Metronomy – I’m Aquarius

Metronomy.0

Soothing new music from Metronomy.

Metronomy – I’m Aquarius by metronomy
Press Release:

Britain’s beloved modern pop act Metronomy has announced details of their massively anticipated new album, “LOVE LETTERS” the first release since the acclaimed quintessentially English group’s 2011’s Barclaycard Mercury Prize-nominated third album, “THE ENGLISH RIVIERA” – which hits stores and at all digital retailers on March 11thvia Because Music / Elektra Records.

“LOVE LETTERS” is trumpeted by the stunning first single, “I’m Aquarius,” which was instantly named “The Hottest Record In The World Right Now” by influential BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe upon its arrival last week…

Befitting one of modern pop’s most innovative acts, “I’m Aquarius” also debuted via iCandiApp’s stargazing app, “The Night Sky” last week. Users of iOS/Android enabled devices can download the application and activate a special update which will allow users to play “I’m Aquarius” by simply scanning the sky and then clicking on the Aquarius constellation, until November 18th.

The brainchild of Devon-based singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Joseph Mount, Metronomy first scored widespread attention for their eclectic electronica and inventive remixes of artists including GorillazCharlotte GainsbourgLykke Li, and Franz Ferdinand. 2011’s “THE ENGLISH RIVIERA” saw Metronomy put together a milestone of present-day popcraft, a dazzling fusion of sunshine psychedelia, cascading synths, languid funk, and sleek melodies, all in the service of Mount’s nostalgic reveries of his native South-West England coastline.  Highlighted by now-classic singles like “The Look” and “Everything Goes My Way,” the album earned placement on the 2012 Barclaycard Mercury Prize shortlist as well as worldwide sales now in excess of 250,000.

What’s more, “THE ENGLISH RIVIERA” proved one of the most critically applauded albums of the new millennium, with Q declaring it “a major progression for Metronomy, idiosyncratic but also instantly accessible.” The Guardian’s Caroline Sullivan praised the set for “(piling) on ambling good vibes and darts of sweet synth, along with basslines that sculpt songs into various shapes,” adding that “charm…permeates every last moment of this album.” “A deep sea of ideas and imagination,” raved NME, “a far-flung, limitless dreamworld full of romance, nostalgia, lovers’ tiffs and good old-fashioned shagging… Joe Mount has transformed his Metronomy project from a jaunty, brilliant, yet ultimately niche electro outfit into one of the most expansive and visionary pop bands in the country.”

Rather than rest on their laurels, Metronomy threw themselves a curveball by recording “LOVE LETTERS” at London’s legendary Toe Rag Studios, a proudly analogue facility beloved for its down and dirty sound by such rock ‘n’ roll icons as Billy ChildishTame Impala, andThe White Stripes.  Working with magnetic tape allowed Mount to protract the pace of the creative process while also revealing new warmth and possibility in Metronomy’s forward-thinking pop. Songs like “I’m Aquarius” and the exhilarating title track see the group evolving in extraordinary measures, their bold experiments in sound elevating Mount’s emotional lyricism to unprecedented artistic heights. With “LOVE LETTERS, Metronomy have made the first undeniably great album of 2014, instantly propelling them to the very frontline of contemporary pop.

As imaginative and exciting on stage as they are in the studio, Metronomy have already scheduled an epic run of European live dates for early 2014, including highly anticipated headline shows at such renowned venues as London’s Brixton Academy and Paris’ Le Zénith – a series of major North American live dates are currently in the works and will be announced soon

Röyksopp – Something In My Heart (ft. Jamie Irrepressible)

Royksopp

Royksopp are set to release a new single next month and from it we have the B-side that is exquisitely tempered with lush vocals from Jamie (The Irrepressibles).


Press Release:

On December 16th 2013 chart-topping electronic duo Röyksopp present ‘Running To The Sea’ – their first new single since 2011, which is now set for worldwide release following its no.1 chart success in their native Norway.

‘Running To The Sea’ features stunning vocals by the platinum-selling Norwegian artist Susanne Sundfør, and this epic, sweeping track glistens with moving beauty.

The equally elegant singing on b-side ‘Something In My Heart’ – a melancholy, synth hybrid – is provided by Jamie of cult orchestralpop ensemble The Irrepressibles.

“’Running To The Sea’ and ‘Something In My Heart’ are in essence both expressions of compulsion and its strong, often uncontrollable, persisting pull”, explain the duo. “Dependence is a returning theme in our music”, they add.

Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland AKA Brit and Grammy award nominees Röyksopp have produced four massive hit albums, which have reached the top of the charts in several countries, including four consecutive number-ones in Norway. The band have sold over two million records. Plus they gained 3 entries in the Pitchfork list of top 500 tracks from the last decade.

Röyksopp have remixed the likes of Lady Gaga, Depeche Mode, Beck and Kings Of Leon, as well as written music for some of the most exiting female vocalists from Scandinavia, like Robyn, Lykke Li and Karin Dreijer-Andersson (Fever Ray / The Knife).

Last year the duo released their edition of the acclaimed ‘Late Night Tales’ compilation series, which showcased their diverse influences and impeccable taste, with tracks from Tuxedomoon, Vangelis, John Martyn, This Mortal Coil  and Popol Vuh, not to mention a spoken word piece by Benedict Cumberbatch of ‘Dr Who’ and Hollywood movie fame.

‘Running To The Sea’ will be released on Royksopp’s label Dog Triumph, via Wall of Sound and Cooking Vinyl in the UK.