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#classically-trained multi-instrumentalist
bunnygirl-titties · 11 months
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Does my little Dottie want me to eat them out? I'm very good with my tongue and hands.
You already know this, but I feel the need to remind you. I'm a classically trained vocalist and a multi instrumentalist. I've also been a music teacher for six years.
My tongue is massive and strong. My fingers are long and nimble. I know how to coax the best sound out of someone.
I'm going to play you like one of my instruments. You will sing so pretty for me.
Oh fuck oh fuck 😵‍💫😵‍💫
I don’t even know how to respond 🥵🥵
Play me like an instrument 🥴😵‍💫😵‍💫💦💦💦💦💦
Gonna think about that one for a while
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twh-news · 1 year
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MARVEL'S LOKI: Original Soundtrack - Season One (Vinyl) (On-Sale Info) | Mondoshop
This week we are proud to present a long-teased project - Natalie Holt's Emmy®-nominated score to the incredible first season of Marvel Studio's LOKI. Featuring all 48 tracks from the complete first season soundtrack, and housed in a slipcase with artwork by Anne Benjamin, three printed inner sleeves and a TVA file folder insert.
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As always, all new releases go on sale Wednesdays 12 NOON CT at mondoshop.com. 
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NEW RELEASE: MARVEL'S LOKI: ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK - SEASON ONE 3XLP
Mondo, in conjunction with Hollywood Records, is proud to present the premiere physical release of composer Natalie Holt's Emmy®-Award nominated score to MARVEL STUDIOS’ LOKI Season One. The incredibly talented, classically trained multi-instrumentalist brought an immediately noticeable unique musical flourish to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the main title theme ‘TVA' (also nominated for an Emmy®). From the jump, the propulsive, bellowing synth and melodic strings carry this high concept sci-fi story of timelines and multiverses to emotional depths with delicate precision. "I had an idea for the look of the sleeves, inspired by the opening credits from the TVA theme in Loki’s logo in black and white, and I’m thrilled with how Mondo and artist Anne Benjamin have taken my concept and created such epic and beautiful Loki inspired artwork,” says composer Natalie Holt. “I really hope people can turn down the lights, open their ears and enjoy interacting with this Loki vinyl set!” Pressed on three 180 Gram colored vinyl discs (also available on 180 gram black vinyl) and housed in a slipcase featuring an all new illustration by artist Anne Benjamin.
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MARVEL'S LOKI: Original Soundtrack - Season One 3XLP. Music by Natalie Holt. Artwork by Anne Benjamin. Package design by Mo Shafeek. Pressed on 3x 180g Color Vinyl. Also available on 3x 180g Black Vinyl. $50 
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eddawrites · 2 years
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*emerges out of her fandom space hiatus only to drop this here and promptly slides back into the void*
MelJay Band AU
Singer and multi-instrumentalist Mel Medarda (piano, harp, violin) has just quit the girl group act she’s been a part of since her teens, finally extricating herself from the control of the music industry titan - and her mother - Ambessa.
Whilst at work on her upcoming first solo album, Mel finds herself in need of a session percussionist, but her contact list has thinned considerably following the falling out with her producer-mother. Her old music theory professor, Heimerdinger, recommends one of his former star students - a classically trained percussionist and former big band drummer Jayce “the Hammer” Talis (named so for his mean blast beat and maybe some other talents), currently a frontman and a drummer for a metal band The Hexed.
Mel is initially hesitant to contact him due to the marked difference in the genres that they dabble in, but when they finally meet, he turns out to be so much more than his blast beat. Sparks fly - along with maybe a social media controversy or two - and Mel finds more than just inspiration for her album.
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Featuring also:
Viktor (piano/keyboard, organ) and Sky (double bass, bass) as Jayce’s Academy classmates and fellow founding members of The Hexed. After years of on and off performing in jazz clubs, busking and playing in orchestras along with Jayce, the duo decided to quit the classical music scene in order to pursue their dream of creating music of their own.
Musical prodigy Caitlyn, who was forced to take up the violin at an early age by her tiger parents and won many a junior competition, but ended up switching to electric guitar during her teenage rebel phase and stuck to it; now the lead guitarist of The Hexed.
Vi, a self-taught vocalist specialising in harsh vocals whom Caitlyn met in a LGBTQ+ karaoke bar that she went to after losing a bet - and it’s a stroke of luck that she did as none of the founding members of the band can actually sing.
And Vi’s little sister Powder a.k.a. Jinx - a special effects and pyrotechnics enthusiast, always making sure The Hexed shows are as explosively fun as possible!
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Also also featuring: Eyebrow piercing where Jayce's scar would be 😏
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“I was a raging alcoholic!”: Jonathan Davis meets Amy Lee
Two iconic rock stars, one epic interview – Evanescence’s Amy Lee and Korn’s Jonathan Davis talk fame, nu metal and living on the edge
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On the surface, Jonathan Davis and Amy Lee don’t appear to have much in common. While Korn’s vocalist is best known for purging his psyche and utilising pure rage to fuel his art, Evanescence bandleader Amy is a classically trained multi-instrumentalist. To an outsider, the primal roar of Korn and the vast, intricately crafted swell of Evanescence could seem worlds apart.
In reality, the two share many similarities. Both have endured childhood trauma, which colours the music they make, giving Korn and Evanescence an honesty that connects with their fans on a massive scale. Both the bands they front have survived well beyond the nu metal tag of their early years, and are now thought of as unique artists in their own right – latest albums Requiem and The Bitter Truth charted in the Top 10 in the UK and the Top 20 in the US. Both have experimented beyond the boundaries of those bands, entering into film scoring and classical work. And, as we find out when we join a Zoom call with the pair in the aftermath of their recent co-headlining tour across the US – where they teamed up to perform Freak On A Leash together each night – both have an immense amount of respect and affection for each other.
We’ve been granted a rare opportunity to converse with two giants of the metal world. But, as Jonathan sits with his brand-new puppy on his lap – a subject that dominates the first few minutes of our conversation, and leads to Amy telling us that she’s in the process of getting a kitten – today feels far more like an informal catch-up than a rock star state of address.
Can you remember the first time you heard each other’s music?
Amy: “Gosh! I’m not sure what the first song was, but it was in high school for me!”
Jonathan: “You’re already making me feel old!”
Amy: “It was like nothing that I had ever heard. We all have certain artists in our life that we hear and they have a spark, they have an impact. Korn was absolutely one of those artists for me. The music was coming from a real place. So, I became a fan right away. My favourite album was [2002’s] Untouchables.”
Jonathan: “That’s so surreal for me. I still trip out on it. You have to remember that I was this green kid from Bakersfield, but we relocated to Huntington Beach. I gave up my whole life to live my dream, and I can’t believe that this thing we did could be so impactful. We were just doing our own thing, these punk kids telling everyone to fuck off – and we’ve gone through our entire career like that! Even the name! Who names their band Korn, man?! And to hear Amy say she first heard us in high school and… now look at what she is doing!”
Amy: “That’s what metal is, that’s what rock is supposed to be, that nonconformist attitude. ‘This is what this is supposed to look like? Well, I’m not gonna do that!’ The whole idea is that you are meant to break the mould.”
Jonathan: “I remember driving around in my car and their song [Bring Me To Life] came on, and I flipped, I thought it was cool. Listen… I hate everything, man, but I loved her voice. I liked that there was a girl doing some rock music and it was badass.”
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You both had to shake off the tag of nu metal around that time as well…
Amy: “I have a feeling Jonathan may feel the same, but I don’t like boxes. As artists we are unique. The real value in something is being who you are and not trying to fit into a certain genre. I want the freedom to make whatever music comes out of my soul. When [2003 debut album] Fallen came out, I was fresh out of school and I was like a cartoon of myself; it felt like nobody got me, it was just a 2-D representation of me based on people only knowing a couple of songs. I really struggled with that.”
Jonathan: “For me, we were making Untouchables, and that was when so many bands were coming out and jumping on the bandwagon. Now I don’t mind the tag ‘nu metal’ – they named an entire subgenre after my band? Holy shit! That’s cool! – but punk-ass, crazy Korn back then, we were like, ‘What the fuck? Fuck everyone! We’re going to make this insane record.’ Keep people guessing. It had become a parody of itself – I don’t want to be defined like that! Nowadays, I don’t care, but back then, I hated it. I make the music I make… you don’t call Metallica some thrash band! They’re fucking Metallica! You don’t call the Chili Peppers a funk rock band! They’re the fucking Chili Peppers! And Korn are Korn!”
Amy: “Exactly! You did it, there is only one Korn!”
Both of you seem to really dig deep into your personal lives and experiences to make music.
Amy: “That’s what sticks, that’s what stays, that’s what really touches people. Not the bullshit. It’s when you’re really taking a chance and speaking from the heart. I want to feel something real when I listen to music – it’s food for the soul, to feel not alone in the universe. When it comes to the bands that really stick, they’re the ones that really put everything out there.”
Jonathan: “For sure. Kids have bullshit detectors; they can hear that shit a mile away.”
Amy: “We had to fight the power with labels and stuff throughout my career. It’s always been a fight. Not now, I fought my fights…”
Jonathan: “And you won!”
Amy: “I did! The fights were always for the fans’ intelligence. They are not as stupid as the industry thinks they are! We’re going to give them something real, and it can’t be fake… anything but that! That turned into fights about real strings versus synthesisers. I knew we had to spend the money to make it sound right, because I knew it was what I would have wanted as a fan.”
Jonathan: “I feel the same. We were lucky, because we always told them that it was going to be our way or no way. We got into fights with magazines, fights with video directors, literal physical altercations, because we were so sure that it wasn’t going to go down like that.”
Amy: “‘Y’all want a single, say fuck that!’”
Jonathan: “Exactly!”
Amy: “When [Korn’s] Y’all Want A Single came out [in 2003], it really affected me again. I was like, ‘These people get me! This is my people!’”
Jonathan: “When the managers said, ‘We gotta try and get a single,’ we were like, ‘OK, here’s your single!”
Amy: “[To Hammer] They play that song every night, usually near the end before the encore, and we are all always side of the stage like, ‘Oh boy! Here we go!’ It’s always one of our favourite songs to warm up to before we go on, too.”
Is it hard for both of you to get into a place where you have to deliver such personal material every night?
Jonathan: “It’s like a switch flicks in my mind and I go to that place. Honestly, I kind of enjoy it. Most of the time I’m happy as fuck, but when I hear my band, and there’s a crowd, and it’s loud as fuck, I go there. I feed that to the people that want it, and they purge it and they let it out and it’s a huge release. I need it to get whatever is inside of me out, but by the end of the tour I’m so exhausted I can barely walk. I’m in hell, I want to go home and sleep for two weeks. But I need it, it’s therapy.”
Amy: “It’s a release, and there are days when you don’t feel like going onstage. But, without fail, when you get to the point where you walk up onto that stage and something takes over, it’s purifying.”
Jonathan: “Totally. I’ve said, ‘I’m gonna go on autopilot!’ so many times and…”
Amy: “Never gonna happen!”
Jonathan, how difficult was it to do Daddy live for the first time in 2015, on the 20th anniversary of your self-titled debut?
Jonathan: “I felt like I robbed the world of doing that live for so long. I felt like I owed it to our fans that were hardcore enough to come and see us on the 20th anniversary of that album, but I don’t wanna do it again. Going out and touring that record, I realised how dark it is – it’s some depressing shit. As we got into Follow The Leader, it became more about groove. The emotion was there, but it wasn’t that particular darkness we captured on that first record. In a few years, it’s the 30th anniversary and… I don’t think I wanna go through that again. It was difficult, and I think I was proving to myself that I could do it too.”
You both had to deal with an intense level of fame early on in your careers. How was that?
Jonathan: “I became a raging alcoholic. You can’t go anywhere, you can’t do anything, you have to have a fucking bodyguard 24 hours a day. Crazy shit. Still to this day, it’s tough, but that’s what we signed up for. Everyone in Korn went a bit nuts in the late 90s.”
Amy: “It was a hard adjustment. I was 21 [when Bring Me To Life came out], and I was often the only female anywhere. In my mind I thought, ‘That doesn’t matter!’, but you do start to feel alone. It wasn’t just about being female. Like I was talking about – it was that you start seeing the cartoon of yourself, the album cover version, the interview version. How can you feel like everyone knows me… but nobody knows me…? We’ve grown up and times have changed, but in the beginning it was scary. I used a lot of that as inspiration for the second album [The Open Door, released in 2006]. Billie Eilish’s second album does that too, and I found myself really relating to a lot of that.”
Jonathan: “It was hard for my little boy, Nathan. People would rush me and he would start crying, because all he knew was that ‘This is my daddy and this is my daddy time.’ He would cry and I’d have to say to this person, ‘Yo, I’m with my kid.’ And they go away pissed off. It’s mentally taxing. I know Amy can relate, but most people can’t.”
Amy: “Yeah, you’re ungrateful!”
Jonathan: “‘You’re an ungrateful fuck, fuck you! I’m burning your CDs!’ That sort of shit.”
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Do you remember meeting each other for the first time?
Amy: “I do. It was at a festival, I guess. I was too nervous to knock on the door. So, I wrote a note saying how big a deal it was to have played with them, pushed it under the door and was happy to leave it at that. But they chased me down. Their security guy came and got me and brought me in. You were really nice to me, Jonathan, you were like, ‘Hey come on in, sit down!’ It was really sweet. Do you remember that now?”
Jonathan: “Yeah, I do now. I haven’t thought about that for years!”
Amy: “Fast-forward a few years and we’re doing Family Values [in 2007], and they really taught me how to have fun on tour. There was one night where I was stood by our bus, and suddenly these golf carts came out of nowhere, and all of Korn are on them and they say, ‘Hey! We’re gonna go let off some fireworks!’ It was just like they were still kids. There was something really pure about that.”
Jonathan: “That’s the whole reason we become artists, so that we can remain kids. Not to conform to what society tells us we have to be. I’m a 51-year-old kid. I remember that tour now. It was us and you, Trivium…”
Amy: “I remember Atreyu was on that tour and… Flyleaf, and Hellyeah.”
With Atreyu and Trivium on that Family Values tour, did it feel like there was something of a sea change happening in heavy music?
Amy: “Music has changed all along the way, and I think that is a good thing. That’s what keeps it interesting and genuine.”
Jonathan: “I just like anyone that is nice to me!”
Amy: “Ha ha ha! I had such a great time with you guys on this last tour! Coming back after doing that Family Values tour, what, 15 years later, it actually means more. After the pandemic, the passion from the audience to the bands and the crew, it was a moment of coming full circle. You get older and you recognise that time is fleeting, and we’re very lucky to have that moment and to have each other.”
What did you think of Amy’s cover of Korn song Thoughtless in 2004, Jonathan?
Jonathan: “I LOVED it! I loved how you broke it down and really got the chord progression and the melody; I wrote that fucking thing on an acoustic guitar in my room in Arizona, when we moved to go and write [for Untouchables]. I locked myself in my room and I would just write all night. I came up with that riff, I played the drums on the demo, I laid it all down, and I just love that she made it so… beautiful. Then when you put it out [on 2004 live album Anywhere But Home], they didn’t put the [Parental Advisory] sticker on it…”
Amy: “Oh yeah! They ripped it out of Walmart! Ha ha ha!”
Jonathan: “All because some uptight Christian family were pissed at the language on there!”
Amy: “It didn’t have the parental sticker and they said, ‘What? I thought Evanescence was a Christian band?’”
Jonathan: “Exactly, all that shit. I was going, ‘Yes!’ I love that.”
Amy: “It’s one of my favourite songs. I think the thing with metal is, it still needs to have a melody for me, and something I love about Korn is their beautiful melodies. When we started this tour I said, ‘We gotta do some collab! You can pretty much pick any song!’ I was really inspired by Tori Amos. She’s done a million covers, and she showed me that you can take pretty much any song and give it a whole new perspective and make you hear the lyrics in a different way. She did this cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit, and she gave it this deep pain. And Korn have done so many cool covers over the years…”
Obviously, you did Freak On A Leash on the Korn MTV Unplugged set too, Amy. It aired in 2007. How did that come about?
Jonathan: “I do not remember…”
Amy: “You guys just asked me! I was like, ‘Hell yeah, I’m gonna do a Korn song!’”
Jonathan: “You know what’s funny about that? Originally, we were going to do a mash-up with Metallica as the last song, but they were in the studio and couldn’t leave. My second choice was The Cure [who performed Make Me Bad / In Between Days].”
Amy: “I remember Robert Smith was there!”
Jonathan: “They all were! And that freaked me out, because that’s my band right there. But we knew we wanted to have guests, and so we asked Amy, because of the Thoughtless cover, and we wanted people to hear Freak On A Leash stripped right down. It was so intimate, we wanted to have people hear the actual melodies. We didn’t really rehearse, remember?”
Amy: “I feel like we ran through it once or twice, but I’m a practiser – I had run through it a whole bunch of times at home.”
Jonathan: “Well, I appreciate that… because I’m not! Ha ha ha! I just gotta feel it!”
And not many people would have believed that metal could translate to an acoustic style in that way, either…
Jonathan: “Nobody believed we could pull it off! It was the most intricate thing we had ever done. We had all these extra musicians, strings, a glockenspiel player, the glass harmonica player. ‘Korn can’t do Unplugged!’ ‘Yeah? We fucking can, watch this!’ We had to look at what Korn is really about, it’s about me purging my demons, but we did exactly what we wanted, and we wanted to come out of leftfield. A lot of people hated it but we really didn’t care!”
Amy: “Anything great that comes out of nowhere is always going to get people going, ‘Nah! Hated it!’ But to bring everything full circle, for me to get to do that every night on stage [on our recent tour], to do the heavy version, was such an honour. I’ve always wanted to do that.”
Jonathan: “It was great, too. Everyone loved it every night.”
Amy: “It felt like the ultimate celebration every night, right at the end of the encore after a night of so much love. I’m going to miss doing that.”
At this point, our time is up, and Amy and Jonathan quickly make plans to speak again soon. It’s been a trip learning about their journeys and how they’ve connected over the years, and before we go, we ask both icons what they most admire about each other.
“I respect the shit out of how she can sit down in front of a piano and make such beautiful music,” Jonathan immediately replies. “I respect her as a musician and a person totally.”
Amy beams, before answering, “It’s interesting… he was a legend before, and now we’re friends. That’s a weird way to start. It’s amazing to me. He’s a rad, down-to-earth, normal person with an amazing talent. It’s that simple.”
And with that, these two friends, so different on the face of it but so similar at their core, bid us farewell.
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iamchrohm · 2 years
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vimeo
The Society Hill Orchestra - Stop, Look And Listen A Tribute To Thom Bell from Chrohm HookMaster on Vimeo.
When it comes to Philly Soul music, it is no secret that Butch Ingram is one of the most prolific producers on the scene, with a career of producing and promoting the music for well over 5 decades. Who better then to pay tribute to his colleague and long-time friend - the quintessential composer, arranger, conductor, producer and multi-instrumentalist Thom Bell? Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Thomas Randolph Bell moved to Philadelphia as a child where he was classically trained as a musician. As a teenager he sang with future luminaries Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Daryl Hall (of Hall & Oates fame). His first professional foray into the world of soul music started with Cameo Records where he worked as a session player and arranger. At the tender age of 24 in 1967, he was introduced to a local group called The Delfonics, and subsequently produced two singles for them on Cameo's subsidiary label, Moonglow. Bell brought an entirely new vibe to the process - a sweet, soulful and hypnotic sensibility that set him apart from other producers of the day. Soon his unique production talents yielded several big hits for The Delfonics including "La-La (Means I Love You)" and "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)," which yielded him his first Grammy Award in 1970. Soon Bell joined the production company operated by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, where he worked as an arranger for such acts as Jerry Butler, Archie Bell & The Drells, and The O'Jays. He arranged many of the early big hits, including the O'Jay's "Back Stabbers," on the newly launched Philadelphia International Records label. In 1971, Bell produced another local group, The Stylistics, on the Avco Records label. By this time, he had forged a songwriting partnership with Philadelphia-born songwriter, Linda Creed. With Creed, along with Russell Thompkins, Jr., the lead singer of the Stylistics, Bell and Creed became one of the era's most dominant soul songwriting teams, with hits galore, such as "Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)" and "You Are Everything," for Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye - along with a slew of hits for The Stylistics, including "Betcha by Golly, Wow," "Break Up to Make Up," "You Make Me Feel Brand New" and "I'm Stone in Love with You." In 1972, Bell single-handedly revitalized the career of The Spinners, producing five gold albums including such mega-hits as ""I'll Be Around," "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love", and "Games People Play." In 1974, he deservedly won the coveted Producer of The Year Grammy. Among the other countless acts he had success with included Dionne Warwick, Johnny Mathis, Billy Paul, Ronnie Dyson, Deniece Williams, Anthony & The Imperials, James Ingram and Sir Elton John. With the new compilation, "Stop, Look And Listen: A Tribute To Thom Bell," Butch rounds up the Society Hill Orchestra, saxophonist extraordinaire Benny Barksdale, Jr., and some of the finest vocalists on the Philly Soul scene today to accomplish the task. A dozen songs that Bell had a major role in making hits - most of which he either wrote or played a major role in the arrangement and production of, are on display - and the results are sure to delight both old and new fans of the genre. This music is very much alive, and this fitting tribute to one of its chief architects is indeed a noble endeavor.
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yourreddancer · 2 years
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She was fabulous on Nashville in the later seasons!  I had no idea of her musical background - trained classically in opera, then came back to folk. 
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/05/20/rhiannon-giddens-and-what-folk-music-means
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celtic-cd-releases · 20 hours
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https://www.reverieroadmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/reverieroad
https://reverieroad.bandcamp.com/album/reverie-road
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Jinte Deprez is a singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, programmer and producer, best known as being one-half of the songwriting duo behind the acclaimed Belgian indie outfit Balthazar. Over the course of the past two decades, the members of Balthazar have played across the global festival circuit with sets at All Points East, British Summer Time, and others — while selling over 600,000 albums globally. Throughout his career, Deprez has firmly cemented a reputation for being a wildly talented generalist: Along with his songwriting partner Maarten Devoldere, Deprez has co-produced three of Balthazar’s five albums to date.  As the creative mastermind behind the acclaimed solo recording project, J. Bernardt, Deprez wrote, recorded and produced his full-length debut, 2016’s Running Days, an album with a sound molded from electronics. That album has amassed over 40 million streams globally since its release.  Deprez’s sophomore J. Bernardt album, the Tobie Speleman and Deprez co-produced Contigo is slated for a May 17, 2024 release through Play It Again Sam. Deriving its name from the Spanish phrase “with you,” the album sees Deprez crafting an old-school band-based sound featuring a collection of the Belgian artist’s super-talented friends that he guided through intense rehearsals and performances, “searching for that spark.” The string and orchestral arrangements were written by Deprez, who’s a classically trained violinist.  Contigo sonically is reportedly a dramatic, compelling and colorful body work and brought to life by sumptuous melodies, vocals and production flourishes from an acclaimed singer/songwriter and producer. Thematically, the album explores all the phases of a break-up: shock, sadness, denial, anger and acceptance while being viciously romantic. “I know a break-up record is a cliché,” says Deprez. “But I’m growing to love cliches! I wasn’t afraid to go all the way. Forgetting about the break-up by singing about it is like self-sabotage, but I’m having fun with it too.” Last month, I wrote about “Taxi,” a taut pop gem featuring a slinky bass line-driven groove, a soulful female choir, propulsive percussion, twangy bursts of guitar and cinematic strings serving as a lush bed for Deprez’s plaintive and heartbroken delivery. The song’s narrator is in a taxi, desperately desiring an escape to contemplate a recent, very bitter breakup: throughout the ride, the narrator endlessly replays and questions everything that led up to the split. And for devastated and heartbroken narrator, he’s left without any real answers to anything, other than raw hurt, confusion and shock. He’s a man who has had the rug violently yanked out from under. Contigo‘s latest single, “Mayday Call” is a swaggering yet woozy tune that starts off with a wailing horn but is lead by a thick and brooding orchestral section, a propulsive rhythm section serving as a lush and uneasy bed for Deprez’s squealed delivery, which describes a panic attack with an uncanny verisimilitude before ending with a wearily exhausted coda. Talking about the release, Deprez elaborates, “it’s a straightforward beautiful song lead by a thick orchestral unisono, all to back the vocals that squeal their way through a description of virtually a panic attack, calling out for help. The song was written in one breath with a suitable code of blasting chaotic horns, there’s also a touch of the original acoustic demo in the outro.”
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senorboombastic · 1 day
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Exclusive: WATCH a new video for ‘Paper’, from A.L. Lacey’s debut album ‘Lesson’
Words: Andy Hughes At the tail end of last year, we were chuffed up to have an exclusive stream on ‘Lesson’, the debut album from Bristol based classically trained multi-instrumentalist A.L. Lacey. We’re strong believers in the longevity of a record, certain that reviews, features and the like should not be confined to the weeks leading up to release with nothing to follow. Good news then that…
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staticdive · 17 days
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Christina Qu's Melancholy New Dream
We first heard from Christina Qu in December, upon the release of her debut single “Bird Falling From the Sky”. That track introduced The Static Dive readers to a talented young singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Toronto, Canada. Formally trained in classical and jazz, her sound blends elements of both with an ethereal dream-pop vibe. Still just sixteen years-old, Christina Qu…
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sinceileftyoublog · 1 month
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BCMC & andplay Live Show Review: 2/20, Constellation, Chicago
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BCMC
BY JORDAN MAINZER
Tuesday night marked the beginning of the Peter Margasak-curated Frequency Festival, an annual event hosted by Constellation that focuses on contemporary classical and experimental music. Though this year's lineup is heavy on microtonal music, specifically string players, the headliner of night one was a guitar-and-synth-wizard supergroup. BCMC is guitarist Bill MacKay and Cave/Bitchin Bajas multi-instrumentalist Cooper Crain. They had been playing live together for a few years before releasing their debut album Foreign Smokes last year via Drag City. Unlike what I imagine was the experience of many folks in the crowd on Tuesday, this was my first time seeing BCMC live. Witnessing their performance after their album was released, meaning I had a number of months to digest it, gave me a greater appreciation for how the duo was able to, live, build off of their compositions.
BCMC started off with abstract sounds, gradually becoming more concrete before reverting back to rounded noise. MacKay's bluesy guitar riffs embedded within Crain's synthesizer hum, replete with a sense of motion akin to a chugging train, simultaneously swirling and gentle. At times, the songs turned percussive, via pulsations, as MacKay either meandered or ripped slide guitar licks. Even Crain got an opportunity to solo on the keyboard on "The Swarm". Simultaneously tactile and droney, BCMC were able to lull you into hypnosis and suddenly capture you at the command of their instruments.
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andPlay
The opening set from NYC-based string duo andPlay, meanwhile, set the tone (no pun intended) for the rest of the festival's ethos. Violinist Maya Bennardo and violist Hannah Levinson performed the two pieces that make up their latest album Translucent Harmonies (Another Timbre), both of which use just intonation. Kristofer Svensson's "Vid stenmuren blir tanken blomma" (“By the Stone Wall, Thoughts Become Flower”) emphasized extremely short strokes of different lengths and volume, using pauses and ultimate silence to create a sense of tension and disintegration. At times, one player would play a note--a mere pluck--and the other would continue their stroke, resembling a sort of synaptic process. Ultimately, the piece was paradoxically meditative, consistent in its lack of consistency. Their second piece, Catherine Lamb's "Prisma Interius VIII", was comparatively deliberate, the players playing in tandem at times and not just off of each other. As a duo, in contrast to larger ensembles who have played on other recorded versions of the piece, Bennardo and Levinson were able to strip "Prisma Interius VIII" down to its essential elements. Though there were many contrasts between andPlay and BCMC--in instrumentation, in groove (or lack thereof), in space--the two acts shared a common desire to hold your patience and deep attention, toy with your expectations, and make you reflect.
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germangholami · 2 months
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Explore German Gholami | Tenore For Hire
German Gholami (German Javier Gholami Torres-Pardo) was born in Madrid, Spain in 1985, in a family of professional musicians. His father, a multi-instrumentalist and a music therapist,Ali-Reza Gholami, gave him his first violin and flute lessons. His mother, a classical soprano and a guitar teacher at the Aranjuez Conservatory, María Angeles Torres-Pardo Criado, had the major role in training him as a lyric tenor.
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burlveneer-music · 1 year
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СОЮЗ / SOYUZ - Force of the Wind - Brazilian-inspired music from Belarus (Mr Bongo)
Some records just stop you in your tracks. They resonate with you and feel instantly familiar like an old friend, even on the first listen. SOYUZ's third album ‘Force of the Wind’ is one of those records. It holds all the trademarks, beauty, and eccentricities of classic Brazilian recordings, from the 60s and 70s, that we have come to love. Think artists such as Milton Nascimento, Lô Borges, Burnier e Cartier, Arthur Verocai et al. But this record wasn’t made in Brazil and is in fact a brand-new release. SOYUZ (which translates as 'union') is a creative collective from Minsk, Belarus, led by composer, arranger, and singer, Alex Chumak, multi-instrumentalist, Mikita Arlou, and drummer, Anton Nemahai. SOYUZ's previous albums explored and reimagined the legacy of jazz-oriented, non-English-language pop music of the 20th century. For their third album, there is a stronger focus, and it is influenced by 70s Música popular Brasileira and building bridges from it to present-day Belarus. Alex notes that from the moment he first encountered Brazilian music, he found in it a kind of concentrated emotion that felt as if it were familiar to him from his childhood. This non-verbal emotion and connection between the listener and musician echoes in the music, regardless of understanding of the language the album is recorded in. ‘Force of the Wind’ includes songs sung in Russian and Portuguese as well as instrumental compositions. Its musical palette is both acoustic and electroacoustic: rich warm Rhodes piano, soaring string arrangements, and a controlled drum swagger sounding both relaxed yet super tight. Alongside Alex's sublime vocals, that grace the majority of the tracks, the album features guest performances by multi-talented musician and vocalist Kate NV and rising Brazilian star, Sessa. Alex also recently arranged a number of tracks on Sessa's highly praised 2022 album 'Estrela Acesa'. On the album, the trio is joined by a cast of friends; NY-based musician of Turkish origin percussionist, Cem Mısırlıoğlu, classically trained composer, Simon Hanes, who aided with string arrangements and conducting the string players, Netherlands-based Brazilian multi-instrumentalist, Gabriel Milliet, on flutes. With the collaboration of these friends SOYUZ have created nine songs/suites that are subtle and plenitude and like the best albums, leave you aching for more. ‘Force of the Wind’ is an enigma, Brazilian yet not Brazilian, vintage yet still contemporary, out of sync with modern culture yet completely relevant and necessary.
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konmarkimageswords · 2 months
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MYRKUR - Børnehjem
"The demons have always lived inside me. They always watch me. They want to play. But not today, no! Today you must be like a normal girl. But I could not do what they told me to, because I wanted to kill them, like the demons have told me to do. I wanted to make sure they all died so I could be alone and nobody would hurt me. You see, once they made me do those things that you never want to speak about again, and you won’t even remember. That's what they tell you. You don't remember this, no! But my demons do. They remember everything. Everything. And they will never forget what you did to me, never."
Though the word "myrkur" means "darkness" in Icelandic, MYRKUR (aka Amalie Bruun)'s music is far from monochromatic. With its distinct sense of Nordic isolation, MYRKUR's compositions are at once savage and delicate. Choral and folk elements abound, lending the music a mystical, legendary quality and an untouchable equilibrium between dark and light.
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musicarenagh · 9 months
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An Insightful Conversation with an Extraordinary Musician - Carsten Schnell In a world where the music industry often thrives on stage names and manufactured personas, it is a breath of fresh air to encounter an artist who fearlessly embraces their true self. Today, we have the privilege of sitting down with a remarkably talented musician who chooses to appear under his birth name, Carsten Schnell refusing to hide behind a facade. Their commitment to authenticity resonates deeply in their music, which defies genre boundaries and showcases a remarkable range of creativity. Throughout our conversation, we will explore the intriguing journey of this artist, diving into their early inspirations, the pivotal role music played in their formative years, and the profound influence of their classical training as an instrumentalist and composer. With an ever-evolving style that is both diverse and playful, they constantly challenge themselves to push boundaries and explore new musical territories. As we delve into their experiences attending their very first concert and the musicians who have left an indelible impact on their artistic journey, we discover the profound admiration they hold for virtuosos across various genres. We also gain insight into their perspective on artistic growth, as they candidly discuss how age has fostered courage and resilience in the face of critics and pseudo-experts. Beyond the realm of music, we learn about their parallel passion for IT and computer technology, specifically within the field of music software. Revealing their affinity for blending art with technology, this multi-faceted artist shares a glimpse into the realms that pique their curiosity outside the realm of melodies and harmonies. Stay with us as we embark on this captivating interview, where we delve deep into the artistic journey and philosophy of an extraordinary musician who seeks to convey the powerful message that music is inherently individual and meant for everyone. Watch I Have Been Waiting below Follow Carsten Schnell on Spotify Youtube Instagram Soundcloud   What is your stage name? I dont have any. I appear under my birth name. Where do you find inspiration? Preferably in silence. I badly can listening to other music because there is already so much music in my head. What role did music play in the early years of your life? A very important one. Sometimes I didn't even understand what was being sung, i just thought the music was good. How did you learn to sing/write/play? I am a classically trained instrumentalist and composer [caption id="attachment_50298" align="alignnone" width="1500"] I am a classically trained instrumentalist and composer[/caption] What was the first concert you ever went to and who did you see there? If I remember correctly, the Doldingers Passport was a jazz rock band from Germany How could you describe your music? Diverse and playful, I have different ideas every day. Cross-genre too Which musician do you admire the most and why? There are several, but they all have one thing in common, they are virtuosos of their genre Has your style evolved since the beginning of your career? Of course, as you get older, you get braver and don't let yourself be influenced by critics or pseudo-experts Who do you see as your main competitor? Nobody, music is individual and doesn't allow for competition. What are your interests outside of music? IT and computer technology, of course in the field of music software If it wasn't a music career, what would you do? I would work in the IT industry https://open.spotify.com/artist/0jPnBrqBFZnBzQFHiGn0Q1 Why did you choose this title for this project? It's one of the main themes in the blues. The relationship between man and woman and the eternal quarrel at home. What are your plans for the coming months? Keep writing and releasing music What message would you like to convey to your fans? Music is indiv
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average-guy-reviews · 11 months
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Afternoon Acoustic 23/04/2023
A short while ago I was approached by an act that was performing at this event about coming to watch, and review, the show. As big proponents of independent music, and fans of the acoustic style, we were very happy to be involved. The review is going to be in 5 main parts: one for the venue, and one each for the four acts. Before that I just want to say that the show was put on by Liverpool Entertainment, Music and Arts Network (L.E.M.A.N.) and I'd like to thank them, Mel especially for allowing me onto the guestlist for the event.
The Venue
The Carnival Brewing Company is a small independent brewery based on an industrial estate just on the edge of Liverpool City centre. I'll be honest before this event I had never heard of this place, but after going I'm very sure I'll be back. I was using public transport, so I had to get the train to Moorfields station in Liverpool, and it's about a 15 minute walk from there. if you're in a car it's just off a main road into the city. It's easy enough to get to. From the outside it looks like a small warehouse, until you get to the main entrance. On the big door there is a very bright, colourful, painting that really adds a cheerful look to the place. Going in through the door you enter an open area with a few tables and chairs, and directly across from the door there is a bar. For this event there was a performance area just behind the big door, which was more than big enough for the artists. The atmosphere of this place is exactly what you'd expect. It's a simple, pleasant place to spend some time. They have a basic bar from which they sell a lot of self brewed drinks. They are a tasting brewery so they sell their drinks in 1/3, 1/2, 2/3 and Full pints, and with prices ranging from £1.80 - approx. £.450 I actually think they're pretty good value for money. They do 3 for £5 on the 1/3 pints, a pretty good deal really. Overall I definitely enjoyed my afternoon there, and I will go back at some point.
The Acts
Dandelion Charm
John and Clare are a musical couple that have been playing as a duo for 10 years. They had been playing as part of a 3 person group previously, but things changed and they broke out on their own. John is a multi-instrumentalist, and plays most of the music himself when they record tracks. While listening to them the first thing that struck me were the atmospheric vocals that are reminiscent of the best folk/indie bands and artists. For me I felt that their sound has elements of some really well known acts that included Enya and Clannad, which instantly raised my interests. Looks wise they are a fun duo that combines a floaty ethereal, folk singer, and a biker/metal head, and it is a genuinely fun combination. This comes across in their music, which is inspired by a wide range of artists from Crosby, Stills & Nash through to Opeth. The music they play, and the lyrics they sing, are really eclectic and yet there is something strangely familiar to all of it. They are an act I'll be following moving forward.
Milton Hide
Jim and Josie Tipler, originally from London and currently based in Eastbourne, have been married for over 30 years, but just began performing together about 6 years ago. Jim had been playing for years in band that, eventually, stopped. Then a few years ago Josie joined and they began to play together, though they had been busking a few times when they first knew each other. My first thoughts when they began to play were that I could definitely hear an essence of Fish and Marillion, and that can only be a good thing. They blended harmonies seamlessly, and mixed this with guitar and, uniquely for them, clarinet. The clarinet was a pleasant surprise as it's an instrument you rarely see out of a classical milieu. As a couple they clearly have a depth of musical connection that belies the fact that they have only played together properly for quite a short period. The stories they tell with their music, and the passion they feel, are clear. Outside of this event this is something a lot of artists miss. Another act I am now a big fan of.
The Folk Doctors
The only all male act of the gig, Ultan Mulhern and John Armstrong have been playing together for about six years as well. They knew each other for about a year before that, and got to know each other as part of an album club, and over their love of an artist called Sturgess Simpson. They worked together on writing a song for the Liverpool Acoustic Songwriting Challenge in 2016, though Ultan didn't tell John he could sing until after the competition. Since then they've released several records including the 2022 "Edgelands". As the only all male act in the show their harmonies hit slightly differently to the other acts, in a way that only combined male voices can. It was no better than the excellent harmonies of the other acts, but it had an edge to it that was intriguing to hear. The really personal nature of some of their songs was really special, and I felt that they had a harmonic style that was reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel. the Doctors gave us a series of short punchy songs, not just musically, but emotionally as well. As I left later on I was listening to their music I had downloaded.
April Moon
Jason Moon and Jaime April are a Canadian duo based in the North West on the UK. I have known them for several years now and consider them friends. It is always a joy to see them and it was them that invited me to this gig. They are a big part of why I continue to support, and love, independent music. They are hugely passionate about what they do, and that comes across when they play and when they talk about their music. They are both outstandingly talented. I have had them on an old radio show I sued to do, and they were the first artists I featured on my Inspire Indie Radio podcast. This set only highlighted just how good this pair is. The style they play varies dramatically from song to song, and they deserve to be an inspiration for future artists. The passion they display for everything they do is enviable and, like all the artists at this gig, I have to admit to a teeny tiny bit of jealousy at their ability to do what they do.
Final thoughts
This was a really fun gig to be able to attend. The music was superb right through the full length, and I can't look back and say there was anything I didn't enjoy. The drinks at the bar were well priced, and really tasty. They do a sour lemon lager that was just fantastic, and the guy behind the bar that served me made some very good recommendations. Mel from L.E.M.A.N. was genuinely pleasant to get to know, and clearly loves what she does. We may work together again in the future. I'd certainly like it if we did. This isn't the kind of review where I'm going to give an overall score. Simply put this was a great event, well run, in an environment that suited it to a tee. I was honoured to be a part of it and to meet, and get to know, some very cool people.
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