It had been three years since Jamaica’s debut album ‘No Problem’, when at the end of last year, the duo Antoine Hilaire and Florent Lyonnet emerged with news of their long awaited second album and a brand new track ‘Hello Again’.
‘Ventura’ is that second album, produced by Jamaica and Laurent d’Herbécourt (Phoenix), written and recorded between Los Angeles and Paris; it will be released on March 31st through Control Freak/[PIAS] Cooperative.
After the release of ‘No Problem’ - produced by Xavier de Rosnay (one half of Justice) - Jamaica quickly garnered attention with the killer singles ‘I Think I Like U 2’ and ‘Short and Entertaining’. Having toured the world for two years, they began thinking about their next record, the pair felt ambitious, without any weight or pressure.
‘Ventura’ is fed by fantasies of American culture, gathered from records and films, and also, the reality they discovered while touring in the U.S. They spent a month with Peter Franco (Daft Punk’s ‘Random Access Memories) in LA and mention a discovery in a literal sense: "We thought about for a while naming this album Pinta, Nina, Santa Maria, like one of Christopher Columbus's ships."
In the end, they named it ‘Ventura’. For the musicians, the name reminds them of its literal translation of "luck" and "fate", but also of the 72 Pontiac and of course, of Ventura Boulevard, one of the biggest roads in the San Fernando valley.
It’s on Ventura Boulevard where they worked with Peter Franco, they spent a month locked away in a house and its makeshift studio, surrounded by instruments borrowed from local musicians and having lots of guests dropping by. One day, TV On The Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe came by to sing soulful vocals on ‘Golden Times’. Another day, Chris Caswell, longtime collaborator of Paul Williams, gave them a hand with a few keyboards arrangements.
When they returned to Paris, they headed to Laurent d’Herbécourt’s (Phoenix) studio and found it the perfect place to finish their album. Unlike most studios, it’s bathed in daylight: "To us, ‘No Problem’ shows a clubby and nightly aspect of the band, while ‘Ventura’ is meant to be the daylight album for Jamaica."
Antoine and Florent's belief in a more organic and analogue sound was strengthened by Laurent d'Herbécourt, who helped to mix the record: "While mixing, he definitely pushed us further towards a "radio" oriented direction, in the most noble and Fleetwood Mac sense of the word. A sunny pop that hides more sensibility when one really pays attention."
Songs like ‘Two on Two’, ‘Golden Times’, ‘All Inclusive’ or ‘Ferris Wheeler’ are fueled by this feel-good music to listen to while driving along the Pacific Ocean. Other tracks reveal new leads for Jamaica, from the post-surf of ‘Turbo’ and ‘Same Smile’ to ‘Rushmore’s power ballad. ‘Ventura’ deserves to be played on a car stereo; the album radiates as much nonchalance as it does sophistication. It toys with the idea of a fantasized West Coast, from San Diego to Seattle, discovered over and over through its past and present times.
Tracklisting: 1. Two on Two, 2. Hello Again, 3. Houdini, 4. Golden Times, 5. All Inclusive, 6. Ferris Wheeler, 7. High Then Low, 8. Ricky, 9. Rushmore, 10. Turbo, 11. Same Smile, 12. Goodbye Friday
Dutch FilmWorks have presented us their releases for February.
ESCAPE PLAN and HET VONNIS are the movies you can find.
ESCAPE PLAN (released on 4th February)
The newest action movie that finally unites Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Synopsis:
When a structural-security authority finds himself set up and incarcerated in the world's most secret and secure prison, he has to use his skills to escape with help from the inside.
Click below to see the trailer.
HET VONNIS (released on 25th February-Flanders only)
The movie in where Jan Verheyen proved that he is one of the best directors of Flanders, Belgium. A picture that shows what can happen if justice forgets the human aspect.
This courtroomdrama features topperformances by Koen De Bouw, Johan Leysen, Wouter Hendrickx, Veerle Baetens and Jo De Meyere.
Dutch FilmWorks also presents two series in February
GOMORRAH CONNECTION (released 25th February), a series about the Italian mob featuring Stefano Accorsi, Giuseppe Zeno and Federico Torre.
Finally they have O’ HANLONS HELDEN-SEASON 2 out (released 25th February), the documentary featuring Redmond O’Hanlon.
DEPECHE MODE, one of true godfathers of electronic (pop) music, will play in the Antwerp Sportpaleis on Saturday 25.01, but did you know it's almost exactly 30 years ago that Depeche Mode played, during their 'Construction Time Again tour', in Trix (back then called Hof Ter Lo)?
Check out the amazing set-list Depeche Mode played on that historical night December 5th, 1983 here!
And that this same venue, Trix (former Hof Ter Lo) is also the home base of the renowned BIMFEST / BodyBeats organization for more than 13 years now?
Well, this and the fact that the Trix is located only 1500 meters from the Sportpaleis were DEPECHE MODE will play same night are more then reasons enough for BodyBeats to host a special DEPECHE MODE AFTER SHOW PARTY in the exact same venue Depeche Mode played way back in 1983.
The perfect opportunity for all Depeche Mode fans & party people to party into the night on good danceable tunes going from Synth-Pop/Minimal/New-wave/Electro/EBM and much more alternative sounds spun by DJ BORG!
Of course a (un) healthy dose of DM songs will be played to comfort those who had to miss out on the DM gig and to give those who did... goosebumps again!
Check out the facebook event en the link below!
Warner Home Video Benelux informs us that the fourth (and last) season from Treme will be released on 19th February.
Synopsis:
Life after Hurricane Katrina as the residents of New Orleans try to rebuild their lives, their homes and their unique culture in the aftermath of one of the worst natural disasters in the USA.
Click below to see the extended trailer.
After touring non-stop in support of his last album ‘Zeros’ on Captured Tracks, Luis Vasquez relocated to Venice, Italy, where he is working on the new Soft Moon record.
Meanwhile he’s writing new songs and self-releasing a 2-track single called “Feel”, which will be available on 7" vinyl during the upcoming European tour with Depeche Mode.
Limited to 1,000 copies.
Very limited indeed, only available in better recordstores like Wool-E Shop for instance!
