Thursday, October 13, 2016

'The Time is Now' a Brand New 80's Compilation to Benefit the Hiv/Aids Research

'The Time is Now' is a brand new compilation of re-imagined 80's hits that will benefit amfAR- The Foundation for Aids Research. The compilation includes the covers of New Order’s “Bizarre Love Triangle”, Duran Duran's "Rio", Wang Chung's "Dance Hall Days" and many others. 'The Time is Now' is the brainchild and labor of love of executive producers Michelangelo Lacqua, internationally acclaimed music curator, Andy Boose, longtime producer of many of amfAR’s events and Peter Bittenbender, CEO of Mass Appeal. “The Time Is Now is a music-driven call to action in support of amfAR’s push to end HIV/AIDS in our lifetime.” said Boose. 
The 14-track album was released on October 7 by Republic Records and Mass Appeal. More info about the project and how to purchase, here.

WAW: Japan Suicide- A Mood Apart

Japan Suicide is a goth rock band from Italy which was formed in 2007 have released their second album 'We Die in Such a Place' last year. They mix Gothic rock with Post Punk and produce a very unique and dark sound. Last year in December, they have released a very arty video for the song "A Mood Apart" which was directed by Francesco Brunotti. Their album 'We Die in Such a Place' was released through Unknown Pleasures Records.



 


Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Depeche Mode Announce New Album and New Video Compilation

Depeche Mode have announced the release of a brand new album 'Spirit' which will be out in spring 2017. There is not much detail about it other than that it will be produced by James Ford and that it will be followed by a huge European tour. Before that, right on time if you don't have an idea for a Christmas present, comes DM's 'Video Singles Collection'. Group's First-Ever Career-Spanning Anthology will presents Group's Original Music Video Singles from 1981 to 2013 in a 3DVD DigiPak. The 3DVD set will include more than three decades worth of Depeche Mode's international hit singles as lensed for the group's mind-blowing progression of innovative and provocative music videos directed by a who's who of cinematic visionaries including Julien Temple, Anton Corbijn, D.A. Pennebaker, John Hillcoat and others. The compilation is set for release on November 11th. 
More info here

Saturday, October 1, 2016

Marc Almond's Definitive Collection 'Trials Of Eyeliner' to be Released in October

Universal Music have announced the release of 'Trials Of Eyeliner' is touted as the definitive overview and a career spanning 10 CD collection. Almond himself has personally curated the collection, allied to the 189-strong track listing. This anthology is divided into three themed sections. ‘History’ fills the first four discs with 72 of Almond’s favourite album tracks and B-sides, the three-CD ‘Singles’ section lines up all of his official Soft Cell, Marc And The Mambas and solo singles in pretty-much-chronological order and The last three CDs consists of ‘Gems’ – fan-only releases, one-off collaborations, soundtrack contributions etc. – and includes 18 tracks previously unreleased from Marc’s own collection.
'Trials Of Eyeliner' is set for release on October 28th, 2016. More info here

Monday, September 26, 2016

Next Wave: Boy Harsher

Boy Harsher is a Northampton, Massachusetts based electronic duo consisting of Augustus Muller and Jae Matthews. Their music is quite intense and atmospheric where minimal and cold-wave synth-pop is fuzzed with dramatic vocals expressed through screams and chants. They could link to early 80s recalling the music of Kas Product, Soft Cell and Suicide. 
Boy Harsher started in early 2013 under the name Teen Dreamz. The project was based on short stories written and read by Matthews then live scored by Muller. As the project matured the instrumentals became more dance influenced and Matthews’ delivery became more dynamic and spontaneous. 
In January of 2014 Teen Dreamz took on the moniker Boy Harsher. In 2015, they released their debut EPs 'Lesser Man' and 'Pain' and this year in June they released their debut album 'Yr Body is Nothing'. More info on them is available under the following links. 

http://boyharsher.com/
https://boyharsher.bandcamp.com/

The Human League to Release a Four Disc Anthology

Earlier this month, the Human League have announced th release of 'A Very British Synthesizer Group: The Anthology', a career spanning anthology on four discs. Covering almost 40 years in music, the first two CDs will include the single releases all the way from "Being Boiled" up to "Sky". The third CD is packed with previously unreleased early versions of 17 songs, and the DVD which completes this set is crammed full with promo videos and, more interestingly, twenty-one their appearances on the BBC. 'A Very British Synthesizer Group: The Anthology' will be released on 18 November 2016. They will support this release with a UK tour in December. 

Track list and more

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Trevor Herion's Beauty Life to be Reissued

Long out of print debut album by Trevor Herion 'Beauty Life' will be reissued for the first time. The album was originally released in 1983 on Interdisc label and featured 4 singles, including the debut "Kiss of no Return" and "Love Chains". Trevor was also previously involved in groups The Civilians and The Fallout Club. Hope one day all his recording material will be released on a compilation. This album will be reissued through Lost 80's Record Company.



Black Marble to Release Their Second Album

Black Marble have announced the release of a brand new studio album. This will be their second release and the follow up to 'A Different Arrangement' released in 2012. The new album is entitled 'It's Immaterial' and will be their first album released on 'Ghostly'. Bass driven "Iron Lung" has been announced as the lead track form the album which is set for release on October 14th.



Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Still Corners To Release their Third Studio Album

Still Corners have announced their third album ‘Dead Blue’. The duo has announced that the album will be released on their own label Wrecking Light Records. "Lost Boys" is the first track to be revealed as the lead single and it is available on Youtube. The album will be officially released on September 16th.


Thursday, August 4, 2016

Snowy Red

Snowy Red/Micky Mike was a stage name for a Belgian musician Marcel Thiel who was musically active from the late seventies all the way to the teens. Influenced by Suicide, Marilyn Monroe and the Belgian Art scene, Micky released four albums, both as a solo artist and band. He remained as one of the leading figures in Belgian underground DiY and electronic music scene. In the internet era, the interest for the music of Snowy Red was revived. Micky sadly passed away in 2009 at the age of 52.

Photography by Marc Portée

 Micky Mike’s first adventure in music started in the local Punk band from the French speaking part of Belgium and lasted not longer than two years. In general his early music start was on a long wandering from aborted band to aborted band. 

Then in 1980, Micky decided to go solo and picked the name Snowy Red. He recorded some ten tracks, alone at home, in a fortnight’s time which was mostly experimental work released in 1,000 copies. This became his eponymous solo album. During the writing and recording of the album, Snowy Red made their stage debut. For the First Belgium Rhythmbox Contest, Micky shared the bill with Pseudocode, Etat Brut, Nausea and another new band, Polyphonic Size. To complete the stage set, slides were projected on one side, polaroids on the other, courtesy of photographer Stéphane Sergeant. Together with Sylviane V, Stéphane created the visuals for the record sleeves and promotional photos. 



From 18th May to 30th June 1981, Micky Mike took to the stage in the Cool Gate (Brussels) to perform live his soundtrack for the play “Inquest into the death of Marilyn Monroe” written and directed by Serge Nicolas, played by Yolanda Soniga. In this work of fiction, Marilyn Monroe is still alive in 1981. She is 55 years old and leads a secluded life in a shabby attic apartment in New York.

  Not long after the first Snowy Red album and its success, Micky started work on a new project soberly entitled Carol, after the girl of the same name. The single Breakdown/So Low” was the result of a romantic encounter. Carol, a young lady without artistic background, and Micky Mike, already known under the name Snowy Red, composed these two haunting melodies together. He came up with the music and arrangements, Carol wrote the lyrics and the melody line. By the time you were about to release second single, they decided to go separate ways. 


In October 1981, Snowy Red celebrated their first anniversary and Micky started work on the second album. The minimal austerity of the first album was still there, but warmer sounds were added by a guitar, a bass, and more confident vocals. The single “I’m Hurt” announced the release of ‘The Right  to Die’. The opening track “Euroshima (Wardance)” was a rushed job, written to fill out the playing time. It would enjoy an unexpected destiny a few years later. The album was praised by the entire Belgian press and by the English Melody Maker and Vinyl. 


In 1983, Micky decided to form a band with some local musicians from other bands. Paul, Stephan Barbery (formerly of Digital Dance and Thrills) and Alain Lefèvre (a.k.a. Robert Leff, formerly of Thrills) to become full-time members of Snowy Red in 1983. The 4-piece band was then joined by singer Nikki Mono, who had started getting noticed through her collaboration with Tuxedomoon. Here was the new Snowy Red, with the third album, 'Vision'. A crucial milestone for Micky Mike, because the record showed the evolution of his ideas towards a unique artistic approach, quite unknown in the rest of Belgium. This third collection was recorded and produced with the same limited means as its two predecessors, but departed from their cold, hyper-synthetic atmosphere. 'Vision' embodied a new soul and a fashionable sound, but with a depth that owed more to Gary Numan than to the Human League or Simple Minds. 



With 1984 and its concerts behind him, Micky gave his project a new twist and an appendix to its name, becoming Snowy Red Mk II and going for a blues-tinged rock sound. 1988 not only marked the return to a one-man band formula, it also heralded other changes: a new label and a new sound. Micky signed onto Antler early in the year. His first release on this label was 'Snowy Red, The Compilation 1980- 1984'. The following year saw the release of 'The Beat is Over', the fourth and last official Snowy Red album. Once again, Micky went for a raw, personal approach. 


The early nineties were yet another transitional phase for Micky. He put Snowy Red on the back burner to devote himself to a band formula. He formed Invaders From Mars with now official member H.H. Del Rio on guitar, Paul Zahl, former drummer with Tuxedomoon and Simi Nah. In 2004 Snowy Red appeared as a duo at the Belgian Independent Music festival.
 On May 26, 2009 the French speaking Belgian broadcast RTBF announced the death of the Belgian New wave legend Mickey Mike. Aged 52 he died in a Brussels hospital after months of health problems. The Onderstroom label picked all the work dated from 1980-1984 and released it on a compilation entitled, ‘The Ultimate Edition 1980-1984’.

Source: Facebook Fan Page
https://www.facebook.com/Snowy-Red-official-179154485437205/

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