BEATPORT LIVE STREAM XX STEREO 2020
Last Thursday, September 17th (Pacific Time) and Friday 18th (European Time), the Spanish label hosted a Beatport Live Stream from a unique location, the Calderon Theater in Valladolid, in Spain. The event revolved around the concept of defense of culture and Art. The line-up featured familiar Stereo names and also brand new talents: DJ Chus, Sparrow & Barbossa, Óscar de Rivera, Oscar L, D-Formation and La Santa. During the DJ session, Kike Garcinuño captured in one of his paintings what he called the ‘Techno Virus of 2020‘. The Work will be auctioned, and the proceeds will be donated to a non-profit organization to help artists affected by the Pandemic.
DJ CHUS REMIXED BY SPARROW & BARBOSSA
Stereo Productions, for the celebration of its 20th anniversary, launches an extraordinary project.
But the relationship didn’t start there. Read our full story:
Emiliano (AKA Uru) Haberli and Bryan Coletta are the names behind the infamous duo Sparrow & Barbossa. Uru (Barbossa) was the original percussionist in DJ Chus & Joeski’s ‘El Amor’ back in 2003. The stars aligned when Chus got in touch with the duo after they reached #1 with their Yeke mix, one of Chus’s favorites. Now, 20 years later, Uru has crafted the drums sequence again. Bryan (Sparrow) is a pianist and comes from a musical family. His father is the legendary guitarist Francis Coletta, who worked with artists like Whitney Houston, Quincy Jones, and Frank Sinatra.
‘El Amor (Sparrow & Barbossa Remix)’
The Pirates duo has kept the original essence of Caterina’s sensual and enraptured Brazilian voice blending in perfect harmony with the timeless bossa nova bassline. Uru rebuilt the percussion section, giving it an extra samba-esque breeze; meanwhile, Bryan plays the afro synths with new sounds that rouse emotive reactions.
‘World Routes (Sparrow & Barbossa Remix)’
The original track was one of the most significant pillars of Iberican Sound, colored with plenty of organic elements. This gem takes on new skin with Sparrow & Barbosa bringing in afro rhythms, dense basslines, and a tribal house atmosphere while keeping the sensuality of the ethnic vocals, imprinting a confident message of joy and celebration.
Black Rain is one of the most mature and profound of Chus’s works, based on the planet’s origins and the ancestral influences of his music. This Eden of organic elements builds a cinematographic soundscape in which the duo preserves the roots and emphasizes the bassline, capturing the original’s natural strength in an eyes-closed epic.
‘El Amor‘ will be available from September, 23rd via Stereo Productions.
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About On Air
Today, Fleet Foxes surprised fans with the release of their fourth studio album Shore. The bright and hopeful album, released via Anti-, is available to stream and for physical pre-order HERE for a February 5th street date.
In addition to the album, a 16 mm road movie of the same name by Kersti Jan Werdal that showcases the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest set to the score of the album is available to view at https://fleetfoxes.co.
Shore was recorded before and during quarantine in Hudson (NY), Paris, Los Angeles, Long Island City and New York City from September 2018 until September 2020 with the help of recording and production engineer Beatriz Artola.
The fifteen song, fifty-five minute Shore was initially inspired by frontman Robin Pecknold’s musical heroes such as Arthur Russell, Nina Simone, Sam Cooke, Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guebrou and more who, in his experience, celebrated life in the face of death. “I see “shore” as a place of safety on the edge of something uncertain, staring at Whitman’s waves reciting ‘death,’” commented Pecknold. “Tempted by the adventure of the unknown at the same time you are relishing the comfort of the stable ground beneath you. This was the mindset I found, the fuel I found, for making this album.”
Pecknold continues:
Since the unexpected success of the first Fleet Foxes album over a decade ago, I have spent more time than I’m happy to admit in a state of constant worry and anxiety. Worried about what I should make, how it will be received, worried about the moves of other artists, my place amongst them, worried about my singing voice and mental health on long tours. I’ve never let myself enjoy this process as much as I could, or as much as I should. I’ve been so lucky in so many ways in my life, so lucky to be born with the seeds of the talents I have cultivated and lucky to have had so many unreal experiences. Maybe with luck can come guilt sometimes. I know I’ve welcomed hardship wherever I could find it, real or imagined, as a way of subconsciously tempering all this unreal luck I’ve had.
By February 2020, I was again consumed with worry and anxiety over this album and how I would finish it. But since March, with a pandemic spiralling out of control, living in a failed state, watching and participating in a rash of protests and marches against systemic injustice, most of my anxiety around the album disappeared. It just came to seem so small in comparison to what we were all experiencing together. In its place came a gratitude, a joy at having the time and resources to devote to making sound, and a different perspective on how important or not this music was in the grand scheme of things. Music is both the most inessential and the most essential thing. We don’t need music to live, but I couldn’t imagine life without it. It became a great gift to no longer carry any worry or anxiety around the album, in light of everything that is going on. A tour may not happen for a year, music careers may not be what they once were. So it may be, but music remains essential.
This reframing was another stroke of unexpected luck I have been the undeserving recipient of. I was able to take the wheel completely and see the album through much better than I had imagined it, with help from so many incredible collaborators, safe and lucky in a new frame of mind.
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Wow, how did this all happen you say?
Without going into it too much, let’s just say that due to a minor update in the wording on the NSW Government Public Health Order, where as of Sept 11, it now mentions that music festivals ‘attended by less than 2000 people’ are illegal. We had to prove to the local authority that Sky Ball was indeed a concert series and not operating as a music festival.
FUN FACT #1
Of the significant hurdles imposed by the government’s current legislation on the music industry, the biggest one is the fact that you need to be a ‘concert’ and a ‘concert’ can not have more than 4 acts or go for any longer than 5 hours. Any more than 4 acts in succession is not a concert, and even if it’s not a music festival by definition, it basically is a music festival and is illegal regardless of how many people attend.
FUN FACT #2
On the same weekend as Sky Ball, if you live within earshot, you’re likely to hear the 40,000 or so people at ANZ stadium, screaming away for their favourite football team.
So yes please rest easy music lovers, safe in the knowledge that after 5hrs of listening to live music, you won’t catch COVID off the gum trees, because funnily enough 4hrs and 59mins is the exact period of germination.
Despite the live music restrictions imposed by government legislation, you can still come and camp for 3 days, walk the bush, visit the vineyards, hang by your camp, busk under a gum tree. The prestigious Swoop Inn and Bird Bath Bar will be open breakfast, lunch and tea.
So the choice is yours, just make sure you’re front and centre when the music kicks off at 6pm.
With limited tickets still available, we’d love for you to join us if you can!
Whilst the large outdoor concert held at Dashville will only feature a small audience of around 250 people socially distanced, an additional component for punters to get excited about is the huge online component known as Sky Ball TV, which will feature all the artists performing, via a pay to view streaming concert series kicking off on Saturday 3rd October, running for the month of October. Click here for details.
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After releasing his Kylie Minogue cover earlier this month, Tom Snowdon today shares the second instalment of forthcoming covers EP Channel. Listen HERE.
The new single is ‘Who Can It Be Now?‘, originally written and performed by Men At Work in 1981. The minimal arrangement of Snowdon’s interpretation serves to highlight the reclusive lyrics. Over plucked strings & a heart-beat drum, the beseeching vocals bend and soar, building to a euphoric end.
Snowdon hails from Mparntwe/Alice Springs. Family holidays meant looong road trips across the desert to the coast – south, east or north… “Mum and Dad had this album FM Rock Classics from the 80s and we wore the thing out playing it so much. “Who Can It Be Now” was my favourite track on that compilation. I remember vividly the long stretches on the Stuart Highway with that song on repeat. I’d sit for hours just gazing out the window at the landscape and listening. I’d picture a sad man in his house, pushing people away, wanting to be alone – sad but content. Only much later did I start wondering about the deeper messages about fear, isolation and anxiety in those words. That especially has felt relevant amidst the lockdowns we’ve been facing this year.”
‘Who Can It Be Now?‘ by Tom Snowdon is out now, buy/stream it here.
For our friends at community radio, you can also download the track via AMRAP here.
The EP will be released 7th October Out on Pieater
Stay connected with:
Tom Snowdon: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Pieater: Pieater.net | Instagr
Today, sees Baker Boy explore new lyrical and thematic territory with the release of his new single ‘Better Days’. Featuring longtime collaborator Dallas Woods and powerhouse Sampa The Great, Baker Boy joins two distinct creative forces with his own to form an impactful new release.
Though written in 2019, the release of ‘Better Days’ has never been more timely; in its honesty and hopefulness. The project is a special one that many listeners will be able to resonate with and ultimately find some comfort in.
Premiering the single on triple j’s Drive, ‘Better Days’ is Baker Boy putting stories of personal struggle and challenges on track with two of the country’s most dynamic voices.
Cohesive and powerful in its delivery, the three very individual voices and lyrical flows on the record, sees Baker Boy, Dallas and Sampa united. Incorporating English, Yolngu Matha and Bemba, the track is a celebration of culture and shared experience through language.
Each opening up honestly and vividly about their own experiences, the wordsmiths take on oppression to imposter syndrome and the ever-present pressures of meeting the expectations your culture has of you; ensuring its presence in the mainstream as young leaders driving their art forward.
Baker Boy says of the process, “The whole studio time we had was amazing. The first time, seeing Sampa actually perform in the recording session, I got a surprise when she started singing. She’s got an amazing voice. I’ve always listened to her rap and to hear her sing, it was a whole other level. In the first part of Sampa’s verse, she’s rapping in language too, that inspires me as well.”
The partnership between Baker Boy and Dallas Woods on ‘Better Days’ has never been stronger, with the two artists acknowledging the importance of one another not just as fellow creatives, but brothers in arms too.
“That’s my little brother,” Dallas said. “It was good to see him talk about his struggles.”
“Our common ground is bringing our cultures to the forefront in what is the mainstream right now.” Sampa The Great added. “That’s something that I always saw and always admired in both Baker Boy and Dallas, and something I wanted to do for myself. Sometimes we put so much strain on artists, that they are even afraid to grow. I’m glad Baker Boy feels like he can actually express this element of himself. He doesn’t have to be one thing and that’s really beautiful.”
The release of ‘Better Days’ arrives alongside a remix of the track by AIRWOLF. The remix is the sync to the latest marketing campaign for TikTok. Listen to the AIRWOLF remix version here.
Upon his debut in 2017, Baker Boy struck the Australian music industry with his unashamed optimism and love for music, dance and his connection to his culture. And as fans have been able to see as his releases have continued to roll out in following years, Baker Boy is not simply a one-off success story.
The release of ‘Better Days’ continues Baker Boy’s growing list of recent accomplishments, sitting alongside recent wins at the National Indigenous Music Awards (including Artist of The Year), his first Gold ARIA Certification (‘Cool As Hell’), and numerous APRA and ARIA Award nominations (‘Cool As Hell’).
BAKER BOY ‘BETTER DAYS with Dallas Woods feat. Sampa The Great’
IS OUT NOW
For further info on Baker Boy you can check out:
WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC
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After its long-awaited release on Friday, the album from Australia’s pop-punk bright lights also took out the lauded Feature Album slot on triple j this week.
The huge nod of praise comes alongside a groundswell of global support for the record, out now in full via UNFD.
“Yours Truly have underlined just what an exciting and dynamic band they’ve become.”
Rock Sound
“‘Self Care’ sees Yours Truly take things up a notch thanks to their powerful pop-punk compositions. 4/5.”
Rolling Stone Australia
“‘[‘Self Care’ has] the guts and charisma of traditional pop-punk, but with the vulnerability and fearlessness of now.”
Pilerats
“‘Self Care” is this year’s most important album, and quite frankly, it’s our favourite of the year so far.”
Bloody Good Music
Thematically, ‘Self Care’ unravels the momentous year 2019 was for the band personally and professionally, and the means for reflection and coping that writing their debut album was for them.
‘Self Care’ is out everywhere now, with limited vinyl now available via 24Hundred.
YOURS TRULY
‘SELF CARE’ ALBUM RELEASE
LIVESTREAM
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I’m currently based in my hometown, Jaboticabal, it’s a small town in the countryside of the São Paulo state in Brazil. And there’s not much things to do, especially in the quarantine. But I’m always travelling.
What’s been happening recently and how has your Covid experience been?
I’m still in lockdown since March and in the first week I thought I’d be crazy, to be honest. And didn’t happen, because I took all my time to start to make songs and lyrics that were popping up in my head, and I started to go back and look into the music that I’ve already put online or the songs that I’ve finished, and in my mind were finished, and started to make it completely different with these songs.
And quarantine has helped me so much, allowing the time to look inside myself and not to be just like “freaking out because of what’s going on out there and I can’t change”. Of course, there’s a lot of things that change your perception and make your mental health pretty bad. So I started to think about who I am today as an artist and who I am going to be tomorrow, you know. Because everyday we wake up as a new person. And the things that I’ve wanted to say in my music.How did you first start playing music?
I started to play music when I was 12 years-old. I’ve always been in love with music, my parents used to have a local radio station, so growing up in a house like that was like heaven. Surrounded by vinyl collections, albums and all the equipment get you inspired. And I remember thinking: “this is really what I love to do.”. But then I went to Disney Channel Brazil to act in some TV shows and I came back to musical theater.
And in this meantime, I was still writing my own songs, but I decided to put just covers on YouTube, in acoustic or acapellas, from pop songs. Because I was so afraid of putting my music out for the world, and looking back now that was the most non-sense fear I’ve ever had. And I held myself back when I was at university. So when I started to put my songs on, it was like taking all the cuff around my wrists and finally breaking free, because I wanted to be recognized by my music and not like “the cover guy from YouTube”.Your new single ‘No One Who Loves’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?
My new single ‘No One Who Loves’ is influenced by the sound of my favorite bands and artists, like Oh Wonder, FINNEAS, Taylor Swift and LANY. The songwriting of them is amazing. And it’s so different. I’ve been making pop music for a long time, and I always wanted to be involved in everything. If you take my first single ‘Battle Scars’ and this new one, you will see a whole path and how these songs connect. And I wanted to make music to make people feel things and create an atmosphere, because there’s a story to tell.
How did you go about writing No One Who Loves?
This is a very crazy story. I was reading a book named ‘Chain of Gold’ by Cassandra Clare, which I’ve been a fan for a long, long time, and while I was reading the last pages of the book in a very intense way and feeling very connected with the characters’ dynamics in the story. And the last chapter crashes you and there was a line saying “no one who loves”, and I thought it would be a great name for a song.
So the next morning, I could not work and get away from that story inside my head. Since I was 12, the only stories that I’ve told in my music were about myself, people around me and my feelings and broken hearts. And then I wrote a verse about the characters and after an hour, I had the complete lyrics of the song in a different point of view, very away from mine. And that was the first time that this happened.Where and when did you record and who with?
That’s the most complicated part when you’re in quarantine. So I had to set up a home studio to record my new songs from home. I started to seek different music producers and looked over my favorite songs and artists, and through Love You Later, I discovered that she has an amazing producer named Jordie Saenz. So I sat down and wrote the top line and piano guide a month ago and sounded like a ballad in my mind. But at the same time, I wanted to go in another direction.
How did you approach the recording process?
I’ve sent Jordie the demo and gave him 100% of the liberty to make the song happen. Usually I’m always the co-producer of my music, my last single ‘Delicate’ was produced by myself, but with ‘No One Who Loves’ I was willing to give the full power to the music producer. And Jordie took all my references of sounds and turned into this amazing indie-pop track and changed the whole point of view of the song, because in my mind it would be the piano and violins. When I sent the first mix to some people, everyone was surprised by how it sounded.
And it’s hard to be away from Jordie, especially being in Brazil while he’s in California. So I recorded the vocal tracks and sent them to him. But I’m used to that, because I’ve been producing music with friends in London and Vienna like that. For me, it’s very important to see how people are responding to this new single.Where can we listen/buy?
You can listen on every single streaming platform and you can buy in music stores. I know that there’s a lot.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
I’m listening to a lot of songs and artists at the moment, Taylor Swift’s Folklore, which is a masterpiece of her songwriting and Aaron Dessener’s production. The singer-songwriter named Luz. I’ve been listening to a lot of Vance Joy, because he’s the best to uplift your mood. But I’m also listening to Jessie Ware’s What’s Your Pleasure, one of the greatest albums of the year, Jack Garratt, an incredible producer and singer. And there’s Twilight Driving, a British band and with incredible lyrics.
What do you like to do away from music?
Well, I’m a marketing analyst in a brand agency in Brazil, so I’m always making things around art. I love to write stories, which I already published in a sci-fi book series ‘The Dark World’ in Portuguese and planning to publish it in English next year. And recently I discovered that I love to make drinks. And travelling.
What’s planned for the remainder of 2020 going into 2021?
I’m planning to release more songs, actually I’m already recording them. And for the first time I’m collaborating with songwriters, which is new since I’ve always written my songs on my own. But first I need to release ‘No One Who Loves’ music video, before diving into more music and different sounds. And I can’t wait to see and hear them.
Favourite food and place to hangout?
My favorite food is Pizza, because c’mon, everyone loves pizza.
And my favorite place isn’t a place, but the idea of it. It’s going to concerts, no matter where. The atmosphere and feeling before a great concert is beyond everything and this is what I’m missing the most this year. But I can’t wait to return to these places next year when everything is normal.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: https://www.luizfariamusic.
Of the video Garbus says,
“The song and the video for ‘nowhere, man’ were created under conditions of feeling squeezed and pushed to the brink — relatively, of course. I wanted to ask, ‘How loudly do I have to shout and sing before I’m heard?’ And the video asks, too, ‘What am I not hearing?’ We hope the music brings energy and a strong wind of encouragement to those who are shouting and singing loudly for justice right now.”
‘nowhere, man’ follows the release of Tune-Yards’ 2018 fourth album i can feel you creep into my private life. Exploring Garbus’ place in the world, the album ruminated on race, politics, intersectional feminism and the environment, and was called “dance-pop at its most polyglot and polemical,” by The Sunday Times, “bright, vital and surprising,” by Gay Times and “an entertainingly disruptive blast of a record with a mirrorball lure,” by Uncut. That same year, Tune-Yards scored Boots Riley’s film Sorry To Bother You and released a critically acclaimed collaborative song ‘Mango’ with actor Lakeith Stanfield’s musical project Moors.
Purchase / Stream ‘nowhere, man’ https://tuneyards.ffm.to/
New Westminster, BC, Canada is my home and has been for most of my life.
It’s been a bizarre experience as I imagine it has been for most people. As scary as the whole world is right now, I’ve tried to take the opportunity and create as much art as possible, but I feel the pressure of being alone all day, every day. Music has been a welcomed therapy throughout this time. I really feel for the people that don’t have an outlet right now, but I do think this has been an opportunity for people to pick up new hobbies, so who knows, maybe the world will get some amazing new music that otherwise would never have been created.
I started playing guitar when I was about 8. My friends and I really got into AC/DC, so I naturally wanted to be Angus Young. 3 of my now closest friends and I started a band called ‘World Is History’ and wrote little rock tunes to play at our school talent show every year. Our big moment was a town hall meeting for the closing of our elementary school. We begged the teachers to let us play, and when they said yes we got together and wrote a song about what the school meant to us. The school’s still open to this day, and we all take full responsibility for it.
I started Grapefruit about two years before I ever finished it. Believe it or not, it started as more of a Lenny Kravitz rock type song that I never thought would see the light of day. When I came across the unfinished idea years later I was really into Harry Styles’ first solo record and “Wilderness” by Snow Patrol. I can never put my finger on one influence for a song but those two records definitely played a large part in influencing Grapefruit’s writing.
It’s not like me to start a song and then revisit it after so long, but it was Grapefruit’s concept that lent itself to finally being finished. It was originally about a super fresh breakup I had gone through, and how hard it was to forget them or move on from everything we had built up together. When I came around to finishing the song I had some clarity about the situation and could complete the writing as someone looking in on it rather than being surrounded by it. Weirdly enough finishing it after so long did give me a certain sense of closure.
Where can we listen/buy?
Everywhere you stream music, Spotify, Apple Music etc. The video’s out now on YouTube as well.
You can expect to cry, to dance, to sing loud! What I love about this EP is that it spans pretty much every corner of music I love. Every song has its roots in storytelling, but each has its own sonic personality.
I did a lot of pre-production and demo stuff at my home studio in New Westminster but we did the bulk of the final recording at my executive producer Howard Redekopp’s studio “The Menagerie” and some live room stuff at “Monarch Studio” in Vancouver.
I wrote and built a rough production of all of the songs myself before I brought a haul of songs and ideas to Howard’s house. From there Howard, Stefan Nowarre, and I refined the songs into what you’ll hear them as now.
We kind of did the normal process backwards. We started with the demo I had made at my home studio and re-recorded what I had written before we brought it to Monarch Studio to record live bass, drums and some guitar. I had Max Cunningham (bass), Ian Browne (drums) and Braden Williams (guitar) playing together over all of the guitars and production I had already recorded. It was a bit unorthodox but it gave Stefan (engineer) and I the opportunity to really fine-tune the drum and bass sounds to what we had already recorded.
What programs/instruments did you use?
While writing the songs and building the demos I used Logic Pro and midi drums/bass to build up what I heard in my head. When I met up with Stefan and Howard we switched over to Protools and recorded guitar, drums, bass and vocals.
I grew up dancing with the BC Métis Federation at events to showcase our culture. Starting at a young age I’ve had the opportunity to see how important storytelling is in our community and culture, that’s ultimately the reason I love songwriting so much. Over time I’ve found a love for music production and sound design but storytelling will always be at the heart of my writing process.
What do you like to do away from music?
That’s kind of like asking a fish what they do when they’re not swimming. I can’t say I’m ever 100% “away” from music but I enjoy all different forms of art. I love painting, drawing, fashion, sewing, playing soccer and running when I have the time.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
Right now I’m obsessed with the new Tame Impala record “The Slow Rush”, Harry Styles’ “Fine Line” and “Punisher” by Phoebe Bridgers.
I’m always looking for the next thing, I’m always writing new music and working towards a project. I don’t like to set anything in stone before it’s decided but I can say that this EP won’t be the last you’ll hear from me in the next couple years.
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In 2018 LIMBS found a home with UNFD ahead of the release of their debut album Father’s Son – a dark and brooding look at a young man’s journey out of religion as he comes to terms with both his upbringing and his own actions. A conceptual album following a young man breaking free from his indoctrinated upbringing, Father’s Son explores the strength in reclaiming your own life.
LIMBS’ live video for their album’s title track, ‘Father’s Son’, was filmed during the band’s 2018 tour with Underoath, Dance Gavin Dance, and Veil Of Maya. Streaming here, the video captures the electricity and raw power of a LIMBS live show – from headbanging to epic stage dives and beyond. Fans have been able to experience it in person as the band has shared the stage over the years alongside the likes of Beartooth, Motionless In White, Sharptooth, Wristmeetrazor, Stick To Your Guns and more.
Last year, LIMBS announced that longtime friend Austin McAuley would be stepping into the role of lead vocalist. McAuley debuted with LIMBS at the end of 2018 while on tour with Currents, giving fans a taste of his energy and passion before bringing it into the studio for new music.
McAuley first appeared on ‘Abandoned‘, a hard-hitting track that originally premiered on Metal Injection, and on vicious follow up single ‘Stare‘.
LIMBS IS:
Austin McAuley
Tyler Martin
Jordan Hunter
Chris Klumpp
Joey DiBiase
CONNECT WITH LIMBS:
whoislimbs.com
facebook.com/whoislimbs
instagram.com/whoislimbs
twitter.com/whoislimbs