On the trail of their double A-side single Rotation, dreampop shoegaze darlings Ummagma celebrate their ethereal Stereolab-MBV-spirited uber-song ‘Lama’ with a mind-expanding package of eclectic remixes on Emerald & Doreen Records. This LP features an international roster of producers and artists, most of whom you might not directly connect to genres like noise rock or dreampop. Apart from their own roots in Canada and Ukraine, this Ummagma LP is a creative force uniting sonic satellites from Italy, Sweden, Germany, Brazil and Russia. All remixers contribute their own wavelengths and energy to create new versions of this great song.
The outcome is proof that beauty is found in diversity. Italy’s original electro new wave pioneer Alexander Robotnick sways with a spaced out, chilled dream pop version. Irregular Disco Workers add some severe 80s mood and 90s acid feel. Copycat fuses a Moroder-esque synth disco arpeggio with My Bloody Valentine-style vocals and guitars to ingeniously please indie and disco lovers at the same time! Germany's Theatre of Delays delivers a heartbreaking emo house version that brings you into the fifth dimension. Label-makers go nogo turn Lama into a Stereolab-esque breakbeat beauty with Notwist-like sounds and 90s indie guitars. Mind Movies turn ‘Lama’ into a flipping, winding mechanical world of breakbeat, swirling around its own axis, and spinning a beautiful tumbling dance. Sounds of Sputnik add a 70s psychedelic edge to it, infusing this track with electro wonder. The feeling you get from all these versions is like an overwhelmingly awesome ride!
2014 also sees Ummagma pursuing various other collaborations, remixes and releases, involving Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins), Malcolm Holmes (Orchestral Maneouvres in the Dark), Sounds of Sputnik (Moscow), Lights That Change (UK), Graingerboy (UK), and Graham Bonnar (Swervedriver/ Brian Jonestown Massacre).
Ummagma began in 2003 when Alexx (Ukrainian) and Shauna (Canadian) met at a concert in Moscow. Since then, they have been blending their love of synthpop, alternative rock and electronica to create deliciously diverse, dreamy music, loaded with positivity, simultaneously ‘debuting’ with 2 LPs ('Antigravity' and 'Ummagma') in 2012.
In 2013, Ummagma won the Alternative Eurovision hosted by Amazing Radio, representing Ukraine from 21 countries, and picked up 2 awards at the Australian Independent Music Video Awards (including best international pop video), not to mention a full-page spread in Rolling Stone Russia.
Peek-A-Boo presents the exclusive trailer of Transformers: Age of Extinction
Mark Wahlberg is Cade in Transformers: Age of Extinction. From 16th July on, you can see in the theatres the further adventures of the Autobots. The film also features Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Jack Reynor, Nicola Peltz, Sophia Myles, Li Bingbing and Han Geng.
Watch below the exclusive trailer
Another sad news from the stars. Oscar-winning “Searching for Sugar Man” director Malik Bendjelloul has been found dead. He was 36. Police spokeswoman Pia Glenvik told the Associated Press that Bendjelloul died in Stockholm late Tuesday, but wouldn’t specify the cause of death.
“Searching for Sugar Man,” about the life and career of American singer Sixto Rodriguez, won the Oscar for best documentary in 2013.
See the trailer below.
Introducing Ivy & Gold – your new favourite electro-pop duo. Consisting of Rachel Wilkinson and Jamie Davies, the two-piece released their debut EP ‘Awake’ last year, and are pleased to confirm the news of their follow up EP ‘Eye of the Storm’ – due for release on June 2nd via 84 World.
The EP’s four tracks showcase Ivy & Gold’s talent for well-crafted pop songs: sophisticated layers, seductive melodies and Wilkinson’s strong yet brooding vocals.
Davies handles most of the production in their home studio and steers the basic structure of their songs whilst Wilkinson writes the bulk of the lyrics and vocal melodies. However, as a couple, the pair are a very collaborative force, and one that has successfully smoothed out most of friction from writing with your other half.
With a cinematic quality to their arrangements, it’s not surprising that the duo are inspired by the soundtrack composers Tom Tyker (Cloud Atlas, Run Lola Run) and Hans Zimmer.
Rachel’s lyrics are influenced by the likes of Fleetwood Mac, Jeff Buckley, Tori Amos and Florence and the Machine but she also finds supernatural stories to be a wealth of inspiration.
Human Hair have existed in one form or another since 2008. Since their first incarnation, they’ve had 3 different drummers, added a bass player and slowly acquired members that live in the same city – as opposed to travelling between Nottingham and London for band practice.
Throughout this period, the only constants have been vocalist Jack Lenton - a former straight-edge, furniture salesman who is extremely verbose even via SMS – and guitarist Henry Withers, who has seen Lovvers (Wichita) come and go, is the co-founder of Homerton recording studio Sound Savers and grew up in the Transcendental Meditation community in Skelmersdale.
These two main forces of Human Hair sit on opposite ends of the musical spectrum, Lenton with his Nick Cave, Swans and esoteric soundtracks against Withers’ love of Pavement, The Fall and simple, no blues notes. The push and pull between them defines the band and makes for a thrilling and captivating sound.
Having only released a handful of 7”s and gigged sporadically over the course of 5 years, something changed in 2013, the new line-up solidified, the live show got tighter and a more cohesive unit began to form. It was time for Human Hair to make an album.
Recorded by Ben Phillips on a boat docked in the Thames (Lightship 95) and mastered by the legendary Alan Douches (Sufjan Stevens, Owen Pallet, The Rapture) in New York, their debut LP is entitled ‘My Life as a Beast and Lowly Form’.
The album spans the entire history of the band and their two opposing sides: the childish creativity found on songs like ‘Happy Birthday’ and ‘Sleeping’ and the more accomplished, newer tracks: ‘Worldly One’, ‘Hungers’ and ‘Left Hand’.
Influenced by writers Frank Stanford, JG Ballard, Ted Hughes and Alan Moore, Lenton’s lyrics on ‘My Life as a Beast and Lowly Form’ represent the animalistic tendencies toward the base things in life: the drink, sleeping all day and primal urges.
Joined by Thom Sadler (ex Throats, Claw Marks) on bass and drummer Jordan Hayward, Human Hair’s final member is Joseph Walsh aka Dignan Porch (Captured Tracks) on guitar. Walsh recorded the last two Dignan Porch albums and his forthcoming DP record with Withers.
