bjork – Page 2 – AmeliasMagazine

Amelia’s Magazine | Icelandic Music Artist, Eliza Newman: Interview

Eliza Newman by Jenny Lloyd
Eliza Newman by Jenny Lloyd

Eyjafjallajokull. How did you say that it your head? The impressive word refers to the glacier on top of the volcanic mountain (remember the ash cloud?) in Iceland. Understanding the perils of uninformed pronunciation, order visit this Icelandic native Eliza Newman, viagra approved wrote a little song on how to actually pronounce the word. It featured on the Al Jazeera News channel and has since become one of Al Jazeera’s most popular news pieces ever.

Ta daa:

But there is far more to Eliza (Geirsdóttir) Newman than chuckling at our pronunciation shortcomings. She plays violin, ukelele and piano, and is also a trained opera singer. Her song; ‘Ukelele Song for You’ was one of the most popular in Iceland in 2009. The tune is about ‘attracting trouble’, ‘broken promises’ and forgiveness. With ukelele strumming and high pitched notes, it’s lighthearted in its sound, contrasting with the seriousness of the topic. This is refreshing and conjures up thoughts for me, of Blue Valentine, and the heartbreak within the love and jovial moments. The uke can be (in a touching folky way) deep! It’s a pleasure to listen to:

Previously Eliza was the lead singer of girl group, Bellatrix and the rock band, Skandinavia. Through Bellatrix, Eliza and Co. released four albums on Björk’s Bad Taste label, signing to Fierce Panda for their fourth album release. They also headlined the Carling Stage at the Reading Festival and co-headlined a tour with Coldplay. These days Eliza is a solo artist and promotes Icelandic female artists by being part of the Trubatrix movement, which encourages gigs and album releases around Iceland.

Eliza-Newman-by-Mina-Bach

Illustration by Mina Bach

Eliza’s second album, Pie In The Sky, is out on April 4, on Lavaland Records . Watch out for my review. For now here’s a little interview with Eliza:

Could you describe your music? Its beyond words, like touching heaven with your inner ear! Or just a kind of quirky pop style sweet on top but dark underneath muhahaha!….

Do you write your own music? Yes I write all my stuff and have always done , that’s the only way to go.

What is your inspiration?
Cats.

How do you feel about having one of the most popular songs in Iceland, ‘Ukulele Song For You’?
It feels great , very unexpected and a pleasant surprise. Icelandic people have good taste in music!

You play many instruments and are a trained opera singer, when did you start playing music and singing?
I started playing the violin at seven and studied that until I was 15 then I started a band and didn’t feel like practising violin any more. I started singing the day I started my first band. Never sung a note before then! Later I went on to study opera and I learned the piano, guitar and ukulele on the way.

Eliza Newman 1 Chloe Cook
Illustration by Chloe Cook

What’s you favourite instrument, musical style?
My favourite musical instrument is the harpsichord and the hurdy-gurdy, I really would like to get my hands on those two instruments to play! My favourite musical style is kind of pop rock indie opera classical hip hop and easy listening : )

Could you tell us about your former band, Bellatrix?
Bellatrix was my first band, we were an all girl band and started quite young, got signed and released five albums both in Iceland on Björk‘s Bad Taste Label and later with Fierce Panda in the UK. The music developed from a punk rock sound to electro pop and we did loads of cool stuff like tour the world, headline Reading and do a tour with Coldplay. Fun and games!

Eliza Newman by Avril kelly
Illustration by Avril Kelly

What were the highlights of being in the band?
Headlining the Carling stage at Reading and Leeds Festival and travelling the world.

What about Skandinavia?
Skandinavia was my venture into heavy rock! Loads of fun. I was studying opera at the time in London and wanted to do some epic rock music inspired by opera. We recorded an album and did a UK tour and it satisfied my longing to do a heavy rock album, so that box is ticked now!

How does being a solo artist differ from being in a band?
It’s very different because as a solo artist you have to take all the responsibility which is both good and bad. You have no one to blame but yourself haha! You get more freedom to do your own thing as a solo artist but in a band you get more feedback and have to compromise sometimes, both things have their advantages. Having said that, I am very much a band person and enjoy working with others, so I would not rule out joining another band at some point.

Eliza Newman 2 Chloe Cook
Illustration by Chloe Cook

And how is your own music different?
My music is more relaxed then the band stuff I did, I have calmed down quite a bit!

How is the new album in comparison to your last album, Empire Fall (Series 8 Records)?
The new album is more hopeful and has a lighter tone to it with ukuleles, synths and various fun instruments mixing it up. Empire fall was more minimalist and had a darker undertone.

eliz 2

Where do you want to go now in your career?
I would like to go to Japan and play, also keep writing and finding new interesting ways of expressing myself through music, yeah and learn the hurdy-gurdy!

END. Thank you so much Eliza. Helen x

Written by Helen Martin on Monday February 7th, 2011 1:55 pm

Categories ,al-jazeera, ,album, ,Avril Kelly, ,Bad Taste Records, ,Bellatrix, ,bjork, ,Blue Valentine, ,Carling Stage, ,Chloe Cook, ,Coldplay, ,Eliza (Geirsdóttir) Newman, ,Eliza Newman, ,Fierce Panda, ,folk, ,Helen Martin, ,iceland, ,interview, ,Jenny Lloyd, ,Lavaland Records, ,Leeds Festival, ,london, ,Mina Bach., ,music, ,pop, ,Reading Festival, ,Series 8 Records, ,ukelele

Amelia’s Magazine | Icelandic Music Artist, Eliza Newman: Interview

Eliza Newman by Jenny Lloyd
Eliza Newman by Jenny Lloyd

Ta daa:

Eliza-Newman-by-Mina-Bach

Illustration by Mina Bach

Eliza’s second album, Pie In The Sky, is out on April 4, on Lavaland Records . Watch out for my review. For now here’s a little interview with Eliza:

Could you describe your music? Its beyond words, like touching heaven with your inner ear! Or just a kind of quirky pop style sweet on top but dark underneath muhahaha!….

Do you write your own music? Yes I write all my stuff and have always done , that’s the only way to go.

What is your inspiration?
Cats.

Eliza Newman 1 Chloe Cook
Illustration by Chloe Cook

Eliza Newman by Avril kelly
Illustration by Avril Kelly

What were the highlights of being in the band?
Headlining the Carling stage at Reading and Leeds Festival and travelling the world.

Eliza Newman 2 Chloe Cook
Illustration by Chloe Cook

And how is your own music different?
My music is more relaxed then the band stuff I did, I have calmed down quite a bit!

eliz 2

END. Thank you so much Eliza. Helen x

Written by Helen Martin on Monday February 7th, 2011 1:55 pm

Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with musician and artist Elizabeth Walling, aka Gazelle Twin

Gazelle Twin by Sarah Arnett.

I’ve been keeping a firm eye (and ear) on Gazelle Twin since I discovered her enigmatic first single at the tail end of last year. Changelings was accompanied by a mesmerising video that exemplifies Gazelle Twin‘s approach to music making: creating an overall sensory experience in which the listener/viewer is immersed. That video was followed by the equally transfixing I Am Shell I Am Bone and now her debut album The Entire City is on its way. Not surprisingly she is generating a lot of interest, approved this despite having performed only one live show so far as Gazelle Twin…. I decided to find out a bit more from the lady herself. Meet the genius that is Elizabeth Walling.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.vimeo.com/15238593" rel="noopener">http://www.vimeo.com/15238593</a>Changelings

According to wikipedia the Loplop was a birdlike creature created by artist Max Ernst. Why and how have you been inspired by this creature?
Loplop was a starting point in the ongoing development for the ideas behind my costumes which I use for live performance and in my imagery. I have always admired the painting The Robing Of The Bride by Ernst. It has a sexual-animal-human oddness that drew me in. I saw the real thing fairly recently in Guggenheim’s house in Venice. It was much smaller than I realised, but still magnificently weird. It really beckons you over from the other side of the room.

Gazelle Twin by Amy Brazier.

Were you trained in music, or is it something that has been building over the years? What other jobs have you done in the meantime if so?
I studied briefly at college and then University but I still consider myself to be self-taught. As a kid I would learn everything by ear, including pieces for piano, flute etc. I still do it that way now. Learning to read and write music obviously helped me develop a lot further, but I rarely return to the theory books and manuscript paper these days, except if I’m arranging something for classical musicians. I’m expecting to do a lot of that for the next album.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.vimeo.com/13062680" rel="noopener">http://www.vimeo.com/13062680</a>I Am Shell I Am Bone

What are your main lyrical themes and inspirations?
Hard to know where to start. I’ve been inspired by the paranormal, under water life, science fiction films, dreams I had as a child, space exploration etc. All these influences and experiences are deeply personal, so it all remains very cryptic to others, I think.

How long have you been living in Brighton? What drew you there and what keeps you there?
I came here primarily to study music and never left. It’s a hard place to leave, and I love it here but after 10 years I think I might start to seek new horizons. It’s important to see new places I think.

Gazelle Twin by Lea Rimoux.

What is going on in the Men Like Gods video? Where was it shot and who are the dancers? I presume the scenes of burning pyres being dragged through streets are from the Lewes bonfire night, but are some of them choreographed specifically by yourself?
The Men Like Gods video contains footage from a very ancient Pagan festival in remote Sardinia. Some of the footage is my own from earlier this year, some was sourced through Sardinia‘s vast digital library and contains footage from roughly 30 years ago. The festival relates to the changing of the seasons and the life-giving land and cattle. Each village has it’s own particular ritual and unique costumes, so it is very diverse and strange. I went to experience one village’s ritual in March where I filmed the Mamuthones (the men who dance in black masks, bells and sheepskins). There is not much explanation as to why this ritual has such a bizarre aesthetic, but it is a very deep rooted tradition, at least two thousand years old. They take it very seriously there, it’s certainly not the tourist attraction that Lewes’ Bonfire night has become, but then I am sure it started out with much the same circumstances.

Gazelle Twin by Gaarte.

Do you collaborate with fashion designers to create your stage costumes, and if so who? How does that process work?
I design and usually make all the costumes. The process is very basic; I do a fair bit of research or just get an idea in my head and then I go to flea markets, charity shops and usually Poundland to source materials to work with. I’m unsigned so I don’t have an advance or anything to play with or to commission people, so I have to be imaginative and very frugal. Where I lack sewing skills or equipment I call upon my very talented friend, Gita Mistry. She recently helped me realise a brand new costume, a very striking blue, abstract Gazelle headdress, veil and robe which I might wear at my album launch in September.

gazelle_twin

You’ve been compared to the likes of Bjork but I think you also strongly channel more modern experimental electro musicians such as The Knife – who are more about hiding their personal egos behind creativity than extravagantly promoting themselves. Is it safe to say that you have been influenced by this kind of music? What have been your inspirations?
Classical, early music and film soundtracks are the bedrock of all my influences. When I was studying and composing in my late teens and early twenties I only ever really listened to that, maybe with a bit of Portishead and Jazz thrown in from time to time. Pop music is all relatively new to me, but true artists like The Knife, Fever Ray, Planningtorock and Bjork have all intrigued me musically as well as with their boldness of visual images and play on identity. I really admire artists who resist exposing themselves too much or try to divert people’s attention towards the music. I don’t think it’s enough to sport a weird costume or smear face paint on – the music has to be really strong first and foremost, but the costume should also be relevant to the identity in order to avoid being a slightly vacuous stunt.

Gazelle Twin by Claire Kearns.

How will The Entire City be available in an interactive web only version? Can you explain a bit more about how this works?
The album will be available as a digital download in the conventional sense and there will be limited vinyl and CD editions coming out later this year. For the digital release in July there is a special web-based counterpart, which will be available on the website very soon. I wanted to create an interactive, tactile way for people to experience the album in digital form, so I got in touch with Champagne Valentine and they came up with a wonderful application for me. The interactive version of The Entire City will be free to access and contains all album tracks which each have their own interactive visuals. It also features remixed video clips from all my music videos, as well as other, as yet unreleased footage. I’m hoping to make something interactive for every album/project in future, it’s a really satisfying process and I hope makes up for some of the loss of pleasure in buying a physical record.

Gazelle Twin by Lea Rimoux.

Why are live performances so rare? Will your fans be able to see more of you now that your album is due to launch? If so where will they be able to find you?
Live shows have been rare because I wanted to take my time with developing the project and make sure it all worked and felt right before I launched the whole thing and took it on tour. I also had to save the money in order to do it properly, so it’s taken a few years to get here. I want to keep shows rare and special; they involve a lot of visuals, choreography and extra musical elements and each one is unique. I much prefer to do a few really special shows than too many run-of-the-mill versions. It makes it more worthwhile as a performer too (and I have experienced many a dodgy gig in the past without this ethos, let me tell you!). I’m really excited to get back to performing this year. My album launch will be on 1st September at Electrowerkz (aka Islington MetalWorks) in Angel, in London. I have curated the event myself and I am making sure it is going to be really unique experience for all involved. I can’t give too much away at the moment, but all will be revealed on my website eventually.

Gazelle Twin by Nicola Ellen.

What do you do to relax? Where might we find you by night time in Brighton?
I tend to spend the majority of my time in the studio at home, I rarely venture out much these days! I play a few video games and watch films to relax – This year I have really sacrificed my social life in order to make this record and really get the project off the ground single-handedly.

Gazelle Twin by Gaarte.

New single Men Like Gods will be released on Monday 11th July alongside the digital release of The Entire City. Here’s a trailer for the amazing video.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.vimeo.com/25272946" rel="noopener">http://www.vimeo.com/25272946</a>Men Like Gods

The opening album track The Entire City can be streamed here

Gazelle Twin will play as part of the Soundwaves Festival on July 14th-17th in Brighton as part of The Infinite Possibilities of Voice at Brighton Town Hall between 5.45pm – 10.30pm on Saturday 16th July. Gazelle Twin will be performing Colossus in the Atrium, a new improvisatory piece exploring the dialogue between human and machine. Voice and electronics will be coupled with darkly theatric sensibilities to create an atmospheric, electrifying and wholly unique experience, in collaboration with artist and musician Ed Briggs. I advise you secure tickets fast! This will not be a performance to miss.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Wednesday June 29th, 2011 2:48 pm

Categories ,Album Launch, ,Amy Brazier, ,Atrium, ,bjork, ,brighton, ,Brighton Town Hall, ,Champagne Valentine, ,Changelings, ,Claire Kearns, ,Colossus, ,Costume, ,Ed Briggs, ,electrowerkz, ,Elizabeth Walling, ,Fever Ray, ,Gaarte, ,Gazelle Twin, ,Gita Mistry, ,Guggenheim, ,I am Shell I am Bone, ,Islington MetalWorks, ,jazz, ,Lea Rimoux, ,Lewes, ,Loplop, ,Mamuthones, ,Max Ernst, ,Men Like Gods, ,Nicola Ellen, ,Pagan, ,Planningtorock, ,Portishead, ,review, ,Sarah Arnett, ,Sardinia, ,single, ,Soundwaves Festival, ,The Entire City, ,The Infinite Possibilities of Voice, ,The Knife, ,The Robing Of The Bride, ,video

Amelia’s Magazine | Coachella Festival 2007

Those of you who’ve seen Fame (you know the one, store information pills “Remember my name (FAME!)/I’m gonna live forever” and all that jazz) may remember the relatively small but significant character called Bruno. He hated playing in the strings section of the orchestra because he could electronically create an orchestra of sound and fury on his own, information pills healing resulting in much dancing in the streets and on taxis…

…The comaprison: Napoleon IIIrd Napoleon IIIrd. Why he hasn’t had more Fame action himself is quite beyond me. Though that said, I had heard on the grapevine that the man was touring with a full band and was hoping to see and hear such a spectacle in the flesh. But alas, whilst hoping that the brass section was hiding out in the toilets working up the saliva to play, the man himself emerged to take his place behind two microphones, that met above a keyboard, nestled between all manner of electronic and musical paraphernalia…and no band.

Never mind though, performing solo, he didn’t disappoint. Unexpectedly formidable, Napoleon is energetic and jerky as his music often is. One thing is that from the start, Napoleon is so believable. Without guile or pretensions, yet vaguely angsty and almost aggressive, not quite desperate but definitely hopeful, he is one man doing his own orchestral manoeuvres in the dark.

Like a proud band leader, pumping his metaphoric baton triumphantly, Napoleon IIIrd conducted his way through the set with a well practiced panache; twiddling with levels, blue-tacking keys, pressing buttons and bristling on his guitar. Completely comfortable but not complacent, Napoleon IIIrd played with abandon. With heavy industrial beats, crunchy glitches, big refrains, random samples and a pre-recorded choir of Napoleons to back him up, Napoleon IIIrd’s music is quite epic live. It’s all the more strange to match the sound to the scene when the guy is all alone on stage amongst his band of merry, electronically recorded selves.

So remember his name, because Napoleon IIIrd is dynamite.
Having studied graphic design, remedy I too had put on a show at my university and then made the journey to London to showcase my talents to industry moguls. My experience was, remedy well, pretty shit – but this was flawless. With over 50 stands showcasing talent, 2 fashion theatres and an orange-carpeted Moët bar for pre-show drinks, GFW supported by River Island (amongst other major players) really packed a punch.

Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Pieter Nooten and review of new album Surround Us

Pieter Nooten by Adam Pryce.

There are echoes of Brian Eno in this beautifully haunting collection of songs that straddle the definitions of classical and ambient music. Surround Us opens with Ode, which showcases the delicate strings of improv cellist Lucas Stam set against a lush orchestral backdrop provided by the electronic wizardry of pioneering musician Pieter Nooten. An End is a highlight for the dulcet tones of Stam‘s strings whilst the humming strums of Blue Wonder creates the perfect undercurrent for breathy vocals. Secret Room conjures up the world of a former recluse stepping back into life but Blue Square presents a narrative far more abstract. Belong brings the album to a beatific repose: perfect for lazy summer afternoons. Just don’t call it pop…

pieter nooten surround us album cover
You used to be part of Clan of Xymox – I will confess I know nothing of this intriguing sounding band which began life many a moon ago in the Netherlands – can you tell us a bit more about it and what your part was as a songwriter?
We signed to 4AD in the early 80’s. At that time I was intrigued by early electronica: affordable mono – as well as polyphonic synthesizers, triggering drum machines, step sequencing and so on in a pre and post-midi era. For the first two albums I contributed a lot; most tracks were distilled from my demo’s. After Xymox signed to a major US label I lost interest, mainly because the rest of the band, Ronny and Anka, decided to go for a more accessible sound. During that period I produced the highly acclaimed ambient cd Sleeps With The Fishes together with producer/guitarist Michael Brook, and decided to leave the band.

pieter nooten
How did you come to work entirely with electronic arrangements? Did you first have a grounding in traditional musical instruments and how did you teach yourself to make music?
When I was young I played several instruments: I started with drums, then played the bass guitar, a bit of electrical guitar and then moved on to keyboards. My dad was also sort of a multi instrumentalist, but totally self taught, autodidact. So there wasn’t an intention to choose one particular instrument or the other. You just picked it up and learned it along the way. This discipline has formed the basis of my composing technique.

Pieter Nooten, Surround Us by Julie Ritchie.

What has your heritage as a Dutch person contributed to your music making?
I find it hard to answer that. My influences vary from early Italian baroque, to German Krautrock, early ambient music and avant garde and new wave from the early 80’s. I am not a great pop music enthusiast. Never was. I have no interest in the archetypical anglo american pop music and I am not an R&B or rock fan. On the contrary, I find most guitar bands contrived if not reactionary conservative in their endless use of rock clichés and the puberal behaviour that seems to come with it. I am not sure if that has anything to do with my heritage but it could be. In other words, I like my music authentic but above all emotionally honest and subjectively personal.

You are quoted as being more influenced by classical music such as Bach than by modern pop – but are there any other modern pop musicians that you think we should listen to?
I really honestly do not keep up with contemporary pop music. In my opinion pop music had its renaissance in the 60’s and 70’s, overlapping the early 80’s. Just like baroque music had its heydays. After that it became a sort of repetition of old achievements over and over again. Something new needs to happen and I believe there are some bright signals on the horizon. I personally love some of the material of Sigur Ros, A Winged Victory Of The Sullen, Radio Head, Bjork and like minded explorers of new electronica.

Pieter-Nooten-by-Anthony-Peters
Pieter Nooten by Anthony Peters.

Why is passion so important to you and what is the most passionate thing you can think of doing?
I cannot imagine composing without passion, how hopelessly romantic that may sound. What other reasons would there be to produce art in the first place? The flattering of a narcissistic Ego? Money? Fame? Not for me. I live quite a reclusive life and I enjoy being left alone. Composing music remains my greatest passion.

Pieter Nooten by EdieOP.

Who do you hope that this album will reach, and how do you hope that your listeners will hear it?
I hope it will reach people that need to hear it! What can I say. I hope people will listen to it with a clear head, not comparing it to anything, as I have not composed it with a certain style or genre in mind. It’s done in total isolation, with only me, my laptop and the objective ears of my girlfriend who helped me not to make too many strange decisions during those moments when I was getting a bit lost in my own world!

Surround Us is out now and available through Rocket Girl Records.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Friday June 1st, 2012 1:46 pm

Categories ,4ad, ,A Winged Victory Of The Sullen, ,Adam Pryce, ,Ambient, ,Anthony Peters, ,bjork, ,brian eno, ,classical, ,dutch, ,EdieOP, ,German Krautrock, ,improvisation, ,Julie Ritchie, ,Lucas Stam, ,Michael Brook, ,Pieter Nooten, ,Radio Head, ,Rocket Girl Music, ,Rocket Girl Records, ,Ronny and Anka, ,sigur ros, ,Sleeps With The Fishes

Amelia’s Magazine | Spank Rock – Interview

Since the release of his debut album YoYoYoYoYo in 2006, search Spank Rock and his merry band of smut peddlers have been on a relentless globe-trotting journey filled with critical acclaim and controversy. Debut single Bump was named Single of the Year by Xfm London DJ Lauren Laverne that same year and since then they have taken their high-tempo Baltimore-style hip hop to the masses, buy performing with the likes of Bjork, M.I.A. and Diplo. Spank Rock a.k.a. Naeem Juwan is also responsible for kick-starting the career of the equally controversial hip hop femme fatale Amanda Blank.

Despite receiving widespread appreciation for their innovative form of party rap that infuses electro and big bass house, Juwan’s lyrics have often been criticised as gratuitously sexual and misogynistic. Amelia’s caught up with the boisterous rapper ahead of his appearance at Fabric in London to talk about his upcoming new album, provocative lyrics and the truth about getting kicked out of the MTV Woodie Awards.

What can you tell us about your upcoming album?

I don’t know what to say. I don’t really like to talk about my projects until they are done. I am not gonna commit to a release date because you know how rappers state a release date and then it never comes out. I will say it is close to being done.

I heard you were originally meant to do I Need Love on Amanda Blank’s debut album but you pulled out because it wasn’t your style. Is this true?

Yeah, that’s true. I kind of have an issue with doing covers because I just don’t think it’s cool. If I am going to spend time doing something I want it to be something that is coming from me.

You are now signed to Downtown Records. What happened with Big Dada?

It was a classic situation of a bigger label wanting to buy a smaller group out of their record deal. Big Dada is an awesome label but I just thought it was a better opportunity to work with a company that was a little larger. Big Dada has always been a great hip hop label and it was rad working with them. I respect them for taking a chance on me.

How would you describe what you do?

I usually call it progressive, intellectual party rap.

Your music has a lot of sexual content and graphic imagery. Would you say that you are a quite provocative individual?

Yeah, I think I can be. I don’t really like to go with the flow of things. I think right now there is so much happening in the world and none of it is being represented in hip hop music. I just want to introduce new ideas and new images that can provoke people.

What would you say is a topic you keep coming back to in your music?

Partying and dancing are usually staples of what I do.

But as you get older, surely you can’t keep talking about these subjects?

I hope my progression as I grow is obvious. I think on the last album a lot of people missed out on the sub content and focussed on all of the sexual content. I think this time I make a lot of the serious content more obvious. I model a lot of the stuff I write on James Brown. You know, he made the dance stuff but he loved to touch on political issues like civil rights issues, the economy and discipline for the black community back in the ‘60s. He used popular music to get people thinking about the world around them.

Can you explain what happened at the MTV Woodie Awards in 2007 when you were thrown out for hitting another group with a drink?

Yeah, that’s kind of what happened! I didn’t really throw a drink at them. I was throwing drinks and one happened to hit them. I do think I was being a little bit of a dick that night but it wasn’t intentional. I have no idea who they band were that I hit.

They were called The Academy.

Oh, yeah, that wasn’t intentional. Haha!

Do you have any plans to come back to Europe this year?

I will definitely be back this year. On this tour it’s just me and a DJ so it’s pretty tough to get through a show – but I’m challenging myself. I usually kind of roll in a crew. Ideally, I would love to come back out and do a double headlining tour with Amanda Blank.

How does your new material differ to what you have done before?

I think some things are similar. A lot of the stuff is still dance tempo but I think there are some pop influences on the new album. I don’t want to say too much. I haven’t changed up my whole style. I just continue to go on a path of taking the influences around me and putting them in a blender and seeing what comes out.

What artists are you listening to right now that are getting your excited?

Crocodiles – it’s probably my favourite album of the past year. Other than that, I really can’t think of anyone. I was really bored with the music that has been coming out this past year.

Written by David McNamara on Thursday February 11th, 2010 6:51 pm

Categories ,Amanada Blank, ,bjork, ,Diplo, ,M.I.A, ,Spank Rock

Amelia’s Magazine | Celebrating Women in Music: Producing It For Themselves

FKA Twigs by Tiffany Baxter.

The music industry would have us believe women are dominating the music scene right now. Fierce, female, singer/songwriters are in abundance. We’ve got Miley on her wrecking ball, Beyonce grinding her surf board, Lady Gaga covered in ham. We’re winning ladies… I digress, we shouldn’t be laughing. Whilst the dominant, mainstream female artists claim to be writing their own music and be heavily involved in the creative process, the other side of the mixing desk is another story. The domination does not extend to production.

Trina Shoemaker mixing desk
There are plenty of high flying women in other areas of the music business. But despite the BBC starting to train female sound engineers in 1941, it is still a predominantly male playing field. Trina Shoemaker is a brilliant exception to this and was the first woman to take home a Grammy for ‘Best Sound Engineer’ in 1998 for her work on Sheryl Crow’s album Globe Sessions.

Women in music illustration Louise Andersone
Women in music: illustration by Louise Andersone.

However, only three women in history have been nominated for ‘Best Producer’ at the Brits and Grammys and we are yet to see the day a woman goes home with the prize. Perhaps this isn’t even a gender issue. According to The Music Producers Guild, women only hold 4% of the equity in music production. There just aren’t enough women in the sector. There are an array of arguments on the reasons behind this figure, ranging from women being disinterested in the technical side of things to sexism, to the age old restraint of becoming a mother and its incompatibility with the lifestyle and all consuming nature of a being a studio producer. Who knows what the truth is. Perhaps it’s a mish mash of the lot of them and then some.

Joni Mitchell Clouds Album Cover
Joni Mitchell complained that whichever man was in the room with her when she was recording, he would take credit for her work. Bjork has recently echoed a similar sentiment in a recent interview with Pitchfork stating that time and time again she has been denied due credit for the production of her albums. In another Pitchfork interview in 2007, the highly skilled MIA laid into the interviewer regarding the production of her records, ‘I just find it a bit upsetting and kind of insulting that I can’t have any ideas on my own because I’m a female… After the first time it’s cool, the second time it’s cool, but after like the third, fourth, fifth time, maybe it’s an issue that we need to talk about, maybe that’s something important, you know.’

Delia Derbyshire Radiophonic Workshop
Despite their low numbers, there have been some formidable women sitting behind that mixing desk throughout the history of recording. Take Delia Derbyshire for starters. Delia who? Derbyshire. Despite being told in 1959 by Decca Records that the recording studio was no place for a woman, she persevered and joined the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in 1960. A genius to sound, Derbyshire was responsible for the recording of Ron Grainer’s Doctor Who theme in 1963 and earned herself an incredible reputation as an innovator in sound before the age of the synthesiser. At a time when groups and composers were exploring Psychedelia, she was feted by musicians all over the world including McCartney, Hendrix and Pink Floyd and in her latter days she co produced with Sonic Boom and heavily influenced modern experimental groups including Portishead, Orbital and The Chemical Brothers.

sylvia-robinson
Remember The Sugar Hill Gang and their hit ‘Rappers Delight’? Product of a woman. The first commercially successful rap recording that brought rap music to a global audience was produced by the late Sylvia Robinson in 1979. For this alone she should be a household name, but by no means was that the extent of her success. At the age of 16 she had a number 1 hit in America, she penned hits for the likes of Ike and Tina Turner, produced one of the first ever disco singles and founded multiple record labels. In the late sixties she was one of the few women to be producing records and in 1979, when she started Sugar Hill Records, almost all of the recordings were still produced in house and overseen by herself. That other big hip hop classic ‘The Message’ by Grand Master Flash? She was the driving force behind that too.

Women may be few and far between in production roles but that doesn’t take away from their ability. As music technology is becoming more accessible, a new generation of self taught, self sufficient, women are rising, producing their own records, and taking the music industry by storm. Check out this lot.

lykke-li-portrait
Lykke Li
Lykke Li plunged onto the music scene back in 2007 with her debut EP ‘Little Bit’. Her voice was quirky and her tracks an intriguing take on indie pop. Writing her own songs, composing melodies and recording demos, Lykke has then worked with male counterparts Björn Yttling and Lasse Mårtén to produce the finished product. As co producer on her latest LP ‘I Never Learn’ she had more creative input than ever and has come up with all the ideas for her music videos since she started. Having established herself as a credible artist and three albums into her career, she still notices and comments during an interview with The Guardian that ‘the rules for women in music are tacitly different… If I’m on stage and it’s warm and I don’t want to wear trousers all of a sudden I’m a victim, but if Iggy Pop takes his shirt off? Oh, that’s fine.’ Thought she was just another female performer surrounded by great people producing and directing her? Think again. She’s business savvy too having created LL Recordings in 2007. Releasing all of her work under her own label to protect and give herself freedom, this woman is a power house of vision.

Tw-ache – Twigs remixed one of her first tracks ‘Ache’, co directed the video with Tom Beard and shows off her dance moves. A force to be reckoned with.

FKA Twigs
English Singer/songwriter FKA Twigs has taken the world by storm. After teaching herself the music software package Ableton, Twigs went on to produce her debut EP in 2012 entitled EP1, which she self released on bandcamp. In 2013 she worked with top producer Arca and released her second EP, EP2. Having proved herself, Twigs collaborated with several other producers including Arca, Emile Haynie, Devonté Hynes, Paul Epworth and Clams Casino on her debut album LP1 to help her fill in the gaps in areas she felt she needed guidance. Both male and female artists employ these methods. As a professionally trained dancer, Twigs has also taken full control of her music videos. She knows what she wants and refuses to sacrifice her creativity for popularity. It seems to be a winning philosophy as in her few years on the music scene she’s already been nominated for a Brit, a Grammy and the Mercury Prize. This woman is fierce and a real inspiration to young women.

snowapple illusion album cover

Video for Snowapple’s latest single ‘California’

Snowapple
This unassuming, all girl trio are another wonderful example of women taking control of their music. Snowapple play dozens of instruments, layering beautiful harmonies over the top, creating an eclectic folk sound. Being entirely responsible for the creative side of things they’ve gone one step further and are also in charge of their own bookings, management and production. The Amsterdam based trio have many self made women as colleagues and see a shift in the way things are moving, ‘The music industry is still an old boys club but we believe the decisiveness of female entrepreneurs is very powerful and we are conquering more and more space!’ Their new album ‘Illusion’ is out now.

Isolde women in music
Isolde
An emerging artist from Bristol, Isolde is yet another young female, producing her own material. Creating each track from scratch, she then gets busy fleshing them out with instrumentation and samples. She knows what she wants to hear and has taught herself how to communicate that. However she notes ‘I feel a lot of pressure, when entering this predominantly white, affluent, western male playing field, to prove my ‘techni-ness’. What I care about is the music, and how the technology enables me to create it.’ I don’t think she has to worry too much. Her debut EP ‘Seed Bud Bloom’ is a glorious patchwork of sounds she has collected over the years and full of her own personal essence.

There is a real platform now for women to have a shot at commercial success as producers and artists in their own right, moving away from the traditional glamourised and sexualised image. Women are becoming more confident in their abilities in all aspects of the music business and are reflecting their own identities and ideals.

It’s been a long road and there is still a considerable amount of distance to cover but it’s an exciting time as more and more women are challenging traditional perceptions.

Written by Gemma Dietrich on Friday March 13th, 2015 12:35 pm

Categories ,Ache, ,Arca, ,BBC Radiophonic Workshop, ,Best Producer, ,Best Sound Engineer, ,bjork, ,Björn Yttling, ,Brits, ,Clams Casino, ,Decca Records, ,Delia Derbyshire, ,Devonté Hynes, ,Emile Haynie, ,EP1, ,EP2, ,FKA Twigs, ,Globe Sessions, ,Grammys, ,Grand Master Flash, ,I Never Learn, ,Ike and Tina Turner, ,Illusion, ,Isolde, ,Joni Mitchell, ,Lasse Mårtén, ,Little Bit, ,LL Recordings, ,Louise Andersone, ,LP1, ,Lykke Li, ,MIA, ,Music Industry, ,Music Production, ,Paul Epworth, ,Pitchfork, ,Rappers Delight, ,Ron Grainer, ,Seed Bud Bloom, ,Sheryl Crow, ,Snowapple, ,Sonic Boom, ,Sugar Hill Records, ,Sylvia Robinson, ,The Message, ,The Music Producers Guild, ,The Sugar Hill Gang, ,Tiffany Baxter, ,Tom Beard, ,Trina Shoemaker, ,Women in Music

Amelia’s Magazine | Interview with Laki Mera and review of new album The Proximity Effect

Laki Mera by Abi Lewis.

The Proximity Effect is the second album from Glasgow based Laki Mera, order a band who excel in the creation of their own unique trip hop influenced sound. Focused around the luscious vocals of singer songwriter Laura Donnelly, the album moves sleekly between ambient textures and big folk inspired melodies, plucking the best from the electronic and acoustic worlds to create something utterly new. I caught up with the talented foursome: Laura Donnelly, Andrea Gobbi, Keir Long and Tim Harbinson.

laki-mera-The-proximity-packshot
How do you work together to create music as a foursome?
We write in a few, different ways… Some tunes start more as acoustic tunes written by Laura which are then arranged by the band as a whole – introducing beats and electronic feel. Some tunes start off as electronic ideas, from jams or individually from Andrea or Keir. At any stage of the process though, the collaboration between all of us is what creates the Laki Mera sound.

Laki Mera by Michelle Pegrume.

Do you all bring different musical inspirations to the table – and if so what are they?
We have a really wide and varied bank of influences ranging from folk and acoustic music to minimal electronica. To list a few… Beck, Kraftwerk, Aphex Twin, Bjork, Radiohead, Datasette, Zombie Zombie, Bat for Lashes, Portishead, Massive Attack, Advisory Circle, Benny Greb… there is a lot of good music coming out of Scandinavia at the moment – Little Dragon, Efterklang, Lykke Li, Fever Ray…

Laki Mera by Evan Smith.

What brought Italian Andrea Gobbi to Scotland and what keeps you there?
I travelled up from London in 2001 and instantly felt attracted by the Glasgow music scene… collaborations were born and I got deeper and deeper into both the indie and folk music scene, both as a musician and a producer engineer.

Fool

Is there anything that you miss about Italy?
I obviously miss my family and friends, but as far as music is concerned not very much at all, I’m afraid… I’m very happy in Scotland!

Laki Mera night
What’s best about living in Scotland?
Definitely not the food!

Laki Mera by Dan Lester.

The Proximity Effect is named for a studio technique – what does it mean and how was it used in the making of the album?
Our album The Proximity Effect was named after the interesting combination of the audio technical term ‘proximity effect‘ and the philosophical meaning behind how people react when in the proximity of other people, how people interact in the proximity of each other and how important these connections are. The actual meaning of the technical term proximity effect… well, it is simply a way to describe how microphones react to the relative closeness of the sound source you are recording… say for instance how a softly spoken lyric would come through when spoken directly into a microphone (i.e. with your lips touching it).

Laki Mera by Sarah Jayne Morris.

I haven’t heard the first album, how does the new one differ?
The first album was a production which took several years, during which studio electronic music experiment and song-writing took their time to develop! The outcome was a very deep-layered production with a much calmer and reflective feel about it. The Proximity Effect still has moments of pause and reflection but it’s a much more direct record, based around tracks that were born playing live rather than in the studio… Most of the electronic music production on this album was inspired by the tracks and not vice versa.

Laki Mera
How do you ensure that you retain an organic feel to the music when applying so many electronic textures?
Retaining an organic feel to the music is very important to us as we are well aware that electronic music can become too sterile and repetitive if not handled properly. We have a good mix of acoustic and electronic elements to the band and when working on the electronic arrangement we use many analog synths such as Korg Sigma, Korg MS10, Roland Juno 106. We also create our own sounds from samples of real sounds. Also, when playing live we ‘play’ everything rather than relying on pre-recorded loops as so many electronic acts do. This is more fun (if a little tricky sometimes) for us and more interesting for an audience to watch.

Laki Mera by Joana Faria.

You recorded some of the new album’s songs in turf house in a small Highland village – what lay behind the decision to decamp?
We recognised that there was a bit of a difference between the tunes on the album and we wanted to embrace this. We made the decision to spend a week in a remote part of the Highlands to concentrate on the more acoustic, song-like tunes on the album. We felt that the hustle and bustle of our city studio did not provide the right kind of environment to properly capture the more sensitive feel of tunes such as Reverberation, Double Back and Solstice. We needed somewhere with a more quiet feel and a slower pace.

Pollok Park

Does living in Glasgow influence the sound of the music?
Glasgow has always been a very musical city and I think that’s partly why we have all been drawn there. With its long, dark winters and brooding, grey skies it definitely lends itself well to writing dark, introverted tunes!

Laki Mera laura donnelly
What else does everyone do when you’re not involved in Laki Mera?
Andrea & Keir are both sound engineers, Keir is also a piano teacher. Laura works on graphic design and art projects and Tim has recently completed a masters in Social Ecology.

Have you got any collaborations in the pipeline?
We’re working on it, so watch this space…

Onion Machine

The Proximity Effect is out now on Just Music.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Wednesday September 7th, 2011 5:30 pm

Categories ,Abi Lewis, ,acoustic, ,Advisory Circle, ,Andrea Gobbi, ,Aphex Twin, ,Bat for Lashes, ,Beck, ,Benny Greb, ,bjork, ,Dan Lester, ,Datasette, ,Double Back, ,efterklang, ,Electonica, ,Evan Smith, ,Fever Ray, ,folk, ,Fool, ,glasgow, ,Highlands, ,Joana Faria, ,Just Music, ,Keir Long, ,Korg MS10, ,Korg Sigma, ,Kraftwerk, ,Laki Mera, ,Laura Donnelly, ,Little Dragon, ,Lykke Li, ,Massive Attack, ,Michelle Pegrume, ,Onion Machine, ,Pollok Park, ,Portishead, ,radiohead, ,Reverberation, ,Roland Juno 106, ,Sarah Jayne Morris, ,Sarah-Jayne, ,Scottish, ,Social Ecology, ,Solstice, ,Tim Harbinson, ,Trip-Hop, ,Zombie Zombie

Amelia’s Magazine | Two Gallants @ Koko

It’s the end of the show already and the stage is dripping in red light. From where I’m standing, the perspiration in the room looks like blood. Two Gallants have just been on for over an hour, so the perspiration on the walls feels like blood too.

They have wrecked this place. Their blues, rock, folk, punk, loud, quiet, angry, sad mayhem has blown the place to smithereens. Adam Stephens‘ voice is cracked, rasped and broken. His heart is heavy, his songs are long, his words are laced with the worn down dejection of a hard life. The mouth organ can barely hold up for the rust and rot.

Tyson Vogel bashes his drums like he’s making up for a past deed. He has no crash cymbal, just high hat and ride. He provides the drama, the beard, and the mystery. There’s just the two of them. Named after a James Joyce short story, as you know, they are literate. They tell tales: “I shot my wife today/Hid her body in the ‘frisco bay”. That’s a tough gig. They repent: “If you got a throat/I got a knife”.

But they’re not depressing. They’re painting a picture, writing a novel, making you think. Amidst the almost White Stripe-y rock-outs and the down beat Americana they’re doing rustic graffiti on the side of an old wooden cabin. They’re drinking whisky and opening their heart to a best friend because things haven’t worked out how they planned and they don’t know what to do about it. And they do it every single song.

Long Summer Day is as controversial and opinion-splitting as ever, the Gallants belting out Moses Platt’s lyrics as if they were their own: “And the summer day make a white man lazy/He sits on his porch killing time/But the summer day make a nigger feel crazy/Might make me do something out of line.” It raises an eyebrow, provokes, and stretches boundaries. But as reckless and offensive as some might see it, that, compadres, is what it’s all about.

Written by Tom Howard on Monday November 19th, 2007 4:04 pm

Amelia’s Magazine | Icelandic Music Artist, Eliza Newman: Interview

Similar Posts:

Amelia’s Magazine | Icelandic Music Artist, Eliza Newman: Interview

Similar Posts:

Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with musician and artist Elizabeth Walling, aka Gazelle Twin

Similar Posts:

Amelia’s Magazine | Coachella Festival 2007

Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Pieter Nooten and review of new album Surround Us

Similar Posts:

Amelia’s Magazine | Spank Rock – Interview

Similar Posts:

Amelia’s Magazine | Celebrating Women in Music: Producing It For Themselves

Similar Posts: