Latest News
Fable and Orbital’s Paul Hartnoll rumoured to join forces for Eurovision 2016!
“...a dark, glistening synth pop gem...”
- Clash Magazine
"...bold and brilliant..."- The Line of Best Fit
“Brooding cinematic Electronica…” - Guardian
With the recent news that the British entry to the Eurovision Song Contest will be decided by public vote, there have been calls for a ‘serious’ artist and song to come along and save the day.
If rumours are to believed, one of the Godfathers of dance, Orbital’s Paul Hartnoll, and Brighton based alt pop powerhouse Fable, may well be answering that call.
Having already collaborated together on his last album, 8:58 on the track 'Cemetery' alongside such luminaries as Robert Smith, Ed Harcourt, Cilian Murphy and The Unthanks, Hartnoll has turned once again to the youngest of his vocalists, at a mere twenty years old, to work together on what would, no doubt, be a major departure from the usual Eurovision fare. A firm favourite of the tastemaker blogs, Fable has begun to carve herself a reputation for challenging boundaries and doing the unexpected.
Fable recently returned, having toured the country spreading her dark and sensual sound and seducing audiences with her alternative, twisted electronica, presenting her latest single I Am You, due for release on January 15th 2016.
You can stream it now via Fable's SoundCloud page.
I Am You captures the feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you realise that you are ‘the other’, an outsider looking in at the cultural machine that has been built around all of us. However, the cruel irony is that in spite of existing outside the bubble of mass manufactured media, your very existence is still an expression of it - a contradiction of alienation and connection.
Co-written and produced by Paul Steel (The Xcerts, Mika, Saint Raymond) and mixed by Lee Groves (Goldfrapp, Gwen Stefani, Kimbra), I Am You is the first single from Fable’s debut album, Sacrilege, slated for release in early 2016, following on from her critically acclaimed debut EP, Parasite.
Originally from Devon and now based in Brighton, 20 year old Fable is a fierce new talent - forthright, opinionated, intelligent and far removed from the generic shiny pop songstresses that dominate the current music scene. In addition to Hartnoll she's also written alongside Bloc Party’s Russell Lissack and supported Archive at The Shepherd’s Bush Empire earlier in the year.
I Am You is released via 74 Music on January 15th 2016.
Kapil Seshasayee releases ‘Brazen’ video!
"...ominous..."- Punktastic
"...thick, heady goodness..." - State
Kapil Seshasayee returns with his latest single Brazen, due for release on 27th October 2015 via Fu Inle Records. The video for the track premiered on a New Noise Magazine who described it as 'avant-garde and progressive alternative rock'.
You can watch the video now via Production Attic's Vimeo page or from the embed bellow.
Brazen is the follow up to Kapil's sophomore EP Crimes released earlier this year picking up support from the likes of Punktastic, State, Soundblab and The Vinyl District. The track showcases a real development in Kapil's writing while retaining many of the elements that originally made his music so enthralling, with the experimental nature of his arrangements and strong vocals still strongly present in the mix.
You can listen to Brazen
via the ABoF SoundCloud page or by clicking on the embed bellow.
Based in Glasgow, Kapil has created something more complex than the average singer songwriter, as he straddles the line between the avant-garde and progressive alternative rock. Having supported the likes of Dead Rider, Screaming Females and Alright The Captain, Kapil has been able to translate his unique noise onto the live stage and he will be heading out on a UK tour before the end of the year supporting the release of his forthcoming single.
Brazen is out on 27th October 2015 via Fu Inle Records.
Dead Boy Robotics release ‘Arrival’ video and free download!
“…like 65daysofstatic hacking at the innards of the original Dr Who theme”
- The Skinny
Edinburgh trio Dead Boy Robotics return with their dominant new track Arrivals available now as a free download via Brothers Grimm. The first track to be released from their upcoming second album New Cells it has already received great support with the video, directed by Graham Sutherland, premiering on The Skinny.
You can watch the video now on the bands YouTube channel or via the embed below.
On the surface the song has all the hallmarks of a great lead track; guitar hooks, a powerful chorus and haunting vocals, however when you listen a little closer it becomes apparent that Arrivals also has a much darker side. The lyrics paint a picture of a dystopian post-apocalyptic world where humans have to struggle to survive, not your usual subject matter in today’s music scene!
You can give the track a listen and download it for free via the bands SoundCloud page or by clicking on the embed below.
To those who know the band already the subject matter will not be a surprise. Listing their amongst influences Space, Blade Runner, the human struggle against inevitable extinction… and Xbox (of course), Arrival is a great introduction to what’s in store on the new album.
Recorded at Tape in Edinburgh, and mastered in New York as part of the recording of New Cells, Arrvial's murky, brooding sound brings to mind comparisons with HEALTH and The Horrors but with stong influence from the dark side of 80's pop and bands like Depeche Mode.
New Cells is released digitally via Brothers Grimm on 20th November 2015. A limited edition colour vinyl will be available in 2016.
We Are The City livestream the making of their third album!
"We Are the City have simultaneously made one of 2015’s better art-pop debut albums." - Drowned in Sound
"...billowing, headily inventive music…"
- Clash"...swirling psych, pristine chart-worthy hooks and dreamy atmospherics…" - The Line of Best Fit
Canadian experimental pop-rockers We Are The City will invite fans into the studio as they record their third full-length album. The live feed will be broadcast 24/7 with the session starting last night at 8pm GMT via the band’s website www.wearethecity.ca.
The final album will be released almost immediately upon its completion via Sinnbus (UK/Europe), Tooth & Nail (USA), Boompa (Canada) and in conjunction with a month-long U.S. tour. The three-piece have already recorded one track, Keep On Dancing, which they released as a single last month and the song will be joined by seven other tracks, written and recorded during the broadcast, as the band provides fans unprecedented access, offering them the chance to witness the creative process in its entirety. You can view the video from embed below or on the band's YouTube page.
You can also stream the track from the embed below and the Sinnbus Soundcloud page.
We Are The City will also embark on a European tour in early 2016.
A recent documentary about the band, Whether You Care Or Not, was filmed while they were on the road in Europe earlier this year and perfectly captures the bands brilliance. You can watch the documentary on We Are The City’s YouTube page.
We Are The City, who are comprised of long-time high school friends Cayne McKenzie (vocals/keyboards), Andrew Huculiak (drums), and David Menzel (guitar), will be holed up in a recording studio in an undisclosed location, as they work through what will be their third full-length album, for the next few weeks - the Vancouver, BC trio, illustrating their willingness to engage in the unexpected, something they have continuously demonstrated throughout their short career. With this recording, the band aim to capture an impulsive and experimental approach with the intention of surpassing the work they have previously created.
The forthcoming album follows hot on the heels of the international release of their acclaimed sophomore LP, Violent, and its corresponding feature full-length film, which was written by the band, and filmed in Norway by Amazing Factory Productions. The film has garnered critical acclaim during its appearances on the film festival circuit over the past year, receiving a Perspective Canada Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival in 2014, screenings at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (world premiere), San Sebastían International Film Festival, Los Cabos Film Festival, as well as winning Best Canadian Film and Best BC Film at Vancouver International Film Festival.
Watch this space for news on We Are The City's third album released in the coming weeks.
Black International single ‘Animal Without Backbone’ out now!
“… a sharply poetic mixture of visceral music and vivd lyrics.” - Clash
Black International have returned with their latest single Animal Without Backbone; a fierce, visceral track in keeping with the band's forthcoming album A Lesson In Repression. The video for the track premiered on Clash who described it as 'intense, noir-shaded songwriting'.
You can watch the video for Animal Without Backbone via the band's YouTube page now.
Animal Without Backbone is also available to buy on the Black International Bandcamp page.
In the run up to recording A Lesson In Repression band members Stewart Allan (vocals, guitar & keyboards) and Craig Peebles (drums & percussion), from Midlothian, Scotland, took over a former Victorian manse and temporarily transformed it into a working studio. This allowed the duo to live and breathe the creative processes of their sophomore album, improvising structures, words and arrangements, all of which are captured perfectly on the recently released video and free download track 'A Fence To Keep People Out'. With the aid of sound engineer Andrew Bush (The Twilight Sad), they were successfully able to capture the raw, visceral energy of their live show in combination with more textural and stripped-back work, creating music with elements of contemporaries such as Shellac, The Fall and Sonic Youth, but also drawing from wider sources in electronica and post-rock.
A Lesson In Repression is Black International’s second album, following their debut In Debt. They’ve used it as a means to reset their creative boundaries, and open up new avenues for exploration. Live, they’ve graced the stages of Wickerman, Tramlines, GoNorth and Oxjam Festivals, have heard their music played on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio Scotland and have supported the likes of Speedy Ortiz and Die! Die! Die! The remainder of 2015 will involve the release of the forthcoming album, live performances throughout the UK and may even see them take over another unsuspecting space to record their next EP.
Animal Without Backbone is available to buy now via Bandcamp. A Lesson In Repression is released via Good Grief Records on 30th October 2015.