Fresh Hot Chip: Covers, EPs, Shows, New Songs

September 24, 2008 , Katie Hasty, N.Y.

With a live EP, covers of Joy Division and Vampire Weekend, a slew of tour dates, a remix EP and a new record on the way, the members of Hot Chip have certainly kept themselves busy lately.

The group just released an iTunes exclusive live EP of six tracks recorded May 8 in Berlin. "I'm gonna be honest," Hot Chip founding member and multi-instrumentalist Joe Goddard tells Billboard.com, "I don't think I even knew we had a live EP coming out. All the better, though, it's nice for things to be documented, to have a piece of how things evolve."

One recent evolution was the addition of live drummer Leo Taylor; Hot Chip sparingly used a live drummer (LCD Soundsystem's Pat Mahoney) in the past. The London-based group has tour dates slated in North America through Oct. 9, then return to the U.K. for performances through November.

A one-off show last night (Sept. 23) with Vampire Weekend was a happy pairing, considering Hot Chip has recently finished a cover of Vampire Weekend's "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa," for a single due this fall. But the group didn't do it alone: the very man the song namechecks, Peter Gabriel, contributed vocals.

"We got to spend two days with Peter Gabriel, which was a massive, massive deal, as he's a massive influence on us. His use of rhythms and synths and world instruments, his songwriting structures ... made for a big hero to [singer] Alexis [Taylor] growing up," Goddard says. "When we were producing [the track] and [Gabriel] stepped up to the microphone, [group member] Owen [Clarke] said it was like watching someone turn on the Peter Gabriel Machine. We said we'd love to do more stuff with him in the future and asked him to contribute to the next record. So, we'll see."

Hot Chip also covered Joy Division's "Transmission" for War Child Music's benefit covers album "Heroes," at the request of Joy Division/New Order drummer Stephen Morris himself. According to Goddard, the group focused in on the rhythm, and ended up recording the sounds of clanging steel pans and live drums. The album is due Nov. 24 via Parlophone/EMI in the U.K.; Hot Chip says they plan to release the song in the States as a vinyl single sometime this fall.

In a month, the group will also be releasing a collection of remixes of songs from its 2008 album "Made in the Dark," dubbed "Remade in the Dark." Featured are a new mixes of "We're Looking for a Lot of Love," "Whistle for Will" and the title track by veteran producer Robert Wyatt. The band, in turn, produced a track on Wyatt's forthcoming Domino effort.

Then there's Hot Chip's work on new originals. Goddard says the group has already finished writing half-a-dozen songs for the follow-up to "Made in the Dark," due for release early next year. "'Made in the Dark' felt bold, but for me it was all over the place. This next one... won't have an A-side and a b-Side. It will be much more mid-paced, like a Fleetwood Mac album," he says. The band has already begun playing one new track, "Alley Cats," at its shows.

Taylor has already finished a solo record, "Rubbed Out," which will be a limited-released effort on London micro-indie label Treader this fall. ("They're sketches of new songs, short improvised pieces... a scrapbook in a way," says Goddard.) And Goddard himself is producing other artists, including a "pure pop" set for new artist Little Boots and rapper Dels.

Peter Gabriel sang an intensely personal ballad his 96-year-old father has asked him to play at his funeral

By David Smyth, Evening Standard 22.09.08

"Again solo, Peter Gabriel sang an intensely personal ballad his 96-year-old father has asked him to play at his funeral"

Annie, Jude and friends give peace a chance

Following the massive suicide bomb in Islamabad on Saturday came a bold attempt to make peace break out around the world yesterday , if only for 24 hours.

The Peace One Day campaign for an annual day of global ceasefire started with one man - Jeremy Gilley, a minor actor and filmmaker from Southampton who left school with nothing but a D in pottery - who has been making slow but increasingly impressive progress over the past 10 years.

The 2008 focal point was this awareness concert, featuring Annie Lennox, Peter Gabriel, Lenny Kravitz and John Legend. But far more importantly, all conflicting sides in Afghanistan made a written commitment to stay quiet yesterday, which allowed Unicef access to normally dangerous areas and vaccinate 1.8 million children against polio.

Other world troublespots have been slower to respond in such significant fashion, although symbolic gestures have been made. The Albert Hall audience also saw a screening of Gilley's film about his tireless endeavours, The Day After Peace, which he said will be shown in every school in America next year.

An uplifting story which was much more essential viewing than the rather subdued musical line-up, it revealed him to be a charismatic speaker who kept a cool head in the presence of both the League of Arab States and Angelina Jolie, and refused to give up on his idea despite overwhelming scepticism from media and politicians. If he was any more dogged he would have a collar and a tail. With the essential campaigner's knack of befriending celebrities, Gilley and Jude Law are virtually inseparable in the film, and Law also turned up to introduce the concert in the flesh. Bryan Adams was first up with an acoustic guitar and a violinist, setting a trend for low-key performances.

The charity gig always walks a fine line between being entertaining and trying not to have too much fun, and this struggled to hit the right tone. Annie Lennox was alone at the piano singing Pete Seeger's Where Have All The Flowers Gone? and Neil Young's Don't Let It Bring You Down, in front of statistics of war and photos of ravaged buildings. Again solo, Peter Gabriel sang an intensely personal ballad his 96-year-old father has asked him to play at his funeral. Even Lenny Kravitz's raucous Are You Gonna Go My Way was transformed into a brooding blues slowie.

John Legend was the only one to bring a band along, adding much needed pizzazz but also committing the cardinal charity show sin of plugging his new album's release date. However, his new song If You're Out There was an altruistic anthem in the classic mode, and he sent many home inspired to work towards Peace Two Days.

Steve Lillywhite On Peter Gabriel's Third Album

Peter Gabriel's Third

Listen Now interview [10 min 26 sec]

Peter Gabriel's third self-titled album produced the radio hits "I Don't Remember" and "Games Without Frontiers."

World Cafe, September 17, 2008 - On Peter Gabriel's third self-titled album, producer Steve Lillywhite made sense of the disparate elements that the sometimes-great second album could not. The 1980 release showcased a more song-oriented Gabriel, but also a bleak side of the former Genesis frontman.

In an interview with host David Dye, Lillywhite recalls laughing off the idea of recording an album with Gabriel, but both quickly found common ground in its musical direction. Music technology was moving quickly by 1980, and both men wanted to implement the new keyboard and sampling devices. While Gabriel would go on to make even better-selling albums, Peter Gabriel remains his finest moment.

Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer

Anna Pickard, guardian.co.uk,Thursday September 11 2008



It's influential, memorable, and quite rude if you think about it. Anna Pickard stands to attention and salutes the twisted genius of Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer...

This week, a true classic - one that appears in all the "best videos ever" lists and somewhere near the very top of any self-respecting "best animated video" chart. It's influential, it's memorable, and it's arguably downright filthy. It's Peter Gabriel. It's Sledgehammer.

And it all starts so innocently, too, with a close up of tadpoles swimming happily in a big dark pond of ...

Wait, that's no ordinary tadpole ... That's grade-A wiggling man-drizzle! Sorry, sperm. And it's funny, because when you think of this video, people quite often say "I never realised it was about sex at the time ... ", and yet it starts off with a shot of bloke-custard magnified several thousand times.

We move on to a close up of a highly dilated pupil.

And the wiggling of an ear (which is more impressive in motion than it is in freeze-frame, I admit):

See, on the left, it's about a millimetre further down and more elongated in shape than on the right? Well, you should see it in action. It's almost imperceptibly remarkable. These are, however, signs of undeniably intense pleasure. The pupils, the ear-wiggling; if those aren't cast-iron signs of sexual pleasure then ... what? Just me?

Well, whatever. Gabriel's happy:

In fact, the cheesy grin is often returned to in the video, as the flicking of the stop-frame animation moves through the mouthing of the lyrics to his face at rest ('rest' position seeming to be a big grin and perfect view of his slightly bizarre incisors) in between each line.

Meanwhile, famously, the animation around his head (provided by The Brothers Quay, famous for dark eastern European-style stop-motion films, and Aardman Animation, famous for Wallace and Gromit, among other things) acts out the words he sings through his slightly manic higgledy-piggledy mouth.

"You could have a steam train" he sings, as a train chuffs around his head in a pleasing fashion. "If you'd just lay down your tracks", referring, most agree, to sexual congress. The train represents his penis, you understand. The fact that his penis is circling his head is therefore slightly more oblique, but we chose to brush over it (not his penis) and agree that it is representative of his thoughts being played out externally.

In one of the most memorable sequences of the video, a blackboard behind Gabriel displays a rollercoaster track, the ride "going up and down, and round the bend" (NB: sexual metaphor) being shown purely through facial expressions and hairgel. This, as anyone who has tried to replicate the sequence can verify, is harder than it looks ...

... And also potentially damaging to your hair. But Gabriel doesn't care about that. He is an artiste. With an "E". He acts out his fake rollercoastering with aplomb. In fact, he looks impressively enthusiastic throughout the whole of this video, even though the process of stop-motion animation involves lying around holding one pose at a time while the camera takes one picture for each tiny frame of the four-and-a-half minute promo.

Even as plasticine dodgems rut his cheeks, Gabriel remains upbeat.

"You could have a bumper car ... ", he continues - eyebrows leaping suggestively all over his face. (Or at least the top part of his face. Anything else would be truly alarming.) " ... bumping. The amusement never ends".

And so it doesn't. While Gabriel lies patiently under a glass sheet, all manner of crazy animated goings on happen around his wandering eyebrows.

Gabriel sings about his enthusiasm for examining someone's "fruitcage" if they will let him be their "honey bee". Ahem.

During the synthesised flute solo (no sentence more eighties can have been uttered around here for a good while) two headless roasting chickens - created by Aardman animation's Nick Park, apparently - hatch from an egg and dance on a music hall stage.

And the urge to say "obviously" at the end of that sentence is almost overwhelming. Because what else could possibly happen at this point? Granted, Gabriel could turn into a complete plasticine Peter, develop sledgehammers for fists and then hit himself repeatedly in the face ...

... Until a tiny Peter sprouts forth. Again, 'obviously'.

Just when things can't get anymore crack-addled - sorry, creative - an intervention forms: a gang of people, including the animation teams, Gabriel's own daughters and anyone else hanging around the set who didn't mind moving a centimetre at a time while their photo gets taken several hundred times in a row try to shake him out of whatever bonk-addled daydream he has sunk into ...

But it doesn't work; the caring masses get chased away by backing singers on a sofa, and replaced by less threatening furniture, who dance around Gabriel, shaking their wood to the rhythm of the song until finally, eventually, Peter is pooped and collapses into an armchair ...

... All spent, and gently steaming.

So there we have it: 1986, the year that Peter Gabriel invented sex. Or at least animated musical innuendo. Without him we might never have had lapdancing zebras simulating masturbation on giant bottles of fizzy orange drink. I hope you're proud of yourself, Pete.

WALL•E- An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack Review

Despite the sub-title of this album (Original Score By Thomas Newman), the composer's lush score is book-ended by a couple of Michael Crawford performances culled from a Broadway production of Hello, Dolly!, as well as a new Peter Gabriel Tune. Also tucked away amongst the elements of score is a Louis Armstrong classic. (...)

The Peter Gabriel number, "Down To Earth", at first comes off like one of those Oscar ready film ditties that seem to pop up on Disney films with regularity (Think Elton John's contributions to The Lion King and Phil Collins' work on Tarzan). Basically a mid-tempo ballad, it is built around keyboards and languid basslines, over which Gabriel delivers his warmly gruff vocals. The chorus kicks things up a notch with reverb and ecstatic handclaps, gospel/world music vocals soon slip into the mix, creating a sense of jubilation and immersive. In the end, as is the case with much of Gabriel's work, the simplistic overtones reveal a richly textured progressive pop gem that will work its way under your skin with seductive catchiness and send ripples of happiness up and down your spine. (...)

Wall*e [SOUNDTRACK]

This title will be released on June 24, 2008.

Track Listings :

1. Put On Your Sunday Clothes Performed by Michael Crawford
2. 2815 A.D.
3. Wall-E
4. The Spaceship
5. EVE*
6. Thrust
7. Bubble Wrap
8. La Vie En Rose Performed by Louis Armstrong
9. Eye Surgery
10. Worry Wait
11. First Date
12. Eve Retrieve
13. The Axiom
14. BNL**
15. Foreign Contaminant
16. Repair Ward
17. 72 Degrees and Sunny
18. Typing Bot
19. Septuacentennial
20. Gopher
21. Wall-E's Pod Adventure
22. Define Dancing*
23. No Splashing No Diving
24. All That Love's About
25. M-O
26. Directive A-113
27. Mutiny!
28. Fixing Wall-E
29. Rogue Robots
30. March of the Gels
31. Tilt
32. The Holo-Detector
33. Hyperjump
34. Desperate Eve
35. Static
36. It Only Takes a Moment Performed by Michael Crawford
37. Down to Earth*** Performed by Peter Gabriel
38. Horizon 12.2

*Composed by Thomas Newman and Peter Gabriel
**Written by Bill Bernstein and Thomas Newman
*** Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, Lyrics by Peter Gabriel

Bacs sitting on a goldmine

A British Academy-backed record label is poised to unleash a goldmine of new and previously unavailable material by some of the country’s leading songwriters. The move comes as Bacs’ chief executive Chris Green readies himself to step down from the role he has enjoyed for the past decade.

Academy Recordings is a joint venture between Bacs and online distributor and aggregator The Orchard, and will launch an album at this Thursday’s 53rd Ivor Novello Awards. Volume 1: Songs from the British Academy will assemble more than a dozen songs, many unreleased, from former Ivor winners including KT Tunstall, Cliff Richard, The Pretenders, Robin Gibb, Brian May, David Arnold and Peter Gabriel.

It is likely to be the first of a raft of recordings made available by the organisation’s members to reflect the “huge range” of talent Bacs represents and promotes. On his own personal situation, Green says he is ready to move on after recently celebrating his 65th birthday and wanting to spend a little more time with his family.

For more, see this week’s issue of Music Week, out today.

By Robert Ashton Music Week

Big Blue Ball, black and blue Vinyl 2 LP, CD

Originally, planned as a Peter Gabriel project, "Big Blue Ball", a Gabriel owned Real World Records release, has morphed into a collection of tracks featuring a worldwide mix of artists. It would be fair to say that the music is from “around the world” and defies characterization as "world music". The lead track, "The Whole Thing" featuring Francis Bebey, Alex Faku, Tim Finn, Peter Gabriel, Karl Wallinger, Andy White could have been included on the last Gabriel release “UP” in terms of its theme and feel. “Everything Comes from You” is another outstanding track with an ethereal introduction that transitions into a chat infused Sinead O’Connor vocal supported by piano, guitar and bass drum. The album ends with the title track “Big Blue Ball” , an upbeat ballad sung by Karl Wallinger supported by Peter Gabriel and Manu Katché. Overall the record just works and after a few listens begins to reveal the notion that we and our musics are all interconnected on this big blue ball we call earth. The CD was mastered by Tony Cousins at Metroplis in London and the 2 LP vinyl editions were mastered and cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood, using Classic’s “ALL TUBE” cutting system. Packaged in Deluxe Gatefold Jacket.

Track Listing

"Whole Thing (Original Mix)" (featuring Francis Bebey, Alex Faku, Tim Finn, Peter Gabriel, Karl Wallinger, Andy White)

"Habibe" (featuring Natacha Atlas, Hossam Ramzy, Neil Sparkes)

"Shadow" (featuring Juan Cañizares, Papa Wemba)

"altus silva" (featuring Joseph Arthur, Ronan Browne, Deep Forest, James McNally, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Vernon Reid)

"Exit Through You" (featuring Joseph Arthur, Peter Gabriel, Karl Wallinger)

"Everything Comes From You" (featuring Richard Evans, Joji Hirota, Sevara Nazarkhan, Sinead O’Connor, Guo Yue)

"Burn You Up, Burn You Down" (featuring Billy Cobham, Peter Gabriel, The Holmes Brothers, Wendy Melvoin, Arona N’diaye, Jah Wobble)

"Forest" (featuring Levon Minassian, Arona N’Diaye, Vernon Reid, Hukwe Zawose)

"Rivers" (featuring Vernon Reid, Marta Sebestyen, Karl Wallinger)

"Jijy" (featuring Arona N’Diaye, Rossy, Jah Wobble)

"Big Blue Ball" (featuring Peter Gabriel, Manu Katché, Karl Wallinger)

THE MUSIC.COM

While the Earth Sleeps

Afternoon Aural: Deep Forest feat. Peter Gabriel

"While the Earth Sleeps"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNBZhcoNb5I

Back in 1995, James Cameron’s cyberpunk flick Strange Days got lost in the celluloid shuffle partly due to the bad timing of its release (it hit theaters concurrent with Showgirls), partly due to its eclectic themes and, well, partly due to the fact that it’s not really a great movie. Few made it to the closing credits–though those who did were treated to this Deep Forest gem featuring guest vocals by Peter Gabriel.

Dub Qawwali

Gaudi + Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan | Six Degrees Records

At the time of his 1997 passing, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was widely recognized as a transcendent and eternal-sounding vocalist, and as the world’s premier Qawwal, a singer of traditional Qawwali music--spiritual music from Pakistan with ancient roots in Sufism. Khan’s voice even appeared in progressive “western” music such as Peter Gabriel’s work on 1988’s The Last Temptation of Christ) soundtrack.

Many miles and cultures removed from Khan, London-based composer/producer Gaudi has released eleven solo albums and soundtracks, plus 80 remix albums, in his personalized, flowing techno-reggae style called “gaudi-dub.” But in 2005, Gaudi began conceiving a new production--composing original music for new Khan recordings that had just been discovered in Pakistan--and released Dub Qawwali to coincide with the tenth anniversary of Khan’s death.

“Stylistically, I’m trying to fuse different cultures, genres and sounds while keeping the unifying element of love,” Gaudi explains.

Little distinguishes individual tracks from each other on an album which unfurls as one continuous, lushly-piled musical tapestry. Quite often, as in the opening “Bethe Bethe Kese Kese,” tabla percolates within the thick and stately foundational rhythm, while violin follows to doubles Khan’s voice. When the instrumentation drifts off elsewhere, Khan’s ethereal vocal always grounds and returns it to the groove. Khan’s introduction to “Jab Teri Dhun Main Raha Karte They” seems to fly out of its surrounding echo like a soul departing the body, as does his first verse to “Ghamgar Bare Ne,” so yearning and plaintive.

This unique cross-cultural combination of modern technology and ancient spirituality can sometimes feel incongruous, as when Gaudi incorporates features of Kraftwerk’s “The Model” into the chanted prayer “Dil Da Rog Muka Ja Mahi.”

Even if Dub Qawwali is the result of a collaboration between two artists who never met, Gaudi can still enthuse, “After 26 years of music activity, I have to say that this is the most important production I have ever done.”


Track Listing: Bethe Bethe Kese Kese; Tera Jana Kere Rang Lawe; Jab Teri Dhun Main Raha Karte They; Dil Da Rog Muka Ja Maji; Ghamgar Bare Ne; Abhi Apna Abhi Paraya Hai; Ena Akhiyan Noo; Kahin Mot Se Bhi Na Jao; Mainoo Ole Bai Ke Pee Lain De; Othe Mera Yar Wasda.

Personnel: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: vocals, harmonium; Gaudi: production, programming; Style Scott: drums.

All Things David Rhodes : Sea Monsters

National Geographic's new film, "Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure", opens in the U.S. on October 5 and in Europe and Australia on October 20. "The Footnote" (David Rhodes and Richard Evans) devised new recording methods to take advantage of the IMAX format.

From National Geographic's website:

The film combines the powerful and experiential nature of the giant screen with strong science and educational materials which highlight the complexity and fragility of life in Earth’s oceans, and a powerful multi-media launch plan. Merging ultra-high-resolution 3D graphics with National Geographic’s trademark authenticity, compelling imagery and powerful storytelling, SEA MONSTERS is an unforgettable prehistoric adventure.

As promised, we have an extensive interview with David about his work on this unique project.

Thanks to Stacie Dee

Monstres de la mer: Une aventure préhistorique

v.f. de Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Story

Date de sortie en salle : 03 octobre 2007
Genre :Documentaire
Durée : 0h40

Synopsis : La découverte d’un fossile inusité déclenche une enquête paléontologique passionnante! Faisant appel aux recherches effectuées aux quatre coins du globe, des scientifiques reconstruisent l’extraordinaire et terrible univers des océans de l’ère Crétacée : suivez Dolly, un de ces monstres des profondeurs, au cours des péripéties de son existence, recrées sur écran géant et en 3D. Un film de National Geographic et une musique originale composée par Peter Gabriel.

Nat Geo’s Sea Monsters Attacks IMAX

National Geographic's new large-format film, Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure, will premiere worldwide in IMAX venues and other specialty theaters on Friday, Oct. 5. The movie employs 3D animation to bring extraordinary marine reptiles of the dinosaur age to the really big screen in both stereoscopic 3D and and standard 2D formats.

Narrated by actor Liev Schreiber (The Omen, The Manchurian Candidate), Sea Monsters offers an original score by Richard Evans, David Rhodes and Peter Gabriel as it takes audiences on a journey into the relatively unexplored world of massive reptiles that lived beneath the water during Cretaceous period. Funded in part through a grant from the National Science Foundation, the film follows a family of Dolichorhynchops, known informally as "Dollies," as they traverse ancient waters populated with saber-toothed fish, prehistoric sharks and giant squids. The cast of characters also includes animated representations of the giraffe-necked Styxosaurus, the 20-foot "bulldog" fish Xiphactinus and the 40-foot super-predator Tylosaurus, known as the T-Rex of the ocean.

Distributed by National Geographic, Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure will be supported by companion books for both adults and young readers in standard, 3D and pop-up formats. A video game licensed by Destination Software Incorporated will be released to coincide with the worldwide premiere of the film and will be available for Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS and Wii systems. An additional line of Sea Monsters licensed products, including plush toys, puzzles and apparel, will be available at www.nationalgeographic.com/store.

Growing Up: A Tour of Peter Gabriel. Part 3 of ?

Peter Gabriel’s third and fourth albums came out in ‘80 and ‘82 respectively. His next studio album, So, would come in 1986 and mark the crest of his commercial success. If you don’t know the album by the title, some tunes that might ring a bell are Sledgehammer, Big Time, Red Rain, and In Your Eyes.

Not until I began to think about today’s post did I ever realize I’ve always grouped the first four albums together, as if there were an unseen rift separating them from So. Part of it may be as simple as the name scheme: So was the first Peter Gabriel album not named simply Peter Gabriel (though Peter Gabriel 4 was titled Security here in the states). It might be that the gap in time between Peter Gabriel 4 and So is double that of his previous albums. And though I’m at a loss on how to describe it, there’s a difference in sound between So and Peter Gabriel 3 and 4, just as there was between those albums and 1 and 2.

I’ve always wondered: what was he doing for those four years? What experiences, influences, and collaborators were involved in shaping his next album? I may never know, but sometime in those four years, Gabriel found the time to score a film.

Well, about a weekend, actually.

According to my sources at IMDB, Gabriel recorded 35 minutes of soundtrack in one weekend. I don’t know if that means if the whole process was completed in a weekend, or just the recording of new materials, but either way this impressive stat is likely due to the fact that much of the material on Birdy is reworked from Gabriel’s 3 and 4. That, and after watching that BBC documentary about his recording process, I’m sure he had all sorts of leftover synth sounds to play with.

On one hand, recycled material seems to be a bit of a cop out, but when the source material is this good, even a cop out can sound compelling. All the tracks are instrumental, and many of them are minimalist in nature. Quiet and Alone and Slow Water sound like distant relatives of Aphex Twin’s ambient tracks. Floating Dogs sounds downright eerie to me, and I love the rhythm it works into at the end.

Birdy’s Flight has the quickest pulse of the bunch, and borrows from and builds on the breakdown at the end of the song Not One of Us. Powerhouse at the Foot of the Mountain is a moody ambient track that reuses my favorite moment in Peter Gabriel: the ending of San Jacinto. If there’s one track there that stands on its own, it’s Slow Marimbas. Its sound is classic Gabriel, and the brooding mood it creates is and amazing.

If you need a tune with a bpm greater than your pulse, these might not be for you. Personally, these tracks all make it into my writing playlist, and they are great candidates to serve as an interlude to class up any mix CD. Enjoy the ambiance while it lasts, because next we’re going to hit the Big Time.

New Angelique Kidjo/Peter Gabriel remix pack available

I was asked to do some singing and try a few things on a lovely track called 'Salala', by Angelique Kidjo. Her record company are now looking for some remixes and I just thought we'd throw it out to see if any of you were interested to try your magic hands on this material" Peter Gabriel

Even if you don't fancy your remixing skills you can take a trip over to the download page and hear the track - The album Dijn Dijn is due out on May 1st.

Details of the pack on the realworldremixed.com competiton page.
More on Angelique Kidjo at Kidjo.com

"Her spirit is irrepressible, and she brings life to everything she touches." - Peter Gabriel

"With DJIN DJIN Angelique Kidjo comes home." The four-time Grammy-nominated, much-celebrated singer, composer, and performer began in the Beninese port village of Cotonou, where she launched her career at the age of six. The political turmoil in her country led her to relocate to Paris, the capital of world music, and then ultimately to New York City, where she now resides.

For DJIN DJIN Angelique has pulled together musicans, along with Peter's contribution the record features: drummer Poogie Bell, known for his work with Erykah Badu and Chaka Khan; funk keyboard wizard Amp Fiddler, whose credits include Prince and George Clinton; Larry Campbell, whose multi-instrumental work has adorned the music of Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, and Paul Simon; Senegalese bass giant Habib Faye, a fixture with Youssou N'Dour; guitarists Lionel Loueke, from jazz legend Herbie Hancock's band; Romero Lubambo, a Brazilian wonder whose credits include Diana Krall and Dianne Reeves; Joao Mota, from Guinea-Bissau and kora master Mamadou Diabate.

Talking of Peter's contibution on "Salala" Angelique says:

"He's done so much for African music; in fact, there's something African in his way of singing, moving, and writing his songs"

Click Here To Read The Competition Terms & Conditions

Download The Sample Pack

Visit Angeliqu Kidjo's site for more on the album.

Music Review: Peter Gabriel - Us

Blogcritics/ Nick Deriso/ February 26, 2007

'Red Rain'). The deft mixture of drum loops, dobro, and cello was driving and emotional. That track's counterbalance was 'Love to Be Loved'

Us was a cool blending of Peter Gabriel's 1986 hit So and Passion, his 1989 soundtrack for Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ. Even though that is certainly welcome, Us was no step backward. Save for 'Fourteen Black Paintings' -- the only song here that touches on Gabriel's penchant for the political -- Us finds the former Genesis front man surveying the wreckage of two past relationships. He comes away with few answers.

Gabriel's core band is in rare form, and they are the heart of this album. The big news, however, was everybody else. Many tracks include more than a dozen people - certainly a first for such an introverted, even egocentric dude. (Gabriel kept naming his albums Peter Gabriel until an American label slapped a sticker with the word 'Security' on one of them.) Even with the crowd, however, Us features interior performances that are implausibly taut - very clearly the work of someone who had taken years to sort things out. I also, being a fan, credit co-producer Daniel Lanois.

Less pleasing for the drive-by folks who got on board with MTV hits like 'Big Time,' however, is this: The melodies often aren't clearly stated. On the first few listens, many songs come off as anything but taut; they turn tight playing into first-blush confusion. Put another way, these songs are more than five minutes long - almost every time. Accordingly, reviews at the time fell neatly into two categories -- those who listened to Us once or twice and then started writing, and those who sat with it a little longer.

With a lyrical directness that's surprising (in particular for Peter Gabriel), a CD like this just requires more from its musical score. The songs are more complex, anyway. A problem for some people (not me) was that Gabriel had immersed himself in Eastern, atonal music.

You have tracks that aren't radio friendly, but are certainly heart-rending; tracks like the terrific 'Secret World' (call it this album's 'Red Rain'). The deft mixture of drum loops, dobro, and cello was driving and emotional. That track's counterbalance was 'Love to Be Loved' (this album's 'Mercy Street'), a song that may be obvious, but is far from boring. Its arc, as a lyric and as a tune, is huge.

'Blood of Eden' -- with soaring vocals by Sinead O'Connor and Lanois -- is almost unlistenably beautiful. 'Steam' (this album's 'Sledgehammer') would have sounded better if it had not crash-landed so soon afterward.

In the end, trying to swallow Us whole is not a good idea. After a good bit of chewing, though, I've found it to be one of my favorites by this most challenging artist.
Musical musings by da' S~L~O~B (Saintsfan Lovers of the Blues), a trio from Louisiana, Alabama and a trailer park somewhere in Texas. But it ain't all about blues (even though we are, alas, Saints fans). We mix in jazz, pop and baby-boomer rock, too.

Barnyard Music from the motion picture

Track listing:
1. Mud - North Mississippi Allstars 2:30
2. Hittin' The Hay - North Mississippi Allstars Featuring Les Claypool 2:23
3. Down On The Farm (They All Ask For You) - Kevin James And North Mississippi Allstars 1:12
4. I Won't Back Down - Sam Elliott 2:12
5. 2StepN - North Mississippi Allstars 2:46
6. Hillbilly Holla - North Mississippi Allstars 3:26
7. Kick It - The Bo Keys 2:33
8. Father, Son - Peter Gabriel 4:56
9. Freedom Is A Voice - Bobby McFerrin and Russell Ferrante 4:17
10. Popsickle - Starlight Mints 3:02
11. Wild And Free - Rednex 3:37
12. Boombastic - Shaggy 4:06

Daby Touré: «Je ne revendique aucune identité»

		Audio: Kebaluso
		Audio: Bale
		Audio: Setal

ONEX – La voix magique de Daby Touré résonnera ce soir à la salle communale d’Onex. Après le succès de «Diam», son premier album, cet Africain qui se définit comme un «enfant du monde» revient avec «Stereo Spirit», sorti début février. Interview.

– Vous avez fait la première partie des concerts de Peter Gabriel durant sa tournée européenne en 2004 durant deux mois. Comment ça s’est passé?
– C’était grandiose et émouvant! C’était aussi très instructif pour moi. On mangeait ensemble et on discutait. Je lui ai demandé si c’était vrai qu’il allait jouer à Bercy, et si c’était possible d’avoir des places. Quelques mois plus tard, j’apprenais que je faisais la première partie de sa tournée et que moi-même j’allais joué à Bercy!

– Etes-vous déjà venu chanter en Suisse?
– Oui, mais, là, je sens qu’il faut que je revienne. J’étais à Genève et au Paléo Festival avec Peter Gabriel. D’ailleurs je vais peut-être revenir au Paléo cet été!

– Comment trouvez-vous le public suisse?
– Superpublic à tous les égards! J’ai eu la chance de faire la Grande Scène au Paléo, mais aussi des petites scènes dans ma tournée. Dans les deux cas, le public était très répondant et très enthousiaste. Je garde un bon souvenir.

– Vous avez eu un parcours de vie très mouvementé: divorce de vos parents, déménagements perpétuels... Quels sont les événements que l’on retrouve dans vos chansons?
– Je raconte l’histoire des gens, de personnes que je connais ou mon histoire à moi. Je parle aussi de l’homme, de l’environnement dans lequel on vit, de la misère, de la souffrance. Tout tourne autour de l’homme, et les thèmes sont parfois graves, parfois joyeux mais toujours optimistes!

– Quelle est votre philosophie de vie?
– La vie, c’est beaucoup de souffrances, une continuelle épreuve. On doit s’assumer en tant qu’adulte dans cette société, et, ça, c’est déjà une galère. J’ai décidé il y a très longtemps de ne pas rentrer dans ce système. C’est la musique qui me fait vivre. Je ne sais pas trop quoi penser de tout ça: certains meurent de faim et d’autres gens riches sont malheureux, il y a quelque chose de louche! Heureusement, il y a toujours des gens incroyables qui vous redonnent espoir!

– Vous avez grandi en Afrique et vous habitez depuis des années à Paris. Vous considérez-vous plutôt comme Africain, Français ou Européen?
– Je me considère comme terrien! J’ai grandi en Mauritanie. Mon père s’est retrouvé seul, alors j’ai été placé chez une tante, puis chez un oncle. J’ai passé de foyer en foyer... A 18 ans je suis parti à Paris. J’ai toujours bougé et, du coup, j’ai découvert de nouvelles cultures, je parle plusieurs langues. Je suis un enfant du monde. Il a fallu sans cesse me réadapter et avoir beaucoup de souplesse. Je me sens partout chez moi. Je ne revendique aucune identité que ce soit.

– Quelles anecdotes pouvez-vous nous raconter au sujet de la réalisation de votre album?
– (Rires.) C’est difficile qu’il y en ait, vu que j’étais seul à le faire! Ce que je peux dire, c’est que je rentrais à Paris après un mois de tournée aux Etats-Unis et que, le lendemain, je partais pour un mois d’enregistrement en studio à Londres! J’ai tout enchaîné et j’étais crevé comme il fallait! J’ai dû puiser au fond de moi-même. J’ai eu de la chance car la fatigue ne s’est pas ressentie dans l’enregistrement. Puis la course a continué fin octobre avec le mixage de l’album à Paris. J’ai travaillé avec Bob Coke, le producteur du premier album de Ben Harper.

– Toute la réalisation a été très rapide alors?
– Oui, l’enregistrement a duré un mois et le mixage un mois, donc à peu près deux mois en tout. On devrait parfois avoir plus de temps pour faire les choses, mais on n’a pas toujours le choix…

– Pourquoi avoir choisi de chanter en dialectes soninké, pular, wolof, et pas en français?
– Déjà, ce ne sont pas des dialectes, mais des langues à part entière, et elles sont très musicales. Je ne suis pas en mesure de chanter en français. Je l’ai appris à l’école, certes, mais le chanter, c’est un autre exercice. Je ne le fais pas par respect. J’ai d’ailleurs dû chercher un label en Angleterre à cause de cela.

– D’où vient le nom de «Stereo Spirit»?
– Justement de ma double culture. Je suis à l’aise à Paris, à New York, en Mauritanie. Donc je trouvais que le terme «stereo» sonnait moderne et définissait bien ma mentalité.

Caroline Goldschmid

Why Birds Sing At Real World

Why Birds Sing takes its inspiration from a book of the same name by David Rothenberg - the American musician and philosopher, who puts forward the theory that birds not only sing for courtship and territorial reasons, but also for pleasure. This Endemol documentary, transmitting sometime in March 2007 on BBC4, follows David around - equipped with clarinet and flute - meeting scientists, ornithologists, poets, eccentrics and of course, musicians, including Laurie Anderson, Beth Orton, Jarvis Cocker and Juana Molina. This extraordinary journey climaxed with a recording session in the Big Room at Real World Studios with producer/composers Simon Emmerson and Richard Evans, Kate St John and the Guillemots all collaborating with the real bird samples to create an undeniably funky dance groove. (2006-12-30)

Rock duo are set to get the bird

Jarvis Cocker and Peter Gabriel are spreading their wings to help make a BBC documentary on birdsong. The rock stars will perform on Why Birds Sing, an 80-minute film based on musician and philosopher David Rothenberg’s book. Also taking part in the BBC4 production are Beth Orton, Laurie Anderson and the aptly named Guillemots.

It will culminate in a unique musical composition combining human music and birdsong featuring Gabriel, the Guillemots and musician Simon Emmerson and the vocal talents of a stonechat, butcher bird, hoopoe, woodpecker and an eider duck. Sara Ramsden of makers Cheetah Television said: “Only on BBC4 can you see a man in his underpants pretending to be a song thrush while revealing the latest neuroscientific discovery of what’s really going on in a bird’s brain.”