-minded artists, Pascal and Valisia Odell. Pascal (Foucault, Noisetoy, Ludmilla) is an ingenius multi-instrumentalist and an old friend of Doric and Valisia Odell (Phoenix Catscratch, Strawberry Pills, Father Breath) is one of the most charismatic voices in Greece, with a very distinctive and enchanting vocal hue.This friendship results to the second side (the “Awaken” side), a critical view of what our society translates into artistic and life success in general. A simplified formula that often leads to bury our most creditable truths, in order to become a pattern, easily readable and understandable by the masses.The overall essence of this record however concludes to a rather optimistic dream of a utopian reality,where everyone can create unobscured. The value of each effort can only be appreciated through time.
Limited to 300, black copies with the distincive “Doric” handmade artwork,a homage to the D.I.Y. Ethos, an infusion from the past but a promise of a future.
