Month: March 2017

Limerick trio Slow Riot release the Antwerp remix of their Pink December track today. Antwerp is Nico Antwerp who runs the Noise Praise label. The label is London based and work with electronic acts.

Nico is involved in lots of soundtrack scores that he does as live nights in London.

“Pink December” is the follow up to Slow Riot’s critically acclaimed singles “Demons”, “Trophy Wife” and “Absent Dreams”. Conceived, written and recorded during the same sessions that produced last Autumn’s ‘Absent Dreams’ single, yet a paradigm shift away from it’s (step)sister sonically, ‘Pink December’ offers a tantalising glimpse of a new sound being forged in their Limerick rehearsal space.

The signature deadpan vocal delivery and motorik driving bass remain, but gone is the athletic, lean post-punk; eschewed for layers of dense guitars, tribal drums, and half-heard backing vocals slowly unveiling themselves over nearly five and a half minutes. This is the sound of a band delving deeper into the thematic darkness that has characterised their output to date and embracing it.

www.facebook.com/slowriot.theband/
twitter.com/slow_riot_band
http://noisepraise.tumblr.com
https://noisepraise.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/Noise-Praise-Records-321202091249527/

Le Galaxie return with “Pleasure” their first single from their forthcoming third album. “Pleasure” is a dangerously charged sensuous slice of dance pop featuring the vocals of May Kay (Fight Like Apes) – the calling card for an album that sees the band producing a new body of work, to be enjoyed as much between your ears as between the throbbing floors and laser lit ceilings of venues and festivals across Ireland, Europe and beyond.

Recorded in their own studio with ultra producer Blende, “Pleasure” points to Le Galaxie’s evolution from purveyors of dance floor bangers to creators of well-crafted songs. The affecting, almost master and servant like vocal exchange between Michael Pope and guest vocalist May Kay, demonstrates a self-confidence and maturity of a band in control.

Their recent appearance on Other Voices saw the band hold power over a congregation that swayed and moved less the brethren of a rural chapel than the members of a Pentecostal church. Le Galaxie’s appearance on the Other Voices: Electric Picnic special, is broadcast in Ireland on RTÉ2 today, Thursday 30th March. With trademark grooves, synth and bass distilled into songs like “Pleasure” Le Galaxie are set to move beyond the scorched tarpaulins of Bennicassim and Lovebox.

“Pleasure” the new single from Le Galaxie is available for download across all platforms from Friday 21 April 2017.

www.legalaxie.net
www.facebook.com/legalaxie/
twitter.com/LeGalaxie

Quickly becoming the go to guy for a quality remix these days, Mark McCabe turns his hand to Soulé’s Good Life, released this Friday, 21 March. After two stellar mixes for Gavin James and James Arthur, McCabe teams up with one of the most exciting new artists on the Dublin music scene. Soulé’s debut release “Love No More” was recently nominated for the RTE Choice Music Prize Song of the Year. “Good Life” is a homage to the feel good style of 90s house music. Her upbeat message of seeing the world in a positive light the single is set to have you feeling good.

www.souleofficial.com
twitter.com/MarkMcCabeIE

Recently returned from performing at the prestigious Modern Composers showcase at this year’s SXSW creative industries festival in Austin Texas, electronic/classical crossover artist Ryan Vail will release two tracks of solely piano music to celebrate Wold Piano Day.

One track “We Drift We Wake” is a brand new composition written entirely in celebration of the day, a gentle 5 minute piece that transports the listener on an ethereal drift between the worlds of wakefulness and sleep.

The second track is a re-recording and development on a sombre track Ryan had composed for Piano day in 2015 that was included in the celebrated German composer Nils Frahm 2015 Piano day playlist. Both tracks can be listened to here.

“Why does the world need a Piano Day? For many reasons. But mostly, because it doesn’t hurt to celebrate the piano and everything around it: performers, composers, piano builders, tuners, movers and most important, the listener.” – Nils Frahm

Piano Day, a annual worldwide event founded by a group of likeminded people, takes place on the 88th day of the year – in 2017 it’s the 29th March – because of the number of keys on the instrument being celebrated.

The aim of the day is to create a platform for piano related projects in order to promote the development of musical dimensions and to continue sharing the centuries-old joy of playing piano. Piano Day welcomes all kinds of piano lovers — young and old, amateur and professional, of any musical direction – to join in this years festivities. It is intended to be the most joyful of all holidays!

Ryan Vail is a musical pioneer with vision. Ryan blends the worlds of electronica, folk and classical, always experimenting combining classical instruments with unique methods of recording and composition. His debut album “For Every Silence” was released in April of last year to critical and commercial acclaim finding fans across the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe. Ryan blends the worlds of electronica, folk and classical, always experimenting combining classical instruments with unique methods of recording and composition. In 2014 he composed the soundtrack for a full length BBC2 Documentary entitled “The Longest Night” as part of the BBC’s “True North” series. In 2015 he composed a solo piano piece for World Piano Day which was chosen for Nils Frahm’s Piano day playlist on SoundCloud. His 2015 collaborative album with Ciaran Lavery “Sea Legs” has been shortlisted for the NI Music Prize (Best Northern Irish Album of 2015) previous winners have included Foy Vance and Robyn G Shields. In 2017 Ryan developed a live A/V show that debuted at the Output music conference festival in Belfast and will be performing this live at all major Irish Festivals. Ryan also showcased at the prestigious Modern Composers showcase at SXSW 2017 in Austin. Ryan has had radio play or performed live Sessions with BBC Introducing, Other Voices, Annie Mac, Tom Ravenscroft, Across The Line, Tom Robinson, Phillip Taggart and Zane Lowe.

Ryan has supported many international live acts such as Nils Frahm, Jamie XX, Jon Hopkins, Tycho, David Kitt, Boxcutter, Todd Terje, Phil Kieran, Luke Vibert and Orbital.

http://ryanvail.com/

Having cemented it’s place as Belfast’s leading electronic music event, AVA (Audio Visual Arts) Festival has become an essential date in the underground calendar for all discerning house and techno heads. As we edge closer to the third edition of AVA Festival taking place across the 2nd – 3rd June 2017, the AVA family can reveal the full weekend line-up, plus day splits across the Friday and Saturday. With a heavy set of global names including Jeff Mills, Marcel Dettmann, Ben UFO, Job Jobse and Boiler Room just for starters, a supersonic set of Irish champions; think Bicep, Ejeca, Jordan, New Jackson and more, and the all-important conference elements, AVA is shaking up the Irish underground game.

On top of all that, there’s a heap of fresh names on board, with NTS Radio affiliate Moxie, House Of Disco’s Dave Magnier, Hidden Agenda’s DJ Deece and Niel Kerr all aboard. AVA Festival guests will also be treated to pioneering production elements, with visual arts from world-renowned lighting designer Guillaume Marmin, Belfast’s own Guerrilla Shout, lasers and light shows. With return flights from UK airports starting at just £25, and weekend tickets at £60 from www.avafestival.com, it’s time to bag a place at AVA Festival 2017.

FRIDAY
This year expanding from a one day event into a full weekend experience, each AVA day has something different to offer. Friday kicks off as a conference, with speakers, panels and class information coming in the following weeks; last year featured Juan Atkins, Bicep, Dave Haslam and Ableton and more, so no doubt this instalment will be another educational and inspirational day. Jeff Mills and Guillaume Marmin will headline the evening events, with a UK debut of their ‘Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind’ show, a full sensory experience that explores the sensation of existing in another reality. A live audio / visual journey through dimensions, this is sure to be a super special performance. Friday also sees NI debut live show from Dutch artist Fatima Yamaha, who stole the dance world’s heart with hit ‘What’s A Girl To Do,’ plus more live from Irish experimentalists New Jackson, Ryan Vail and Cork’s ELLLL. Repping for international DJ talent is eclectic selector Ben UFO, Dutch king pin Job Jobse, NTS’s first lady, Moxie, as well as much-loved Irish all-stars, Timmy Stuart and JMX, Swoose and Cromby, Bobby Analog, Inside Moves, and Brién.

SATURDAY
Saturday is another union of international superstars and ‘next-big-thing’ producers, live acts and DJs, as well as the almighty Boiler Room stage. Marcel Dettmann heads up proceedings, bringing industrial techno to the T13 Docks, then there’s exotic disco and Balearic jams from Midland, a HYBRID set from Berlin’s Rebekah, and a welcome home-coming from Belfast boys BICEP, who are set for a new album release this summer. Duo TINFOIL (Sunil Sharpe and Defekt) play, whilst Irish talents Hammer, Myler, Holly Lester and more all take part across the day. Other crews soundtracking the second festival day include Misfit DJs, Subject DJs, Nez, Ryan Dallas, Jika Jika, Clockwork, Alice Meat Free, Paragon, Cave DJs B2B Kapoor, Techno and Cans crew, plus GIRL. Phew!

Boiler Room make their third AVA appearance on the Saturday, with another local legend, Ejeca, headlining, plus Numbers’ freshest face Denis Sulta. The Night Institute’s Jordan and Derry arist and Hotflush signee OR:LA make their Boiler Room debut, with Saoirse, DJ Deece and JC Williams all set for streaming, and the Belfast party team Twitch DJ’s marking their 10th year in the business.

TRAVEL, TICKETS AND BELFAST
For this special third year and the first full AVA weekend, the team have programmed two full days of conferences, workshops, talks, and arts, on top of a huge roster of local and global talent set to get the legendary T13 Titanic Docks warehouse space bouncing. For those travelling to Belfast for the weekend, it’s the perfect chance to experience the Belfast craic, exploring the city whilst getting to know the local names who are changing the Belfast game. Flights from all major UK / EU airports are bank balance friendly, currently standing at around £25 for a weekend return from London. Accommodation options are plentiful too, with a range of hotels, hostels, Air BnB’s and more all in easy travel distance of the T13 Titanic Docks site. And with weekend tickets at around the £60 mark, it’s a festival with amazing value for money. To find out more about travel and accommodation, check the AVA Festival website here: http://avafestival.com/accommodation/

AVA FESTIVAL AND CONFERENCE 2017
02-03 June 2017
T13 – Titanic Quarter – Belfast
WEEKEND TICKETS from £60: http://avafestival.com/tickets/

FRIDAY 2ND JUNE :
A UK & IRELAND DEBUT OF:
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE FOURTH KIND
JEFF MILLS & GUILLAUME MARMIN :
A FULL SENSORY EXPERIENCE THAT EXPLORES THE SENSATION OF ENTERING & EXISTING IN ANOTHER REALITY – A DIFFERENT TIME AND SPACE. A LIVE AUDIO VISUAL JOURNEY THROUGH ANOTHER DIMENSION.

BEN UFO // FATIMA YAHAMA LIVE // JOB JOBSE // MOXIE // NEW JACKSON LIVE // RYAN VAIL LIVE // ELLLL LIVE // TIMMY STEWART & JMX // SWOOSE & CROMBY // BOBBY ANALOG // INSIDE MOVES // BRIEN

PLUS: IRELAND’S LEADING ELECTRONIC MUSIC & AV CONFERENCE & INDUSTRY NETWORK WITH VERY SPECIAL PARTNERS. CONFERENCE LINEUP COMING SOON.

SATURDAY 3RD JUNE:

MARCEL DETTMANN // BICEP // MIDLAND // REBEKAH (HYBRID SET) // BOILER ROOM // EJECA // DENIS SULTA // TINFOIL (SUNIL SHARPE & DEFEKT LIVE) // HAMMER // OR:LA // SAOIRSE // MYLER // JORDAN // HOUSE OF DISCO DJS // JC WILLIAMS LIVE // TWITCH DJS // MISFIT DJ’S // SUBJECT DJ’S // DJ DEECE // HOLLY LESTER // NEZ // RYAN DALLAS // JIKA JIKA // CLOCKWORK // ALICE MEAT FREE // PARAGON LIVE // CAVE DJS B2B KAPOOR // TECHNO & CANS CREW // GIRL

NEW ADDITIONS : MOXIE | DAVE MAGNIER | DJ DEECE | NEIL KERR

CONNECT: WEBSITE || FACEBOOK || TWITTER || INSTAGRAM || FB EVENT

Hally, an experimental indie singer-songwriter and producer from County Kildare, returned to the music business after a 10 year hiatus from live performance, with an exciting and ambitious project called “Peeling Onions” consisting of 52 songs and music videos that he is releasing weekly throughout the year via popular online streaming and video websites.

This body of work is compiled into 4 albums that will be made available to purchase via Vinyl, CD and one digital download. The first Album of these series, “Peeling Onions” Vol.I, will be launched on Saturday 8th April at 8pm in the beautiful intimate surroundings of the Dublin Unitarian Church for an Exclusive Album Launch Experience.

Describing the project, hally said: “The music from “Peeling Onions” is a wildly eclectic collection, in many respects autobiographical, uncovering not only the story of my defining years of struggle, discovery and transformation, but of a lifetime”.

Hally will perform with his band “The Hymns”, namely Will Dowling (Sax/ Clarinet), Ian Smith (Guitars/ Keys), Gary O’Reilly (Piano/ Guitar/ Keys), Dave Redmond (Upright Bass) & Kevin Brady (Drums/percussion). Very Special guests to be announced.

To find out more about hally visit facebook.com/hallymusic/, www.hallymusic.com, or youtube.hallymusic

Tickets €15 available online (with a complimentary song download) here.
Tickets also available at the door.

Irish five piece, Walking On Cars today announce their biggest headline Belfast show to date at Custom House Square on Saturday August 12th 2017. Following three sold out arena shows in 2016, this will be the bands largest Belfast show yet. Tickets, priced £25 + Booking Fee, go on-sale Friday March 31st at 9am from Ticketmaster Outlets nationwide.

Fresh from a fully sold out European tour, the band were recently awarded the prestigious European Border Breakers Award following in the footsteps of previous winners Adele, Mumford & Sons, Disclosure and Years & Years for the international success of their debut album ‘Everything This Way’.

The bands debut album has now gone top five in seven countries and top twenty in a further twenty-three on the iTunes charts making the band amongst the top selling British signed breakthrough acts of the last 12 months, selling over 250,000 albums worldwide and going double platinum in Ireland, with hit single ‘Speeding Cars’ having had an astronomical 42 million Spotify streams worldwide.

Walking On Car’s huge radio sound has led to solid support over the past year with recent single ‘Speeding Cars’ charting top 20 on iTunes in 12 countries, securing A list at Radio 2, Radio X and Absolute and was also Radio 1’s track Of The Day.

Hailing from the tiny coastal town Dingal in Ireland, Walking On Cars (Patrick Sheehy, Sorcha Durham, Dan Devane, Paul Flannery and Evan Hadnett) have sold out five UK tours in the past 12 months including Koko, The Scala, Electric Ballroom, the Forum and the iconic Roundhouse in London.

www.walkingoncars.com

Irish-Nordic rocker Eamonn Dowd‘s new album “Dig Into Nowhere” is a muscular and tender tour of dislocation, bitter/sweet 1970s memories and the accumulations of a musician’s life on the road.

From the white wastes of his perch in Sweden’s Gothenburg, Eamonn Dowd is back with “Dig Into Nowhere”, his tightest sequence of songs in a 30-year career. Unnamed places straddle Nordic locations and what must be his native west of Ireland, all mapped against northern Europe’s no man’s lands, cities, bars and streets. His dislocated songs burst from the heart and mind of a travelled troubadour: the only certainties are the road, the night, hanging around and shifting senses of direction. Dowd’s compass is global, his consumption of life is one long time-beating trek as signaled by the title “Dig into Nowhere”. And nowhere is this clearer than in the epic single “Departure Lounge”: “Won’t you take me back/Take me back home?/I would go if I knew which way to go… Should I go north or south/Should I go east or west?/Take me back.”

Often-skeletal words meld with punk country-tinged music that ranges from tender to blistering in poignant portraits of last-ditch couples and introspective loners. Two lovers go in to a drab town but are dismayed by what they find. When all else fails, they may or may not have each other: “I looked into your pale blue eyes/Every word a thin disguise.“ When Dowd sings “We got to go tonight/Through these lonesome streets”, the “we” seems less the happy couple and more the brave human accompanied only by his own ideas and unbeaten sense of self-worth.

Music flows through this record like blood: Dowd’s own artistry ‑ his respect of music as a spectral presence, as an identity, as a force – is bolstered by explicit references to the musical heroes that fuel the ether of anyone with a toe to tap, with a heart to be ravaged by guitars and drums. Through lives of damp and 1970s sadness, Eamonn Dowd’s music flows, a river of sound that drags memories and introspection with it, that carries drowned ghosts of Radio Luxembourg into your broken transistor soul.

“Dig Into Nowhere” features a stunning cover of Nikki Sudden’s bleak “Death is Hanging Over Me” and the catchy wistful premonition of regret that is his powerful co-composition with Horslip Eamon Carr (“The Greenwood Shade”).

Eamonn Dowd and his crew of Swedish and Irish musicians play tightly across all 13 tracks, sketching a life of arrival and departure, of urban emptiness and rural dissatisfaction, where the “crows are circling low”. The music ranges from the beautiful keyboard tinged final act of “Thin Disguise” to the malicious country of “Let’s Just Pretend” and the closing rock-blaster “Persian Princess”.

Thirty years in the business, Irish rocker Eamonn Dowd’s career ley line runs through cult legends The Swinging Swine, Captain Hex and years of solo records and releases with bands The Racketeers and The Last Souls. Dowd’s latest release is a major step forward for his idiosyncratic talent. Dig Into Nowhere is the work of a committed songwriter, a man driven by his music but wary of the industry that might cage or co-opt it. Eamonn Dowd navigates by his own star across a maverick and muse-riddled world of music. “Dig Into Nowhere” is the proof.

“Dig Into Nowhere” is available now.

http://www.eamonndowd.com/

Off the back of a sell out show at Whelan’s, Dublin singer-songwriter Luke Clerkin is set to bring his music to mainland Europe, as he embarks on a musical expedition of Germany and beyond. His final show in Ireland will take place in The Workman’s Club on the 7th of April at 8pm. He will be joined on the night by some very special guests. This is sure to be another sell out show, so grab your tickets now while you can!

Tickets on sale here for just €8 in advance, €10 on the door.

https://www.facebook.com/LukeClerkin/

IMRO were happy to present Derek Ryan with three awards in recognition for his number one albums “Happy Man”, “The Simple Things” and “One Good Night”. The awards were presented by IMRO’s Keith Johnson before Derek’s show at the Dean Crowe Theatre and Arts Centre, Athlone.

From the age of twelve Irish Country Music superstar Derek Ryan had showbiz aspirations in his DNA. From his first foray into the music scene performing regularly at socials with his brother Adrian as the Ryan Brothers right through to a pop career with an international band he has now become one of today’s biggest Irish Country artists.

Although his early exposure to the live scene was modest, not even he could have predicted what lay ahead – a career that many can only dream about standing in front of the dressing room mirror strumming a beaten-up acoustic guitar.

Having grown up in Garyhill near Carlow town in Ireland, Derek was bred into loving Irish traditional music by his family, attending fleadh ceoils on a regular basis with his Father. It was not long before Derek was himself a winner, picking up two all-Ireland titles in both bodhran and ceili drumming.

As a solo artist Derek has won countless accolades including Entertainer Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Best Live Performer and awards recognising his songwriting abilities at the Sunday World and Irish Country Music Awards. He has toured Ireland, the UK and as far afield as Australia as well as working with Nashville producing ‘royalty’, Jeff Balding whose studio credits include Don Henley, Dolly Parton and Shania Twain.  He collaborated too with a top notch team of musicians who play for superstars such as Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood and Lady Antebellum.

http://derekryanmusic.com