DAVID HEFFERNAN pays tribute to the producer/director whose many and varied professional credits included some defining images of Irish and international music
PHIL KIERAN is a man of many talents producer, promoter, DJ, collaborator. Here, he talks about why the idea of a new Belfast scene is bollocks , teenage kicks and Drumcree!
He was a midwife to grunge and has worked with artists as diverse as Marilyn Manson, Hole and Ozzy Osbourne. Far from being a studio boffin, though, Michael Beinhorn believes modern music is too often reliant on technology.
The latest group to benefit from the tutelage of legendary producer Stephen Street, attitudinal Mancunian rockers The Courteeners are one of hottest newcomers on the UK indie scene.
It s a bit of a mouthful but it s actually the multi-talented Parisian musician, photographer, sometime pop producer and film maker Jay Alanski in an ongoing process of aural and spiritual development.
The show has already lost one team captain, EDDIE BANNON, and hasbeen devoured by critics, but producer COLM CROWLEY insists that Network 2 s Don t Feed The Gondolas is a big hit with the viewers. BARRY GLENDENNING reports.
New York house DJ/producer Junior Sanchez has joined forces with Dutch techno prodigy Laidback Luke to create Riot Society’s impressive ‘Understand Me’.
Tara Brady talks to Julie Brocquy, producer of Osama, the acclaimed Afghan film which tells the story of a young girl forced to disguise herself as a boy to survive life under the Taliban regime.
From Timeless to Celebrity Big Brother to stopping Esso, and all points in-between – is it any wonder Eamon Sweeney has to ask if the real Goldie would please stand up
Producer and musician Daniel Lanois talks about turning his latest album into a film, cutting out the middleman to distribute his own music, and why he's fascinated by Michael Jackson's feet.
ENYA: THE LATEST SCORE
From the Gweedore family that gave the world Clannad, another success story in the making. Enya,whose new album featuring music for the forthcoming TV series The Celts , is already making waves months before the programme itself goes on air, is joined by producer Nicky Ryan for a three-way conversation with Bill Graham. Pix:Colm Henry.
STEPHEN ROBINSON talks to former CROWDED HOUSE bassist NICK SEYMOUR about the band s break-up, their rarieties collection and his nascent career as a producer.
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.
You’ve never seen them like this before. Now available on DVD with extra features and footage, the new edition of The Beatles Anthology is as close to a definitive visual tale of the band as we’re ever likely to get. Producer Chips Chipperfield tells Colm O’Hare how it came together
No, the term “sexy tech” doesn’t refer to the HP design department; it’s Philadelphia producer King Britt‘s mission to put the hip-shake back into techno under The Nova Dream Sequence banner.
Why the media were wrong in their assessment of Sharon Shannon’s court case; the latest musical venture from producer, director and PR ace, Mary McPartlan, plus the usual round-up of news from the world of folk and traditional music.
This retrospective collection from Dutch producer Alden Tyrell shows that he was years ahead of the electroclash/electro house chancers and that, more than any other undeground producer, he percussion that sounds like a Euro Boo Williams.
Rock bands, a brain haemorrhage, surviving cancer, and now a successful career as both a
novelist and TV producer.
FERDIA MacANNA s life has been nothing if not eventful. He talks to Peter Murphy.
Producer, DJ and now a part of acclaimed dance/rock tie-in, Alloy Mental, Belfast-based Phil Kieran talks about his favourite mixing equipment and explains why we should mourn the passing of vinyl.
Peter Murphy considers Nirvana’s legacy and wonders will we ever hear their like again. Producer Butch Vig and Josh Homme of Queens Of The Stone Age help him with his enquiries
Having revolutionised television with Lost, wunderkind producer J.J. ABRAMS has now focused his sights on the ailing Star Trek franchise. But can a ‘Trek agnostic really breathe fresh life into the most famous brand in science fiction? And will his gamble of casting relative unknowns as the iconic Enterprise crew come off?
Based in Glasnevin and founded by producer Mark Hadfield, businessman Chris Hehir and Brian McFadden, Chilli Studios proves that home digital recording hasn't yet usurped state of the art commercial studios.
Michael Stipe talks about REM's new album Accelerate, looks back at their 'working rehearsals' in Dublin and explains how their Irish-born producer helped them through their mid-life crisis.
According to producer LISSA EVANS, the third and final series of Father Ted is the most fitting tribute possible to its late star. Interview: BARRY GLENDENNING
Following in the footsteps of Joy Division, The Smiths and The Stone Roses, Mancunian rockers Doves have continued the tradition of musical excellence for which their hometown is internationally renowned. With their new opus Some Cities in the offing, vocalist Jimi Goodwin here discusses apocalyptic weather, urban decay and those abandoned recording sessions with Madonna’s producer.
Pioneering ambient artist, film-scorer, and producer of choice for everyone from Willie Nelson to U2, Daniel Lanois has assembled one of the most impressive CVs in modern rock. And with his new album, Shine, having just hit the racks, he’s far from done yet, as he tells Peter Murphy
Tanya Sweeney talks to Hot Hot Heat frontman Steve Bays about guitarist Dante DeCaro’s departure from the band, the creation of their long-awaited new album Elevator, trading Nirvana’s producer for Marilyn Manson’s, and why Ireland remains a favourite destination on the group’s itinerary.
Director PADDY BREATHNACH, producer ROB WALPOLE and writer CONOR McPHERSON take time out from polishing their latest haul of gongs to talk CATHY DILLON through the making of I Went Down.
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
As the management force behind Boyzone, Westlife and Samantha Mumba, LOUIS WALSH is Ireland s Mr. Pop. In a candid interview with Joe Jackson he talks about his relationships with his acts, the ones that got away, the importance of the producer, the uselessness of critics and why he s unlikely to end up managing Van Morrison. Portraits: Cathal Dawson
Fuelled by a DIY approach and a passion for all things musical, Kieran Hebden (aka Four Tet) has notched up some significant achievements in his 27 years. Danielle Brigham meets the producer/musician/label owner/whatever-you-want-him-to-be!
Or should that be Black pages? Mary Black and her long-time friend, producer and collaborator Declan Sinnott look back over ten years of solo work, and the steady progress which finds her ready to take on the world with her latest album, The Holy Ground. Interview: Joe Jackson.
Or should that be Black pages? Mary Black and her long-time friend, producer and collaborator Declan Sinnott look back over ten years of solo work, and the steady progress which finds her ready to take on the world with her latest album, The Holy Ground. Interview: Joe Jackson.
Or should that be Black pages? Mary Black and her long-time friend, producer and collaborator Declan Sinnott look back over ten years of solo work, and the steady progress which finds her ready to take on the world with her latest album. The Holy Ground. Interview: Joe Jackson
THE UNDERTONES have played a series of triumphant gigs since reforming. GEORGE BYRNE met the Derry punk legends, now augmented by Today FM producer Paul McLoone on vocals
EDITORS’ new album finds them re-booting their sound with the help of super-producer Flood and the Prussian soldier’s helmet gifted to him by Bono. Also on the agenda when the band meet Stuart Clark are fatherhood, baby poo, Brooklyn block parties and stealing Michael Stipe’s megaphone.
With a new tribute album to Gram Parsons on release, PETER MURPHY enlists the help of co-executive producer EMMYLOU HARRIS to recreate the tale of Southern Gothic that was the late singer s life.
US producer Jeff Samuel employs vocal cut ups and bleepy sounds over a stomping groove, while long serving German spinner Linus re-invents ‘Benga’ as a panning track that traverses the techno and house divide.
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.
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 work of Serbian producer Andre Zakharov, ‘Rain’ is a warm, spacey track, boasting sweet chords, an electronic bassline and a mysterious vocal sample.
A new album, a new producer, a new sound and a new lease of life so where better to launch mary black s Shine than in New Orleans? Report and
interview: siobhAN LONG
A new album, a new producer, a new sound and a new lease of life so where better to launch mary black s Shine than in New Orleans? Report and
interview: siobhAN LONG
Culled from Djinxx’s superb ‘Travel Notes’ long player, this warm techno track is given two fine remixes: French DJ/producer Didier Sinclair augments the original with a warm bass, tight drums and acid licks, while US producer Jon Tejada’s version features the wiry grooves and mournful keys re unique to all his productions.
You’ve got admire Cork producer Bren Gregoriy’s initiative: instead of trying to hawk his work to a label, he set up his own imprint to release his debut album, with the result that his individualistic take on electronic music gets an audience.
Those who were thrilled by Brazilian producer Gui Boratto’s nouveau techno-trance releases like ‘Arquipelago’ and ‘The Rising Evil’ won’t be disappointed by his debut album. It further showcases his fist pumping style with the buzzsaw bass of ‘Terminal’, the menacing ‘Gate 7’ and the brooding title track, but it’s clear Boratto isn’t content with dance floor abandon. The symphonic ‘Scene 1’ and the soft-focus piano ambience of ‘Mala Strana’ hint that he wants to escape being just another anonymous techno producer. This desire is given full vent with the acoustic groove of ‘Xilo’ and the live, post-punk drums and indie vocals of ‘Beautiful Life’, which sets the tone for an imminent indie-techno explosion this year.
'Spring Themes' sees Lee focus on deeply textured, spacey sounding material, but this time round the low profile producer has gone the extra mile and injected his compositions with a previously lacking dance floor feel.
Veering on the abstract, this Italian producer manages to keep the focus on the dance floor using plunging, bleepy basslines and intricate percussive touches.
Vakant gets two of its main artists to do a remix swap, with Kaden dropping a throbbing, stuttering version of Ozer’s ‘Twilight’ and the Turkish producer leading ‘Pentaton’ into a spooky netherworld.
He might be one of the finest DJs ever, but this double CD retrospective unfortunately reveals Larry Gardner’s Achilles heel – his shortcomings as a producer. There are some classic moments (which you know and love) but too much of this is meandering and ultimately forgettable.
Irish producer Bren Gregoriy drops a cool three-tracker that will appeal to Detroit heads and prog refugees, thanks to the clever programming, strong synthy melodies and dancefloor nous.
This debut release by Spanish producer Lopez on Donnacha Costello’s label contains the grimy acid rumble and spooky underlying synths of ‘Kernel’, one of the summer’s big techno tunes in waiting.
Sounds like the cosmic Enya-isms of ‘Sternenglanz’ takes the ‘pastoral techno’ sound too far, but German producer Cio D’Or compensates with ‘Lichtblick’, one of those gradually building tranced out affairs that Karmarouge is renowned for.
Oliver Ho is usually perceived as a hard as nails minimal techno producer, a soundtrack provider to those scary clubs full of men with their tops off and no females. Happily, his second album looks set to smash this misleading perception.
German DJ/producer M.I.A. hasn’t released a record in nearly two years, but ‘Safe Night’ makes up for lost time, its rubbery drums, dissected vocals and mournful bassline sounding like a voyeuristic flick through her diary.
‘Giant Bassmantix’ sounds like just that – unfeasably large bass thrusts crashing into schizophrenic electro breaks, all with an
unnerving hum in the background. ‘Doubt’ pushes things further. Metal machine music from this Irish producer.
Detroit house producer Dixon returns with a release that takes inspiration from his techno contemporaries’ fixation with outer space sounds and, on the droning ‘Links’ a booming bass that makes Saunderson’s Resse project seem tame.
Dan Curtin comes out of the mediocre shadows to shine once again. This debut on Black Dog's label borrows from minimal, but evolves from lithe, skipping rhythms into a warped sheet metal riffs, putting the US producer close to greatness again.
Not every German producer churns out textbook minimalism and Holger Flinsch has opted for an alternate path on ‘Hexenlaub’, the highlight of this split release, where he merges skippy beats with tranced-out chords and a curious freeform jazz aesthetic.
Precocious teen producer Andy Stott delivers the purist electro of ‘8ight’ and the engaging abstract glitch of ‘Talk Touch’, but he really impresses with the dubby groove of ‘Long Drive’ and the soulful, haunting textures of ‘Replace'.
This French producer makes most minimal producers sound like amateurs with his raw, screeching take on stripped-back funk. Each track will work in the right situation, but the stomping DBX-influenced title track stands out.
The French producer deftly combines acid signatures with trance’s more esoteric sensibilities, while ‘Baccula’ mixes stripped back techno with reflective house chords. It’s hard to put a name on it, but Innervisions are at the forefront of this new school fusion.
These tracks were produced in the ‘90s by an unknown electro producer, but they still sound magical, especially ‘The Saturian System’. Like an upbeat version of UR’s classic ‘Final Frontier’, its jerky 808 beats suddenly break into a soaring string passage.
It was inevitable that some bright producer would make the connection between the monochrome guitars of pre-acid house bands like New Order and Gang Of Four and the decadent grooves of Italo. Joakim is first past the post with this prowling, Hook-meets-Moroder affair.
The last time this Russian producer appeared as Nooncat, he was making dreamy, layered techno, but has subsequently toughened up his style. ‘Love’ is a slinky, compressed acid roller, while ‘Sex’ builds from a minimal backing to climax in a grating cacophony.
Former trance producer Jens Mahlstedt re-invents Oran ‘Juice’ Jones’s synth pop jealousy anthem ‘The Rain’ for techno clubs, setting Oran’s spoken word narrative to a grungy, 303 track that’s very now.
Upcoming producer Matt John impresses with the “falling down the stairs” wooden beats version of ‘Daktari’. Isolee’s remix is the real highlight, as squelchy acid, hissing percussion and dark synths gradually climax over a bumping backing.
Instead of churning out tribal loops, Mark Broom realises his full potential as a producer with ‘Klick’, which alternates between plunging bass-led Detroit house sounds, fuzzy electro and cosmic, UR-style techno. He’s still got the magic.
Beatles producer George Martin, regarded by many as the fifth Beatle, is reported to be on the mend after what his manager described as "routine surgery".
Whatever about his rubbish grasp of English, Swiss producer Ripperton has captured something special on ‘Skilift’. Equal parts house, minimal and trance, it has a beautiful, chiming groove and a spellbinding, melodic sequence. End result: music that doesn’t sound like it is of this world.
Agoria fancies himself as a pop act, but he’s really still a techno producer. Just check the way the title track’s hard drums and cavernous, epic riff builds to an air punching finale: it’s obvious that it will enjoy the same success as ‘La Onzieme Marche’.
Finnish producer Samuli Kemppi seeks inspiration from Ron Hood and Dan Bell’s ‘90s work rather than modern minimal and his raw, analogue take on techno is inspirational – the howling acid riffs and nocturnal grooves sounding menacing and beautiful.
For a producer whose nickname is ‘Europe’s Derrick May’ this compilation is a great opportunity to prove that his music is wide ranging. ‘Puzzle’ touches on US-style vocal house. Elsewhere, Lig’s remake of Frederic Galliano’s ‘Woualai’ is underpinned by hypnotic Afro chants.
Hamburg producer H.o.s.h brings together a number of styles. Noisy drums and rubbery bass licks compete for the listener’s attention on ‘Tigerbalsm’, while the title track’s growling 303 bass and soaring melodies should have the same effect as ‘Mandarine Girl’.
German techno DJ/producer unveils his most ambitious project to date, mixing 44 tracks from his Stigmata label’s back catalogue into 74 minutes of dense, head melting techno intensity using Abelton Live.
Dublin producer Donal Tierney shows his maturity on ‘Implants’ as he mashes up Detroit techno with Akufen-style glitch house and smoky electro. The title track, with its cut-up samples and off beat funk is the standout cut.
Dexter’s previous output suggested he was a fine, albeit purist electro producer, but ‘D-Funked’, while still based on sexy, staccato breaks, is a warm, tripped out UR-style affair. He embarks further off the course on a trip into deep space with the techno blips of ‘Midnight Cruiser’.
Most of the tracks on ‘Norsk 3’ are the work of Norwegian producer Hans Peter Lindstrom, so this is hardly a compilation, but these niceties are irrelevant when the epic synths, over the top melodies and electronic grooves flow through the speakers and transport you to back to the golden age of Italian disco music.
‘Well Done’ isn’t the next ‘Full Clip’, but it consolidates Buttrich’s reputation. The German producer goes back to basics and his intricate drum programming, coupled with tweaked analogue 303 riffs, so ‘Well Done’ sounds like a modern take on Plastikman’s acid growl.
He’s only twenty-five but German producer Terry Lee Brown Jnr. is about to release his third artist album and has already been dubbed ‘God’ by none other than original house producer Marshall Jefferson.
Mixed live and in one take, Spanish DJ/producer D’Wachman starts interestingly with tracks from The MFA and Matthew Dear, but then quickly decides to bang it, albeit in a deep fashion, dropping cuts from Vince Watson, Michel De Hey and Secret Cinema.
This re-issue of 80s producer John Davis’s best work has a funk quota that makes Prince sound like a honky with two left feet. Although the slap bass is so 80s, listen to the warm vocodered melodies of ‘Dream Six-O’ to hear where I-F and his mates get their inspiration.
Named after Chris Liebing’s monthly club in Frankfurt, this cheeky bootleg was handed out free to clubbers at the night’s fourth anniversary party. A party house version of The White Stripes’ ‘Seven Nation Army’, it’s the work of a certain astute European techno producer.
With Kanye West supplanting him as the hottest hip-hop producer on the scene and N*E*R*D no more, Pharrell Williams needs to do something special to put himself back into the game. ‘Can I Have It Like That’ is an uninspiring, tuneless dirge, in sharp contrast to West’s vibrant wall of sound. And getting Gwen Stefani to repeat four words a few times is hardly going to help matters.
Consisting of a veteran techno producer and a former child pop superstar, The Bastards aren’t typical faceless laptop types and sonically, they also stand out, as intricate, pared down beats, unexpected breakdowns and bubbling 303 pulses form the basis for ‘The Juice In My Head’ and ‘Dark Acid Trip’.
Good Irish hard rock has been a bit hard to come by, but this is a very, very promising debut from the Dublin six piece. The arrangement is clever, and the extravagant keyboard flourishings are impressive. The sound is a bit flat, more like a demo than a single – but studio time with an established producer should sort that.
A promising release from this Dublin producer. ‘Icicle’ is an effective electro/tech rocker that’s let down by an over-the-top surging synth. On the flip, ‘XE’ marries old school-ish sounds to tight electro beats - again, the full-on synth is a bit much. One to keep an eye on.
It’s not hard to get jiggy to Nathan Coles’ latest record: the London producer has a knack of making sexy underground house and ‘Jiggy Jiggy’ takes his love of dub, breaks and lurching rhythms, and fuses these elements with dirty 303s and spliced up vocals with intoxicating results.
DJ T’s ‘Radiator’ takes inspiration from house music’s past as the German producer uses a slinky Chicago bassline, tight handclaps and building drums set to rich, moody chords. Meanwhile, the bleepy, robotic grind of ‘Robot Riot’ is closer to the sound of T’s Get Physical stamp.
Like a hybrid of Teutonic minimalism and MFF experimental house, this house groove from US producer Lance DeSardi boasts wispy chords, odd-ball rave riffs, 80s synths and a muffled vocal over a jacking groove – as well as two 303 Chicago versions from Chicken Lips.
Jacek Sienkiewicz’s ‘Time Starts…’ gets the remix treatment. Etiop represents the harder, bleepier end of glitch. There’s also a broken beat remake from 3 Channels and Chilean producer Pier Bucci (pictured). He lays down orchestral strings over a moody backing. At last, it’s minimal house with a big pair of balls.
Karmarouge Noir travel to the dark side as Spanish producer Pablo Akaros delivers the spooky, acid-infused ‘Por La Boca’. However, the real madness is audible on ‘Big Wave’ and lead track ‘Celofans’, where space trance riffs and epic chords unfold over churning, grinding drums.
Having worked with Travis, The Smiths and The La’s, producer Mark Wallis is no stranger to classic pop. Now at the helm of St Julien, the Dublin-based Londoner here offers his own contribution to the canon. Lyrically, the single is treadbare but there’s enough of a melody to make it worth investigating. Fans of Travis and Snow Patrol will probably adore it.
Leftroom have a knack for unearthing new talent – Dutch producer Reagan is the latest to step up a notch thanks to Matt Tolfrey’s stamp. ‘BugBite’ is centered around a very catchy, staccato trancey riff, backed up by a flat, fat kick and spare FX that should see this appeal to fans of Oliver Huntemann. Marcin Czubala adds some subtlety on the flip.
It’s been three years since Tipper released a single on his own Fuel label and ‘Tug Of War’ is a great come back record. A mish-mash of amazing sub-bass antics, percussive workouts and even some of the producer’s car stereo fixated test tones, it’s a brilliant return to form.
Debut album from hip-hop R&B singer/songwriter/producer sounds to my ears like a dozen other like-minded artists. True, he hasn’t a bad voice but the subject matter and the song titles (‘Gangsta’, ‘Ghetto’, ‘Gunshot’) are clichéd in the extreme while on the sleeve notes he even thanks the people who continually bailed him out of jail.
Jesper Dahlback may be praised for his tough techno and jazzy house, but it’s the work he makes in the middle ground that really marks him out as a great producer.
Paul Woolford is a frustrating producer – capable of good and bad in equal measure. This four-tracker falls somewhere in between. The title track is a well-worked if predictable 303 jacker, the saw-tooth percussion, deep acid line and bright, full drums combining well. ‘Surrender’’s mix of abrasive electronic house and faux-deep keys will appeal to some. Just not me.
Dutch female techno DJ/producer Shinedoe’s ability to move between styles and make them her own makes ‘Sound Travelling’ highly recommended. It also means that ‘Face Your Fears’ adds a sensual element to Rob Hood’s razor sharp minimalism, while ‘Enjoy The Moments’ is a warm, electronic bass-led reinvention of Steve Rachmad’s work as Sterac.
UK producer Chris McCormack’s output is scant, but his work has a unique quality. ‘Redesigned’ sees McCormack deliver ball-crushingly rough basslines and grimy breaks as well as haunting neo-classical strings and uplifting chords.
Samim raids the vaults of techno past on ‘Masua’, with the definitive, doubled-up Plastikman drums appearing amid his murky, filtered groove. It’s hard to criticise the Swiss producer for his retro-future approach because the wild analogue howls and rattling drums on lead track ‘Hardma’ push techno onward and upward.
‘Far Away’ sees the Dutch producer go for a fully-fledged electronic easy listening sound. The title track features tasteful but not noodly strings and saxophone parts, while ‘The Rally’ is a funkier concoction with some truly catchy keys. There’s also a house mix of ‘A Drift’ included.
Despite the big name producer and big time contributors, Macy Gray has somehow achieved the not insignificant feat of delivering an altogether average record.
20-year-old Greek producer Argy leads the charge of the new wave of European minimalists with ‘Love Dose’, an intricately crafted, acid-laced stripped-down track that owes debts to the Bug’s label. Meanwhile, Luciano’s remix pushes in a different direction to the increasingly boring Villalobos. Sounding like an update of old Relief releases, the meeting of raw, primal rhythms and steely, modern know-how is revelatory.
‘Click..Click..Boom!’ sounds for all the world like it should be a hip-hop track and there is a certain swagger and assurance at work here. Musically, this is a duet that sits on the edge of darkness and a track that places itself firmly in the eye of the storm. Producer Karl Odlum continues to bring out the best in Ham Sandwich (b-side‘Song In D’ is, to be honest, equally good) and there is a sense that they could take this anywhere they please. Best new Irish band? At the moment they’re a shoo in.
Detroit producer Nick Calingaert returns to Soma with ‘Rise’, which features cowbells, electronic yelps, brassy riffs and spacey pads, all underpinned by a throbbing bassline. Meanwhile, ‘Red Earth Below’ opts for a the archetypal Detroit sound, its cinematic sounds and alien rhythms making for one of the Scottish label’s strongest releases.
French producer D’Julz takes the current fascination with acid house a few steps further on ‘Hip House’, which harks back to a hazy time when hip-hop and house inhabited the same sphere.
There have been half a dozen album releases by Drexciya since founding member James Stinson passed away last year. However, this looks like being the last ever release – as the mysterious Detroit producer promised there would be seven ‘storms’.
The problem facing The Darkness now is surely that, with the element of surprise has gone, the catsuits, falsetto vocals and silly videos are going to have to take second place to the music. Problem? What problem? Yes, you might never again experience the jaw-dropping sensation of hearing ‘Growing On Me’ for the first time but ‘One Way Ticket’ is a solid enough next step, blessed with an obviously bigger budget, the understated touch of Queen producer Roy Thomas Baker and, as they so eloquantloy put it, a big, fuck off rock chorus.
At 26, Leeds-born Bailey Rae is already being groomed for success in America. Even her name has an American sound to it. Taking her cue from Natasha Bedingfield, Joss Stone and Nelly Furtardo, ‘Put Your Records On’ is urban soul, ripe for chick flicks and a safe bet to dominate airwaves over the coming months. As to its quality, a different, arguably better, producer would have preserved Bailey Rae’s raw undertones rather then pop produce with a glisten and a twinkle to seal every gap.
While some of his minimalist peers place more importance on their party antics than their productions, US producer Geoff White seems content to beaver away in the background.
This gorgeous new release from Dublin producer Spectac comes with an original limited edition art print by Manuel Schibli (all releases on the fledgling Loaf Recordings are matched with a unique piece of art, so along with the three inch CD you get something visual for your wall). The music is a sublime and intricate conflation of skippy electronics and melodic instrumentation; synthetic horns and deep basslines meander over dancehall beats and soft organs. Another great release from one of Ireland’s most innovative acts.
Dublin producer Donnacha Costello has made the transition from dubby, minimal techno to full on acid house revivalist and this EP sees him take his love of old skool sounds to a euphoric conclusion.
Like every other electronic music producer, Daniel Wang has spent time in Berlin lately and it’s had an effect on his work, evident on the live funk of ‘Das Ist Kein Techno’, where a disaffected German clubber questions Wang’s DJ selection, and on the techno futurism of ‘Berlin Sunrise (Die Dammerung)’, while trippy, mournful ‘Berlin Sunrise (Die Nacht)’, takes his electronic disco sound back to its continental roots.
Once in a while, a great album by an unknown producer appears and this year, the great discovery is Milosh. Hailing from Canada, he makes plaintive, reflective electronic music, but what sets him apart from all the other laptop producers is his ability to approach his craft from a pop sensibility. Layered electronic tracks like 'The City' and 'My Life' ooze seductive melodies, while the bittersweet break up narrative of 'It's Over' is a crossover hit in the making. Check out Milosh now before he starts soundtracking teen love scenes on The OC.
Having impressed with their early demos, Dubliner's The Star Department managed to rope in legendary Low, Daniel Johnston and Lou Reed producer Kramer to mix and master this debut EP. Kramer adds eerie soundscapes throughout, though what's most interesting is the imaginative structure. The trio play with tempo shifts and sonic hooks at will. 'Embers' shines with a masterful melody, while 'Flickering Lights', with its sozzled vocal, just about works. Top it off with the fact they've been together less than a year and we have something very interesting to look forward to on future releases.
Call it minimal pop house, glam techno or any other daft name, but there’s no disputing that German producer Aksel Schaufler’s debut album is a bona fide classic.
Kelvin Andrews' debut artist album will dispel any bad lasting memories of his lame cover version of ‘Strings Of Life’, because the veteran producer has succeeded in condensing the last three decades of electronic music onto one disc
Already a favourite at Autamata live shows, ‘Jellyman’ further showcases the collaborative talents of maverick producer Ken McHugh and the gonna-be-huge Cathy Davey.
‘Identification’ is an assured work. On his debut album, the German producer Phonique favours an electronic take on house and teams up with Erlend Oye for the indie-electro pop of ‘For The Time Being’, Ian Whitelaw on the soulful house of ‘You That I’m With’ and Paris The Black Fu for the sexy electronic R&B grind of ‘Thick’N’Rich’.
If Julie Feeney’s recent Choice Music Award win proved anything, it’s that there’s an appetite for something a little different creeping back onto the Irish music scene, something that isn’t straight ahead rock, indie or acoustic.
The timing, then, of this EP from Lieselle McMahon couldn’t be better. It has a similarly off-kilter feel to Feeney, replacing her organic instruments with a brooding electronica. Recorded in New York with Antony And The Johnsons producer Roger Fife, it’s dark, enigmatic and thoroughly refreshing. What we know about her could be written on the pack of a postage stamp, but this is a hell of a place to start.
London DJ/producer Will Saul first came to prominence as a breaks DJ, but thankfully, he has subsequently expanded his canon to include seductive house and deep, dubby techno. On ‘Space’, his debut album, he adds some unusual flavours – including African instrumentation – to create a rounded work that has echoes of Mathew Jonson, Charles Webster and the London breaks mafia. So many dance producers talk about making a proper artist album but invariably fail to deliver.
Brooks’s first album took a sideways look at deep house and techno, but ‘Red Tape’ is a more adventurous affair, as the precocious producer travels down the same experimental path as label owner Herbert.
Electronic music needs larger-than-life characters like Chleonis Jones, the American singer/poet/producer who decamped to Berlin and hooked up with the Get Physical label.
Italian producer Marco Passarani’s work flits between acid and electro, techno and house, and, on ‘Sullen Look’, his playful nature comes to the fore. There’s melodic, Warp-esque bleeps on ‘Red Panda Sunrise’ and ‘Earth’s Heart’, shades of Kraftwerk on ‘CBS Master Theme’, the sexy, infectious Italo of ‘Clair’ and, best of all, an androgynous male vocal fronting a twisted electronic house cover version of 80s soul sugar daddy Alexander O’Neal’s ‘Criticise’. Like much of Passarani’s work, this is bizarre but brilliant.
‘Love Like Nicotine’, the exciting single from Dublin-based Dark Room Notes, is a classy and hugely promising debut for this electro-rock four-piece. The swooping intro immediately grabs your attention, the chorus is catchy, and the vocals are intense throughout. ‘Love Like Nicotine’ has up-and-coming producer Ciaran Bradshaw behind the reins, and, as an added bonus, the single has been remixed by both Trixton and Flood for the B-side. The Dark Room Notes are a welcome introduction to our radios: sharp, edgy, seamless electro-rock. More of the same please.
Those of us in the trade have long been familiar with Mary McPartlan as a producer, director, PR ace and general impresario. But there was something else about Mary that only a select group of friends and acquaintances knew: the lady can sing.
New York producer Abe Duque used to make music that was too adventurous and off the wall for dance floor friendly consumption, but somewhere along the way - probably when he was co-producing Gigolos boss Hell’s last album, ‘NY Muscle- he saw the light.
Costello is one Ireland’s most promising talents, a producer unafraid to turn his back on the 4/4 in favour of a more esoteric spin on electronic music.
The second album by German duo The Martini Bros shows the way for any producer trying to escape the genre confines electronic music is trapped in. They might still love their machines, but there’s much more to this album than its title suggests.
From Here We Go…, the debut album by Swedish producer Axel Wilner, focuses on the epic qualities of Ride and MBV, combined with Wilner’s cosmic pop chops and his predilection for shuffly techno grooves.
There’s a very fine line between genius and lunacy, but Scottish producer in New York Neil Landstrumm knows where the border lies, and his latest album pokes fun at the crazies from a safe distance.
Soul Designer is the work of Belgian producer Fabrice Lig and, though he takes inspiration from and draws heavily on the Detroit ethic to form the basis of his sound, Lig's work is served with a self-assured suss
Apart from Donnacha Costello and Dave Donohoe, Irish dance producers have failed spectacularly in their efforts to make a lasting dance album. While Swedish producer Jesper Dahlback co-wrote ‘Disarmed’, his partner in crime is Corkonian Mark O’Sullivan, and their debut is one of the freshest electronic albums of 2005. Apart from their ability to deliver timeless acid trax – ‘The Difference’ and ‘Life Is Everywhere’ – there’s the prickly indie pop of ‘Sweetness In Time’, the downbeat, Joy Division-styled doom of ‘Disarm’ and the mixture of epic dancefloor techno, brooding Dave Gahan-esque vocals and Gothic undercurrents on ‘Where’s The Fun’, ‘Heart Like A Demon’ and ‘Three Souls’. By combining music from opposite ends of the spectrum, DK7 have created something disarmingly compelling.
Finally, an electronic album with a real concept! Finnish producer Jori Hulkkonen has unofficially divided this new long player into two halves: it represents his ambitions to make ‘serious’ music, unlike most of his peers, who only refer in passing to their desire to be rated as true artists.
Although Ian O’Brien’s second album, Gigantic Days saw the amiable Essex producer make the leap from jazzy techno to ‘real’ jazz, History manages to combine both styles with ease.
A few years back, Austen was introduced to Austrian producer Patrick Pulsinger who has worked his magic and weaved the singer’s silky voice into a series of gloriously funky house tracks.
Veteran producer Hal Willner has revealed the preliminary line-up for this July's Rogue’s Gallery concert in Dublin, which will feature top artists performing sea chanteys and pirate ballads.
Three years since Moloko’s last album, Statues, and seven years since they had a hit with ‘Sing It Back’, Roisin Murphy’s going it alone. Credited as co-writer with her new collaborative partner and producer Matthew Herbert, when you pick this up you should remember that the version of ‘Sing it Back’ that we heard non-stop that summer was a Todd Terry remix, and that Roisin’s tastes naturally, like those of her former band, gravitate towards the experimental and leftfield.
Recorded in LA with acclaimed producer Ed Stasium (Ramones, Talking Heads etc), Stuck Together… had everything – stellar playing (especially on the part of guitarist Ray Harman), and a great vocal performance from Tom Dunne.
Former graffiti artist turned DJ/producer Richard Sen hand picks a selection of tracks that inspired the work of his Bronx Dog alias and his own solo projects.
On her first (brilliant) album, Supa Dupa Fly, Missy Misdemeanor Elliott and her producer, Tim "Timbaland" Mosley, effortlessly mastered the trick of mixing the avant garde with the accessible, in the process giving a welcome injection of energy to American R&B.
Seelenluft is one person, Swiss producer Beat Soler, who has been putting out music as Seelenluft for the past decade. An album that documents the life and times of Soler’s alter ego, Silvercity Bob, Soler’s ‘concept’ album would be far harder to swallow if it weren’t for the fact that it’s such an atmospheric, enveloping work.
Ambient composer, Grammy winner, producer extraordinaire – there was a time when William Orbit's name was ubiquitous, but in the five years since the release of his critically acclaimed Pieces In A Modern Style, he seems to have retreated into semi-retirement.
Wall Of Sound leave bigbeat behind (we’ll miss you) and jump on the cred-ship with some nifty licensing action. Telle are the Norwegian label that brought you the Kings Of Convenience and Annie’s wondrous ‘Greatest Hit’, unsurprisingly included here, along with the hitherto unheard of (to most) talents of DJ and producer Erot and company.
Film buffs will be more familiar with the name Vincent Gallo as the producer, director and writer of Buffalo 66, which incidentally he scored and performed the music for, being the Hollywood Renaissance man that he is.
They rarely come any rootsier than this, Mick Hanly with a basket of all new songs (bar one) and a bunch of skilled musicians locked in producer PJ Curtis's cottage in Clare for four days.
The music of Bodyrockers, a DJ/producer collaboration that wants to see your panty line, is creepy and shudder-inducing. One is put in mind of sweaty, sleazy nightclubs where the air is taut with soured lust and simmering aggression.
This first solo offering by longstanding Jurassic 5 turntable maestro Cut Chemist has been eagerly awaited (hearing the latest Chemist-free J5 album was a telling reminder of how skilled a producer he is). Although it’s not a knockout performance, The Audience’s Listening delivers enough quality to satisfy most listeners.
The sixty-plus former Velvet Underground lynchpin and producer extraordinaire has long enjoyed legendary status, his prolific solo output ensuring continued interest and sold-out live shows everywhere.
For her first album since 2001, Colvin’s co-written nine of the album’s 13 tracks with producer John Leventhal, and her guests, including Patty Griffin, Marc Cohn, Teddy Thompson and ace pedal steel Greg Leisz, give the album an overall country/folk/rock feel.
Peopled solely by original tunes from John McCusker – Scottish prodigy, member of The Battlefield Band, producer of a Mercury nominated Kate Rusby album, guest of Teenage Fanclub, and purveyor of a rake of exceptional tunes – Yella House is a remarkable record.
His eight album in a decade sees the Toronto-based troubadour re-united with producer Mitchell Froom (Crowded House, Costello etc), who helmed his first couple of albums.
This is the first album from the former ‘NSync frontman since his trillion-selling 2002 debut Justified, and back in the safe hands of hitmaker and producer Timbaland, he seems to be trying to come up with a latter day version of Marvin Gaye's ‘Let’s Get It On’. Only instead of recreating Gaye’s subtle mastery of sonic seduction, Timberlake goes straight for the main course.
Over the course of THE LETTING GO (recorded in Iceland last winter with Björk producer Valgeir Sigurdsson) one stumbles hither and thither on a characteristically savage poeticism.
On her sixth album, Missy Elliott has – for the most part – ended her long-running working relationship with gifted producer Timbaland. It’s difficult to be happy about the death of a partnership that has thrown up some of the most dazzlingly futuristic pop music of recent years, but it was a collaboration that had been on the wane for some time.
About five years ago I grew mildly obsessive over an album of icily beautiful electronica that went by the entirely appropriate title, Closer Colder. It was the debut release from a brilliant and, judging by interviews conducted at the time, emotionally fragile young producer called David Kosten. If you believe Walt Disney’s head is being cryogenically stored in a lab somewhere, this record will be playing in the background.
Thirty years after his breakthrough Woodstock appearance, Carlos Santana returns to the fray with a star-studded album. It also reunites the San Francisco-based guitar legend with co-producer and label supremo Clive Davis, who gave Santana their first recording contract back in 1968.
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.
Until recently vibrant and prolific, Cuban music fell headfirst into the fate of an industry dominated by a communist government. Most local acts of promise were either over-regulated and not allowed to flourish on their own terms, or were snapped up by foreign imperialists and brought away from their homeland. Then came the Buena Vista Social Club. Juan de Marcos teamed up with executive producer Nick Gold in 1997, and with the help of Ry Cooder and some very important Cuban musicians, they realised a musical dream.
Though she’s only 20, this hugely talented North Dubliner has been knocking around the local scene since her early teens, gigging relentlessly and releasing a well-received EP a few years back. For her full-length debut she’s enlisted a heavyweight producer in Chris Tsangarides (Thin Lizzy, Ozzy, Depeche Mode), and recorded it in a remote studio in North Wales (fans of Led Zeppelin IV take note).
Thank god for small mercies. This is not one of those guest-infested albums featuring Rod, Eric et al hatched by some opportunistic label exec in cahoots with a modish producer keeping one eye on the meter and the other on a Grammy. It’s the Reverend Al doing pretty much as he’s always done.
Timo Maas built a reputation as a skilled DJ and producer in his native Germany, before enjoying a successful foray into “album-dance” on 2002’s well-received Loud. He tries to repeat the trick on Pictures, assembling a range of star vocalists for added accessibility.
The stage is well set for the entrance of Kanye West, who seems to have made the transition from producer to star performer with few growing pains. Having crafted beats for the likes of Jay Z and Alicia Keys, the Chicago native’s debut album College Dropout has lead to his new role behind the mic becoming a very successful one indeed.
This album sees Aimee Mann adopt a refreshingly speedy and ad-hoc approach to recording, not to mention a return to the comfort zone of early ‘70s AOR sounds: dampened down drums, piano, classic rock guitar licks, all overseen by producer Joe Henry (co-collaborator on Jim White’s excellent last album).
Such warm upholstery suits her un-histrionic vocal approach, and the choice of players complements the musical aesthetic and set-up (The Forgotten Arm is a song cycle about two lovers: John, a Vietnam vet, boxer and drug addict, and Caroline – echoes of the female lead in Lou’s Berlin).
Original Pirate Material is the best album by a British artist since OK Computer. He is a rapper, producer, songwriter and bedroom boffin extraordinaire that has set a new benchmark for just how thrilling, insightful, innovative and brilliant music can get
Instead of trying to be self-consciously cutting edge, Bowie spends most of his 26th studio album belting out orthodox rock ‘n’ roll songs with a band that includes long-time friend, producer and vibemaster Tony Visconti.
When Ray Charles passed away last week at the age of 73, music lost a giant whose talent broke the boundaries between blues, soul, country and gospel. Van Morrison pays his respects.
Ten Feet High is surprisingly playful, but in a serious way. For the most part, Corr and producer Nellee Hooper have fashioned a hybrid of high street pulses, airy melodies and acoustic chamber pop.
What producer Rick Rubin’s done for Diamond is rescue him from the super-sized supper set and corporate private party circuit. The result is an album that sits closer to Lee Hazlewood or Tim Hardin than Billy Joel (another hard-nosed ballad-toting veteran whose talent is all too often mismanaged by unsympathetic handlers).
What a strange warp we were in. On Good Friday, I walked through an almost deserted BBC building in Ormeau Avenue with Mike Edgar, the producer of the Heineken Hot Press Awards show, as well as one of the presenters. Deeper into the bowels we went, along claustrophobic corridors, until we finally came to Edit Suite No.5.
It's Bruce and the band given a new coat of paint by producer Brendan O’ Brien, who through his work with bands like Pearl Jam, knows a thing or two about gut feeling and mile-high noise
He's had his ups and downs over the course of a long and distinguished career. In a rare interview, Dwight Yoakam talks about sundered musical partnerships and explains how he's learned to love again.
They pinched their name from the Old Testament and are quite partial to a bit of Moz. They are The Maccabees and just maybe they’ll rock your world in 2007.
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
With a vivid backwoods sound that’ll leave you hungry for a campfire and a pair of old moccasins, Nevada native ALELA DIANE is Europe’s favourite adopted daughter of folk. On her sophomore visit to our shores, she talks to Celina Murphy about working with her Dad and the album she never thought she’d make.
This year’s Cannes Film Festival is set to be the most successful yet for the Irish film-making community, according to film board chief executive Mark Woods.
They’ve turned their back on breezy pop production and embraced a soulful, indie groove. Belle And Sebastian talk about the making of what might just be their finest record to date.
As New Queer Cinema pioneer TOM KALIN returns with his long awaited second film Savage Grace, starring Julianne Moore, he reflects on the mainstreaming of the marginal.
JOHN WALSHE catches up with K S CHOICE, the Belgian guitarslingers whose third album looks set to finally bring their perfectly crafted melodies to the world s attention.
Snowman FC from Cork won the Irish heat of the JD Sets, played live in the legendary Jack Daniel's Distillery in Tennessee and recorded with REM man David Barbe in Nashville.
Having successfully avoided submersion into Tim DeLaughter’s Polyphonic Spree, New York-based psych-rockers Secret Machines are now touring with The Chemical Brothers and being widely cited as one of the hottest bands on the US underground.
The debut solo album from Moloko singer Roisin Murphy embraces the avant-garde end of dance music. But it's still a great pop record. Interview by Peter Murphy.
He may have turned the volume down a bit, but Ricky Warwick‘s Tatoos & Alibis album still rocks like a bastard. Stuart Clark meets him and his multi-platinum mate Joe Elliott.
Patrick Freyne talks to Ken McHugh of Autamata about his double life as artist and producer, his new album, Colours of Sound - and about moving to the country.
When Garbage joined U2 on the autumn leg of their 2001 American campaign, the world was reeling from the aftermath of 9/11. But as the tour progressed, drummer and producer Butch Vig found himself on the verge of a Hepatitis A-induced coma.
Minimalist practitioner, aficionado of asceticism and producer of note – Germanic groove technician Steve Bug is shaking up the continental dance scene in idiosyncratic and dynamic fashion.
Having moved to Dublin and attempted to conquer his chronic internet addiction, innovative dance producer Lackluster has now set about earning the acclaim of the local electronica cognoscenti.
“I hate these questions,” cries David Holmes, DJ, re-mixer, producer, free associate, film-scorer and friend to the stars. Yet he gamely faces the pan-ish inquisition that is the hotpress mixed grill
Spitfire aeroplanes, dogs in disguise, aphex babies and karma police: founding No Disco producer Rory Cobbe waxes visual on ten of his favourite videos of all time
Twenty-four-year-old ANDY VOTEL is the man behind Badly Drawn Boy s Twisted Nerve label, and he s just released a self-penned new album. COLIN CARBERRY gets jealous RICKY ADAMS gets pics
During a career spanning almost forty years as a professional musician, Van Morrison has created an extraordinary body of work. A masterful musician, songwriter, producer, arranger and musical director, he possesses one of the most uniquely recognisable and powerful voices in music. His influence on contemporary music has been profound but far from resting on his laurels, his latest work Back On Top ranks among his finest albums to date. For Van Morrison, the search goes on. It was particularly appropriate, therefore, that he was chosen to become the first inductee into the Hot Press Irish Music Hall of Fame, at a special ceremony there last week. Report: Niall Stanage.
There’s no argument. The Rolling Stones new record Voodoo Lounge finds the greatest rock’n’roll band in the world of yore back in fighting trim, stomping out that distinctive blend of musical mayhem we know and love in positively swaggering style – good enough, some would say, to see off any contenders to their coveted throne. At the centre of this triumphant return to form is one Michael Philip Jagger, who sounds lean, mean, hungry and ready for the fray. Here he raps with Don Was – producer of Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Was Not Was, Bonnie Raitt and of course The Rolling Stones – about the primeval power of music and how to keep on doing it even at the grand old age of twenty (Sorry! I’ll read that again) . . .
The renewed interest in the Irish language is being spearheaded by a new RTE TV series Turas Teanga, a contemporary Irish language programme presented by Sharon Ní Bheoláin, which began broadcasting on RTÉ One in January. It goes out at 7.30pm on Friday.
They've masterminded recordings by Lily Allen, Estelle and Kate Nash, to name a few. In this exclusive interview, Future Cut lift the veil on their whizz-bang production techniques.
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
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
Pete Kushnereit and Rene Lowe, better known as Scion, have released a mix album of Jamaican-inspired electronic tracks by the elusive German technocrat Maurizio
Nailed is a heist movie with a difference. It’s been written, produced and shot in Belfast. Director Adrian O’Connell believes it could revitalise the north’s film industry.
As Gemma Hayes steps back into the fray with her long-awaited third album, Hot Press arranges for her to have a tete-a-tete with long-time collaborator Dave Odlum.
Though a renowned singer-songwriter in her own right, SHAWN COLVIN’S current album is a collection of cover versions. MELISSA KNIGHT hears why the songs on Cover Girl are so special to her.
Gideon Seifert of Joe Gideon and the Shark talks about touring with Nick Cave and Seasick Steve, and recalls his musical partner’s previous life as an Olympic athlete.
With a new album ready for release, Idlewild 's Irish bassist Gavin Fox talks about celebrity spotting in LA, touring with Pearl Jam and why Warnings/Promises is the best thing they've ever done. Interview by John Walshe
Look out for a blinding performance from Kevin Bacon. Moviehouse talks to Nicole Kassell, co-screenwriter of The Woodsman, the provocative new drama in which the author plays a paedophile recently released into a hostile small-town community.
Difficult second album syndrome has no place in the Clap Your Hands Say Yeah vocabulary. Not that the blogger faves are exactly busting a gut to have a hit.
Spanish husband and wife writing/directing team, Dominic Harari and Teresa Pelegri, have learned to live as a two-headed monster, putting all the drama on screen.
To mark the release of her new album And Winter Came, Enya talks about quietly becoming a phenomenon and explains why it may at last be time to head out on the road.
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.
Ever27 are four determined Midlands musicians with their eyes on the main prize. Their frontman Brendan McEvoy, formerly of the much-loved Mesner, is enthused by the support they’ve had from the Mullingar community and beyond.
Video interview: Tim Burgess and Mark Collins of THE CHARLATANS tell us about their latest album, Wonderland, and about how having a singer that lives 5000 miles away in L.A. helps to focus the band's energies. Well, it would, wouldn't it
Having crammed more into their first four years than some acts do in a decade, Gomez took a much-needed break. But now they’re back with a new album in our gun. "We just got pissed, played a few tunes and started recording," they tell John Walshe
Having done serious box-office damage in the States, Our Lady Peace are now looking to conquer Europe. Mainman Raine Maida tells Patrick Hedlund why failure is not an option
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
Mickybo And Me is a sensitive but unsentimental examination of two boys' cross-denominational friendship. Actor and screenwriter Adrian Dunbar sings its praises.
Patrick Freyne interviews Tegan from Tegan and Sara about their brilliant new album The Con, her twin sister and obsessively recording the minutiae of her life.
Irish fiction continues to grow in both popularity and hipness. In this special feature we talk to three of its most prominent young exponents: John Connolly, Conal Creedon and Julie Parsons.
After suffering from a particularly nasty bout of 'difficult second album' syndrome, GOATS DON'T SHAVE have come up trumps with a record that's destined to take them way beyond their present cult status. PAT GALLAGHER tells COLM O'HARE how they managed to avoid becoming the world's first folk techno band and why doing-it-yourself is definitely the best policy.
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...
JOHN WALSHE talks to fresh-faced Euro-pop outfit NV about their quest for pop superstardom, the new Coke ad, and the pros and cons of being a Friends lookalike!
Their odd-ball sound is hard to pin down, but that hasn’t prevented indie rockers 8 Ball from becoming one of the most buzzed about Irish groups on the scene.
He may have stopped smoking superhuman amounts of weed, but otherwise it’s business as usual for Ghostface Killah as he continues to spread the Wu-Tang gospel.
Katell Keineg confesses that she's lazy, eccentric and mis-understood yet she's back with a live appearance in dublin in February and a new EP due in the spring. Interview: Fiona Reid
Melbourne born virtuoso classical guitarist John Williams is best known for a pair of unlikely chart hits, one with fusion outfit Sky, the other being 'Cavatina', the theme to Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter. But beyond the pop spectrum he's enjoyed a long and distinguished career.
Laughing in the face of a global music meltdown, Colin Devlin has temporarily exited The Devlins to release a solo album Democracy Of One and strike out on a world tour.
Welsh singer Jem Griffiths has become a firm favourite in the US purely on the strength of word-of-mouth. And if her debut album Finally Woken is anything to go by, audiences this side of the Atlantic are likely to follow suit very soon.
French underground veteran I:Cube on launching his own label, collaborating with Daft Punk and RZA, and the diverse influences which inform his excellent new album.
Although john squire and his new band The seahorses have taken something of a critical mauling following the release of their album Do It Yourself and some less-than-sparkling live shows, the former Stone Roses axeman is surprisingly unperturbed as peter murphy finds out.
Trad quartet Lunasa, named to honour the Irish harvest god Lugh, who also gave his name to the month of August, have become something of gods themselves within the Irish trad scene. Jackie Hayden talks to them in the wake of the release of their new album Se.
Long gone are the days when appearing in a play in the Gaiety rather than the Abbey or Gate was seen as “slumming it”. Or that's how Ronan Smith, who plays a priest in Groundwork’s latest production of John B. Keane’s Moll, which opens on March 9th and runs till April 9, sees it anyhow.
The boy from San Diego, Jason Mraz, earned enough kudos with his debut album, Waiting For My Rocket To Come, to convince famed U2 man Steve Lillywhite to produce its sequel Mr. A-Z.
As Scottish tunesmiths BIFFY CLYRO prepare to release their fifth record Only Revolutions, Edwin McFee chats with bassist James Johnston and hears all about working with Josh Homme, why their latest sonic manifesto is their most positive to date and why he’s glad he doesn’t have to support Limp Bizkit anymore.
Since swapping Dublin for Los Angeles, hotly-tipped indie rockers La Rocca have experienced all the ludicrous pleasures and extremes of the City of Angels. Here, they regale us with tales from their California exile.
Currently reprising her role of Mrs. Johnstone in Willie Russell’s Blood Brothers, Rebecca Storm here enthuses about both the play and her own burgeoning musical career
Renowned Cork singer-songwriter John Spillane has joined forces with poet Louis de Paor as the bilingual Gaelic Hit Factory to prove that the Irish language can work in a contemporary context. Jackie Hayden investigates.
It’s that time of year when gongs are being dished out. Guest columnist Rossa O Snodaigh of Kíla makes the case for a change of emphasis. Plus news, gossip and all that jazz.
He emigrated in '95, sang with jeff at sin-e, acted with denis leary, consoled nyc's firefighters and tripped around the planet with emmylou harris – but for mark geary, the adventure is only beginning
COLM O HARE speaks to Fran Healy and Dougie Payne of TRAVIS about ongoing success, irritating Radiohead comparisons and avoiding the nightmare of 9-5 existence.
peter murphy meets the multi-faceted pelvis, whose debut album Who Are You Today marks them out as one of the most formidable new Irish
talents in years.
In a 25th anniversary rose-tinted special, Hot Press' dance correspondents select their 25 most influential floor fillers. The editor's decision is final and all that
Her dad’s got the keys to St. Andrew’s Observatory, her mum’s texting to say she’s just seen Prince William playing hockey, and her new album Eyes To The Telescope is currently bewitching audiences throughout Britain. Things could hardly be better for Scots singer-songwriter KT Tunstall.
She may have a reputation as an actress who has a penchant for getting romantically involved with many of her leading men, but Julia Roberts is guarded about her personal life. She has been romantically linked to Matthew Perry, Daniel Day Lewis and Pat Manocchia, a friend of the late John F Kennedy Jr. among others, but she is constantly surrounded by a loyal staff, whose job it is to preserve her privacy. However, she has been involved in some very public liaisons,
as Stephen Robinson reports.
LCD Soundsystem's frontman James Murphy talks about working with Justin Timberlake, his Cork ancestors and recalls the time he almost hooked up with Arcade Fire
She may not be a folk-chick , but for the time being, a bottle of beer, a chair and a guitar is all it takes to get Kristin Hersh through the night. Interview: colm o hare.
The Coronas were about a week into their 2008 American tour when they realised Colonel Kurtz was driving the bus. They can laugh about it now, oh yes. Sat around a table in the Library Bar on the eve of the release of their second album, the foursome – singer Danny O’Reilly, guitarist Dave McPhillips, bass player Graham Knox and drummer Conor Egan – are still young and hardy enough to take it in their stride.
ned o'hanlon and maurice linnane, the men behind media company dreamchaser productions, aren't given to false modesty. And why should they be, given that their recent list of clients includes Garth Brooks, U2 and the Rock 'N' Roll Hall Of Fame? siobhÁN LONG meets the men who once adopted Gary Oldman for an all-night bender in America.
Having sold 7.5 million copies of their debut album, and collaborated with Sting, Justin Timberlake and James Brown on their new record Monkey Business, the Black Eyed Peas are among the premier pop acts of the moment. And they're still only getting started, as they tell Steve Cummins
FANS OF this column have complained that in my preview of the Dublin Theatre Festival, in the last issue of Hot Press I paid only lip service to the "most prestigious and biggest show on offer," the RSC's production of Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale (Gaiety Theatre).
Julie Feeney, Ron Wood and Kazakhstan’s answer to Will Young are just some of the artists who’ve availed of Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott’s Dublin studio. He talks about life as a budding recording mogul
Suzanne Vega talks to COLM O HARE about the
proliferation of serious female artists, the break-up of her marriage and incorporating spoken word into her performances
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 .
Peter Murphy meets The Plague Monkeys, who have just released their second album, The Sunburn Index. Under discussion: Soundscapes, European film-makers and Alanis Morissette s lyrics.
IT HAS been suggested that Graham Reid’s plays are pungent with “the thick and acrid air” of Belfast. Any actor performing one of these production in The Lyric Players Theatre in Belfast at this point in time would certainly know if that statement is true.
It’s a rags to riches fairytale of Disney proportions, but winning the overall prize in the Global Battle of the Bands contest, a world tour and E85,000 is just part of Kopek’s story.
Now that minimal techno has become a trendy cliché, it’s time for the cutting edge of dance music to find a new direction. Trentemoller has pointed the way with a compelling new album.
The Murphy's Cat Laughs Comedy Festival returns to Kilkenny from May 30th-June 3rd. This year's line-up includes the cream of Irish and International stand-up talent and a plethora of extra attractions
Currently drawing huge crowds to The Olympia with his third Mrs. Brown play, Brendan O’Carroll nonetheless has a bone to pick with those pushing for the retention of the section 481 tax break for film-makers.
Shorn of his beard and pony-tail GERRY RYAN is to join forces
with Barney the dinosaur, Twink and OTT in a poptastic pantomime
in The Point, SLEEPING BEAUTY (SORT OF).
Interview: CHRIS DONOVAN.
Goldfinger might be the intelligent face of punk-pop with politics, animal rights and MTV baiting their subject matter. But bassist Kelly Lemieux insists that they remain balls out rock'n'rollers
It wasn't too long ago that The Blizzards were unknown outside of their native Mullingar. Now they've three top 10 Irish singles to their credit and an album, A Public Display Of Affection, that has the potential to explode internationally.
Dance is dead, says Roisin Murphy, but if any act is going to raise it from the grave it’s Moloko, proud authors of the over the top and utterly sincere Statues, an album of tremendous pop songs that recapture the glory of classic disco.
Brendan Wade and Paul Bell have both enjoyed long and varied musical careers. Now as THE SWANS they speak to ADRIENNE MURPHY about their soon-to-be-released new album.
Watching an Oscar Wilde play in full flight is one thing, right? As in Alan Stanford s meticulously directed version of An Ideal Husband, now running at Dublin s Gate Theatre.
If you want to make a demo that won't be used to blackmail you a few years down the road to fame and fortune, there are a few things you should know. Here, the experts tell Niall Crumlish what they are.
Florida's favourite crime writer Carl Hiaasen has turned his attention to the equally murky world of newspapers and rock music for his latest book basket case. Peter Murphy reports
From sweeping the steps of lauren hill’s manager’s house to teetering on the brink of a massive hit – native american Jason Downs tells his story to John Walshe
Akron singer-songwriter Tim Easton has just settled in Alaska, a place where people “go mad or die”. Thankfully, he’s still alive and sane enough to tell the tale.
While 2004 has not been an especially spectacular year to date, there is good reason to believe that rocks big guns are likely to deliver the kind of records that will revive spirits in the industry. Chris Donovan previews some of the albums that are likely to top the sales – and the critical – charts before 2004 is out...
When Alan McLoughlin scored in Belfast on November 17th he not only set the entire country off on an orgiastic rampage but allayed the fears of a pair of filmmakers who’d gambled heavily on Ireland’s qualification of USA ’94. So, it’s happy endings all round as Robert Walpole and Paddy Breathnach of Treasure Films release our official World Cup video The Road To America and detail the trials, tribulations and traumas of the venture to a suitably impressed George Byrne.
Internationalist jet-setting dance-pop playboy Sam Sparro has been propelled to ubiquity by the single 'Black And Gold', but he's not above offering HP a bite of his cheese toastie. Ahem.
She’s a mouthy young Londoner who knows how to strum a guitar and isn’t afraid to diss ex-boyfriends in song. Just don’t call Kate Nash the new Lily Allen.
Until now, that is! DAVID PUTTNAM is one of Britain s most successful film directors of the past 20 years. But, as the turn of the century approaches, he believes that the control exerted by Hollywood over the film, entertainment and information industries globally may yet inspire a violent reaction. Interview: CATHY DILLON
Nordic indie sensation LYKKE LI on charming Conan O'Brien, living it up Amy Winehouse-style (well, sort of) and why it's important to keep the odd thing secret from the media...
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.
GILLIAN WELCH s most recent album Hell Among The Yearlings has underlined her position as one of the most important of New Country artists. With an Irish visit pending she spoke to STEPHEN RAPID.
Rabbit Songs is the debut album by Hem, a slice of arcane americana that fuses
old-time sounds with modern musical sensibilities. Fiona Reid met (t)hem
With credits on no less than eight albums, Susan McKeown is better known in New York than her native Dublin. Sarah McQuaid hears what we've been missing
They may have been overshadowed by the activities of their musical mastermind The Rza with his day job in the Wu-Tang Clan, but GRAVEDIGGAZ prime exponents of New York horrorcore hip-hop still produced one of 1997 s best albums, The Pick, The Sickle And The Shovel. Interview: PETER MURPHY.
In the five years since its debut, The Sopranos has grown from an underground show with a small cult following to one of the most successful TV series' of all time. Paul Nolan traces the show’s development from its inauspicious beginnings on HBO to its current status as a transatlantic cultural phenomenon, and also examines our enduring fascination with a man called Tony Soprano.
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.
Gone are the booming synths and melodic choruses. Instead, techno darlings The Knife have embraced their gothic side. But why are they dressed as birds?
They've had their share of troubles but now arch Hollywood bad boy Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer are back on the A-list - and fronting a movie together.
Droll blue-hearted seamsters The Sewing Room are back with a new album, Sympathy For The Dishevelled, which will make us laugh and cry simultaneously. Interview: Nick Kelly.
Coldplay, White Stripes, Strokes, Queens, Garbage, Oasis, JJ72, Franz... With a whole slew of major albums in the pipeline, it looks like ‘05 will be the wrong year to kick that addiction to noise.
Kicking off our 2007 coverage of the northern music scene, Hit the North answers all of those questions that have been keeping you awake at night. And a few that haven’t.
Kildare’s favourite son and godfather of the singer-songwriter scene, Luka Bloom, talks to Jackie Hayden about his most intimate album to date, Innocence, gigging with The Frames in Australia and hanging backstage with Gabriel Byrne.
After years as son of Charles , ERIC MINGUS is forging his own musical identity. He talks to PETER MURPHY about jazz purists, hip-hop and playing bass with Nick Cave.
Reformed baa-aaa-aad boys pet lamb are back with a new album that's going to make Roadrunner sorry they ever dropped them. Getting the wool pulled over her eyes: Adrienne Murphy.
Ever feel like chucking your job and doing something completely different? John Bishop did. The result is Stick Your Job Up Your Arse, the comic's journey from the corporate to the comedic world.
Calling all up-and-coming music stars! The path to success can sometimes seem dauntingly steep. But, in an ongoing series, JACKIE HAYDEN looks at the various challenges which face new bands, and how to overcome them. This issue: RECORDING. Photo: KAREN CAULFIELD
Having released one of hip-hop’s seminal records, DJ Shadow has struggled for years to leave behind his repuation as a sample wizard. He may finally have succeeded.
All told, the last ten action-packed years have seen Mary Black release nine solo albums - from her eponymous debut Mary Black through to the recent chart topper The Holy Ground. Here Chris Donovan takes a retrospective look at what's on offer - and concludes that herein lies the true meaning of the words Black Magic.
Intellectual property rights are being invoked in a landmark case in India that is likely to prevent cheap drugs being produced for the benefit of some of the most disadvantaged people in the world.
They’ve sold millions of records but don’t expect to find Beautiful South frontman Paul Heaton breaking out in a grin. Unless England have been stuffed at football.
The man formerly known as Dennis Pennis, Paul Kaye, has made a return to form as hedonistic DJ Frankie Wilde in the new Ibiza-set comedy, It’s All Gone Pete Tong. A rollicking mockumentary following the fortunes of its errant lead character, it aims to do for the dance scene what This Is Spinal Tap did for heavy metal.
Indie golden boys Delays are back – and they’ve gone all shiny and techno on us. But then that’s what happens when you make a record with produer-to-the-stars Trevor Horn.
The scion of Wexford rock ‘n’ roll royalty, Odi has, at the age of 26, managed to kick start a music career as well as modelling and appearing in Emmerdale.
In a rare interview, Simpsons writer Mike Scully talks about the show’s A-list musical guests, his love for Ned Flanders and upsetting the entire population of Brazil. He also tells us what to expect from The Simpsons Movie, which blockbusters its way onto the big screen in the summer.
In Case Of Fire are one of a clutch of NI bands that are helping to spearhead a new alternative Ulster. With a string of high profile festival dates on the cards, they talk about their plans for world domination.
They may, for the moment, be garnering more press attention for their singer s love life than for their music, but THE warm jets are one hell of a fine band in their own right. Tape: NIALL STANAGE.
He's the original soul brother number one love machine (with respects to the late James and Issac) and he's got the kind of honeyed voice that could charm the knickers off a nun.
Malahide’s DIRECTOR may not be any kind of tabloid headline generators, but with an accomplished second album produced by Pumpkins and Placebo veteran Brad Wood in the bag, they’re confident enough to let the music make the fuss.
Sunshine, killer skunk, low riders and being cool in the barbershop – even allowing for all the “shooting people and shit”, it’s easy to see why Tricky is happy with life in Los Angeles. And he’s also just made his best album since Maxinquaye.
MICHAEL STIPE RECKONS THEY'VE PRODUCED THE ALBUM OF THE YEAR, THEIR SINGER HAS BEEN HAILED AS THE ‘NEW BOB DYLAN’ AND THEY HAVE IMPECCABLE TASTE IN COATS. CAN ANYTHING HALT GRANT LEE BUFFALO'S MAD DASH TO STARDOM? LORRAINE FREENEY INVESTIGATES.
Few things faze gary louris and marc perlman, the original members of the jayhawks. In fact, their only regret is that they don t have breasts. Interview: Peter Murphy.
Why has a festival in the Nevada desert become one of the hippest happenings in the world? Irish director Dearbhla Glynn went “beyond camping” and survived to film the event and tell Olaf Tyaransen the tale
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.
Cast as fictional conjoined twins who start their own punk band Harry and Luke Treadaway have delivered one of the year’s funniest and most moving performances in the mocumentary Brothers Of The Head.
What better way for an indie musician to spend an evening than checking out the wares in one of Europe’s biggest and best stoked music stores? Welcome to XMusic, guys!
Belfast boys General Fiasco may be one of the standout acts on the Oh Yeah showcase CD, but when HP catches up with the band, they're feeling a little, um, overexposed.
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.
Hot Press visited BellX1 in their city-centre studio, where the group are working on the follow-up to Music In Mouth. “There’s been a lot less fuck-acting this time around,” they tell John Walshe. Photo: Liam Sweeney
Glaswegian indie outfit Sons And Daughters are set to make a big impact with their most pop-influenced album to date. They talk about surviving Bernard Butler bootcamp, touring with Morrissey and, er, covering Adamski.
The suggestion that Roy Keane lost the dressing-room at Sunderland has been questioned by England legend Peter Beardsley who also talks about Paul Gascoigne’s woes, Paul McGrath and the tackle that gave the world a glimpse of his tackle!
The introduction of Ryan Tubridy's breakfast show and the rescheduling of Dave Fanning's slot have led critics, both inside and outside 2FM, to claim that the station is buckling under the pressure of increased competition and limited financial resources. Jackie Hayden reports
Discovered that there is life after Brett-pop, that is. nick kelly gets the lowdown from "the bloke who left Suede", Bernard Butler, whose mightily impressive solo debut People Move On, has just been released.
…In October, actually. The reunited band’s guitarist and songwriter, Gary Kemp, talks about their rivalry with Duran Duran, inspiring Quentin Tarantino and the group’s long association with Ireland.
A unique blend of domestic and international talent, Other Voices is the brainchild of Philip King. The new series is, he believes, the most ambitious yet.
Country, folk and roots fans are in for a treat on the May Bank Holiday weekend when a veritable who's who of the best bands and solo performers of the genre head to Kilkenny for the second annual Kilkenny Country Roots Weekend.
Jackie Hayden looks back over the career of the legendary soul singer Wilson Pickett who died last month, and talks to Andrew Strong about the man’s impact on his own career.
With her superb new album Kelly’s Heroes, SANDY KELLY has established herself as Ireland’s undisputed Queen of Country Music. She has also consolidated her status as an international star of the highest calibre. Report: COLM O’HARE
Tara Brady talks to director Pete Docter about the latest Pixar mega-hit Up, which tells the story of an elderly widower who sets sail on an Amazonian adventure.
Newly divorced from the Theatre Festival, this year’s Magnet Entertainment Dublin Fringe Festival is a more compact but also more diverse event than ever before.
Or how a short-term model, aspiring novelist and Indie kitten became a sophisti-cat and lived to twitch her tale. Peter Murphy meets the multi-layered Sophie Ellis Bextor
Having been shot five times and survived a coma in his previous life as an LA gang member, hip hop sensation The Game has been offered a reprieve courtesy of Dr Dr
