Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 184
December 9, 2024
EMPIRE OF THE SUN ANNOUNCES 2025 ASK THAT GOD NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
EMPIRE OF THE SUN ANNOUNCES 2025 ASK THAT GOD NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
Tickets Go On Sale Friday, December 13, At 10:00 AM Local Time
We Are The People (Reimagined) Set For December 13 Release – Stream Empire Of The Sun & Eric Prydz’s New Edit Of “We Are Mirage” HERE
Today, Empire of the Sun announced the 2025 North American leg of their Ask That God tour. The headline run will kick off on February 26 at Honolulu’s Blaisdell Arena and include shows at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre (April 28), the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA (May 3) and New York City’s Brooklyn Mirage (May 21). See below for full itinerary.
The artist ticket pre-sale will begin on Wednesday, December 11, at 10:00 AM local time. Fans can pre-register for the artist pre-sale at https://laylo.com/eots/m/AskThatGod-2025NATour. Multiple VIP experiences will be available beginning on December 11 also. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday, December 13, at 10:00 AM local time.
Helmed by Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore, Empire of the Sun just completed a whirlwind series of dates around the globe, including a concert at Los Angeles’ historic Hollywood Bowl, a headline slot at Mexico’s Corona Capital festival and sold-out shows in Brooklyn, NY, Guadalajara, MX and Sydney, Brisbane & Perth in their native Australia. The band is touring in support of its new album, Ask That God (Capitol Records/EMI AUS), which debuted in the top five of Billboard’s Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart.
Marking a decade since the release of “We Are Mirage” – the epic Eric Prydz remix of the band’s global hit “We Are The People” with Prydz’s own “Mirage” – Empire of the Sun recently shared a new edit of “We Are Mirage.” Listen HERE. The track will be included on We Are The People (Reimagined) along with ARTBAT’s remix of “We Are The People,” which can be streamed HERE. Set for December 13 release via Capitol Records, the bundle will also include new remixes by Adam Sellouk and southstar. “We Are The People” was the second single from Empire of the Sun’s 2008 debut album. Walking On A Dream, following the title track, which has amassed over one billion streams.
As Rolling Stone once observed, “Everything about Empire of the Sun is larger than life.” Ask That God continues that tradition, taking fans on a holistic musical adventure where the surreal reigns supreme. SPIN noted, “Ask That God’s production is tight and its message optimistic, with the aim of universal connectivity.” Billboard said, “Empire of the Sun shines with Ask That God.” GRAMMY.com declared, “Ask That God offers a chance to reflect on the blend of reality and imagination, while also evoking the radiant energy of their past songs.”
Praising the album as “colorful and maximalist music,” AP suggested, “Start with the shimmery ‘Cherry Blossom.’” Consequence of Sound noted, “The disco-tinged ‘Music on the Radio’… is a thumping, bass-heavy psychedelic jam, with Steele utilizing his cherubic falsetto and the duo offering a hypnotic groove.” Stereogum said, “[‘Changes’] taps directly back into that sleek synth-powered festival-pop vibe the duo made its name on.”
Empire of the Sun – Ask That God Tour – 2025 North American Dates
2/8 – Launceston, Tasmania, Australia - Party In The Paddock
2/22 - Christchurch, New Zealand - Electric Avenue Festival
2/26 – Honolulu, HI – Blaisdell Arena
3/28 - São Paulo, Brazil - Lollapalooza Brasil
3/30 - Bogotá, Colombia - Estéreo Picnic
4/2 – Monterrey, MX – Auditorio Citibanamex
4/4 – Mexico City, MX – Palacio de los Deportes
4/23 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore
4/24 – Chicago, IL – Radius
4/26 – Saint Louis, MO – Saint Louis Music Park
4/28 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
4/30 – Seattle, WA – WaMu Theater
5/1 – Eugene, OR – Cuthbert Amphitheater
5/3 – Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre
5/11 – Las Vegas, NV – The Pearl
5/14 – Austin, TX – Moody Amphitheater
5/15 – Dallas, TX – South Side Ballroom
5/16 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall
5/18 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy
5/20 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore
5/21 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Mirage
5/23 – Washington, DC – The Anthem
5/24 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway
Luke Steele/Empire of the Sun Photo Credit: Carlos Gonzalez
ABOUT EMPIRE OF THE SUN
Empire of the Sun, the visionary Australian electronic duo comprising Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore, have been making waves across the world with phenomenal live shows and anthemic smash hits for the last decade as one of Australia’s most successful musical exports.
With Steele's background in The Sleepy Jackson and Littlemore's founding role in PNAU, the duo embarked on a sonic odyssey that has captivated audiences worldwide. Since their emergence, Empire of the Sun has transcended boundaries, blending alternative electronica with mesmerizing visuals to create an immersive musical experience unlike any other.
Their seminal debut album, Walking On A Dream, which the musicians described as "a spiritual road movie" spawned iconic singles “Walking On A Dream” and “We Are The People.” The critically acclaimed second LP, disco-pop Ice On The Dune, featured “Alive” and “DNA” and saw the band tour the world. Third LP Two Vines found the band welcoming guests like Lindsey Buckingham, members of David Bowie's band from the Blackstar sessions, and Wendy Melvoin from Prince & the Revolution and featured singles “High And Low” and “Way To Go.” 2024’s Ask That God, with hits “Changes,” “Cherry Blossom” and “Music on the Radio,” demonstrated why they are, in the words of HYPEBEAST, “everyone’s favorite esteemed, electric Australian duo.”
Their albums have achieved multi-Platinum certifications across the globe. In addition to their commercial triumphs, the duo has garnered an impressive array of accolades, including eight ARIA Awards, two APRA Awards, and an APRA Billions Award. With over 5.5 million albums sold globally and a staggering 7.6 billion streams, Empire of the Sun's impact on the music industry is undeniable, solidifying their status as icons of the electronic music genre.
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Connect with Empire of the Sun:
Rosa Bordallo shares psych-tinged new single "Crasseux"
STREAM: "Crasseux" -
Streaming Services / Bandcamp / YouTube
Rosa Bordallo (f/k/a Manett) is a singer-songwriter and a Chamorro from the island of
Guam. She has been living in New York City since the age of 19, and has written,
recorded, and released several albums and EPs as a solo artist and as a member of the indie rock band, cholo. Her second full-length solo album, Isidro, will be released in January 2025.
"I picked up guitar in high school, and I started writing songs right away. Being a
performer both terrified and beckoned me."
She supported her musical projects with money made working an office job and
moonlighting as a restaurant host, before switching full-time to the service industry.
Between rehearsals, recording sessions, shows, and the day job, she also juggled
being a single parent.
"Music has always been my outlet, my pressure valve. I was a really shy and awkward
kid, but I loved listening to the albums that my older siblings brought back from the
[United] States. Artists like Björk, PJ Harvey, David Bowie and Pixies. I wanted to have
an impact the way those musicians impacted me, on the other side of the world."
It's the other side of the world that concerns her more and more these days. Her
homeland in the Pacific is not just threatened by climate change. The Mariana Islands is one of the most militarized places on the planet - America's so-called tip of the spear-and the people of Guam are facing yet another buildup of the American military bases that occupy over a third of the island.
"I wrote these songs in 2021 and 2022, in the shadow of the pandemic and New York
City's recovery. I was grieving personal tragedies as well as the collective loss. It was
the realization that my ancestors survived their own catastrophic near-demise that gave me perspective. I'm a survivor. We all are."
Bordallo composed all the music and lyrics for the album, but when it came time to
recording it, she enlisted the help of Ben Etter, a recording engineer and producer
based out of MAZE Studios in Atlanta. His work with Deerhunter and Hazel English,
among others, had impressed Bordallo.
"I found Ben from the album credits of one of my favorite albums. I reached out and sent him some examples of my work, and when he agreed to work on the album, I was overjoyed. He gave me the encouragement I needed."
At Etter's suggestion, Bordallo finished writing and recording all her demos in advance of their recording session. Etter and Bordallo tracked the album in eight days at MAZE Studios. Atlanta musicians Sean Zearfoss filled in on drums and Keegan Krogh provided production assistance.
The result is a heady blend of indie pop and lush, psychedelic electro-rock. At turns
grand and intimate, the dulcet tones of Bordallo’s voice thread through a rich and
polyphonic tapestry of shimmering synths, lively rhythms, and searing guitar solos.
The last song on the 10-track album is also its first single, and its ironic tongue-in-cheek title belies the blistering emotionality of its orchestral rock wall-of-sound. Just like the rest of the album, “I Feel Numb” leaves the listener feeling anything but.
Bordallo explains the origin of "Crasseux":
"The opening lyrics describe a scene I imagined from history, when Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Marianas in 1521. It was the first known contact between Pacific Islanders and Europeans, and the clash of worlds was violent. The rest of the song is a reverie on someone I loved and lost. The feelings blur into other losses I grieve - like the elders that helped raise me and have passed on. Those memories and the accompanying ache, it all runs into each other. I started writing the groove with the guitar, and then I found that a marching beat made it more interesting and carried it forward. The dynamic - between conflicts, internal and external - is something I hoped to convey. Life is so complicated. Like you could still miss someone who also caused you tremendous pain. You could still appreciate what those connections gave you, even after you had to move on from them."
The South Hill Experiment - "Water Water" / "The Drain"
THE SOUTH HILL EXPERIMENT RELEASE NEW DOUBLE A-SIDE "WATER WATER" / "THE DRAIN"
--Stream & Download the Singles at the Link Below, or on untitled here and here--
“Baird and Gabe have a profound understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses, thought processes and sensibilities… They step in to elevate each other during moments of self-doubt and, similarly, use their discretion when putting new concepts under the microscope.” - Clash
"A beautifully dissonant set of jazz-folk dynamics..." - KCRW
“Water Water,” the first single from The South Hill Experiment’s new double A-side, begins with a keyboard riff so wistful it might just make you daydream on the spot. Here, the brothers Acheson catch their reflection and ruminate on the cycle of death and rebirth: “Seed becomes a tree/Becomes a home that she can leave/Because a feeling underneath says/We held on too long.” This music is as warm as the puce of a California sunset, suggesting the freeway in early evening before the headlights come on: the coming coolness, the glare off the buildings downtown. The pentatonic refrain, so pensive here, could just as easily suit a Tupac beat. The languid, ride-heavy groove suggests the same. “Water water, waves and tides/Don’t need a purpose, so why should I?” they sing together at the end.
Meanwhile, “The Drain,” the second single here, tells us where all that water is headed: “Lower and lower, I circled to nowhere…” Straight into the clinking pipes. This one is all rhythm section, anchored by a kick-and-rimshot groove and thick bassline worthy of Jaki Liebezeit and Holger Czukay. Head-bobbing, psychedelic, the middle section sounds refreshingly like one of those acid-fried instrumentals from The Soft Bulletin. Headphones recommended.
Both tracks come on the heels of last month’s “Silver Bullet,” which was named “Today’s Top Tune” by KCRW. Versatility is the name of the game with these releases. Baird and Gabe relish in pairing modern pop songwriting with esoteric production and vice versa. Easy hooks marry fucked-up drum sounds. Ballads morph into funk workouts. For the South Hill Experiment, balance is key. “I think you can get away with some really dynamic production or compositional or lyrical ideas if they're dressed up in a great song,” Gabe says. These tracks—enigmatic, immediate, fresh-sounding—foreground what makes this band so rare. It’s hard to make experimental music sound this easy.
Since the release of their debut album MOONSHOTS (2023), Baltimore-born brothers Gabe and Baird Acheson have labored toward sounds both remote and familiar, remaining committed to recording as a medium and the studio as a tool for a unique kind of multitrack expressionism that slots alongside the decade’s most progressive pop music.
For much of the 2020s, the Achesons have worked in Los Angeles at the bleeding edge of contemporary pop production, having earned their fair share of notable credits – songwriting for Danny Brown (and making a cameo in one of his videos), collaborating with Maxo, producing for Arlo Parks' My Soft Machine, opening for Dave Longstreth – while releasing expansive, exploratory solo LPs as Goldwash and BAIRD.
2024’s SUNSTRIKES incorporated guests like Jeff Parker and earned the band a co-sign from the legendary David Byrne. On the heels of sold-out dates in LA and New York, and a live performance on KCRW, the brothers are gearing up to release even more new music in 2025.
photo: Nic Khang
CREDITS
Written, Recorded, Produced, and Performed by Baird and Gabe Acheson at South Hill Studios
Mixed by Seth Manchester at Machines with Magnets
Mastered by Dave Cooley at Elysian Mastering
LINKS
The South Hill Experiment - Instagram || Facebook || Website || Bandcamp
December 6, 2024
YUKIMI @ Constellation Room // 12.05.24 // THE PORTABLE INFINITE
All photos taken by Martin Worster
Throbbing Gristle's 'TG Berlin' Box Set Is Out Today On Mute
THROBBING GRISTLE
TG BERLIN BOX SET IS OUT TODAY ON MUTE
CHRONICLING UNRELEASED WORK FROM BERLIN, RECORDED AROUND A SERIES OF LIVE EVENTS AT THE VOLKSBÜHNE
Photo Credit: Paul HeartfieldThe new lavish Throbbing Gristle box set chronicling unreleased work recorded around a series of live events at the Berlin Volksbühne, TG BERLIN, is out today via Mute.
The Throbbing Gristle-curated event saw the band perform a live set on New Year’s Eve and an improvised live soundtrack to a new 16mm print of Derek Jarman’s In The Shadow of the Sun (1981) on New Year’s Day and, while the band were in Berlin, they also recorded two final songs alongside a 48-minute piece of new music.
Listen to the final Throbbing Gristle single: “Scabs & Saws” / “Wotwududo”.
The box set, which is comprised of 4 CDs, a Blu Ray, a 10” vinyl and a booklet featuring unseen photographs from the time by Paul Heartfield as well as new sleeve notes by the award winning Scottish visual artist Lucy McKenzie, collates both of these performances, alongside the TG Berlin Studio Session, which includes the final Throbbing Gristle single (two unreleased tracks, “Scabs & Saws” and “Wotwududo”,) and an unreleased 48-minute piece titled ‘TG Berlin Studio Session 2005 - 2006’, recorded at Planet Roc studios during the time they were in the city.
TG Berlin also includes the “rehearsal” for In The Shadow of the Sun, recorded on New Year’s Day at the iconic Volksbühne (“people’s theatre”). The performance was improvised, so the two documents offer a different perspective on the soundtrack to Jarman’s work.
Listen to an excerpt of In the Shadow of the Sun rehearsal HERE.
The New Year’s Eve show previewed five songs from the band’s first album in 27 years, Part Two: The Endless Not, several years before its release, on a set list that included “Convincing People”, “Slug Bait”, and “Hamburger Lady” (their first encore in 25/26 years, and what an encore!), tracks that had lost none of their potency in the intervening years, plus the released track, “Splitting Sky” and more. The performance is also included as a Blu-ray.
Listen to “Convincing People” (Live at the Volksbühne Berlin, New Year’s Eve 2005) HERE.
In 2004, Throbbing Gristle, Chris Carter, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (1950-2020) and Peter 'Sleazy' Christopherson (1955-2010), regrouped and the following six years became a period of renewed creativity for the band. Back in the studio after 20 years, they found group intuition when performing was intact, and their ability to break down barriers and forge connections with an audience was more powerful than ever.
This new box set, the latest release in an ongoing collaboration with Mute, is a compelling document of Throbbing Gristle performing and recording as a four-piece with a renewed vigor. From the opening beats and serrated electronics of one of their final tracks recorded together, “Scabs and Saws”, it’s clear that TG are not revisiting ground already tread, but bringing two decades of individual experience back into the studio to create a new exploration of sound. The vocals have a different depth, the groove is deeper and the atmosphere has lost none of its potency.
Throbbing Gristle formed in 1975 and for the next six years they fully delivered on punk’s failed promise to explore extreme culture as a way of sabotaging systems of control. During that time, they released crucial records such as The Second Annual Report Of Throbbing Gristle (1977), D.O.A The Third And Final Report Of Throbbing Gristle (1978), and 20 Jazz Funk Greats (1979) and were infamously named “wreckers of civilisation” by the Conservative MP Nicholas Fairbairn in 1976.
From 2004, they embarked on a series of live performances that included the Coachella and Primavera festivals, Tate Modern, and Heaven, and returned to the studio to produce several albums, including TG Now (2004), and Part Two: The Endless Not (2007), as well as a 3-day “studio installation” at the ICA before disbanding in 2010. Their impact on music, culture and the arts has been immeasurable and is still felt today across music, film, theater and fine art.
TG Berlin album art
TG Berlin Box Set Track listing:
CD1 - TG Berlin
Live at the Volksbühne Berlin, New Year’s Eve 2005
2. Convincing People
3. Splitting Sky
4. Slug Bait
5. Rabbit Snare
6. Almost A Kiss
7. Greasy Poo
8. Endless Not
9. Vow of Silence
10. PA Destroyer
11. Hamburger Lady
CD2 - In the Shadow of the Sun
Live at the Volksbühne Berlin, New Year’s Day, 2006
CD3 - In the Shadow of the Sun
Rehearsal at the Volksbühne Berlin, New Year’s Day 2006
CD4 - TG Berlin Studio Session (2005 - 2006)
1. TG Berlin - 48:222. Scabs & Saws 11:02
3. Wotwududo 7:07
Recorded late December 2005 to early January 2006 at Planet Roc (Funkhaus), Berlin
10” vinyl - The Final Throbbing Gristle single
Side AScabs & Saws 11:02
Side B
Wotwududo 7:07
Blu Ray
Throbbing Gristle Live at the Volksbühne Berlin, New Year’s Eve 2005
2. Convincing People
3. Splitting Sky
4. Slug Bait
5. Rabbit Snare
6. Almost a Kiss
7. Greasy Poo
8. The Endless Not
9. Vow of Silence
10. PA Destroyer
11. Hamburger Lady
Purchase or stream HERE.
CONNECT WITH THROBBING GRISTLE:
WEB | TWITTER | BLUESKYCONNECT WITH MUTE: FACEBOOK | B LUESKY | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | TIK TOK | WEB
KILLER MIKE SHARES “NOBODY KNOWS” VIDEO
KILLER MIKE SHARES “NOBODY KNOWS” VIDEO ON THE HEELS OF SONGS FOR SINNERS AND SAINTS PHYSICAL RELEASE
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “NOBODY KNOWS”
BUY / STREAM SONGS FOR SINNERS AND SAINTS HERE
Killer Mike photo by Neil Gavin
Killer Mike has just shared a new video for “Nobody Knows” in conjunction with today’s final show of his sold out “STILL TALK’N THAT SH*T!” co-headline tour with Dave Chappelle. The video recaps Mike’s whirlwind year crisscrossing the US, Canada, and Europe on tour with his gospel ensemble The Mighty Midnight Revival, from the aforementioned tour with Chappelle, to festivals like Lollapalooza, Newport Folk Festival, and Outside Lands, to performing accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, to a six show residency at NYC’s iconic Blue Note Jazz Club, and more. The video is a fitting capstone to a landmark year for the accomplished MC, which kicked off with sweeping the rap categories at the Grammy Awards, taking the Album of the Year honors at the BET Awards, releasing a standalone EL-P produced single “Detonator” as part of the Call of Duty:Black Ops 6 rollout, teaming with TI to reopen Atlanta’s historic Bankhead Seafood, speaking at the Hollywood Walk of Fame induction for Otis Redding, and much, much more.
“Nobody Knows” is sourced from Michael & The Mighty Midnight Revival: Songs For Sinners & Saints, which debuted at #5 on the Rap Charts with the CD and LP's release on November 22. The 11-song project, initially issued as free download to fans alongside its streaming release in July, is intended as an epilogue to last year's autobiographical MICHAEL album. Speaking on the project Mike states that "for me this is a testimonial. When I was growing up an important part of church service was people having the opportunity to stand up and give public testimony on their trials, tribulations, and triumphs. After the celebratory atmosphere that followed MICHAEL I was reminded that tribulations never cease, but God is always with me and this is a testimonial of my tumultuous times, my trials, and my continued triumph in spite of doubt, outright hate, and fear. I am here to speak to and with my fellow sinners and Saints.”
Watch the “NOBODY KNOWS” video
https://lnk.killermike.com/nobodyknows-mv
Stream Songs For Sinners & Saints
https://lnk.killermike.com/sinnersandsaints
Watch the From The Block performance of “STILL TALK’N THAT SHIT!”
https://youtu.be/UTWHrc1-nj4?si=JXyB8X3rIVW71Efo
Watch the “HUMBLE ME” video
https://lnk.killermike.com/humbleme-mv
Stream MICHAEL
https://lnk.killermike.com/deluxe
MICHAEL & THE MIGHTY MIDNIGHT REVIVAL: SONGS FOR SINNERS & SAINTS TRACK LIST
1. BUSSIN BRICKS INTRO
2. NOBODY KNOWS (feat. Anthony Hamilton, Jordan Alyssa, Troy Durden & Adonica Nunn)
3. HUMBLE ME
4. HIGHER LEVEL (feat. Jori & Adonica Nunn)
5. EXIT 9 Scenic Route (feat Offset, Blxst, Lena Byrd Miles & Troy Durden)
6. LORD PREPARE ME (feat. Bellygang Kush, Jane Handcock, Adonica Nunn)
7. SLUMMER 4 JUNKIES (feat. Lena Byrd Miles, Alicia Peters-Jordan, Jori, Adonica Nunn, Jordan Alyssa & Troy Durden)
8. HAD TO GO GET IT (feat. Troy Durden)
9. ’97 3-6 FREESTYLE
10. STILL TALK’N THAT SHIT (feat. Key Glock & Project Pat)
11. HIGH & HOLY (WARRYN’S GROOVE)
TOM MISCH SHARES NEW SINGLE “COLOURBLIND” FEAT. LOYLE CARNER
(Credit: Charlotte Patmore)December 6, 2024—Today, revered British artist Tom Misch unveils a brand new single, “Colourblind,” featuring long-time collaborator Loyle Carner via AWAL. Effortlessly laid-back and easygoing, the track finds its groove with a foundation of minimalist drum machine beats and intriguing guitar tones, highlighting the pair’s undeniable synergy and understated artistry. “Colourblind” showcases Misch’s ability to create music that feels both intimate and expansive, blending his genre-defying sound with Carner’s unmistakable and thoughtful flow. The result is a track that invites listeners to sink into its effortless charm while reflecting the duo's mutual respect for musical craft and experimentation. With “Colourblind,” Misch and Carner reaffirm their position as vital voices in contemporary music. Their ability to cultivate works that resonate deeply while maintaining an air of effortlessness continue to captivate and inspire. “Colourblind came from me playing around with a dmx drum machine and some interesting guitar tones… I messed about, made the beat and recorded a guide vocal melody… I hit up Loyle Carner; I played it to him and he loved it. We re-wrote the lyrics and he recorded his own verse. I love how chilled the vibe is”—Tom MischThe duo aligned this summer with both artists reuniting on stage to perform “Angel” at Loyle Carner’s All Points East headline slot, a heartfelt highlight of the day’s festivities. The pair have been key figures within each other’s discography, with standout tracks such as “Crazy Dream” (ft. Loyle Carner) currently sitting at over 10 million plays on Youtube alone.The new track is the latest in a string of releases from Misch this year, beginning with “Insecure,” a compelling testament to Misch’s artistic evolution, effortlessly weaving together his signature blend of introspective lyricism, hypnotic rhythms and sumptuous instrumentation. Followed by”Better Days,” a warm and open-hearted ballad that offered relief and calm amidst life’s trials. “Cinnamon Curls” was testament to Misch’s collaborative spirit, co-written with Grammy-winning songwriter Jimmy Napes, multi-instrumentalist and producer Nate Mercereau (who recently worked on André 3000’s acclaimed instrumental album), and longtime collaborator and singer-songwriter Carmody. Tom Misch has been a significant force in contemporary music, seamlessly merging elements of jazz, R&B, and hip-hop. He has peppered the last few years with various musical explorations including his collaborative album with drummer and jazz innovator Yussef Dayes, and electronic experimentation with the club aligned alter ego Supershy, which showcased his versatility and willingness to push artistic boundaries. His acclaimed 2018 album Geography was his last full LP release. With sold out shows across the globe, streaming figures in excess of 1.5 billion, collaborations with the likes of De La Soul, Michael Kiwanuka and Marcos Valle, and support from Eric Clapton, John Mayer and Elton John, Misch has quietly but rapidly become one of the most celebrated artists of the last decade and influenced a generation of musicians and producers.
(“Colourblind” single artwork)INSTAGRAM | SOUNDCLOUD | TWITTER
Hepcat release posthumous collab LP w/ dub music forefather, Scientist + reissue today via Trust Records
Hepcat Release Remix Album By Dub Music Forefather, Scientist
Scientist Meets Hepcat: Scientific Dub Special
Out Today via Trust Records - Listen / Share / Buy
+ Deluxe Reissue of Scientific - Listen / Share / Buy
Watch Lost Music Video “Bobby and Joe”- Watch / Share
Today Trust Records is honored to release Scientist Meets Hepcat: Scientific Dub Special and the deluxe reissue of Scientific of which the collaboration and remixes were derived from. This special reissue package is available in stores now and across all digital platforms. It’s the first time Scientific has been available on vinyl in years. All audio was remastered from the original analog tapes by Pete Lyman. The limited vinyl version of Scientist Meets Hepcat: Scientific Dub Special sold out in just an hour.
Hepcat was formed in 1989 by the late vocalist Greg Lee and keyboardist Deston Berry. Their soulful harmonies and mellow rhythms were unlike those of contemporaries and more akin to musicians from the heyday of 1960s Jamaican ska. Mixed with elements of soul, jazz and R&B, their singular sound quickly cemented them as staples in Los Angeles’ burgeoning ska scene in the early 90’s.
Following the release of their critically acclaimed debut Out of Nowhere on legendary label Moon Ska Records, Hepcat released their signature sophomore effort in 1996, Scientific. “It’s the album in which we all got together and figured sh*t out, tweaking controls and dialing in the perfect vibe, like a chemistry set—hence the name. We spent so much time and energy on that album. Labor of love, worth every moment,” Hepcat tell.
Fast forward to 2021, archival label Trust Records purchased controlling interest of the BYO catalog, including Hepcat’s Scientific. While in discussions with late founding member and lead vocalist Greg Lee on how he would like to see the album re-released, he let it be known that his dream of all dreams was to have legendary dub producer Scientist create a dub version of the album.
Hopeton Brown, known as Scientist, is the legendary electronic and studio engineer, considered to be one the forefathers of Dub Music. He developed his skills in the late 70’s and 80’s at the legendary King Tubby Studios with the revolutionary use of reverb, delay, and other effects to transform traditional reggae tracks into groundbreaking dubs. To date, Scientist has over 50,000 song credits, and he is still creating today.
“Greg Lee believed it would be cool if Scientist would dub ‘Scientific’. He liked the play on names and the historic implications. Like a true fan, Greg sought out information from various sources and finally was introduced to Scientist by Brian Wallace aka: Dub Robot at the legendary Dub Club in Los Angeles. Greg worked his magic and Scientist agreed to create dub’s of ‘Scientific’. The rest is now history,” Hepcat explain.
Those final dub mixes of Scientific were approved by Greg Lee and the band in January of 2024, just before Greg tragically died two months later of a brain aneurysm.
“Greg Lee is Hepcat personified. One of the strongest and greatest songwriters of Hepcat’s history. A mastermind. A positive source of inspiration. A leader. An eternal flame. The member who kept it fun and enjoyable, while being strong, and powerful at the same time,” Hepcat commemorates.
Hepcat’s Alex Desert Sits Down w/ Scientist In Trust Records’ One Two Me You Interview Series - Watch / Share
Scientist Curates Essential Dub Tracks Playlist in Celebration of Hepcat Collaboration - Listen / Share
Photo By Jiro Schneider
Scientist Meets Hepcat: Scientific Dub Special - Deluxe Reissue Track Listing:
01. Caribbean Tiger
02. Country Time (THC Rum Dub)
03. Bobby and Joe (Rambo Dub)
04. Black Sky (Moonbase Alpha Dub)
05. Keep On (Keep on Dubbing)
06. Home (Eye Ten East Dub)
07. Caribbean Tiger 2 (Radio Promo Calls Annete)
08. Marcus Garvey (The Ark)
09. Dollar Dance (Wedding Dub)
10. Come Out (Dancing Shoes)
11. Caribbean Tiger 3
12. Positive (Double Negative Dub)
13. Caribbean Tiger 4
14. Lovin' Man (Born to Lub Dub)
15. The Fool (Foolish Dub)
More About Hepcat:
Hepcat, based in Los Angeles, California, has created a musically complex sound that combines ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, soul, Caribbean melodies, deep rich harmonies, and latin and jazz elements that appeals to Rastas, skate punks, mods, and jazz enthusiasts alike. The term “Hepcat” originated from the word “Hep” which was early 1930’s slang pertaining to a devotee of jazz, especially swing. It was also the name of vocalist Alex Désert’s cat – “Hep-Cat”.
Hepcat’s debut album, Out of Nowhere, was released on Moon Records in 1993, displaying its creative abilities as well as tight vocal and instrumental performance. Three years later, Scientific was released on BYO Records, which fueled the band’s rising local notoriety. Hepcat’s 1997 album, Right On Time, and 2000's Push ’N Shove, both released on Rancid’s Tim Armstrong’s Hellcat label, established the group as a pioneer of modern ska in the 1990s - one that was primarily influenced by the retro Jamaican rhythms of the 1960s.
Hepcat has been awarded an ASCAP award for excellent achievement, and two California Music Awards (1999). “Right on Time” spent 30 consecutive weeks on Billboard’s Top Reggae chart. It was also ranked among Time Magazine’s top ten albums of 1998.
Hepcat has previously appeared on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, has opened for such acts as Desmond Dekker, The Skatalites, The Wailers Band, The Specials, Madness, Rancid, Ben Harper, Flogging Molly, and The Interrupters, to name a few. Hepcat's video “Bobby & Joe” and “No Worries” have received significant airtime on MTV and MTV2, and the band has appeared on several movie soundtracks such as Meet the Deetles, Deuce Bigalow, and Glory Daze, as well as a Heineken commercial.
Hepcat’s signature style, sound and live performance continue to impact new generations of music enthusiasts worldwide.
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Mallrat Announces New Album Out February 14. New Track "Horses" Out Now
MALLRAT ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM
LIGHT HIT MY FACE LIKE A STRAIGHT RIGHT
OUT FEB 14 2025
PRE-SAVE/PREORDER HERE
LISTEN + WATCH VULNERABLE NEW SINGLE 'HORSES'
LISTEN
|
WATCH
"HORSES"
Mallrat emphatically announces her new album, Light hit my face like a straight right out on February 14, 2025 via Nettwerk, with her latest transportive listen, ‘Horses’. LISTEN + WATCH HERE + PRE-SAVE/PRE-ORDER LP HERE.
‘Horses’ speaks to the time capsule certain landmarks hold, and the sensations they trigger amongst the alternate perspectives that travelling home represents. Remarking on the act of ‘coming’ back to your roots, or ‘going’ backwards in time. Hindsight, reflection, memory poignantly culminating in Mallrat’s voice cracking when she sings “Hey, I’m right here, I look different now.”
In her own words, “I made this song with my friend Alice Ivy. A lot of the lyrics on this song are about going home and how alone that makes me feel. The first verse is describing catching the train home from school with my little sister Olivia. She has passed away since I wrote this song and so it really makes me miss her.”
Threading notes of Hayley Williams to Radiohead, the power of ‘Horses’ lies in its stark but affective restraint. A mastery of space, gripped by vivid narrative and tender aura, written after a trip back to Brisbane that left Mallrat “feeling like an alien.” While revelling in the intimate has always lied in her sound, ‘Horses’ convergence of minimalism is a distinct elevation for Mallrat.
Co-written/produced with Alice Ivy, who shares "Mallrat is one of the most talented songwriters in the country, and 'Horses' is one of my favourite songs I've ever been a part of. We wrote 'Horses' together at my studio in Melbourne with the doors open to a view of Merri Creek. The lyrics and melodies and everything about 'Horses' couldn't feel more authentic to Grace, it's just so special. Stoked that it's out in the world."
Light hit my face like a straight right is born from a world of magical realism in Australian suburbia. Perpetually influenced by her time growing up in Brisbane – a capital city more closely likened to a big country town than metropolis – Mallrat consistently seeks out (real or imaginary) magic in the otherwise ugly and everyday, a means to understand the people and world around her. For Grace Shaw, the music she loves most captures a feeling or time that words alone don't do justice.
The record isn't abstract or tied to didactic stories, Light hit my face like a straight right is its own inherent being. Twelve songs explore the intangible and mysterious allure of human connection, held together by curious investigations into light. Mallrat’s instinct breaking new artistic ground underpins the record throughout. A bold step into the art of world-building, bolstered by her intuitive songwriting and clever, studied production.
Priming her forthcoming album with 'Horses', ‘Ray of Light’ and 'Hocus Pocus', Mallrat's astute balance of the picturesque with the acerbic and knack for unearthing gems from the rubble of human connections sets Light hit my face like a straight right as an all new cohesive statement for a creative at the top of her game.
LP TRACKLIST
My Darling, My Angel
Pavement
Something for Somebody
Virtue
Defibrillator
The Light Streams In And Hits My Face
Hocus Pocus
Hideaway
Love Songs-Heart Strings
Ray of Light
The Worst Thing I Would Ever Do
Horses
“Butterfly Blue, establishes her as an artist with ambitions bigger than the bedroom-pop genre that once defined her” - Pitchfork
"Mallrat proves she hasn’t just metamorphosised on her debut – she breathes fire" - NME
"Butterfly Blue is arguably the sound of an artist reaching her current peak, with forewarning that there’s plenty more highlights set to come" - Rolling Stone
"Poised on the precipice of world domination" - The Guardian
ABOUT MALLRAT
Mallrat has been breaking barriers since her influential debut in 2016 – accumulating over half a billion career streams in her discography and ARIA Platinum status. The project of Grace Shaw has shared stages with Maggie Rogers, Post Malone, King Princess, Conan Gray; collaborated with Azealia Banks, The Chainsmokers, BENEE, Blu DeTiger, Cub Sport; a late night TV debut on The Late Late Show with James Corden; headline world tours amongst globally recognised festivals Reading and Leeds, Austin City Limits, Laneway, Splendour In The Grass, Listen Out and boasts multiple triple j Hottest 100 entries from 2017 – 2020. The adored songwriter and producer catapulted Mallrat across the globe with critical acclaim from NPR, Stereogum, NME, NYLON, PAPER Magazine, The New York Times, Billboard, Noisey and more further affirming Mallrat as a beacon primed for the world stage.
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Caroline Romano Reveals New Single "Born To Want More"
LISTEN HERE
Nashville-based alt-pop singer and songwriter Caroline Romano is back today with her evocative new single, “Born To Want More." With this release, Caroline also unveils the title of her highly anticipated upcoming EP, How The Good Girls Die, set to drop in early 2025.
"Born To Want More," along with recent hits like "Body Bag" and "Pretty Boys," sets the tone for an EP that promises to push creative boundaries and further establish Caroline’s voice in the alt-pop scene. "Born To Want More" is a candid and powerful anthem that captures the ache of reaching for dreams that always seem just out of reach. The track opens with intimate, stripped-back guitar and Caroline's emotive vocals before building into a frenzied indie-rock soundscape that amplifies her story of yearning and resilience.
Reflecting on her inspiration, Caroline shares, “I wrote ‘Born to Want More’ during a time when I was grappling with a series of ‘almosts’—those moments where things felt so close but still just out of reach. This song captures that wits-end feeling where you’re wondering if you’ll ever find what you’re looking for. You’re chasing experiences and feelings that you know exists but you haven’t yet found. It’s something I know all too well.” She adds, “It’s by far one of my more vulnerable songs I’ve released, and it’s one of my favorites for that reason.”
At just 23-years-old, Nashville-based Caroline Romano has established herself as a versatile artist, effortlessly transitioning between misty-eyed ballads and fiery alt-rock anthems. Since the release of her 2022 debut album, Oddities and Prodigies, and her subsequent 2023 EP, A Brief Epic, Caroline has continued to come into her own as an artist, revealing new layers of her artistry with each release.
Her music is a masterful study of being a young woman in today’s world. Her songs are raw, untempered, and full of anguish, hedonism, and introspection. Over the past few years, Caroline has also become well-known for her high-energy live performances, performing at iconic Nashville venues like The Basement East and The End, and supporting Grayscale and Smallpools on their US tour.
Listen to "Born To Want More" on all streaming platforms:
https://onerpm.link/BorntoWantMore
Photos by Hayley Mikell Follow Caroline RomanoWebsite
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