Icelandic multi-instrumentalist Ólafur Arnalds and Cercle reveal the outstanding live performance recorded on the occasion of Cercle’s First Show in Iceland, a suspended moment in one of the island’s most remote locations.

It’s a gentle, poetic moment, with no hint of the difficulties involved in staging a concert broadcast live from a remote location without an internet connection.

The Show offered a moment at the crossroad of genres: “Because we were doing this Show with Cercle, it was appropriate to play more upbeat songs. We had so much fun doing it, rearranging our tracks so they sound more like dance music… but with a string quartet!”, explained Ólafur Arnalds. A challenge met with flying colours, it resulted in a fulfilling moment alternating between acoustic sounds and electronic rhythms. It’s the outcome of a real collaboration, in which both parties worked hand in hand.

Alongside his project with Cercle, Ólafur continues his highly loved Ultimate Calm series for BBC Radio 3. In Series 2, he invites the listener on a journey of calm meditating on a different theme. Each episode includes a curated selection of tracks around the particular theme and features a special guest who offers their sonic inspiration for calm. In Series 2, the diverse set of guests includes Arlo Parks, Ibeyi, AURORA, Alfa Mist and James Acaster.  Listen to the latest episodes of Ultimate Calm here.

Ólafur Arnalds also renews his exclusive artist deal with Mercury KX (an imprint at Decca Records) following 10 years of a successful global partnership. The label began working with the pioneering artist back in 2013 with the album For Now I am Winter and his BAFTA winning soundtrack Broadchurch (starring David Tennant and Olivia Coleman). Throughout the partnership, Arnalds has released five critically and commercially successful albums, short films and soundtracks amassing over 1.5 billion streams, 150k physical units and selling out live venues across the globe.

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And just like that the Melbourne Ska Orchestra turns 20 Years Young, celebrating with a Best Of vinyl release, a brand new single and video, and a national tour!

From the fun loving humble beginnings in St. Kilda to the international stages of Glastonbury, Istanbul, Montreal, Edinburgh, New York and beyond, the band has steered their ramshackle train into the hearts of many.

“It’s been a pretty amazing adventure with the Melbourne Ska Orchestra. Born out of love for the genre back in 2003, the energy that all the musicians have invested has translated into a fun filled mission in the name of Ska. The music by its nature is a community event when performed and we’re lucky to have created a family vibe that has propelled this special thing we’ve created into a double decade story of Joy,” says Nicky Bomba.

To coincide with the limited edition Best Of vinyl release the band has also dropped a brand new single and video, ‘Something Strong’.

Nicky enthuses, “We are totally excited to share our new single ’Something Strong’. This band has been nothing short of a sweet circus adventure and the lyrics reflect the journey we’ve had. I also love how we’ve captured the joyous spirit of the orchestra once again and can’t wait to play this live. Bless!”

He continues, “20 years young is a valid description of where we’re at as the excitement and creativity within the band is still burning strong. With our World Tours and Awards we know we’re doing something unique and positive in the music world. This single is a snapshot so far… so much more to come. Long Live Melbourne Ska Orchestra! Long Live Ska!”

Initially formed to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the birth of Ska (1963-2003), their infectious energy soon earned them a coveted slot at Bluesfest and WOMADelaide, a recording contract and accolades from all over the world. Two ARIA award wins cemented their reputation as one of Australia’s best live acts, while three of their songs were chosen for a UK feature film about Ska.

The band have matched the appreciation with a work ethic that is second to none. To date they have released 7 albums, including a nigh impossible mission of recording a song a week for a whole year, the ARIA award winning 52 Fridays – One Year of Ska.

This record celebrates the first 20-year chapter of a journey that is still going strong.

Melbourne Ska Orchestra will be hitting the road to bring their signature International Big Band Ska Sound to stages across Australia.

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Spirals is the highly anticipated sixth solo album from violinist and composer Diana Yukawa, following her five solo albums with Sony Music, BMG and her own indie label, Longbody Music.

The solo violinist released her debut album with BMG RCA at age 14 and was acknowledged as one of the country’s top 10 artists. Following her second release a year later, Diana decided she wanted to write and perform her own original music – and this passion has driven the direction of her career ever since. The first single from the new album, ‘Unfolding’, will be released in August, followed by ‘Returning’ on September 2nd, 2022 and the focus track ‘For You’ on September 30th, 2022.

“…it is the violin of Yukawa that elevates the music close to a spiritual plain.” – Ben Hogwood, Music OMH, on Diana’s collaboration with Ghost Harmonic.

The first single – soon to be released on 5th August – “Unfolding” is a piece Diana wrote with all the excitement, fear and wonder of entering a new chapter of her life. Surrendering fully with trust and a heart full of love. Her second single “Returning” touches upon the sense of “coming home”, returning to herself and her music which this album is a full celebration of; “Remembering who I was before and embracing the expansion of identity and my music”.

Diana was born in Tokyo before moving to London at three months where she lived until seven years ago, before relocating to the Cotswolds to start a family. She began learning the violin at the age of five and had the privilege of studying with the late, great master, Ruggiero Ricci as well as such distinguished Professors as Maurice Hasson, Hu Kun, Rodney Friend and Natasha Boyarsky.

Throughout her colourful career to date, the half English half Japanese violinist has performed solo at some of the world’s most auspicious venues – recently dazzling audiences at Latitude and Wilderness Festivals, the Royal Albert Hall, Place Des Arts, Burh Dubai and to a sold-out Hollywood Bowl, to name but a few.

Diana is also a keen collaborator and has worked with Craig Armstrong, Jeff Beck, Nitin Sawhney, John Foxx and Ghost Harmonic as well as some of the world’s greatest Orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic, English Chamber and BBC Concert Orchestra. Diana has also featured as a special guest for various TV shows including MTV’s Coke Studio, Blue Peter and PBS.

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Pine ¶he Pilcrow are releasing their new single ‘If It’s True’ and it’s their most accomplished song to date.

It’s the first of a trio of songs to be released produced by Alex Borwick (Lankum, The Young Folk, Catfish & The Bottlemen). Marked down as haunting ambient folk with their previous 2 EP’s the band have now grown in sound as well as a band, enlisting percussionist Shay Sweeney to help bring a more dynamic, fuller and epic sound to this release.

The Monaghan, Clare and Dublin quartet of Kevin Murray, Hannah Ryan, Shay Sweeney and Robert Campbell create original and imaginative music by combining folk, classical and traditional influences with gruff and angelic vocal harmonies.

The release of their self-titled debut E.P. in March 2016 saw them nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2016 Pure M awards, winning The Last Mixed Tape’s ‘Readers EP of the Year’ award and nominated for Best Song at the IMRO Christie Hennessy Song Competition for their ambient and emotive ballad ‘Don’t Need Me’.

The rest of an exciting year for the band featured performances at the main stage in the Body & Soul area at Electric Picnic, Body and Soul Festival, Arcadian Fields and Vantastival. The band sold out their first headline performance at the Civic Theatre in Tallaght and added support slots with Joe Chester at the Unitarian Church and John Spillane, to the growing list of impressive live shows.

With 2018, Pine ¶he Pilcrow released their second E.P. (Only Ghosts) and continued to build upon their incredible debut year with a performance at the acclaimed Other voices festival to top it off.

In 2020 Pine ¶he Pilcrow are back with a bigger and more epic sound than before. With 3 singles planned over the next 12 months and a tour across the island it will be hard to avoid the ambient heart felt songs of P¶P.

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Summer seasons and parties would not have been the same in the 60′ and 70’s without The Beach Boys.

The all-American sounds that produced seasonal and occassion anthems such as ‘Wouldn’t it Be Nice, ‘California Girls’, ‘Fun Fun Fun’ and more belted out from the airwaves and vinyl not only across the nation of U.S. but the world, becoming instantly recognizable within the first few bars of their tracks.

40+ years on and The Beach Boys are still going. Their latest album, releasing this month sees them team up with the versatile and equally epic British based, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Beach Boys signature songs have been stripped from their original catchiness with vocals only and the Philharmonic Orchestra providing the backing track.

As they mega sized multi-filled instrument Orchestra has done in the past with thew likes of The Beatles and Queen, they reinvigorate the timeless classics. But the difference being this time, that the original vocals, new and old are re-laced against the deeply detailed instrumentals.

The Beach Boys With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is an album to listen to over and over again.

Re-hearing ‘Kokomo’ with the deep live drums in the intro is food for the ears.

An instrumental section in ‘Help Me Rhonda’ plays out with precision and fine detail that you could swear you hear every string, each high and low pitch, each instrumentalist individually working their magic to bring the classic songs to life.

Full of those ‘Good Vibrations’ The Beach Boys With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is an outstanding album.

A Beach Boys fan or not, there’s no denying that we all know at least one of their songs and this fusion brings the best of classical to the best of pop from yester-year.

A definite must own, a definite must play and an album that I’ll definitely still be feeding my ears with for a very long time. My fav release of 2018.

The post The Beach Boys With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Album) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

This November (2017), New Zealand’s Sol3 Mio return with the highly anticipated release of their first ever Christmas album, A Very Merry Christmas.

Featuring the breathtaking voices of Pene Pati, Amitai Pati and Moses Mackay – as well as guest features from Bic Runga and Hollie Smith – this much requested album will delight their legions of fans and is destined to become a bona fide Kiwi classic, for this Christmas and for many holiday seasons to come.

Inspired by their much loved 2013 recording of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas and by the audiences they have enchanted at their revered Christmas in the Vines concerts of the past three years, this new collection sees the group putting their own unique spin on the traditional Christmas album.

With its distinctive Kiwi feel and classic Sol3 Mio sound, A Very Merry Christmas evades the traditional themes of winter wonderlands and log fires to instead encapsulate the truly unique spirit of Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere.

Like Christmas itself, this is an album full of surprises. It marks a song writing first for Sol3 Mio with Moses Mackay penning two stunning original Christmas songs for the album. Look out too for some soon-to-be-announced special guests who make an appearance on the record.

“We’re thrilled to finally be able to announce the release of our very own Christmas album! I can’t wait for fans to hear our Kiwi take on so many wonderful holiday classics, as well as the two original songs written especially for the record” says Mackay.

Following their internationally acclaimed self-titled debut record (10x platinum) and rousing sophomore release On Another Note (3x platinum), A Very Merry Christmas was recorded at Grove Studios just north of Sydney with producer Scott Horscroft and mixed in the UK by Sol3 Mio’s long-time collaborator Nick Patrick (Paul Potts, Hayley Westenra).

UniMusic has provided STG with the full track listing:

1. It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
2. Return To Santa
3. Lonely This Christmas
4. Blue Christmas
5. Fairytale Of New York feat. Bic Runga
6. Driving Home For Christmas
7. Happy Christmas (War Is Over) feat. Hollie Smith
8. Merry Christmas (All You Need Is Love)
9. Mele Kilikimaka
10. If Every Day Was Like Christmas
11. I’ll Be Home For Christmas
12. O Christmas Tree
13. Auld Lang Syne

BONUS TRACKS

14. Little Drummer Boy
15. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

The post SOL3 MIO REVEAL FIRST TWO TRACKS FROM A VERY M3RRY CHRISTMAS appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

This November, New Zealand’s Sol3 Mio return with the highly anticipated release of their first ever Christmas album, A Very Merry Christmas.  Featuring the breathtaking voices of Pene Pati, Amitai Pati and Moses Mackay, this much requested album will delight their legions of fans and is destined to become a bona fide Kiwi classic, for this Christmas and for many holiday seasons to come.

Inspired by their much loved 2013 recording of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas and by the audiences they have enchanted at their revered Christmas in the Vines concerts of the past three years, this new collection sees the group putting their own unique spin on the traditional Christmas album.

With its distinctive Kiwi feel and classic Sol3 Mio sound, A Very Merry Christmas evades the traditional themes of winter wonderlands and log fires to instead encapsulate the truly unique spirit of Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere.

Like Christmas itself, this is an album full of surprises. It marks a song writing first for Sol3 Mio with Moses Mackay penning two stunning original Christmas songs for the album. Look out too for some soon-to-be-announced special guests who make an appearance on the record.

“We’re thrilled to finally be able to announce the release of our very own Christmas album! I can’t wait for fans to hear our Kiwi take on so many wonderful holiday classics, as well as the two original songs written especially for the record” says Mackay.

Following their internationally acclaimed self-titled debut record (10x platinum) and rousing sophomore release On Another Note (3x platinum), A Very Merry Christmas was recorded at Grove Studios just north of Sydney with producer Scott Horscroft and mixed in the UK by Sol3 Mio’s long-time collaborator Nick Patrick (Paul Potts, Hayley Westenra).

The album is in store and online from November the 10th, 2017. Sol3 Mio will also be on tour throughout New Zealand, for full ticket info, visit HERE.

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