Kari Rueslåtten’s forthcoming studio album, “To The North”, is inspired by the dramatic landscapes of northern latitudes and will evoke imagery in listeners’ minds akin to the dark, brooding visual scenes of film and TV’s “Nordic Noir” genre.
“To the North” is a follow up to last year´s successful ”Time to Tell” album, and this time Kari Rueslåtten has brought a darker–edged atmosphere to her acoustic, melancholic Norwegian folk. She has taken inspiration from Norwegian and Celtic folk music, along with artists such as Loreena McKennitt, Tom Waits and Emmylou Harris. ”To The North” is the Trondheim based singer´s 6th studio release and includes her stunning cover version of The Byrds´ hit song, “Turn, Turn, Turn”. The album is due to be released on 22nd October.
On this album, Kari Rueslåtten has created a soundtrack of the North, which bring herself, and her listeners, back “home”. However, as Rueslåtten explained, she also regards the North as a state of mind.
“I´m interested in creating emotions in the listener, and mental resting places that allow people to close their eyes and transcend to a different environment”, she said. “For me, I like music that creates images in my head that unfold into new stories and new worlds, and invariably these are my home, and the landscapes of the North”.
The album was recorded in the UK at Liverpool´s Grammy Award winning Parr Street Studios. All the tracks were recorded live, providing an organic element to the recording, which has produced a more vital sounding result.
Rueslåtten summed up her time in the studio as “a special, magical week”. She added, “Knowing that some really famous bands have made massive albums here, such as Coldplay´s Parachutes, gave me some trepidation, but the studio is so welcoming and homely that I felt relaxed straight away. The musicians really put their heart and soul into my music, and in fact we had quite an emotional last day of recording”.
Rueslåtten, formally lead singer with The 3rd and the Mortal, is also a member of The Sirens, the group formed from her musical collaboration with Anneke van Giersbergen (ex The Gathering) and Liv Kristine (ex Theatre of Tragedy). The Sirens toured Europe and Latin America in 2014/15. Rueslåtten said of her travels, ”I have loved my time travelling to so many places, but Latin America has been very special, visiting for the first time in 2014. In some ways I have felt immediately at home there. There are many differences, of course, but I have certainly felt connected to the fantastic people and marvellous landscapes of the region”.
Rueslåtten is planning a solo-tour in 2015/16 and is very much looking forward to presenting the songs of “To the North” to a live audience and expects to visit several places in Norway, Europe and Latin-America.
All songs on the new album are written by Kari Rueslåtten, except Turn, Turn, Turn written by Pete Seeger/Book of Ecclesiastes. The songs are arranged by and recorded live in Parr Street studios by Kari Rueslåtten with musicians Jostein Ansnes, Richard Turvey, Steve Pilgrim, Martyn Campbell, Frode Flemsæter and Mat Walklate. The album is produced by Jostein Ansnes, and mixed by Jostein Ansnes and Jo Ranheim in Øra Studio.
LIVE DATES:
24/10/2015 NO Trondheim
29/10/2015 NO Oslo
19/11/2015 DE Frankfurt
20/11/2015 DE Marburg
21/11/2015 DE Leipzig
03/12/2015 NL Zoetermeer
04/12/2015 DE Berlin
05/12/2015 DE Küsten - Reitze, Nordlys Musikk
The release of piano-led Alternative Indie/Rock band Pacific's EP 'What Are You Waiting For' follows the huge success of February 2015's single release ‘Time to Forget’. The song reaped Pacific’s first BBC Radio 1 play on the Huw Stephens show, along with airplay on a further eighty UK radio stations. Reviewers were hugely enthusiastic; “I think this is in another league... A wonderfully well-crafted song with a vocal that's nectar for the ears” (Bauer Media News), praising it for its “flavoursome sound and masterful craft” (RingMaster Review) and exclaiming that “it’s got that bit of magic, something undeniable, something brilliant. Never mind a band for the future… Pacific are a band for right now” (The Musical Outcast).
The band have previously received strong backing from BBC 6’s Mark Radcliffe who praises the band’s music as “outstanding”, along with BBC Stoke Introducing’s Rob Adcock, who has invited the band for live interviews and sessions. Additionally, NME have featured the band’s past music videos, with Pacific also being included in Napster’s 'New and Good' Playlist on multiple occasions. On Monday 31st August 2015, Pacific opened the Main Stage of Liverpool International Music Festival, playing alongside headliners Echo and the Bunnymen, Basement Jaxx and Labrinth.
HIghly anticipated follow up single ‘Those Nights’ was released in June 2015. Again reviewers praised the track, affirming that “the band manages to blend commercial appeal with musical integrity and quality in fine style” (The Musical Outcast), stating that “very rarely do you hear a track where every single component fits into place as well as ‘Those Nights’ demonstrates (Radical’s Rising).
The Cheshire based band is made up of brothers/songwriters Anthony Orzel (vocals/piano) and Daniel Orzel (bass/backing vocals), Dave Bithell (lead guitars/backing vocals) and Drew Burns (drums/percussion).
“Up-beat, beautiful pop-rock with the most addictive vocals. Those Orzel brothers sound irresistible!”
Polly James, Capital Radio
“Competent sounding Pop/Rock with a hint of Alt. in there. I must confess the very strength of the melodious Anthony Orzel (singer)… I will be keeping an eye!”
Simon Li of Universal Music
Spark! has been the leading EBM combo coming out from Sweden over the last years. Their unique blend of hard hitting beats blended with more poporiented melodies had been nothing but a winning formula.
A few years ago musical mastermind Mattias Ziessow and longtime vocalist Stefan Brorsson parted ways after releasing the acclaimed album "Hela Din Värld". Many bands most probably would have called it quits in a situation like this. Instead Mattias gathered the whole EBM scene to sing on the album "Spektrum" which was released earlier this year. However the quest for a more permanent singer was still an ongoing task.
And on this years edition of Famillientreffen Festival in Germany a new permanent replacement for Stefan was finally presented. Christer Hermodsson.
Christer that has a past in acts like S.P.O.C.K. and as producer for And One and more, still active in his own project Biomekkanik perfectly fitted the music from Mattias and a new sort of SPARK! 2.0 was borned!.
"Stå Emot!" is the first single this duo present together. They are currently working on a new album schedule for 2016.
On 18th October Kloot Per W will be 60 and he celebrates that day with all his rock friends during a birthday matinee at The Depot.
It seems that Kloot Per W has always made music. Who lists the groups to which he belongs, tells the story of the Belgian rock. He was there at the beginning of the punk explosion, and later with The Misters and The Employees.
Meanwhile, he ensured a place in our national music with the legendary cassette 'Music For Girls', which was re-released in 2015.
Subsequently he built his solo career and worked with just about everyone by name and fame in the Belgian rock. His most famous hit was 'Candy', which he released with two different singers, first with Mich Van Hautem, in 1988 and seven years later with Isabelle A.
With Peter Slabbynk he afterwards founded the Lamas. He played with rock stars like Wimmeke Punk, Bea Vander Maat or Guy Swinnen. He currently plays the bass in Lavvi Ebbel and is active in a number of new projects such as The Claudio Serpentino and The Electric Thunder Syndicate.
An anniversary is always a moment of reflection. That applies even more to those who are sixty and his Birthday Matinee he has made a selection of musical projects of his four decades long career.
This is the program:
Luc Crabbe (Betty Goes Green)
We Are Kloot (KPW cover band... with Jan Hautekiet, Bert Van Hoeylandt, Jo Moens, Pieter Vreede and Sushi (Ingrid Bergman).
The Romans (reunion)
The Employees
The Claudio Serpentino (Marleen van Ende and Kloot Per W)
Lavvi Ebbel
The Electric Thunder Syndicate with Hanske Van Paranoiacs' Stevens (Willy Willy? And Colon?) Single performance
Wiliam Souffreau (Irish coffee) with Kloot Per W and Jean-Marie Aerts
Kloot Per W solo
Phlitman and Kang (Kim Duchateau, Jean Marie Mievis and Mar Go O.)
DJ Dop Massacre aka DJ Saucisse, DJ Lady Frigo and DJ Sahara
Besides being a rock artist Kloot Per W is also an acclaimed graphic artist.
Kloot Per W wordt op 18 oktober van dit jaar 60 en dat viert hij die dag met al zijn rockvrienden tijdens een verjaardagsmatinee in Het Depot.
Het lijkt wel of Kloot Per W altijd al muziek gemaakt heeft. Wie de groepen opsomt waarvan hij deel uitmaakte, vertelt het verhaal van de Belgische rock. Hij was er bij het begin van de punkexplosie, met The Misters en nadien The Employees. In 1986 begon hij na zijn finaleplaats in Humo's Rock Rally aan een nog steeds voortdurende reeks solo-optredens. Ondertussen had hij zich van een plaats in de vaderlandse muziekgeschiedenis verzekerd met de legendarische cassette 'Music For Girls', die in 2015 opnieuw werd uitgebracht. Nadien bouwde Per W zijn solo-carrière verder uit en werkte hij samen met zowat iedereen met naam en faam in de Belgische rock. Zijn bekendste hit was 'Candy', die hij met twee verschillende zangeressen uitbracht, eerst met Mich Van Hautem, in 1988 en zeven jaar later met Isabelle A. Samen met Peter Slabbynk richtte hij nadien de Lama's op, die verschillende keren de top van de Afrekening van Studio Brussel haalden. Met de Belpop Bastards speelde hij Vlaanderen tien jaar lang plat in het gezelschap van rockcoryfeeën als Wimmeke Punk, Bea Vander Maat of Guy Swinnen. Momenteel speelt hij bas bij Lavvi Ebbel en is actief in een aantal nieuwe projecten zoals The Claudio Serpentino en The Electric Thunder Syndicate.
Een verjaardag is altijd al een moment van reflectie. Dat geldt nog meer voor wie zestig wordt en een hyperactivist als Per W heeft zoveel om op terug te kijken dat hij voor zijn Verjaardagsmatinee een selectie heeft gemaakt van muzikale projecten uit zijn vier decennia lange carrière. Marcel Vanthilt en Luckas Vander Taelen presenteren. Dit is het programma :
Luc Crabbe (Betty Goes Green)
We Are Kloot (KPW coverband…Met Jan Hautekiet, Bert Van Hoeylandt, Jo Moens, Pieter Vreede en Sushi (Ingrid Bergmans.)
The Romans (reünie)
The Employees
The Claudio Serpentino (Marleen van Ende en Kloot Per W)
Lavvi Ebbel
The Electric Thunder Syndicate met Hanske ‚Van de Paranoiacs’ Stevens (Willy Willy? and Dubbe?) single voorstelling
Wiliam Souffreau (Irish Coffee) met Kloot Per W en Jean-Marie Aerts
Kloot Per W solo
Phlitman and Kang ( Kim Duchateau, Jean Marie Mievis en Mar Go O.)
DJ Dop Massacre aka DJ Saucisse, DJ Lady Frigo en DJ Sahara
Naast rockartiest is Kloot Per W ook een gevierd grafisch kunstenaar. In het Depot zal ook recent werk in confrontatie met ouder werk van hem te zien zijn.
Christopher Plummer to receive a Joseph Plateau Honorary Award at Film Fest Gent
On Wednesday 14 October, Christopher Plummer will receive the Joseph Plateau Honorary Award at the 42nd Film Fest Gent. With this accolade, the festival honours guests who have made a special contribution to the art of filmmaking. “If there is one actor deserving of the Joseph Plateau Award then it is this immensely versatile and talented Canadian icon", claims the festival’s artistic director, Patrick Duynslaegher. Film Fest Gent will also screen 'Remember' the latest film by Atom Egoyan, starring Christopher Plummer.
On Wednesday 14 October, Christopher Plummer will receive the Joseph Plateau Honorary Award at the 42nd Film Fest Gent. With this accolade, the festival honours guests who have made a special contribution to the art of filmmaking. “If there is one actor deserving of the Joseph Plateau Award then it is this immensely versatile and talented Canadian icon", claims the festival’s artistic director, Patrick Duynslaegher. Film Fest Gent will also screen 'Remember' the latest film by Atom Egoyan, starring Christopher Plummer.
Patrick Duynslaegher: "If you browse through Plummer’s overwhelming filmography on IMDb you get slightly dizzy at his no less than 204 credits, which include live TV, television series, TV films, feature films, plays on Broadway and London’s West End and voice overs in animated films and video games. Plummer is also one of the nine actors to have received the highest distinctions in the worlds of film (Oscar), television (Emmy) and theatre (Tony Award). A few highlights from his filmography include: ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’, ‘Beginners’, ‘The Last Station’, ‘A Beautiful Mind’, ‘The Sound of Music’. Although blessed with the instantly recognisable face of a character actor, he is a genuine chameleon who steps into the shoes of the most diverse range of historic and mythical characters."
In 'Remember', the latest film from his fellow countryman Atom Egoyan, who presented 'Devil's Knot' and 'The Captive' at the 41st Film Fest Gent, Plummer plays a Nazi hunter plagued by dementia. He does it with a precision and finesse that make it abundantly clear how much he still enjoys his work, and that he has no intention of giving up his passion just yet.
24 October in Kinepolis Gent, Studio Skoop, Sphinx, Vooruit, KASKcinema, Music Centre Bijloke and Kuipke. Info and tickets on www.filmfestival.be.
