Damon Albarn's solo record finished; new Blur album to be recorded this week in China

Damon Albarn is a busy man. One of the seminal minds of 21st century music, Albarn has fronted two milestone British bands, collaborated with just about anyone he felt like, and written an opera based in ancient Chinese mythology for his (brilliant) fictional band of cartoon characters.

And yet, save for a 2003 vinyl-only collection of demo tapes called 'Democrazy', he's yet to release anything under his own name. 

That is, until now. Talking to Rolling Stone ahead of Blur's headline set at Coachella's second weekend last month, he revealed that a solo album was, in fact, finished. 

After sharing production with XL Records' Richard Russell on Bobby Womack's stunning 'The Bravest Man in the Universe' last year, Albarn enlisted Russel to take production responsibility off his hands:

"Making a solo record can be such a disaster, so I thought if we're going to make a record with my name on it, I should get someone to really produce it – take that responsibility away from myself. Richard does the kind of rhythmic side of it and I do everything else."

He describes the record as "sort of folk-soul", and plans to tour it shortly after its release. He also, excitingly enough, will be playing songs from all of his projects over the last twenty years:

"It would be nice to play "Clint Eastwood" and "Feel Good Inc." with Blur, but I can't. They won't play them with me! [Laughs] ... when I go tour [the solo record], I'll play stuff from all my different bands."

Earlier this month, Albarn also breathed life into Blur's long-whispered-about eighth album since the reunion in 2009. On stage with Blur at a Hong Kong gig, he revealed ”We have a week in Hong Kong, and we thought it would be a good time to try and record another record".

He told Rolling Stone "we might make the record in a week. If we can, it would be nice".

Watch Blur's full Coachella set below:




And the highlight of last year's Plastic Beach, Empire Ants:

Read More

James Murphy/groovy/...punk? - What we know about the next Arcade Fire album

It's coming up to three years since Arcade Fire's grammy-winning The Suburbs came out - a 16-track journey through the transience and beauty of youth, and the glad acceptance of adult responsibility. The album took the scale and momentum of Funeral and Neon Bible, and brought it back to the suburbs for some not-so-quiet introspection.

Since October last year, according to a CKCU interview with drummer Jeremy Gara, the band are recording "pretty much full time" on an album that should see the light of day in late 2013; but the band are "under no pressure to do anything under any sort of schedule".

The process will doubtless have been slowed by the birth of Regine Cassagne and Win Butler's first child last month. But, if their past work ethic is anything to go by, it'll only spur them on and presumably give them plenty to shout about on the new record.

Having recently sold the church in which they recorded their last two albums, the band have set up shop at DFA records' studios in New York. The label is owned by LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy, who's been confirmed as working directly with the band on 'three or so songs', and is rumoured to be producing.

According to an interview for BBC6 Music shortly after the Suburbs release, Murphy has been a long time friend of the band, and had to put off producing their last two albums due to conflicting schedules:

"We just met, because everyone just meets on tour... Before Neon Bible i went to Montreal and hung out with them and we talked about doing the record but it didn't work out... it was basically the same time as I was doing Sound of Silver."

At a secret show in Montreal in Dec 2012, the band appeared as 'Les Identiks' and played several new songs. Due to the show's strict 'no video, no photo and no phones' policy, however, the songs have stayed very much under wraps. So much so that, as reported by fan page Arcade Fire tube, 'one guy's phone got thrown against a wall for trying to take a photo'.

The new songs were later described as 'fun, dance-y and groovy', and contained 'only 1 slow song / 1 punk rock-ish song'.

The footage was also filmed, but there's no sign as yet that we'll see any sign of it before the album's release.







So for now, watch the band perform Ready to Start last year and, because it never gets old, Wake Up at Reading 2010, below:

Read More

Possible first listen to new Boards of Canada album as mysterious video airs in Tokyo

First, a mysterious record containing 20 seconds of ambient music appears, on record store day, in a record shop in New York. In those 20 seconds, a distorted voice reveals the numbers : nine, three, six, five, five, seven. On the sleeve, the name Boards of Canada, and the cryptic marking:

------ / ------ / ------ / XXXXXX / ------ / ------

The finding is posted on Reddit by the user lilcakey, leading to speculation that the numbers correspond with the six Xs; further, that there are five other similar records hidden in record shops around the world that reveal the remaining missing numbers.

Warp confirm its authenticity, but nothing more.

Over the next few days, the remaining numbers appear in various guises, on Zane Lowe's Radio 1 show, the band's YouTube account, fan site Twoism, NPR and Adult Swim.

After the numbers have been released, a minimal site is launched by the band. Entering the numbers in sequence leads to a mysterious video, and thank Christ, a link to pre-order a new album - Tomorrow's Harvest, to be released on 10 June via Warp.

And you thought Daft Punk were frustrating.

Now, two weeks closer to the release, a video has been projected onto a big screen at midnight in Tokyo and, though the video is predictably impenetrable, this might be fans' first listen to the album.

Which track, we don't know. But it's something, and for an army of ever-more dedicated BoC fans, every little helps.

Watch a fan-shot video of the screening below:



The album will have 17 tracks, and is now available for regular pre-order from Bleep.com.

Update: Read a scan from next month's Uncut magazine, with first impressions of the full album. via Reddit

Read More

Listen to Giorgio DJ for the first time in his life

Apparently groundbreaking Italian producer Giorgio Moroder entered the collective consciousness of a new generation this week with the release of Daft Punk's 'Random Access Memories'.

Now, listen to his first ever DJ set, recorded last night at Deep Space, Brooklyn.

Guy's still got it.

Read More

OK Computer is 16!

Still feeling alienated by ubiquitous corporate greed?

Go listen to it here!

Read More

Live Stream: QOTSA to play new album in full tomorrow in LA

Queens of the Stone Age will reveal their new album at a show at the Wiltern, LA, tomorrow. The show kicks off at 8pm, EST, which means 4am the following morning for the UK, and the full concert will be live-streaming at NPR.

Watch the awesome 15-minute preview to ...Like Clockwork below:

Read More

Cass McCombs and Michael Hurley split 7"

Both enjoying a relatively similar level of recognition a few decades apart, and both holding a special place in followers' hearts, Cass McCombs and Michael Hurley are a match made in folk heaven.

Neither one appearing to be working on any new material, 'Mabel Green/Three Men on a Hollow Log' seems to be a joint venture, put out for the hell of it. Despite a signature Hurley cover, there's no sign of his track yet, but you can listen to Cass McCombs' contribution below:


The 7" will be released in July on Secret Seven.

Update: Listen to previews of both tracks here. Hurley's is a previously unreleased solo recording of a past track.

Read More

Baths' Obsidian now advance streaming on Pitchfork

Will Wiesenfeld's Baths stepped modestly onto the scene in 2010 with twelve tracks of gorgeous, disjointed chillwave. He's been at it for years, under the previous monikers [Post-foetus] and Geotic, but Cerulean was where the recipe hit home, perfectly falling somewhere between a breezy halcyon wash and stuttering, glitchy electro.

On May 28, Baths will release Obsidian, his hotly anticipated sophomore, but Pitchfork has the full album streaming now. It's darker than he's gone before, but still as fragile and downright powerful as his debut. Listen now via Pitchfork.

Listen to Cerulean here.

Download Geotic's full back catalogue from Wiesenfeld's own vaults here.

Read More

Get Involved Charabang - Rich Mix (8th May)

Arriving at Shoreditch’s Rich Mix for Get Involved’s Charabang Launch party, I was met with the unfortunate news that the breakdancing magician had to pull out.

That should give you an impression of the eclectic mix of new talent on show at the first Get Involved Charabang last Wednesday night. Magical Bones’ exclusion was a shame, and judging from his YouTube channel it’s a sight to behold, but the night showcased some of the best rising London acts around.

First to the stage was Arthur Lea, who channels the rootsy upbeat New Orleans Jazz of Dr. John with remarkable Jazz piano chops. 

Lea’s got that Delta spirit running through him, rooted in offbeat, bouncy riffs – but his lyrics tell his own story, covering topics from dealing with loneliness to wanting to be a superhero; the latter with audience-participatory zoom! and pow! sound effects. Check out 'Make Do' below.

Next up was the frankly unbelievable beatbox wizard ReepsOne. Reeps is a force of nature, and is able to exploit his vocal chords into producing an unstoppable frenzy of electronic music. He mentions onstage that occasionally he’s hired to play two-hour DJ sets armed with nothing but a mic and PA system, and you can believe it. Close your eyes, and you could be listening to some actually quite brilliant Dubstep, Electro and Drum & Bass.

That’s the most impressive thing – Reeps doesn’t just produce impressive sound effects and sit back for the applause, but moulds and layers them into music you would actually listen to. As he puts it, it’s not replication – it’s creation.

And in true variety show style, we go from the basements of 2010s London to the glamorous Boogie Woogie of 1940s Hollywood with self-proclaimed ‘vintage girl band’ the Tootsie Rollers. The Tootsies stormed through a dazzling setlist of contemporary classics, authentic 40s numbers and an original track that shows they’re past imitation – these girls are the real deal.

Rounding off the night were The Royal Organ Duo. The South East London natives play like Booker T & The MGs and banter like Chas n’ Dave; and use instantly recognisable pop classics as a platform to launch into all kinds of knockout jazz improv. Respective masters of organ and drums, the Royal Organ Duo don’t play covers as such – they take just enough elements of those songs we all know, from Jessie J to Led Zeppelin, and spin off into inspired and unexpected places. If you’ve never heard a lounge jazz play on Stairway to Heaven – now’s your chance.

Read More

Mixtape #8

Read More