It’s still rare these days to hear a song with a positive message, much less a good song with a positive message. So a big thanks goes to Vullnet Neziri and Curtisay for making positive messages cool again. This song delivers via lyrics and hooks how you can make your dreams come true if you stay true to them, and it does it in a way that it sticks in your head after you’ve heard the song. That’s what it takes, nowadays, to get a message, any message, across. If only more people used that power for good. Bravo!
About Vullnet Neziri
Finding the heart of a song and bringing it life for eager ears is not a skill all are able to master; those that can though make a vivaciously memorable proposition.
Macedonia born singer Vullnet Neziri is one with that ability.
With an instinctive love for music since a child, his vocal craft and charm, as well as musical ability, has blossomed into an ear-grabbing proposition which saw Vullnet chosen and featured on THE VOICE OF ALBANIA in 2013.
There was a recognized maturity to his voice and style which took attention; an essence which has grown and been further honed in the subsequent busy time since that success as Vullnet built towards the release of his debut single in 2015.
Written by Academy Award and Grammy Award-nominated, Golden Globe-winning songwriter Diane Warren, ‘You Got Me’ shone with Vullnet’s harmonic prowess and emotive expression, eventually peaking at No.9 on the Official European Independent Music Chart.
Its warm fusion of country rock and pop was met with increasing success and support whilst also providing a potent teaser for his debut album which is currently in the works.
Featuring songs written by a variety of top songwriters and producers, the album will be a multi-flavored proposal revealing the depth of Vullnet’s musical tastes and styles.
Vullnet followed up that release with Rollercoaster in 2016 and as we roll into 2017, he releases his third single ‘Someday I’ll Be Somebody’.
The new release is a collaboration with a Jamaican rapper Curtisay written by Diane Warren. The video was shot on location in Jamaica and Italy. It was previously a hit for Justin Bieber.
LINKS:
https://facebook.com/Vullnetneziri1
https://twitter.com/VullnetN
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Rude Audio – To The Sun
Rude Audio is proud to announce their new ‘Rude Redux’ EP, slated for release on October 8, 2018, through Zirkus Records. Featuring five tracks, this new release sees the band refine their trademark sound, and fusing their love of woozy dub with throbbing electronics. Here, house music, flecked with Arab and Indian vibes, also shamelessly cavorts with dub.
Ahead of this release, Rude Audio present the lead track ‘To The Sun’, complete with a new virtual reality-inspired video, directed by Ali Ingle. This week, Andrew Weatherall also just premiered two tracks from the new EP on his radio show.
Rude Audio is a South London-based collective with a history of putting on fantastic underground parties, releasing the occasional dubby Balearic opus, engineering for the disparate likes of Paul Weller, Lemon Jelly, and Royal Blood and generally mooching about anywhere that doesn’t have bouncers or operate a dress code.
The core of the collective are Mark Ratcliff (whose releases have been played by the likes of Andrew Weatherall, Laurent Garnier, Kris Needs, Don Letts, Graeme Park and Rob de Bank, as well as BBC Radio 6’s Nemone and Gideon Coe), Owain Lloyd (mixing engineer for everyone from Oakenfold and Weller to Niall Horan) and Dave [The Rave] Brennan (ex-The End recordings and key player at tech house dons’ label, Bombis).
The EP represents a progression from Rude Audio’s latest ‘Rudest’ EP. More hooks, more chug, and more Middle Eastern and Indian influences, while retaining an underlying commitment to the dubby end of the spectrum. Inspired by the more open-minded dancefloors proliferating in the south and east London, where world music might brush up against techno, dub and indie dance, the ‘Rude Redux’ EP operates between 108 and 120 BPM – fast enough to dance to, slow enough to let the music breathe.
Inspired by the new, eclectic, lower BPM spirit found on more discerning south and east London dancefloors in recent years, the ‘Rude Redux’ EP has allowed Rude Audio to bury into its abiding love of dub, leftfield house, and middle eastern sounds and weld everything to a chunky four-to-the-floor anchor.
The Rude Audio sound takes dub and house as its starting point and heads out into analog electronic waters, where the chuggy, Balearic spirit of the early 90s progressive house meets its more modern, low slung counterpart – think A Love From Outer Space, indie dance and nu disco.
“Whenever we are producing and getting excited by our output, we always insist that things sound as good as early Future Sound Of London singles and remixes. More broadly, we continue to be inspired by the more open and eclectic dancefloors of the early 90s and their spiritual counterparts today. Long may the Balearic spirit continue to resonate,” says Mark Ratcliff.
This EP includes a remix by Rich Lane, one of the best underground remixers and producers in the UK electronic music. His tunes are spun by all the key players in the new Balaeric scene – Andrew Weatherall, Sean Johnson, Daniel Avery and Logan Fisher. His sound has spread across dancefloors such as A Love From Outer Space with some of his recent remixes already considered classics.
“Rich Lane’s remix of ‘Steady State’ is our favorite remix of the last 5 years, and his remix of our own ‘To The Half Moon’ is right up there alongside it, in our humble opinion,” says Ratcliff.
Rude Audio continues their residency at Flaxonptootch in Kentish Town, London, the first Thursday of every month, where art shows mutate into parties later in the evening. He is joined by an extra special guest this September.
Rude Audio will host a launch party for the EP in mid-October supported by some special guests, more detail to follow.
“Absolutely loving this, thats brand new and extremely good for you”
– Don Letts, BBC 6“This is indeed amazing – this is Rude Audio”
– Andrew Weatherall“Insofar as modern players on the electronic music scene go, Rude Audio number among the most dynamic, stirring the pot to concoct blends that transcend sub-genre, weaving brilliant ethnic hues into their musical fabric”
– Big Takeover Magazine“Rude Audio might not be a household name in the electronic music world, but it may just become one if they continue making music of this caliber… a seamless hypnotic Balaeric spell”
– Overblown MagazineLINKS:
http://www.rudeaudio.net
http://www.facebook.com/rudeaudio
http://www.rudeaudio.net/blog
http://twitter.com/RudeAudio
http://soundcloud.com/rudeaudio
http://www.youtube.com/user/ThatDirtyEcho/videos -
Beauty in Chaos ‘The Storm Before the Calm’ Album Taster
Beauty in Chaos have officially released ‘The Storm Before The Calm‘ on May 22, 2020. It would appear that Michael Ciravolo, the curator of Beauty in Chaos, is in the midst of a clear stylistic shift with ‘The Storm Before The Calm’. On some levels, this is not surprising. With the roots that were ‘Finding Beauty in Chaos‘, and the almost extreme re-interpretations that were ‘Beauty Re-Envisioned‘, the remix album that followed.
What we get here, in turn, is a project that is in transition. The title track, for example, is an exotic and captivating and almost operatic, and sometimes erratic, soliloquy featuring Adrienne LaVey. That in itself is a bold move. And it works. It works so well that the album, in some ways, steers clearly into the post-modern and art-concept realms. That can either work or backfire, but here, it works in such a way that it becomes the third act of the concept that is the album and even defines the title of that album.
While the title track can be considered the peak of the crescendo that is the album as a whole, what we get within that perceived buildup is songs that reveal themselves as chapters of a grand story. Each with contributions of characters that we meet along the way. And, to me, that is what Beauty in Chaos is. A celebration of music and the people within it and what makes music universal.
‘The Storm Before The Calm’ will be released on CD and digitally tomorrow (May 22, 2020), with June for a 180g-vinyl release (black & blue duo-tone numbered limited edition vinyl). CD and digital orders come with an 8-page digital booklet with lyrics and a 25+ minute title opus not found on the vinyl version. The CD and vinyl release also come with the full digital download. ‘The Storm Before The Calm’ can be ordered here.
WE HAD A CHANCE TO ASK MICHAEL A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT ‘THE STORM BEFORE THE CALM’ TO GET A CREATOR’S INSIGHT!
How did the concept for The Storm Before the Calm form and how do you feel it is different from the last album?
I certainly set out to do a darker, starker EP. Both of our other records, ‘Finding Beauty In Chaos’ and ‘Beauty Re-Envisioned’ were such ‘big’ listens, that I felt a more easily palatable release was in order! I had delved back into some of my favorite vinyl from the ‘80s. ‘Pornography’, ‘Disintegration’, and ‘First and Last and Always’.
I loved that those records evoked a ‘mood’ … wanting you to take the top-to-bottom listen journey. And for the most part, forsaking the big grand ‘hooks’. This was what I set out to do. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tell which 4 songs would have been the EP! In typical BIC fashion, we expanded a bit with a few curve balls to end each side of the vinyl … which is my preferred listening medium.
The songs are a bit of a departure from the last album. What do you feel was the biggest stretch or derivation from the previous music in your opinion?
I think I had more of a ‘sonic’ concept going into this one that I had on ‘FBIC’. The music, at least to the first 4 songs were written over a 2-week period. It really was just me in a room with a drum machine and guitar, recording the ideas on my iPhone. Pretty low tech, huh! I think the stretch comes in the last 2 songs written, ‘Temple of Desire’ and, my personal favorite, ‘Stranger’.
Both are a bit of a departure from the other darker songs, but I think they help round this out as a pure album listen. To me, ‘Stranger’ is the perfect lead-in to where we take BIC next. The CD only 29-minute ‘title’ track, which I feel is an odd mix of David Lynch, Pink Floyd, and Trent Reznor, is a departure unto itself!
What are your plans for the next video?
This COVID shutdown has certainly thrown a bit of a wrench into our video plans, but things are opening up a bit here in Los Angeles. Currently, we are planning to shoot a video for ‘Stranger’, which features the amazing Kat Leon from Holy Wars. I think she has an amazing voice and is an extremely talented lyrist, which is very important to me. If my memory serves me, I think you did a feature interview with her a few months ago? Our concept, as always, is to be different from any previous BIC videos.
We both want to do something very somber and cinematic. Hopefully, this will be out in late June… and that it won’t be the last video from this record.
How have recent events reshaped how you are getting the music out there?
Other than delaying us completing a video to go with the album launch, we have probably been affected less than most other bands and artists that depend on touring. The downside to what BIC is at the moment is doing the Zoom concerts that are so popular right now are all but impossible. Each singer involved with this record is each in the midst of dealing with things with their own projects.
Although each singer would have probably done something, I just didn’t feel right about asking them or honestly taking the time it would take to do this on the scale I think that BIC should be done at. Instead, I chose to focus on new videos as well as laying the groundwork for another ‘remix’ record that I would like to release on Halloween. I also have started working on new material … with the first involving Cyn M. from Silence In The Snow.
ABOUT ‘THE STORM BEFORE THE CALM’
Recorded at Ciravolo’s own SAINTinLA Studio, this album was recorded, mixed, and produced by Michael Rozon, Grammy-nominated for his work with Ministry.
Earlier, Beauty in Chaos previewed several tracks from this record, including ‘A Kind Cruelty’ featuring Curse Mackey (Pigface, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Evil Mothers), ‘The Delicate Balance of All Things’ featuring The Mission frontman Wayne Hussey, and ‘Almost Pure’ featuring Steven Seibold of industrial-synth-punk legends Hate Dept. and the Martin Atkins-led Pigface. This album also features collaborations with Ashton Nyte (The Awakening), Rafe Pearlman, Kat Leon (Holy Wars), and mezzo-soprano Adrienne LaVey.
Beauty in Chaos is the brainchild of guitarist Michael Ciravolo. Originally from New Orleans and now based in Los Angeles, he is best known as President of Schecter Guitar Research. He also played guitar in Human Drama for 30 years, in addition to playing live and recording with Michael Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel since 1998.
“Undaunted and unscathed by the studio software/hardware meltdowns and the unprecedented global pandemic shutdown, here is our new album. I am in complete awe of the amazing artists; some returning, some new that have lent their voices and words to make this record possible. And I‘m eternally grateful to our growing BIC FAMILY that continue this journey with us,” says BIC curator mastermind Michael Ciravolo.
“To me, ‘The Storm Before The Calm’ represents a rewind and a fast-forward. Rewind to the ‘80s and the great albums that lived on my turntable, that set a mood, a vibe… even the feeling of temperature.. as well as a crystal ball, look into the next evolution of Beauty In Chaos. Beauty wrapped in chaos. Dark, but always, with a light”.
In 2018, Beauty in Chaos released their acclaimed debut album ‘Finding Beauty in Chaos’, followed by the ‘Beauty Re-Envisioned’ album (2019). Other BIC artists include Simon Gallup (The Cure), Al Jourgensen (Ministry), Robin Zander (Cheap Trick), Pete Parada (The Offspring), dUg Pinnick (Kings X), ICE-T (Body Count), producer Tim Palmer, guitar icon Zakk Wylde, Ashton Nyte (The Awakening), Kevin Haskins (Bauhaus, Love & Rockets), Rolan Bolan, Michael Anthony (Van Halen), Michael Aston (Gene Loves Jezebel), Paul Wiley (Marilyn Manson), Michael Aston and Dirk Doucette (Gene Loves Jezebel), Pando (A Flock of Seagulls), UMMAGMA, Evi Vine, Johnny Indovina (Human Drama), Danny Lohner (Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson), Betsy Martin (Caterwaul / Purr Machine), Kevin Kipnis (Purr Machine) and KITTY LECTRO, among others.
Featured image photographer: Anabel DFlux.
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 -
Shishi – Ok Thx Bye
This is what Surf Rock would sound like if it was made in the dark near the frozen shores of the Baltic sea. Because it was. Benadetta, Victoria, and Maria Rosa (these are definitely not their real names) are a trio of Lithuanian mermaids who create ‘zero-waste trash music’ under the name ‘Shishi’. They sing about how it feels to be living in times when nothing makes sense anymore. Their music is perfect for people who care about what’s going on but don’t really know what’s happening.
Genre-wise Shishi takes sugar, spice, and everything nice from Surf Rock and blends it with a chemical formula that has been distilled from the raw sounds of the best Riot-Girl and Punk bands. The result is a beautifully awkward eco-friendly vibe reminiscent of Indie Surf frontrunners like La Luz or Tennis smashing into the powerful femininity of bands like Hole, Kleenex, and Delta 5.
Shishi was initially formed by three vocalists trying to play instruments they couldn’t play. Their 2018 debut album ‘NAx80’ was released after some intense and rapid learning sessions (it was around this time that they became mermaids, just in case you were wondering). Nominations, festivals, and tours followed. As the instrumental skills improved in 2020 Shishi was signed by ‘The state51 Conspiracy’ to release their follow up album ‘Mafitishei’ in which the band searches for new seas in which to splash around.
If this biography left you feeling more confused than informed and you suddenly want to dance upside-down, you are now in the perfect mood for some Shishi.
LINKS:
https://instagram.com/shishiband
https://facebook.com/shishiband
https://youtu.be/H9scVFqJhSA
https://soundcloud.com/user-617918304
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7nmCtibxtJAWRoecSc5EPS
https://apple.co/2y0USTp