For the first half of the twentieth century, Ellis Island stood as the gateway to America. For some twelve million people, it was their first encounter with the land they hoped to call home.
Directed by acclaimed artist JR, ELLIS tells the story of one such migrant. Starring Robert De Niro, the film winds its way through the crumbling hallways of the abandoned Ellis Island hospital complex, now home to JR’s Unframed art installation. It’s a place that reverberates with the hopes and fears of those who passed through it, the echoes especially resonant today.
Entwined with the narrative is a score composed by Woodkid, performed and co-written by Nils Frahm. The delicate piano motifs of Winter Morning I culminate in a crescendo of strings, while the harmonium swells on the B-side are the foundation for De Niro’s narration: an encomium for those who shaped modern America.
There’s perhaps never been a more fitting time for this story, with all the proceeds going to the Sea Watch initiative, a non-profit charity dedicated to the protection and rescue of civilian refugees.
Following a screening as part of Nils’s Barbican Weekender on July 2nd, the ELLIS score will be out July 8th, the same week as America’s great federal holiday. It will be available via Erased Tapes as a mini album on CD, vinyl and in digital format containing a 12-page picture booklet.
IN THE ARTISTS’ OWN WORDS:
Nils Frahm: “The opportunity to work on JR´s fantastic short film ELLIS came through my good friend Yoann aka Woodkid. We agreed on recording the piano parts in my studio in Berlin and so it happened that JR and Woodkid were guests at Durton studio on a wonderful late summers day in 2015. We managed to record all the crucial elements that day. The music fell into our laps and melted with the images: a wonderful experience. The film has stuck in my head ever since; it moved my heart and changed my soul.
A couple of weeks later I had to cancel a trip to Brussels because of a terror warning; all events got cancelled and I stayed home, having an unexpected day off. I felt rather depressed that day, thinking that the Europe I knew was already gone. I sat down at the harmonium, listened to Robert De Niro’s voice and played for the rest of the day. The result is ‘Winter Morning II,’ the B-side of the ELLIS soundtrack release.
Robert says it all in 17 minutes. We are not facing a refugee crisis. We are facing a crisis because we do not embrace, we do not sympathise and we cannot give up fear. Art can encourage so I hope this project will help fight the fear in all of us.”
Yoann Lemoine, aka Woodkid: “Ellis is my second collaboration with JR after the New York City Ballet piece for Les Bosquets. I initially wanted this piece to sound like it was recorded on an old piano that we found in the ruins of Ellis Island, in the restricted area that is not open to the public, where JR pasted the pictures on the walls for the film Ellis.
I had worked with Nils before and I wanted him to create a sound for this piano part that I composed that was extremely gentle and organic. I wanted the listener to hear the mechanisms, the breathing of the instrument. I wanted it to be imperfect, to sound like a ruin, a trace, an echo, the way the pastings on the walls seem to be ghosts, almost imperceptible.
After a few rehearsals, Nils stripped down my piano parts and we removed almost all orchestration around the piano. He then worked on the extended version that is his interpretation of my piece, with Robert de Niro’s vocals.
Because this film and this recording is historically meaningful, it was important for us to create this piece as an echo to the immigration situation in Europe, and decided to release it in support of Sea Watch.”
ABOUT JR:
JR is the pseudonym of a French artist, director and photographer whose identity is still unknown, and who has been described as the 'French Banksy’. His large-scale black-and-white portraits are among the most iconic in contemporary street art, drawing our attention to stories that might otherwise be forgotten. Unframed, which features prominently in both the film and the album booklet, does just this, memorialising through photographic prints those who came through Ellis Island. “Trying to see and understand our past better,” he says, “is a good way to understand what’s going on right now and maybe face our future.” May 29th will see JR and Nils Frahm collaborate again when Nils and Erased Tapes peer Ólafur Arnalds take part in his takeover of the world famous Louvre museum in Paris.
ABOUT WOODKID:
Fellow countryman Yoann Lemoine aka Woodkid is a French songwriter and composer, director and graphic designer who has carved out a varied and highly successful career across many mediums. In 2013 he released his debut album The Golden Age that is built on percussion, strings, brass, piano, programming and a strong but sensitive voice. As an altruistic visionary with a modern and powerful solo project, he has also collaborated with great artists such as Lana Del Rey, Pharrell Williams, Hans Zimmer, Jonás Cuarón and most recently with JR and Nils Frahm.
ABOUT NILS FRAHM:
Nils Frahm is an accomplished composer and producer, working from his Berlin-based Durton Studio. His unconventional approach to an age-old instrument, played contemplatively and intimately, has won him many fans around the world. For a musician this early in his career, Frahm displays an incredibly developed sense of control and restraint in his work, catching the ear of many fans.
TRACKLISTING:
Winter Morning I
Winter Morning II (with Robert De Niro)
The albums have all been Half-Speed Remastered and cut to lacquers at 45RPM in order to deliver the maximum dynamic sound range.
The So album is released across two heavyweight 180g LPs, whilst the Us and Up albums are released across three heavyweight 180g LPs, with music on fives sides and an etching on the sixth.
The vinyl was cut by Matt Colton at Alchemy Mastering, mastered by Tony Cousins at Metropolis and overseen by Peter’s main sound engineer Richard Chappell.
The expertise and care that has gone into remastering these albums is incredible and consequently they have never sounded so good.
The vinyl editions will again look amazing with the gatefold sleeves utilising imagery from the initial first LP pressings, sourced and re-scanned from original artwork.
These releases are limited editions and all individually numbered and will include download cards with a choice of digital download (Hi-Res 24-bit or 16-bit).
Op 15 juli zal Peter Gabriel opnieuw re-issues uitbrengen van een deel van zijn weergaloze catalogus.
Nadat vorig jaar zijn eerste vier solo albums al opnieuw gereleaset werden is het nu tijd voor So, Us en Up.
“It has been heartwarming to see the return of vinyl. Even though I loved being free of its limitations in the digital world, there is still a warmth and presence to vinyl that somehow makes it a more natural human companion. It is great to see a new generation learning the secrets of the grooves.” – Peter Gabriel
So was de eerste plaat van Gabriel die een eigen titel meekreeg.
De plaat werd geproducet door Daniel Lanois en bevat oa Sledgehammer en het duet met Kate Bush, Don't Give Up.
Met Us en Up maakte Gabriel 2 erg persoonlijke opvolgers, met thema's als relaties, geboorte en dood.
Metroland promised something and here it is.
The single "Synthetic Sound" was recently released and here they are already with news about our next and last single of the "Things will never sound the same tribute" album.
Due to the numerous reactions that they received regarding Louis' death and the news that they would make a tribute album, rendered them speechless and it was clear that there are more "Brothers" (and sisters, if you please) out there than expected who loved Louis.
This overwhelming feedback made them decide that they wanted to give all the other Brothers (and sisters) the opportunity to pay their own personal final homage by remixing the song "Brother", the third and final single.
The best remixes will be chosen for the official remix single that will be released as the final ode to Louis.
Interested to give your very own interpretation of the song?
Here is how to proceed:
Download the stemms, midi-file and conditions here
https://we.tl/ZGGR9YCOls
Make sure to send back your files before June 30, 2016, the final closing date without exception.
Spread this news, as fast and as far as you can, help us paying that final homage.
Two amazing Roland albums back on vinyl for the first time + bonus tracks !
Roland Van Campenhout is for sure one of the most unique Belgian artists. Active since the 60’s of the past century Roland built up an extensive and eclectic discography. More than 20 albums on which folk, blues, rock, world music, movie- and theatre soundtracks … all celebrate together, creating a new musical dimension defining the true free musical spirit Roland really is. He received multiple Awards, toured the world with Rory Gallagher and played with Tim Hardin, Leo Kottke, Ian Anderson and the entire Belgian scene.
Starman Records presents now his two first solo albums for the very first time back on vinyl as well: “A Tune For You” from 1971 and “One Step at the Time” from 1972. Both albums offer a fresh and exciting mix of folk, blues, pop and rock, covered with a thin layer of psychedelica typical for those days. These re-releases contains also 8, previously unheard bonus, live recordings discovered in the archives of the Belgian national radio (VRT) and which are added to both albums.
Starman Records releases again two rare gems from the Belgium’s rich musical past, absolutely worth to be (re-)discovered!
De twee eerste albums van Roland terug op vinyl (samen met 8 bonus tracks)!
Roland Van Campenhout is ongetwijfeld een van de uniekste Belgische artietsen. Sinds de jaren 60 is hij actief en bouwde hij een indrukwekkend oeuvre op. Meer dan 20 albums die een mengeling van folk, blues, rock en wereld muziek elementen bevatten. Daarmee maakte hij zijn eigen ding en ontving hij meerdere muziekprijzen. Hij tourde de wereld rond o.a. met Rory Gallagher en speelde met Tim Hardin, Leo Kottke, Ian Anderson en zowat de hele Belgische scene.
Starman Records brengt nu zijn twee eerste albums terug uit op vinyl: A Tune For You uit 1971 en One step At The Time uit 1972. Beide albums tonen een frisse en boeiende mix van folk, blues, pop en rock onder een sausje van psycheldica. Daarnaast bevatten deze re-releases ook nog 8 , niet eerder uitgebrachte, live opnames die in de archieven van de nationale televisie (vrt) werden teruggevonden.
Starman Records brengt zo terug twee pareltjes uit de Belgische muziekgeschiedenis uit.
After the successful release of the album “Vitriolic” in 2015 and a huge demand of the fans, Me The Tiger and Repo decided to make the debut officially available again. Although it is the very first output of the band, you will find all the elements, which make Me The Tiger such an outstanding band.
While the band is currently working on a follow up to “Vitriolic”, their fans can bridge the time gap with the original debut of “Me The Tiger”. The story of ME THE TIGER began at the same moment as the recording of the band's self-titled debut album. In February 2012, with a bunch of new songs on a USB stick in one hand and a bottle of red wine in the other, Tobias was knocking on the door of Gabriella and Jonas. The first song that was completed was "Pocket Sized Edition Ending", which in many ways would personify all that ME THE TIGER would become; energetic sequencers, power chords, driving rhythms and emotional vocals.
The writing process and the recordings proceeded throughout the year, and in late October the band chose the eight songs that took place on their debut album. The ninth song on this release, “Borlänge”, is in fact a tribute to the local music festival "Peace & Love" which was forced to close down in 2013. Lyrically the album is a reaction against all gender discrimination, xenophobia, religious fanaticism and greedy capitalism.
The album is also heavily influenced by a journey of Tobias, which took place six months before the album was recorded, where he became painfully aware of the result of occupation, oppression and hopelessness. On top of that the lyrics also deal with relationships, love and frustration.
