Category Archives: Blog

Cologne Tape announce new album Welt, share film featuring unreleased material

10 February 2017

Cologne Tape - WeltFollowing the release of Render in 2010, the mighty collective Cologne Tape had hinted at a new album. It’s been a long while since but we can rejoice for they have announced a brand new full-length album called Welt. Before we go any further let us tell you that this supergroup includes Magazine co-founders Daniel Ansorge (Barnt), Jens-Uwe Beyer (Popnoname), and John Harten (Crato), Ada, Jörg Burger, Philipp Janzen, Mario Katz, John Stanier of Battles and The Field’s Axel Willner.  Recorded in Cologne, Welt features additional collaborations from Mexican artist Rebolledo, guitarist Burkhard Mönnich and singer Isis Lace. The record is the fruition “of a happening”, describes the press release, “during which the nine Cologne Tape members gathered in a room to play a solemn concert for themselves without a given frame”.

Welt will see the light of day on March 31st through Magazine and for a monumental taster of their world of sounds, watch this short film featuring unreleased material. A new album from Cologne Tape may have long been overdue but it will be well worth the wait.

Jacaszek shares new single from upcoming album KWIATY

09 February 2017

Jacaszek - KWIATYFor over a decade now, Polish contemporary classical composer Michal Jacaszek has been a prolific artist with numerous albums and compositions under his belt. He has a new album on the way entitled KWIATY, an effort that took its roots from a 17th century English anthology of metaphysical poetry. “The poems were simple, pure and beautiful,” said Jacaszek of the book’s Robert Herrick passages. “They spoke about death, pain, longing and loneliness, but somehow these pieces were bringing hope, solace, and peace.”
Arriving on March 17th via Ghostly International, KWIATY is described as “Jacaszek’s most rhapsodic release yet” and it follows his 2011’s Glimmer, an album influenced by nostalgia, classical music and Tim Hecker.

Jacaszek had previously unveiled ‘Daffodils’ and now he’s offering a new delicate and riveting new single, ‘Soft Music’. Listen to both below.


Phil France signs to Gondwana Records and re-releases debut album The Swimmer

09 February 2017

Phil France - SwimmerPhil France‘s solo debut album, The Swimmer, might not have received all the attention it deserved when it first came out in 2013. Luckily, Gondwana Records is reissuing the record worldwide on March 3rd. Known as a key member of the Cinematic Orchestra, the Manchester based composer, bassist and producer continues to hone his skills soundtracking human emotion, as the label describes. The Swimmer “is full of heartbreak and recovery, strength, honesty and frailty, it is meditative and hopeful”. Speaking about influences on the album, France cited film composers like John Carpenter and Vangelis as well as minimalist composers including Steve Reich and Philip Glass.

‘The Swimmer’, the wonderful and moving opening track, immediately captured our hearts. Take a listen now and pre-order the album via Bandcamp.

Dirty Projectors unveil video for new single ‘Cool Your Heart feat. D∆WN’

08 February 2017

Dirty Projectors - Cool Your Heart feat D∆WNWe’re pretty excited about Dirty Projectors‘ upcoming self-titled album. The outfit of David Longstreth has teased us plenty in the last few months, sharing three singles, ‘Up In Hudson’, ‘Little Bubble’ and ‘Keep Your Name’. With the album’s release fast approaching, Dirty Projectors are enticing us further with a new tremendous single, ‘Cool Your Heart’, co-written by Solange and featuring D∆WN on guest vocals. A r’n’b flavoured carnival of sorts, the track also features contributions from Tyondai Braxton on production and Mauro Refosco (Red Hot Chili Peppers / Atoms For Peace) on percussion. ‘Cool Your Heart’ comes with a brilliant time-shifting video, directed by Noel Paul & Stefan Moore. Watch it now.

Dirty Projectors is out on February 24th via Domino.

Oiseaux-Tempête to close trilogy with new album AL-‘AN !

07 February 2017

Oiseaux-Tempête - AL-'AN !French outfit Oiseaux-Tempête, the core duo of Frédéric D. Oberland and Stéphane Pigneul, are set to release their new album AL-‘AN ! الآن (And your night is your shadow — a fairy-tale piece of land to make our dreams) next month. AL-‘AN ! , which means Now! in Arabic, is the third and last part of a trilogy that includes their 2013 self-titled album and 2015’s ÜTOPIYA?. The album was recorded last year between Beirut and France, with a slew of guests.
With this record, the pair “have achieved a far more complex work, richer in texture, the intertwining of acoustic elements with electronica, roaming and shaking the foundations of this almost labyrinthian personal opus of an album”, describes the press release. “As ever, the group realising both the immersive and also the total physicality on the record.”

AL-‘AN ! الآن (And your night is your shadow — a fairy-tale piece of land to make our dreams) is out on March 31st April 14th via Sub Rosa and Oiseaux-Tempête are offering a taste from it with the poignant and compelling ‘Carnaval feat Mondkopf’. Listen to it now.

Oumou Sangaré returns with new album Mogoya

06 February 2017

Oumou Sangaré - MogoyaSinger Oumou Sangaré, the diva of Mali as she’s often referred to, has announced the release of a new album. Entitled Mogoya, which translates as ‘People Today’, Oumou’s upcoming record is also her first new material in eight years and it arrives on May 19th via Nø Førmat!. Mogoya sees Oumou collaborating with Fela Kuti drummer and Afrobeat founder Tony Allen, and enlisting Andreas Unge and French collective A.l.b.e.r.t for production duties. Whilst still rooted in the continuity of Malian tradition, Mogoya has a strong new sound as the press release described. “We wanted to emphasise the raw power of Oumou’s voice and songs”, explained co-producer Ludovic Bruni, of A.l.b.e.r.t.. “We wanted to find a new modernity”. On the album, traditional African instruments camel n’toni (harp), karignan (metal scraper) and calabash percussion are paired with electric guitar, bass, keyboards and synths. In Oumou’s own words, “this time round I wanted to go for more of a modern sound, to satisfy young people in Mali but being careful, all the while, to respect my culture and tradition”.
The long-awaited news also come with the first taste from the album, ‘Yere Faga’, a warm and glowing song about human relationships. Take a listen now.

In other related news, and in support of the album, Oumou Sangaré will be gracing London with a show in Scala on May 16th. Tickets are now on sale.