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.

Clap! Clap! unveil animated video for ‘Hope’ feat OY

03 February 2017

Clap! Clap! - Hope feat OYItaly’s Clap! Clap!, the project of producer, songwriter and live performer Cristiano Crisci, is set to release a new album following his 2014 debut Tayi Bebba. The new record, A Thousand Skies, slated for a February 17th release via Black Acre, depicts the journey of a young girl through the stars. The record combines samples and live instrumentation, and draws from many genres, from Hip Hop and Footwork to UK Bass and House.
A Thousand Skies features collaborations with guests like South African folk singer Bongeziwe Mabandla, John Wizards and HDADD. One of Clap! Clap!’s favourite bands, and ours too, OY, also joined forces with with him on one of the songs, ‘Hope’, on vocals and co-production. The track has been paired with an animated video directed by Simone Brillarelli and Jonathan Calugi. Watch it now.

In support of his upcoming album, Clap! Clap! has announced several live dates in Europe and the US, starting today in Italy and including a show at London’s Moth Club on April 21st.

The Octopus Project announce sixth studio album Memory Mirror

31 January 2017

The Octopus Project - Memory MirrorIt’s been a while since The Octopus Project released a full-length album and the good news is that is about to change. Comes April 7th, the Austin based experimental pop quartet will release their sixth studio album, Memory Mirror, via their own Robot High School label. The band enlisted Danny Reisch (Shearwater, White Denim) & Dave Fridmann (Tame Impala, Flaming Lips) for production duties and Greg Calbi (David Bowie, Talking Heads) for mastering duties on the new album.

April seems far away but we can already hear their first single ‘Wrong Gong’, exuding their usual fun and colour. Listen to it now.