German post-punk shoegaze outfit Holygram has released their long-awaited debut LP ‘Modern Cults’. Comprised of eleven tracks, this album is now available on CD and double vinyl, as well as digitally via Cleopatra Records. The band also just kicked off their North American tour with one of the biggest electronic bands on the planet, VNV Nation and Charlottesville, VA artist The Rain Within.
Holygram cleverly blends new wave and Krautrock with post-punk and shoegaze to achieve headstrong multi-layered bliss. This is a thoroughly contemporary homage to the sound of the ’80s with a resolute look to the future – the result is driving, dark and catchy.
Earlier, the band teased the singles ‘Signals’ and ‘A Faction’. Two years have passed since the Cologne-based outfit released their self-titled EP.
Produced by Maurizio Baggio, perhaps best known as the producer of The Soft Moon’s ‘Deeper’ and ‘Criminal’ albums, they recorded this LP at Cologne’s Amen Studios.
Holygram is Patrick Blümel (vocals), Sebastian Heer (drums), Marius Lansing (guitars), Pilo Lenger (synthesizers) and Bennett Reimann (bass). Formed in 2015, the band’s approach to making music references the past, while remaining future-oriented. Hard-to-combine elements cleverly come together to become the soundtrack of a city that appears threatening in the twilight.
The new album surrounds themes such as big cities, alienation, and anonymity, hope and memories, love and identity. These reflections interact closely with the band’s unmistakable signature sound. Atmosphere oscillates between the brutal sounds of the big city and the fragility of the people that lose themselves in it – intelligently observed scenarios of a world falling apart in which individuals have long ceased to play a leading role.
Last year, Holygram accompanied British synthpop legends OMD on their European tour and also played numerous festivals, including Mailfeld Derby, Wave-Gotik-Treffen and New Waves Day. Wrapping themselves in dense wafts of mist and cool lighting on stage, they’ve made quite a name for themselves on the live circuit.
‘Modern Cults’ is now available everywhere, including via Cleopatra Records on CD and vinyl, as well as digitally via Bandcamp. The album is out in Europe via Oblivion / SPV.
Holygram will be touring Europe and US/Canada this fall with one of the biggest electronic bands on the planet, VNV Nation.
LINKS:
http://holygram.band
https://www.facebook.com/holygram.official
https://holygram.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/holygram_band
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Submotile – Eastern Sky Sundown
Dublin-based dream-gaze noiseniks Submotile present their debut album ‘Ghosts Fade on Skylines’. Released digitally on April 16, the Midsummer Madness label will also be issuing the album in a limited edition run this summer.
On this 9-track offering, the duo blurs the lines between shoegaze, pop, noise-rock, ambient and post-rock, Submotile delivers a unique brand of layered, atmospheric and immersive indie rock.
Submotile are Michael Farren and Daniela Angione, an Italian-Irish couple who call the Irish capital their home. Now full-on hybrid in their sounds, defying genre pigeonholing, Submotile were initially conceived as an ambient, experimental project.
The duo evolved its sound considerably once Daniela began to add vocals to Michael’s guitar experiments, yielding their first proper collaborative track ‘Signs of My Melody’. The well-received debut EP ‘We’re Losing The Light’ followed, gaining the band significant interest in the shoegaze community. This encouraged them to pursue their dream of recording a proper album. ‘Ghosts Fade on Skylines’ is the culmination of nine months of recording – from August 2018 to March 2019.
“We wanted an album that ebbed and flowed, with nine diverse songs that complimented each other without being too different from each other. The idea behind the music is to express the dualism of warmth over hostility, passion over frustration, all these dynamics projected onto a sense of hope and renaissance. I’m not sure if we succeeded, but hopefully it works,” says Daniela Angione.
Recorded and produced by Submotile in their home studio, this album was mastered by Brian Lucey from Magic Garden Mastering, well known for his work with Ringo Deathstarr, Sigur Ros, Liam Gallager, Marilyn Manson, Neko Case and The Black Keys, among others.
“Having quit music in 2009 due to the frustration of never having been able to translate the sounds in my head to tape, ‘Ghosts Fade on Skylines’ was recorded during a wonderful period of rebirth and rejuvenation, a period where I was discovering all the great new music that was out there, whilst simultaneously finding out just how far music production technology had evolved,” explains Michael Farren.
“This evolution allowed us to come that bit closer to the sound in our heads, enabling us to labor over songs, adding hundreds of tracks and experimenting with samples, guitar pedals and tones – many a happy hour was whiled away tracking this music. If someone out there enjoys listening to it a fraction as much as we enjoyed making it, then to me it’ll be a success.”
Submotile’s music is influenced by numerous artists, including My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Warpaint, Smashing Pumpkins, Massive Attack, Swans, Spiritualized, Sonic Youth, Nirvana, and Stars of the Lid.
Michael Farren adds: “It’s not an understatement to say that we obsessively labored over this album, with most songs having well in excess of 120 tracks (with ‘Winter Storm Sequence’ having 167). The vocal mixing alone on some songs took over six days. We wanted something that lent itself well to headphone listening, creating an immersive experience that reveals new layers on repeat listens, yet hopefully without sounding like an overblown, excessive mess.”
‘Ghosts Fade on Skylines’ is available now for streaming via Spotify and from stores such as iTunes, as well as the duo’s own Bandcamp.
LINKS:
https://submotile.com
https://www.facebook.com/submotile
https://twitter.com/submotile
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_EuA0D1DTO2nz0GcfvqeyA/videos
https://www.instagram.com/submotile16
https://open.spotify.com/artist/28aLk8jR0vvmYWJnPL8Q66
https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/submotile/1369284602 -
SPC ECO – Under My Skin
SPC ECO (pronounced Space Echo) has officially released their new video for the single “Under My Skin”. Hauntingly eloquent in delivery and beautifully persuasive in execution, SPC ECO captures a spectacular lucid dream with a video that’s as charming as it is eclectic.
About SPC ECO
Electronic dream pop duo SPC ECO present their single ‘Under My Skin’, which also just featured in Series 6 Episode 7 of the MTV series ‘Teen Wolf’.“It was fantastic to wake up and hear what had happened with the Teen Wolf sync. Under My Skin is very close to both mine and dad’s hearts so it couldn’t have been a better track for something like this to happen to,” says SPC ECO vocalist Rose Berlin.
SPC ECO is comprised of alternative electronic maverick producer Dean Garcia, the musical mastermind behind seminal alternative rock band Curve, and his daughter Rose Berlin.
Rose is a Sound and Light artist, having graduated from Camberwell College of Arts in 2013 with a first class honours degree. She experiments with the potential for sound and light to be used as atmospheric mediums, intent on bridging the gap between art and music. She has exhibited her work in various shows around London and, in 2015, was selected to showcase her work as part of the Venice Biennale. Rose is currently making artwork for a show in London.
For his whole life, Dean Garcia has been sculpting sound to create alternate-universe pop hits that simultaneously straddle several genres. Apart from a decade with SPC ECO and nearly 15 years with Curve, Garcia has also toured the world several times and recorded multiple albums with such established artists as Eurythmics, Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck, Bryan Ferry, Sinead O’Connor and Ian Dury.
On ‘Under My Skin’, Rose Berlin is at her most vulnerable and tender, expressing her lament in crooning fashion. This lustrous finely-spun SPC ECO track is so well delivered that she seemingly placates any emotional wreckage that might otherwise be felt. Beginning with the words “I’m done crying for moments I once adored”, Berlin seems to sing on a wavelength connected directly to your soul.
“There was a truly emotional earthquake between Rose and myself due to a personal ongoing issue, which left us both scarred and in tears,” explains Dean Garcia. “One hour later to mend us both, I asked her if she would like to sing on the sad piano song again and she sang what you hear on the track. Driven to tears once again but for the polar opposite reasons this song is the epitome of the unquestionable love and bond that only occurs between family.”
Unquestionably one of the most prolific bands today, SPC ECO (pronounced Space Echo) are currently on a roll. Over the past year, they have released ‘Dark Matter’ and ‘Anomalies’ on Saint Marie Records, both to critical acclaim, in addition to two albums released through Dean’s side projects S T F U (with Preston Maddox of Bloody Knives) and M A D (with Monty from The Jesus & Mary Chain).
The video for ‘Under My Skin’, created by Harry Kite Garcia, was filmed on Hornsey Lane Bridge – otherwise known as Suicide Bridge.
‘Under My Skin’ was originally released on the album ‘Dark Matter’, which is available digitally, on CD and vinyl through Saint Marie Records. This EP also features ‘Found’ and ‘Meteor’, several other haunting, minimalist tracks that are nothing short of breathtaking. This EP is being made available via SPC ECO’s Bandcamp.
LINKS:
http://spceco.com
http://www.facebook.com/SPCECO2
http://spceco.bandcamp.com
http://soundcloud.com/spc-eco
http://twitter.com/spceco
http://youtube.com/spceco
http://spceco.tumblr.com -
Beauty in Chaos – The Delicate Balance Of All Things (Rapid Reiteration Mix)
Beauty in Chaos has today released their new video for the remix track titled ‘The Delicate Balance Of All Things’ (Rapid Reiteration Mix).
We also have an exclusive interview with Michael Ciravolo, Wayne Hussey, and Cinthya Hussey on how the video came to be and how it was filmed while staying safe in the age of COVID.
Check out the entire interview HERE.
‘The Delicate Balance Of All Things’ (Rapid Reiteration Mix) and video is clearly a massive departure for BIC in both video and audio realms. The video, for one, was shot remotely using an entirely different crew in Brazil and, besides the obvious that Beauty in Chaos’ Michael Ciravolo is not in the video, the departure is in the style and execution.
The track is even more of a complete departure stylistically from what has come before. Now featuring Cinthya Hussey on lead vocals, Wayne on background vocals, and astonishing guitar work by Nick Johnston, is a stellar mix of darkness, suave, and the world, in places you would never expect. The bass gives off an almost ‘Peter Gabriel’ vibe at times before snapping into place in lockstep with the beat that, at times, drags you into the hook but in a good way.
To me, this is an almost Pink Floyd level shift sonically and visually that gives a hint that Beauty in Chaos is becoming comfortable at being different.
Check out our other features with Beauty in Chaos HERE.
ABOUT BEAUTY IN CHAOS & ‘THE DELICATE BALANCE OF ALL THINGS’ (RAPID REITERATION MIX) FT. CINTHYA HUSSEY
The original version of this song, penned by BIC curator Michael Ciravolo and The Mission’s Wayne Hussey, appears on ‘The Storm Before The Calm’ album. Along with BIC producer Michael Rozon, Ciravolo set out to strip down the ominous tone of the original especially for this remix release. After hearing Wayne’s wife Cinthya’s rendition of The Smith’s ‘Everyday Is Like Sunday’, the idea emerged for her to sing this new version along with Wayne.
This remix was created by legendary producer Tim Palmer (David Bowie, The Mission, U2, The Cure). BIC main-man, Michael Ciravolo says “Tim has always been one of my favorite producers … and one of the silver-linings of this lockdown is that he has time to do this and two other remixes for our new album”.
Far from being a typical band, with its revolving/evolving lineup, videos are truly the ‘face’ of BIC. Ciravolo’s goal is to make each visually different from its predecessor and this new video certainly checks that box!
“When we returned the track, the delicate balance of all things, to Michael with Cinthya’s newly-completed vocals, Michael’s reaction was to declare he loved it and that we had to shoot a video for this version, remixed by the redoubtable Tim Palmer,” said Wayne Hussey.
“With the option of traveling to LA to shoot out of the question due to current Covid-19 restrictions, Cinthya, being in the trade somewhat, contacted a few of her colleagues to ascertain who exactly might be interested in helping us shoot a video in Sao Paulo. Enter the Antipodean Mark Bromilow. Mark and Cinthya had previously acted together on a Kit-Kat advert and had remained friends. The many credits to his name include time spent as artistic director for Cirque De Soleil, where he met the Brazilian Natalia Presser, the featured aerial artist in this video.”
“Locations were scouted, Cinthya having the idea of filming in an old theatre or abandoned warehouse – somewhere strange – while Mark came up with the idea of filming in a currently-closed-down-due-to-Covid circus in Sao Paulo. So the Big Top it was. Using David Lynch as inspiration, we aimed for the video to evoke something otherworldly and magical. So, how did we do?”
The full 27-track collection of the ‘Out Of Chaos Comes…’ LP (available on CD) is deep and diverse and comes with a few surprises, including Ashton Nyte’s gorgeous acoustic version of ‘The Outside’, and an acoustic/mellotron drenched ‘Memory Of Love’ from Human Drama’s Johnny Indovina. There are also some new and fantastic guitar moments from Simon Hinkler (The Mission), Richard Fortus (Guns N’ Roses), Mark Gemini Thwaite (Peter Murphy. The Wonder Stuff), and Nick Johnston.
‘Out Of Chaos Comes… is now available on vinyl (8 tracks), CD (14 tracks), and digitally (27 tracks). The full digital version is included with an LP / CD purchase. Limited-edition colored vinyl also includes an exclusive cover-art poster, signed by many of the artists involved. It can be ordered in its various formats HERE.
SONG CREDITS
- Cinthya Hussey – vocals
- Wayne Hussey – background vocals
- Michael Ciravolo – guitars, textures, and percussion
- Michael Rozon – synth and percussion
- Mike Mallory – bass
- Nick Johnston – outro guitar solo
- Tim Palmer – synth, drum programming, guitars, and co-production
- Additional recording and production by Michael Rozon and Wayne Hussey
- Written by Wayne Hussey and Michael Ciravolo
VIDEO CREDITS
- Cinthya Hussey – the beauty
- Wayne Hussey – the beast
- Natalia Presser – aerialist
- Video concept by Mark Bromilow, Cinthya Hussey, and Wayne Hussey
- Produced by Cia do Polvo
- Directed by Mark Bromilow
- Assistant director: Natalia Presser
- Photography: Nico Serrano
- Camera assistant: Fabrício Cezario
- Production assistant: Patricia Rizzi
- Make up by Marcio Merighi
- Edited by Cinthya Hussey
- Filmed on location in Sao Paulo, Brazil
LINKS:
https://www.beautyinchaosmusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/beautyinchaosmusic
https://www.instagram.com/beauty.inchaos
https://twitter.com/MichaelCiravolo
https://www.beautyinchaosmusic.com/music-store
https://www.beautyinchaosmusic.com/bic-blog
https://soundcloud.com/33-3-music-collective
https://beautyinchaos.bandcamp.com
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/finding-beauty-in-chaos/1436694940
https://open.spotify.com/album/7cmbwIpDm9aAXS4vVjcq4U?si=LZ_9_Bi1SzaZyN7wOIRCvw