A new organisation of musicians has written to Barack Obama protesting against the use of music to torture detainees. Also: a closer look at the individuals behind the recent An Bord Snip report, which recommends systematic fleecing of the poor in order to keep fat-cats in the style to which they’re accustomed.
Larry Gogan, Cormac Battle, Jenny Greene and Dan Hegarty are among the panel of experts lined up by RTÉ 2fm, to offer advice and assistance to musicians and bands at The Music Show.
The official opening of The Music Show will take place in Trinity College, with an interview with Island records founder Chris Blackwell conducted by our very own Stuart Clark.
Live music industry stalwart Vince Power and classical guitar guru John Feeley are the latest additions to The Music Show, set for October 4-5 in Dublin's RDS.
The Blizzards are the latest Irish stars to be added to the line-up for Music Show, which takes place in the RDS on October 3 and 4, adding hugely to a bill that already includes The Coronas, Imelda May and Republic of Loose, among the current leading lights of Irish rock.
For 25 years Music Maker have been a central force in the Irish instruments industry, their premises in Exchequer Street in Dublin a veritable musical mecca for international and Irish customers alike. Latterly they have expanded into distribution with MIDI (Musical Instrument Distribution Ireland) and were also involved in the initiative to create the permanent memorial to Rory Gallagher being unveiled this week. Jackie Hayden talked to the key players about the Music Maker success story, and even heard the one about the man with the child's organ!
Playwright Michael Harding insists that composing and playing music has inspired his writing for the stage, a theory borne out by his latest play, Talking Through His Hat
For the weekend of November 25 and 26, all musical roads will lead to the RDS in Dublin for the Music Ireland ’06 event. Jackie Hayden talks to the show director Ollie Upton about what’s in store for us at this major annual attraction for musician and music fans alike.
The biggest ever music exhibition in Ireland will cover all aspects of the entertainment business – with something for every music fan. What’s more, it is happening at the perfect time for Christmas browsing.
Pierce Turner is back in Ireland for a summer tour, but he’s also pre-occupied by his bad experiences in Ireland as a keen music radio listener and has some radical ideas for shaking up Radio 1 and Lyric FM.
Japanese tin whistlers, Harlem Gospel singers, Indian mandolin players . . . De Dannan have traded scales and tales with them all. Dermot Stokes catches up with Frankie Gavin and Alec Finn and is entranced as the Michael Palins of pan-cultural playing share excerpts from their ongoing odyssey.
The second day of the Music Show brought together James Bond composer David Arnold, Enya producer Nicky Ryan, Christy Moore, Sharon Corr and... The Blizzards
He began working in music as a drummer, but Dave Pennefather's greatest success has been as MD of Universal Music. Hot Press looks back over the life and times of a man with a larger than life reputation.
For a city so often celebrated in song, it was inevitable that the horrific events in new york would be felt as keenly in the music world as in any other section of society. STUART CLARK reports on the industry response and compiles a broad selection of individual reactions to the attack
Psychic and physical disintegration! Quacks, pulsars and Marshall amps! The sound of the end of space and time! And, oh yes, silly song titles too! Welcome to the world of WAYNE COYNE and The Flaming Lips. Interview: Peter Murphy.
Donal Dineen launches his latest exhibition at the Galway Arts Festival this month. as we've come to expect from the DJ, TV presenter, filmmaker and photographer, music plays a big part in the new work
German dance music may be characterised by the likes of Paul Van Dyk, Sven Vath and Hardfloor, but the country has always boasted an underground
alternative. Richard Brophy talks to one of its main proponents, Pole.
The future of house music is in the hands of a trainee teacher from Frankfurt. Sounds strange? Let Richard Brophy introduce you to the weird and wonderful world of Isolee.
Director whose debut album We Thrive On Big Cities recently got to number two in the Irish charts, are emblematic of the extraordinary evolution of the indigenous music industry in recent years.
Two Icelandic natives who came together in London and have carved out a niche playing supremely melodic, melancholy pop music – boy-girl duo The Honeymoon look to be here for the long run.
Ian Pooley s third album, Since Then, is his finest to date. It s also potential crossover material, but that doesn t make any difference to one of house music s most gifted producers. Richard Brophy investigates
Having scored huge chart success with the dance anthem ‘Maniac’, acclaimed Irish DJ Mark McCabe is now broadening his musical horizons with his intriguing debut album, Music From The Fourth Place.
Sliabh Notes are a trio of renowned traditional musicians who play dance music that long preceded the breed that flourishes these days in the club scene. Siobhan Long pays a visit to them in the best place possible to hear the music: a wedding reception in Kerry.
English folk singer KATE RUSBY has been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. She tells Colm O'Hare about sad songs, her Bon Jovi phase, and attracting praise from Blur s Graham Coxon
The guitar is back – and how! Instrument sales are healthier than they’ve been in years. but that’s not the only good news from Ireland’s music equipment shops.
Dublin anarcho-pop five-piece The Camembert Quartet have just released their debut album Music Is War, but with song titles such as 'Boybands Are C**ts' it's unlikely they'll be joining westlife on tour
Having scored huge critical acclaim and won the Mercury Music Prize for his debut album Boy In Da Corner, Dizzee Rascal has pushed urban music another rung up the evolutionary ladder with his stunning new record, Showtime.
Though soaked in the musical culture of Southern California, female-fronted indie quartet Saucy Monky say there’s an undeniably Irish strain to their music.
End of the millennium psychosis techno? Political partying house? Dance music with a social conscience and a sense of humour ? If you re looking for all of the above, then look no further than Green Velvet s new LP, Constant Chaos . On the soapbox: Richard Brophy.
The Eclipse Music Festival in Waterville didn t exactly go according to plan but, as ADRIENNE MURPHY reports, out of the chaos came a day and night to remember.
Low priced guitars and pianos manufactured in China are music to the ears of Western music fans: Mark Godfrey reports from the biggest music expo in Asia.
The latest radio listenership figures suggest that the once embattled Today FM is finally emerging as a credible national alternative to RTE. In the final of a four part series, Jackie Hayden meets No Disco founding-presenter, new-music savant and legendary nighttime DJ Donal Dineen
They may look after Lambchop’s pets and occasionally leg it from Crawdaddy to catch the last train home, but when not partaking in such hi-jinks, Dublin quartet Delorentos are busy trying to kick rock music another rung up the evolutionary ladder.
Dublin art-rockers Rollers/Sparkers are currently earning critical garlands for their debut EP, Geography For The Leaving erudite band member, John McMahon, here holds forth on the local music scene and forsaking academia for rock’n’roll.
FIONA REID meets SEAN MILLAR, the acclaimed singer/songwriter who’s currently overseeing a music workshop for inner-city youths and talks to one young participant, IAN FAGAN
Kirsty MacColl has added another string to her bow with a new album heavily influenced by Cuban and Brazilian music. She told Niall Stanage about the album s genesis, the break-up of her marriage to Steve Lillywhite and why there s no Left in Britain anymore .
Over the past number of years, Today FM has consistently supported Irish music, playlisting records by local artists and doing in-studio sessions on a regular basis. in the process the station has played an important part in the increasingly impressive chart and sales achievements of irish acts.
DOMINO RECORDS has released some of the most essential music of the 90 s by the likes of Sebadoh, Palace Brothers, and Elliott Smith. NICK KELLY talks to lynchpin Laurence Bell and one member of the label s current roster, Stephen Pastel of The Pastels.
Stuart Clark discusses Michael Jackson’s trial, Roxy Music, The Killers, David Bowie and the ideal soundtrack for bonking with a newly peaceful and content Moby.
Stuart Clark discusses Michael Jackson’s trial, Roxy Music, The Killers, David Bowie and the ideal soundtrack for bonking with a newly peaceful and content Moby.
Brendan Tallon, guitarist and singer with No Disco darlings Revelino, talks to Patrick Brennan about his early struggle with the music biz that stopped his previous incarnation, The Coletranes, dead in its tracks, and the creative process behind the craft of song-writing that makes his new album, Revelino, one of the year s essential purchases.
John Walshe talks to Wilt frontman Cormac Battle about the band s new single, their forthcoming Dublin show, and why the music industry is like a virus.
Still making great music after all these years, Van Morrison is an Irish genius worthy of comparison with the most enduring ’60s legends such as Bob Dylan and Neil Young
With his new album The Mountain, STEVE EARLE has turned his hand to bluegrass. He talks to SIOBHAN LONG about the record, his colourful past and his love of Irish music.
NIALL STANAGE identifies the contenders in the race to put a new youth-oriented radio station on air in Dublin and speaks to FIONA McLOUGHLIN and DONAL SCANNELL, CEO and Head of Music respectively at FUSE FM, one of the applicants.
. . . or overlooking Fountainstown beach in Co. Cork, anyway. METISSE have everyone talking, owing to the sheer unique nature of their music. KEVIN BARRY met them.
Dr Sean Millar is back with an acclaimed new album, this time accompanied by The Beet Club, displaying a recently acquired maturity in both music and lyric. Yet he tells Stephen Robinson that he's happy to be still growing up
KARAN CASEY may be a folk singer, but don t classify her as easy listening . Her music is infused with radicalism and eclectism. She spoke to SIOBHAN LONG.
ANI Di FRANCO has confirmed her position as one of the 90s most compelling performers with her new album Up, Up, Up, Up, Up Up. But there has always been more to Di Franco than her music. Here she talks to SIOBHAN LONG about her hard-won independence, corporate America and the stupidity of conservativism.
From 15-28 July 2002 Galway city hosts one of the most comprehensive of this year's arts festivals with esoteric offerings from the genres of visual art, music, theatre, comedy and lots, lots more
Liverpool's musical exports have included The Beatles, Echo and the Bunnymen, the Teardrop Explodes, Pete Burns, the KLF, the Lightning Seeds, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and many more. Mercury nominees The Coral are the latest scallywags to capture the attention of the music press who have picked up on their blend of classic rock influences and irreverent energy
While some white label mixes are illegal, Belgian outfit Soulwax have gone through an arduous process in order to licence the music featured on their 'legal bootleg' album 2 many DJs, as Eamon Sweeney reports
They've ditched the tweed and taken their music in a darker direction. The Young Knives talk about Gilbert and George, the Mercurys and Thom Yorke's seaside hideaway.
Why do people read magazines? An interesting poser in view of the last decade: the era that brought us multimedia and the Internet, the cultural idea of “dumbing down”, and that saw “content” production in the media – what we read, what we listen to, what we even hear about – fall conclusively into the hands of the profit-or-die multinationals. The question is in the news pages this month following reports that landmark American music and youth culture magazine Rolling Stone is breaking with its 35-year tradition of intelligent cultural and political journalism to move into the racy male-lifestyle-mag arena, under the stewardship of British editor Ed Needham, famous for giving the world “lad” magazine FHM. …
In a Hot Press exclusive brian kennedy is interviewed by his friend Pat McCABE. On the agenda: Belfast, religion, Joni Mitchell, The Beatles and the current state of popular music. Pics: Cathal Dawson
ave Fanning: We just played "Wild Things Run Free" (sic) and as you say yourself you are "back in the harness". Now, except for the vocals would it be a fair assumption to call the music on the new album pop with a rock steady beat?
Roddy Doyle is one of Ireland's most important writers. Having made his initial breakthrough with The Commitments, he won the Booker prize in 1993 with Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha. Now with his new novel Oh, Play That Thing – the sequel to the critically acclaimed A Star called Henry – he is back to one of his guiding passions, music, as he takes his protagonist Henry smart through the scrum of 1920s New York, and on to Louis Armstrong's Chicago.
ANI DiFRANCO is one of contemporary music's most impressive originals. Without compromising her independence or political radicalism, she has scaled the heights of commercial and
critical success. In this, her only Irish interview, she speaks candidly to NIALL STANAGE about TAFKAP, her battles with the music industry, American 'gun culture' and the troubled family life which lies behind one of her most moving songs.
PAUL BRADY has had an embattled career. In the course of it, he has made great music, won new fans and lost old friends. He has written powerful songs, locked horns with his record company, even contemplated quitting the business entirely. Now finally, he has come to new realisations about himself and about the enduring power of love. Interview: JOE JACKSON.
Basking in the warm glow of that first day's successful recording may tempt you to imagine that it's all over but for the fame and fortune. Wrong, and double wrong. JACKIE HAYDEN considers music marketing and PR.
SEAMUS HEANEY once described Ireland as a country that went from the medieval to the post-modern in a generation. More than any other native band, Horslips embody that idea. Over their ten-year career, the band lurched back and forth from neo-classical Irish chamber music to progressive rock to acoustic folk to psychedelic pop to glam rock; here was one combo capable of going from Carolan to Caravan in a single bound.
With an Irish tour approaching and a new album in the shops, Luka Bloom looks back on three decades that have taken him from busking in a pub in Newbridge to the big stages of Europe and America. In this candid interview with Jackie Hayden the man also known as Barry Moore talks about brother Christy, overcoming stage fright, finding an original voice, dealings with the music business, the need to combat racism - and why he remains a wannabe bogman
After more than 15 years in the business, Aslan are still able to command massive, devoted audiences in music venue and record shop alike. John Walshe joins the Lions' club on the road
OUT FROM BEHIND THE GREASE-PAINT THAT ADORNS HIS FACE ON THE COVER OF ‘SPIKE’, ELVIS COSTELLO EMERGES TO TALK ABOUT THE MUSIC THAT RUNS IN HIS FAMILY FROM BIG-BAND TO SPEED-METAL, HIS MUCH-TOUTED IRISH CONNECTION, WORKING WITH PAUL McCARTNEY, HIS CONTEMPT FOR MUCH OF TODAY’S POP MUSIC AND THE FEELINGS THAT INSPIRED HIS DEATH-WISH FOR MARGARET THATCHER.
John Walshe had a ringside seat for all the music, speeches, laughs and tears that made the 2002 hotpress Irish Music Awards in Belfast a night to remember.
In a single decade, Irish electronica and dance music has transformed the national scene. MARK KAVANAGH has been involved from the very beginning, as a DJ, activist, producer and hotpress columnist. Here, he offers a personal take on a long and winding but ultimately fruitful road, and reveals some of the new challenges he ll be undertaking as a DJ, producer and recording artist over the coming 12 months
The grand dame of country and western music tells Olaf Tyaransen about her enduring passion for her music, her attachment to her tennessee roots, the ups and downs of her 36-year marriage and her ambitions to record an album of traditional Irish tunes
Currently the hottest female property in music, Alicia Keys has come a long way from the little girl whose first record was kermit's 'it's not easy being green'. Admittedly, she's had some serious assistance from heavy friends - including music biz mogul Clive Davis - but mainly she can thank her own prodigious talent and spirit of independence. Matt Diehl hears how Alicia Keys came to share the grammy limelight with U2
The MTV Europe Music Awards 2002 may have been a bit of a damp squib, but an electrifying Foo Fighters, a boards-sweeping Eminem and a nekkid Christina Aguilera prevented it from being a total washout.
Kele Le Roc is poised for major pop success. Adrienne Murphy met her at Childline 99, and talked to her about the music buisness, finding her own voice and, er, the Kids from Fame. Pics: Cathal Dawson
At a time when public disillusionment with politicians is arguably at an all-time high, Cork Fianna Fail MEP BRIAN CROWLEY continues to buck the national trend by commanding a huge personal vote. But then, this is not a man who fits easily into any obvious political mould. A former rock singer and still a passionate music fan, he has survived a near-fatal car crash and learned to live with a permanent disability resulting from an earlier life-changing accident in his teens. Here, the man many tip to be a future President of Ireland, talks candidly to JOE JACKSON about matters personal and political. Pics: COLM HENRY.
STEREOPHONICS are on the up-and-up, their popularity growing without the band making concessions to the London-based music media. GEORGE BYRNE met them to talk about drink, drugs, writer s block and their upcoming Slane support slot.
Mini Pics: MICK QUINN.
It's head-scratching, nail-biting, on-the-tip-of-your-tongue time again, as GEORGE BYRNE presides over our renowned annual music quiz [this is for the year 2000]
The outlaw loved by the in-law, Willie Nelson can draw 4,000 people outside Dublin virtually by word of mouth. But it ain't all middle of the road: as befits a veteran of the honky-tonks who had done battle with the IRS and the law, the country music legend can still get in touch with the dark side of Hank
It's one of the most heartwarming and deserved success stories in music - how Beth Orton learned to cope with illness, rebuilt her career and found herself sharing studios and stages with artists as diverse as Emmylou Harris, Ryan Adams, The Chemical Brothers and David Kitt
From dark age to middle age, Nick Cave is such a far cry from the blood-spilling junkie of rock legend that these days you’re likely to encounter him commuting to his 9 to 5. Except of course that his job is writing and making music, his new album is called Nocturama and there are, he admits, some sizeable blow-outs in the memory banks.
It's been a long strange trip and no mistake, one that describes a discernible line from
Harry Smith's Anthology Of American Folk Music through to the Handsome Family.
But there's even more going on beneath the surface. GREIL MARCUS, the music critic's music critic,
is PETER MURPHY's guide on a mystery train whose other passengers include Elvis Presley, Robert Johnson, Mark Twain, Nick Cave, The Blair Witch, Bill Clinton, The Band, Siniad O'Connor, Beck, William Burroughs, William Faulkner and Bob Dylan. And that's just the first class carriage. All aboard
EMINEM s Marshall Mathers LP has gone 12 times platinum in Ireland. He s been voted Time magazine s Man Of The Year. And, having broken through into the mainstream with the remarkable Stan , he s just been nominated for four Grammys. So why is the world suddenly falling at the feet of a venomous bottle-blonde rapper who s penned some of the most repugnant, hate-filled lyrics since the invention of the gramophone record? Peter Murphy tells one of pop music s most extraordinary stories ever
Nirvana - Ten years after. Peter Murphy talks to producer Butch Vig, musician Mark Lanegan and critic Greil Marcus, and gets the inside story of the making of Nevermind, the classic album that changed the face of music, unveiled the anthem 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' and brought the world face to face with a screaming soul called Kurt Cobain.
Starting out in 1977 as Ireland's answer to America's Rolling Stone and Britain's NME, Hotpress has gone on to forge its own unique identity on the news shelves while earning an international reputation for the quality of its music journalism.
A wide variety of trade exhibitors will be there over the weekend to show you what they've got - from music instruments to recording equipment and software.
(RED), a charity started by U2 frontman Bono, has announced a new initiative to help to raise money for people living with AIDS in Africa, through the medium of music.
Meteor has announced the arrival of the Meteor Music Store in Ireland, giving music fans the chance to download their favourite songs – anytime, anywhere.
Guitarist and songwriter Liam Merriman has been selected by Music Network today as one of four people who will be involved in the European Music in Health Training Programme for 2009 and 2010.
Following on from the successful launch of the Alternative Careers in
2002, the RDS has announced the 2004 seminar will be held in the RDS, Saturday, October 9.
Now in its sixth year, Hot Press is pleased to announce the latest nationwide search for Irish artists to have a music video directed and produced by film students from the illustrious Tisch School of the Arts, New York University.
Now in its fourth year, Hot Press is please to announce a nationwide search for Irish artists to have a music video directed and produced by film students from the illustrious Tisch School of the Arts, New York University.
Read on for the full list of winners of the 2008 IMRO Live Music Venue Of The Year Awards, which took place in the RDS, Dublin on October 4 as part of The Music Show.
Now in its third year, Hot Press is pleased to announce a nationwide search for Irish music talent to have a music video directed and produced - for free - by film students from the illustrious Tisch School of Performing Arts at New York University.
Hot Press is delighted to confirm its involvement in Music Ireland ’06, a three-day exhibition, workshop, seminar and live performance extravaganza taking place in the RDS on November 25 and 26.
Neil Hannon fought off tough competition from the likes of Duke Special and The Immediate to win the second Choice Music Prize at Vicar St, Dublin, last night.
The London-based Tech Music Schools – which has churned out musicians the calibre of Radiohead's Phil Selway & Ed O’Brien – hits Kylemore College this weekend.
OnOff, winners of the competition to open the live stage at The Music Show this weekend, are gearing up for what is the biggest Irish gig of their career to date.
While we’re undoubtedly blessed with a stack of fine bands these days, the street gang vibe that has been so crucial in music down the years is noticeably largely absent.
The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) is has announced the inaugural IFTA Music Forum, focusing on "Music for the Moving Image", will take place in Dublin on 4 September 2009.
Sean Needham and The Maladies are among the long line-up of musicians taking part in The Music Marathon fundraising event in support of Outreach Moldova
We can now reveal the band who will take to the Live stage at The Music Show this weekend as winners of the Hot Press/Sennheiser competition. Drum roll please...!
Greg Haver has joined the list of major industry names appearing at The Music Show. The event takes place at the RDS in Dublin on October 4 and 5 and boasts a line-up that is packed with industry heavyweights.
The Irish Music Rights Organisation has announced the second annual IMRO Live Music Venue of the Year Awards. The awards recognise Irish venues which provide the very highest standards in live music entertainment.
A special exhibition focussing on musical inspirations as been lined up for The Music Show, which takes place at the RDS in Dublin this weekend, Saturday October 4 and Sunday October 5.
Donegal outfit Boy Number Seven emerged victorious at the finals of the inaugural Youth Work Ireland/Garageland Seven Steps Up music competition, held in Dublin's Sugar Club over the weekend.
The battle for artistic freedom comes to Dun Laoghaire's Pavillion Theatre with a panel discussion on music censorship featuring Nitin Sawhney and more this Sunday 29th August
Tim Wheeler from Ash, Gary Lightbody from Snow Patrol and Radio 1’s Colin Murray are among the active supporters of a project to establish a dedicated music centre for Belfast.
E-drums, synths and home digital pianos – as Gerry Forde explains, Roland have been at the cutting edge of music technology for decades, and show no signs of slackening off.
Tomorrow's David Holmes and James Murphys are invited to submit tracks to take part in an expenses-paid trip to Toronto for the Red Bull Music Academy.
Kilkee beach in County Clare will play host to the inaugral Cois Fharraige surf and music festival this September, which features the likes of Fun Lovin' Criminals and Ocean Colour Scene.
Tech Music Schools (Drumtech / Vocaltech / Guitar-X / Bass Guitar-X / Keyboardtech), Europe’s leading contemporary music schools, are proud to offer a free full-time intensive scholarship course in London to a Hot Press reader.
We can now reveal the band who will take to the Live stage at The Music Show this weekend as winners of the Hot Press competition. Drum roll please...!
Tommy Hilfiger have joined forces with Sony BMG for the global launch of TommyTV (www.tommytv.com), “an online evolution” of the Hilfiger Sessions music series.
Music Industry Xplained is aimed at those seeking careers in the music industry and aims to give students a practical overview of the workings of the various components of the industry using lecturers that are currently employed at the top of the music and entertainment industries.
The Irish Recorded Music Association are offering music collectives, youth and community groups the chance to bag 15 high quality music equipment 'starter packs'.
After subjecting train spotters worldwide to years and years of frustration, Planet E boss Carl Craig finally relents and releases his impossible to track down, limited edition Designer Music 12s on one CD.
They are the basis for some of the most iconic images in rock. Now, for two days they will be on exhibition at the RDS in Dublin, as part of The Music Show.
The Office of Public Works has announced performances by the English Music Collective, Muzsikas and Lunfardia for their free salon music concerts this July.
The Seen a Million Faces music photography exhibition, featuring rare photographs of bands including Metallica, will take place in Belfast on October 9 until 23.
Announcing the fourth series of the MIX (Music Industry Xplained) course.
MIX 04 is a 12-week series of lectures (one each week) by top professional exponents from the Irish and International music industry. MIX 04 is aimed at those seeking careers in the music industry. The practical workings of the industry will be explained by key figures who have worked with artists as successful as U2, The Cranberries, Clannad, Christy Moore, Westlife, Jack L, Tricky, Beautiful South, Robbie Williams, Massive Attack and others.
The oldest collection of harp music in existence consists of 71 pages copied by Robert ap Huw in 1613 from various sources that have since vanished. Written in a unique tablature (some of which is reproduced in the CD booklet), it’s drawn from the repertoire of cerdd dant, harp music originally brought from Ireland to Wales by the 12th century king Gruffudd ap Cynan. Clare man Paul Dooley has devoted years to the study of this manuscript, and he’s one of the few people to play the old-style metal-strung harp with his fingernails in the style of the medieval harpers.
Despite the potential horrors of selling Irish music to an American audiences, Green Linnet has managed to avoid many of the attendant clichés that have plagued Celtic music overseas.
Musicians worth their salt will be glad to learn that the live show/exhibition Music Ireland is set to be bigger than ever, with the addition of new sponsors Waltons, some illustrious industry figures on the panel and Director and The Blizzards set to play it.
To give this release some context, it’s worth noting that When It’s Ajar is not quite a re- mix album. It’s a compilation of re-compositions of Daniel Figgis’ work by prominent producers and musicians from the experimental and electronic music scene.
HOT PRESS Yearbook 2003, in association with Richer Sounds, are providing the chance for you to show us just how much of a music trainspotter you really are - and in the process to win a jammin' amplifier and speaker set valued at over €2,000!
Otherwise known as the foursome from Athlone who ruffled Hugh Hefner’s marabou feathers (when they adopted his famous Playboy logo as their own), Bunny’s debut single ‘Fearless’, released last year, gave listeners an interesting taste of things to come. The good news? Slick Corporate Music delivers on this promise.
He was the man whose evidence put a huge hole in the stern of Pirate Bay, in a landmark judgement in Sweden earlier this year. Now the CEO and Chairman of the International Federation of Phonographic Industries, John Kennedy, is set to speak at The Music Show, which takes place on October 3 and 4, at the RDS in Dublin. He will speak on the issue of illegal downloading and the threat it represents to the Music Industry, which is currently undergoing massive changes as a result of the impact of the internet. The Music Show is run by Hot Press magazine.
SO WHO the fuck are Mouth Music and what the hell do I care anyway? It's a wetly miserable Sunday night, my beautiful girlfriend (honest) is still in England and today's phone call went really badly, the bank is hassling me over an unpaid loan and if this cough is anything to go by then, I've definitely got cancer.
Dave Pennefather, the prominent Managing Director of Universal Music Ireland, is to step back from the day-to-day running of the company after 24 years.
For lovers of rhythym, this year's Music Ireland sees legendary dummer John Blackwell will give a special performance on October 6. Best known for his time touring with Prince, Blackwell now tours with Justin Timberlake.
Rock fans are in for a special treat with the addition of a special Rory Gallagher Exhibition to the attractions at the Music Show, which takes place at the RDS on October 3 and 4.
HOT PRESS Yearbook 2003, in association with Richer Sounds, are providing the chance for you to show us just how much of a music trainspotter you really are - and in the process to win a jammin' amplifier and speaker set valued at over &euro:2,000!
The nebulous nature of To Rococco Rot's aural odyssey was best summed up by the Saint Etienne title, The Sound Of Water, which the industrious Germans co-produced last year. The nicely titled Music is A Hungry Ghost sees them swap sound notes with New York DJ and musician I-Sound on yet another long-playing showcase of eclectic electronica.
Although it technically came out earlier this year, it's only since Independent got their hands on the album that Road Music can now be deemed to have a proper release in this country, and with a distinct chill entering the air, Grand Drive's warmth is definitely welcome.
Music to listen to if you want to transport yourself back to post-Nirvana, mid ’90s grungelite-by-numbers hell. If you do find yourself in possession of this single, skip immediately to the b-side, ‘All Purpose Underneath’. This suggests there might be a less overwrought and slightly more interesting side to Pilotlight.
Bands looking to follow in Snow Patrol and Duke Special’s footsteps should get themselves off to the free Music, It’s The Business seminar that’s taking place in Belfast’s Black Box on February 23.
In an exclusive interview with Hot Press, Jon Richards of Galway Bay FM has revealed how his station is bucking the trend and giving daytime airplay to emerging Irish music.
Renowned Irish recording engineer and producer Brian Masterson has been added to the line-up for Music Ireland 07, which takes place in the RDS from October 5 to 7.
I've been taken to task by reader Brian Bolger from the band Cushy for the compulsive need I and everybody else in HP seems to have to put every band into a descriptive compartment.
One of Ireland’s leading instrument and accessory distributors for 25 years, Keynote will be raising a rumpus at Music Ireland ‘06, according to Mark Walsh.
IMRO has announced details of the inaugural IMRO Live Music Venue of the Year Awards, which are taking place on October 4 and 5 in the RDS, Dublin as part of The Music Show.
The emphasis on Trois Femmes is on cinematic soundtracks, a reflective outlook and chilled out passages tailored for an alternative Ibiza, where underground electronic music prevails.
For Black Music Deep Burial have taken samples, and influence, from zombie movies and horror films. The result is an album full of black humour that conjurs feelings of beautiful darkness, without ever being heavy.
Out of the ashes of a fairly unassuming Dublin outfit called Listo, Humanzi have arisen, phoenix-style, to become our new Great White Hope and the frontrunner of a new music scene.
As part of the build-up to Music Ireland ’06 in the RDS next month, hotpress has launched a nationwide campaign to encourage musicians to support their local instrument shop. Jackie Hayden explains the central importance of the local store to the Irish music industry – and to every musician’s livelihood.
Music In Mouth is a more unified, distinctive and cohesive record that showcases the band’s multiple directions, adding further conviction to the depths of epic balladeering on ‘Eve, The Apple Of My Eye’, the quirky pop of ‘Next To You’ or the manic rock of ‘White Water Song
After the rip-roaring success of last year's event, Music Ireland '07 has been extended to a three-day event, incorporating a dedicated student day on Friday October 5. Aimed primarily at second-level schools, the day is set to be one of the most educational and entertaining school tours in the country. For those wishing to follow a career in music, the show is a real treat.
This year’s genre-redeemers, here to re-prove that words are for losers who can't say it with music, are the pathos-laden, relentless, positively monumental The Uptown Racquet Club
The Music Show was a huge success, with people from all aspects of the music industry coming together to participate in an event which, as well as showcasing all the latest instruments and equipment, was rich in ideas, information and, above all, great music
A simmering dissatisfaction with the amount of Irish music being played on Irish radio bubbled over at Music Ireland, with a debate that was, by turns, lively and illuminating.
Music lovers of the world, unite and take over! Whether you play music, work in music, want a career in music or just love to listen, don’t miss Music Ireland ’07 – the country’s biggest music show and exhibition.
Having finally come to an agreement with the Irish Music Rights Organisation, Apple made the European version of the iTunes Music Store available yesterday in Ireland.
Belfast/Glasweigan quintent Snow Patrol entertained the crowds at the American Music Awards last night, where Black Eyed Peas and The Red Hot Chili Peppers were the big winners.
Following the Bank of Ireland National Student Music Awards since the get-go meant a real investment in the outcome of six utterly different bands. Who would triumph?
Having worked their way through hundreds of demos, the judges have selected the 12 acts who’ll be slugging it out in this year’s Bank of Ireland National Student Music Awards.
Hosted by Channel 6’s Michelle Doherty and Across The Line presenter David “Rigsy” O’Reilly, the second Choice Music Prize, set out to showcase the ten best albums of the previous year and, of course, to decide a winner.
Ireland has long been acknowledged as one of the richest and most exciting sources of musical talent in the world. Against that background, Hot Press has consistently argued that the Music Industry here is potentially a major source of wealth and jobs. As well as creative fulfilment and spiritual sustenance. To realise this potential fully, however, will involve imaginative policy-making by the government, as well as a commitment to creating the kind of climate in which indigenous Irish music, and musicians, can flourish.
Music Ireland ’07 has scored a major coup by getting Prince drummer John Blackwell to grace the Sennheiser Live Stage at the October 5 to 7 event in the Dublin RDS.
The already crowded music retail market here is set to get even busier with the American Borders Group unveiling plans to open its first Irish outlet in the autumn.
On first impression Making Music So You Don’t Have To is a ticklish, impulsive body of work, but its happy, functional marriage of strings, piano and guitars hints that the band have played nice, taken their hyperactivity medication and developed the album into a gratifyingly mature, ambitious and reflective work.
From U2 to The Frames and Sinead O’Connor to Damien Rice, music has helped put this country on the map. So why is the government so slow to back the music industry?
The first day of The Music Show saw some hot debates, great music and Glen Hansard in stirring form.
Reporting: Peter Murphy, Celina Murphy, Niall Stokes, Stuart Clark and additional Hot Press reporters
Some of the country's leading music industry figures joined thousands of people for the Music Show, a two-day celebration of all that's good about the recording arts in Ireland.
For over an hour at the Temple Bar Music Centre, the prodigious Australian Ben Lee took us on a journey through his life affirming and spiritually fertile world.
Lotus Lullaby could do worse then buy a handful of lottery tickets. The Cork disco swingers are on a roll. Fresh from their win at Murphy’s Live, the electro infused four-piece continued their domination of the country’s battle of the bands contests with a resounding win at the Bank of Ireland sponsored Student Music Awards.
Has an award ceremony in Ireland ever created such an optimistic buzz, or such a feverish sense of righteousness among the music community as the Choice Music Prize?
Fans of Texas songwriter Guy Clark’s celebrated Old No I album finally got to hear the true story behind one of its best-loved songs, ‘LA Freeway’, at a packed Temple Bar Music Centre.
Want to get ahead in the music industry? Limited places are now available for the upcoming Mix '08 course in Dublin, the essential how-to guide for anyone seeking a career in music.
Hot Press has some brilliant opportunities for Irish bands and solo acts. Read on to see how you can get a music video, CD release, studio time and a top gig...
SIOBHAN LONG may have reached the end of her nationwide journey, but, as she explains here, there s still plenty of time for others to do their bit for THE GREAT RECORD OF IRISH MUSIC
The inaugural Live Music Venue Of The Year awards give IMRO members a chance to vote for their favourite venues. And now the nominees have been announced...
Under the X-Press 2, Ballistic Brothers, Black Jazz Chronicles and Black Science Orchestra guises, Ashley Beedle has been responsible for all manner of funky, soulful dance music. Now he s gone and put together Influences, an album that documents his twenty-year-long obsession with music. Words: Richard Brophy.
Paddy Casey is just one of a host of the nation's finest acts at the Sennheiser Live Stage for two days of great live music. Fresh from releasing his Addicted To Company album this month, Paddy plays a set on Saturday evening, and will be joined over the weekend by The Frank & Walters, The Walls, The Flaws, Neosupervital, Royseven, Dirty Epics, The Kinetiks and Messiah J & The Expert, with lots more yet to be announced.
JACKIE HAYDEN speaks to students and organisers of SOUND ACCESS, a Dun Laoghaire-based programme which helps people with disabilities advance in the music industry.
Despite the best efforts of the legislators, the Irish live music scene is fighting back. It's a very good time for the inaugural Irish Live Music Venue of the Year Awards.
For under-18s, gaining entry to concerts in licensed venues is a constant problem. But the regular BLAST gigs at Dublin's Temple Bar Music Centre provide a solution: twice a month, up-and coming bands play afternoon shows to a teenage crowd in a venue serving nothing stronger than water. NIALL STANAGE reports.
World Music fans are in for a real treat with the announcement that Bassekou Kouyate & Nigoni BA will be performing in Dublin this May as part of The Contemporaries Concert Series, presented by Note Productions.
There will be no repeat of Fionn Regan's 2007 nomination success as the shortlist for this year's Mercury Music Prize has been revealed – and no Irish acts have made the cut.
In a special hotpress feature Colm O’Hare investigates how the music business is attempting to deal with the single biggest threat facing the industry today – piracy.
The pirate music industry is now making millions of pounds each year. But that s at the expense of those legitimately entitled to earnings from their work. Report: JACKIE HAYDEN.
Belfast, like Dublin, is getting a bit frisky with the promise of spring. Loads of music initiatives are being planned and the landscape is looking better than ever. The difference between the two social diaries is that Belfast stops having fun at the end of June, to allow the marching season to have its ruinous way. By the time we pull out of that regular mess, the summer is packing up and it s time to go indoors again.
Belfast, like Dublin, is getting a bit frisky with the promise of spring. Loads of music initiatives are being planned and the landscape is looking better than ever. The difference between the two social diaries is that Belfast stops having fun at the end of June, to allow the marching season to have its ruinous way. By the time we pull out of that regular mess, the summer is packing up and it s time to go indoors again.
Belfast, like Dublin, is getting a bit frisky with the promise of spring. Loads of music initiatives are being planned and the landscape is looking better than ever. The difference between the two social diaries is that Belfast stops having fun at the end of June, to allow the marching season to have its ruinous way. By the time we pull out of that regular mess, the summer is packing up and it s time to go indoors again.
Music Piracy is a continuing problem, and it s not just internet innovation which is fuelling its rise. COLM O HARE spoke to some of those trying to
preserve legitimate music
The final year of the millennium saw dance music reach to more creative, dizzying heights than before. Digital Beat was there every step of the way. Report: Richard Brophy.
The dramatic announcement last week that the Irish Record Music Assocation was planning to sue 17 individuals the association has identified as "serial file-sharers" sent shock waves through the industry. IRMA chief executive Dick Doyle explains the background to to the move. Report by Tanya Sweeney.
THE INTERNET is already in the process of changing the face of the music industry. ETAIN BREATHNACH looks at some of the best websites, speaks to some of the Irish pioneers and outlines coming controversies.
Hey, it was messy out there. Nine evenings of dance music across town. Incessant surprises from DJs and the local dance practitioners. The collective shebang was called Digital Belfest, a development from the rock-tastic Belfest events that take place here on regular occasions.
In today's music industry, it s vital that artists know as much as possible about the key business decisions they will be called upon to make. JACKIE HAYDEN talks to some of the organisations which are there to help.
But not all the time! The Irish presence at the music industry s biggest convention MIDEM was an impressive one. But as ever, a split was on the agenda. Report: NIALL STOKES.
Corkonian hip-hop homeboy, sometime music-biz mogul and supremo of the International Bar s International Comedy Club New Yorker DES BISHOP is all these things and more. NICK KELLY collared him for a quick chinwag.
The foot-and-mouth crisis plunged the Irish live music scene into one of its most difficult phases. Now, however, the business is back – and flourishing. Report: COLM O'HARE
One of the most useful lessons re-learned during the Heineken Green Energy Careers In Music seminars in Dublin, Cork and Galway is that while those in the business have a reasonable grasp as to how it works and why, from the stand-point of a seventeen-year-old would-be, the Music Industry can appear like one ginormous complex monster.
Colin Reid is so far out of the frame that it takes a while to understand the concept. He s a virtuoso guitarist, from Belfast, who doesn t care for guitar music.
Jesus Christ And The Church Of Gnostic Rock. Peter Murphy on the good, clean, but mostly dirty, fight for the soul of the Devil s Music. Part One: The Old Testament.
The glitter cannon has been primed. The pyrotechnics are sorted, likewise a series of 40 foot video screens. A massive sound system will have been freighted in from London. And at midnight on New Year's Eve, a Shine club special at the King's Hall in Belfast will be hailed by much noise and a computerised system sequencing animation, music and samplers - a millennium shindig that's likely to be the best of its kind in Ireland
Parades, parties and green stout are all very well. But there’s so much more to St Patrick’s Day. Fans of traditional music, in particular, have good reason to be cheerful as the national feast day comes around once more.
These words of wisdom belong to jim kerr, a working-class boy from Glasgow who proved that he was as good at scamming it as the next man. Now he's back for one more shot with the new Simple Minds album Neapolis. Interview: colm o'hare.
In anticipation of the Guinness-sponsored SOUTHERN SOUL AND DISCO FESTIVAL '98, which takes place in Cork over the June Bank Holiday Weekend, ADRIENNE MURPHY shares a chinwag with MIKE G of New York rap luminaries THE JUNGLE BROTHERS, and gets the lowdown from the highly-touted AOIFE Nic CANNA on what it's like being a female in the testosterone-dominated world of DJing.
In an extremely frank interview with EAMON SWEENEY, MIKE HEAD of SHACK talks about his time as a heroin addict, the band s progress and their ambivalent attitude to media attention.
If there were handouts for the shy and retiring, Dervish would be at the back of the queue. Never backward in coming forward, this Sligo/Roscommon ensemble have elevated audience rapport to an art form that's sadly all too rarely practised round these here parts. Lead singer, Cathy Jordan (the sole Roscommon interloper amid a quintet of Sligomen) delights in the more quirky and bizarre backgrounds to the band's songs and tunes. And somehow they all seem to treat a night flight to Kuala Lumpur with the same gravity as they would a skite to Kenmare. Dervish live and breathe on the road. Its interminable miles are the band's sustenance, its cat's eyes their compass to the next town, the next continent, and the next gig.
He may be better known as manager of The Corrs – but John Hughes has been a musician for well over 30 years. Besides, with a US top 50 album to his credit in the 1980s, his new record – the remarkable Wild Ocean – is just the latest instalment in an extraordinary journey that has taken him close to the edge and back. interview: Niall Stokes
Though her hippyish sensibilities are a throwback to the flower-power era, Florence Welch - aka Florence And The Machine - is one of the year's most hyped new artists. She talks about domestic violence, Andy Warhol and why sometimes hangovers can be good for you.
Fermanagh is a county that s accommodated a rake of musical traditions both past and present. Split by the sibling lakes of Upper and Lower Lough Erin, Fermanagh s musical identity is as diverse as her geography, to the extent that at times there s little or no crossover in musical style from north to south of the county and vice versa.
John Walshe talks to Jamiroquai mainman, Jay Kay, about the funk soul brother’s latest album, A Funk Odyssey, his testy relationship with British tabloids and why President George W. Bush is a “bad fucker”
Ireland's most hyped event of the year, the MTV EUROPE AWARDS may have had as many gossip columnists as winners thanking God, but after hours it was IGGY POP and heavy friends who made the real headlines on a night when rock'n'roll bit back. Report: OLAF TYARANSEN and PETER MURPHY. Awards Pics: PETER MATTHEWS. Iggy Pics: Cathal Dawson
Let those who never thought culture stopped at the first world's borders, who never thought it was only happening in English, cast the first stone at Paul Simon and mock his work as patronising. To do so is to miss the point. Western music will die on its feet unless it learns to assimilate outside influences rather than repel them and if people like Simon or David Byrne or any of the other World Music daytrippers can offer a handrail to the nervous then so be it.
Why do people read magazines? An interesting poser in view of the last decade: the era that brought us multimedia and the Internet, the cultural idea of “dumbing down”, and that saw “content” production in the media – what we read, what we listen to, what we even hear about – fall conclusively into the hands of the profit-or-die multinationals. The question is in the news pages this month following reports that landmark American music and youth culture magazine Rolling Stone is breaking with its 35-year tradition of intelligent cultural and political journalism to move into the racy male-lifestyle-mag arena, under the stewardship of British editor Ed Needham, famous for giving the world “lad” magazine FHM.
Falling snow, falling bodies and equipment, and music to fall in love with: it’s Australian mod-disco anarcho-samplers THE AVALANCHES. Text: KIM PORCELLI
KMLA ARE a band who have no difficulty articulating a vision and a sound that?s at one and the same time intrinsically Irish yet insistent in glancing outward at the shapes and colours of music from all over the globe. Rossa O?Snodaigh, one of Kmla?s main movers and shakers sees roots music?s popularity as an inevitable result of the disillusionment with pop and rock formats.
Recipient of the IRMA Honours Awars of 2006, celebrating 30 years of music.
Here we document the stories, sounds, politics and philosophies that have developed with Bob Geldof, from his Boomtown Rats days to his most famous status as a devoted humanitarian.
From their earliest days in Gothenburg, WEST OF EDEN have fused Celtic and Scandinavian influences to come up with a unique sound. SIOBHAN LONG met them.
Need help, advice or a second opinion? Put your music industry question to theoracle@hotpress.ie. This fortnight's question is from Suzanne from Galway. She says that from her experience, some Irish record companies want to sign artists for both publishing and recording and she wants to know if there are any advantages or disadvantages in doing this?
Ahead of his Dublin gig, Motown legend Smokey Robinson tells Hot Press what it was like running one of the greatest music labels in the history of pop music.
A new compilation album charts DONAL LUNNY s extraordinary musical journey to date but Colm O'Hare finds that the COOLFIN founder still has his eye fixed firmly on challenges to come
Roots music may help build bridges between past and present and us and them, but the media stance is still often isolationist. So says simon emerson of the afro celt sound system. siobhan long takes notes.
Roots music may help build bridges between past and present and us and them, but the media stance is still often isolationist. So says simon emerson of the afro celt sound system. siobhan long takes notes.
"Sinéad was pretty relaxed. She didn’t tap into the ‘making a record for the label’ thing. She made music for her own reasons, which were deeper than that. That’s why the songs ring so true..."
Annual article: The arrival of Channel 6 was a boom – but music programming on television in 2006 was challenged by reality TV game shows and, increasingly, by YouTube.
So famous in Chicago that they've named a day after him, Frankie Knuckles has used his position as the world's top house DJ to highlight the cause of people living with HIV.
The great news is that, owing largely to the familial, accessible and organic feel of the Irish music scene, the place is teeming with official bodies, advisory and educational organisations whose purpose is to put you and your label on the right track. Below is a list of some of the most immediately relevant
Now in its second year, Cork Live At The Marquee is one of the highlights of the Irish music calendar. Here, Hot Press presents a complete preview of what's in store for music fans in the southern capital - and looks at the great legacy of Cork music.
Paul Smith of Geordie punk-pop sensations Maxïmo Park talks to Phil Udell about breaking out of stylistic straight-jackets, the band's affinity with fellow northerners The Futureheads, and why Jose Mourinho's managerial philiosophy is equally as applicable to music as it is to football.
Patrick Freyne meets synth-rock extroverts Holy Fuck who explain why DIY is the future of music and hold forth on their love for 'stubborn prick' Neil Young.
The great and the good of the Trinity philosophical society recently assembled to discuss not epistemology, theology or indeed any other class of “ology”, but rather to address the question, “Is music losing its right to artistic licence?”
Following the implosion of Suede, drummer Simon Gilbert quit the rock'n'roll business and moved to Thailand, only to hook up with a pair of fellow ex-pats, making big music under the Futon banner.
Paul Nolan talks to Neil Hegarty, author of Waking Up In Dublin, a new book which offers an outsider’s view of the music scene – and more – in the capital
Colm O’Hare talks to Katie Larmour, presenter of UTV’s new music show Live At The Limelight, which will be showcasing the best young artists from around Ireland.
RAIDIS NA GAELTACHTA seems an unlikely home for one of the most adventurous music shows on the Irish airwaves. Drop your prejudices and check out An Taobh Tuathail, says EAMON SWEENEY.
Colin Dale has had a long and impressive career. His love for music and his talent have cut through the dance scene s rampant egos and petty policking. He spoke to Richard Brophy
He used to be the ultimate indie no-hoper. But now JACK PEÑATE has discovered Krautrock, nu-rave and world music and released one of the year’s most engaging, and surprisingly accomplished, records. He talks about cultivating his eclectic side and discovering an outsider sensibility he describes as ‘joyous melancholy’.
Spiritualized are back with a new album which confirms Jason Pierce’s theory that “the best music is made by people who are out of control.” Loving the alien:
Scandinavian alterna queen Stina Nordenstam is determined to keep the hype to a minimum and let her music do the talking – and so far the plan is paying off in spades.
Country music’s stock has never been higher. First Johnny Cash gained an entire new generation of fans, then Hollywood began to pepper its films with bluegrass and roots music. Now, everyone from Jack White to Van Morrison is waking up to the magic of country. Ireland's getting in on the act too, with the launch of the Midlands Music Festival, a two-day celebration of all things hatted and booted. Colm O’Hare traces the rebirth of a genre.
ALTHOUGH Poe senior was getting severely inebriated he came to the conclusion that he was having a splendid time. Having just finished a large four-course meal in the company of some charming friends, he had managed to play some Elgar on his guitar, had got involved in some riveting discussions on the state of music today and now, with a lopsided paper hat on his head, swayed off down the dark cobbled streets towards the bay for a bit of fresh night air.
with a higher profile internationally than at home, and the support of heavyweight friends, The Devlins have recorded an impressive third album. COLM O'HARE reports
Hearts In Armor is the latest album from Trisha Yearwood, the most hotly-tipped of the new breed of female artists shaking life into country music. It looks set to better the success of her million-selling debut. Report: Oliver P. Sweeney
He s only twenty three years old, but rest assured you ll be hearing a lot more about DJ Hyper in the not too distant future. Richard Brophy profiles one of the newest faces on the break beat scene.
This month, the 2006 RTÉ Living Music Festival, sponsored by IMRO, celebrates Steve Reich, arguably America’s greatest living composer. Jackie Hayden meets the 70-year-old whose influences stretch beyond the contemporary classical world to rock and rap music.
THERE ARE those in contemporary music who ascend suddenly to the heights, their stars burning fiercely bright for a short time before they fall just as spectacularly back down to earth. There are others who build steadily upwards over a period of years, gradually winning new audiences, selling more records and expanding their sphere of influence until they attain the status of superstars, almost by stealth.
There has been nothing showy or ostentatious about Mary Black's progress to date...
EAMONN DeBARRA is the Young Traditional Musician of the Year. He tells SIOBHAN LONG why he isn t strictly trad and why it s important to play the #20 gigs
Who said trad music was for fogeys and whiskery aul' fellas? Spook of the Thirteenth Lock draw on old-timey Irish sounds whilst also referencing prog and nu-gaze
Violinist Zöe Conway has moved from classical violin toward a more traditional style, impressing such trad legends as Bill Whelan and Steve Cooney in the process
Unwilling to remain confined in a drum'n'bass pigeonhole, Justice, aka Tony Bowes makes music that straddles all modern electronic genres. Richard Brophy caught up with him prior to the release of his fourth album, Hears To the Future, to find out why he's become disillusioned with jungle.
Funk, Disco, Breakbeat and a testicle-admiring Gary Numan. All this - and more - is to be found on the new Plump DJs album. Ronan Fitzgerald meets the Glaswegian dance mavericks.
She's the hard-rocking- and by all accounts, hard-drinking- Norwegian indie-babe sensation. Ida Maria tells us about the rare condition that lets her see music as colour and more.
It?s real, it?s now and it goes all the way back to the source ? roots music is taking the world by storm and Ireland is very definitely on the map.
By siobhan long.
Earlier this year, the dance music community was shocked by the sudden departure of Darren Emerson from Underworld. However, the band continues to blossom, embracing new technologies and ideas to remain at the forefront of electronic music. Richard Brophy catches up with Rick Smith to find out more.
SINEAD O Connor has said that she will continue with her music career, despite having been ordained a priest in Lourdes by a bishop of the rebel catholic Tridentine church.
Phuture are the creators of 'Acid Trax', and the people who introduced the Roland 303 'acid box' to the music world. They are arguably one of the most influential groups ever. So why are they still doing day jobs? Richard Brophy talks to original member Spanky and new addition Professor Trax, and reports on a travesty of justice in the dance world.
Swayzak continue to be refreshingly out of step with dancefloor norms. Richard Brophy hears about the duo’s latest offering – club grooves for your sitting room
Peter Murphy meets Sweden's Soundtrack Of Our Lives frontman Ebbot Lundberg and discovers that Scandinavia has more to offer music than Roxette and their ilk
Having conquered Africa, Youssou N’Dour is now turning his attentions to the rest of the world. With Eno, Peter Gabriel and Wyclef Jean all singing his praises, Sam Healy reckons it’s only a matter of time before he has his evil way with us
John Walshe talks to Doves Andy Williams about their past life as Sub Sub, their debut album Lost Souls, and what it s like being heralded as the saviours of British rock music.
Tom McShane's not sure if he wants you to hear his music, but a recent cover of one of his songs might prove just the thing to coax him out of his bedroom.
Unplugging the amplifiers brings out the gentler, more vulnerable side of any band. Acoustic 05 offers an unprecedented expose of these moments, drawing from an impressive pool of A-list artists. From monumental names such as Oasis, Snow Patrol, Paul Weller, Damien Rice and Stereophonics to up-and-coming favourites like Brendan Benspon, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Josh Ritter, Ray Lamontage and Bright Eyes, there's something for anyone who appreciates the subtle beauty of turning the music down.
Disco house and electro are credible dance music flavours, but Les Rythmes Digitales Jacques Le Cont has nonetheless been slated for his love affair with the 80s. In an exclusive interview with Digital Beat, Le Cont defends his musical passions.
The Beach Boys, Beatles and – whisper it – Fleetwood Mac are all on the menu as Sunderland’s Field Music give emo, New Rave and whatever else is 'in' this week the cold shoulder.
The physical form of how music is distributed and consumed is changing irrevocably, says Napster chairman Chris Gorog, who claims that this means the inevitable and imminent demise of the compact disc.
Early this month Beat 102-103 opened for business as ireland's first regional radio broadcasting station covering Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford and Tipperary. according to the beat manifesto the station is targeting the 15-34 year old age group with “an upbeat and entertaining programme schedule provided by young presenters, with the aim of giving the youth of the region a service to reflect their tastes and attitudes.
IARLA O LIONAIRD has a new star-studded solo album out but the Afro Celt Sound System continue to teach him that music can be enjoyable and not just sublime . Interview: Colm O'Hare
Second generation Irish-American LIZ CARROLL is one of the best fiddlers around. She spoke to SIOBHAN LONG about her album, the importance of the session
and Chicago. Picture: Declan English
Second generation Irish-American LIZ CARROLL is one of the best fiddlers around. She spoke to SIOBHAN LONG about her album, the importance of the session
and Chicago. Picture: Declan English
Second generation Irish-American LIZ CARROLL is one of the best fiddlers around. She spoke to SIOBHAN LONG about her album, the importance of the session
and Chicago. Picture: Declan English
You don’t associate Cavan with a cutting edge music scene – but Michael O'Brien aims to change that with his Origins club night. Who knows? One day Neil Young might even decide to pay a visit.
Need help, advice or a second opinion? Put your music industry question to the oracle@hotpress.ie. This issue Feilim O'Caoimh asks does a songwriter have any control over the terms of a sub-publishing deal struck for his songs between his own publisher and another?
Having already triumphed at this year's National Student Music Awards, ambitious Waterford quartet Floyd Soul & The Wolf are determined to go on to even greater success.
Jim Corr-endorsed four-piece Karrier have wowed the Dublin indie circuit and supported Pink at Malahide Castle. Now, the band are looking to make a big impact with their debut album.
Their music may be dark but there’s nothing gloomy about Stuart Staples’ mood as he talks to Phil Udell about the new Tindersticks album, Waiting For The Moon, and how after 11 years they’re finally going home
Rob B of the Stereo MC's is angry. At rock stars who take drugs and at governments who ban marijuana. At media people who support the status quo and at religious leaders who distort the message. His antidote? "You've got to feel the music," he says. "It's got to be an inspiration." Interview: Tara McCarthy.
If you’re gonna be a one hit wonder, you might as well invent the dominant form of music for the ensuing decades. Released in 1979, The Sugarhill Gang’s ‘Rapper’s Delight’ was the first hip-hop single to go gold, putting the group on American Bandstand and Soul Train long before Grandmaster Flash and Run DMC.
The Roisin Dubh has become one of Ireland's most prestigious music venues, hosting artists such as Violent Femmes, Josh Ritter and Republic Of Loose. Booker Gugai gives us the lowdown on the live scene way out west.
Photos, vox pops and child-friendly Guinness cocktails: hotpress.com brings you all the spills and thrills from the biggest event on the electronic music calender
He's resident DJ at Mr. C's End club, records for the End label, runs his own Plank stamp, and, with fellow co-Ender Layo makes some rather fine music as the Usual Suspects. He's Matthew B, and he's here to talk to Digital Beat. Interrogating the suspect: Richard Brophy.
Need help, advice or a second opinion? Put your music industry question to the oracle@hotpress.ie. This issue Tom from Lurgan has been approached bt a management company who want his band to sign a deal that includes management, publishing and recording contracts with the same people. Is this legal?
Having survived their initial mauling at the hands of the British music press, Asia-obsessed psychedelists KULA SHAKER have returned for a second innings. Frontman CRISPIAN MILLS lays off the poppadoms for long enough to chat to JACKIE HAYDEN about his band's new album, Strangefolk.
Come Into The Garden
Colm O'Hare meets Fionnuala Sherry, the only Irish person to win the Eurovision for Norway and half of new age superstar group Secret Garden
Hotly tipped Britrockers Los Campesinos talk about the influence of the '90s riot grrrl scene on their music and explain why the prospect of arena rock success doesn't rev their motors.
With their Harmony Hill album establishing them as one of the Trad world’s brightest hopes, Dervish are now busy taking their music to anyone who wants to listen. Colm O’Hare meets the Sligo six-piece who are being favourably compared to and discovers a band determined to breathe new life into old traditions.
He used to be a music journalist but now rapper Cadence Weapon is lighting up the hip-hop scene. The Canadian tells us he's not quite as clean living as he's made out to be.
CADENCE WEAPON is that rarest of talents: an old school rapper worth getting excited about. Here he talks about his love of retro pop and explains why he quit music journalism for a career behind the mic.
With the first in a series of Tortured mix CDs, Tortured Chambers, highlighting nu-skool European techno producers like Umek, Joel Mull and Adam Beyer, RICHARD BROPHY caught up with one of the hardest working, genuine nice guys in dance music, Billy Nasty
David McAlmont (left) and Bernard Butler have re-united after seven years, following their ill-received eponymous debut in 1995 and their subsequent falling out. The result, according to Butler is the pair's "true debut"
Carlow outfit SISSY may have one of the most knock-kneed band names around - but, they tell colm o'hare, there's nothing emasculated about their music.
Need help, advice or a second opinion? Put your music industry question to the oracle@hotpress.ie. This fortnight, Mike Tannoy from Limerick asks: What are the options in contracts?
Within a minute of meeting Olivia, you realise you're in the presence of a future R&B star. It's depressing. Depressing because you don't even need to hear a record to know that the 23-year-old New Yorker is destined to be all over MTV and the music media within the blink of an eye.
For a man with 200 production credits to his various aliases, chris cowie is still relatively unknown. this is all set to change with the release of his best behaviour compilation. richard brophy meets the man of many monikers
Phil Udell meets a Coral disenchanted with their Hotpress review, but gains Brownie points for recognising that they're NOT - repeat NOT - from Liverpool.
The proceeds from a new CD featuring the cream of Ireland’s musical talent including U2, Sinéad O’Connor and Ash will benefit people living with mental illness
Marley, Merlin, Christ, coke, the mighty wind and extraterrestrial healing - EAMON SWEENEY hears the gospel according to LEE SCRATCH PERRY, currently starring in the latest cult commercial for Guinness stout
David bickley, aka Mobius of hyper[borea], tells Olaf Tyaransen about dance music as gaeilge, Bronze Age atmospheres and how he came to throw his Hot Press Award off a cliff.
How Katie Jane Garside left Daisy Chainsaw, got lost in nature and found her way back to music with a new attitude and a new name queen adrenna. By Colm O'Hare
Two girls, two countries, two very different perspectives: put them together and they make Saucy Monky – originators of some of the sexiest and most addictive guitar driven pop music we’ve heard in years.
He’s remixed Franz Ferdinand, Mylo and Radio 4, and released one of the most innovative titles of recent years in 2001’s It Rough. Now Robi Insinna, aka Manhead, is set to take his music to a larger audience with his eponymously titled new album.
The annual Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival has put Longford on the world music map. Jackie Hayden talks to the festival’s originator Chris Keenan about how it grew from initially being laughed at to becoming one of the most important folk festivals in the international calendar.
