TRACK REVIEW: Bruce Mississippi Johnson - No Good

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Bruce Mississippi Johnson

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 No Good

 

9.3/10

 

 

No Good is available via:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7azidCFktJs

GENRES:

Blues; Soul

ORIGIN:

Mississippi, U.S.A.

RELEASE DATE:

March, 2017

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The album, The Deal Baby, is available at:

https://open.spotify.com/album/0vg34Cx0f8NOmLLjhC8R7m

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THERE is so much variation in music that….

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one day, I can look at a legendary, Mississippi-based Blues artist – the next, a London-based Pop/Electro duo. I will look at the energised and vivacious girls of MissDefiant tomorrow but, right now, an artist I have not come across before. I shall look at his music but, before I do, I wanted to address a few things. For one, I shall look at Blues and the genre in general; artists in Mississippi and the range of music one finds between states; relocation and how a life can evolve and change – a nod to those artists that seem to be the ‘complete package’. Whether one puts the Mississippi part if Bruce Johnson’s name or not (there are sites and sources that do), I am going to keep him as purely Bruce Mississippi Johnson. In my blog; there are few occasions when I get to look at Blues artists and what is happening in the scene. Johnson mixes other sounds but one hears an artist who sources from legends of the past. He has some soul in the sounds and, if one imagines a blend of Jackie Wilson and Al Green – with some of the Blues legends thrown in – you’d be somewhere near hitting the mark. I shall come to address influence soon but, right now, it seems important to look at Soul and Blues in modern music. There has been a lot of talk about various genres and their dominance in music. I hear a lot of Pop music out there and certain other genres are starting to make their names heard – Hip-Hop and Rap among them. I am a little late to the joys of Bruce Mississippi Johnson’s latest track but, in a way, it provides a chance to give it a proper listen and investigate it months down the line. The track arrived a few months ago but, owing to a heavy schedule, it is only now I have been able to tackle it. I feel genres like Soul and Blues rely on a sense of tease and build-up.

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They do not need you to absorb it all at once and sit back and enjoy – come back and experience various parts of a song when you wish. That is the case with Johnson’s latest song. It is a piece that has romance and contrasts but has a depth and beauty that requires proper appreciation and involvement. Right now, there are not many known Soul and Blues artists playing in the U.K. One might bring in names like Sam Smith but he is an exception. Even he mixes in Pop and does not play it pure and unfettered. If you want to encounter an artist who keeps Blues and Soul pure then you have to dive deep into the depths of music. I feel certain genres get pushed down and not provided adequate oxygen. There is such a dependence on what we are fed and what is seen as ‘popular’. Jazz is another genre that struggles and, whilst there are few modern Jazz artists penning their own music, there are enough to intrigue and celebrate. The same can be said for Blues and Soul artists. Many feel they need to splice other sounds in so they are popularised and seen. It is a sad state when musicians feel they are excluded and overlooked. Music as we know it stems from Blues: Soul is the most passionate form of experience and has produced legends like Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. These artists, alongside Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye, could blend the ethics and stories of 1930s/1940s Blues with the raw and exhilarating rush of Soul. Bruce Mississippi Johnson would have heard these kind of musicians and been struck by their vivacity, electricity and passion. It is hard describing his sound but it does seem to sprinkle the Soul and Blues genres – bringing them into the modern age but not abandoning their roots. That authenticity and appreciation for older music is a gamble in a culture where we want modern and of-the-moment sounds. An otherworldly, older-days beauty can be heard in his music. I am concerned we neglect various genres because they are not seen as cool and happening.

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There are some wonderful Blues artists who are modern and captivating and current. They bring the style to the current day but retain the beating heart of the genre. The same is true of Soul: a lot of wonderful artists that deserve attention. Check out artists like (American) Leon Bridges to get an idea of what is happening in Soul right now. It is interesting looking at how our current examples do not abandon the past and unite that with a contemporary and personal aspect. Many other genres seem to lose sight of where they came from and the musicians that brought it to their ears. Bruce Mississippi Johnson hails, unsurprisingly, from Mississippi and would have learned a lot from the state. Mississippi, one might assume, would be restricted to older sounds and Blues, perhaps. We often project that image but, in reality, it is a fulsome and eclectic part of the world. From Punk and Pop to Rock – artists like Dead Gaze and The Jag have connections to the state. Maybe areas such as New York and L.A. gain more press but American music cannot be refined to and defined by the big cities/states. If you want a better impression of the country and what makes it such a strong and fascinating musical nation then you need to travel further afield. Mississippi has always played a relevant role in American music and, from past decades to the present time, produced some stunning musicians. Robert Johnson, the legendary Blues pioneer, hailed from Mississippi. Cities like Jackson are revealing some hot young bands and it seems a shame the U.S. media seems to limit its imagination to more obvious parts of the nation. Perhaps it is not a shock Bruce Mississippi Johnson has come to London – where there are more chances – but I have been doing some research into Mississippi music and there is a great mix. There are a lot of cover bands but, of the original artists, there are some terrific modern/mainstream hopes and those who retain the spirit of the state.

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Holy Springs’ Cedric Burnside is the grandson of the Delta juke-joint Blues legends R.L. Burnside. His music incorporates Rap and Pop but there is something pure and dedicated about Burnside. He retains the purity of his grandfather and keeps his spirit alive through sensationally immersive tracks. Dead Gaze (with ties to Oxford) have released a series of Psychedelic/lo-fi songs through the years and have that D.I.Y. ethic. They contrast artists like R.L. Burnside and are among the most exciting and promising acts from Mississippi. The Jag, like Burnside, is keen to preserve the old styles and ways of Mississippi. They formed in 2002 and, since then, the Jackson group have gone through various line-ups and stages. Restarting in 2011; their music has a retro Southern sound that brings in Psychedelia and experimentation together with good ol’ shades of the state. One looks at the biggest current artists of Mississippi and, looks-wise, there are few that contradict the stereotypes we have. Perhaps that is a good thing but Rosco Bandana are a septet that started their life in a tobacco store – when Jason Sanford went in to buy cigarettes (defying his Christian upbringing). The clerk there mentioned names like Iron and Wire and, when Sanford started jamming with Barry Pribyl – things got kicking and the project started its life. It is a very old-school, Southern vibe of America but one that has created a fantastic band. From that Gulfport collective to a stripped duo from Jackson. Spacewolf, as we might perceive certain folk from Mississippi, are not decked in finery and sartorial elegance. The boys prefer a T-shirt and recorded their 2010 eponymous debut to modest acclaim. The guys have, in the past, recorded through a homemade microphone – built from an N.Y.C. payphone receiver and beer can – and have that rustic, rural charm. Jackson’s The Weeks came together in 2006 are an Indie-Rock band that unite Southern Rock and Grunge. They signed to Kings of Leon’s Serpent and Snake Records and have been making an impression in the state since then. It appears there is a culture and scene worth digging – Bruce Mississippi Johnson would have learned a lot whilst there.

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He is in London now and, far from assimilating too wholly and abandoning where he came from, he is adding his unique voice to a city that lacks proficient knowledge of Soul and Blues. London seems to current and limited. That seems strange for a massive city but it is still the case that minor genres are pushed to the outside. The record labels and big radio stations spend very little time uncovering the finest artists in Blues and Soul. I am disappointed this is the case but I suppose areas like New York would be the same - I imagine they are more concerned with the cool and current. Johnson has featured in magazines such as Soul Bag and has a loyal following here, He has appeared on BBC radio and received a lot of love from the people here. I worry we are too beholden to what is heard in the charts and not making inroads to other styles of music. It is a shame we consider Blues and Soul to be part of the past – with very little contemporary importance. Music has only come this far because of those genres so we should not be ignorant of their place and history. London is a great place for Johnson to play because he has more opportunity to shine. Great venues, various radio stations and big crowds can be found in the capital. If one wants to experience music that has more depth and meaning than most of the mainstream’s ‘best’ – they could do far worse than spend some time with Bruce Mississippi Johnson. He has brought a lot from Mississippi and learned a great deal when there. It would not have been practical to remain there. Fewer opportunities for him to get his music to the masses. I guess the same is true of the U.K. and U.S. to an extent: media and the influential will allows gravitate to the city. Perhaps areas like New York were not a good fit and did not give the same excitement and comfort as London. I know for a fact there are many wonderful musicians in London who have a real connection with Blues and Soul.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Johnson alongside Gaby Roslin

Although quite a few integrate them into other genres – Johnson is someone who is capable of adapting and camouflaging other genres into his sound. I love how Johnson keeps his music pure and uncompromising. He would have been raised on a diet of those Blues legends and the Soul kings and queens. He has his ear to the ground and aware of the modern best and biggest – a concoction of the classic and current. Bruce Mississippi Johnson has been speaking to London stations and ensuring songs like No Good – and his album, The Deal Baby – have struck new ears. One need only look at him to know there are few contemporaries. He cuts an imposing figure but is lovable and down-to-earth. He is easy to chat to but, at the same time, I would not pick a fight with him. As I will talk about; he has a marine background and is someone who has had a vivid time of things. That is not to say he is a brawler and fighter: the man was in the forces and had ia past that differs to where he is now. I am not explaining that well but the fact is Johnson is a fascinating figure that stands out from the boring and blend alternatives. There is a lot about him that fits into the ethos and history of Blues. A lot of the genre’s key figures has unconventional and interesting pasts. A sense of history, legacy and richness stems from the blood and bones of Johnson. He has a natural home here and a lot more room to manoeuvre and campaign. I know he will go from strength-to-strength because there is a rarity and need for his music. London still focuses too much on mainstream tastes: acts like Bruce Mississippi Johnson are needed n order to add colour and contrast to the masses. We do not have many like him and there is a distinct need for his music. I am a fan of Blues and Soul and feel there is a need to assimilate it into the London scene. What is fascinating about Johnson’s role in London is his humanity and Southern manners.

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That might seem like a strange suggestion but there is something compassionate and dignified about Johnson. Few London artists have such a courage, heart and sense of humanity. That could be perceived as cruel and stereotyping but Johnson has been involved raising awareness and compassion for the victims of Grenfell. When the fire hit – and lives were lost – he was among many who spoke up and took action. With fellow artist, Omar, he raised money for the victims and was eager to have his say. That is admiral because, in my view, more musicians needed to get involved. The fact he is American – and has not been in London THAT many years – means he could have sat back and has a rather casual attitude to things. That is not how he is raised and one can trace his upbringing and sense of community to the fact he was deeply involved and passionate – raising funds and speaking out against the atrocities. I know there are many compassionate artists in London but few that have the same qualities as Johnson. A rare specimen that brings together his experiences and various travels into a fascinating and enigmatic personality. London is doing him a lot of good and he is injecting U.S. Blues and Soul into a scene that desperately needs it. From his early years in the Deep South; Johnson began life singing at his grandfather’s church. He gained a love and knowledge of Soul and Gospel music and found a sense of purity and love in the songs he experienced there. The rouse, spirit and togetherness in the church resonated and enforced his following years. Complimented with exposure to Al Green, Jackie Wilson and Gil Scott-Heron – Johnson was introduced to a world of wonderful and classic Soul/Blues greats. The stocky and tall U.S. Marine cuts a dashing figure but, with that tenderness and soulfulness, mixed it into the blend and became a rounded and tantalising personality. Not many have the same contrast and attributes. After Johnson left the Marines; he travelled to Paris and involved himself in the Parisian Jazz scene. There, he would have learnt new crafts and disciplines.

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It opened his eyes to the history and range of Jazz. I am not sure whether America has a strong Jazz tradition but I know France has a thriving and textured scene. One can look at Johnson and hear such a rich and varied voice and know Paris played a big part. Hearing the great Jazz artists there – fusing that with his church education and Soul upbringing – and there are so many dynamics to his music. We have U.S. Blues and Soul with Paris Jazz; London contemporaries artists and all the styles the capital boasts. Whilst in Paris; Johnson collaborated with the likes of Big Joe Turner’s Blues Caravan and helped solidify is music; cut his teeth with new acts and imbue more shades into his melting pot. All of these experiences and hook-ups can be detected in his album, The Deal Baby. It has been quite a background and upbringing for Bruce Mississippi Johnson. He carries his past with him but is involved in London and getting his music to the people here. The thing that amazes me about him – among many – is the way he has blending into London life and connected with musicians/D.J.s here. He has spoken with Rabin Goslin and performed on some of our local stations. Johnson seems to have a connection with the city and one imagines a raft of dates will come – the chance to bring his music to the people. I shall move on but feel there is a lot to recommend and love about Johnson. He brings that fame and exposure he found in Paris and is ensuring our modern scene is no stranger to the joys and pleasures of Blues – Soul power and the ecumenical elements of the church. I was excited featuring Johnson because he is someone that can genuinely change mainstream music and ensure genres like Soul and Blues are not seen as niche and minor. The sheer wonder and gravitas one discovers in his voice has already made an impact here. That is likely to strengthen and augment as he makes his name know in London. Britain needs talent like him so, because of that, a song such as No Good is essential.

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No Good’s introduction brings in romantic and swirling organs to give the song a real kick and sense of imagination. In terms of sounds; I am reminded of Al Green’s Love and Happiness. It has that sense of drama and captivation about it. Johnson’s coda is a little calmer but it seems to carry a weight of sadness and contemplation. The song, when I see the first few seconds of its video, seems to look at romantic break-up and reckoning after the wreckage. Johnson has a ring in his hand – whether an engagement ring or wedding – and mournfully looks into the distance. Perhaps the song’s title refers to a love that has gone sour of the fact he is no good – maybe a bit dishonest or not the right person for the girl. The sweetheart took what he had and took advantage of his schoolboy crush. There was a sense of instant infatuation and trust. The hero wanted the romance to work and gave his heart to it. There was no expectation and rules: a man who was keen to give his soul and not play any games. It sees the girl has taken him for a fool and now, rather vividly, the hero is hanging out to dry. His teeth dangle from a tree – as Johnson sings with regret – and love has run cold. Adding a new dynamic and lyrical perspective to shattered love – many would forgive him for painting such bold and stark pictures. He was in a relationship and did not think anything would go wrong. There is “Too many damn confusion” and our hero has thrown everything away. He took reason out of the rhyme and was rather struck by an unexpected torrent. Our man is assessing everything and wondering what happened. Maybe there was too much trust from him and these of being caught up in the rush of passion. I am not sure who broke off the relationship but it seems like, from the start, things might have been on an uneven footing. Now, he looks at the emptiness of the bed and where things started to take a bad turn.

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The band, backing Johnson, offering rushing keys and sympathetic support. There is a teasing, hissing beat and a sense of funkiness that provides relief against lyrics of solemnness and blame. The hero lets his voice soothe and rise: he has a wonderful chocolate-like vocal that gets into the heart and makes it skip a beat. Johnson has a great authority of the Blues and Soul so it is no surprise his vocal has a connection to past masters. I am not sure whether he directly sources from any particular singer but I hear Al Green and Gil Scott-Hero in the blend. It is whiskey-sharp but has that caramel warmth running through its marrow. Few artists are able to project such a curious combination. It gives, of course, the words that extra dynamic and authority. Our boy feels he is no good for anyone but himself. That might seem rash considering, maybe, the girl is partly to blame. He cannot be judged for giving his all to the relationship and trusting her implicitly. Maybe he rushed ahead and, the fact he has a wedding ring in his palm, he was eager to tie the knot and set up a home. She might have said ‘yes’ but was caught up in the moment. This might be a part for a Johnson: perhaps a particular love that was hot and special. It is worrying hearing Jonson look at the broken shards and put the blame on himself. Few artists cast the accusation inwards – this is something many could learn from. There is contrition and maturity but he might be putting too much weight on his own shoulders. The song’s video sees our hero caress and kiss a blonde woman whilst, in other scenes, reduce a dark-haired woman to tears. The lyrics say how Johnson’s past life was tough – maybe this is an excuse for the catting about and cheating. Revelations come in and maybe there is that inability to find joy and completion with one woman.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Bruce, in Paris, around 1984/1985

He may have got into one relationship and found he was not fulfilled. A sexual desire and eagerness to sow his wild oats mean a mess has landed at his feet. Confusion reigned and, as he confused about his wife and children, he ruined a relationship. I am not sure whether he was unhappy in a relationship and should have got out – the marriage I assume – and been honest from the start. If he has; he may have been able to find time and transition into a new love. Instead, he rushed in and overlapped. It caught up with him and that need to confess and unburden – going back to his church upbringing – means he has damaged what he has. He looks around and wonders where all that confusion stemmed from. Perhaps he was bored in a marriage but was not brave enough to admit that. I feel Johnson is better on his own and cannot balance the realities and demands of a relationship. That need to find time away and assess what he wants means there is an opportunity for introspection and evaluation. I know it can be challenging staying in a committed relationship but Johnson has made a mistake and is up-front about it. It seems things are not as they appeared. The beats continue and the keys drive and create an infectious spirit. When Johnson changes to a speaking section – transition from sung to narrating – things become clearer. When he was having dinner with his girl across town; she started to mumble words and, eventually, admitted she was seeing someone else. Johnson’s low and deep voice means the words hit harder. To be fair; the break-up was his own making. As he was eating his dinner, he could see his wife enter the restaurant. The girl left and he was left with the bill – along with a lot of heartache and regret. He cannot blame anyone else for the results as he has been selfish and tried to have his cake and eat it. The rarity of finding an artist that is honest and admits they have made a mistake – that is quite humbling. I am not sure why the infidelity occurred but one feels Johnson was in a tough place and looking for as much affection and company as possible. He went about it the wrong way but would have learned a tough and valuable lesson. It is one he will move on from and grow wiser from it. I am not sure whether he is in a happy love not but is clear No Good documents a time when things were hard for him. Let’s not judge the man and the story but commend and celebrate a song that is a fine and wondrous mix of old-style Soul and Blues. An intoxicating brew that demands the listener offers their full and frank attention to it.

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I would usually kick an artist arse who does not provide that many good and recent photos – I feel Johnson could kick my arse fairly readily! – but I have let it slide when it comes to the Mississippi-born artist. He is someone whose music is required in 2017 and, because of that, he gained a spot on the blog. That is not saying I have a strict code of conduct but I am so visually-minded I am turning people away at the door. Bruce Mississippi Johnson is a person who has such a sense of compassion and awareness. He has already lent his voice to the fundraising for Grenfell victims. Seeing as London as experienced another terrorist attack; one wonders whether Johnson felt that hard and how he reacted to that. The man puts his heart to the people and, wherever he is based, connects with the people. Maybe that is to his church raising and the way a Mississippi child would have been brought up. The sounds of Soul greats would have given the songwriter a sense of pride, compassion and community. Based in London; not only does Johnson have a great city where he can assimilate different sounds and genres – there is a rare opportunity to bring his brand of humanity and love to the people here. I know there are some kind-hearted London artists – it sounds like they are all cold and heartless – but it is rare finding someone like Bruce Mississippi Johnson. I am keen to see where he goes from here and what dates he has coming up. He has recently played the 606 Club in London and will be looking for new gigs. I am not sure whether he has played spots like Ronnie Scott’s and that esteemed space. London has quite a few great Jazz bars and venues for Johnson to get his music heard – wonderful small spaces where he can connect with his kind of crowd. To be fair; it is not only Jazz clubs where Johnson is celebrated.

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I know 2018 will be a big year for him because, not only does he have a great group of fans behind him, but is starting to get his name more out there. He has played on and chatted to London D.J.s and seeing his fanbase build. I know Soul and Blues are genres are not popularised and prolific in the mainstream but that, I hope, will change. He has played at The Blues Kitchen (Shoreditch) and making his name known across the capital. When his album was released a few months back; Johnson performed at a range of different venues and excited the crowds. That has died down a bit but he is still performing across London. I wonder if there are dates coming that take in venues wider afield. I know Manchester is a city Johnson could seduce and find many opportunities in. There are so many great spots and spaces he could bring his music to. One cannot listen to Bruce Mississippi Johnson’s The Deal Baby and assume it is going to be a replica of Robert Johnson, Al Green – and the artists he was raised on. There is modernity and contemporary relevance to his music. One gets a great blast of modern production that unifies with the embers of Soul/Blues greats. Johnson’s rich and commanding voice means every song gets into the head and strikes the heart. Let us end things shortly but I am fascinated when American artists base themselves here and come from unfamiliar background. The fact Johnson has spent time in Paris and gained a name there – will he keep moving and go to other parts of the world?! I think Europe is the best place for him as there is a lot of affection and knowledge. In terms of historiy; artists have always been able to find themselves celebrated and acknowledged when playing genres like Jazz, Soul and Blues. American does have a connection with that type of music but is more concerned with other areas of music.

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London is a vibrant and ever-changing city that is open to suggestions and progression. The capital is too hooked on the mainstream and media-pushed artists. The eyes and ears are never that wide when it comes to other parts of the music landscape. Let’s leave things here but I wanted to end by suggesting everyone familiarises themselves with Bruce Mississippi Johnson and his music. He has had a wonderfully interesting past and changed since his early recordings. He carries his idols and upbringing but he integrates sounds and artists he heard on the road into his fantastic songs. No Good is his recent single and one I was eager to get down to. It has an addictiveness that means you keep coming back to it and discovering new joys every time. I know Johnson will go a long way and there is plenty more to come from here. Whether there are more tour dates in 2017 – or is planning a new assault next year – I am not sure. It is a great time for the U.S. songwriter and The Deal Baby. Get your ears around a unique artist that brings something fresh to the London scene. He has the potential to hook and enthral large areas of the U.K. and get people turned onto classic Soul, Blues and Jazz. A terrific artist with many more years ahead; ensure you make Bruce Mississippi Johnson part of…

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YOUR regular rotation.

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Follow Bruce Mississippi Johnson

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INTERVIEW: Jamie Mathias

INTERVIEW:

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 Jamie Mathias

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WHILST reading Jamie Mathias’ answers…

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it occurred to me he must be among the hungriest artists around. He has announced the release of his album, The Great Escape LP, and has been working hard since his E.P. back in 2015. Songs are compelled by the good and bad aspects of love: the capricious nature of life and the experience common to us all. Started a Fire is the album's lead-off single and one I was keen to know more about. Mathias talks about that and his creative inner-workings; which of the album’s thirteen tracks stick hardest in the mind – and what we can expect from the L.P. in general.

He chats about the rest of 2017 and what he is up to; the artists/albums that impacted him hardest – and the reason music arrived in his life.

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Hi, Jamie. How are you? How has your week been?

Hey! I’m great, thank you…how are you?

This week has been busy as ever: meetings in London, studio-work and promo for the album!

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For those new to your work, can you introduce yourself, please?

Of course!

So…I am a mid-twenties (teenager at heart) singer-songwriter. If you had to put me into a genre I’d say 'Pop' - but it’s a lot more diverse than that. I like to touch upon a few different styles and I rap a bit, too. 

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The Great Escape LP is your forthcoming release. What can you tell me about the themes that compelled the songs?

So...the album was initially intended to be an E.P. - that comprised songs that I had written about my girlfriend at the time which covered various stages in the relationship (not just the good ones). It transformed as time went on and includes tracks about my struggles as an artist and other relationships.

Apart from If Only, they are all written from personal experience. Each track tells a story about exactly where I was or how I was feeling at the particular moment it was written. I feel that’s quite important for myself personally because, once I've got something off my chest through writing, I feel much better about it - and I like to be able to look back and be reminded of where I used to be and how things have changed.

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Was it quite a hard process recording or a lot of fun? How long did it take to record the album?

I wouldn’t necessarily say recording was a "hard process" - It was a long process though, for sure.

I recorded the bulk of the album with a producer/friend who has other commitments - so it wasn’t just something I could spend three or four-weeks-solid in the studio with him. We had the odd day here and there and then I’d sit on a track for ages and go back with ideas and things that needed changing. I would say my producers did most of the hard work. Once the songs were written; it was down to them to make them come alive.

We did have a load of fun, for sure, and I’d say it probably took around a year to make in total - but that was on-and-off.

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There are thirteen tracks on the album. Which ones, would you say, are most personal and stand out in your mind?

The majority of them are personal...however; I'd say Great Escape and Started a Fire are probably the most personal - as they were written when I was not in a good place, mentally, and I poured a lot of my heart out (in those two tracks).

If Only is a very emotional song but I had actually written that for someone – who, very sadly, lost their significant other to brain-cancer at a young age. The plan for that is to release it separately as a single - and split the proceeds between Cancer Research (UK) and the hospice that treated him.

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Started a Fire, the lead single, is out in the ether. What was it about the song that made you release it first? What inspired you to write that track?

I think Started a Fire needed to be released first as it’s the song that detaches me from the relationship I was in - and what I needed to get out before I could move on from there. The next single (putting aside the charity one) will be much happier.

The song is about feeling like I had bitten off more than I could chew with the lady I was with; feeling powerless and defeated.

It boasts a memorable and impressive video. Do you like filming videos and how important is the visual aspect of music to you?

Thank you! I’m sure the director will be thrilled to hear that.

I absolutely love being part of the video process: the visual aspect is vital to me. We like to create something that’s thought-provoking and something with an actual story to follow. The videos don’t necessarily follow the exact meaning of the song - but it’s usually an extension of this and a visual representation of my director Jessie’s interpretation.

Who are the artists you grew up listening to? Was music a big part of your childhood?

I was born in the 1990s and Oasis were always on in my house. They’re still an absolutely huge part of my life and there’s never a party where they’re not played at. Michael Jackson, in terms of artistry, is an absolute idol of mine - and gutted I never got to see him live. I’ve always loved listening to music but I can’t say it was a big part of my childhood from a playing perspective. I was a late bloomer into music - as I didn’t start singing, or even know I could, until I was sixteen.

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There is richness and seduction in your vocals.  Do you work hard on your voice or is it a result of the musicians that have influenced you along the way?

Thank you very much. I don’t think anyone has ever said that to me before.

I work hard in terms of singing A LOT…but I've never been technically trained or even studied techniques - I’ve just found my own way and developed it.

Other musicians, I’m sure, have subconsciously influenced the way that I sing.

How does music come together for you? Do you set time aside to write or do songs strike when you least expect?

Writing songs, for me, is usually something that comes very naturall - especially lyrics. That being said; it’s always best when I’m in the mood for it and there’s something I need to get off my chest. (Not always negative lyrics). Sometimes, when something or someone makes me feel a particular emotion so strongly, I can’t make sense of it properly until I have it written down in a song.

I prefer that kind of songwriting to going in the studio with a blank canvas - and trying to think of something whilst uninspired.

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After the album is released, what plans do you have? Will you get a chance to rest before the end of the year?!

I plan to promote it as much as possible and then gear things up towards a tour in January. I have a lot of meetings and a lot of demands from other people to take care of - so rest isn’t really going to be an option.

I’m doing something I love, though, so I can’t complain!

What tour dates do you have coming up?

The only confirmed show is my album-launch on the 29th September at Patterns (in Brighton). I just wanted to throw something to say thank you and to give people the opportunity to hear the new songs live for the first time. There will be a tour planned for January - but I can’t announce anything until it’s confirmed…

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IN THIS PHOTO: Ren

Who are new acts you recommend we check out?

My favourite artists at the moment are two friends of mine…

The first is called Ren. He’s had a career plagued by illness - but he looks to be on the mend now and he is incredible. He’s a multi-instrumentalist, singer; songwriter, producer and rapper. His wordplay is ridiculous and his first album he did completely on his own - so make sure you check out Freckled Angels.

The other is Dom Kent. He is an exceptional songwriter and guitarist and I've watched him develop from a thirteen-year-old up until now. He’s not the best with social media but his music is amazing - and I’m really looking forward to seeing him bring out a proper release.

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If you had to select the three albums that mean the most to you; which would they be and why? 

Definitely, Maybe, The Marshall Mathers LP and Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not

They’re three absolutely massive records I know front-to-back and they make you feel something - which is exactly what music should do.

What advice would you give to artists coming through right now? 

I’m not sure I'm the most qualified person to be answering this question, to be honest, but the main thing I would say is to keep writing and constantly promote yourself. Once you put yourself in everyone’s eye-line; you don’t want to drop out of it.

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In an ideal world; great music would speak for itself - but it’s what you do after the records have been made that is equally, or perhaps even more, important.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can name a song and I’ll play it here (not one of yours as I’ll do that). 

OasisRock ‘N’ Roll Star

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INTERVIEW: Hill

INTERVIEW:

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 Hill

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MY detox and time away from Canadian music…

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has lasted all but a few days. I have fallen off the wagon and diving right into the colourful and warm waters of Hill. I speak with the fantastic Edmonton songwriter about the local scene and how music came into her life. She talks about her new song, On Camera – and what it was like working with Caitlin Cronenberg on it. I get a real insight into her songwriting and creative process; what the future has in store and the music that inspires (Hill).

Hill has an album approaching so she discusses that and whether a U.K. stop-off is a possibility; how the rest of the year is looking – and those great local artists we need to affiliate our ears with!

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Hi, Hill. How are you? How has your week been?

Hi! It's been good: it's been full of music.

For those new to your work, can you introduce yourself, please?

I'm a Canadian writer, producer and multi-instrumentalist who loves Mexican beers and making dark, moody; intense Electronic music with thick vocals.

Talk to me about the song, On Camera. What is the song about and can you remember how it came together?

The song is about B.D.S.M., essentially.

I was in Toronto working with my buddy Mike Schlosser (my co-producer) and I was like: "Ok, I wanna go here. I wanna go this far. Are you uncomfortable?" (and he's not that type). He just makes sh*t work and gives the writer, space and helpful ideas.

I like that it ended up poetic and yet still conversational enough that, to me, it feels personal.

Its video was directed by Caitlin Cronenberg. How did you come to meet her and what was it like working on the video?

I met her through my manager at GLASSLOVES.

Caitlin is the kind of cool where she has no idea how much of a badass she is. She was so relaxed to work with and her little dude (her son) was there hanging with us. Some friends came by and brought their dog...it was easily the most relaxed, and yet, simultaneously productive set I've been on.

She's very open-minded and insanely talented.

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PHOTO CREDIT: XoVideo

Was it as fun to shoot the video and who came up with the concept?

Arthouse and Caitlin came up with the details of the treatment. It was very fun and pretty quick. The treatment is meant to be a subtle nod to the lyric.

I believe you have an album due next year. Can you tell me anything about its songs and themes you explore?

Yes. It's an assortment of songs I've made over the last couple of years - because so much has changed in my life and taste and career that I've needed to re-evaluate my sound a lot. It's ended up being a lot more intimate and intense than it was originally bound to be, and I like that. Most of the content is very personal, actually: a lot of it came out of a bad breakup I experienced in the summer of 2016. I was a bit of a mess.

It turned out to be a real metamorphosis for me - dealing with it while being surrounded by very select co-creatives and songwriting my way to the other side.

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Give It a Rest is the title-track and was picked up for rotation on KCRW (in Los Angeles). Was that quite humbling and does the fact your music is played on big stations give you a lot of drive and encouragement?

Yes! Chris at KCRW has been amazing. He is very responsive and supportive. That was very inspiring to me as an artist - who's in for the long-haul of building a career.

I believe you have experience as a top-line writer. How did you get into that side of music and is it something you enjoy?

My work as a top-line writer came about randomly, through a few people I didn't even know, passing my music around.

I do enjoy it and it has made me a much stronger writer in a very short time.

Edmonton, Canada is your base. What is the music scene like there and are there a lot of great new artists coming through?

So many.

I can't begin to express my love for the Edmonton music scene. It is so positive and inclusive. There is unbelievable talent in my hometown. I’m excited to be working with some of them.

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PHOTO CREDIT: XoVideo

Can you tell me how music came into your life and was it a big part of your young life?

I began singing when I was eight and spent a lot of time in the small world of vocalists coming up in Edmonton. I later discovered the band-scene and then moved to Toronto for college where I really dug up what it meant for me to participate in a music scene - and what kind of role I wanted.

All my growth from the time I started has been through my peers.

Who were the artists that made the biggest impression when you were growing up?

That's hard to say because I mostly listened to top-40 radio. I just grew up singing along to the greats – Whitney (Houston) and Christina (Aguilera); Mariah (Carey) and Céline (Dion). I feel like I didn’t discover my personal musical taste until my last year in college.

I just absorbed everything.

What tour dates do you guys have coming up? Any plans on coming to the U.K.?

I would love to come to the U.K. as it's where most of my current favourite artists are out of (James Blake and FKA Twigs, for example).

How does the rest of 2017 look? How will you be spending the next few months?

I'm spending a lot of time Stateside and releasing one or two more singles in preparation for the album drop. I've got a show in my hometown (on Oct 6th) with Tei Shi, ggoolldd - and U.S. girls that I'm stoked for.

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Lyra Brown/PHOTO CREDIT: @meaghan.baxter

Who are new acts you recommend we check out?

(See above…)

…as well as Daniel Caesar and Kendal Thompson (both from Toronto); Darren Frank, Lyra Brown and Scenic Route to Alaska (from Edmonton).

If you had to select the three albums that mean the most to you; which would they be and why?

This is a big question….ok.

1. James Blake - Overgrown

2. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange

3. BANKS' London E.P.

What advice would you give to artists coming through right now?

Pay attention to two things: being great at your craft and being a good human. Do the work from a place of joy or passion - and be committed to making dope sh*t.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can name a song and I’ll play it here (not one of yours as I’ll do that).

So Am I - Ty Dolla $ign (ft. Damian Marley & Skrillex)

This is my jam right now.

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INTERVIEW: The Dharma Jerks

INTERVIEW:

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 The Dharma Jerks

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I cannot remember the last time I interviewed…

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a French artist but, thinking back, it must have been Jazz songwriter, Ellene Masri. She resides in Las Vegas, now, so there are no French-based artists on my site. The Dharma Jerks have arrived and proves what a sense of the exciting, eccentric and wonderful music is coming out of Paris – the boys are based in the capital and revelling in its opportunities.

I speak with the chaps about the video for their song, Mary Anna; whether there is any more material coming up and how The Dharma Jerks came to be. They look ahead and state whether they are coming to the U.K. – and how their week has been.

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Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

Physically? Well! Psychologically…?

As an Englishman...you may not know there’s a season before fall: here, it’s never a good time to change season.

But, our E.P. release is coming and we are pretty excited!

For those new to your work, can you introduce yourself, please?

We are four guys living in Paris – we have played together for more than a year. We play Garage and Psychedelic Rock: music to jump around and being fuc*ed up (to).

Nothing particular

Talk to me about your new single, Mary Anna. Is it inspired by a particular girl? What is the story behind the song?

We prefer not to smear a lady in public (B.T.W…was she a lady?)

Mary Anna, I know, is taken from a forthcoming E.P. What can you reveal about that and the type of songs that will be included?

It’s our first E.P.; recorded in excellent conditions - which is rare for a first shot.

We recorded it live - which means we actually play together in the record. It’s tough but it’s the best way we found to communicate the energy we wanted to share. There are six tracks.

They represent most parts of us: naive Pop, obsessive psychedelism (sic) and violence.

I want to know about the band-name, The Dharma Jerks. Does it have a Jack Kerouac link (and The Dharma Bums)?

Well done for the reference - people don’t always catch it! It’s exactly about The Dharma Bums: we just replaced ‘Jerks’ for ‘Bums’.  

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The band is based in Paris. What is the city like for new music? What is the scene like there?

There’s huge energy in Paris in term of gigs and music. Every night, a lot of great people and venues organise events.

The city, and France, has faced a lot of threats and terrorism this year. How has that affected The Dharma Jerks and do you react to politics and how the country is struck?

We don’t really put a politic meaning in what we do...

You may answer that question and say playing music is, of course, somehow politic - but we are just four Jerks playing music very loud.

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Can you remember how you all got together? What was it about you guys that meant you set up a band together?

Imagine going on a Tinder date and she becomes your girlfriend…

The drummer answered an ad from Bastien and Aurelien - who were already playing together at home in an early version of The Dharma Jerks. He then came with a friend playing guitar.

There no doubt it has worked - because we were drunk the first time we played a gig together.

You say, on your website, you play music loud so you don’t need to talk to one another. Do you guys hang a lot outside of music? What is the bond like in the band?

Relationships are simple between us.

When we need to discuss any subject; everyone brings his own knife. So, we mostly play together and hang out when we tour.

Your music can be described as Garage-Rock. Who are the artists that inspired all of you? Did you all grow up around heavy and intense music – or was it quite a diverse education?

The band almost split discussing this question...

Next, please!

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What tour dates do you guys have coming up?

We’ll be touring in December, January (2018) and February in France: Paris, Bordeaux; Poitiers (and more T.B.C. soon).

Follow our Facebook page!

Is there any chance the band will come to the U.K.?!

We are definitely looking for it!

Glad you are ok for us to use your flat when we arrive - that’s so great of you, Sam!

Who are new acts you recommend we check out?

Nope.

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If you each had to select the album that means the most to you; which would they be and why?

Louis (Drums): The Who - Who’s Next

I’ve learned to play drums in order to play these drums parts.

Matthieu (Guitar/Clavier): Rival Sons - EP

Because I can’t get tired of this.

Bastien (Vocals/Guitar): Foxygen - We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic

Maybe not the one that means the most (there are too many); not the biggest sound, either, but definitely one of the most recent slaps in my face. A summary of the ’70s, carefully applied.

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Aurélien (Bass): The Velvet Underground - Loaded

Raw, simple - but so brilliant.

What advice would you give to artists coming through right now?

Never listen to the advice of a band who hasn’t yet released their first E.P.

Finally, and for being good sports; you can each name a song and I’ll play it here (not one of yours as I’ll do that).

Take on Me - a-ha

Drugs Drugs Drugs Tonetta

You Shouldn’t Stick Around - Foggy Tapes

Oh! Sweet Nuthin’ - The Velvet Underground 

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Follow The Dharma Jerks

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INTERVIEW: Josephine Oniyama

INTERVIEW:

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 Josephine Oniyama

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A soulful chanteuse from Manchester…

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Josephine Oniyama has released the lead-off single, 'Til You – it will appear on her as-yet-untitled new album. I speak with her about the song and how it all came together; what the music scene is like in Manchester – and how Oniyama got into music in the first place. She talks about appearing on Jools Holland’s Later… and how her music has developed since her album, Portrait.

I find out more about the twelve-year-old songwriter who first connected with the art and kindled that passion; picking up the guitar her mum bought her and immersing herself in music. Oniyama talks about some of the musicians who have helped bring her songs to life and plans for the future.

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Hi, Josephine. How are you? How has your week been?

Hi, I’m fine thanks. Been a nice week

The new song, 'Til You, has had some wonderful feedback - and the weather’s not too shabby.

For those new to your work, can you introduce yourself, please?

I’m from Manchester. I did lots of touring with my album, Portrait, throughout 2013/'14. The album was the culmination of many years of writing and performing (have a listen).

It’s great, now, to be releasing some new music though - and gearing up towards a new album.

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I believe an album will follow. Do you have a title yet and ideas for songs – or is it coming together gradually?

I’ve been writing steadily - pretty much since finishing touring Portrait - so the songs are just waiting to be produced, finished off etc. Not sure what songs will be on there yet though but, as soon as that’s narrowed-down, I’m sure a title will suggest itself...

I like to let it depend on how the collection of songs works as a series.

'Til You follows your critically-lauded album, Portrait. There were some big collaborators on that record. How did you come to meet them all and what was it like having so many unique artists on your record?

Well. Most came about through suggestions from management etc. as I didn’t really know anyone in the industry before making Portrait - I was just a gigging musician, so I needed introductions. I met some great people, producers; songwriters etc. like Ed Harcourt, Leo Abrahams and Crispin Hunt.

They all helped to make the album what it was.

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Following the album’s release; you played at some great festivals and performed on Jools Holland’s Later… What was your most-cherished memory from that time?

It was all a bit of a blur really - but it had taken many years to get Portrait out and I was just really proud of the release and the way it turned out. So, I suppose the highlight was just having the album in my hands - and seeing it on the shelves and online as a finished thing.

Nothing can really top that...

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What is inspiring your songwriting right now and how would you say your work has changed since your debut-album stage?

I’ve learned a lot since the last album and, with songs, I’m just trying to keep it simple and deliver a straightforward sentiment. I understand the importance of melody much more than I used to (also) - so I’m always listening out for great melodies and thinking ‘I wish I wrote that’.

But, hopefully, those things inspire something new in me.

I understand your music passion began at the age of twelve. Was there a single moment that began that love for music?

Hmm…not really.

I think that music was always something that was there, from Day One. I got my first guitar around that age - so I had some means of channelling what was probably already there.

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Manchester is your home. How important is the city and do the people give you strength and confidence to play and dream?

I think home is important no matter what you do: it’s a place that’s always familiar no matter how much things change when you’re away. The more I travel, the more I realise how unique Manchester is for nurturing dreams – and not judging people who dream. You’re very much allowed to have ideas above your station in Manchester - it’s not always the case in other places.

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What else do you do outside of music? Do you have time to explore other avenues and passions?

Luckily, the collaborations and projects I’ve been involved in over the past three years have been really incredible - so they have allowed me to explore some of my other passions. I wrote two live film-scores; collaborated with Travis on their last album - and wrote and toured with Matthew Halsall and his Gondwana Orchestra.

Are there any tour dates approaching? We can we come see you play?

Nothing to announce right now but I’m in the process of working out the schedule for the next few months…so keep an eye on my website for announcements.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Natalie McCool

Who are new acts you recommend we check out?

Check out Shunya and Natalie McCool.

If you had to select the three albums that mean the most to you; which would they be and why?

Van Morrison - Astral Weeks

Real Synch-Folk full of weird moments. I love it because it’s full of performances never to be repeated.

Fela Kuti - No Agreement

It (just) reminds me of my family; about being young and not really knowing what music was about - but knowing that it was powerful.

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Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

When I heard this album, I just couldn’t believe it. The production, performances and songs are exceptional. It’s an album that really stays with you and you can’t forget.

What advice would you give to artists coming through right now?

Hmm…advice? Same as I’d give anybody really, musical or not: have a plan

Finally, and for a being good sport; you can name a song and I’ll play it here (not one of yours as I’ll do that).

If you have 17:31 mins (I found a 'shorter' version) to spare; play Fela Kuti - Go Slow (from Music is the Weapon of the Future)…

…If not; maybe you can play Travis Paralysed

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Follow Josephine Oniyama

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FEATURE: A Desire to Challenge the YouTube Hierarchy: The Music Vlog Vacuum in 2017

FEATURE:

 

A Desire to Challenge the YouTube Hierarchy:

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PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash 

The Music Vlog Vacuum in 2017

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ONE way to make my prolific writing less tiresome on the fingers would be…

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to visualise and video my ‘musings’. I feel the music industry is in an odd place where there is unparalleled growth in terms of artists and sounds: the nature and dominance of the media are going through troubled times. The printed music media is struggling a lot right now. There are established music magazines like MOJO but publications such as NME have been through a problematic last few years – declining sales and the need to be free to the reading public. It still puts out great articles and interviews but found it was unable to generate sales figures as lofty as once was. I look around newsagents and find far fewer music magazines than once was. As I said; there are established survivors who still have a loyal clientele. One of the issues seems to be the digitisation of the music press. I have raised concerns around the lack of working-class journalists at broadsheets and at music magazines – things seem to run deeper! The sheer viability and profitability of the music press are compromised. One sees a lot of blogs and music sites but these are run as inexpensively as possible. I worked for one, The Metropolist, a while ago and that had to close because it could not afford to run – offering tickets to reviewers but unable to make money back; struggling against the competition with those who worked there unable to balance it with their paid jobs. It seems music journalism, as with music itself, is being streamlined to blogs to writers who have to subsidise their passion with a full-time job – spending their free hours producing as much as possible. I feel the music media is having to adapt to the modern world and the lack of monetisation chances and profitability. We are buying fewer magazines and newspapers; we can get our content online but, those who run sites, can hardly justify charging people to read content.

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IN THIS PHOTO: The popular YouTube vlogger/musician, Emma Blackery

I struggle to write enthusiastically because I know, deep down, I want to go to gigs and go more into live reviews. Travel, trains and gigs cost money – it is very hard attending gigs regularly and being able to afford that sort of pursuit. I, and many others, run blogs and sites with no overheads and as modestly as we can – relying on the written word for the most part. It seems there is a natural gap in the market for music media/journalism to move sideways. I look on YouTube, and their most-popular channels, and there is a dominance of very narrow markets. By that, I mean a few specific industries and sectors are dominating the channel. Usually, when seeing vlogs/YouTube channels they are split into three/four areas: beauty blogs; lifestyle writers and pranksters - video game vloggers are popular. Even popular YouTube talents like Emma Blackery – who is a successful musician in her own right - fills her channel with personal videos and content that is not exactly substantial. She talks about her music in the minority and posts performances here and there – that is outweighed by insignificant and common day-to-day videos; pieces that appeal to her pre-teen/teenage audience (mainly girls). Do a search of the best/most-popular vlogs and there is really nothing about music – in a practical and inspiring sense. We have a lot of music journalists working on radio stations – providing music news and content – but very few assimilate and integrate that talent/desire into YouTube/Vevo. I wonder why there are few/no music journalists and channels combining all elements of journalism into a channel. Look at the mass of beauty bloggers and few are offering anything distinct and different! One can get a similar flavour from most of them – one or two do stick out but they are in a heavily-saturated market. The same is true of pranksters/lifestyle vlogs which are filled with immature stunts, pointless commentary and insignificant crap – hooking viewers in and offering them very little in the way of meaningful material.

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Elsewhere; there are more intelligent and inspiring vlogs/channels that talk about film and the arts – I am seeing more film vlogs and T.V. channels. This gives me a lot of encouragement but, again, where are the music commentators?! I hesitated entering that sphere because, I assumed, the field would be packed with aspiring D.J.s, journalists and musicians talking about everything in the music industry. Unless I am going blind…I cannot see that many out there. Buying filming equipment and shooting videos would not cost THAT much – it is a static cost and not prone to depreciation, taxation and inflation. I guess, for many, there is that initial fear of poverty. The reason so many beauty bloggers succeed is that they already have sponsors and marketable assets - enough money and supporters to ensure they can fund their ambitions and get an impressive revenues stream. Journalists, unless you work for a newspaper or magazine, are unpaid (or low-paid) so, when they try this sort of thing, they have to use their own monies – working full-time and finding whatever time they can to put together videos. I feel there is a gap and, if we want the music press to inspire and connect with the next generation, move laterally/unilaterally into places like YouTube. I am a traditionalist and prefer my music in print form but am not naive enough to ignore websites and blogs – they provide me with content, musicians and inspiration on a daily basis. So few journalists are innovating a drive of music-based vlogs. There is so much possibility and scope to start a new trend and add a kick and fresh impetus into music journalism. A channel – not sure what it would be called – could do weekly interviews with new artists (a one-on-one series that is a mix of Desert Island Discs and a traditional radio interview). It would put a face to the artist and be a chance for them to perform live and talk about music.

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IN THIS PHOTO: The immensely popular fashion/lifestyle/beauty vlogger, Zoella/PHOTO CREDIT: Zoella

We could have a series dissecting classic albums and how they made an impact on music – playing videos/tracks from the album and interviewing people regarding their love of said record. There could be a weekly review segment and a daily news section – keeping people abreast on all the music happenings from the mainstream and underground. Uniting the unsigned and famous is something few blogs/sites do so that would be a niche – featuring new and under-the-radar musicians but blending that with the elite and best from the charts/mainstream. I worry journalists and music writers are overlooking the financial and creative possibilities of YouTube and Vevo. The only reason beauty blogs and lifestyle vlogs have taken over is that they saw a market desire and got themselves out there. Music is more popular and widespread than beauty and food, for instance – the huge number of food vlogs is troubling and utterly baffling! Music is this universal language, I feel, would benefit from more exposure. There are a few music vloggers but nothing that comprehensive and all-under-the-same-roof. I have suggested a few possible ideas and regular features but there is so much more that could come in. That lofty platform deserves depth and serious content. Talking about issues musicians face would attract people in - addressing anxiety and small venues closing; the struggle to make money from music and the issues of sexism and racism in the industry; the lack of working-class journalists and other imbalances. This, paired with lighter content, would broaden the demographic of subscribers and offer something real and inspiring. Before you know it; there is a stocked and varied channel/vlog that would draw punters in! The fact the channel would start on modest foundations might put people off – the risk that, unless they are trending and noticed right away, they cannot afford (in terms of money, effort and time) to maintain a channel.

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IMAGE CREDIT: NME

It seems like such an obvious idea but makes me wonder why so few are doing this?! If they are then it is rather quiet and needs supporting channels – to challenge the prolificacy and dominance of beauty, lifestyle and food vlogs. Those channels offer useful advice and inspiration to many but, when you look closely, there are so many doing very similar things. It is hard knowing who to follow and what to believe. The biggest stars command absurd sponsorship backing and rake-in millions a year. The biggest YouTube stars – two more nauseating words have not been put together! – make bucket-loads and get huge brands following them. If they have a talent and are changing the world then you would not begrudge this success and richness. The truth is very few – who get big money and are stars – actually warrant that kind of pseudo-celebrity. Music journalists do not want to be famous themselves: they are more concerned with music and the artists they feature. Perhaps that is an issue: where do they get sponsorship and finance from?! Their channels, given an adequate promotion drive, would get people in but how do you monetise that?! Subscription fees might be unreasonable because people can get music content for free. It seems there is a chance for tech. giants and record labels to get involved – those with a lot of money to put funds into something worthwhile! The new iPhone has just been launched - it whipped up the usual circus of technology-obsessed zombies and appeals to those who want something shiny and new – but they used a few musicians (Blackery included) in their marketing and promotional video. The link between technology/Smartphones and music can be linked to platforms like Spotify and Apple Music – where many musicians are featured and are integral to iPhone/Smartphones. A music vlogger could pair with Apple or another giant and, in exchange for financial backing; the commentator/vlogger could promote the brand or find a way of incorporating iPhones/technology into their features.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Chilean YouTuber Germán Garmendia (with Lenay Olsen) is one of YouTube's biggest stars - but is more noted because of his video game videos (even though he is a musician)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty/Frazer Harrison

The same goes for the big record labels – they would pay the ‘star’ money for featuring their artists and running a bit of advertising on their behalf. That may sound unethical and a bit corporate but, for a site like this to expand and succeed, one must make moral compromises. It would not be too questionable: simply a bit of business so a music vlog could strengthen and rival the biggest vloggers out there. More importantly; music is there to inspire and compel the generations – journalists are, with musicians, the arbiters and spokespeople responsible for getting the messages to the people. I think a comprehensive and fun vlog could, in time, draw millions in and get international recognition. It could work with mainstream stars and huge acts; build popular features and provide every sensible music-lover everything they need under one roof! I will end this but have spotted a market and opportunity that has not been filled. Now, more than any time, music journalism (and music itself) has a big voice to play and has so much to say! There is so much going on and wonderful music in all corners: issues that need tackling and the desire to preserve legendary/classic music and ensure it is bequeathed carefully to new generations – a lot of it is in danger of being overlooked as streaming platforms put more emphasis on what is trendy and new. I have merely scratched the surface but there is a chance to build something new, inspiration and, yes, profitable! I would like to see not one but several music vlogs and journalists challenging the biggest fashion/beauty/food vloggers - that provide YouTube/Vevo’s ‘most-popular’ lists a rather homogenised and samey feel. Music is much more powerful, worthy and fascinating so, my hope is someone – I will do it if I can – fills a gaping void and makes a difference. The fact is the music press is struggling in printed form. A lot of blogs and websites are not getting people hooked and are there is a consensus to conserve the sacred form without compromising ethics. A YouTube channel would not need to make many modifications in order to provide a more financially-lucrative and multimedia channel for music fans. I predict it would start a mini-revolution but it requires that originator and pioneer. So, with that said…

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PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

WHO is it going to be?!

FEATURE: Chills, Thrills and Goosebumps: How Music Evokes Different Reactions

FEATURE:

 

Chills, Thrills and Goosebumps:

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ART CREDIT: Sam Chirnside

 How Music Evokes Different Reactions

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I am fascinated the way music hits and how our mind and body…

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PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

interacts with sounds. I often wonder whether memories, and music that evokes such powerful ones, unlock a bigger rush and hit than new music – those songs you need time to attach to. The reason for going into this area is a recent study that showed, if you get goosebumps when listening to music – your brain might be wired a bit different. I will quote from Tone Deaf -   who explain things a little better:

It’s a feeling many of us know well: that shiver down the back of your spine as your favourite song hits its crescendo, the hair standing on end on your arms as your breath shortens. It seems a simple thing, but apparently this visceral reaction to music may tell us something about the way our brains work.

The reaction described above isn’t something that happens to everyone, but as Consequence of Sound reportsa new study published by the Oxford Academic finds that people who experience strong physical reactions to music may be wired differently to those who only react to music internally, and may be open to experiencing a wider range of emotions.

Conducted by USC PhD student and musician Matthew Sachs, the study finds that people who are impacted by music in this way “have a higher volume of fibers that connect their auditory cortex to the areas associated with emotional processing, which means the two areas communicate better.”

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 The study was only quite small, working with two groups of 10 students, one of which reported feeling chills when listening to meaningful music, and the other which claimed it did not. By utilising brain scans of the two segments, researchers found that not only did the ‘shivers’ group experience more neural connections in the auditory cortex, responsible for processing our hearing, but they also experienced an increase in the emotional processing centers and the prefrontal cortex – the latter of which would be involved in thinking about the meaning behind the song, the former concerned with the emotional side.

For Sachs, the small study was only a first step in finding out more about if and how the phenomenon is linked to differences in emotional capacity, and “individual differences in sensory access”, with plans to continue the studies in the hopes of using the findings to treat depression.

This is not a new study but it does show how powerful music is: the way it impacts different brain-types and personalities is fascinating. This is not the only study – I shall introduce a couple more later – but, when it comes to lifting the mood and tackling depression, should we be harnessing music more emphatically? I was intrigued when reading the new study as few of us think about the neurological connection with music – how our neurons and the temporal dynamic build-up develops over time.

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That intravenous flow of music, once in the bloodstream, works its way to the brain and, once there, squirts into all the crevices, avenues and side-streets of the mind.  When one gets shivers and goosebumps listening to music, obviously, it causes us to calm and relax. Any anxiety and stress, at that moment, dissipate and demure. That might return but it seems, to me, music has a potent part to play when tackling psychological and neurological illnesses. Maybe the illnesses are too complex to be adequately targeted but music can allay and calm some of the worst symptoms. Music is such a vast and deep subject: deciding which pieces elicit certain triggers can be discovered through extensive experimentation and trials. Many have been run but, in a nation where mental illness is taking off at an uncontrollable level, it seems now, more than ever, more time and money needs to be directed towards such a scheme. I will share my experiences and thoughts but, before I do, an article for your delectation - that was published last year:

We predicted that if a person were more cognitively immersed in a piece of music, then he or she might be more likely to experience frisson as a result of paying closer attention to the stimuli. And we suspected that whether or not someone would become cognitively immersed in a piece of music in the first place would be a result of his or her personality type.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash 

To test this hypothesis, participants were brought into the lab and wired up to an instrument that measures galvanic skin response, a measure of how the electrical resistance of people’s skin changes when they become physiologically aroused. Participants were then invited to listen to several pieces of music as lab assistants monitored their responses to the music in real time.

Examples of pieces used in the study include:

·         The first two minutes and 11 seconds of J.S. Bach’s “St. John’s Passion: Part 1—Herr, unser Herrscher

·         The first two minutes and 18 seconds of “Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1: II

·         The first 53 seconds of Air Supply’s “Making Love Out of Nothing at All

·         The first three minutes and 21 seconds of Vangelis’ “Mythodea: Movement 6

·         The first two minutes of Hans Zimmer’s “Oogway Ascends

Each of these pieces contains at least one thrilling moment known to cause frisson in listeners (several have been used in previous studies). For example, in the Bach piece, the tension built up by the orchestra during the first 80 seconds is finally released by the entrance of the choir—a particularly charged moment that’s likely to elicit frisson.

As participants listened to these pieces of music, lab assistants asked them to report their experiences of frisson by pressing a small button, which created a temporal log of each listening session.

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

By comparing this data to the physiological measures, and to a personality test the participants had completed, we were—for the first time—able to draw some unique conclusions about why frisson might be happening more often for some listeners than others.

Results from the personality test showed that the listeners who experienced frisson also scored high for a personality trait called “openness to experience.

It seems, in all these studies, Classical music is used as reliable samples. I can understand why these pieces evoke an instant and tangible reaction: sweeping strings and delicate piano motifs; scores that provoke all manner of deep emotions and violent scenes. Without a word being sung; a fantastic Classical articulation can mobilise shivers, goosebumps and tease in an orgasm of biblical proportions. The same, actually, can be said of Jazz. A terrifically sensual and primal blast of horns can get right into the heart and make the head spin. Is it, then, the instrumental passages that are responsible for those vivid reactions? I am surprised as many as a-third of people do not possess the ability to be that moved by music. I guess there is no D.N.A. coding imprinted from birth – we all react differently to music. Some suggest a deeper immersing into music – people who intellectually bond with artists – means one gets greater nourishment and connection. That makes sense: if you properly listen and conspire with music; you are going to be more immune to its full beauty and potency.

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There have been few songs, in the past few years, that has moved me to such a heart-stopping and hair-raising reaction. A few Folk numbers make me smile, sigh and shiver; a couple of great vocal performances create goosebumps and near-tears exposure. It is hard to predict what song will cause me to lose my senses and surrender to its majesty. It does not have to be something as obvious as Classical music. I can listen to a new track on a BBC station and, whether a sublime vocal or great guitar riff, I will have that candid response. I can definitely reveal I am among those who are moved to the point of shivers and goosebumps. It is a wonderful thing to experience but I feel, adding my opinion to the debate, there is a childhood dynamic. The same way we can be taught morals and a certain talent: we can learn to respond to music in such a way we have physiological side-effects. I am sure my passionate exposure to music, when a child, is why I can produce goosebumps with ease. I am sure that inherited neurology and a predetermined propensity to these responses means, in some way, certain people are hardwired and encoded from birth. It is not the case those who are now immune cannot, with a little change of diet and commitment, reach the same ‘heights’ as people like me. Many will say what is the big deal about experiencing goosebumps?!

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I know they are temporary and cannot transform a human in radical ways. What is the biology and science behind these ‘frissons’ and shivers? NME, in an article in 2013, shed some light:

The researchers (Valarie Salimpoor and her colleagues from McGill (Canada)
found activation in an ancient, centrally based brain system called the dopaminergic reward pathway; structures associated with pathway, such as the striatum and nucleus accumbens, were flushed with the brain-pleasing neurotransmitter ‘dopamine’ just before and during musical chills. This reward brain response is associated with motivation and addiction.

We typically experience this type of brain response to biologically rewarding stimuli; things that help us survive, like sex and high fat foods. Modern music does not really help us survive so it is effectively piggy-backing on this reward brain system. This system can also get hijacked by chemicals that modify mood. On the face of it therefore, this part of your brain reacts to sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll.

It seems we have a primordial and caveman like lust to experience the rush and sexiness of music. Those who get shivers from Classical music, one feels, are having a different part of the brain stimulating than, say, a great riff or epic Rock song. There is that clash of beauty and passion that appeals to separate parts – each as powerful and important as one another. To me, the songs that get me shivering and goosebump-y are those that connect me with early memories. The first artists and albums I was exposed to were instrumental and formative.

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From a sweeping and gorgeous Kate Bush song to the opening notes of The Beatles’ I Feel Fine – these notes and sounds connect me to my first encounter with the artists responsible. Hearing a song so many years down the line can instantly connect us with that first encounter. A song can cause shivers because of the memories it produces – that same song might not create the same reaction if it did not have that same importance. It is interesting taking that point and seeing whether memories are a more powerful tool than quality. What I mean is, when people hear certain songs/genres; do they get that stunned reaction because it unlocks something in their memory? I wonder whether I get shivers hearing I Feel Fine because I heard it as a child. Were I to hear it fresh today; I am not sure I would get the same response and effect as I do. That means it is the actual remembrance and connection with the past that causes shivers – not something inherently embeded in the song itself.

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The introduction to Tears for Fears’ Everybody Wants to Rule the World makes me shiver because it is my first memory of life. I do not think I’d have that intense response if it was a new track. I think there is a lot of potential to be mined from music’s power and unique gift – when shivers and goosebumps form and calm the senses. Whether that materialises in cognitive therapy and some form of anxiety remedy or not – I feel we should not read studies and leave it at that. The fact we are getting new findings each year – the latest one dates back merely a few days – means people are interesting discovering why music can cause someone to shiver and stop dead. It is clear music, in various forms, genres and configuration, has an incredible ability and magic…

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SO many people are fascinated by.

INTERVIEW: Maya Wolff

INTERVIEW:

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 Maya Wolff

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WE are lucky enough to have artists like Maya Wolff in this country…

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creating some amazing music. She is German-born but has been in the U.K. since the age of nineteen. Moving away from Pop in 2006; she has taken her music in new directions and, in the process, amassed a giant fanbase on social media. I ask whether we can expect any new material soon and what the differences are between the British and German music scenes.

Maya Wolff is a hungry and multi-talented artist who is well worth watching as we head in 2018. I learn more about her background and the way her music has evolved; how songs come together for her – and whether music struck her at a very young age

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Hi, Maya. For those new to your work; can you introduce yourself, please?

I’m a singer/songwriter based in the U.K. I work with producer all across the Electronic genres and all across the world. The piano is another one of my huge passions - which is my go-to for songwriting and, sometimes, I even compose piano pieces-only.

Music has always been part of my life and quickly transformed from a hobby to a profession during my teen years.

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Can we expect to see new music in the pipeline? What does the remainder of the year have in store in that sense?

There is an E.P. in-the-making and it’ll be an E.P. with just my name on it: not a collaboration this time - even though I’m still working on collabs., too. Hopefully, I’ll be able to reveal a release date soon - for some time in 2018!

You are based in the U.K. but hail from Germany. What provoked the move and do you see yourself returning to Germany at any point?

This is an interesting question and I feel a degree of discomfort answering this question in the light of the political madness over the last year-and-a-half...

Being German, but having lived in the U.K. since the age of nineteen, the U.K. has become my musical home - and the U.K., being such an important musical hub for music, it certainly is a massive factor why I haven’t moved back to Germany yet (apart from that special someone keeping me here too).

I’ve always been excited about British artists and the styles that have come out of the U.K. 

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What is the music scene like in Germany at the moment? How do the music scenes differ between the two nations?

I have also noticed a massive shift in the music industry in Germany - so I don’t feel quite like such an odd artist anymore - on home-ground - and more and more people find their outlets for creativity there, too. Techno has made a huge come back recently and I associate Techno with a big scene in Germany.

Both my homes have had a big influence in my music in their own ways.

How do songs come together for you? Do you set time aside to write or do they come to you naturally?

There are a few different ways of working for me...

Sometimes, I just sit down on my piano and it all just comes to me like a magic wand has been waved. Other times, I write for someone else’s track and I imagine a story or a picture-  if I don’t feel any strong emotions going on in my life at that time, I make them up. 

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What made you want to take up music? Was it a big part of your childhood?

I’ve always wanted to make the music I love listening to and, in my teen years, a huge part of my listening was Pop.

As I grew out of that, and started listening to D'n’B, House; Trance etc., I started aspiring moving into these styles. 

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I know you teach music too. What is that experience like and how rewarding is it?

Teaching, to me, is highly rewarding.

I love passing on my passions and seeing my students grow and get excited about their talents. It’s not something I planned on doing: life just kind of went that way. It’s great and also reminds me that life will always bring changes about. 

How important is the fans’ support to what you do and how far you have come?

Fans/people supporting my music are what makes it all worth it.

I can write and sing in my studio all-day-long by myself - but that gets empty after a while. If no one witnesses it…did it even happen?

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What are your most treasured and fondest memories from your time in music?

Ironically, some of my most treasured memories are me by myself on the piano, especially when I was younger, because it was those moments that sparked my dreams – and put me on the journey I’m still on..

Do you have any tour dates coming in the next few months? Where can we see you play?

I’ve taken a break from performing this year. I’m especially excited about my E.P. - coming out next year.

I’m hoping to be back on stage (lots) again!

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If you had to select the three albums that mean the most to you; which would they be and why?

Due to the change in technology; I haven’t listened much to albums as a whole in the last few years - so my three albums go way back and might not be what you expect…

Eminem - The Eminem Show 

Linkin ParkMeteora

Backstreet Boys - Millennium 

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What advice would you give to new songwriters coming through?

Never stop improving yourself - and you’ve just got to want your dream enough to realise it!

Finally, and for being a good sport, you can name any song you like and I’ll play it here.

In the light of recent events, maybe my choice should be Linkin Park’s Numb - since it was one of my album choices

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INTERVIEW: Sloan Peterson

INTERVIEW:

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 Sloan Peterson

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THE incredible Sloan Peterson is the latest project from Sydney-based…

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songwriter Joe Jackson. She steps out from the Sydney South Coast D.I.Y. scene and, rustling through vinyl and lost gems, brings an incredible concoction of 1950s guitar-based Pop and staggering jive. After arriving in Sydney (as a teenager); Jackson spent endless hours recording through a laptop and filming homemade videos. She is now twenty-four and, on 22nd September, the Sloan Peterson E.P. will be among us. I ask about the record and how she came together with her band; what themes are addressed – and whether there will be touring of the work.

Rats and 105 are already out there – I Want You has just sneaked out – and it shows Joe Jackson, and her boys, are exceptional at blending vintage Rock ‘n’ Roll with modern flair and production. The inciting and quixotic lead talks about her music past and what the scene is like in L.A. – she has spent time in the U.S. – and whether Australian music greatly differs; who her idols are and, taking a big step in music, what advice she would give any upcoming songwriters.

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Hi, Joe. How are you? How has your week been?

Hi, hey; hellooo.

My week has been dandy - incredibly busy but great - thanks for asking!

For those new to your work; can you introduce yourself, please?

I’m Sloan Peterson aaaannnnnnddd, I like to pardy…haha no, but, seriously…I’m Sloan Peterson and I write, play and perform music.

How did you come to form the band? How did you meet the guys you play with?

My bass player was the bass player for my old band and, basically, (just) put the feelers out that I needed some reliable groovers to join my gang - and Oscar and Ben fell into my lap.

It was great.

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The music, as you say, is a mix of 1950s’ guitar-Pop and Garage-Rock. There are elements of David Bowie, Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley. Are these artists a big influence and how important do you think icons like Presley are to modern music?

Well. Elvis was not only the King of Rock’n’Roll but made it mainstream - he was one of the most influential musicians of the twentieth century. I listen to so many different styles of music.

I try not to limit myself as it’s where I get most of my influence while writing. It probably shows in my songs - how much they vary in sound.

The six-track Sloan Peterson E.P. is out on 22nd September. What can you reveal about the songs, sounds and themes explored throughout?

All the songs are very different - but they all tie in together somehow.

They were mostly written about love or heartbreak - with just the right amount of upbeat songs to slower, cruiser tunes.

Joe. You moved from Los Angeles as a teen and spent hours/days/weeks sifting through old records and recording on your laptop. It seems like you blend the classic and modern when it comes to music. How important is technology and vinyl in regards your unique sound?

Well. I think the reason the past is so hypnotic to me is probably because everything wasn't as accessible as it is now. I loved that people could still be original: now nothing's original as everyone is influenced by something or someone. Technology, to me, isn't terribly important: I’d love to give away my phone; delete all my socials and go off the grid – but, unfortunately, it's such an essential part of what I do.

There is something so magical about putting on a record in the lounge-room while doing things around the house - I think everybody would agree.

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I am a big crate-digger and vinyl enthusiast, myself. Either in L.A. or Sydney; is there a place you go to when you hunt for vinyl? What has been your best discovery when sifting through dusty records?

I generally love looking through op-shops - so many hidden gems and soo much cheaper. There is a great place in Newtown, Sydney called Repressed Records - who always have bargain-bins for records, too.

So much gold there, also.

How does the music scene of Sydney differ from that of L.A.? Are there a lot of great venues and fellow bands around you?

Australia has incredible music/bands happening right now. It’s funny how distinctive the sounds differ between each city, I find. Melbourne and Byron seem to have a lot of D.I.Y. Punk music scenes; LOTS of mullet hairstyles (ha). Brisbane bands have a kinda British Pop vibe, to me, and Sydney seems to be very into Electro-laptop music.

Venue-wise, there are only a couple of standard places that people play - but I generally find L.A. quite similar to Australia…except there are a million more people in that rat race.

105 was the debut single - and made in collaboration with The Strand Arcade. What was it like filming in the same location David Bowie’s Let’s Dance was filmed in? How influential was Bowie’s aura and spirit to the video’s conception?

It was such an incredible experience to film in The Strand Arcade. There was such a great team that I worked with as well. We shot from 6 P.M and I didn't get home till 8.A.M. (the next morning).  It was insane!

I actually didn't realise David Bowie had actually shot in there for Let’s Dance but was informed while we were filming - which was pretty amazing, really.  

The black-and-white video for the follow-up single, Rats, was directed by Luke Stephenson. What was it like working with him and do you think the concept best captures your love of stars like Brigitte Bardot - and musicians such as Buddy Holly?

Rats was a very quick home-done video. We were kinda running out of time and had thrown a bunch of ideas around - but we were influenced by ’90s Grunge film clips like PJ Harvey’s Man-Size. Rats is a song about hyperactive teenagers who feel kinda lost - while trying to find their way to adulthood. I unintentionally based my performance around that: it was very different to the film a clip to 105 as I wanted it to come across relatable and natural - so no hair stylist or makeup – and, the reason for the ’60s fashion, was because I dressed myself. Haha.

That was also an unintentional fusion of eras.

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Basically, I wanted to display the behaviour of an anxiety-ridden, hyperactive teen – so, hopefully, it came across that way.

How is the tour diary looking? Are plans on coming to the U.K. sometime?

For the end of the year, we are playing a lot of low-key festivals around Australia but, hopefully, (we’ll) get some international tour planned out for next year.

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PHOTO CREDIT: @mrjeremydylan

What is it like playing with the boys and do you have to keep them in line?! Is there a member of the band who’s a bit of a trouble-maker or a bit of a diva?

I love playing with boys: they are so amazing and usually listen to what I say, straight-up – although, when I asked Jesse to wear a dress recently, he was pretty reluctant at first…but I told him that sex sells and we have to make him at least ten-times sexier on stage. Haha. I think he bought it.

Oscar, our drummer, is pretty young and definitely likes to party; Jesse, our bass player, probably gives me the most grief. He talks back a bit and changes things when playing sometimes - but such a great bass player. He reminds me of the bass player from the band The Jam - ’cause he kinda plays bass like a guitar. It’s incredible.

Ben, my lead guitarist, is just the (most) sweetest thing…

If you had to select the three albums that mean the most to you; which would it be and why?

The Beatles – (every album)

Because they are timeless.

The Lemon Twigs - Do Hollywood

Because they are incredible performers and musicians. We supported them in Sydney - it blew my haircut clean off.

Laure Briard - Sur la piste de danse

It’s a dream of mine to sing a song in French! Laure Briard has an incredible album and videos that coincide. She's very talented!

What advice would you give to artists coming through right now?

Have fun but work hard: marketing is key...and look busy always.

Finally, and for being a good sport, you can name any song and I’ll play it here (not one of yours as I’ll do that).

Jesse Redwing - Turn Away

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INTERVIEW: Panski

INTERVIEW:

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 Panski

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IT is back to America and an Atlanta (Georgia) resident whose latest…

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E.P. is released in two days. A Road Less Traveled sees Panski reinvent established songs and provide them unique revision. I learn why Panski decided to release an E.P. of covers and whether there is a standout in the pack. He discusses platforms like SoundCloud and limitation for artists; what the music scene is like where he is – and working with stunning vocalists like Ellena Soule.

The American songwriter/producer talks to me about his love of music and the artists that helped shape who he is; the new talent he recommends to us – and whether we can see him in the U.K. soon.

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Hi, Panski. How are you? How has your week been?

I’m doing pretty well.

Just finished breakfast, so I started filling this out. My week’s been alright so far - I worked from home yesterday because of Irma.

For those new to your work, can you introduce yourself, please?

My name is Michael Kopanski. I’m a twenty-six-year-old artist/D.J./producer from Atlanta, GA. Over the last two years or so, my sound has evolved into a fusion of Country and Folk (with Electronic).

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A Road Less Traveled, your E.P. out on 15th September, features reinvented cover versions. What was the reason for doing an E.P. or covers and which song is your favourite from the pack?

The main reason for doing covers is because SoundCloud has been flagging unofficial remixes - since the majors own a major stake in it. A way to avoid getting a strike on your profile is to not use any samples from the original - so it doesn’t get automatically detected by their system. In addition to this, nostalgia is the most important factor in the entertainment industry right now.

There are a lot of producers sampling songs from the ’70s and ’80s - or they are taking popular songs are creating their own versions. Klingande, for example, just released his cover of Pumped Up Kicks.

Where did that E.P.-title come from and what significance does it hold?

The title comes from a Robert Frost poem, The Road Not Taken.

I have been fortunate enough to come up in a producer community with a lot of folks chasing what’s popular in order to become popular. I have nothing against it but this is just not the path I’m choosing to take. I don’t want to be a carbon copy of what someone else has built: I want to build my own thing.

I am a fan of Sheryl Crow’s Soak Up the Sun. Is she someone important to you and was it quite a hard song to tackle?

I’ve always been a fan of this song...

The vibes of it are so happy and summery and, since I come from a Tropical-House background, it just made sense. The song was a little bit hard to tackle because in the original: there are two bridges which I was having a hard time fitting into my version.

I ended up scrapping them completely - and it worked out a lot better with the flow.

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Talk to me about your involvement with Ellena Soule. You conspire with her on a couple of numbers. What was it like working with her and will you be working together again?

I got to know Ellena through my old collective, Tropikult (back in 2014-’15). She had done some covers and originals with other artists in my network and, since she lives in Nashville, it’s not too far of a drive.

We’ll likely be working together again on something, for sure.

Were all the songs recorded in the same studio or was there quite a lot of moving around? How many other musicians did you bring in and what were the recording sessions like?

I recorded two of the songs at the same studio in Nashville. I recorded some guitars at my home studio. I worked with a lot of musicians online and they (just) sent me stuff to work with. I always love being in the studio - whether it’s mine or someone else’s.

Will there be more genre-crossing works like this? Are you working on something for future-release right now?

There aren’t any artists who are trying to bring the Country sound to EDM.

This is what I believe makes me stand out so I’m currently happy with the lane that I’m in. But, I do plan to dive deeper into the Pop side of things. No matter how the track sounds, you’ll be able to tell that it’s a Panski track.

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Atlanta, Georgia is your base. What is the music scene like there and what type of sounds can one experience if we were to visit?

The ‘turn up’ culture is very much alive in Atlanta. We book a lot of Trap and Dubstep artists - and that can make it hard for a House D.J. like myself. Local acts like Halogen, Teriyaki Noise and I are trying to make it more of a House scene.

But, in general, D.J.-ing is phasing out - so I am hoping to get my live act going sometime next year.

Who were the artists that shaped you as a musician and connected with you at a young age?

This is a hard question to answer - because I’m literally a fan of all types of music...

I got my first DAW when I was in middle-school. I wanted to make rap because Atlanta was the city of Hip-Hop in the early-2000s. I gradually became a fan of Reggae in high-school and I always thought I’d do something similar to the Dirty Heads. For Electronic, specifically, I first realized I wanted to produce when I heard Avicii’s Levels.

When I started to hone my craft, I discovered Thomas Jack, Kygo and Matoma...I knew this was the lane for me. The chill and beachy vibes fit well with my love for Reggae; Matoma was doing Tropical remixes of old Rap songs - so it just made sense. When I got a Tweet from Kaskade - praising one of my remixes - I knew this was what I wanted to do.

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Are there any tour dates approaching? We can we come see you play?

I have my E.P. release-party on September 15th here in Atlanta. I have a lot of singles and remixes planned for 2018 - so I am hoping to get on some slots next year.

Any plans for you to come and do a few U.K. dates?

I was out there last summer networking and making some connections. I would absolutely love to come back.

Who are new acts you recommend we check out?

I would suggest checking out my buddies BUNT. - because they have a great sound and are making music similar to what I’m making.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Youngr

I also love Youngr. I’m sure you’re familiar with him - as he’s from the U.K.

If you had to select the three albums that mean the most to you; which would they be and why?

Slightly Stoopid’s Everything You Need

It is an album (with songs) that I will literally never get tired of hearing.

Blink-182’s I Miss You

This is the album that got me through my awkward teenager phase.

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Kygo’s Cloud Nine

It serves as inspiration for me because of where he started.

What advice would you give to artists coming through right now?

These are in no particular order - but here are some things I have learned along my journey…

Hone your craft; open up your DAW and work on something every single day. Reach out to artists with similar followings and genres - and be supportive of them. Be as genuine as possible and don’t get bogged-down on how others’ careers may be advancing. You don’t have control of what happens to them: you only have control of what you do for yourself.

Don’t compare yourself to anyone: compare yourself to the person you were yesterday. Don’t expect anyone to help you out. Nobody owes you anything; so make things happen for yourself in a respectable fashion.

Finally, and for a being good sport; you can name a song and I’ll play it here (not one of yours as I’ll do that).

Here’s something obscure:

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FEATURE: Mercury Rising: Dispelling the ‘Curse’ of the Mercury Music Prize

FEATURE:

 

Mercury Rising

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 IN THIS PHOTO: This year's favourite, Kate Tempest (for Let Them Eat Chaos)

Dispelling the ‘Curse’ of the Mercury Music Prize

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MANY articles have been written about the so-called ‘curse’…

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of the Mercury Music Prize. For a start: curses do not exist. You’d have to be a credulous idiot to buy into such mythology and superstition. Anyone who, after receiving a nomination/prize, experiences a downfall in fortunes – that is nothing to do with the Mercury itself. Over the years, bands like Kaiser Chiefs and The Klaxon have sighed with relief having avoided the Mercury ‘curse’. I think this is nonsense and, in an age where we need to celebrate British music, pouring any scorn on an honour is disrespectful and foolish. I will look at the merits of the Mercury Music Prize but, before then, some evidence for the ‘defence’ (or the prosecution: I am not sure which side is which!). In 2006, The Independent ran an article investigating the ill fortunes artists faced – when they won or were nominated for the Mercury Music Prize.

Because for all attention lavished upon it in the media, the Mercury Prize has acquired a well-established reputation for destroying its winners' futures. Of the previously triumphant, only 1992's inaugural winners, Primal Scream, have managed to make anything like a go of their subsequent career. Since then, the Mercury has become the Cenotaph at which is mourned the loss of a musical generation. Indeed, so deadly has the prize become, that it even managed to kill off its original sponsors. What this portends for current sponsors Nationwide, I know not.

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 IN THIS PHOTO: The Klaxons in 2006

The piece charted the event and some more-recent winners whose careers have taken a steady nosedive since winning the Prize:

Ms Dynamite's win in 2002 instigated another example of over-exposure reaping the whirlwind of public indifference, when her follow-up album was a disastrous failure. Bookies' favourites The Streets, meanwhile, went from strength to strength. Dizzee Rascal's triumph the following year - clearly the result of the judges' desire not to reward such corporate white-boy rock types as Radiohead, Coldplay or The Darkness - was another case of prematurely raising expectations about an act of somewhat restricted appeal (what the Mercury website refers to as recognition of "brave, challenging music", now apparently a big part of its once simple remit)”.

I agree with some of the findings there. I can’t argue against sales figures and subsequent reviews. That cannot be blamed on the Mercury panel but the artists themselves. Another point raised – regarding celebrating minority artists and going against corporate acts – is contentious and something I will pick up on later. The piece mentioned M People’s bizarre and unexpected win in 1994 – in a year when Blur and Pulp released stunning, sign-of-the-times albums. That, to me, is an anomaly that was based on a rather poor casting – one cannot see that as a common recurrence and much-repeated mistake. There are other articles that bring up the curse element and how certain acts have been scarred by the honour of winning a great music prize.

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The Guardian, back in 2007, highlighted The Klaxons as a particular example:

In their acceptance speech on Tuesday at the Mercury prizeThe Klaxons told a story about how we watched last year's awards while recording the album [which Ford produced] . It's true - we were thrilled that the Arctic Monkeys won it, and jokingly declared that it would be our turn the next year. When we finally finished the record we had a great sense of achievement, and knew we had captured something in those few weeks. But, as is always the case, we didn't have a clue what would actually happen.

Jamie (Reynolds, singer and bass player) mentioned to me that very few bands who have won the prize in the past have gone on to make a better album than the one which won it for them, and looking at the evidence, he certainly has a point.

Primal Scream, were the winners of the first prize in 1992 with Screamadelica, and although they've produced consistently good albums ever since, it would be fair to say that none have been era-defining like that fantastic record. Suede, the next year's winners with their eponymous debut, would be the first to admit, I'm sure, that nothing that came after was its equal.

Elegant Slumming, M People's winning effort in 1994 is hardly noteworthy enough to use as evidence, but it is worth remembering that it somehow beat, among others, Blur's Parklife and Pulp's His 'n' Hers. Blur's career certainly didn't suffer by not winning the award, and they've become one of our most enduring and important bands - but who knows what would have happened if they'd won it ...

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 When you look through the rest of the roll call of winners right up to the Klaxons' win, then, there does seem to be a strange consistency to the argument: Portishead's Dummy in 1995; Gomez's Bring It On in 1998; Badly Drawn Boy's The Hour of Bewilderbeast in 2000 ... after this point in the timeline you have to be wary I think, because it's the recent past, and you wouldn't, for example, bet against Franz Ferdinand's third album being an absolute gem”.

All of the examples listed there have nothing to do with winning an award and everything to do with the act not being able to better their finest album. If, say, Ms. Dynamite, Badly Drawn Boy and M People were unable to capture the magic and peak of their Mercury-winning moment then that is their own problem. It seems ungrateful to say the Mercury Music Prize is a curse and something that will kill a musician’s career. Taking M People’s 1994 win (for Elegant Slumming) and there have been few truly shocking decisions in its history. The reason we have not heard much from Roni Size (winner in 1997), Talvin Singh (1999) and Speech Debelle (2009) is because, when they won the award that year, there were quite unknown and under-the-radar. They were not huge acts like Radiohead who, being on such a peak, faded into obscurity – these artists were not huge and exposed so it wasn’t a big shock to see they could not ascend to the dizzying heights of superstardom. All the examples journalists bring in as ‘cursed’ are artists that were never hugely popular and well-known. That brings in another question: is the Prize more about niche artists and less about popularity?!

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IN THIS PHOTO: Talvin Singh/PHOTO CREDIT@talvinsingh

One could debate whether notable omissions – from Pulp and Radiohead through to The Prodigy – were excluded from the top honour because the panel wanted to embrace a less-recognisable act. This is a contentious point but I feel there needs to be a blend of commercial acknowledgement and underground championing. If one were to celebrate all the biggest acts every year that would not give smaller acts a chance to be championed. It is a hard balance to get right but one, I think, has been struck since 1992. Since Primal Scream scooped the first Award; very few of the artists nominated have disappeared and seen a huge stutter. The artists seen as part of this ‘curse’ were never destined for future greatness and huge prosperity. I feel a couple of reasons why certain acts disappeared quicker than one would have hoped is because of the direction they took on the follow-up album – and the way a career can go under natural circumstances. Artists like Dizzee Rascal (winner in 2003 for Boy in da Corner) took a more commercial route in future years and ensured he would survive and endure longer than many would have predicted - the fact his 2017-album, Raskit, is a return to his debut shows what one needs to do to keep relevant and unexpected. A few artists – Ms. Dynamite and Talvin Singh – won the award for great albums but failed to progress their music sufficiently. That would have happened with or without the Prize. It was not as if they won on that night, went back to their hotel rooms, and set out to destroy their careers.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Previous nominee Gemma Hayes

Each of them could have kept a level-head and continued to make the music they felt best represented them. Ms. Dynamite’s Judgement Days (2005) contained a lot of anger and preaching – critics off-put by the aggression and harsh tones of the album. That is not a sound/direction that comes with winning an award like the Mercury. The panel did not stipulate any winner become the self-appointed voice for disaffection and scold everyone within sight. Maybe Ms. Dynamite felt an edgier and more attacking sound would be a natural evolution – again, that is her decision and not one mandated to her victory. The same goes for Singh who, on 2001’s Ha, stepped into a more detailed, experimenting direction – irregular time-patterns and two-step beat patterns meant many did not connect with the record. Maybe he, in zeal to distance himself from his previous album and do something different, made a bad decision but, again, that is down to him. Bigger artists – who have a lot more pressure on their shoulders – made better choices and managed to survive and grow. Suede, Pulp and PJ Harvey all took the Prize in their stride and crafted many more great album. We can put to bed the nonsense that is the ‘Mercury Curse’ because, quite clearly, a few minor artists taking a fall do not warrant truth or any real shock. What I wanted to talk about is why it is a prestige and honour winning an award.

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IN THIS IMAGE: Gorillaz

If Gorillaz and The Klaxons felt they avoided a curse by dodging the Mercury then that is their ingratitude – The Klaxons are all-but-done and Gorillaz have struggled to rekindle the epic quality of albums like Demon Days. I look at some modern success stories such as Benjamin Clementine and Ghostpoet – his album, Shedding Skin, was his second nomination – and the confidence they acquired after being nominated/winning. Both artists could be considered, at the time, underground and not normally named at award shows. One of the things that impressed me about the Mercury Music Prize is the recognition of different genres. I will end by looking at this year’s list but, by the year, they have steered away from the big commercial successes and tipped their hat to acts who perform in less-exposed genres. From Grime and Rap through to Experimental: artists one might not have normally known about are elevated and brought into the public sphere. That is great as it makes people aware of music’s full range and rebels against award ceremonies that celebrate Pop and Rock – offering no diversity or interest. There are some that say the Mercury Prize does not go too far. They claim genres like Metal, Trance and Folk deserve more of a say. I agree regarding Folk and one of the biggest mistakes of this year’s Mercury nominations is the exclusion of Laura Marling – surely Semper Femina is among the year’s best albums?! Folk artists have chances to claim merit – there are Folk award shows and prizes – and there Metal acts have time to shine. One cannot recognise every genre - as that would not work.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Laura Marling

Maybe the Mercury Prize will assimilate heavier artists down the line but, right now, they are as inclusive and varied as I have ever seen. A reason why the Mercury Music Prize does not include many Metal and Trance albums, say, is sheer quality. We do not see these artists reviewed and played on bigger stations; they are not creating albums that are among critics’ very best – therefore, they do not warrant a place on the shortlist. If a Metal band did release a year-defining album then, yes, they deserve a Mercury nod. It is pleasing seeing a lot more black artists being included on the Mercury minds. In past years – at the start when bigger, white artists made up the shortlist – it was seen as homogenised and too beholden to the biggest bands around. Now, fewer mainstream acts are included and there is a definite embrace of minority artists – playing in genres that are ordinarily consigned to the back of music magazines. Critics argue the Mercury Music Prize is too eager to give the award to niche acts in an attempt to show they are cool, all-encompassing and outsider. That is not true as, in the past five years, we have seen everyone from James Blake (2013’s Overgrown), Benjamin Clementine (2015’s At Least for Now) and Skepta (last year’s Konnichiwa) being given the gong. PJ Harvey and The xx are all winners this decade so one can see broadness. A lot of the nominees have been minor and ‘unique’ in terms of their sound and artistry.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Benjamin Clementine/PHOTO CREDIT: Steven Pan (GQ)

That is good because we get to open our minds to music we would not have otherwise of heard. In an age where music is criticised for its lack of diversity and equality: how can we choose to criticise an award that embraces musicians of different genders, races and genres?! Some of the bigger award shows still go after the famous and commercial – that is not the case with the Mercury Music Prize, you see. On the point of the ‘curse’ and the falderal that follows that; one can argue bands who have won it have been given a boost and the confidence to create bigger work. When Elbow won in 2008 (for The Seldom Seen Kid); they were given an enormous boost and transcended to arena-sized titans who were elevated to the forefront – the fact they beat away competition as stiff as Radiohead and Laura Marling that years shows what a feat it was! The twenty-grand cheque that comes with the award, some say, should not go to acts who are wealthier and bigger. They cannot make exceptions based on bank balance but, for acts like Benjamin Clementine, it is a much-needed financial boost that ensures he can put that straight back into his music. The biggest positive regarding the Mercury Music Prize is the variety of albums it nominates. Last year saw an eclectic line-up that featured Radiohead, Laura Mvula and The Comet Is Coming; Bat for Lashes and Savages were all there! A broad and exciting variety of music and artists.

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IN THIS PHOTO: The Comet Is Coming

I was interested to learn about The Comet Is Coming and Savages: two bands I was not overly aware of and, since, have become fans of. The same goes for 2015 when Wolf Alice and Eska were nominated – Wolf Alice are preparing a new album and preparing for a fresh assault on the music landscape. This year, if anything, the voting panel has taken the biggest sweep of music’s spectrum yet. When Ed Sheeran was announced as a shortlisted name this year; many, myself included, were miffed. His album, % (Divide), was not a huge winner with critics and many feel it is a further leap into the beige and boring. Again, with alt-J and Blossoms being nominated – Relaxer and Blossoms are two albums that gained plenty of mixed reviews and are not records that stay in the head. If one argues a pure quality-reception argument: should we exclude these three albums in favour of something stronger and more acclaimed?! I was confused and I saw all those pieces claiming the Mercury Music Prize had lost its way and edge. I disagree with that because, as we can see from the Shortlist, Kate Tempest (Let Them Eat Chaos is favourite), Sampha (second-favourite for Process) and Loyle Carner (Yesterday’s Gone) are all in the running – and are the three frontrunners. J Hus is out there and Stormzy is included – the second year a Grime star is among the chasing pack. The fact there are two, maybe three, less-than-edgy artists among the nominated is not indicative of a dumbing-down and a lack of awareness.

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The perspicacity debate could be extended to ask why Sleaford Mods, Laura Marling and Jane Weaver did not get nominations?! The fact one or two more female musicians would have provided greater gender-balance – most of the nominees are men – might have been a wider choice. I have reviewed my initial scepticism and know it is another evolution for a Prize that needs to reflect the fullness of music and recognise commercial artists are worthy of inclusion. If you keep repeating yourself and nominate the same genres/sounds; that is not a smart decision. The fact Ed Sheeran and Blossoms do not have a chance of winning it will be a relief to those who have questioned their inclusion. It is, as you’d expect, the finest and strongest selections from the shortlist that are wrestling for the Prize. In fact, it is a congenial and pleasant build-up. Kate Tempest has nodded to Sampha and Loyle Carner (and Stormzy); they have nodded back and there is no sense of competition and pressure. Kate Tempest, as the favourite, shows there is no curse and expectation when one is nominated. Her debut album, Everybody Down, was included in 2014’s Shortlist and it narrowly missed out. If she had won; things would not have been worse for her – in fact, it might have afforded her the chance to grow stronger quicker. This year’s mix, pleasingly, brings ‘truth-telling’ artists to prominence – those who are talking about what is happening in life and the realities of modern Britain.

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IN THIS PHOTO: The album cover for Loyle Carner's Yesterday's Gone

Music, at the moment, lacks those essential voices unafraid to tackle the mess in which we find ourselves. Kate Tempest and Stormzy – Loyle Carner, for that matter – are bold and vital voices that have been given a boost and sense of essentialness with their nominations. Alongside the much-discussed are the outsiders, The Big Moon and Dinosaur. This year’s rundown features a pleasing blend of commercial/mainstream; popular leaders and the outside runners – just what an award show should be about. The Big Moon’s Love in the 4th Dimension is a solid and compelling work from a fantastic female band. They are an Indie-Rock band ensuring there is promise and relevance in guitar music this year – and proving female Rock/Indie is among the very best out there. Their nomination shows the Prize is not about the boys and mainstream elite. The same can be said for Dinosaur who, led by Laura Jurd, are a blazing Jazz ensemble - in many people’s minds. It is debatable how many of would have missed out on an album like Together, As One, were Jurd’s clan not nominated. It is a fantastic Jazz odyssey that features so many ideas, textures and highlights. Naturally, it is unlikely the album will win – as the outsiders usually do not – but that is beside the point. The very fact it is nominated is a big thing and will give Dinosaur the confidence to keep recording and reaching. If an artist knows they are worthy of such an honour; they will keep pushing and striving – that is not to be sniffed at and a huge thing for any act.

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IN THIS PHOTO: The Big Moon

One cannot associate any curse with Dinosaur’s nomination as, were they not monitored, many would not know they existed – therefore, unaware of their relative failure/decline. The Big Moon will get much motivation from their inclusion – they are outsiders, too – but it shows the panel is thinking more about equality, diversity and progression. I agree there are some notable omissions but one needs to draw the line somewhere. Whoever wins the Prize tomorrow – I am torn between Loyle Carner and Kate Tempest – it will be exciting to hear. Nobody should question a time that celebrates the best British music in all its variations. We are divided as a nation so should not split and quarrel over something like the Mercury Music Prize. It celebrates the quality and depth of our music and, whilst it does have some odd inclusions, the panel has brought the Prize into 2017 and seen we need to acknowledge Pop/Indie artists that would not normally get an inclusion. If we are including Dinosaur then why not Ed Sheeran?! Neither will win but they have been included for the effect and impact they have made on music – and how different they both are as artists. My Mercury Music Prize playlist (below) chronicles winners and nominees from 1992 to the present-day. It shows what magnificent music our best artists have produced. Good luck to all the nominees and do not give credence to any talk of ‘curse’ and misfortune. The winner will continue to make great music and the nominees, if they do suffer any dip, have to shoulder that responsibility – most will go on to great things are afforded the exposure to grow and…

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IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Tempest

CREATE incredible music for years to come.

 

 

FEATURE: Strum und Drag: Has Guitar Music Lost Its Innovation and Relevance?

FEATURE:

 

Strum und Drag:

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Pinterest 

Has Guitar Music Lost Its Innovation and Relevance?

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ONE of the biggest changes I have noted about modern music…

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IN THIS PHOTO: Wolf Alice (one of the most impressive British bands of the moment)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty

is the transition from guitar-based songs to other forms of sound – modern electronic-produced music and variations. Maybe I hark to better times like the 1990s: the last real explosion of profitable guitar-based music. I suppose bands like The Strokes and The Libertines had relevance and pull over a decade ago – the scene seems to have dwindled since then. Not only has the value and strength of the electric guitar waned: acoustic songwriters are not as impressive and prominent as once were. The excitement has gone out of this side of music. What are the reasons behind this, then? Before I look at tastes, guitar lessons and the examples set by the mainstream – a quick glance at guitar sales from the U.S. Looking at a piece from the Washington Post - and it seems fewer people are picking up the guitar:

The numbers back him up. In the past decade, electric guitar sales have plummeted, from about 1.5 million sold annually to just over 1 million. The two biggest companies, Gibson and Fender, are in debt, and a third, PRS Guitars, had to cut staff and expand production of cheaper guitars. In April, Moody’s downgraded Guitar Center, the largest chain retailer, as it faces $1.6 billion in debt. And at Sweetwater.com, the online retailer, a brand-new, interest-free Fender can be had for as little as $8 a month.

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 Over the past three years, Gibson’s annual revenue has fallen from $2.1 billion to $1.7 billion, according to data gathered by Music Trades magazine. The company’s 2014 purchase of Philips’s audio division for $135 million led to debt — how much, the company won’t say — and a Moody’s downgrading last year. Fender, which had to abandon a public offering in 2012, has fallen from $675 million in revenue to $545 million. It has cut its debt in recent years, but it remains at $100 million”.

That article was written a few months ago and provides a small glimpse into the problem we have. If one looks at the breakdowns by manufacturer and type – acoustic and electric guitar – and one notices sales figures are declining and troublesome. I suppose interest in the guitar starts at childhood: are children asking for guitars as presents? Maybe the rise of modern technology means one can simulate the guitar without having to pick one up – many youngsters are asking for tablets and various gadgets for presents; as opposed to more conventional and traditional gifts. I remember asking for an acoustic guitar when I was younger – I failed to master it within hours so, naturally, disposed of it! – and that makes me wonder why there is a bit of a dip in fortunes.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

What commentators are noticing is how, even though there is a sales-dip; the electric guitar is out-selling acoustic. I will come to look at artists who might inspire this but it is interesting fewer guitars are making their way into the hands of our potential musicians. Perhaps prices are too high and patience is low. Does one have the discipline to learn the guitar and master their craft? Every year we embrace technology more: the less time we explore instruments and handle anything physical and challenging. There are those keen to preserve the self-taught method – fewer people are going to guitar tutors in 2017. I worry fewer children are getting into the guitar: fewer are taking up piano and it seems music learning and fascination is moving in another direction. Music is in a strong state but I can see certain genres fading – other styles coming to prominence and replacing the old order. Maybe the sheer dedication and cost needed to learn the guitar is putting many off. Even a decent acoustic guitar can set one back £100 or more. You put lessons into the mix and, before you have recorded a song, your wallet is considerably lighter. A lot of our music academies and schools are promoting courses like Production and Vocals – guitar not as emphasised as previous days. Technology, as I say, makes it easy to replicate guitar sounds: musicians and the curious are producing entire songs on tablets and laptops.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Goat Girl (another guitar band who have the potential to add potency and potential to the scene)

Electric guitars, in my mind, have always been featured in bands – fewer solo artists play them. The opposite is true of acoustic guitar, so, perhaps, it is easier succeeding as a solo artist? There might be some truth there but all of these debates and findings can be linked to what one can observe in modern music. I will bring in an article from Guitar Player – who go into extreme depth about the decline (or uncertainty) of guitar music. What I find is there are two types of guitar-playing musician: the acoustic-strumming solo artist and the electric guitar-fuelled band. Sure, there are solo artists who play electric guitar – fewer bands with an acoustic element; maybe Americana and Country acts – and a real split between the mainstream and underground. I am hearing a lot of promising guitar bands who are unsigned and away-from-the-mainstream. Plenty of acoustic solo artists capable of providing something deep and meaningful – tinged with energy and exciting. The reason many people take up instruments is down to their favourite artists - on the radio and in the charts. When was the last time we got really excited about guitar bands?! For every underappreciated IDLES, there is an overrated Royal Blood – there is a quality imbalance that means few people are excited about guitar music. I want to review and look at the quality of guitar sounds but, before I do, a look at the Guitar World article:

The intense pull of that rock-star dream was probably no different than our fervent desires to be astronauts, fighter pilots, or super heroes in our pre-teen years, but acquiring the skills to play guitar was infinitely more achievable than developing x-ray vision or indestructibility. So we got our hands on typically horrendously bad guitars and often suffered our way to competence—and, hopefully, a path to technical and creative excellence. And most of us have stayed dedicated to the guitar throughout the decades, and we will likely continue this devotion until our hands can no longer manage a ragged version of “Hey Joe.”

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IN THIS PHOTO: Royal Blood (whose latest album, How Did We Get So Dark? failed to add much to their debut)

But this is a story of an age gone by.

 While society—and history—can be cyclical, there is no current globally seductive force such as “The Beatles,” “Jimi-Jimmy-Jeff-and-Eric,” “The Sex Pistols,” “Stevie Ray Vaughan,” “Nirvana,” “Unplugged,” or “Green Day” to drive an explosion of young people starting bands or solo acts and buying epic numbers of guitars and guitar gear. In fact, even if there were a 2017 version of “The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964,” would it be compelling enough to inspire Millennials to launch a million bands?

There are still plenty willing to play the guitar but there isn’t the same sort of freshness and interest there was when I was young. Guitar manufacturers are developing products making it easier to learn the instrument – many become frustrated they do not have an instant aptitude and affiliation. One of the most pleasing aspects of guitar music is more women coming onto the scene. Bands like Honeyblood and PINS are putting female guitar players into the spotlight and inspiring others (women) to take up the instrument.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Jimi Hendrix/PHOTO CREDIT: David Redfern/Redferns

Although there is sexism and imbalance in music: the shift away from a 'men-only' attitude to guitars is fading. That is a good thing but my concern is with the quality and excitement we have with guitar sounds – are the best of the bunch really pushing guitar music forward? It is great to see women tackling the guitar with as much passion as men – responsible for keeping sales healthy, if not spectacular. One of the main reasons a lot of girls/young women are picking up the guitar is artists like Taylor Swift. Times have changed so much - people are asking whether acts like Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page are as significant as Taylor Swift – when it comes to young people picking up the guitar. Ed Sheeran is someone who will inspire many to take up the guitar. Female artists are promoting videos on YouTube with more and more releasing music through D.I.Y. methods – streaming them online and avoiding the studio.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Taylor Swift

Any interaction with the guitar is valid and impressive. I wonder whether the status and quality of the artists getting people into guitar music are leading a problem of blandness and generic music? My fear around guitar music’s health is more aimed at electric sounds and bands – fewer electric guitars seem to be making their way onto YouTube when compared with the acoustic guitar. I am pleased, regardless of who inspires it, more people are picking up the guitar. One can quibble and debate whether sales are falling significantly and whether fewer people are taking up lessons – I would argue there is enough to be worried about – but it seems traditional music shops are not as prolific as once they were. A lot of young players who arrive on YouTube focus on cover songs – few have their own material at that stage. One of the things that concern me about surveys – young women asked why they play guitar – are names like Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran. They both play Pop music – albeit it different sides of the spectrum – and hardly the most exhilarating and original artists out there. I wonder whether the rise in acoustic guitar sales is because of great and reputable players – or those mainstream artists who represent the worst side of the industry. Taylor Swift is hardly known for her guitar chops so I wonder whether the fact she is famous and popular is more important than the quality of her music?!

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IN THIS PHOTO: Ed Sheeran/PHOTO CREDIT: Ian Gavan/Getty Images

I grew up listening to bands like Oasis and Manic Street Preachers who, during the 1990s, created some of the finest music ever. I listened to a lot of the best bands of the 1970s; legendary 1960s examples and musicians who knew how to captivate and entrance. I am glad acoustic guitar artists like Ed Sheeran have a career but there is very little to get excited about. Many would argue acoustic music has never been exciting. That is contentious but, when considering the best artists, they were interesting, inspiring and different. Consider everyone from Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan to Nick Drake and Muriel Anderson. They could write incredibly intricate and beautiful songs that got into the heart: the acoustic guitar a pivotal guide and entrancing component! I hear a lot of great underground/unsigned artists and have hope they will inspire future generations. Thinking about the current crop of acoustic artists and the mind goes to solo performers: it does, unfortunately, draw a few blanks. I find so many solo artists are relying on electronics or placing the guitar very low in the mix. Even artists who expose the acoustic guitar – Folk, Americana and Pop, for instance – struggle to create anything truly exceptional. There are exceptions but, for the most part, I find myself unmoved and bored by a lot of acoustic guitar music. The fingerpicking can appear limited and narrow; the melodies predictable and formulaic. Tastes have changed so we will never have another big Folk movement as we did in the 1960s and 1970s. The mainstream media are hooked on what is seen as ‘cool’ and ‘fashionable’ – how likely are they to feature newcomers and unsigned guitar players?!

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IN THIS PHOTO: Oasis

One of the biggest problems at the moment is low confidence in the mainstream. There is too much sugary, stale Pop: genres like Folk pushed aside and, the best artists from that side, bringing in other genres and tastes. Some of the most influential musicians have all time have wielded an acoustic guitar – able to transfix listeners and create spellbinding lines. Where are the modern legends and those doing incredible things with an acoustic guitar?! You can see parallels when it comes to band-made electric sounds.  A lot of the guitar magazines and media hark back to the times of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. I wonder why we have very few modern equivalent and struggle to name any new electric guitar geniuses? The best I can think of – Jack White, Matt Bellamy and Queens of the Stone Age (if we are naming bands) – have been around for years and have already inspired millions. Where are their replacements ready to pick up the mantle? In the same way there are few acoustic guitar innovators: it is a stretch naming a lot of great Rock bands and guitar players who can get us truly hooked and seduced. I think of the best albums of this year and, aside from Queens of the Stone Age; guitar-led music is pretty low down the list – most of my favourite albums of the year are not guitar-heavy.

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That is worrying when we are looking around for modern-day Eric Claptons and Jimmy Pages. We need to showcase the best guitarists out there and ensure guitar music does not die out. I am given hope seeing a lot of great female Rock bands emerge and some terrific Indie acts coming through at the moment. Most of them will struggle to break to the mainstream soon because there is still that demand for Pop and what is considered commercial. Away from those few bands here and there; one finds very few standout guitarists. Guitar magazines hark back to the old days and the guitar boys: there are a lot of great female newcomers and artists showing what they are made of. Is the fact we have a rather indeterminate and underfed guitar mainstream stem from the lack of exposure our best talent is afforded? I want to quote from the previous article which explores how education and guitar competitions might change the mind of the mainstream and magazines:

The time-honored way to reach new players has been through education. The publishing industry is always a big part of that endeavor, and tech-oriented manufacturers such as BOSS, Fishman, Line 6, and others have long supported their artists and product managers getting out in the field and explaining how to make sounds with their gear. Many times, of course, these seminars correspond to a particular product, but, at times, also share general information on tone creation along with power-user tips.

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

Line 6, for example, offers its Tone Made Pro seminars around its Helix multi-effects processor for guitar, but details the building blocks of some classic tones during the discussion. The nuts-and-bolts details of tone construction by guitar heroes such as The Edge, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, and others can certainly be transferred to digital processors by other manufacturers, and even accomplished in the analog realm if a player has the time and budget to col- lect a bunch of actual amps and pedals and physically recreate the signal paths learned in the seminar.

“For 20 years, we have analyzed every nuance of the guitar amps, cabs, and effects used to create the most recognizable tones ever,” said Marcus Ryle, Line 6’s co-founder and President. “Now, we can use this expertise to help guitarists expand their knowledge and create the next generation of legendary tones.”

Another route to seduce engagement is to inspire young players to share their music. Again, music publications often run contests where guitar stars and/or editors rate audio files or YouTube videos from solo artists and bands. The idea here is to provide a thrilling “end use” for a guitarist’s creative toil and trouble, and hopefully inspire them to continue working their way towards popular acclaim. (GP recently relaunched its Guitar Player Records imprint in order to provide players a professional venue to distribute their instrumental-guitar music.)

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

In a similar vein, Ernie Ball has produced its Battle of the Bands program for a few years now, inviting unsigned acts to vie for the opportunity to perform on big stages at major music events. Other companies also have competitions from time to time where bands can win gear, perform with their heroes, or get booked on killer tours—all for simply having the ambition to create some music and share it with either the public and/or their contest judges. 

On the face of it, these initiatives are directed at people who already have some facility with their instruments, rather than beginners. But a beginner could be energized by seeing a friend’s band win a contest, or intrigued by having someone enthusiastically relate what they had learned at a seminar. The trick here would be the next step: How do we transform that interest into action, and get the novice to risk picking up a guitar and trying it out for themselves?”.

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IN THIS PHOTO: The Amazons (whose eponymous debut album failed to truly ignite)/PHOTO CREDITSHOT BY PHOX

Interesting points are raised but the fact remains: what we have in the public gaze is not good enough. Those acoustic artists that cause chills with their finger-picking and incredible compositions are a rarity. A few Folk albums from last year stunned me; a couple of great albums this year. Not only are there few standout acoustic guitar artists sticking in the memory: the genuinely great and promising are struggling to get their music played on popular stations. It is fine being inspired by musicians, but I fear big mainstream stars like Taylor Swift are not going to produce the next generation of guitar innovators – even if, in a good way, more girls get into the guitar because of her. Ed Sheeran is one of the world’s biggest Acoustic artists but his music makes me a little bored and disconnected Few of his songs contain great chord sequences and intriguing choruses; there aren’t the big names there once were or artists you feel a true bond to. Perhaps there are a lot out there: the fact they have not come to public attention means we need to make changes and addresses this issue. It is great seeing so many types of music and genres mixing alongside one another. I yearn to discover great acoustic guitar players who are saying something interesting. If the bland and commercial are the reason so many people are picking up guitars then that is going to create a pattern we will struggle to break. A lot of the most-popular guitar bands such as Foo Fighters and Royal Blood, in my view, lack real clout and originality. We need to unearth those bands, female or male, that can push guitar music to the masses...

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IN THIS PHOTO: Girl Ray (a fantastic trio who mixes 1990s Britpop and modern Alternative in a dreamy blend)

A lot of mainstream riffs have teeth but lack nuance; the playing does not have the same electricity and richness as Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend and Jimmy Page – perhaps those are lofty ideals but it is possible to get to within touching distance of their majesty. Modern guitar music is not even close to that giddy peak. Worse than that; it is boring and instantly forgettable. I wonder why there aren't more guitar solo artists – like Jack White, for example – and band-music all blends into one another. I admit it would be naïve to assume there are no great guitar bands or solo artists – I can rattle a few names, at the very least. They are in the minority and a lot of those guitar acts we are force-fed are rather tired and routine. Paul Weller, in a recent article, was interviewed about guitar music - and his thoughts on its well-being:

The former Jam frontman struggles to think of many rock bands that have caught his attention lately and says he is more of a fan of hip-hop like Kendrick Lamar, with the exception of singer/songwriter Lucy Rose and his pals in Syd Arthur and Savoy Motel.

He admitted: "I find it insipid at the moment. I can't think of any guitar bands, English bands anyway, at the moment.

"I quite like an American band called Savoy Motel; I like their last record. And Syd Arthur I really love - they're mates as well, I really like them.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Lucy Rose/PHOTO CREDIT: Harry Wade/Press  

"Lucy Rose has got a new album coming out in the next few months that's really great. There are a lot of great individual records and individuals really."

On the R&B stars he is into, he added: "I like the J Hus single 'Did You See' - that's really good. Band-wise, nothing's really moving me at the moment, but there's some good R&B things. I like the Anderson .Paak record and I liked Kendrick Lamar's album."

Lucy Rose slipped my mind - but she is someone giving guitar music a good name. Like Laura Marling, Billie Marten and This Is the Kit – great female artists added something new and beautiful to guitar music. What of the bands and the new breed of heroes? Weller, as he says, prefers Hip-Hop and finds more innovation and relevance in people like Kendrick Lamar. Jim Reid, of The Jesus and Mary Chain, added his voice when chatting with NME:

There’s not much of guitar music left at the moment, I don’t hear many guitar bands out there,” frontman Jim Reid told NME. “It’s kinda pushed underground, guitar music seems to be limping at the moment.

“You can’t tell the difference now between a pop act and a rock band, the production makes them almost identical.

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A big problem lies with what artists are talking about – and what they are not saying. A lot of the guitar wizards of the 1960s and 1970s were articulating a desire that was hanging in the air. Many of the 1990s’ best guitar bands were part of Britpop – at a time when a lot of working-class artists were speaking about what was happening in real life. In fact, a lot of the finest acoustic artists of the past engaged their audience with something relevant and deep. I find a lot of the modern acoustic equivalent is still hooked on love. Even those who do not remain on Relationship Road are not tackling what is happening in the world. This is true of guitar bands who are unwilling to venture from territory they feel is safe and profitable. We are in a state of confusion and separation and, whilst a lot of U.S. Hip-Hop artists – and some of our emerging talent like Loyle Carner – are reflecting what is happening in their country – where are those acts documenting the trouble in which we find ourselves?! It seems, as with America, our Urban artists are the most honest and conscientious. Too few guitar bands either shy away from such areas or feel ill-suited to adequately voice the stress and uncertainty percolating. Armed with electric guitars and a Rock/Indie spirit – one would hope a raft of bands would step up to the plate and provide the kick the music industry needs. In an article published by Music Radar, today, in fact; Eric Clapton's provided his thoughts:

I didn't realise it was that bad,” said Clapton. “My kids listen to classic rock, but that may only be because of me, because that’s what I’ve played to them. I mean, from the time of their conception, they’ve been listening to music through the womb. I played them playlists, just brainwashed my kids, and at the back of it was always the guitar or some kind of solo instrument or a singer. 

“My belief in music is it’s all good. It’s all good. Even stuff that doesn’t appear to be so, it’s all good. I don’t know. Maybe the guitar is over.”

Perhaps it is down to the next generation to deliver that punch but I feel guitar music today, whilst offering some incredible artists, is struggling to…

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IN THIS PHOTO: Eric Clapton/PHOTO CREDIT: ©WARREN TODA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

DELIVER any real meaning and inspiration.

INTERVIEW: Christina Johnston

INTERVIEW:

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 Christina Johnston

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THIS is a rare opportunity to focus on a Classical artist…

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and a step into foreign territory. I have reviewed Classical artists before and always find something new – every time I come across an artist from this genre. Today, I get to talk to Christina Johnston and her album, Blessing. It is released on 22nd September (through Tadlow Classics) and is a stunning work. Johnston discusses the songs included and what one can expect from the record.

I ask about Johnston’s influences and how she got into Classical music – and whether it is hard maintaining a staggering, wide-ranging coloratura soprano voice. She has a range of tour dates throughout September and October (one can see here) and will bring her incredible music to new crowds.

Christina Johnston talks about her new video, The Nightingale, Alabiev, and why she tackled that song; what it has been like touring continents – and performing to various presidents and esteemed representatives – and what her touring schedule looks like this autumn/winter.

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Hi, Christina. How are you? How has your week been?

Hi, I am very well, thanks.

My week has been very busy but productive.

For those new to your work, can you introduce yourself, please?

I am a Classical singer with a very high range - I can sing over four octaves. I trained at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London and then went onto debut at the Prague State Opera. Since then, I have sung in many operas, musicals and on film-scores.

I want to bring Classical music to the general public and show how beautiful it can be.

You are a coloratura soprano. Can you explain a bit about that vocal-type and when was it you first realised you had such a beautiful and powerful voice?

The literal translation is ‘to colour the notes’. My voice type is quite rare: I am part of the few coloratura sopranos that are able to sing above high F (F6) with great ease. These coloraturas are sometimes referred to as sopranos acuto sfogato.

I found out I could sing this high when I moved to Prague and was studying at the Opera House there.

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Does it take a lot of hard work and training to maintain your vocal prowess? How many hours a day will you sing, typically?

It does take a lot of hard work and training...

Being a singer is like being an athlete. I am a vocal-athlete and, if you don’t train, your muscles get weak. On the other side, if you train too much, you over-work your muscles and wear them out. It is all about balance and understanding your body. I make sure I have rest days but when I train I can sing up to six hours in a day.

However, I try to rest as much as I can not to over-strain the voice.

Who were the artists you grew up listening to and inspired you to go into Classical music?

When I was little, I listened to so many genres but, when listening to Classical music, I loved hearing Maria Callas. I wanted to be as great as she was. I then began listening to Natalie Dessay, Rita Streich; Joan Sutherland and Mado Robin.

I want to know about the album, Blessing. What kind of songs can we expect on the album? Are there originals or will it be interpretations of operatic numbers and classics?

The songs on this album are ones I have performed over the years and fallen in love with - or that have really touched my heart and made me feel something. I chose pieces that I felt would make people feel at-peace and fill them with joy. There are two new songs that are crossover songs - almost film-like.

My producer James Fitzpatrick and I chose these because I wanted there to be a range of styles on the album - to give people a collection and I also fell in love with them the moment I heard them.

What was it like recording the album and will there be any singles/songs released ahead of time?

I had so much fun recording the album. The orchestra was amazing to work with and most I know from the opera. There was a huge sense of comradery and togetherness. We were a team trying to create something beautiful.

There are currently no plans to release a single ahead of the album release but you never know - perhaps next year…

I saw a video of you performing The Nightingale, Alabiev. Where was that filmed and what is about that piece that inspired you to perform it in that setting?

This was a part of my concert in Framlingham Church, Suffolk in June this year.

The song is actually one of my favourites as I can show what my voice can do. It is a tough song but fantastic to perform. I really love performing in churches as they have such wonderful acoustics and I believe there is something magical about the setting of a beautiful church building.

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Like Ed Sheeran and Laura Wright; you attended Framlingham College. What is it about the college that produces such great artists? Did you learn a lot from your time there?

The school is a fantastic place and gave us all such encouragement and support. They also help the students by giving them so many opportunities to perform not only in the school but outside - so you can get a lot of experience and develop as an artist.

The most important thing for me was how wonderful the teachers were: so supportive and encouraging and really helped build my confidence as a singer.

I know a lot of Classical artist’s cross genres and tackle Pop/mainstream songs. Is that something you will go into – or do you want to retain a sense of purity in your music?

To be really honest, I love singing any genre - as long as it touches people’s hearts.

I have actually already sung for a Trance artist in the past and I sing for film-scores too. I will, though, keep the genres separate and maintain a sense of purity in each genre I sing.       

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You have toured Europe, Asia and South America – Presidents and State Official are some your biggest fans. How does that make you feel and what has it been like taking your music to different continents?

It is an honour and humbling feeling to be liked by the general public or Presidents.

My job is to make people happy and to entertain so, when people are pleased after I sing, I feel happy that I have done a good job. It is wonderful when you sing in another country and you get such positive reactions!

I am just so happy that people like what they hear!

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Are there any live dates and performances coming up?

I have my tour starting the day after my album, Blessing, is released. I will be doing ten concerts from September 23rd to October 14th - singing in beautiful churches and cathedrals in cities from Norwich down to Chelmsford.

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IN THIS PHOTO: NAO

Who are new acts you recommend we check out?

Definitely NAO! She is a fantastic singer and writes all her own music!

Classically-wise; I would recommend violinists Vladimir and Anton (I hope I can sing with them one day soon!).

If you had to select the three albums that mean the most to you; which would they be and why?

Michael Bublé Crazy Love

Because it was the album my husband and I listened to during our first few months together. He was in Prague and I was in London - and we used to listen to it at the same time

Delirious Deeper

This album means a lot to me because I listened to it a lot after my father died.

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Maria Callas Popular Music from TV, Film and Opera

This album, because it was the first album I got for my twelfth birthday - to do with Classical music - and I loved listening to it! It is the reason I love Classical music and wanted to be a singer like Maria.

What advice would you give to artists coming through right now?

Never give up on your dream...

It is such a tough business and sometimes you feel like you are running at a brick wall - but keep working hard, keep getting better at what you do; be patient and never give up.

The door will open at the right time.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can name a song and I’ll play it here (not one of yours as I’ll do that).

Bright City - Maker of the Moon

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INTERVIEW: Angus Powell

INTERVIEW:

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 Angus Powell

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I was interested finding out about the creator of…

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the album, Before the Grey. Angus Powell explains how the songs came together at various times – documenting the times and experiences at different intervals in his life. I ask which song Powell thinks defines the album; the themes that run through the album – and whether there are any tour dates on the horizon.

Music from Angus Powell has been played on big U.S. shows like Bones. He explains how that kind of exposure feels and what it has been like growing up in Mid-Wales – and whether that sense of isolation and detachment helped his creative process or not.

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Hi, Angus. How are you? How has your week been?

Hello. I'm good. My week has been great, thank you.

I’m in Wales at the moment working on a couple of new tracks

For those new to your work, can you introduce yourself, please?

Sure. I'm Angus - writer, traveller and dog-lover.

Tell me about your debut album, Before the Grey. What inspired it and what kind of stories/situations go into the songs?

Before the Grey is a collection of songs that I’ve written at different stages of my life. Some are pretty old and have evolved over the years – but the roots stay the same. People ask me what ‘before the grey' means? The ‘grey’ is the unknown. I think everyone has a grey place: a place we’d all rather didn’t exist. For me, I can go dark sometimes - turn in on myself. When I’m there; nothing very productive happens.

These days, I know when I’m on that road - so I can usually turn it around before it's too late (‘before the grey’). 

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Is there a particular song from that album that stands out in the mind or is particularly personal?

All the songs on the album are pretty personal: most on levels I’ll probably never explain - but Passenger is a song that I feel quite close too. I guess it's about my journey really: keeping a focus when everything around you feels like it's crumbling. 

You were born in England but grew up in Mid-Wales. What was it like living in a derelict mill-house? Did the mountains and the nature around you inspire you to write and pursue music?

Totally. I had a great childhood; we had so many adventures. It was safe back then. You could go anywhere and, as long as you were back for meal-times, nobody worried. I write a lot with these memories in mind: the freedom and the openness.

I like to think that song the productions reflect this: wide open spaces, lush textures and ever-changing colours. 

How important was your time at a Welsh bilingual school?

I think the Welsh language is beautiful.

At the time, that schooling was the only option - so it was taken for granted. There a certain melodic quality to Welsh words and phrasing…like a poem.

I wish I got the chance to use it more in life – it’s slipped away from me, a bit. 

I know, as a child, you would listen to your parents’ record collection and obsesses over certain artists/songs. Which albums did you bond with and were there particular songs that struck a chord?

They had such a mixed collection…

One album that I still have and still look at regularly is Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds. I was listening to this long before I even knew what a horror film was - I was totally captivated. The record artwork pulled me in: in fact, it scared the hell out of me. Every now and then, I put it on sometimes in the car – I still know it word-for-word. It's funny. Going back to it now, with an understanding of composition and production…it’s a masterpiece; a world of sound with so much detail. 

Jeff Wayne sucks you into his world.

You have spent time in Wales and London. There have been hard times and adventures. How many of the songs on Before the Grey are inspired by your travels and relocation?

All of them, I guess, has elements from those things. I’m not someone who can wake up and say “I'm going to write a song today”. Ideas start and develop over time. I mentioned before; I travel a lot - and so do these ideas. I wrote most of Shiver and Lines whilst travelling through Indonesia. The ideas were there before I left the U.K. - but the songs changed throughout my time away. I love that.

Every time I play them, I go back to a beach in Lombok where I'm sat with my baby, Taylor, at sundown watching the fishermen – better than any photo!

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Tell me how you came to meet Danny Benair and have your music used in T.V. and film?

It’s a long story…

I spent a long time researching music supervisors: who worked on what; watching T.V. shows and listening, specifically, to the music - then jumping to the credits. I sent out so many emails; staying up through the night to try and be in-line with L.A.-time. I kept on hitting the same wall: ‘We don’t accept unsolicited emails or submissions’. I ended up creating a manager and company name - and tried again. I got in touch with Danny, who was really supportive from the start. We spoke on the phone (where I came clean about the ‘pseudo-manager’) and things evolved from there. Experience has taught me that there are many sharks in every ocean: Danny is one of the good guys.

I feel really lucky to have him onboard.

How does it feel hearing your music in big shows like Bones? What are your favourite memories of hearing your music on the screen?

It's rather surreal; especially as I recorded a lot of the songs in my bedroom with a pretty basic kit - I had no idea where they would, ultimately, end up. Watching Elementary was pretty unbelievable - Lucy Liu and Jonny Lee Miller, actors I'd been watching all my life, with my song playing in the background...

Weird.

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Your music has been streamed over two-million times on Spotify. How important are sites like Spotify and getting your music to so many people?

I’ve seen a huge shift from downloads to streaming. 

Spotify and other sites like it make music so accessible. It's all about playlists. As a listener; I’ve discovered some gems through listening to other people’s playlists.

What tour dates are coming up? Where can we come and see you play?

I’m in talks with a couple of promoters at the moment.

We are planning some gigs from later in the year - and some select festivals next year. It’s important to get the venue right because the songs are atmospheric and emotive. The stage needs to match.

I’m excited.

Who are new acts you recommend we check out?

I'm mainly listening to playlists of lots of different acts at the moment - so can't really put my finger on anything specific.

There are lots....

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If you had to select the three albums that mean the most to you; which would it be and why?

All of these three affected me in different ways, and still do in some ways…just because they do!

Tracy ChapmanTracy Chapman

Dido - No Angel

Nirvana - MTV Unplugged in New York

What advice would you give to artists coming through right now?

I'd say just keep hold of ‘you’. Don’t be afraid to take dents: make mistakes and be confident in who you are. 

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can name a song and I’ll play it here (not one of yours as I’ll do that).

Nelly FurtadoTry (not what you were expecting, right?!).

I first heard this when I was driving. I had to pull over – everything about this song is stunning

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INTERVIEW: All the Colours

INTERVIEW:

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 All the Colours

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ANYONE looking frantically around the music horizon for…

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some chunky, decent Alt-Rock would do well to wrap their ears around Melbourne’s All the Colours. I chat to the trio about their latest belter, Heartbreaker, and splitting their time between L.A. and Melbourne. I ask about the local scene where they are and what we can expect from their latest album, Vol. 3. The guys talk about music inspiration and how they chill away from music; whether there are any tour dates approaching – and a few of the acts they recommend we check out.

I get an insight into the band’s ethos and the way they view modern music; why they have a love for the 1970s and 1990s – and what it was like working with Zach McSweeny on their latest video.

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Hi, chaps. How are you? How has your week been?

I’ve either been lazy or really busy: it’s hard to know, living in L.A., to be honest - chances are it’s the former, though...

For those new to your work, can you introduce yourself, please?

We are All The Colours from Melbourne: three gentlemen in their 30s who love guitars, drums; bass and distortion. We decided we should be described as Alt-Rock cos it feels the most fitting - those two words mean a lot to us.

I don’t think there has been a lot of great Alt-Rock in the last decade: it’s a difficult genre to get right presently without sounding like the Foo Fighters.

Heartbreaker is your current song. Can you remember how that came together and what the background is?

It’s a song I (Joshua Moriarty) wrote - but it didn’t sound like anything until we all got in a noisy room and played at each other for a few hours. It’s about a simple concept I think we can all understand: being trapped in an addictive relationship where you are unsure if going back for more is helping you or making you worse.

The video has a trippy vibe! What the hell is going on in it and how much fun was it to shoot?!

This video was the most fun of any we have done...

Keeping it playful and unregimented was the key which meant we could just throw things together and ‘yay’ or ‘nay’ them quickly if it wasn’t working. It was about composition and creating these surreal atmospheres and environments. We had a great location where we were recording for the week – so, we invited Zach (the Director) up to stay and a few models to tag along (and just went for it).

Zach McSweeny directed. What was he like to shoot with?

We love Zach.

He has a can-do attitude - which really helps to keep things moving. We have made quite a few videos with him now - so we understand how to work together and get the best results.

We love you, Zach!

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Vol. 3 is your forthcoming (third) album. How does it differ from your previous work and what are the new themes and ideas you bring to the music?

We have an ethos for Vol. 3 which is to write songs that we would have wanted to play on guitar when we were teenagers. It’s about nostalgia and a perfect distortion sound: trying to capture our memories from the 1990s but through the lens of being in our early-30s, now - and, also, seeing what is going on in the world around us.

I guess we want to capture sophisticated simplicity.

How did All the Colours come together? Did you guys know each other from way back?

Myself and Jono (Toogood, Drums) have been friends since we were kids - and have always been working on music together. We met Josh (Mann, Guitar and Vocals) through the Melbourne music scene and were always fans of his work. After Miami Horror finished up touring in 2012, I settled back in Melbourne and we knew it was the right time to start something. We had plenty of ideas and we haven’t really stopped since.

We all have different schedules so we have breaks here and there but there is always something pulling us together - and sense of purpose when we get together.

Last year was a bit of a quiet one for you. What was the reason for that and when was the moment you got back together and planned out your 2017?

I was busy with Miami Horror and moved to L.A. - so we didn’t have as much time together but, even in that year, we did manage to tour Australia with Eagles of Death Metal (which was a blast). We met those guys at their studio in Joshua Tree, where we recorded Vol. 2. We also started laying the tentative plans for Vol. 3 - which is now really starting to take shape.

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Your music mixes aspects of the 1970s and 1990s. Is that, essentially, bringing together the music you grew up with – and the music your parents played around the house? What is it about the decades, and Rock, that appeals to you guys?

I think those two decades had a lot in common...

Soundgarden were the 1990s’ Led Zeppelin: Pearl Jam loved Neil Young. There is a similarity there and a path that you can trace.

Both decades had a rebellious nature and they loved guitars (as do we).

The band is based out of Melbourne. It is the one place in the world I long to go to. Can you tell me it’s complete crap and I shouldn’t fantasise about it!? Is it as good as I think it is?!

The band is now two-thirds in Melbourne and one-third L.A - I’m going to try and make it two-thirds L.A. and see how we go after that. Melbourne is a wonderful city: some of the best food and drink in the world; an A-class arts and music scene - it really can rival anywhere else in the world. Don’t sweat it though: it’s still going strong so you have plenty of time to get Down Under and check it out.

What is the music scene like there? Are there a lot of similar bands? What is it like trying to score gigs in the city?

I don’t think there are a lot of similar bands to us at all, to be honest.

I think a lot of the world is still heavily into Electronic music and Melbourne is no different. There is a strong Punk scene in Melbourne - but not so much in the Rock category. We have felt a bit out on our own - but that’s not a bad thing. It can be tough when if you don’t fit into a scene that’s already happening. you are a bit of a loner - but the great thing about that is you have to work harder and get your own thing going.

There is really cool music coming out of Melbourne all of the time: bands like King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Client Liaison; No Zu and Total Giovanni are all doing really fresh stuff.

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What tour dates are coming up? Are you coming to the U.K. soon?

We would love to come to the U.K.!

I’m heading over to London in November to record a bunch of interview for my podcast (thebottomofitpodcast.com). At the moment, though, all plans are about record number three and how to get that done.

Touring isn’t our main priority at this point, unfortunately.

How do you guys chill away from music? Is it quite easy to detach or do you spend your downtime involved in music?

Music never stops...

I think for me though it’s the music I choose to listen to in my downtime that helps me relax. If it’s not modern then I don’t have to think about all the competition and palaver that goes along with the current scene and all the trends etc. I like to listen to composers from yesteryear like Henry Mancini and Les Baxter - that’s the stuff that really helps me to chill.

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IN THIS PHOTO: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

Who are new acts you recommend we check out?

If you haven’t heard King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard then you should get on board that one.

The new Cornelius album is boss. He’s been around a long time but is still relatively underground.

There is a band called Lo Moon based out of L.A. who, I think, are great - and Dhani Harrison is releasing his debut record - which I have heard (and actually played a little bit of bass on, too!) and really dig.

That’s plenty to wrap your ears around.

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If you each had to select the one album that means the most to you; which would it be and why?

Joshua Moriarty: The Blood Brothers - ...Burn, Piano Island, Burn

This album gives me shivers still to this day. There is so much energy and passion in every single moment on this record: it sounds like madness but there is a deep artistic expression throughout. It’s a reminder for me to always stick to my guns no matter how much your art may offend.

 

Josh Mann: The Dark Side of the Moon

I'm sure if you've heard it or not but this experimental group in England (during the seventies) recorded it. Do yourself a favour and check out Us and Them/Any Colour You Like on vinyl, through a nice stereo. I'm pretty sure it's the best recording ever made. 

Jono Toogood: (because Josh already took ...Burn, Piano Island, Burn) Kollapse by Breach

Although it's been a while since I've listened to it: it is one of those once-in-a-lifetime records. It is incredibly diverse and opened me to a new world of approaching music when I was younger and in need of it. Over, like, twelve songs; it visits chaos, intense darkness; beautiful melodic transitions and intense “landscape doom." Shiiiiet...gonna go put it on now and go for a stroll in this approaching storm…

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What advice would you give to artists coming through right now?

If you believe in what you are doing then just keep going and keep working and keep completing the plans you set for yourself. Eventually, things should work out and, even if they don’t, at least you know you did your best and created something you believe in.

It’s pretty simple stuff, really.

Finally, and for being good sports; you can each name a song and I’ll play it here (not one of yours as I’ll do that)

Josh Moriarty: Loveless Lo Moon

Josh Mann: I Predict a RiotKaiser Chiefs

Jono Toogood: Hellionaries by TRAP THEM

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Follow All the Colours

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FEATURE: The Independent Radio Scene in London

FEATURE:

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PHOTO CREDIT: Andy Parsons 

The Independent Radio Scene in London

________

MOST of us…

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IN THIS PHOTO: Ashley James of Soho Radio

will, if we think of radio and the best stations; our minds will often go to the big broadcasters and those ‘mainstream’ options. I listen to BBC Radio 6 Music and have a lot of time for other stations. The reason I listen to '6 Music is because of the variety of music and the quality of the presenters. They are passionate knowledgeable; each of them has a different personality but all are bonded by the ethos to uncover the best new music and ensure quality is at the top of their considerations. If I am not listening to '6 Music then I am tuned into BBC Radio 2. I like the vibe of the station and the fact it caters for a slightly ‘older’ audience. It is a fantastic station and there is a reason it the most-popular option in the U.K. I switch between the two but, apart from that, my tastes are a little limited. I will, in this piece, bring in an article from Time Out – they have been investigating the best stations in the capital and how the London radio scene has come to rule and define. I will mention two big stations that, I think, show two different sides to London life: Soho Radio and Hoxton Radio. The former, as I will show, was voted the world’s best station at the end of last year. The latter is a based in an ultra-hip part of the capital and projects a youthful and cool vibe.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Lucid Stannard at Balamii/PHOTO CREDIT: Andy Parsons

Depending on where you are in the capital; you will find a station to suit your mood and situation. The same way one passes through London and notices the cultural and geographical shifts: local radio mirrors that diversity and ever-changing landscape. Rinse FM is a fantastic and ‘young’ station that boasts a superb roster of eclectic and knowledgeable D.J.s. Horse Meat Disco is, perhaps, the most-loved and best introduction to the station. On a Sunday, as you might today, Josey Rebelle gives way to Luke Howard and James Hillard (of Horse Meat Disco). It is a Vauxhall club-night and was named the best radio show by DJ Mag last year. Rebelle’s show ensures there is a terrific one-two on Sundays.

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She has been hosting for six years and kicks things off from 10 A.M. She spins everything from two-step Soul and Funk through to current jams and consciousness-skewing experimentations. Her pleasant and upbeat demeanour makes it is a show one can wake up to – if you are lazy enough to still be in bed then! – and the sheer range and variation of music make it a must-listen for anyone serious about stepping aside from the mainstream. Consider NTS - which has a studio in Los Angeles – it is another young and hip station. That is what one notices with the best radio stations in London: they are aimed at younger audiences and helmed by young D.J.s although the likes of Rinse FM cater to all ages: one suspects their demographic falls within the 18-35-year-old bandwidth.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Moxie of NTS

NTS has Moxie at their turntables: his two-hour show discovers the best Dance music in London and (she) is one of the most authoritative and her sheer drive captivates listeners – few have the same zeal and desire to bring music to the listeners. Worldwide FM has a base in London but broadcasts right around the world. Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy hosts the Classic Album Sundays show and co-hosts with Gilles Peterson. Catch her on the Stoke Newington show as she spins vinyl and her own choice of records. One can experience anything from Jazz, Disco and Funk through to Rock – one never knows what is coming next. Have a listen to The Full English Breakfast Show on Balamii It is based out of Peckham and Aisha Zoe’s 9 A.M. show is chat-lite but, as one would hope, puts emphasis on quality tunes. They, luckily, come and spades: a wonderful and wired way to jump-start any lazy day. That is a look at some of the station ensuring London’s radio scene is among the finest in the entire world. I’ll come to look at the two stations, I feel define the diversity and quality in London.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Narx at NTS/PHOTO CREDIT: Andy Parsons

I want to quote from an article - written a couple of weeks back. Time Out, like myself, have been exploring the London radio circuit and how it has fought its way to the top of the pile:

Clandestine stations have clogged London’s airwaves since the 1960s. Stations like Kiss, Rinse and Kool FM were amplifiers for British underground culture in the ’80s and ’90s – playing genres like jungle, garage and grime that were ignored by commercial stations. The reaction was huge. DJs often needed two phones because the lines for shows would get so full, and if a station threw a party, thousands of people would show up. ‘We developed this culture out of nothing,’ says Rinse FM founder Geeneus, ‘and kept on pushing until the mainstream embraced it. Pirate radio was one of the biggest influences in our country and it has never been given the recognition it deserves.’

Just a few years ago, the future of creative radio in London looked bleak. While Rinse started broadcasting online and gained a community licence in 2010, Geeneus says there was a sense that pirate radio had run its course. Stations were disappearing, not just because Ofcom was shutting them down, but because they lost their relevance once the internet meant you didn’t need an FM frequency to share music. ‘There was a stage when there was no one else to relate to,’ says Geeneus. ‘We could see the pirates dropping off and there seemed to be nothing coming after us.’

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 Just like the pirates that came before them, many of the new stations are formed from a desire to share music you won’t hear elsewhere. Over 70 percent of the music played by NTS isn’t available on Spotify or Apple Music. Instead, people with excellent taste, like Debonair, share the music that they discover with the world. It’s reflected in the nerdy way many stations are curated. All NTS shows are archived according to genre – from yacht rock to free jazz to leftfield techno. At Balamii they provide track IDs so every song can be looked up online.‘We cater to a subculture of music fans who want to hear something different to the mainstream. That’s who we care about, and who we’re committed to,’ an NTS spokesperson says. (They prefer to identify as a collective to reflect the fact they’re speaking for the NTS community)”.

The article explores stations I have already mentioned but all boils down to one thing: they play music no other station will. One of the main reasons I want to work for a station like BBC Radio 6 Music is to impart my own spin and dynamic. I feel a reason why there are few working-class people employed by broadsheet papers is the fact there is a set way and established order. The working-class, God forbid, might talk about real and gritty issues that could scare off the precious and protected readers – they do not want to hear about the issues in music or sexism whilst they are chomping down their cereal.

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IN THIS PHOTO: DJ Goldierocks of Soho Radio/PHOTO CREDIT: Andy Parsons

I guess, in a way, the working-class D.J.s have been forced underground. The big stations do have people publically educated but, to get to those big stations, one has to work their way through the ranks – a certain level of education and experience is needed. We are not in the days of Radio Caroline – when a floating station illicitly broadcast the finest tunes; away from the jurisdiction and clammy hands of the law – and thrilled music-lovers. In a way; there appears to be an exciting movement in the underground that has fewer restraints and boundaries than the mainstream stations – they have edicts and defined playlists; catering to a defined demographic and ensuring the ratings are pushed ever-upwards. That need to compete and fit into particular slots is what sucks a lot of imagination and possibility out of radio. I can write a separate piece on the gender and racial breakdown of stations; why some are compelled to play chart music – others prefer to broadcast a wide range of sounds. As much as I love BBC Radio 6 Music; I know there is a gap in their otherwise glistening torso. There is, to the best of my knowledge, no show that focuses on the unsigned and great unwashed. Yeah, there are shows that scoop and shine the finest new nuggets from music – they tend to be bigger artists and those one can find on Spotify.

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I am talking about the artists I interview and feature: the smaller acts who, despite a comparative lack of social media oomph, thoroughly warrant attention. That is where the best small stations in London come in. They are not mandated to play the latest chart hits: their scope is free from constraints and, as such, are the go-to stations to discover what is really happening in music. London is a buzzing city with so much life and musical personality: one feels this is not being honestly documented at our most-popular stations. Because of the passion and variation one hears on the best underground stations; listeners are not only loyal and stick with them but are happy, in some cases, to pay subscription fees – a lot of your biggest stations have to deal with capricious listeners who hop to other options and crunch numbers on a quarterly basis. The new and smaller stations worry not about the spreadsheets and pleasing the top-bods. Before I wrap up with a look at Soho Radio and Hoxton Radio – a summing up from that Time Out piece:

Our homegrown radio scene is the envy of the world and it’s rapidly becoming the dominant cultural force in the capital. It’s proof there’s still an audience for lovingly curated music out there, even if it’s easier to book a tubby bloke to play Top 40 hits. But that’s not all. This radio revival demonstrates that communities can beat big businesses, and – just like in the days of pirate radio – it’s helping build a global audience for our city’s underground artists and DJs, like Ghose. ‘London’s music scene is healthy at the moment,’ concludes (Balamii founder James) Browning. ‘Very, very healthy’”.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Balamii radio studio

Soho Radio, deemed as such, was voted the world’s best radio station last year. I am quoting from an article that explains why:

Give yourself a pat on the back London, because we're the proud broadcasters of the best radio station in the world. Independent station Soho Radio was awarded the accolade at this year’s Online Radio Awards by Mixcloud.

The station has only been on air for two years and was set up by three mates – Finlay Morton, Adrian Meehan and Dan Gray – who felt the airwaves were lacking in an uncensored station where the DJs hand-picked the songs and weren't dictated by playlists. Or as DJ and musician Finlay put it: 'We wanted a station where a presenter could hear a song and say "That’s great" and just play it.'

The trio thought up the station down the pub and it's now broadcast 24/7 from Great Windmill Street. They beat stations from the Middle East, Africa and America to scoop the prize. So next time you have a crazy idea with your mates over a few pints, think of these guys – it might just be a winner.

Whilst Hoxton Radio, which I shall end on, has a mainly young line-up of D.J.s – and seems to aim its satellites at the swankiest and most-fashionable destinations in London – there is something a little more grounded and established about Soho Radio. It is a station that has plenty of young D.J.s but brings in a lot of experienced and ‘lived in’ talent. One need only visit the website to see they are, in their own words, “Furiously independent”.

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Soho’s online community radio station

Soho Radio is an online radio station broadcasting from the heart of London. Inspired by Soho’s vibrant and diverse culture, Soho Radio brings together musicians, artists, film makers, chefs, poets and the generally curious, from across the globe.

Street-side radio

Soho Radio is true street-side radio, broadcasting directly from our studio on Great Windmill Street. Awarded Best Online Radio Station in the Mixcloud Online Radio Awards 2016, Soho Radio broadcasts every genre, from soul to Japanese grime, rockabilly to the psychedelic, along with comedy, chat and satirical shows.

Radio you can swear by

Our eclectic roster is made up of shows from the likes of music journalist Pete Paphides, dub maestro Dennis Bovell, Hacienda legend Mike Pickering and Primal Scream bassist Simone Marie.

Soho Radio has grown organically since its humble beginnings in 2014, gathering talent, legends and support along the way. There are no playlists and no adverts, allowing the presenters complete, uninterrupted freedom to broadcast whatever they feel.

Take a look at the schedule and one sees a stunning mix of D.J.s and shows. A few of the reasons the station is so popular is listed above. They can swear and talk honestly. They do not take advantage of the fact but, because of the lack of nannying, can talk like human beings and provide a more relatable and honest show. The fact they are street-level and right in the beating heart of London means they have a perfect view of the happenings and goings-on in the capital. They broadcast from a small and colourful corner of Great Windmill Street and pack in some of the best talent in radio. Miles Copeland and Rob Da Bank run shoulders with Aaron Rush and Andy Smith. My choice shows – one should seek them all out - are:

Baby Bam

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http://www.sohoradiolondon.com/presenters/baby-bams-good-vibes/

Bam is a DJ, producer and MC from hip hop pioneers Jungle Brothers. A key contributor to the golden age of hip hop as well as the Native Tongues movement; a movement that brought afro-centricity, social commentary, fun story telling with an eclectic mix of music to the art form.

Named after the founder of the Zulu Nation, Akrika Bambaataa, Bam, with Jungle Brothers, inspired conscious hip hop and hip house with the classic dance floor hit “I’ll House You”.

Currently based in London, Bam has been working on both sides of the Atlantic touring with Jungle Brothers. He’s a frequent guest MC at festivals working with The Mouse Outfit and DJ/Producer Mr. Dero. His latest project Bam & Mr.Dero “This & That” features the Jungle Brothers remake of “Because I Got It Like That” is available on Tiefparterre Records.

Clare Lynch

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http://www.sohoradiolondon.com/presenters/clare-lynch/

Soho is a remarkable square mile with a remarkable history. From around the end of the seventeenth century it was already an established residential district and has housed such luminaries as Karl Marx, Casanova, Canaletto, William Blake, Isaac Newton, Dr Johnson and the great composers Haydn and Mozart.

The Soho Society was formed in 1972 “to make Soho a better place in which to live, work or visit.” Then as now the principal aims of the Soho Society are to protect the interests of residents and businesses and to enhance the environment which we all share.

Each week Clare Lynch and Leslie Hardcastle MBE, President of the Soho Society welcomes in guests connected with Soho and attempts to answer the question, ‘what is Soho to them?’

http://www.thesohosociety.org.uk/

Grace Woodward

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http://www.sohoradiolondon.com/presenters/grace-woodward/

Grace Woodward is a presenter with a background in all things style related, retailer, stylist, designer from the famous to the infamous and everything in between. ‘Style Moves’ is an exploration of how music influences many aspects of our lives from the emotional to the physical and in particular the major impact it can have on what we wear and why we wear it. She loves a Siouxie make-up look the morning after

Sali Hughes & India Knight

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IN THIS PHOTO: Sali Hughes

http://www.sohoradiolondon.com/presenters/sali-hughes/

Sali Hughes is a journalist, broadcaster, Guardian columnist and founder of the award-winning salihughesbeauty.com, a large online community forum for women. A former magazine editor, she has written extensively for Grazia, The Observer, Elle, Never Underdressed, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, The Face, Shortlist, Stylist, Woman & Home, Look, Net-a-Porter and Mr Porter and is Contributing Editor on Red magazine. She is opinion columnist on The Pool and Beauty Editor on The Guardian, appears frequently on BBC Radio 4’s Woman Hour, You & Yours and Today programmes, 5Live, Sky News (where she is a regular newspaper reviewer) and ITV’s This Morning and Daybreak. She is a consultant to major beauty and fashion brands, and lives with her two sons in Brighton. She is the author of best seller Pretty Honest: The Straight-talking Beauty Companion (4th Estate) and is currently writing her second book, out next autumn. She tweets from @salihughes.

The Smoking Guns

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http://www.sohoradiolondon.com/presenters/smoking-guns/

‘London’s most exciting DJ duo’- Flaunt Magazine

London born singer/songwriter Iraina Mancini and Canadian actress/filmmaker Samantha Michelle together are The Smoking Guns.

The ladies spin in London’s most exclusive hotspots, and internationally at top music and film festivals.

The Smoking Guns present their favourite 60s rhythm and blues, northern soul, ska, Latin boogaloo, funk and garage rock.

Tune in for a mix of rare finds and much loved classics as the girls offer a little sample of their DJ sets.

www.thesmokingguns.co.uk

Capeface

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http://www.sohoradiolondon.com/presenters/capeface/

Capeface is the moniker of 22 year old Tom Smart based over in East London. He’s previously presented on Surrey’s Kane FM, Stag Radio and London based Radar Radio.Varying from Hip Hop to House, Disco to Dubstep, Garage to Grime, Capeface proves his versatility as an artist, and has featured on sites such as DJ Mag, Earmilk, Your EDM and Run The Trap. Gathering all the music that’s been personally influential to him over the course of each month, expect to see all these genres and a whole lot more featured in his shows.

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It is no coincident the two stations I have chosen to single-out have gorgeous and eye-catching websites. Soho Radio has pastel colours and neon combining. It is vibrant, alive and reflects the sense of fun, diversity and rebellion of the station. Hoxton Radio has a sense of structure and class but is equally beautiful and engaging:

Hoxton Radio sits at the top of the pyramid setting trends and influencing Londoners across habitual pop culture pursuits.

We innovate in bringing the freshest insight into fashion, style and new trends bringing fresh music to the airwaves, art to our viewers and picks in food, photography and creative networking across East London.

Our partners include Old Spitalfields Market, Tate, SOS Rehydrate, Frame, Supermalt, Eventbrite, The Hoxton Hotel, Vice, Intel, Shopcade, Tate, V&A, UAL, Foffa Bikes, The Breakfast Club, London Fields Brewery and Hackney Council.

Amongst our roster sits Ashley James, Stefanie Jones, Arielle Free, The Preshaah, Liam Young, Elspeth Pierce, Charlotte de Carle, Sabrina Carder.

Hoxton Radio works closely to support the arts and run in depth coverage for First Thursdays with previews, artist interviews, analysis and editorial coverage on air and online.

Before I wrap things up; a trio fo Hoxton Radio D.J.s and their most-recent shows - and what they are all about:

Alternative Hour with Elspeth Pierce

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http://hoxtonradio.com/alternative-hour-w-elspeth-pierce-9/

This week’s Alternative Hour was the perfect anecdote to the end of the Bank Holiday, with hot new music releases for the Autumn. She also shared her sonic discoveries from the fields of Reading Festival from The Wholls to The Shimmer Band.

Her very special guests this week featured her little rescue dog Edna, but more importantly Shoreditch Dog House, a flexible and alternative dog day centre based in the heart of Shoreditch and opening next week, September 5th.

Track of the week (second time lucky) was from Chroma, a punk indie group with female front harking from Wales. A refreshing change from the male heavy Reading lineup who played on the BBC Introducing Stage.

@shoreditch_dog

About:

http://hoxtonradio.com/presenter/elspeth-pierce/

"Elspeth Pierce hosts the Hoxton Fashion Show, Wednesdays 10am12pm and Elspeth Selects new music show Tuesdays 4pm5pm.

Style expert Elspeth has her finger firmly on the fashion pulse. She has presented all the off-court action at The Wimbledon Championships for Vogue magazine online, styled and presented live fashion events from The Clothes Show to Britain’s Next Top Model and hosted live radio shows from London Fashion Week. She is also in the thick of the action when it comes to sport having recently interviewed the New Zealand All Blacks and fronted premier league football show Betsafe Football.

As a fashion stylist and presenter, Elspeth started her career at ITV This Morning, styling models and celebs for the live shows. From there she landed a role as freelance fashion writer for Reveal Magazine and as fashion blogger to shopping centres countrywide.

Elspeth has recently joined Candid Magazine as a music writer, contributing a weekly post to Candid’s expansive digital music section and keeping readers attuned to what’s new, sonically.

With her fresh face and vivacious personality, Elspeth has also modelled for various companies, fronting commercial campaigns for companies as diverse as T-Mobile, Ted Baker, TGI Friday’s and McCains".

Ashley James x The Berlin Patient

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http://hoxtonradio.com/ashley-james-x-berlin-patient/

Relationships, Dating, Doting and random donations?

Ashley James had it all plus the most banging beats for the weekend ahead

About:

http://ashleylouisejames.com/about-me/

http://hoxtonradio.com/category/ashley-louise-james/

"You can listen to me on my Hoxton Radio show every Friday from 2pm-4pm from anywhere in the world at www.hoxtonradio.com. I’ve recently been nominated and shortlisted for an IARA Award for Best FM / UK Radio DJ, which I’m so excited about. I’m crazy about rap, Hip Hop, trap, grime, and R&B. My love affair with music started when I was very young and I had my first radio show at the tender age of 7 (granted it was just on my own tape recorder taking songs from the radio and making my parents record the adverts, but it was a start). I got my first taste of real presenting at sixteen when I secured work experience at BBC Radio Cumbria, and then went onto work on URN, the University of Nottingham’s radio station, whilst studying for my BA (hons) French & English Literature degree (bonjour). I was also given a guest show on Rinse FM".

Sasha Brown – Happy Buddh Monday

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http://hoxtonradio.com/sasha-brown-happy-buddha-monday/

About:

http://hoxtonradio.com/sasha-brown/

"Sasha Brown is a singer/song-writer working in electro-pop & dance/house music. Her sound has been described as Lana Del Ray meets Years and Years. She is also a DJ and has a show on Hoxton Radio Mondays 12-1.30.

Her debut track ‘Good Life’ received Radio Play on Hoxton, BCFM, UJIMA and Burst Radio. Sasha was Artist of the Week on America’s Blog Talk Radio with Cyrus Webb and she has been featured on UBTV, Coast2Coast and Virtuoso Entertainment.

She has recently worked on a deep chill/house EP with German producers Verbund West which is set for imminent release. Her track ‘Talk On’ with Nathan Barato has just been released off the renowned underground label, Hot Creations and received Radio 1 airplay with Pete Tong".

Back from Vietnam and preaching Happy Buddhas like they’re the new Chanel-yes, Sasha’s back. This week Sasha was joined by Bokan’s Head Chef, Aurelie, to discuss Bottomless Brunch and the art of cooking/eating.
http://bokanlondon.co.uk/

Sasha also brought you new music from the likes of Alex Adair, Crazy Cousinz and Softmore.
https://m.soundcloud.com/crazycousinz

Top tip: Book a ticket to this!
XOYO
An Orchestral Rendition of Dr Dre’s 2001
Wed, 20 Sep 2017, 19:00

Notorious B.I.G ‑ An Orchestral Rendition of Ready To Die
Wed, 27 Sep 2017, 19:00

http://xoyo.co.uk/gigs/reimagine-presents-notorious-b-g-orchestral-rendition/

@TheSashaBrown
InstagramSashaJadeBrown
www.sashabrownmusicofficial.com

That is a snapshot of the station – with a trio of awesome presenters – but, to get a better impression of the station; visit their website and make sure you tune in! Hoxton Radio, alongside Soho Radio, show what an array of incredible D.J.s are in the capital – each committed to provided quality shows and presenting the best new music to the listener. I hope that has provided an insight into the London radio scene and why the capital’s underground and growing stations are the very best…

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IN the world.

FEATURE: A Ruby Kick: The Continuing Influence of Kate Bush

FEATURE:

 

A Ruby Kick:

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 The Continuing Influence of Kate Bush

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THE same way I placed an embargo on the mere mention…

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PHOTO CREDIT: Evening Standard/Getty Images

of Billie Marten last year – so blown-away as I was with her debut album – this will be the final inclusion of Kate Bush for 2017! Actually, this is no flimsy and crow-barred excuse to explain my endless love for Kate Bush. Next year, in February, it will be forty years since her sublime debut, The Kick Inside, was released to the world – hence, the reason for the title of this piece (ruby is the gift one gets/receives after forty years of marriage). I wanted to focus on her debut but, more than that, explain how that album started the ball rolling – one that would hit and affect so many artists along the way. It is clear and evident Kate Bush affects and resonates in the heart with so many musicians today – male artists in addition to women.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Pinterest

What I wanted to do, if I have not left it too late, is compile an audio documentary that brings recorded interviews (with Bush and other musicians) and pairs that with revelations and stories from new artists. There are so many out there who have taken from Kate Bush and carry their music wherever they go. Different albums/periods of Kate Bush’s career affect different artists. To me, and the reason I wanted to write this, was set the wheels rolling for a documentary of some description. It seems foolhardy and a shame to pass such an anniversary by without something authoritative and passionate. An article might not be sufficient so I am determined to find a way of interviewing some people and splicing it with archived interviews.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Pinterest

Of course, as with any self-respecting journalist, the ambition would be to interview the woman herself! I realise I do not have the cachet and celebrity to warrant such an audience. If I worked for BBC or another station – maybe I would be able to get that chance (fighting off stiff competition, I can imagine). I wonder whether, as her debut is forty next year, there will be new material. None of us likes to think 50 Words for Snow (her last studio album came out in 2011) is all we will hear from Kate Bush this decade. Of course, she has been busy and stunned fans lucky enough to catch her at Hammersmith Apollo back in 2014. That is a gig that, if I could turn back time, I would make every effort to get myself to – the other one I regret missing was Jeff Buckley when he played New York cafes in 1993 (I was ten and based in the U.K. - so I can forgive myself that). I have Before the Dawn (the name of her live show in 2014) and it is a treasured vinyl that is exceptional to hear. I know I am diverging from the tracks but I am amazed at how, forty years after her introduction to the world, she continues to amaze and…wow.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush signing copies of The Dreaming in 1982/PHOTO CREDIT: Peter Still/Redferns

Whether you see The Kick Inside as inferior to The Sensual World, The Dreaming and Hounds of Love – seen as her finest album by most – one cannot deny how important The Kick Inside is. Without that album, and the response it gained, there would not have been any more material. It began the process and lit the fire: sparked a wave of fascination that continues to this very day. Before I come to look at the artists inspired by Kate Bush; I will outline why we should celebrate forty years of The Kick Inside. One needs to be patient – 17th February is the official anniversary – but, with four months remaining; it is ample time to dive into the album and chart its heritage. You can, from there, look ahead and draw a line between the album and so many other records. I said how many are inspired by Kate Bush: one finds elements of her debut in some unexpected places! My first experience of Kate Bush can be traced to, around, 1986, I guess. I would have been three (maybe it was 1987) and a V.H.S. of her collected music videos – a sort of ‘best of’ that included songs such as Wuthering Heights.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1978

I think Them Heavy People is my earliest memory of Kate Bush – that incredible and charming video makes me smile every time I see it. That charm and quirkiness is one of the reasons Kate Bush stays in the heart this far down the line. The Kick Inside does not have the same variations and enigmatic diversions as Hounds of Love but, to me, it is a more solid and impressive work. Bush was a teenager when the album was released and broke ground with the album. One can argue about the voice and how that is the most notable and long-lasting facet. To me, it is the songwriting and control. There was a record label involved – and experienced musicians like David Gilmour helping with production – but look at those songwriting credits! Few albums in the mainstream contain one writer for every song – meaning, that artist takes care of ALL the songwriting. A few names are exceptions but, look closely, and it is hard to find musicians who write their own songs. That seems quite natural and many argue it is not a big deal.

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PHOTO CREDIT: REX

A lot of people can’t write music so you can forgive them for bringing people in to help with that side of things. To me, the most worrying thing about modern music is the fact so many popular artists bring too many people in to assist their process. Kate Bush, as early as 1975 (when the recording began), she was putting out her own music and exploring her unique perspective. I have heard documentaries and interviews where she explained her childhood situation: writing songs and performing them to her family; some were so long, members would walk out half the way through! Her dad was especially supportive and would hear his daughter premiere her latest work. It is understandable why Bush would want to make a debut with no other songwriters – that does not make the achievement any less impressive. I shall not go into the song-by-song rundown of The Kick Inside – I have covered that a lot before – but wanted to celebrate an incredible record that helped inspire generations of songwriters.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush, 1978

I do not know whether Kate Bush realises how many musicians count her as an idol but she has an inkling, one suspects. To me, it is a familiarity and comfort that follows me wherever I go. From the whale song at the start of the album: Moving is a sensual and physical dance that kick-starts a fantastic L.P. I love all the machinations and interpretations of love: from someone who was a teenager at the time of the album’s conception (some songs written when she was thirteen), it is beguiling hearing so much confidence and maturity. We know there are teenage artists today who display a mature attitude and produce stunning music: there is nobody like Kate Bush; nobody who has those same talents and abilities. Stunning to hear someone fully-formed and striking from her first album. That talent and ability grew but, up until 1985’s Hounds of Love, there was some critical disappointment and personal doubts.

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IN THIS PHOTO: A shot from the Lionheart photoshoot

Lionheart, her second album, was quickly released (to capitalise on The Kick Inside’s success) and contains fewer pearls – the fact it was released nine months after her debut meant there was a lot of pressure. Producing another record in such a short space would be like conceiving a child the day you give birth – it works in my mind but is going to cause issues, one way or another! With those words in mind (the final four); The Kick Inside’s success was all the more remarkable considering another legendary album released in 1978: Blondie’s Parallel Lines. If Kate Bush would not regain a true potential and spark (after The Kick Inside) by the time of 1982’s The Dreaming – Blondie were challenging her right at the start of her career. Bush won a chart battle with Blondie when Wuthering Heights reigned victorious. Wuthering Heights was released later to avoid clashing with (being beaten by) Wings’ Mull of Kintyre. The fact it was held back put it in the firing line up Blondie’s Denis – Debbie Harry aiming to score her first British number-one.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Debbie Harry (1978)/PHOTO CREDIT: Mick Rock

Kate Bush, as we know, became the first British female songwriter to score a self-penned number-one. That is extraordinary in this day and age. When Dua Lipa recently hit the number-one spot for her song, New Rules – she became the first female since Adele (and Hello) to scoop that honour. That speaks more about chart issues and sexism but back in 1978, nobody expected an artist like Kate Bush to arrive. The Kick Inside is as much about its records and story as it is the sound and comparative quality. It is a record that changed so much and, with it, propelled a quixotic, alluring and endlessly brilliant artist into everyone’s lives. It is my favourite album of all time and that is why, by February, I hope to have something worthy of The Kick Inside’s brilliance...

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IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Pinterest:

It is inexplicable why The Kick Inside strikes me so hard because there are, actually, so many different layers and reasons why it remains so dear. I know that assertion is shared with many other musicians and writers. One need only look at the archives to Desert Island Discs and realise why Kate Bush is one of the most-selectable artists in its history. People feel a bond with her: even though they have not met and experience her personality in a second-hand fashion. If one were to compile a Kate Bush greatest-hits album; surely at least three or four of the songs from The Kick Inside should be in that assortment – the official release, I think, overlook the debut too much. I look around modern music and, when interviewing various artists, ask the same question: “Who are the artists you grew up listening?”. The fact Kate Bush comes up so often does not surprise me – it gives me cheer and cements my assertion she is among the greatest artists the world has produced.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during a photoshoot for Hounds of Love (1985)

Most people who name-check her are women but there are plenty of men who take from her music and can relate. There is something gender-neutral and double-blind about Bush’s music. Call it an androgynous form of sexuality or an exceptional artist who can reach every human who hears her music – forty years from her first recording and it seems more people are inspired by her than at any other time. Does that mean musicians are uninspired by new music and finding more truth in older records?! Perhaps so but I think there are special musicians who transcend time and situation and have that perennial appeal. I cannot name all the artists who I have seen source Bush as an inspiration – you can look back at my blog if you wish – but there is no danger of a drought. One of the most interesting reasons albums like The Kick Inside are so important is the huge artists that have been touched by it.

One can hear shades of Kate Bush in Tori Amos. The American musician recently released her album, Native Invader, but if one looks back at her debut, Little Earthquakes; there is so much to compare with Bush. The cover-art shows Amos crouching in something that looks like a concrete picture frame. I cannot help think of Kate Bush and his mannerisms when looking at that photo. The same way Kate Bush carved a template for female songwriters in the late-1970s and 1980s: Amos wrote the book for female songwriters in the 1990s. Little Earthquakes arrived with seismic potency in 1992. It is a less flighty and quirky work than The Kick Inside but its softer and more emotive moments – of which there are many – can be traced to Kate Bush. One hears a lot of The Kick Inside in Little Earthquakes; the raw emotion and revelations of The Sensual World; the maturity and explorations of Hounds of Love. Under the Pink, released in 1994, changed dynamic and sound and, with it, put me in mind of The Kick Inside.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Tori Amos/PHOTO CREDIT: Loren Haynes

I cannot listen to songs like Cornflake Girl and not be reminded of Oh to Be in Love or Them Heavy People. Kate Bush’s influence is clear throughout – whether Amos listened to The Kick Inside (or a later) album beforehand I am not sure. I will mention London Grammar and Björk a little later – but there are so many different acts that trace their roots to Bush. Lady Gaga’s comingling of art and Pop stems from Bush – not to mention her bold and confident persona – as does the songwriting brilliance and allure of PJ Harvey. Kate Nash (is another Kate) that takes inspiration from the divine Ms. Bush – one can add Joanna Newsome and Bat for Lashes to that list. Many easily jump to Kate Bush when they hear an artist who is different and a little eccentric. Those who do not fit into the mainstream and do not follow the pack are tied to Bush.

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I am not sure whether this is lazy labelling but it is humbling to hear wonderful artists take Kate Bush’s example and continue her legacy into the modern-day. Other modern artists like St. Vincent were drawn to Bush’s theatre, narratives and oddities – St. Vincent has an attachment to Wuthering Heights. Bright Light Bright Light, Wild Beasts and Placebo are among the male artists who count Kate Bush’s work among their favourites – Bright Light Bright Light hails The Sensual World as his joint-favourite record. Goldfrapp is another act that springs to mind when looking at Kate Bush’s musical progeny. They have a connection to nature and the world – elements and facets evident right from The Kick Inside onwards. A 201-piece, written around the time of Bush’s performances in Hammersmith, spoke with a collection of artists who are inspired by her.

One reads the piece and is amazed by those artists one did not expect to count themselves as fans:

Catherine Pierce (The Pierces)

The first time I heard Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill I was moved to tears. I don’t remember a song ever striking such a chord with me. I was going through a difficult time and it was as though she was reading my heart. Still, every time I listen to it, it invokes a feeling that makes me instantly go inward. It’s one of those songs that I wish I had written and would love to cover, but wouldn’t dare because I don’t think there could be a more perfect version.

Rumer

Having six older siblings, I got to listen to artists like Kate Bush from an early age. When rifling though my older sisters’ bedroom one day, I found Hounds of Love. I loved the album so much it barely left the tape recorder, although I always had to run across the room to fast-forward Waking the Witch because it was too scary! That was my first introduction to her wild and rugged musical landscape, and that unique inner world. She is such a rare artist of our time, uncompromising yet always feminine, with no walls to her expression.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Catherine Pierce/PHOTO CREDIT: Ken McKay/ITV/REX

Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation)

We covered Running Up That Hill in 2003. I grew up with Kate Bush because my dad really liked her music. She was always in the background. When our band started there were some parallels with the way I was singing, the falsetto voice. People were always comparing us. It wasn’t a sound that you hear a lot, especially in rock like I do. With some of her songs, when you take them apart, they don’t seem possible. If you look at the rules for how you write songs, they shouldn’t work, but they do. She’s one of a kind. She’s the icon for a lot of female vocalists. She inspired so many of us.

Emily Kokal (Warpaint)

I was late to the Kate Bush fan club. A few years ago a friend of mine spent an evening showing me videos and songs and telling me Kate’s story, and I was so excited to have this woman’s work to dive into and to discover what a pioneer she was, and how influential she was on artists I have loved. Her melodies are unreal. Singing along with Kate is like vocal Olympic training. I floated down the Nile for a week and she was my constant companion. Cloudbusting — ahhh. She’s like Glinda the Good Witch’s punk sister. She’s a champion and an innovator and I’m so happy she exists and expresses her beauty for us all to enjoy.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Imogen Heap at 2010's Grammys

The piece brought in Boy George and Donny Osmond into the feature – showing it is not only female artists that are compelled by Bush’s rare majesty. Benjamin Clementine is in there – someone who is about to release a new album – and, before moving in, two more examples the article sources:

Imogen Heap

When I was 17 and getting my first record deal, it was the likes of Kate Bush who had contributed to labels taking me seriously as a girl who knew what she was doing and wanted. I was able to experiment and left to my own devices in the studio. Kate produced some truly outstanding music in an era dominated by men and gave us gals a licence to not just be “a bird who could sing and write a bit”, which was the attitude of most execs!

Tom Fleming (Wild Beasts)

Like most people I started with Hounds of Love and went outwards from there. Now The Sensual World is my absolute favourite. There’s a song on there called The Fog, which I think was the most captivating four minutes I’d ever heard at the time. It’s remarkable. She was instrumental in moving our band down certain routes — her and Antony Hegarty, Michael Gira of Swans — these writers who are playing with sexuality and delicacy versus strength. It’s all really interesting and not macho, which is really important to us. Also, she’s seen as this pop star and doesn’t really get the credit she deserves as a producer. She was really ahead of the game. I haven’t met her but I expect she’d be quite sane and normal, which the best people usually are.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Wild Beasts' Tom Fleming (2014)/PHOTO CREDIT: David Daub

That is an incredible and broad list of names. It covers the mainstream: look at the new artists coming through and you’ll find acts from five/six continents, playing all genres, who have been inspired by Kate Bush. Literally, I know an Israeli Future-Beats artist and Brighton Folk singer who counts Bush as an influence. I said I would mention London Grammar (but didn’t) but cannot talk about Kate Bush and not mention Hannah Reid. The trio’s vocalist has the same drama, beauty and range as Bush. I can hear elements of Kate Bush’s modern albums in Hannah Reid’s voice. Although Reid has a deeper voice than Bush: there are some definite comparison and that common (immense) beauty that both possess. Florence Welch’s Florence and the Machine, I understand, are gearing up new material. How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful was released in 2015 - and gained huge and passionate critical acclaim.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Florence Welch/PHOTO CREDIT: Laura Coulson

Ever since the debut, Lungs; one can hear Kate Bush in the music. Pounding, bellicose decelerations such as Drumming Song and Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) have the same percussive and vocal triumphant as Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) and Babooshka. Welch’s tender songs find roots in albums like The Kick Inside and Lionheart. Unlike a lot of the artists I have mentioned – who, I feel, can be traced back as far as The Kick Inside – Welch’s Bush influence, to me, begins around 1985 – when Hounds of Love was unveiled. One can hear the same drama and compositional ambition/excitement in the early Florence and the Machine material. Although Welch wrote songs with Isabella Summers and Paul Epworth (and a few others) on Lungs does not detract from her songwriting ability and talents. There is a lot of the compelling and fascinating woman in that album. Welch has developed and changed her sound: growing more confident and singling herself as one of the finest singer-songwriters in the world. I am not sure what form a new Florence and the Machine album will take but there are rumours the heroine is laying down sounds – maybe we will get an album by the end of the year?!

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PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Jackson/Trunk Archive

I wanted to conclude this section by looking at two artists that have helped continue Bush’s work and bring it into the modern age. The first, actually, is someone who picked up the mantle in the early-1980s and was one of the first popular artists inspired by Kate Bush: that would be Madonna. Everyone can see comparisons between Kate Bush and Madonna. The same sense of show and self-empowerment; the incredible songwriting and sonic/thematic shifts between albums – the ability to stand out as an icon and inspire legions of fans. Madonna projected a more provocative and sexual version of Kate Bush but many critics and commentators noted how Madonna saw how Kate Bush blossomed and progressed in her early career and ran with that, to an extent. Madonna, as her career developed, went in different directions but her image, confidence and artistry can be compared with Kate Bush. I feel Björk is one of those artists who is seen as unique – she inspires so many others and is one of the most groundbreaking and extraordinary artists since the 1990s. Her debut album arrived the same year as Kate Bush’s The Red Shoes.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna

Not that the Icelandic pioneer would have had intel about the recording and taken from that – it is interesting and one can definitely hear some comparisons between the works. The Red Shoes arrived after Björk’s debut but The Dreaming (1989) arrived at a perfect time to inspire a hungry and original artist. From her earliest days; I could tell there was a bit of Kate Bush in Björk. The way Björk experiments and pushes the boundaries of music; the way each album has a different skin and brings in new elements, Björk does not repeat herself and ensures every record progresses from the last.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Björk

Her forthcoming record will be prefaced by The Gate – her single is out later next week and gives an indication into an album she says explores the purity and luminous nature of love. It is her ‘Tinder album’, as she says, and represents transitioning from break-up to rekindling a desire to be in a relationship. The way Kate Bush put art and depth into music: Björk continues that and is the most notable and strong successor to Bush. I speak like Kate Bush has died but I mean – the artists mentioned – they are picking up the baton and keep the flame burning bright. I hope Kate Bush does release more material but, even if she does not, her music lives on through some of the best artists of our day. Björk is a perfect example of how Kate Bush’s incredible talent and music has inspired the new generations.

I am excited by the approaching fortieth anniversary of Kate Bush’s debut album, The Kick Inside. It is an album that means more to me now than it did when I was a child. I cannot believe how fresh and inspiring it is all these years down the line – yet, it sounds like nothing else and stands on its own. The fact few other Kate Bush fans do not rank her debut as the best does not dent my enthusiasm: I feel like it is my little secret and I have to explain why it is so good. Nobody can deny how important it is and how many artists, consciously or not, have been moved and affected by the record. It does not seem aged or outdated at all. The Kick Inside is a fantastic work that began a glistening and exciting career.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1979

Later work would cement and elevate Bush’s name and brilliance to new heights and audiences. She is a talent that continues to inspire new artists to come into music and explore themselves with freedom, brash expression and boldness – unconcerned with the mainstream and fitting into holes. That might be the greatest thing Kate Bush has given us: an unorthodox and entrancing spirit who, back in 1978, could not be compared with anyone – she remains distinct and unique to this day. I am touched so many people have taken so much wisdom and beauty from Kate Bush’s work. People will be talking about her work forty years from now: it is timeless and, as such, when The Kick Inside’s anniversary arrives; we should not only celebrate a remarkable debut album but…

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A truly brilliant artist.

FEATURE: The Gig Experience: Are We Losing the Ability to Connect?

FEATURE:

 

The Gig Experience:

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  Are We Losing the Ability to Connect?

________

FUTURE pieces of the day will contain a lot more…

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sugar than spice. In fact; this is not meant to decry gig-goers and question impunity. What I wanted to address – whilst not a new subject – is the way we are approaching the live experience: how many of our best venues are facing closure and extinction. I wanted to split the piece into two halves – without rambling on – and ask why we feel so inclined to buy tickets to see an artist – only to disconnect ourselves from the performance when we get there. This is not the case with everyone: there are many who take a more traditional and proper approach to music. I do not own a Smartphone and one of the reasons for this is I do not want to be endlessly distracted and obsessed by machinery and technology.

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It not an original observation when I say so many people are hooked on their phone – to the point when one will walk the street to be met with an approaching horde of phone-staring zombies unaware of the logistics of walking. They careen towards you and, even if they look up, often go straight through you. It is a worrying sign we have to document our every movement – some of these emanating below the waist – and keep everyone updated with every pointless thought and irrelevant status update. I am guilty of indulging the anonymity and security of social media. We do not have to embrace and properly connect with a human on social media: one can say what they want and message someone without becoming involved with them or meeting them at any point. It gives us a rather strange group of ‘friends’ where can surrender sociability and dispose of the human touch. I worry we are more absorbed and fascinated by screens and technology – few are worried they are slipping away from humanity and spending their free time hooked to laptops and Smartphones.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Getty

One should, when affording themselves the chance to get out into the world, should not carry their phones like a weapon – a warrior going into battle that needs to wield it at the mere whiff of approach enemies. I cannot judge people too much because I spend most of my free-time on the laptop. I have no choice when it comes to what I do. I never go to a gig and spend my time there taking videos. I understand someone might want to take a picture of the venue they are attending. It documents you were there and is good for prosperity. Why do people feel the need to catalogue the entire duration and development of their gig-going experience?!

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IN THIS PHOTO: Prince; who wanted the audience to dispense with phones at his final gig

From the time they are on the train (or in the car); one is presented with an array of photos and videos – right until they get out the venue and are on their way back home. It is like, when seeing people hold phones aloft, there is an approaching alien craft from above. People put their phones up and seem to form some messianic circle. Smartphones have their uses (it passes me by but I am sure there are some) but photography is the main one. It is easier snapping something and is one of the biggest breakthroughs we have had – one does not need to wait days for films to be developed and processed before they can see their images. I am glad we have moved on in that sense: the fact we have gone to such extremes means we forsake eye contact and interaction altogether. One cannot go to gigs without people taking pictures of the artist. I have seen videos of people watching a gig and it made me think: they have not seen a second of the performance with their own eyes!

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IN THIS PHOTO: Beyoncé; who is one of few big artist to ban professional photography at her gigs

One of the reasons I do not go to gigs a lot is because I feel alienated and distinct – like I am watching the performance on my own. So many people feel they need to prove they have been to a gig. We cannot, in this day, say we have experienced something without photographing it. We feel this need to visualise every movement and interaction we have – music should be immune from this. Music photographers are different. Their job is to take the best shots from the field; capturing artists at their purest and least self-aware. Live performances are the antithesis of the social media/streaming culture we are growing up in. It is the chance to see the artist in the flesh and connect with them on a human level. Why would one go to a prestigious and expensive gig only to record everything without seeing a moment through their eyes?! I know artists have tried to tackle this recently. Prince’s last gig was supposed to be a mobile-free territory but I know some did slip through the net. Kate Bush, when she performed a set of shows in London a few years back, insisted the audience stay away from their phones and watch her perform without them.

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Largely, people abided and accepted this request – a sense of respect and obedience that is rare to find. One knows there would have been a few people that ignored the plea and filmed everything on their phone. Technology companies have released phones that can sense when someone is at a gig. Apple trialled this last year and, the way it works, was a radar/sensor can detect the environment and prohibit one from videoing and photographic at a venue. That is a positive thing every company should roll out. One imagines there would be an outcry but we are not stopping people from taking photos away from music. I find it pointless going to a live performance and doing anything but watch what you have paid to see. Live music is one of the most exciting and immersive experiences one could witness. We have become so entangled in the Internet we have forgotten how to be a human being and remove ourselves from the machine. This ignorance and self-obsession extend to dates, holidays and everything around us. I rarely take photos and, when I do, it is to document something I struggle to describe with words – a tourist site or rare event. I would never take a camera to a gig and have no interest boasting about the experience on social media. The fact I was there and know a gig happened is proof enough – I do not care what people think and whether they need evidence.

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The Good Ship in Kilburn is one of the latest venues to face closure. The London venue’s doors will shut next month because of the curbs on late-night revelry. The Evening Standard reported on the closure:

Last year, police and Brent council reviewed the pub’s late-night licence after concerns about events finishing at 3am and security arrangements. Mr McCooke was able to keep his licence with an earlier finishing time of 2am but it affected trade on Friday and Saturday nights.

It will be the third music venue to close in Kilburn since 2011, following the loss of The Luminaire and then Power’s Bar.

Mr McCooke said: “We are the only late-night music venue in Brent. When the council looked at our licence I thought this will kill the business.

“But the measures they put in place with the early closures meant it was a slow death.”

Mr McCooke said he now wanted The Good Ship to “go out with a huge bang”.

He added: “Kilburn has an amazing history, with The Beatles, The Smiths, Rolling Stones and The Who playing here. Kilburn has always punched above its weight but in less than six years three venues have been closed, which is shocking”.

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One can, legitimately, draw a line between the closures and the way we choose to interact with other people. You can argue people have less disposable income to spend on live music these days. I do not think we have become poorer in that sense. I feel we prefer to stay in because technology allows us to watch whatever shows we want and opens a whole world of entertainment. There are plenty of great artists out there so one cannot say the lack of quality is driving people away. So many of us are absorbed in technology to the extent we forget how to interact and socialise. We are going to extremes. People are either not going out at all or they are going out and drinking to excess. There is no middle-ground that allows people to go to gigs and act cordially. The trouble and controversy that surrounded Fabric’s closure – and subsequent rebirth – was to do with drugs and trouble at the venue.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Fabric nightclub, London

The Council and Government have tightened up security and regulations to ensure that pattern of events do not repeat themselves. A few bad apples do not represent the entire music-going public but it is troubling so much trouble and controversy leads to venues shutting their doors. Now people are filming gigs it means many are able to sit at their laptops and watch a concert. The issue is more complex and there are other reasons why so many venues are closing - there are so many venues it is impossible to keep all afloat; people are bonding more with streamed music – but I worry we are abandoning live music and not treating it with due respect. New artists need people to come see them and help them thrive: if we are glued to phones and prefer to spend our time online – how viable and prosperous is the future of music?

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PHOTO CREDIT: Getty

I am pleased people are not sitting back and letting venues close without a fight. The fact so many big artists are banning people from videoing their gigs is a sign they want people involved and not streaming their performance to the masses. Eminem, when he played Reading and Leeds last month, banned the BBC from streaming his performance. He wanted paying punters to get exclusive access to his intense and near-career-best show. That is fair enough and I think he would have been aware people at that festival were videoing it themselves. I guess he cannot stop that but so many artists want fans to connect and watch what they are doing. If we get too reliant on technology and feel a desperate need to photo every stage of a gig – how does that impact on our enjoyment and the purpose of seeing an artist?!

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PHOTO CREDIT: Holler London

One might as well sit at home and listen to the artist on YouTube if that is the level of involvement they want. I worry we are going further and further down a hole we will be unable to climb out of. The more prevalent technology becomes; the more we rely on it and replace human connection. I know many people are exempt from my point and many people use cameras/phones sparingly to capture important musical moments. One can understand if they want to take the odd shot of a band when they are in mid-flight. It is okay to video arriving at a festival but many people are taking things to an extreme. With so many venues closing its doors, it is imperative, more than ever, people fight for live music; put the Smartphones away and…

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GET involved.

TRACK REVIEW: Raveen - Always

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Raveen

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 Always

 

9.4/10

 

 

Always is available via:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU0Bx6ichDs

GENRES:

Electronic; Alternative

ORIGIN:

Montreal, Canada

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The album, Always, is available at:

https://raveen.bandcamp.com/album/always

RELEASE DATE:

28th July, 2017

____________

IT is nice to be back in Canada and assessing a band…

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that is getting a great reception right now. Always is their new album and has been collecting some terrific and positive reviews. I will come to look at that in more depth but, for now, I wanted to address Montreal artists and the music scene there; music that is subdued and lush; what can inspire songwriting and a new creative direction; collaborating with other musicians and international artists coming over here – a quick nod to the band market and how tough it can be to distinguish yourself from the pack. Montreal is a productive and fertile spot for new music. If one looks at the established artists that have come from the city – Arcade Fire and The Dears among them – it seems like a part of the world that encourages experimentation, depth and intelligence in music. One need only listen to Arcade Fire’s back catalogue to experience a group always looking to push music and engage the listener. That is the case with Always and, like Arcade Fire, they inject so much depth and texture into their songs. There are, of course, other acts in Montreal – not all of them go for deep and detailed music. If one wants to experience an array of lush, spellbinding and memorable live performers – Montreal is a city you want to go to. Patrick Watson, one of the most established artists from Québec and someone who can silence audiences with his tender and majestic voice. The Dears have released five live albums: fans and followers adore their performance so much; it is small wonder the band has taken this decision. A-Trak has helped push and pioneer Electronica, Hip-Hop and supports the best artists from the genres. His scratching and fusion techniques enthral crowds – someone guaranteed to lift the crowds and provide an incredible, engaging night. Half Moon Run are a band best enjoyed in the live setting. The complexities and nuances of their songs come to life when they perform to a live crowd. Chromeo is another fantastic band who provide a fun and are a cheeky duo that has amazed and excited audiences for years.

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Jazz Cartier is a star who has played in small venues but is on the rise right now. Tracks such as Stick and Move have got people throwing their hands in the air and letting their voices ring loud. He is a performer one should keep their eyes out for in the coming months. Calvin Love and Dilly Dally are terrific but Moon King, an incredible duo, whose electronic-tinged Indie-Rock is one of the best live experiences you’ll see in Montreal – they are pushing their music to new territories and are an incredibly exciting proposition. Camille Poliquin is an arresting performer who sings under the moniker of Kroy and has an arresting voice that has seduced masses. Charlotte Cardin sings in French and English and boasts a smoky, scintillating voice that has, until recently, scored cover songs. She is producing original material: it is their live shows, and the way she engages with the crowd, that has won her legions of fans. Her video, Main Girl, was released a few days ago and has been gathering immense praise. This is just a small gathering of Montreal artists who are defining this generation. The like of Arcade Fire has hit the mainstream: eyes are looking at the underground/new, emerging acts and what they will provide. The likes of Charlotte Cardin and Half Moon Run are going to be immense mainstream acts that will compel people to investigate Montreal more. Raveen is among that list who deserve huge acclaim and support. They differ to the artists I have mentioned – standing alone and providing a unique combination of sounds and textures. I am excited to see the band progress and make their music known to the wider world. They are popular and applauded in Quebec but have the potential to wow the U.K. and Europe. We would love to see them here: few comparative artists exist so it would definitely fill a void.

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The past few months have seen me address rawer and urgent acts that do not really take a more measured and explorative approach to their material. Raveen, when listening to Always (the title-track), mix Electronic sounds with R&B/Pop undertones and takes the listener somewhere special. I admire musicians that take the time and craft music that blends sounds and components to deliver something sumptuous and mesmeric. That is what one gets from the Canadian band’s latest single. I am a little late to review it – it has been out for a couple of months – but now their album is released; many people are discovering gems and jewels from Raveen. Whether exploring synth./keys or bringing strings into the mix – one always is left affected and changed. There are a lot of acts around who take little time to engage with the listener and provide real depth in their music. I think, in modern music, there is the need to produce something relatable and instant. People want to bond with a song quickly without having to do too much thinking. That might be unfair to many but I feel there is a tendency, for mainstream artists, to get into the head as quickly as they can. One can find some nuance and academia in a lot of artists but is becoming rarer. Maybe we are training ourselves to adopt the short and concise songs that do what they need to do and exit the memory pretty soon. This might be the definition of commercialism but, if one looks hard enough, you can find musicians to appeal and create for those who want something special and deep. That (deep) is a word I bring in but it is entirely justified in this context. Raveen pair lush and immersive compositions with heartfelt lyrics – it is a wonderful combination that provides something unexpected and pure.

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I will move on to other considerations but, before then, wanted to remain where I am. I was talking to someone the other day who said he listens to genres like Classical because there is nothing enriching or memorable in the current mainstream. His exposure to music comes from radio and his argument was few acts articulate any sophistication and intellectualism. Not that Raveen are Classical composers: they are contemporary and accessible but deal with tender, shimmering strings and illuminating colours – paired with moodier and introspective tones and quotable lyrics. If one considers all those elements and, excluding lyrics, it has the same dynamic and appeal as Classical music, I guess – a modern form that acts as a gateway and Segway into the mainstream. That is why I feel Raveen are a special and profitable act. The guys differ from what is out there and can offer the listener something genuinely engrossing and nourishing. I am making their music into cuisine and something intangible. In actuality; the vocals and lyrics are as treasurable and impressive as their soundscapes. I will come to look at that in a minute but feel Raveen perfectly sit in a Montreal music scene that is among the most eclectic and sensational in the world. I have mentioned Patrick Watson who, in addition to being one of Canada’s finest artists, brings strings and yearning compositional elements against stunningly pure and beautiful vocals. The city is not beholden to a single type of music and has only one rule: only the best and brightest will make it to the top. Living in London; one can see a lot of artists not worth much time – there are amazing musicians but not all of them are deserving of real affection. I get a better sense of quality control in Montreal. Maybe it is the way artists approach their sounds and connect with the listener. What amazes me about bands like Raveen is their music is new and unique but, in a lot of ways, instantly connects. You do not have to listen too long before the music seeps into the soul and remains in the mind.

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As I said; it is not only the music that hits the bases and lingers long in the imagination. The band’s lyrics are special and go far beyond the traditional and clichéd words one might experience in today’s music. That sound like I am old and begrudging of all new music: I feel few bands take the time to craft genuinely interesting and introspective lyrics. On Always, the immense title-track from the band’s new album, it is the three members working strongly – joined by other players to lead to a cohesive and collaborative wonder. The song itself was inspired by singer/producer Eric - when he went on a trip to Europe. I am not sure whether it was a particular country that compelled the song – perhaps the whole experience provoked the song. Europe is one of those continents with so many different languages, cultures and countries. It is a varied and fascinating part of the world so it is not surprising a Canadian artist would find the experience fascinating. I have never been to Canada but can imagine there is stark difference and polemics between the two areas. That sort of diversity and foreign soil would get the brain racing and lead to something self-examining and inspiring. I am curious why musicians travel to areas like Europe and come back with songs in the head. I would urge any musician to go to Europe: it is a fantastic place to gain inspiration and bring a fresh perspective to the music. That brings me to the subject of travel and how important it is. I feel one of the reasons a lot of modern music is unimaginative and predictable is because few artists travel beyond their homes. So many songs about love and what is around them – few take their lyrics further and bodies beyond the boundaries of the familiar. Raveen did not need to rekindle a spark or gain new perspective. Their music has always been fantastic but the fact Europe lead to the title-track, in many ways, was vital in the album’s recording. The record looks at love and grief; the early stages of adulthood and perceived loss.

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There is so much going on there so I am fascinated to know what it was about Europe that sparked such intense and personal themes. This is a new direction for Raveen who, before their new material, sported a slightly different sound. The evolution into a lush and heartfelt direction has been inspired by a number of things. Maybe European travel, and the need to discover new lands, has heralded the desire to create music with more depth and meaning than anything they have done before. A few seconds into Always and one is settled, hooked and amazed. Listening back to the band’s older material and you can see the development and evolution. I am fascinated finding out how instrumental that jaunt to Europe was – and what it was about the time there that led to Always. If one listens to the album, they will find a lot about the boys’ personal lives and transitions; the changing nature of love and life – the loss they have encountered and the positive times they have ahead. It is an album that brings together so many different emotions and experiences into an intoxicating album. I feel few artists are daring and thoughtful enough to provide the listener with anything that subsumes predictability and the cliché – they have penned an immense album that sounds unlike anything else. I will finish off this section but know how important and pivotal travel can be in terms of creativity. Depending on where you go; it can unlock something in the mind and lead to some stunning and unexpected music. This is what Raveen have done and, one argues, as they tour different nations and cities – that will enforce their music direction and lead to some wonderful new moments. Their latest single has inspired me to be broader with my horizons and take time out to travel more. Not that I am going to turn it into music: it will be useful in terms of personal growth and revelation.

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On Raveen’s latest album/track; there is more of the collaborative spirit than ever before. It is clear the guys have changed their music and felt the need to add something different to the mix. They have not hugely departed from previous work but have changed it enough to bring in new fans and show an impressive sense of growth. It is a more mature and complex sound than anything they have tackled in the past. Not only are their lyrics more heartfelt and personal: the music, and its arrangement, parabond different shades and colours. The band, on Always’ title-track, brought in more than ten vocalists and four/five string players. The song builds gradually but, when it truly hits, it is a fantastic experience that takes the breath somewhat. Raveen wanted something more collaborative and uncharted on their latest track. It is wonderful hearing other musicians and singers come together to bring the listener a symphonic, kaleidoscopic and hypnotic track that is hard to get out of the mind. One of my biggest hatreds in music is when artists needlessly collaborate with other singers. You get a lot of Hip-Hop/Rap artists bringing out songs that have loads of other artists on it. One wonders whether it is a pitch for commercial success and streaming figures. Does a song need four or five other artists on there?! It makes the song crowded and cluttered – the other artists hardly add anything and obfuscate the meaning and singularity of the song. It is galling hearing so many artists thrown names together haphazardly – little regard for concision, quality and focus. I appreciate an artist that wants to conspire with others but it is the sheer gaudiness of things that put me off (some artists). It is not only reserved to genres like Rap – Pop artists are getting into the habit and, the biggest stars at least, bring so many other bodies in. What I love about Raveen is the fact they took the decision to introduce other players. They have not thoughtlessly brought random singers and players together in a cynical attempt at generating hype and spotlight.

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I will skip to the conclusion soon but, before going there – and looking at the song, of course – wanted to talk about international artists arriving here. I am unsure whether Raveen has plans coming to Europe but, considering the impactful way the continent has on the band – it would be great seeing the guys come over here for a spell. The U.K. would love to see them and there are plenty of venues that could host them. I know a lot of North American acts that have come over here – with the intention of staying for a few gigs – only to see them in-demand and remaining here for many weeks. Maybe it is the fact we are not used to seeing North American acts; perhaps it is the potency of the music – there is something that gets into the heart and means we do not want to like them go. Raveen would do well in Britain but I wonder whether they have the finance and crowd-base to attempt that. There is a good support for them here but they are building a reputation at home right now. It is vital ensuring you have your home territory owned and covered. Montreal is a large territory and one with many other acts playing and striving. Before one goes abroad and tries to conquer foreign soil: they must ensure they have a foundation at home and demand where they live. I feel Raveen have been playing for a few years now and have cemented their name in the local minds. They are gathering terrific reviews and have a number of gigs lined up – they have performed some great dates already. Maybe they are looking to 2018 and where their music will take them. It would be great seeing them here and embarking on a mini-tour of Europe.

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The band-market, as we know, is a competitive and busy one. Maybe solo artists are taking more spotlight right – I am curious why there has been that shift; maybe it is easier succeeding and growing if you are on your own. Bands cannot be ignored and, not only are they important, but the desire to discover future-legends is intense. Many are looking out at music and wondering where those upcoming stars are. The mainstream has a few great bands but one sees more solo artists succeeding. It is interesting exploring why this is. I guess tastes are shifting or, perhaps, bands are more commercial than solo artists – in a way that means they are predictable and forgettable. The new breed of artists is exciting me because there are some fantastic bands emerging. What I know for sure if there is a lot of competition between the new acts. Gigs are sparse and that opportunity to ascend to the mainstream is limited to a select few. This might sound depressing but it is interesting seeing how the mainstream differs to the underground. Raveen are based in a city where there are so many exceptional musicians – each has the potential to go a long way and make a real impact on music. I am confident the boys of Raveen will succeed and remain because they have a progressive and intelligent approach to their music. Creating something genuinely new and enjoyable is harder than one might think. Bands that succeed and inspire new generations are those that go against easy options and try something harder. The introspective and subdued tones one hears on their album is enough to get them up the ladder and closer to the big leagues. As I said; the reviews are coming in and there is a lot of positivity flowing around. It is hard distinguishing yourself but, if you take time to craft music that is pure to you – but separate from everything else out there – it can be hugely effective. That is the case with Always: the album has resonated with so many people and being spoken about in excitable and impassioned tones.

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Always opens with something of the Enya about it. Not that this is a slight: it is a rare thing to see a song that has such grace and etherealness. There are hummed and choired vocals; a majestic sense of flight and the unknown. One imagines themselves flying and floating through the air. A sublime and spine-tingling vocal coda bonds with tender notes and unobtrusive compositional elements – it is a calm and restrained opening but one instilled with so much beauty and possibility. Even without a single word being properly articulated; one is helpless to resist the spectral nudity and luminous passion of the song. That elongated and ecumenical coda continues for a while and does not lose any of its magic and addictiveness. It is impossible not to be drawn to the flickering flame that is provided. Rather than singe one’s wings and perish: there is a warmth and welcoming hum that attracts the curious and keeps them cocooned and encapsulated. When a vocal does come in, in a way, it pairs the sweetness and beauty of Patrick Watson with the deeper sounds of James Blake. Building around electronic flickers and Classical suggestions – it seems appropriate those names come to mind. One gets a sense of experimentation and edginess; paired and balanced against the sublime and pure means the song cover so much ground in the initial stages – it never loses identity or races away too quickly. The hero looks at life and confesses that things are falling apart at the seams. It seems things are not working out how they should. Rather than urgently project the words: each breath is considered and there is murmuration and mutterings among the stillness. The hero, perhaps his travels in Europe have opened his mind, gains a sense of distance and escape. I feel there was a need to detach from something and find some space. Whether he is referring to a heroine or lost love; one gleans a sense of detachment and loss. The romance might have turned and it seems she is never coming back – some words are barely audible or cohesive in the throes of harsh realisation.

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Although the subject matter is tarnishing and sour – beauty and tenderness seem to wrap every word tightly. The performances are sublime and, following the rush and tingling of those vocals; we arrive at a stage where there is a lot more seriousness and focus. Witnessing the switch between layered vocals – female sounds coming to the fore and shining – the winding and contorting words of the hero are quite affecting and emotional. Before long; one gets another whiff of the vocal breeze and opening majesty. The song takes us to a warm and remote part where those heavenly voices close the eyes and get the mind working overtime. They pair with the hero who takes over the mantle and is trying to make sense of things. For his part, there are few words and lines to project – most of the song is built on that swell of vocals and the composition. You get crackles of electronic instruments and machine; suggestions of percussion and piano. That mix of genres and elements, in lesser hand, could have been a misjudged and regretful decision, As it stands; Always is a song that perfectly balances emotions, sounds and suggestions into something cohesive, stunning and endlessly nuanced. You will come back to the song down the line to experience new things and discover fresh insight. It is a song that hits you when you first listen but is too big and exciting to take it all in. Strings rise and seduce; the vocals are supreme and intense – there is something about the song that is unlike anything you will hear this year. With that in mind; I took it out for another spin to see what I missed first time out. What comes to mind are the layers and hidden side-alleys that escape you initially. It is a fantastic song and one that warrants more airplay and international acclaim. Artists that tackle something beautiful and entrancing often write a song boring and insubstantial. So much attention and work have gone into Always. It is a moment of music that has been crafted but retains naturalness and a sense of ease. That is a hard trick to pull off but one the Canadian band has done with a sense of ease. I hope they work with the musicians/singers we hear oh this track again. There is a connection and understanding that elevates the song and ensures it stays in your consciousness for a very long time. In a music industry where so few songs endure and inspire – credit to Raveen and what they have achieved here.

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I will end things soon but, a bit late to the wonders of Raveen, it has been wonderful reviewing their album’s title-track. It is a song that is quite short but, in its brevity, manages to achieve so much. Over the past couple of months, the guys have played across Canada and been very busy indeed. Exploring new areas and gaining a lot of love from the road – that must give them confidence and the desire to keep recording. Now that the dust is settling and the record is out there; it is down the listeners to absorb it. If anything; the post-release portion of an album’s life can be quite unsure and nervy. That initial flourish of fascination passes and it is down to an artist to keep interest strong and consistent. The guys are hitting-up magazines and websites to ensure reviews keep coming in. That is an impressive attitude and a work ethic that stands them in good stead. I have listened to the album and can recommend it without any hesitation. All of the tracks fit together but no two sounds alike. What amazes me is how the band has developed since their earliest work. They are more confident and striking than they have ever been; bringing new players into various moments and at a very important stage in their life – where they are maturing and questioning life; tackling young-adulthood and questions. It has been a while since I have heard an artist impress me with their experimentation and originality. I guess, in terms of bigger acts…that would have to be Anna Meredith. I am not saying one can compare Always with an album like Varmints – her 2016-released record that amazed critics with its wide scope and accessibility. That is a dazzling album that mixes huge horns and pomp – Nautilus is a perfect opener – and more refined and calm songs. There is nothing ordinary and run-of-the-mill about it. It is a wonderful début that stunned critics upon its release. That is the same impression I get with Raveen.

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Whilst their music is not as bombastic and varied as Meredith’s; there is something about the way they tackle sound and emotions that make their music endure and venture – it swims in the mind and makes its way to every part of the body. I am interesting seeing where the band goes from here and what they have planned. I am sure they want to spend the remainder of the year in Canada – keeping it a bit quiet and ensuring the album reaches as many people as possible. 2018 will be an exciting one for them and, I am certain, their most successful year to date. They have created something rich and impressive in Always – the title-track is a new direction for Raveen but one that pays off. It is wonderful seeing a band try something different and working with other people. That is not the case with every song on the album but works perfectly on its opening number. Let us end things here but, before then, a plea to the boys: I do hope you come to the U.K. soon and experience the music scene here. It is a packed and exciting one and one that could do, more now than ever, international blood. We are lacking a sense of worldliness and foreign appreciation. Canada has always provided the world incredible musicians: this is the case with the bright and incredible Raveen. Their début album is a thoroughly enjoyable and triumphant effort that is receiving a wide array of affectionate and passionate reviews. I can add my name to the list – the title-track is a perfect song for those who want something that goes a lot deeper than most music out there. If you want a song that tackles the heart and engages the mind; gets the blood running and the eyes wide – I think I have a band that…

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HAS the answer.

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Follow Raveen

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FEATURE: Living the Dream: An Initiative for All

FEATURE:

 

Living the Dream: 

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 An Initiative for All

________

I am not sure whether the image above…

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IN THIS PHOTO: The Manchester Arena

has any relevance to what I am saying – I like how striking it is but, in a way, it does link into what I am thinking. Right now, Manchester Arena is reopening after the horrific attack earlier in the year. Noel Gallagher is headlining and it will be an emotional concert. There will be nerves and doubts – security tightened to make it impossible another terrorist attack will happen – but there will be a lot of love, togetherness and uplift in the performances. One can only imagine the kind of electricity and physicality in the arena tonight. It will be talked about for years and a perfect reopening for a wonderful venue – one that was rocked and disturbed by one man’s callous and evil attempt to unsettle and shake our country. It did not work but, rather awfully, we have faced other terrorist attacks since then. It is becoming more frightening becoming a human being.

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IN THIS PHOTO: The worker bee became a symbol for Manchester after the attack

One of my long-standing dreams has been to set up a charity movement, The Single Voice, that acts as a one-stop-portal that raises awareness, funds and support – based on a musical ethos and foundation. A lot has happened over the last few months that has made me more determined to get something together and rolling. Right now, islands have flattered and rendered uninhabitable by the fearsome and indiscriminate Hurricane Irma. It is bearing down on Florida and, let’s hope, it does not claim too many lives – the devastation it will wreak will be hard to recover from. Cuba has been hit and, even if it does go on its way in days to come, many will take years to come back and rebuild their lives. Dozens have perished in one of Mexico’s most-powerful earthquakes in the past day – it was also hit by the hurricane and has had to bear so much. We saw the awful right-wing atrocities in Charlottesville a while back and the calamity coming out of Virginia.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Hurricane Irma

I have no solid business plan and forecast sheets right now: the sheer desire and impetus to unite all of music into a community with a common ideal. Social media is a tool that, when used effectively, can be incredibly powerful and influential. Too many of us use it for egotistical and shallow reasons. I, myself, am a little fixated with people-watching and idly spending time waiting for something to happen. The Single Voice would, essentially, be a commune of musicians and musical personnel – producers, D.J.s and creatives – that would help raise funds and awareness for those affected in society. I can throw superlatives to all the major events that have happened this year. All of them have left their mark and could be perceived to be the worst incidents we have seen.

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IN THIS PHOTO: A potential Ambassador for The Single Voice, Björk

It is hard distinguishing between the terrorist attacks and natural disasters: whether political and social divisions are more scarring than physical devastation. What we do know is there is a hell of a lot of bad happening that is hard to contain. A charity/movement would not cure or eradicate any issues – instead, it would help profile and challenge issues that need addressing; use the power of music to fight against problems and evils in society. There is sexism and racism in the music industry that is not going anywhere right now. I am concerned these problems are not being addressed by people high up. I guess, in a way, The Single Voice is a dream or political movement. It is a way of creating a left-wing/left-of-centre force that has the same ideals as Labour but does not have to campaign and electioneer. I am concerned about the environment and the way peoples are being ravaged by global warming. I hate the right-wing movements and racism in wider society. Many, myself included, cannot stand the regime of Donald Trump and the way he is ruling America. Here, we have the threat of terrorism but there are so many splits and cracks in our fabric. The NHS is in peril and desperately requires finance and government support.

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IN THIS PHOTO: The devastation caused by Hurricane Irma in Florida

Millions in the nation suffer depression and anxiety – many have to wait days/months to see a doctor and get adequate support. The human cost of lacking resources is seeing people take their own lives. There is gender inequality and sexism that sees women overlooked for managerial positions and denied the same opportunities as men – that is especially true in music, where there are far fewer women in top positions. What I propose would be creating two bases for The Single Voice. One would be based in London: the other over in New York. It means the two biggest music nations of Earth have an office in their territory. I want various ambassadors to represent The Single Voice and take its messages wherever they go. I would set up a website that acts like social media. One would register and sign in and be able to take part. Before I come to new developments; I will quote from an article I wrote a couple of years back:

How it Raises Money

The campaign is designed to bring together YouTube, Google, Apple and Microsoft: some of the most influential and important companies on the planet. I will go into more depth below but the way the user raises funds is through YouTube ‘views’: every time someone views a video you have uploaded; 10p is donated to your chosen charity.  YouTube is the ‘hosting site’: it is their website that is the basis of the campaign. Google will be the ones who are donating the money. Each user/member -who chooses to take part - will register on the main site (see below) and through advertising and increased search results, Google will gain revenue- which in turn will be donated into The Single Voice. Companies like Google and Apple generate enormous profits each year; they do great work but have a lot of profit coming in. Finding a legal and non-invasive way for them to generate more funds- by advertising and getting more ‘business’- would allow them to channel this money into the campaign.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Googles profit/revenue from 2015

The Main Site

The initiative will have a homepage: which will be where each person goes to register. The campaign will be shared and spread to social media, but at the first point of contact, each person would start here.  Like Facebook and Twitter, registration is painless and quick: and a great way to connect with other users and like-minded people. The homepage will be well-designed and eye-catching. The top half will have various links: A-Z of Charities; Contact Details; Discussion Board; Events/Fundraisers; Latest Members; Links; Generated Profit so far.  The bottom half will be fun and interactive. Figures from music, film, T.V. and comedy past and present interacting with one another - they will be animated.

Registering

Each person will be asked to register simple details: name, D.O.B., location; campaigns; total raised and several others.  It will work a little like Facebook, where there is a profile page: it will be a simple process and contain plenty of information - although nothing too personal or revealing. From the registration page, there are links to social media - where you can easily promote your page/share your success.  When all the personal details/key details are entered, then comes the ‘fun part’. The Single Voice has the option of 8 different YouTube-based ‘initiatives’/ideas. Each new member is allowed to ‘sign-up’/choose five of the eight options.  For each initiative you will be selecting a different charity - I will go into more depth later. On the profile page will be your list of ‘initiatives’.  By each of your selections will be the total money you have raised; how many times your idea/entry has been shared- and how many times you have shared it. This charity campaign will run for a year- from its launch date- and your selected charities will get donations each month- at the end of each month; however much you have raised will be donated to them.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

Top-10 Songs

Like Desert Island Discs and Tracks of My Years, each user gets to choose their 10 favourite/most important songs.  There is an option- on each entry- for a user to commentate/explain why they have chosen what they have selected, but it is a great chance for the person to share their favourite songs.

New Music

This is an option that is a chance for new music to be heard.  A person can give the world a chance to discover new music/musicians.  If a new band/act has posted to YouTube, then their music can be shared.  There is a chance to select your ten favourite songs from new acts.

Music Videos

It is nice and simple: choose your favourite ten music videos.  Whether it is from a new band- or classic act- you get a chance to have a good think- what you consider to be the best of the breed.

Top-10…

The broadest option, this covers a multitude of music.  On this option there is a drop-down list: giving you a selection of options.  Includes is Decades- best music from ‘50s, ‘60s- all way to modern-day; Voices; Cover Versions; Guitar Riffs- up to 10 different selections.

Comedy

Whether it is a short clip- lasting a few seconds- or a full-length film/T.V. episode, this is comedy-orientated.  Whatever makes you laugh the most: get it uploaded!  I shall expand on this more- and what I would select- but you can choose a stand-up show; an episode of The Simpsons- or a comedic home-made video/prank.

Drama/film

Again, whether it is an episode of Breaking Bad- if they are allowed on YouTube- or a short film, this is the chance to get it shared.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

Beyond Social Media

Of course, the point of the campaign is not to share music/film- just for the sake of it.  The idea is to raise money and awareness of causes and charities.  On the home page, you get a chance to share your ideas and videos- and raise money each time they get a ‘view.  When you select a charity- for each entry- there is an information button: this gives you huge information and links.  If you select Diabetes U.K., then you get to find out about the charity.  There are links to their website; how to get involved in the community; how to spot the signs of diabetes; ways to further becoming involved with the charity- runs, fundraisers, volunteering etc.  This will be the case for every charity.  It means that, not only does the user get to learn more about their chosen charities and causes; other people do too.  On the site’s main page, there is an A-Z of Charities: a full list of all charities; information, links and videos for each.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

In addition engaging people more with charities and causes; there is a hope it will lead to more community involvement.  There is a chance to ‘represent’/choose to support women’s rights, stamp out gun violence, support local communities and boroughs- causes not usually represented by the big fundraisers.  In addition to giving information about each, there are ways for you to get involved: get out onto the street and make a difference.  Raising money will be a huge and important part of the idea, but it is hoped that the government will take note- issues and campaigns will be highlighted; a chance to change law- change people’s lives and initiate social change.

Not only does one get to learn more about charities and causes- the main objective of the campaign- there is a secondary bonus’.  Each time you compile a list; there is a chance to benefit others.  Say you have selected Top 10 Songs.  After you have selected each track, there will be a link on each video/selection.  Song and album information is provided; links to other similar acts; ways to record your own music/become a musician.  In terms of new music, there is a chance to help new musicians- links to campaigns; ways to share their music and causes; find great new acts; support local venues and festivals- ways to bring about equality and change for musicians.  The same goes for film and music videos: ways to become a director/actor; local schools and campaigns; links to similar films/videos; local schemes; ways to support other charities and causes etc.

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Going Forward

At the moment there is the idea and determination: without contracts being signed; sites being designed- the big guns being involved.  Of course, it is not going to be as simple as it should be- celebrities and huge companies are as apathetic as they come- so will take a lot of effort and campaigning.  The point of this blog/the early stages is to gauge opinion: would people take part?  Would it interest people?  Could this work?  For each entry people select from the list you have to donate a small sum yourself- rather than relying on others- but this should not put people off- it is a chance to engage and unite social media; represent all charities; try to make some genuine change.  The rest of this year- in terms of this campaign- will be to get people talking; get names involved- contact YouTube and Google- and get them saying ‘yes’.  I want to launch this within a year- it sounds a long way off but will take a lot of work.  Above all, it will rely on people getting involved: I want it to be a lot bigger than the Ice Bucket Challenge.  It is a golden opportunity to raise millions and more for a lot of causes; raise awareness of various issues- get people involved- on the street; in the community etc.

The Website

Home page:

www.thesinglevoice.com

The bottom half would be interactive and animated: music figures would interact in a variety of locations: from Abbey Road to Reading Festival; to a recording studio and around London.  There would be music and video player that can be accessed- linked to YouTube, SoundCloud etc. – and the locations would be around the world.  The entire homepage is designed like a vinyl and has a record design; the front would be the animated figures and site name- the back would be the options and information; opening like a vinyl sleeve.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Pixabay

Menu/'Track-Listing’

There would be eleven different options; each would expand/open like a song.  The options/’tracks’ are as follows:

SIDE ONE:

1.       Track One: Register

The user would sign-up-like a social media site- and be able to have full access to the site.

2.       Track Two: About/Contact; Guided Tour

3.       Track ThreeA-Z of Charities and How You Can Support Them

A list of every charity around the world- from local causes to international names- that you can raise money for

4.       Track FourSocial Media

A bespoke social media site that the emphasis on charity and music: the connection between the two and engaging users to become more involved in the community.

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IN THIS PHOTO: The hope is to turn platforms like Facebook into a more coniencious and less egotistic platform/PHOTO CREDIT: John Holcroft

5.       Track FiveCreative Zone

This would pull together everything within Psychoacoustics:

This will be expanded, too.  Not only will there be a spoke music zone; there will be a similar ‘creative one’ for directors- film, T.V. and music video- and actors; in addition, there would be one for comedians, comedy writers and YouTube stars

6.       Track SixThis Year’s Initiative

The Single Voice initiative detailed at the top of this post.  This would launch the charity

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PHOTO CREDIT: Pixabay

SIDE TWO:

7.       Track Seven: Local; Sites, Music and Points of Interest.

It would allow you to programme your town/city.  If you lived in London for instance, you would be able to find all charities in your area; the music sites and venues- in addition to points of interest.  It would work with Google to create a bespoke search engine that would allow the user to be productive and engaged in the community.

8.       Track EightConnected: Tools for Musicians, Fans, Lovers and Labels; Writers to Charities and Organisations

This is a list of contacts and websites; connections and tools that allow charities to connect with musicians and the public; creatives to link-up with the right people- essentially, a LinkedIn-style site.

9.       Track NineListening Zone: Video and Media Player

Here, we have a huge library of music and video.  Bonding with YouTube, there is a defined and organised library of music, film and T.V.: One that is broken-down into sections and genres; decades and time periods- allowing listeners to discover new music and film.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

10.   Track TenPsychoacoustics

This is the bespoke shopping site- working with the likes of Apple, Amazon and Samsung- that would not only sell music, D.V.D.s and vinyl; it would sell apps. And subscriptions; instruments and tickets- all under the one site.

11.   Track ElevenSearch/Archives

This allows the user to search through the music; film, T.V. archives: discover lost gems and album covers; information and interviews etc.

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Fundraising

There are so many great charities and people raising money every day.  Through social media and life, we see posts of people competing events: Running, walking and enduring for charity; doing something amazing.  One of the issues is that social media relies on sharing- in order to increase fundraising and awareness- a lot of time people can’t afford to donate a lot.  By engaging big businesses- see below- and utiilsing music and the creative arts; it allows for bigger fundraising; tying charities and people together- from all around the world.  The website lists all charities in the world; those that are both local and international.  The charity aims to proffer and promote all charities; put them under one umbrella- unite social media and posts to ensure that greater awareness is raised.  When users sign to the charity- and create an account- they can download music and support artists; discover great music and help musicians- earning points and rewards as they go along.  When they reach certain targets, they can cash-in these points; donate them to causes- the ability to raise thousands of pounds in a very short space.   It is not just reserved to charities and causes, either.  There is an opportunity to raise funds and money for bands and artists.  The artists themselves cannot raise funds, yet others can donate to bands and their recordings; filmmakers and projects- tying-in the likes of Pledge Music and Kickstarter.

Creativity

The charity/fundraising elements will all come together in more detail- as the charity is set-up and developed; the full details and plans will be explained- but there is another element to the charity.  Through the bespoke tools and links, it encourages users and people to take up and create music; become engaged in filmmaking and television- this is where the likes of Microsoft, Samsung and Apple will come into the fold.  The companies would not only assist with designing the bespoke tools and sites; they would gain revenue and profit: In turn, they would be funding some of the world’s most innovative and well-designed music/creative tools.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

Awareness

One of The Single Voice’s assets is the way it connects people around the world.  The charity looks at the user and tailors it around them.  If you suffer from an illness or disease, it not only puts you in touch with those who can help- giving information and advice; making sure the social media side of things gets people connected.  Every day we hear of new ills and issues- from gun violence to discrimination against transgenderism; animal cruelty and natural disasters- yet we feel helpless.  The charity puts these issues at the forefront: It mobilises people to tackle the issues; gets people working to fight discrimination- raise money and support quick, so we can stamp out these inequities and problems.  Issues like mental illness or still stigmatised; homelessness and social poverty is rife.  The charity aims to put them into the spotlight: Change ways of thinking and help bring about progression and discussion.

How Big Businesses Can Help

The biggest tech and business giants make enormous profits.  Every second it is estimated Samsung makes $6,000 revenue.  The likes of Google and Apple are not far off.  Of course this is earned and deserved to an extent- they provide services we all need and use- yet think about how much they earn a year?  I have seen reports where some of those companies are unsure what to do: They have so much money but nowhere to put it.  Whilst they are developing multi-million dollar headquarters and facilities; it seems there is a lot of money that could be better used- a tiny amount of their yearly profit.  This is why The Single Voice is so important to me.  It is not a Robin Hood Effect- taking from rich and giving to the poor- as each company will be earning extra revenue/partnering with the charity: It is taking a tiny percentage of their revenue; giving it to some wonderful causes/charities- helping to fit big issues and social ills.  With such extravagant and unfathomable profits pouring in; there needs to be a better and fairer balance: Ensuring the organisations are charity-conscious as they can be.  I am not suggesting they hand over, say 1%, of their profits a year: They are getting increased advertising and business; they will see their custom rise- it is a win-win, give-and-take situation.  As it stands, the charity that is an idea and a seed: It needs the investing waters of businesses to get it off the line- and to nourish and help it grow.  Without them it will take a long time to happen: It is advantageous a working bond is created as soon as possible.  There is no real downside to either: The big companies- such as Apple and Microsoft- rarely work closely together; there is a sense of rivalry and competiveness- this is a way of bringing them together- without denting their business profits and market edges.

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The Bottom Line

This is a charity I feel needs to happen: With every passing day there seems to be bigger gaps- between people and countries- big topics that are being hidden- too many people suffering silently.  Money-raising is only part of the solution: Awareness and social activation needs to occur; governments and bodies need to be on board- it will take time to happen.  The first step is seeing what people think; getting it going- getting those big names on board.  There is more and more music created each day; most people on the planet love/have an opinion on music- using this to make money and help people seems icily logical and sensible.  There is a lot of big business profits coming out; a lot of compartmentalisation and social disconnectedness: Unifying and remedying this would counteract these points. 

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IN THIS PHOTO: Jameela Jamil who, I feel, would be a perfect Ambassador

I am in the process of mailing companies- the likes of Samsung, Google, Apple etc.- and some big names- I hope the likes of Emilia Clarke, Jameela Jamil and Stephen Fry will back the charity- to get this thing going. Whilst there are a lot of words here (even for me!) the facts are this: Music and the arts is an easy and fun way of fundraising; we all need a little help and awareness; too many people are suffering needlessly- we all want this to change.  The Single Voice is not so much its own charity- raising for one specific cause- but a way of housing and promoting every charity there is- whilst encouraging creativity and social interaction; tackling issues our government is not.  In a way, it is a political party we can all get on board with - no false promises and crooked smiles- just a charity we can all support.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Stephen Fry; another ideal candidate to support the charity

I hope my writing and grammar/punctuation has improved since then but I wanted to reinvestigate an update a concept I have shown to a few celebrities. Jameela Jamil, when I wrote to her, liked the idea – as did Stephen Fry. I want a lot of musicians to lend themselves to ambassadorial roles (including Björk) and ensure there is a constant sense of reaction and engagement. The charity/movement would incorporate all the concerns I laid out at the top: it would integrate the original premise/pitch and would widen the scope of ambassadors and functionality. The website would raise money but get people talking and issues highlighted.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

Musicians would perform around the world and films made – a chance to expand beyond music and get creatives involved. It may sound jumbled by the same passion exists in me – my sight and intensity have not waned in the past two years. The initiatives and components of the website might change but there is that intrinsic desire to create an all-for-one, common-voice for the masses that have no political barriers and divisions. It is a need to change things in the world and bring us all together. I am unhappy with the separation and fear that permeates every issue of every society. I am not saying The Single Voice is going to radically improve the world but it is a chance for each person that wants to see change, through music and the creative arts, to have their say and…

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PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

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