News – Page 35 – 7th Level Music

You’re going to love Kirin J. Callinan’s new track – “Eternally Hateful.”

Kirin J Callinan; Australian artist, actor, writer, provocateur and musician releases “Eternally Hateful“ a super-charged, 80’s synth-pop track with repeated bold ambivalent lyrics. To accompany the video Callinan shares a medieval-inspired torturous music video – watch here. ‘Eternally Hateful’ is yet another taste off Callinan’s upcoming fourth full length LP titled If I Could Sing. The last four years new music from Callinan has been much speculated and mythical, but after some ambiguity and delay “Eternally Hateful” is here with more music on the way and arguably this is his finest work yet.

When asked about the new single “Eternally Hateful” Kirin says: “Musically, it could not be more simple. Three chords. A. E. B. IV-I-V. Over n over n over again, eternally. Hate, on the other hand, is a far more complex idea. Distressing, tbh. Destructive. Embarrassing. But no more so than Love. A resentful rage, a bitter overflow, a pointed supervex; forged from hurt, seeping from a seething heart, desperate to heal, by any means available, finding validity in anger, making sense of its pain, thin air turn to rage, some other type of cage. “You don’t know what love means anyway… Eternally Hateful! I hate you. I love you. And so on and so forth.””

This video directed by Isaac Brown and shot in France at Château de Sarzay, Ferme La Lande and Château de Crozant, is everything Kirin is, entertaining, provocative and creates a swirling train of thoughts of the juxtaposition of that love / hate game making it the perfect accompanying video for this single. Is there a cameo by Mac DeMarco? The video adds to the recurring phenomenon that is a Kirin J Callinan music video and strikes a fine balance between vision, vulnerability, complete and utter absurdity, pure pathos and unadulterated joy and have gone on to be cited as references and influences for countless others.

“What you’re about to witness is by far the most ambitious video project I’ve ever had the dis-ease, dis-comfort & dis-gust to have ever been involved with.” Kirin shares of the video. “It’s all entirely real. All of it. And it’s a miracle that I’m still here, alive today. Not only did the shooting of Eternally Hateful involve showing up to locations that none of us had ever been, to shoot things none of us had ever shot, without permission nor any other lawful, moral or divine right to do so (a scenario I have had more than some experience with before, to be perfectly honest); it was Isaac’s vision and the nature of this specific shoot ~ it’s scope, it’s impossibility, and it’s high potential for disaster &/or death ~ that was the most insane, most intoxicating & most appealing aspect of the idea to begin with. I hope you are as engaged and inspired watching this clip as I was ~ literally & figuratively ~ pushed, pulled & all round tortured making it.”

Isaac Brown adds: “I’ve always wanted to torture Kirin, so when there was an opportunity to do it for real, on camera, I was over the moon. “Kirin J Callinan’s performance is the heartbeat of our cinematic masterpiece. It’s a pulse of intensity and emotion that makes every scene come alive. This was a dream shoot if your dreams are like mine – cloaked devils with goat heads tying you up, slitting your throat and setting you on fire. People will love it. Singing, dancing, and some questionable swordplay. There is something for everybody”

If I Could Sing, Kirin’s fourth full length body of work will be released via a new signing deal with Callinan’s own record label Worse Records and [PIAS]. “Kirin J Callinan is ecstatic to announce that WORSE Records and WORSE WORLD WIDE Industries Incorporated (“It can only get WORSE™) ~ in our second coming and new configuration since the label’s initial insemination and honest beginnings as the honorary off shoot of TERRIBLE RECORDS USA and the humble home away from home for Quebecois superstar Hubert Lenois, Australian icons JACK LADDER & The DREAMLANDERS, and the long forgotten, one hit wonderkids SECONDS FLAT ~ have now, with the wind in our sails and our sales though the roof, signed on for exclusive distribution with the world’s best distributor & unrivaled international music network, PIAS. Our debut collaboration with PIAS will indeed be the release o’ my, KIRIN J CALLINAN’S, long awaited & well overdue opus IF I COULD SING, with a slew o the worlds very WORSE artists to follow soon thereafter. I’m excited. Thank you for your patience. It only gets WORSE”.

To celebrate the release Kirin will be performing a one off special show in Perth at Mojo’s in Fremantle on December 2. Tickets will be going on sale today. For more information and tickets please visit this link here.

Kirin J Callinan, misunderstood by the masses but loved and revered by artists the world over and his niche, eclectic and growing fanbase alike, Kirin’s new work with “Eternally Hateful” is here and his much speculated fourth full length LP If I Could Sing is rumored to be released any minute now…

Keep your mind open.

[I’ll be eternally grateful if you subscribe.]

[Thanks to Tom at Terrorbird Media.]

The Veldt announces U.S. tour and release of their shelved 1989 debut album.

As they approach the release of their ‘Illuminated 1989’ album, the original 1989 full-length record produced by Cocteau Twins’ Robin Guthrie, trailblazing soul-influenced shoegazers The Veldt announce North American tour dates and also present the single ‘Aurora Borealis’ with Elizabeth Fraser making a cameo appearance on backing vocals towards the end. Complementing this is the B-side remix, created by The Veldt around the turn of the century.

This is the second single from the album, which Guthrie produced in autumn 1989 and has now remastered for vinyl. While intended to be the band’s first album, their label Capitol Records shelved the recording and sent them back into the studio with producer Lincoln Fong (Moose), resulting in their first album released with the title ‘Marigolds’.

Earlier, the band released the lead track ‘The Everlasting Gobstopper’ digitally (with a video produced by Jammi York and the late Yuko Sueta) and on vinyl, involving a B-side previously unreleased vinyl exclusive ‘Joshuu Lullaby’, also recently produced by Guthrie.

One of the most notable first-wave shoegaze bands, formed in North Carolina in the 1980s, The Veldt surrounds identical twins Daniel Chavis (vocals, guitar) and Danny Chavis (guitar). Their unique sound was influenced by Cocteau Twins as readily as Marvin Gaye and free-jazz warriors Sun Ra and Pharaoh Sanders. Referencing European post-punk while embracing modern hip-hop, these trailblazers work with transient dreamscapes as fluidly as solid song structures.

Pitchfork included The Veldt’s album ‘Afrodisiac’, produced by the legendary Ray Shulman (The Sundays, Bjork, The Sugarcubes) and released via Mercury Records, in the top 50 shoegaze albums ever released, while Stereogum included ‘Until You’re Forever’ in the top 31 shoegaze tracks. Their sound also inspired future generations of alternative artists, including TV On the Radio.

Daniel Chavis on their inspiration for ‘Aurora Borealis’: “This song is about my brother’s love for his newborn daughter. Written out of high school and dug out around the time the band had started to get noticed. We had written so many, but it was one of the newest pieces that we had begun experimenting. This would signal our departure from being a band that made people dance to a band that made people confused. ‘The Everlasting Gobstopper’ came shortly thereafter and was being finished.”

Danny Chavis adds, “This song was written in 1986 and was included in the first batch of songs we demoed under the name VELDT. Having heard ‘Treasure’ by Cocteau Twins, this song was inspired by that very album and RUN DMC’s ‘Sucker MC’s’ around the same time that year.”

The Veldt’s journey is fascinating. Performing since they were children, the Chavis brothers’ musical roots lead back to the church and southern juke-joints, and listening to music that included gospel, Motown and Pink Floyd. The Veldt formed in the late 80’s in Raleigh amongst the legendary North Carolina music scene of the time, initially signing with Mammoth Records – leading to a chain of major-label relationships that took the group across Europe and the U.S. playing shows with the likes of Throwing Muses, Pixies, Cocteau Twins and Jesus & Mary Chain.

After moving from Raleigh to New York, they briefly performed as Apollo Heights before returning to their original name The Veldt. Joined by Japanese bassist-programmer Hayato Nakao, they together forging music that is a heady and sensual blend of shoegaze and progressive soul, dreamy soundscapes and infectious grooves. Some of the band’s recent notable releases include ‘The Shocking Fuzz Of Your Electric Fur’ EP (2017) and the album ‘Entropy is the Mainline to God’ (2022).

Over the years, The Veldt has collaborated with TV On The Radio, Mos Def, Lady Miss Kier (Deee-Lite), A.R.Kane and toured or played with Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Pixies, Throwing Muses, Echo & The Bunnymen, Cocteau Twins, Manic Street Preachers, Phantogram, Modern English, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Oasis, Chuck D, Living Colour and Schooly D.

‘Aurora Borealis’ is now available everywhere, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp. On November 24, the ‘Illuminated 1989’ album will be released on vinyl, CD, cassette and digitally via Portland-based Little Cloud Records and 5BC Records. From October through December, The Veldt will be touring many cities and will be performing at Levitation Festival in Austin and Seattle’s KEXP, as well as playing several exclusive dates supporting Violent Femmes.

TOUR DATES
SAT 10/21 = Norfolk, VA @ the NorVa w/ Violent Femmes
SUN 10/22 = Richmond, VA @ the National w/ Violent Femmes
MON 10/23 = Asheville, NC @ TBA
TUE 10/24 = Nashville, TN @ the Underdog
WED 10/25 = Memphis, TN @ Growlers
THU 10/26 = Little Rock, AR @ EJ’s Drinks and Eats
FRI 10/27 = Dallas, TX @ TBA
SAT 10/28 = Austin, TX @ the Far Out Lounge (LEVITATION Festival)
MON 11/27 = Atlanta, GA @ 529
TUE 11/28 = Birmingham, AL @ TBA
WED 11/29 = New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
THU 11/30 = Houston, TX @ 1810 Ojeman
FRI 12/1 = Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas
SAT 12/2 = Silver City, NM @ Whiskey Creek Zocalo w/ Tremours
SUN 12/3 = Phoenix, AZ @ Linger Longer Lounge w/ Tremours
MON 12/4 = San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar w/ Tremours
TUE 12/5 = Los Angeles, CA @ Gold Diggers w/ Tremours
WED 12/6 = San Francisco, CA @ Kilowatt w/ Tremours
THU 12/7 = Portland, OR @ Show Bar w/ Tremours
FRI 12/8 = Seattle, WA @ the Central Saloon (TremoloFest) w/ Tremours
SAT 12/9 = Vancouver, BC @ TBA
SUN 12/10 = Bellingham, WA @ The Shakedown w/ Tremours)
MON 12/11 = Eugene, OR @ Old Nick’s w/ Tremours
TUE 12/12 = Olympia, WA @ Le Voyeur w/ Tremours
WED 12/13 = Tacoma, WA @ TBA
THU 12/14 = Seattle, WA @ KEXP

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Shauna at Shameless Promotion PR.]

Duvet encourage us to dance on their new single – “Sweaty Dog.”

After recently announcing their split 7″ ‘Girlcow / Sweaty Dog’, which is out on October 6th, Manchester-based band Duvet are back with the second track “Sweaty Dog“, which channels the band’s jagged post-punk and cider-drenched commitment to having a good time.

On the new track, the band said “‘Sweaty Dog’ is a simple song about the state you become after a long night out going from place to place trying to stay out till you develop a animalistic state covered in sweat, booze and other substances while trying to still dance and have fun waiting for your next drink . Some of us in the band like the idea that maybe the ‘Sweaty Dog’ is a dance you do or that they’re this actual half man half dog. We hope everyone has as much fun listening to the track as we do playing it, and just take it for what it is…Our party rock anthem!”

“Sweaty Dog” on YouTube here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzg1ygaHC9Y

Self-released earlier this year, previously single “Rodeo” takes these markers and gallops full steam ahead, kicking up a dust storm of dissonance and teflon-tough drumming fortified by howls from lead singer Grace Walkden. The song lays into armchair activists who “jump on the rodeo” and “complain about topics they never actually act on”,according to the band.

First forming in 2022, Duvet dipped their toes in dream-pop and riot grrrl before landing on the driving basslines of post-punk. The band’s debut offering “Clown Clown Clown” cuts a hard-hitting figure of scabrous riot grrrl energy in thrall to the 1990s. Duvet assembled their current lineup of vocalist Grace Walkden, guitarists Tasmin Stephens and Seth Lloyd, bassist Jimmi Brown and drummer Victoria Melling and settled on a post-punk sound indebted to the genre’s new wave of artists like Shame, Warmduchser, and Viagra Boys.

Released as a split 7” with “Sweaty Dog,” new single “Girlcow” is flecked with specks of noisy grunge and was written from the perspective of “a pervy cowboy”. The haunting track showcases the band’s knack for crafting stories, as they flip the script and hand over the narrative reins to a female protagonist. “We all mutually find cowboys quite funny,” offers Tasmin Stephens. “I think we all live through cowboys – somehow.”

On the flipside, “Sweaty Dog” channels the band’s cider-drenched commitment to having a good time. The propulsive track is “basically just about being really sweaty and dancing”, according to Walkden. Meanwhile, guitarist Seth Lloyd has designs on transforming “Sweaty Dog” into a dance. “There are sweaty dogs inside all of us,” he jokes.

It’s this uninhibited sense of humour that shines through the band’s songwriting and at their riotous live shows with which they have been building their reputation over the past few years. “The reason we tend to write songs more of the fun side of life is because myself and Grace had many conversations at the start about how people only expect us to only talk/sing about harsh topics that affect a lot of women,” explains Stephens. “We tried it, but it didn’t work for us. Maybe in the future it will, but we came to the conclusion that we are here to have fun with the band and escape that side of life.”

“You come to the practice room with a smile on your face because this is meant to be fun, and that’s why we hopefully write songs that we think are fun,” says Lloyd. “We are here to distract from the shit things in life.”

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[Thanks to Frankie at Stereo Sanctity.]

King Buffalo announces early winter U.S. tour.

Don’t miss your chance to see psych / desert rock giants King Buffalo this winter as they make one last tour through the east and midwest before they finally take a break to record another album. They never disappoint, and tickets are already on sale – not only for this tour, but also for the European tour they’re already running!

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[[Thanks to King Buffalo!]

Desire covers Frankie Goes to Hollywood for Johnny Jewel’s “Holly” soundtrack.

After recently announcing new album Holly (OST) is out Oct 13th via Italians Do It Better,Johnny Jewel is sharing the second track from the score with Desire’s new single “The Power Of Love“, a beautiful Frankie Goes To Hollywood cover. Johnny Jewel created the the original motion picture soundtrack for the highly anticipated Fien Troch-directed new film Holly, his tenth solo album of experimental film music, following on from critically acclaimed works Windswept, Digital Rain, Home (OST), & Lost River (OST). Johnny Jewel is also set to embark on a special live tour throughout Europe in October and November, performing 60 minutes of cinematic bliss from his music for films.

Nominated for the Venice Film Festival and opening the Ghent Film Festival, Holly follows the story of a 15-year-old girl who calls her school to say she is staying home for the day. Soon after, a fire breaks out at the school, killing several students. With everyone touched by the tragedy, the community comes together, trying to heal. Anna, a teacher, intrigued by Holly and her strange premonition, invites her to join the volunteering group she runs. Holly’s presence seems to bring peace of mind, warmth, and hope to those she encounters. But soon, people begin to seek out Holly and her cathartic energy, demanding more and more from the young girl.

On the new single, Holly film director Fien Troch offered “I knew ‘The Power Of Love’ had to become part of Holly’s universe. We just needed to unlock the right door to enter the same space as the rest of Johnny’s music. While discussing the film, it became so clear to me that the voice had to be female. A strong & tender one, full of love. Desire is all of that to me. Desire became Holly’s voice.”

Johnny Jewel added “In the first version of the film I watched, Fien presented this idea to close with a Frankie Goes To Hollywood song. There is no other pop music in the entire film, so going out over end credits with a baroque ballad is a daring tonal shift. All the musical tension that precedes this moment makes the release all the more effective. While we were brainstorming on the texture of the score, Fien wondered what it would sound like to have Megan sing it. We worked on it privately in our studio, then I brought a rough version with me to show Fien in Amsterdam where we were mixing the film. The moment she finally saw it on screen for the first time was pure magic. It’s a true testament to her vision as a director to be able to merge those two very different worlds in her imagination.”

“The Power Of Love” on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWVAkTLOUUfN3DBOX7bTIzA
“The Power Of Love” on other streaming services: https://idib.ffm.to/poweroflove
Pre-save album: https://idib.ffm.to/hollysoundtrack

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Frankie at Stereo Sanctity.]

Tywi gets us out of reality on his new EP – “Reality Checkpoint”

Duality Trax first opened its books in 2020 with an EP featuring Radiant Love regular Fio Fa and a remix of the year contender coming from Lisbon’s Violet. Since then the label has become known for its acute attention to detail, giving each release the shine it deserves while avoiding disposable practices and challenging the industry through its dedication to duality and balance, whether that be sonically or surrounding gender identity.

It’s really no surprise that one of house music’s leading label figures Tywi was destined to make an appearance. Having started the Haŵs imprint in his home city of Cardiff, the label’s wide-spread popularity began to gain the attention from some of the industry’s most respected heads and became a breeding ground for new artists to emerge. A shared love of music resulted in tracks being shared over time and eventually DUALITY6 was born. In what will be his first full length EP, Tywi continues to join the dots between 90’s house, prog, breaks and trance, with a huge remix coming from Frankfurt-based artist Maruwa, released Friday 8th September.

Title track ‘Reality Checkpoint’ connects various styles with a modern take on progressive trance. Sonics feel as if they’ve been projected from space in a kaleidoscopic mind-warping ride, coupled with the producer’s impressive ear for world building soundscapes. A child of the ‘90s, Maruwa combines her classically trained ear with the nostalgia of her upbringing in the remix; channeling early trance records and deep, chugging rhythms into a wave of euphoria fit for peak-time. It’s the first time the label has also delved head first into full trance territory, turning the intensity levels up while paying homage to both label owner and artist’s early musical influences.

The B side opens up with ‘Spellbound’ which feels like a guided tour around the cosmos, sat beside trusted travellers and embraced by everything-will-be-alright energy . The track’s interior is built around synths that feel both effortless and light as our tour guide brings us towards our final destination. The EP comes to a close with ‘Laws Of Motion’, building slowly with shades of leafy greens and deep oceanic blues as it gently brings us back down to earth.

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[Thanks to Harbour Music Society.]

Big Miz shares the title track from his upcoming EP – “Where I Belong.”

From early residencies at weekly student nights in Glasgow to playing a pivotal role behind the scenes at La Cheetah Club, Big Miz has been immersed within the city’s walls since he was a teenager. Weekends spent crafting his sound behind the booth and creating lifelong friendships at the city’s famous after-hours scene have helped create an ecosystem for success. In Glasgow, even larger labels are always keen to support local talent and during one of his frequent visits to Rub A Dub Records, Big Miz was introduced to Dixon Avenue Basement Jams which eventually led to the release of his first EP.

Miz has carried this Glasgow courtesy throughout his whole career, which eventually led to connecting with HOMAGE label head Ryan Clover where they exchanged feedback and spins before locking down a release on the label’s heavy schedule. The New York based label’s ethos shares parallels to Glasgow’s – collaborative, fluid, and always ready to party.

Title track ‘Where I Belong‘ wastes no time on introductions, combining a range of hardware and software into a kaleidoscopic recording created for peak time. ‘Everything’s Fine’ demonstrates Miz’s knack for groove and melody, where classic acid sounds meet demanding stabs and an irresistible groove. Inspired by early house records, ‘The Feeling’ makes its presence felt with chunky kickdrums and uplifting vocal samples; Big Miz’s attention to detail and years of dancefloor education shines through, first establishing a hypnotic introduction and powerful transitions that have us hooked from the first bar.

The EP is beautifully rounded off by LUXE’s remix of the title track ‘Where I Belong’, following on from her standout EP on the beloved label Planet Euphorique. LUXE swaps rolling kick drums in favor of breakbeats and an ethereal backdrop. The space between musical elements is key, allowing us to breathe as our perspective shifts high above the city’s clouds.

Keep your mind open.

[Your e-mail address belongs in the subscription box.]

[Thanks to Harbour Music Society.]

Johnny Jewel releases “The Witch” from his latest soundtrack – “Holly.”

Johnny Jewel (Chromatics, Desire, Glass Candy) has created the original motion picture soundtrack for the highly anticipated Fien Troch-directed new film Holly, which will come out October 13th via Italians Do It Better. The score also features Desire and is Johnny Jewel’s tenth solo album of experimental film music, following on from critically acclaimed works Windswept, Digital Rain, Home (OST), & Lost River (OST). Today the first single from the Holly soundtrack “The Witch” is streaming online. As well as this, Johnny Jewel is set to embark on a special live tour throughout Europe in October and November, performing 60 minutes of cinematic bliss from his music for films.

On the soundtrack, Johnny Jewel said “I used music to usher in the unseen elements of Holly’s story. Underscoring the supernatural overtones of the film, I studied the wind in her hair, counted the plumes of smoke billowing from the burning high school, & stared into the howling forest swaying in the distance. The looming musical foreshadowing mirrors her gifts. As Holly’s character slowly unravels, the score begins to warp as it’s stretched to an ominously slow crawl.

Throughout the film, vague hues overlap seamlessly like clouds constantly morphing. As the audience, we project meanings to the shapes that emerge from the chaos in what appear to be patterns. It’s abstract enough to be unrecognisable, yet it’s somehow familiar. Inspired by the masters of mood like Goblin’s blood curdling chimes for Dario Argento, Tangerine Dream’s spiraling synthesis for William Friedkin, & John Carpenter’s hyper-minimalist approach to scoring his own films with Alan Howarth, I explored a genre-based language to trigger the audience’s subconscious. Metallic synthesizers, celeste bells, mellotron flutes & detuned music boxes haunt the recurring musical motif. Like an inevitable storm rolling in, the soundtrack is eerily elusive & at times, almost formless. At other times, the music is crystal clear & so sharply in focus you could reach out & touch it.”

On the collaboration, writer and director of Holly Fien Troch added “I’ve always been drawn to Johnny’s music, as it is reckless & physical. His music is an emotional roller coaster. Every time I see scenes of my film with Johnny’s music on, everything I’ve done & worked for is lifted to another level. When you work with Johnny, you don’t just get the score for your film. It’s like finally finding that missing element to make the story complete. It makes the film whole & gives it its own identity.

“Listen to “The Witch” via YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEtM7hR-QvM
Listen to “The Witch” via other streaming services: https://idib.ffm.to/thewitch
Pre-save album: https://idib.ffm.to/hollysoundtrack

See Johnny Jewel live:
Oct 25th – Saint Sebastian, Dabadaba ES
Oct 27th – Neuchatel, Case A Chaos CH
Nov 2nd – Vienna, Rote Bar Im Volkstheater AT
Nov 3rd – Milan, Circolo Magnolia IT
Nov 4th – Prague, Meet Factory CZ
Nov 7th – Berlin, Hole 44 DE
Nov 8th – Amsterdam, H.J.E. Wenckebachweg 48 NL
Nov 9th – Brussels, Botanquie – Rotonde, BE
Nov 10th – Barcelona, MIRA Festival ES
Nov 11th – Porto, Mouco PT
Nov 14th – Paris, Le Hasard Ludique FR
Nov 15th – Dublin, The Sugar Club IE
Nov 16th – Manchester, The White Hotel UK
Nov 17th – Glasgow, CCA UK

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe before you go.]

[Thanks to Frankie at Stereo Sanctity.]

Sally Shapiro covers Pet Shop Boys’ “Rent” for their newest single.

Today Swedish synthpop duo Sally Shapiro (made up of Sally Shapiro and Johan Agebjörn) announce a new 12″ ‘Rent‘ co-mixed by Johnny Jewel, which is out Sept 20th digitally & Oct 6th physically via Italians Do It Better and have shared the title-track, covering Pet Shop Boys, online now.

On the single, Johan offered “I am a longtime fan of Pet Shop Boys and have been thinking from time to time about covering some PSB song, without any clear idea of how to do it. Suddenly it became apparent that the melancholic and painfully beautiful harmonies of ‘Rent’ would suit our style perfectly, and I started playing a synth line over the chorus.”

Johnny Jewel added “Sally Shapiro’s cover of this Pet Shop Boys classic keeps the original close to the heart. Emphasizing the baroque leanings of the chord progression, they take it further with a 16th note melody careening over icy pads. The result is a Synthwave skyline scraping the upper atmosphere in the never-ending race to survive the first of the month. It’s a twisted tale of the politics of economy in relationships where the currency is love. Sally’s crystalline coo glides over Johan’s elegant Italo production as the bass line anchors the galloping rhythm section. Home is where the heart is…but shelter comes first in this game of love.”

Sally added “We also think the lyrics to Rent are intriguing, how the singer – in our version, a mistress – tries to convince herself that she’s happy, while the melancholy shines through. Pet Shop Boys is also very much childhood nostalgia for me.”

Johan was a member of the Pet Shop Boys Club as a child, and even got a penpal request published in the official fanclub magazine in 1993. Johan said “I received numerous answers! I had a pretty long correspondence with a fan from the UK.”

Listen to “Rent” on Soundcloud here: https://soundcloud.com/sallyshapiro-music/rent-1
Listen via other streaming services here: https://idib.ffm.to/rent
Pre-order 12″ here: https://sallyshapiro.bandcamp.com/album/rent

17 years ago, Sally Shapiro shared their first song online. Blogs & record labels immediately took notice and Italians Do It Better’s introduction to the pair was I’ll Be By Your Side, a shimmering Italo Disco track with ethereal vocals that hypnotised everyone who heard it. Johan’s elegant production was years ahead of what anyone else was doing at the time, & the elusive falsetto of the dreamlike singer was unforgettable.

In 2007, their debut album, Disco Romance, was revered by the press. The album was given a spot in Pitchfork’s Top 50 albums of 2007 & is even ranked as the best italo disco album of all time on rateyourmusic.com. Their sound was a unique take on the romantic club music of the mid 1980’s. At the time you could count the artists exploring this territory on one hand. Johnny Jewel began corresponding with Johan later that year resulting in Johan’s remix of Glass Candy’s “The Chameleon“.

Their debut album saw remixes by other likeminded producers like Lindstrøm, Tensnake, Junior Boys, CFCF, & Juan MacLean. In 2009, My Guilty Pleasure, picks up where Disco Romance left off. They collaborated with Electric Youth (known from the ”Drive” soundtrack) on their third album Somewhere Else in 2013.

Johan is a fixture on European dance floors collaborating with Lindstrøm, Glass Candy, Annie, Wolfram, Hercules & Love Affair, & more. In 2018 he produced the addictive Samantha Fox single “Hot Boy”. Sally is notoriously shy, remaining shrouded in anonymity. To this day she insists on recording her vocals alone in the studio & refuses to perform her songs live. In 2016, the duo went underground & released what was thought to have been their final single. Working in deep seclusion over the last half decade, they released “Sad Cities”, an incredible collection out in 2022 via Italians Do It Better, to critical acclaim. They also appeared on Italians Do It Better’s Madonna cover compilation (with ”Holiday”) and on last year’s After Dark 4.

‘Rent’ will also feature on Sally Shapiro’s new album, which is currently in the works.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe while you’re here.]

[Thanks to Frankie at Stereo Sanctity.]

Zooey Celeste shares the title track from his upcoming album – “Restless Thoughts.”

Today, Southern California-bred musician Zooey Celeste signs to ATO Records, announces his debut album, Restless Thoughts, out November 3rd, and presents the lead single/title track. Produced and recorded by acclaimed artist Nick Hakim at his Brooklyn studio, Restless Thoughts centers on Zooey’s hypnotic baritone vocals, often set against a strangely potent backdrop of sparse drum-machine beats and droney guitar tones. The result is a fully-realized soundscape, a darkly ethereal palette which Zooey classifies as astral-pop. Restless Thoughts takes its title from a song inspired by a particularly dramatic scene in Zooey’s novel, a metaphysical thriller narrated by the character of Zooey Celeste. “It’s a scene where the father of the protagonist has destroyed his marriage and left his daughter behind, and he’s going to meet his mistress and driving in a very suicidal headspace,” he explains. “He gets into a car accident, and two-thirds of the way into the song he’s floating above his body and watching as they’re trying to resuscitate him.”

Like many of the album’s songs, the gorgeously chilling track took shape in the throes of the novel-writing process. “I’d write a chapter and pick up my guitar and start writing songs based off the scenes I’d just finished,” says Zooey. “It’s funny because it’s the first time I’ve ever allowed myself to write from the perspective of a character, but it’s also the most authentic thing I’ve ever made in my life.”
Stream Zooey Celeste’s “Restless Thoughts”
Restless Thoughts is the real-life manifestation of its creator’s alter ego — an astral shaman responsible for leading the newly departed into the great beyond. After dreaming up the character of Zooey Celeste in a feverishly written novel he refers to as “somewhere between Quentin Tarantino and the Bhagavad Gita,” Zooey began working with longtime friend Nick Hakim (whose production credits also include Lil Yachty and Lianne La Havas) to create this ideal soundtrack for nocturnal driving, an immediate conduit for lasting transcendence. Alongside Hakim, Zooey enlisted a wide array of guest musicians to flesh out the sound of Restless Thoughts, including Unknown Mortal Orchestra bassist Jake Portrait, drummer Abe Rounds (Andrew Bird, Blake Mills, Devandra Banhart), and Columbian-Canadian singer/songwriter Tei Shi. Mastered by Heba Kadry (Ryuichi Sakamoto, Björk, Julianna Barwick), Restless Thoughts endlessly drifts between avant-punk and chamber-pop and lo-fi psychedelia, quickly drawing the listener into a sustained dream state.

Naming J.D. Salinger, Iggy Pop, and Tyler, the Creator among his inspirations, Zooey started writing songs at the age of eight after hearing The Beatles for the first time. Along with studying poetry and creative writing, he later took up guitar, piano, and harmonium and played in a series of indie-rock-leaning musical projects that ultimately proved unfulfilling. “We’d finish a show and it would be the best show we’d ever played, and I’d feel physically sick afterward,” he says. “People liking it made me feel bad, which is probably because I knew I wasn’t being my most authentic self.” After a seven-year stint in New York (where he first connected with Hakim), Zooey spent several years in Hawaii and devoted much of his time to surfing—an essential part of his life since early childhood. “I got addicted to surfing bigger waves at Sunset Beach on the North Shore and had a near-death experience where I went through a coral reef, and it changed my life in a lot of ways,” he says. “It took the air out of the wanderlust I’d felt for a long time, and brought me closer to the things I’d been running away from. Because of that, music went from being an escape to a base of reflection where I’m able to really sit with my emotions and process them and be totally honest with myself about what I want from life.”

With the release of Restless Thoughts, Zooey hopes to instill the audience with a similarly expanded sense of possibility. “Making this record showed me that if I’m not going beyond what the world has handed me as options, then I’m not being creative,” he says. “I went as far as I could with the process of self-exploration, and I felt fully supported in that—almost like everything was a little bit fated, or we were tapping into something in the ether. I’d love it if that inspired other people to go off and do whatever they feel compelled to do, and let themselves be completely entranced by it.”
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[Thanks to Jon-Carlo at Pitch Perfect PR.]