February 2024 – 1st 3 MAGAZINE

ALEXANDRA STRÉLISKI – Emotions Without Words

29th February 2024

On 5th March, double-platinum French-Canadian composter ALEXANDRA STRÉLISKI, will return to the UK to play a sold out show at the Royal Albert Hall’s Elgar Rooms.

The show comes on the heels of an exciting start to the year, having just played a number of packed out shows across Canada and Europe.

In late-2023, XXIM Records/Sony Masterworks released a new single titled ‘Umbra’, as well as the extended version of Néo-Romance, the critically acclaimed album by STRÉLISKI. The previously unreleased piece is accompanied by a music video shot by Nick Helderman at La Marbrerie in Montreuil, France, featuring Julia Kotarba, Natalia Kotarba, and Maxime Navert, members of STRÉLISKI’S touring band.

‘Umbra’ was the very last piece composed for the project and was finished after most of Néo-Romance had already been recorded. “‘Umbra’ refers to the darkest part of the shadow, but this piece was created to try to put some light in it,” says STRÉLISKI. Having become her standard set closer, the piece is now something of a fan favourite, garnering a rapturous reception wherever she has played.

“It’s now one of my favourite pieces to play live,” adds STRÉLISKI. “It started out as the finale to my show, with solo piano, and was made into a collective celebration, based on improvisation. I have so much fun playing it with my wonderful musicians Julia and Natalia Kotarba, and my longtime partner Maxime Navert on synths.”

READ OUR PREVIOUS REVIEW OF ANDRA STRÉLISKI HERE

"With her latest release, she once again proves herself as a masterful composer, painting a sonic landscape that effortlessly evokes emotions beyond words"

1st 3 Magazine

An album centered on Romanticism’s place in the modern world, and what the Romantics’ relationship to nature can teach us in such trying times, Néo-Romance has become a critical and commercial success. The record reached No. 1 in the Québec Album Chart – ahead of Taylor Swift – and has been longlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize. STRÉLISKI is also this year’s most nominated female artist at L’ADISQ – a ceremony rewarding excellence in the Québec music industry – with six nominations in total.

STRÉLISKI will continue to tour Néo-Romance with European, Canadian, and US dates across 2024. See below for the full schedule.

The Extended Version of Néo-Romance can now be streamed here: https://alexandrastreliski.lnk.to/neo-romance

TOUR DATES “NÉO-ROMANCE ON TOUR” 2024
 
MARCH
05/03 – LONDON (UK) – The Elgar Room Brasserie at the Royal Albert Hall
07/03 – EINDHOVEN (NL) – Muziekgebouw Eindhoven
08/03 – ROTTERDAM (NL) – LantarenVenster
27/03 – SHERBROOKE (CA) – Salle Maurice O’Bready
28/03 – SHERBROOKE (CA) – Salle Maurice O’Bready
30/03 – BROSSARD (CA) – Théâtre Manuvie
31/03 – BROSSARD (CA) – Théâtre Manuvie
APRIL
01/04 – BROSSARD (CA) – Théâtre Manuvie
05/04 – L’ASSOMPTION (CA) – Théatre Hector-Charland
06/04 – L’ASSOMPTION (CA) – Théatre Hector-Charland
13/04 – SHAWINIGAN (CA) – Centre des Arts de Shawinigan
14/04 – SHAWINIGAN (CA) – Centre des Arts de Shawinigan
18/04 – SAINTE-THÉRÈSE (CA) – Théatre Lionel-Groulx
19/04 – SAINTE-THÉRÈSE (CA) – Théatre Lionel-Groulx
20/04 – TERREBONNE (CA) – Théatre du Vieux-Terrebonne
21/04 – TERREBONNE (CA) – Théatre du Vieux-Terrebonne
26/04 – LAVAL (CA) – Salle André-Mathieu
27/04 – LAVAL (CA) – Salle André-Mathieu
MAY
02/05 – VANCOUVER (CA) – St. James Community Square
07/05 – SEATTLE (USA) – Fremont Abbey Arts Center
08/05 – SAN FRANCISCO (USA) – The Chapel
11/05 – CHICAGO (USA) – Constellation
12/05 – NEW YORK (USA) – Le Poisson Rouge
24/05 – SALABERRY-DE-VALLEYFIELD (CA) – Valspec – Salle Albert-Dumouchel
25/05 – SALABERRY-DE-VALLEYFIELD (CA) – Valspec – Salle Albert-Dumouchel
27/05 – GATINEAU (CA) – Salle Odyssée
28/05 – GATINEAU (CA) – Salle Odyssée
30/05 – AMOS (CA) – Théâtre des Eskers
JUNE
12/06 – SAINT-JEAN-SUR-RICHELIEU (CA) – Théâtre des Deux Rives
13/06 – SAINT-JEAN-SUR-RICHELIEU (CA) – Théâtre des Deux Rives
SEPTEMBER
12/09 – SAINT-HYACINTHE (CA) – Centre des arts Juliette-Lassonde
13/09 – SAINT-HYACINTHE (CA) – Centre des arts Juliette-Lassonde

FOLLOW ALEXANDRA STRÉLISKI
Website: alexandrastreliski.com
Facebook: @alexstreliski
Instagram: @alexstreliski
Twitter: @alexstreliski
TikTok: @alexstreliski
YouTube: @alexstreliski

Photo Credit: Emmanuelle Girard

Kill The Pain – Post Punk Pop Pushers

29th February 2024

Music News

Kill The Pain – the new collaborative project of Phoebe Killdeer & Melanie Pain – will be coming to the UK in 2024.

Announcing a string of shows as chief support to Nouvelle Vague, the duo will be appearing in venues across the UK throughout February and March next year.

Kicking-off at Leeds’ Old Woollen on 21st February, the 8-date tour will see stops in Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Brighton, and London. Kill The Pain will also be performing an exclusive ‘Golden Slippers’ fan show in London on 5th March. With tickets on sale now, full dates and details are included below.

Expressing their excitement for the upcoming shows Killdeer and Pain say:

“We are really excited to come and play in the UK, we feel like the public will understand our music, our sense of humour and our style perfectly! Playing Post Punk with funky bass lines and 2nd degree lyrics in front of a British audience makes a lot of sense to us. Most of our inspiration and role models are from the UK. We can’t wait to perform our music there. It’s gonna be fun to Kill The Pain in a British manner!”

KILL THE PAIN – ‘KILL THE PAIN’
– ALBUM OUT NOW ON KWAIDAN RECORDS / IDOL

Kill The Pain is the meeting of minds between Phoebe Killdeer (Australian singer and songwriter of the international #1 hit “Fade Out Lines”), and French counterpart Melanie Pain (the unmistakable voice behind Nouvelle Vague).

Striking gold with an alchemic partnership, Kill The Pain’s work flits between futuristic antagonism and nostalgic hedonism. Chopping and splicing angular post-punk with elastic synth-pop, off-kilter funk and far-flung genres, listeners will hear reference points in Le Tigre to the Slits, the raw energy of ESG to the poetic musicality of Peggy Lee, the pent-up force of Patti Smith to the sardonic lyricism of Kim Gordon.

Releasing their self-titled album in 2023, ‘Kill The Pain’ made for a delirious sonic mess of a debut. Whirling through a kaleidoscope of sounds and styles, its joyful helter-skelter of Latin percussion, funky bass, fraught electric guitars, uninhibited vocals, Afrobeat drums, and 80’s indebted keyboards all added up to a record that would win over press and public hearts alike. Featuring the singles “I Do What I Do” and “Zig Zag” amongst its many highlights, ‘Kill The Pain’ scrawled the duo’s name onto that long list of outlandish women prepared to push pop culture to its limits.

Currently working on their eagerly awaited second album, which they hope will include a litany of post-punk female singers, standby for further news on new music very soon…

Spending 2023 igniting dancefloors across France, Switzerland, Kosovo, Spain, and Portugal; in 2024 they will perform in Australia, Belgium and the UK. Their UK dates are as follows:

KILL THE PAIN – UK TOUR 2024

21/02/24: Old Woolen / Leeds, UK *

22/02/24: The Cavern / Liverpool, UK*

23/02/24: Band on the wall / Manchester, UK*

24/02/24: Saint Luke’s / Glasgow, Scotland, UK*

25/02/24: The Liquid Room / Edinburgh, Scotland, UK*

04/03/24: Union Chapel / London, UK*

07/03/24: Chalk / Brighton, UK*

*w/ Nouvelle Vague

https://linktr.ee/killthepain

ATER – Reaching New Heights

29th February 2024

General

ATER is an enigmatic band that was born in Santiago, Chile in 2010, out of the mind of Fernando Bühring @fernando.ater. Originally named ¨Aeons Collide¨ to later be re-named ¨ATER¨ in 2013. The original lineup featured drummer Matias Acuña, currently of Follakzoid and guitarist Yeray Santos.

ATER went on to become an international band lead by funding member, Chilean multi-instrumentalist Fernando ¨Feroz¨ Bühring.

Since ATER´s inception Feroz begun writing and collecting riffs, and after several years of experimentation, ATER’s debut album “Eternal Gray Spiral” was conceived. Written and produced by Feroz in his home studio in Santiago, he then relocated to Los Angeles, California, where the mix was finished and finally, the album was self-released in January 2018.
Despite pretty much not promoting the album, for not knowing any better, “Eternal Gray Spiral” still got some traction and has engaged with very passionate fans and by now has been streamed over 200.000 times (Spotify)

After meeting at a MESHUGGAH show in Los Angeles, days after the release of ¨Eternal Gray Spiral¨, ATER was joined by the talents of Josh “Sol” Seguin and Stephan “Kalani” Seguin, playing guitar and drums, respectively. This marks a turning point for the band, now becoming able to perform live. Feroz begun taking charge of vocals as well as continuing playing bass for ATER. And so, they move away from being an instrumental project to become a full band. They immediately start playing local shows in the LA Metal scene, quickly creating a buzz.

With a new lineup and a new vision, Fernando leads the composing process of new album titled ¨SOMBER¨, combining sounds from Black and Death Metal to Progressive and Heavy Meshuggah-inspired syncopated grooves. Pushing the boundaries of the instrumentation by bringing the tuning down to low earth-shattering frequencies, all topped with demented-sounding low growl vocals, reminiscent of bands like Septicflesh, Hate and Belphegor, plus the heavy ambience and clean sections that became ATER´s signature with the first album ¨EGS¨(for short).

SOMBER was recorded during the Covid Pandemic and was mixed by Feroz in a temporary studio in Mexico City where he was hiding during restricted times. The album was then mastered by non other than Ted Jensen of Sterling Sound (Mastodon, Gojira, Korn).

Tagged by fans —who already have seen them live— as “Blackened Thall,” the new album “SOMBER” can be described as one of the heaviest, darkest and most extreme works ever created in Metal. Every song on the album carries a story, creating an immersive experience for the listener from beginning to end, thanks to the album’s clever songwriting, unique structuring and heavy, dark ambience.

ATER’s sophomore album “SOMBER” is ready to see the light in 2024. The band worked closely with renowned artist Erik Burton Kirchner who created the artwork for the album. He managed to portray the darkness of the music and brought the entire work to new heights.

Facebook / Instagram / Youtube / Bandcamp

Fall of Leviathan – Take A Deep Breath

28th February 2024

Mainly Metal

Inspired by nautical themes and the abyssal, Fall of Leviathan is a post-rock and post-metal from Switzerland, whose sound can be described as a blend of Mogwai and Neurosis.

Set to be released on March 1st, Fall of Leviathan debut album “In Waves” showcases the band’s penchant for layering dark, heavy tones with graceful and ethereal melodies, resulting in an unpredictable journey that’s equal parts gloomy and beautiful emotive.

Most of songs present on the album start on gentle note with the Swiss quintet offering some slow, introspective and emotive melodies that reflect the calmness and vastness of the sea before submerging into the depths of the ocean offering some heavy and doomy riffs that perfectly recreate the oppressive and cold atmosphere of the abysses.

Line-up:
Emma Richon – Drums
David Seuret – Bass
Loïc Fleury – Synthesizers
Régis Mérillat – Guitars
Marc Wattenhofer – Guitars

https://fallofleviathan.bandcamp.com/album/in-waves
https://www.youtube.com/@fallofleviathan6956
https://www.facebook.com/FallOfLeviathan
https://www.instagram.com/fallofleviathan

THE SHADOW MAJLIS – An Alternative Sonic Reality

28th February 2024

Music News

Toronto-based artist The Shadow Majlis presents their debut album ‘The Departure’.

10 tracks that showcase genre-fluid excellence and a wealth of raw emotional experience, fusing elements of Eastern modes with post-punk and immerses listeners in an alternative neo-global style that transcends borders.

Just as the album’s title suggests, this is a departure from the norm, a journey into something other, where there are no limits.

Revolving around Ali Jafri, whose reputation as a formidable and versatile multi-instrumentalist has led to involvement in various projects over the years. Whether as a member of David J‘s live band, playing rock-sitar for Pigface (or through his other projects ARIEL, The Gotham City Drugstore, Saintfield or his solo work), Ali Jafri has cultivated a multi-cultural artistic and musical vision. Now, he’s bringing that vision further to fruition via The Shadow Majlis.

Produced and mixed by three-time Grammy Award winning producer David Bottrill (Peter Gabriel, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Tool, David Sylvian, Mastodon, Smashing Pumpkins, Muse, Real World Studios), with Darren McGill engineering the album. Mastered by Noah Mintz, the cover art was created by Stephen Seto (Splintercage).

With Ali Jafri at the helm on vocals, guitars, bass, electric sitar, synths, programming, the debut album features the legendary David J (Bauhaus, Love & Rockets) on bass and drummer-percussionist Rakesh Tewari (Jaffa Road, The Special Interest Group). Adding colour and depth are various guest performers, including vocalist Olena Tsybulska (DakhaBrakha), guitarist Mark Gemini Thwaite (The Mission, Peter Murphy, MGT, Tricky, Gary Numan), cellist Anne Bourne (Loreena McKennitt, Jane Siberry), Tuvan throat singer Soriah, Ravi Naimpally (Niyaz, Constantinople) on tabla, Pankaj Mishra on sarangi, Selmanpak Ayduz on ney, Kerem Koktas on kemanche, and Sasha Singer-Wilson on backing vocals.

Blending alternative music with the rich, diverse instrumentation and rhythms of world music, The Shadow Majlis leaves a distinct imprint on the ever-evolving soundscape. Recorded in Toronto, LA, Portland, Istanbul, Kyiv and Iceland, this is truly an international affair, with languages such as Urdu, Farsi, Arabic, Icelandic and Ukrainian woven with English throughout this album.

The most poignant and powerful artistic output stems from tragedy, and The Shadow Majlis is no exception. Amid a deluge of personal upheaval, this album has been Jafri’s means to address his grief over losing his seven-year-old son Oisín, who passed away in September 2022 after a nine-month battle with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (a highly aggressive form of brain cancer), the dissolution of his conjugal relationship, and a year-long state of temporary homelessness. Recovering from such devastation is no simple task, but The Shadow Majlis has offered Jafri medicine for his soul, while presenting us an alternative sonic reality in which we can all find solace and relief.

“With the inspiration of his son’s passing, he told me he wanted to create something to honor Oisín as well as cathartically express his experience. It was not to be traditional but experimental, incorporating his industrial sensibility, but also with an international flavor… The emotion was all Ali, and with his raw lyrics and strong melodies over the top of dark and beautifully gut-wrenching tracks, we hope we have created something both passionate and heartfelt that can reach others either suffering loss or grief, or conversely experiencing elation or euphoria as we believe it can touch either,” says David Bottrill.

Calling the album a powerful achievement, David J adds, “I believe that there are certain tracks and moments that act as portals into another dimension – I’m not being fanciful here!”

As of February 27, ‘The Departure’ album will be available exclusively from the artist via Bandcamp. That evening, Ali Jafri will be holding an album listening and viewing party at Ground Control in Toronto. The album will be released on other platforms in early March and then in physical format this spring.

TRACK LIST
01. Intro (Elliðakot)
02. The Way Home
03, Love In Flames
04. Savage Castaway
05. Mazdur
06. Deer In The Headlights
07. Swallowed By The Sky
08. I Remember
09. Beshno Az Ney (We Come To Leave)
10. The Departure (Kolyskova)

ALBUM CREDITS
Ali Jafri – vocals, guitars, bass VI, electric sitar, percussion, programming, synthesizers, electronics, solfeggio pipes
David Bottrill – backing vocals, electronics, synthesizers
David J (Bauhaus, Love and Rockets) – bass
Rakesh Tewari (Jaffa Road, The Special Interest Group) – drums, percussion
Olena Tsybulska (DakhaBrakha) – vocals
Mark Gemini Thwaite (Peter Murphy, Tricky, The Mission) – guitars
Anne Bourne (Loreena McKennit, Jane Siberry) – cello
Sasha Singer-Wilson – backing vocals
Soriah – Tuvan Throat Singing, Flute
Ravi Naimpally (Niyaz, Constantinople) – tabla
Pankaj Mishra – sarangi
Selmanpak Ayduz – ney
Kerem Koktas – kemancheh
Oisin Adams-Jafri – vocals, percussion, solfeggio pipes
Zayn Jafri – piano
Oscar Adams-Jafri – solfeggio pipes

All songs written by Ali Jafri and David Bottrill, except ‘Elliðakot’ (written by Ali Jafri) and ‘The Departure (Kolyskova)’ (written by Ali Jafri, David Bottrill and Olena Tsybulska)
Produced & Mixed by David Bottrill
Engineering by Darren McGill at Union Sound Company & David Bottrill at at Mainstatiion Music and Imagine Sound
Mastered by Noah Mintz at Lacquer Channel
Graphic Design & Illustration by Stephen Seto
Photography by Justin Minister @secondhand_daylight
For Oisín…

The Neptune Power Federation – Impossible To Ignore

27th February 2024

Mainly Metal

Australian rockers The Neptune Power Federation have released the official video for “Betrothed to the Serpent,” the third single from forthcoming album, Goodnight My Children.

The Neptune Power Federation return with their sixth album, Goodnight My Children, a collection of feverish nighttime stories set to uproarious pure rock with a pop twist! Cruz Del Sur Music will release the album in the United States and Canada on April 5 (European release date is March 8).

Pure Australian rock glory meets the Sunset Strip on Goodnight My Children!

Love songs were on the mind of Australian psychedelic rock and roll brigade The Neptune Power Federation for their 2021 full-length, Le Demon De L’Amour. The album was the raucous re-imagination of a bygone era filtered through the lens of a band unafraid to blur genres. Fast-forward three years, and now, children’s stories are on the brain for The Neptune Power Federation with a decidedly early 1980s American sound on their sixth studio album, Goodnight My Children.

Inspired by the carefree and reckless Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, Goodnight My Childrenfinds The Neptune Power Federation leaning into the poppier sound of their sound (think the Sunset Strip merging with late 1970s radio rock). The album’s eight cuts bang and mash with pure rock fervor, complete with roaring guitar solos and the always-memorable, convincing, enticing and mesmerizing “The Imperial Priestess,” otherwise known as Screamin’ Loz Sutch, on lead vocals.

Indeed, Goodnight My Children may be Sutch’s finest vocal performance to date. The recording process (which took place at bass player JayTanic Ritual’s The Pet Food Factory in Marrickville, Sydney, with mixing duties handled by Mo Mayhem) involved Sutch doing huge banks of layered backing vocals that followed her peculiar and idiosyncratic sensibilities. The sessions were organic and intuitive, thus allowing Sutch to expand upon the classic pop structures of the nine cuts.

Sutch’s spellbinding vocal performance lent perfectly to the theme of Goodnight My Children, which symbolizes a collection of nighttime stories that, no matter how horrifying, leave the listener in the caring embrace of Sutch, the Imperial Priestess. And, as an added bonus, fans will be treated to an illustrated book of fairy tales that will accompany the release.

2024 will find The Neptune Power Federation making its long-awaited return to European shores for a round of tour dates. Moreover, with the band approaching 15 years as a unit, milestones like a sixth studio album and international acclaim are not taken lightly by the members of The Neptune Power Federation. While its origins as a casual studio project were simple, the emergence of Sutch and the notoriety for their sweaty, bombastic live shows has turned The Neptune Power Federation into a rock and roll cult that is impossible to ignore.

Track Listing:

1. Let Us Begin [Video]

2. Lock & Key [Video]

3. Twas A Lie

4. Woe Be Father’s Troubled Mind

5. Bethrothed to the Serpent [Video]

6. Evermore

7. Hariette Mae

8. Goodnight My Children

theneptunepowerfederation.bandcamp.com

facebook.com/theneptunepowerfederation

instagram.com/theneptunepowerfederation

Tomorrow’s Rain – A Unique Journey

27th February 2024

Mainly Metal

Tel Aviv’s Tomorrow’s Rain with the second full length studio album “Ovdan” (AOP Records 2024). It will be released on 19th April 2024

“Ovdan” is the Hebrew word for “Loss”, it was almost the end of all…

By March 12th 2023 Tomorrow’s Rain vocalist Yishai Sweartz was rushed to the hospital and quickly diagnosed with a severe heart attack, the heart catheterization has failed and Sweartz went through an open heart surgery that lasted almost 8 hours to save his life, spent 3 weeks in intensive care and a few months at home, Sweartz’s life has been saved, but let’s go back in time first…

In 2020 Tomorrow’s Rain entered the worldwide scene with the debut album “Hollow”, the album summed up the band’s previous years working in the underground scene, writing the songs for 4 years and played shows with acts as Paradise Lost, Kreator, Swallow The Sun and Tribulation as an opening act.

“Hollow” was a special debut, released both in English and Hebrew and featured many artists close to the band as guests during the songs, members of My Dying Bride, Moonspell, Rotting Christ, Septicflesh, Paradise Lost, Orphaned Land and Arch Enemy among others.

The album, released in the peak of the Pandemic made it impossible for the band to tour and in 2021 a special release show took place in Tel Aviv in the mid of the pandemic, My Dying Bride’s vocalist Aaron Stainthrope was the band’s special guest on stage, coming all the way from Yorkshire, the show was recorded professionally and later released as a live album “October Night In Tel Aviv” (A.O.P Rec).

Shortly after the band played few shows with acts as Tiamat, Rotting Christ and Samael and started to write “Ovdan” (the Hebrew word for “Loss”).

“Ovdan” is the second chapter in Tomorrow’s Rain unique journey, the material push the boundaries further yet keep the band’s spirit.

Featuring members of: Mayhem (Attila Csihar), King Diamond/Mercyful Fate (Michael Denner), Sisters Of Mercy (Ben Christo), Sol Invictus/Death In June (Tony Wakeford), Dark Funeral (Andreas Vingback), Unanimated (Mickael Broberg), Depressive Age (Jan Lubitzki) and Anja Huwe (Xmal Deutschland).

“We go further in our trip, the main difference compared to “Hollow” is that this album was written in 2 years while “Hollow” was more or less written for 14 years with many line-up changes, it makes “Ovdan” sounds different, I believe we have to bring something fresh to the table with every album as I see ourselves as artists and not as entertainers, I prefer to “be” David Bowie than lets say Motorhead, to explore ourselves is the cause of the whole idea and the way I see art in general” stated band’s vocalist Yishai Sweartz.

Yet for Sweartz it was almost the end of all, By March 12th 2023 Tomorrow’s Rain vocalist was rushed to the hospital and quickly diagnosed with a severe heart attack, the heart catheterization has failed and Sweartz went through an open heart surgery lasted almost 8 hours to save his life, spent 3 weeks in intensive care and few months at home Sweartz’s life has been saved.

“It was the scariest thing ever happened to me, I knew I lived with full stress 24/7, I knew I had blood pressure issues and I was smoking like hell from the age of 14 till like few years ago, I felt it coming, I knew it could come, but was too self confident that it will not, stupid from my side, I paid almost the highest price, I will have to take medicines for the rest of my life and being occasionally checked, I changed my life completely since the surgery, I remember in the days before the surgery I was reading King Diamond’s interview about his surgery as he went through exactly the same thing, he described it the same way he write lyrics: scary as hell, I was sure it will be super scary but I also thought “well it’s King Diamond, I am sure he spiced it up with horror”, well.. he was NOT, every word was true, but it gave me a lot of inner strengths, I got a lot of courage from his words and here I am” said Sweartz.

Band line-up:

Yishai Sweeartz – Vocals
Raffy Mor – Guitars
Yoni Biton – Guitars
Yaggel Cohen – Bass
Nir Nakav – Drums
Keyboards by: Alex Karlinsky

Facebook / Instagram / Youtube / Bandcamp

Credits:
“Ovdan” was Produced by Arie Arnovich and Tomorrow’s Rain, Mixed and Mastered by Arie Arnovich.
Photos: Anne Catherine Swallow
Cover Art: Paul Roth
Booklet Painting: Vivian Birkenfeld.

ADEY ‘UNCENSORED’ AT CLAMP NEW YORK

27th February 2024

Photography News

AdeY’s identity is unknown, but the photographs speak for themselves.

The art is in the borderland of photography and performance and depicts the naked body in playful formations and in minimalistic rooms and empty landscapes.

On May 16, the exhibition Uncensored by AdeY opens at CLAMP in New York and will continue through May 25.

This is the final stop in AdeY’s Uncensored world tour which has been exhibited in Los Angeles (Galerie XII), London (The Little Black Gallery), Stockholm (Fotografiska), and Falsterbo, Sweden (Falsterbo Photo Art Museum).

No one really knows who AdeY is. The British-Swedish artist’s real name, age and place of residence are still unknown. AdeY left a career as a professional dancer, something evident in the photographs which combine photography, choreography, and performance. They have published a series of poetic photobooks and exhibited in several of the world’s best known galleries and museums, including in London, Los Angeles, Helsinki and Stockholm.

“I began taking photographs when I worked as a professional dancer and felt the need to erase what I had done before to be taken seriously. People doubt you when you change art forms. I also do not want people to focus on my background but rather my body of work,” says AdeY.

The forms of the exhibition Uncensored began to take shape in 2015–2016, when AdeY, during a period of intense travel, was struck by the sexualization of bodies in advertising images. Then and there, a desire was awoken to show the body just as “only” a body, without reducing it into a sexualized symbol. The images in the exhibit are playful and experimental, with bodies often depicted in choreographed poses or formations. The viewer is given the right to interpret the images, which is an important part of AdeY’s artistry.

“We are happy to continue to support emerging artists like AdeY, whose photographs of bodies illustrate emotions of strength, solitude and vulnerability. AdeY is an artist with incredible potential and whose images continually challenge the viewer,” says Brian Clamp of CLAMP.

CLAMP is at 247 W 29th St, New York 10001, USA

Lovelorn Dolls – Opening The Aperture On Life

27th February 2024

Mainly Metal

Female-fronted dark goth metal pop duo Lovelorn Dolls presents ‘A Heart Cries’, previewing their fourth album ‘Deadtime Stories’, slated for release on May 17 via Alfa Matrix / SPLEEN+, whose catalogue also includes Front 242, Ayria, Recoil, Leather Strip and Alien Vampires.

Hailing from Brussels, Belgium, Lovelorn Dolls is made up of Kristell Lowagie (lyrics, vocals, arrangements) and Bernard Daubresse (music, programming, guitars, production). Purveyors of synth-laced gothic rock, their sound resembles a mix of Theatre of Tragedy, Lacuna Coil and The Birthday Massacre.

Oscillating between industrial uptempo in the chorus and melodic midtempo in the verses, ‘A Heart Cries’ has hints of Theatre of Tragedy in its very gothic and martial sound.

“A heart cries but whose heart?” asks Kristell about the new single. “This song is dedicated to the hearts of people who sometimes feel so bad that they want to end it. We have all experienced a moment in life when we no longer find meaning, where we wonder what it is for, what we are for and why we are here. And we are in so much pain. Our hearts cry, we don’t know whether to survive or die. You have to hang on because life is full of ups and downs.”

After taking a 5-year hiatus that saw Kristell transformed into the photographer/visual artist Kristell In Wonderland, exhibiting across Europe, Lovelorn Dolls is back in a big way, inspired by this experience.

On ‘Deadtime Stories’, the duo embraces a stronger identity – creepy cute ambiance, eerie Tim Burton-esque scenes, guitar-driven sounds, catchy dark melodies, childlike synths, industrial tones, and Kristell’s distinctive voice, all boldly and fully embraced.

The title itself is a cynical play on words, referencing children’s rhymes with a dark twist. Each song delves into themes of death, endings, suicide, broken dreams, loss, and the perilous allure of fame. The artwork cover perfectly encapsulates this, depicting a lonely girl reading in a cemetery fog.

Produced, mixed and mastered by Maxx Maryan, known for his work with cult electro-goth metal duo Helalyn Flowers and IMJUDAS, the album features several guest appearances, including by Dero Goi (ex-vocalst of OOMPH!) in the duet ‘Dancing at Your Funeral’, which Goi co-wrote and co-produced. American Gothic rapper VVitchboy also appears on the energetic and enchanting track ‘Death & Glory’.

Earlier, the band released the single ‘Dream World’ and, more recently, their ‘Beautiful Chaos’ EP with its eerie accompanying video. An ode to love stories gone wrong, they still manage to inject some beautiful chaos into our lives. Five bonus remixes roam from minimal EBM to industrial goth and ethereal wave via contributors The Breath of Life, Absynthe of Faith, Audiopyre, Restriction 9 and Antidote for Annie.

‘A Heart Cries’ and the ‘Beautiful Chaos’ EP are out now, available from fine digital platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp, . Out May 17, the ‘Deadtime Stories’ album can be pre-ordered via the label or directly from the artist via Bandcamp.

CREDITS
Lyrics & vocals by Kristell Lowagie
Music by Bernard Daubresse
Kristell Lowagie – vocals
Bernard Daubresse – guitars & synths
Additional arrangements, programming and synths by Maxx Maryan Recorded in Brussels and Rome
Produced, mixed and mastered by Maxx Maryan
Released via Alfa Matrix
All artwork, design & illustrations by Kristell Lowagie
Artist photos by Kristell In Wonderland

HOLLOW COVES – Learn To Re-Connect

26th February 2024

Music News

With their first album in five years just around the corner – HOLLOW COVES – are today teasing one of its most blissful offerings: “See You Soon”.

With over a billion streams to their name and soaring, the Brisbane indie/folk duo’s second album, ‘Nothing To Lose’, couldn’t be more anticipated upon its release on 1 March 2024 (via the Nettwerk label).

Capturing the blue-sky ideologies and open sense of adventure that courses through their new album, “See You Soon” is a masterclass in their spacious acoustic songcraft.

Creating a pin-drop aura with chiming guitars and those glistening Gold Coast harmonies that Matt Carins and Ryan Henderson call their own, this latest single from the childhood friends is a testament to the unbreakable bonds and unforgettable memories we make in life. As they explain:

“So you have made a new best friend somewhere in the world and you’ve shared so many great memories with them. Your time together comes to an end and you go your separate ways. Life gets busy and your communication together gets more and more distant. Eventually, you forget to ever contact them or call them but you always have moments in your life that remind you of them or the memories you shared together. This song is all about this feeling and trying to encourage the listener to reconnect with those people. Just send them a message or give them a call and see where they’re at. I’m sure they’d really appreciate it.”

Said to be inspired by the works of Angus & Julia Stone (who the band would occasionally cover when they first started out), this tender song was written by Matt Carins with his wife Molly, before receiving the final Hollow Coves finesse with Ryan Henderson as they mapped-out their new album.

Recorded at Matt Corby’s Rainbow Valley Studio, the ARIA-winning producer and songwriter teamed up with Hollow Coves for the creation ‘Nothing To Lose’, their eagerly anticipated sophomore release.

Seeking to overcome the anxiety and burnout that accompany the relentless pace of the modern world, ‘Nothing to Lose’ is an album all about reconnecting with nature and re-learning to appreciate day-to-day life. Opening up a world of early morning surf trips on Australia’s Gold Coast, to getting lost in the expansive national parks of the American West, or even the slow-and-steady pleasure to be found in craftsmanship; the resultant album is one that explores all aspects of life and how we live it. With recurring themes of gratitude, perspective and simplicity, Hollow Coves deliver 11 beautiful new songs of silver linings (“Milk & Honey”, “Letting Go”) and seeing family (“Photographs”), following your dreams (“On The Way”, “Let’s Go”) and having faith to be yourself (“Harder To Fake It”, “Nothing To Lose”), and so much more.

NOTHING TO LOSE’ – TRACKLIST

1. Nothing to Lose

2. Letting Go

3. Milk & Honey

4. Photographs

5. Harder to Fake It

6. Let’s Go

7. Purple

8. On The Way

9. Be Alright

10. Fact or Fiction

11. See You Soon

HOLLOW COVES – NEW SINGLE: “SEE YOU SOON”
STREAM ON ALL SERVICES HERE
NEW ALBUM – ‘NOTHING TO LOSE’ – OUT 1 MARCH, VIA NETTWERK

Featuring the previously released singles “Photographs”, “On The Way”, “Milk and Honey”, “Letting Go”, “Harder To Fake It” and “See You Soon”, ‘Nothing To Lose’ will be released on 1 March, via the Nettwerk label.

In support of the new album, Hollow Coves are preparing for their biggest live shows to date, beginning with a UK and European this Spring. The UK and European dates are listed as follows:

Hollow Coves – UK + European Tour 2024

March 26 – Gebäude 9 – Cologne, Germany

March 28 – Muziekgieterij – Maastricht, Netherlands

March 29 – TivoliVredenburg, Ronda – Utrecht, Netherlands

March 30 – Zeche Carl – Essen, Germany

March 31 – Uebel & Gefaehrlich – Hamburg, Germany

April 2 – Columbia Theater – Berlin, Germany

April 3 – MEETFACTORY – Prague, Czech Republic

April 4 – Simm City – Vienna, Austria

April 5 – Technikum – Munich, Germany

April 7 – Magazzini Generali – Milan, Italy

April 8 – Komplex 457 – Zurich, Switzerland

April 9 – Les Docks – Lausanne, Switzerland

April 11 – halle02 – Heidelberg, Germany

April 12 – Opderschemlz – Dudelange, Luxembourg

April 13 – Le Trabendo – Paris, France

April 14 – AB Ballroom – Brussels, Belgium

April 16 – O2 Forum Kentish Town, London, United Kingdom

April 17 – Brudenell Social Club – Leeds, United Kingdom

April 18 – Academy 2 – Manchester, United Kingdom (early + late show)

Monthly Archives: February 2024

ALEXANDRA STRÉLISKI – Emotions Without Words

On 5th March, double-platinum French-Canadian composter ALEXANDRA STRÉLISKI, will return to the UK to play a sold out show at the Royal Albert Hall’s Elgar Rooms.

Kill The Pain – Post Punk Pop Pushers

Kill The Pain – the new collaborative project of Phoebe Killdeer & Melanie Pain – will be coming to the UK in 2024.

ATER – Reaching New Heights

ATER is an enigmatic band that was born in Santiago, Chile in 2010, out of the mind of Fernando Bühring @fernando.ater. Originally named ¨Aeons Collide¨ to later be re-named ¨ATER¨ in 2013. The original lineup featured drummer Matias Acuña, currently of Follakzoid and guitarist Yeray Santos.

Fall of Leviathan – Take A Deep Breath

Inspired by nautical themes and the abyssal, Fall of Leviathan is a post-rock and post-metal from Switzerland, whose sound can be described as a blend of Mogwai and Neurosis.

THE SHADOW MAJLIS – An Alternative Sonic Reality

Toronto-based artist The Shadow Majlis presents their debut album ‘The Departure’.

The Neptune Power Federation – Impossible To Ignore

Australian rockers The Neptune Power Federation have released the official video for “Betrothed to the Serpent,” the third single from forthcoming album, Goodnight My Children.

Tomorrow’s Rain – A Unique Journey

Tel Aviv’s Tomorrow’s Rain with the second full length studio album “Ovdan” (AOP Records 2024). It will be released on 19th April 2024

ADEY ‘UNCENSORED’ AT CLAMP NEW YORK

AdeY’s identity is unknown, but the photographs speak for themselves.

Lovelorn Dolls – Opening The Aperture On Life

Female-fronted dark goth metal pop duo Lovelorn Dolls presents ‘A Heart Cries’, previewing their fourth album ‘Deadtime Stories’, slated for release on May 17 via Alfa Matrix / SPLEEN+, whose catalogue also includes Front 242, Ayria, Recoil, Leather Strip and Alien Vampires.

With their first album in five years just around the corner – HOLLOW COVES – are today teasing one of its most blissful offerings: “See You Soon”.

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