Bella Union are thrilled to announce the release of Killer Road, a collaborative project between Soundwalk Collective, Patti Smith and Jesse Smith, on 2nd September. The album's title track is currently premiering on Pitchfork and can be heard by clicking on image above.
A shimmering ambient tone, an electronic underlay to the lulling chatter of crickets, makes way for the unmistakable voice of Patti Smith, quietly intoning, ominously, “The killer road is waiting for you / like a finger, pointing in the night.”
Behind the music and concept of Killer Road is international trio Soundwalk Collective – Stephan Crasneanscki, Simone Merli and Kamran Sadeghi, plus Patti Smith’s daughter Jesse Paris Smith – who conceived an immersive exploration of the tragic death of Christa Päffgen. Better known as Nico, the Velvet Underground chanteuse and solo pioneer, Päffgen died while riding her bike on the island of Ibiza in the summer of 1988. Ironically, she’d recently got her health back, after fifteen years of heroin addiction. It was Nico’s body’s reaction to its new sobriety, and the fact she was cycling at the hottest time of the day, on the hottest day of the year, that was to prove her undoing.
In the years before she died, Nico had not neglected her creative muse, writing poetry that would never be published, or heard, until now, in the form of the opening title track, Killer Road. The tracks that follow are eight interpretations of Nico lyrics, predominantly taken from classic albums such as Desertshore and Drama of Exile, arranged by fellow poet and kindred spirit Patti Smith.
The roots of Killer Road lie in a fortuitous meeting on an airplane bound for New York. One passenger was Smith; the other was Soundwalk Collective founder Crasneanscki. Soundwalk had previously been a collaborative series of walking guides to cities that created an idiosyncratic and evocative understanding for the listener, before evolving into musical frameworks for field recordings and sight specific sound installations and performances using a variety of texts and themes.
Killer Road was initially a live audio-visual experience, at the French Institute Alliance Francaise in New York as part of 2014’s Crossing the Line festival, with subsequent performances taking place in London and Berlin. Finally, we now we have the recorded version, a poignant, profound, imaginative exploration and tribute nearly 30 years after that fateful summer’s day.
First teaser of upcoming AMBASSADOR21 album "Human Rage" just released!
Invasion presents first video teaser of upcoming album.
New AMBASSADOR21 album "Human Rage" will be released this Fall.
In support of the new album, the single "Revelation" will be released in the end of July on all best digital platforms.
Single will include two new songs - "Revelation" and "Fear Level Red".
All donors of their fundraising campaign will get it for free. (see link below)
It's very rare to find a band that only delivers hit songs, but that's the case with Rats Rest: a melodic 4-peace punk rock band from Kansas City with very catchy riffs and passionate raspy vocals.
Rats Rest formed in 2012, inspired by bands such as The Wipers, Dead Moon and Leatherface. This is their third 7", and they continue to prove that they are one of today's best and most relevant punk acts. On the Eastside has a slightly more OI! sensibility to it compared to their previous releases. Everything is very well played, yet with a dark and gritty garage sound which makes this record sound very punk and authentic. The EP consists of three Rats Rest originals and a re-worked version of a UKE OF PHILLIPS song (Ballad of the Irish Channel) which originally is a "spacey" song with lots of ukulele. These songs will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day.
Thesinger and guitarist Cinque Adams is the lyricist and principal songwriter. Cinque has previously been the frontman of Hello Shitty People and played guitar for Allergic to Bullshit and Street Legal. The Drummer of Rats Rest, Mike Wilson, is also drumming in Constant Insult and Hard Feelings.
On the Eastside is released on black vinyl in Europe by Peter Out Records and it's limited to 500 copies. A US release will follow in July on Dead Broke Rekerrds just in time for Rats Rest's upcoming westcoast tour.
Peter Out Records will return to the darker sounds on our upcoming releases. This is not a change of direction for the label. They simply had to release this band because punk is the roots of it all.
In case you haven’t noticed yet, Fates by The Arch is like one of our favourite albums this year. Dark danceable new wave with a contemporary twist. The band informs us that a dance version (or something like that) of the title track is out on Bandcamp. All you have to do is click the link and swing your hips.
Exactly 10 years ago in Estonia, a totally unknown duo was proud to release their first (and actually last!) demo which constitutes nothing but the foundations of today’s well-established alt-pop act SUICIDAL ROMANCE, known for their unique blend of dual male/female vocals, catchy melodic tunes and noir elektro synth arrangements with an edge.
To celebrate this 10th anniversary and to thank their supportive fanbase, Dmitry Darling (also known as frontman of FREAKANGEL fame) and Viktoria Seimar decided to release this special 10-track collection of previously unreleased material, including exclusive remixes by CUTOFF:SKY, DERMA-TEK, A7IE, MISERY as well as 2006 early versions of the now “classic” songs of the band in the likes of “Not Alone”, “Poisoned Kiss” or yet “Prince Of The Darkness” which gave the opportunity for the duo to sign a deal with their first record label and initiate the first steps in their ascension to the top of the darkwave / electro pop scene… While the opening and title-song of the EP “Your Name” is an exclusive sound blast from the past plunging us back to SUICIDAL ROMANCE’s very early roots…
