GORILLAZ

SONG MACHINE

NEW ALBUM – OUT NOW 

LIVE DATES ANNOUNCED

LIVE CHAT TODAY
TUNE IN HERE

“…a fluent, brilliant whole.”  – 4/5 stars – THE GUARDIAN

“Song Machine… is the most cohesive Gorillaz album since Demon Dayz… sparkling with energy and invention…”  – 4/5 stars – MOJO
 

23rd October 2020: Song Machine: Season One – Strange Timez – the highly-anticipated new album from Gorillaz has finally arrived! LISTEN HERE.  

With seven episodes available to date, each with its very own video following the adventures of Noodle, 2D, Murdoc and Russel in the studio and across the world, the complete Season One collection is available now for the first time.

Today also sees the biggest virtual band in the world announce a string of live shows, with a global live streaming performance in December and a run of dates next year. The SONG MACHINE TOUR will see Gorillaz broadcast their first show since 2018 live on 12th and 13th December, ahead of a visit to Köln, Berlin and Luxembourg next summer, with a homecoming show at The O2, London on 11th August 2021. Ticket info here. 

Finally, tune in later today to join Damon Albarn, Remi Kabaka and a selection of the featured artists who appear on Song Machine for a live chat at 1700 BST, Friday 23rd October. WATCH HERE.  

SONG MACHINE LIVE on 12th and 13th December (2020) is Gorillaz’ first live performance since 2018 and will be broadcast live around the world with three separate shows taking place across three time zones through the magic of LIVENow. WATCH TEASER HERE     

For full ticket and viewing information, see  WWW.GORILLAZLIVENOW.COM

Saturday 12th December
Asia, Australia & New Zealand: 20:00 JST
North & South America 16:00 PST
 
Sunday 13th December
UK, Europe & Africa 19:00 BST

Download high res press shot here:  https://we.tl/t-lXdQkw0P41 

FURTHER INFORMATION:

SONG MACHINE TOUR – full itinerary: 

2020
12/13 December – GLOBAL live stream via WWW.GORILLAZLIVENOW.COM

2021
16 June – KÖLN, Germany – Tanzbrunnen
18 June – BERLIN, Germany –Parkbühne Wuhlheide 
1 July – LUXEMBOURG – Rockhal
11 August – LONDON, UK – The O2

For tickets and information, visit www.gorillaz.com/tour

Song Machine: Season One – Strange Timez:
Watch Episode 1 – Momentary Bliss ft. slowthai and Slaves – here
Watch Episode 2 – Désolé ft Fatoumata Diawara – here
Watch Episode 3 – Aries ft Peter Hook and Georgia – here
Watch Episode 4 – Friday 13th ft Octavian – here
Watch Episode 5 – Pac-Man ft Schoolboy Q – here
Watch Episode 6 – Strange Timez ft Robert Smith – here 
Watch Episode 7 – The Pink Phantom ft. Elton John & 6LACK – here 

Song Machine is out on standard CD, vinyl and cassette; plus the 17-track Deluxe and Super Deluxe box sets. Not forgetting the bulging full-colour, one-of-a-kind 210-page Almanac, the very first annual from Gorillaz. Order here. 
 

www.gorillaz.com

Virtual band Gorillaz is singer 2D, bassist Murdoc Niccals, guitarist Noodle and drummer Russel Hobbs. Created by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, their acclaimed eponymous debut album was released in 2001. The BRIT and Grammy Award winning band’s subsequent albums are Demon Days (2005), Plastic Beach (2010), The Fall (2011), Humanz (2017) and The Now Now (2018). A truly global phenomenon, Gorillaz have achieved success in entirely ground-breaking ways, touring the world from San Diego to Syria, winning numerous awards including the coveted Jim Henson Creativity Honor.
 
* The band are recognised by The Guinness Book Of World Records as the planet’s Most Successful Virtual Act.

Song Machine: Season One – Strange Timez – FULL TRACKLISTING:
1. Strange Timez (ft. Robert Smith)
2. The Valley of The Pagans (ft. Beck)
3. The Lost Chord (ft. Leee John)        
4. Pac-Man (ft. ScHoolboy Q)
5. Chalk Tablet Towers (ft. St Vincent)
6. The Pink Phantom (ft. Elton John and 6LACK)
7. Aries (ft. Peter Hook and Georgia)
8. Friday 13th (ft. Octavian)
9. Dead Butterflies (ft. Kano and Roxani Arias)
10. Désolé (ft. Fatoumata Diawara) (Extended Version)
11. Momentary Bliss (ft. slowthai and Slaves) 

Deluxe – TRACKLISTING:
1. Strange Timez (ft. Robert Smith)
2. The Valley of The Pagans (ft. Beck)
3. The Lost Chord (ft. Leee John)        
4. Pac-Man (ft. ScHoolboy Q)
5. Chalk Tablet Towers (ft. St Vincent)
6. The Pink Phantom (ft. Elton John and 6LACK)
7. Aries (feat. Peter Hook and Georgia)
8. Friday 13th (ft. Octavian)
9. Dead Butterflies (ft. Kano and Roxani Arias)
10. Désolé (ft. Fatoumata Diawara) (Extended Version)
11. Momentary Bliss (ft. slowthai and Slaves)
12. Opium (ft. EARTHGANG)
13. Simplicity (ft. Joan As Police Woman)
14. Severed Head (ft. Goldlink and Unknown Mortal Orchestra)
15. With Love To An Ex (ft. Moonchild Sanelly)
16. MLS (feat. JPEGMAFIA and CHAI)
17. How Far? (ft. Tony Allen and Skepta)

Paul McCartney announces the third album in a trilogy of classics:
McCartney III
All-New All-Paul Album Out December 11 on Capitol Records

Released in 1970 – McCartney

Released in 1980 – McCartney II

To be released in 2020 – McCartney III

Written, performed and produced by Paul McCartney

2020 marks 50 years since Paul McCartney released his self-titled first solo album. Featuring Paul playing every instrument and writing and recording every song, McCartney’s effortless charms have only grown in stature and influence over time. The chart-topping album would signify not only a creative rebirth for Paul, but also as a template for generations of indie and lo-fi musicians seeking to emulate its warm homespun vibe and timeless tunes including Maybe I’m Amazed, Every Night and The Lovely Linda.

The 1970s saw Paul forming his second band Wings and dominating the charts, stages and airwaves of the world, with multiple #1 singles, sold-out world tours, multi-million-selling albums including Band on the Run, Venus and Mars, Wings at the Speed of Sound, London Town and more. In 1980,10 years from the release of McCartney, Paul wrapped up the decade of Wings with the surprise release of his second solo album, the electronic-tinged McCartney II. Once again featuring Paul entirely on his own, McCartney II would come to be regarded as a leftfield classic, with classic cuts such as Coming Up, Temporary Secretary and Waterfalls.    

The 1980s saw Paul start again, this time kicking off an unprecedented solo run. The following four decades would see Paul’s iconic and legendary status grow exponentially, with solo masterpieces including Tug of War, Flowers in the Dirt, Pipes of Peace, Flaming Pie, Memory Almost Full and New, and massive live shows the world over — actually setting the World Record for the largest attendance at a concert. In 2018, 54 years since The Beatles first hit #1 on the Billboard Album Charts – Paul’s Egypt Station would be yet another historic #1 McCartney album.

Hard as it is to believe, it’s only been two years since Egypt Station went #1–and it was only last year that Paul’s Freshen Up tour played its last show before Covid hit pause on live music, a legendary blowout at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Paul hadn’t planned to release an album in 2020, but in the isolation of “Rockdown,” he soon found himself fleshing out some existing musical sketches and creating even more new ones. Before long an eclectic collection of spontaneous songs  would become McCartney III: a stripped back, self-produced and, quite literally, solo work marking the opening of a new decade, in the tradition of 1970’s McCartney and 1980’s McCartney II. Recorded earlier this year in Sussex, McCartney III is mostly built from live takes of Paul on vocals and guitar or piano, overdubbing his bass playing, drumming, etc. atop that foundation. The process first sparked when Paul returned to an unreleased track from the early 90s, When Winter Comes (co-produced by George Martin). Paul crafted a new passage for the song, giving rise to album opener Long Tailed Winter Bird—while When Winter Comes, featuring its new 2020 intro Winter Bird, became the new album’s grand finale.

Speaking about III, Paul said: “I was living lockdown life on my farm with my family and I would go to my studio every day. I had to do a little bit of work on some film music and that turned into the opening track and then when it was done I thought what will I do next? I had some stuff I’d worked on over the years but sometimes time would run out and it would be left half-finished so I started thinking about what I had. Each day I’d start recording with the instrument I wrote the song on and then gradually layer it all up, it was a lot of fun.  It was about making music for yourself rather than making music that has to do a job. So, I just did stuff I fancied doing. I had no idea this would end up as an album.”

Long Tailed Winter Bird and Winter Bird/When Winter Comes bookend McCartney III‘s vast and intimate range of modes and moods, from soul searching to wistful, from playful to raucous and all points between — captured with some of the same gear from Paul’s Rude Studio used as far back as 1971 Wings sessions. And Paul’s array of vintage instruments he played on the new album have an even more storied history, including Bill Black of Elvis Presley’s original trio’s double bass alongside Paul’s own iconic Hofner violin bass, and a mellotron from Abbey Road Studios used on Beatles recordings, to name but a few.

In keeping with McCartney & McCartney II’s photography by Linda McCartney, the principal photos for III were shot by Paul’s daughter Mary McCartney—with additional photography by Paul’s nephew Sonny McCartney as well as photos Paul took on his phone (it’s a family affair). The cover art and typography is by celebrated American artist Ed Ruscha. McCartney and McCartney II each saw Paul open up a new decade with reinvention, both personal and musical. Just as McCartney’s 1970 release marked Paul’s return to basics in the wake of the biggest band break-up in musical history, and the 1980 avant-garde masterpiece McCartney II rose from the ashes of Wings, McCartney III finds Paul back on his own, turning unexpected circumstances into a personal snapshot of a timeless artist at a unique point in history.

McCartney III will be released December 11 on Capitol Records across digital platforms, on CD, and on LP manufactured by Third Man Pressing. Vinyl configurations will range from standard 180g to a Third Man Edition of 3,000 hand-numbered red vinyl copies, a ‘333’ Edition sold only via Third Man Records online store and limited to 333 copies on yellow-with-black-dots vinyl created using 33 recycled vinyl copies of McCartney and McCartney II, a U.S. indie retail exclusive pressing of 4,000 hand-numbered white vinyl LPs, and more.

WOODKID

S16

ALL NEW SOPHOMORE ALBUM OUT NOW

WATCH WOODKID ON JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! HERE

woodkid.com
adaptiveminerals.com

Woodkid has at long last ended the excruciating wait for the follow-up to his GRAMMY-nominated 2013 debut The Golden Age: S16, Woodkid’s sophomore album is out today, October 16, via Caroline Records in the U.S..

Barely 48 hours prior to the release of S16, Woodkid made his U.S. network television debut on the Wednesday, October 14 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Set on a sparse circular stage, the performance featured Woodkid surrounded by an orchestra for a spellbinding rendition of the new album’s “Horizons Into Battlegrounds,” bringing to life, in his own words, “an intimate, stripped-back track with a cry for help within the lyrics – it’s a tender loving embrace, a moment of calm amongst the chaos.”

Watch Woodkid on Jimmy Kimmel Live! HERE

“Horizons Into Battlegrounds” is the third of three radically divergent sonic offerings heralding the arrival of S16: First single and epic video “Goliath” materialized in April, its monolithic groove serving as a vessel for questions regarding individual and collective responsibility for the state of the world. “Goliath” was quickly named one of TIME Magazine’s Best Songs of April, as well as one of ROLLING STONE’s Songs You Need To Know. “Pale Yellow” followed in June with a 180 degree swivel into introspective meditation on intimacy and struggles to overcome trials both mental and physical, and was lauded by UPROXX as “a promising taste of what’s to come from the long-awaited new album.”

As indicated across the musical and emotional spectrum of “Horizons Into Battlegrounds,” “Pale Yellow” and “Goliath,” S16 questions the notion of scale, from infinitely large to infinitely small, the balance of forces between human and industrial, and the idea of collective and individual responsibility for bringing a world to the verge of breakdown.

S16 was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, and other locales including Berlin, Paris, Los Angeles and Iceland, also calling upon Tokyo’s Suginami Junior Chorus to find just the right opening for one particular passage. Its name alluding to the chemical symbol and atomic number for sulphur in physics, S16 questions matter itself; what are our cells, our hearts made of? Where is the boundary between reality and fiction? Sulphur is, indeed, an essential element for living things, but liable to burst into flames. Like the ardent suffering stoked by music, which can then soothe, like being wrapped in a hug.

S16 is the follow-up to Woodkid’s 2013 debut The Golden Age, which sold nearly one million copies worldwide and was nominated for two GRAMMY Awards. In the time since The Golden Age was released, Woodkid has worked with Nicolas Ghesquière from Louis Vuitton, the New York City Ballet, Jonas Cuaron to write the original soundtrack of Desierto, and more. Dior Homme’s fall-winter 2013 collection, “A Soldier on My Own,” was inspired and soundtracked by The Golden Age’s “Iron,” named for a phrase in the song’s lyrics. More recently, in 2019, the second episode of Netflix’s monster hit series The Umbrella Academy featured another song from The Golden Age, “Run Boy Run,” both as soundtrack to a pivotal scene and as the episode’s title.

S16 is available across digital and streaming platforms, with physical configurations including standard black vinyl and limited color vinyl 2LP editions, single CD, and a very limited Vinyl Box Edition (D2C only). Please visit woodkid.com and adaptiveminerals.com for further information and updates.

METALLICA

ALL WITHIN MY HANDS FOUNDATION
HELPING HANDS CONCERT & AUCTION

LIVE WORLDWIDE PAY-PER-VIEW EVENT SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14th 
TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT:  2nu.gs/Metallica

Metallica’s second All Within My Hands Helping Hands Concert and Auction will be moving forward as the band’s first ever worldwide pay-per-view event. This special acoustic show benefitting the All Within My Hands foundation will stream live from Metallica HQ on Saturday, November 14th at 2:00pm Pacific. 

Ticket holders can enjoy multiple replays up to 48 hours from when they first start the stream. Further information on ticket sales, VIP packages, bundles etc. can be found at: 2nu.gs/Metallica. Ticket sales will directly benefit the foundation.

Details of the AWMH Helping Hands auction items and experiences, as well as how to bid on them, will be made available closer to the November 14th date.

All Within My Hands is a 501(c)3 non-profit foundation established in 2017 as a way for the Metallica family to give back to communities that have supported the band. Just this year, AWMH has donated $645,000 to COVID-19 related relief funds including Feeding America, Direct Relief, as well as to charities assisting those in the entertainment and hospitality industries suddenly without work. More recently the foundation donated $350,000 to aid those affected by the West Coast wildfires. Finally, the foundation’s Metallica Scholars Initiative is now in its second year, supported by a $1.5 million grant benefiting 15 community colleges across the country.

Metallica and All Within My Hands are committed to running an organization of the highest integrity where expenses are kept to a minimum and are paid for entirely by the band, the board, and friends who have worked with the band over many years and are excited to help in this mission. As always, 100% of proceeds from this years Helping Hands event—tickets, fees and auction items—will go directly to help those in need, with Metallica and the foundation covering all production costs and expenses.

Hi Everyone, 

Last week, Brian Burton (A/K/A Danger Mouse) and Nigel Godrich released a new app called Station Rotation. They announced it via their social media accounts, were somewhat vague, and forgot to use a proper hashtag (artists, am I right?). Unsurprisingly, some of you had some questions, so here is some clarity:

Station Rotation is a free app that Brian and Nigel created when—in addition to a deep desire to find a great way to discover new music—they realized that, despite being friends for over a decade, they really didn’t know much about each other’s personal music tastes. And as they say, if you want something done… 

The pair created, financed and developed a simple app that would allow them and their friends (various musicians, producers, film directors, artists, etc.) to program individually curated radio stations—NOT playlists—for sharing within the app.  Unlike a typical playlist or mixtape, they wanted to provide a collective experience, in real time.  

They took this idea to an app developer to help them work out the technical details… and for the last few years, the pair have been tinkering with it privately, eventually opening it up to more friends, and at long last… the general public. 

Station Rotation represented a new way for their friends and cohorts to connect and share music. Only music. No politics. No comments sections… The result was eye-opening as they realized: we’re all so much more similar than we realize. Somehow, despite their friends’ diverse tastes, genres, backgrounds and bodies of work, so many of them wound up putting some of the same exact songs on their stations. The individually tailored stations provided heartwarming and unexpected revelations about their closest friends. 

Now that it has been made available to the public, Station Rotation offers all listeners the chance to discover those, often revelatory, insights into some of the most creative and generally inscrutable people and their favorite songs. 

Now to some FAQs and their answers:

How is Station Rotation different than a Playlist?  

Simply put: Station Rotation is interesting people spinning their favorite tunes, round the clock (as opposed to, say, a 20-song playlist or mixtape). And the listener experience is collective in that the app reveals which of your friends are listening to the same station and therefore hearing the same thing. at the same time 

Station creators choose their favorite songs, which (unlike a playlist) are played in random order. 

And much like a radio DJ, the station creators can edit their own stations by adding and subtracting tracks as they please (just as a programmer would bring songs in and out of Rotation).  There is no way to skip to the next or previous song… If you want to hear something else, you simply change the station. And if you want to hear what the DJ is spinning next, you have to wait until the next song (like a radio Station).

How is Station Rotation monetized?

It’s not. 

The app is 100% independently owned and self-financed by Brian and Nigel. There are zero ads and no sponsors or corporate backers… and Station Rotation does not harvest or sell your personal information. 

The DJs who contributed stations all volunteered their time to do so.

It’s all for the love of music and the desire to share music with friends…

Why No Android Version?

They’re working on that. 
As previously mentioned, Station Rotation is fully owned and funded by Brian and Nigel. They have spent the better part of the last several years working on, testing (and financing) the app to get it ready for public consumption. And the reality is, expanding beyond iOS is very expensive and very time consuming. 
Android users: They hear you and are trying to make it work.  

Why do I need a Spotify Premium account to use Station Rotation? 

It’s a similar issue to the Android platform: Software-wise,  Spotify Premium was simplest way to build the app.  They’re not ruling out future versions that could work with Apple Music and other platforms. 

If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out,  but we think the only way to appreciate Station Rotation is to go ahead and give it a spin. And we think you’ll enjoy it. 

Thank You For Reading (and Listening),

Laura

Paul McCartney wishes DreamWorks Animation/Classic Media’s Rupert The Bear a very happy 100th birthday!

Iconic 1984 award winning Rupert inspired song and animated film to be re-released to commemorate this special occasion

Remastered version of We All Stand Together – Paul McCartney and the Frog Chorus – set for release on limited edition specially shaped 7” picture disc via MPL / Capitol / UMe – November 6 th 2020 – https://PMC.lnk.to/1LPWeAllStandTogetherPR

Fully restored Rupert and The Frog Song animated film to premiere on YouTube https://PaulMcCartney.lnk.to/RupertAndTheFrogSongPR on November 6th 2020

“Congratulations to Rupert on his 100th birthday. The great thing is he never looks a day older. Having been a fan of his since my early days in Liverpool, I know what he means to generations of young and old kids. In his character and attitudes to the world, he sums up the best of British tradition and reminds us of an innocence we would all love to cherish. So, congratulations my little bear. Your fans are celebrating your 100th birthday and I for one think you deserve a telegram from the Queen.”  Paul McCartney

36 years since its release and also celebrating the 40th anniversary of when Paul recorded the song at AIR Studios, London, We All Stand Together is being made available on limited edition picture disc vinyl on November 6th via MPL/Capitol/UMe  – the vinyl is specially shaped, exactly the same as the 1984 release. The 2020 version also comes with a poster.

We All Stand Together has been remastered at Abbey Road Studios by Alex Wharton along with the B-side instrumental We All Stand Together (Humming Version) which was included on the original release.

Produced by George Martin and featuring The King’s Singers and the choir of St Paul’s Cathedral, We All Stand Together (also known as The Frog Song) was a huge hit upon release, remaining in the charts for 13 weeks becoming a classic and a much -loved song by every school child in the 80s.

The song was the focal point of Rupert and The Frog Song – a short animated film that Paul began work on in 1981 with animator Geoff Dunbar. The film has now been fully restored in 4k as well as getting a new audio mix.  Written and produced by Paul and directed by Geoff, Rupert and The Frog Song was eventually released in 1984.  The film saw Paul voice the character of Rupert and featured the voices of the beloved British TV icons June Whitfield (as Rupert’s mother) and Windsor Davies (Father Frog). Released simultaneously with We All Stand Together the film went on to become the biggest selling video of 1985 in the UK earning Paul a Grammy nomination in the process as well as seeing him win a revered Ivor Novello Award for Best Film Soundtrack and picking up a BAFTA for Best Animated Short Film.

The film along with the amphibian anthem were inspired by Paul’s childhood love of Rupert and a specific drawing Paul remembered from the 1958 Rupert Bear Annual.

“I’ve always loved animation.  It started with the Disney cartoons and went on from there. As a kid I would always get the Rupert Annual at Christmas. I remember getting the idea for a film project when looking through one of them.  There was a standout image in colour and when I saw it I could imagine a concert of frogs with them all doing different parts, a choir and an orchestra, and I could almost hear the music.”

The project had been in the making for a long time.  Paul’s original idea had been to make a feature length film and he set about work for this in the 70s recording songs and writing stories that to this day remain unreleased with one of the unreleased songs dating back to The Beatles Let It Be sessions in 1969.

 “I had wanted to make a Rupert feature film for a while but didn’t realise what a difficult task it actually was.  I remember telling John Lennon about it and he encouraged me to have a go which was great but you need more than that to make a film.  There were so many different things to think about, things like securing the rights.  It was all too much.  Eventually I had the idea to make a short film with an animator I admired, Geoff Dunbar.”

Like Paul, Geoff Dunbar had grown up on Rupert and unlike other animators who were suggesting some kind of Rupert reboot, Geoff, sharing Paul’s vision, believed that Rupert shouldn’t change. Geoff took inspiration from the demo of We All Stand Together and just as Paul had heard what the song might be years before when looking at the annual, Geoff started to visualise the film based on Paul’s music and he and Paul would back and forth ideas on the project as it started to come to life. Rupert and The Frog Song was made in a pre-digital age, all handcrafted, and this year has undergone a painstaking and serious restoration process in which the film has been regraded and restored frame by frame.  

Watching the new film Geoff says: “It’s delightful and absolutely thrilling.  I’m totally blown away by it and the sound quality too.  I’ve always maintained what a marvellous piece of work it was.  It was seriously adored and a massive hit all over the world.” 

The magic can be recaptured once again for existing fans and new audiences on the 6th November when the new version will be made available on YouTube.

Download press images HERE

www.paulmccartney.com

GORILLAZ

Song Machine strikes again! 

Elton John & 6LACK join Gorillaz for 

‘THE PINK PHANTOM’

WATCH NOW!

FOLLOW SONG MACHINE HERE

‘The Pink Phantom’ featuring Elton John & 6LACK is the latest episode of Song Machine and sees Gorillaz joined by a unique combination of talent in the one and only Elton John – as you have never seen him before! – and GRAMMY-nominated Atlanta rapper 6LACK. Watch the video here. 

Elton John said of the collaboration: “Damon reached out and asked me to do something and the way the song has turned out is just great. I was in the studio in London and he was at the other end in Devon, but even remotely it was such an engaging and creative process. I’ve always loved Damon because he encompasses so many different sorts of music. He has his fingers in so many pies and although he’s achieved so much, he never sits still creatively. He’s constantly pushing forward and embracing the new, which is admirable and rare. He’s always working – he’s always doing something. He’s done so much to promote music from around the world, from Africa, from China, that people hadn’t previously heard and I really admire that. I’ve always been a Gorillaz fan anyway, so when he asked me to do a Gorillaz track – it was a no brainer. I’m so very, very happy that that’s come about.”

Gorillaz frontman 2D added: “Thank you for being so generous to us, Mr Elton Sir John, with your time and genius and also those Danish pastries you brought and for making some of the best tunes of all time.” 

The full collection of Song Machine: Season One is out on 23rd October, complete details here. 

And coming on 12th & 13th December is SONG MACHINE LIVE, a global live stream which will be Gorillaz only live performance this year. For more information visit LIVENow.  Download high res press shot here:https://we.tl/t-pzDT2oFgrO

Further Information:

Watch Episode 1 – Momentary Bliss ft. slowthai and Slaves – here
Watch Episode 2 – Désolé ft Fatoumata Diawara – here
Watch Episode 3 – Aries ft Peter Hook and Georgia – here
Watch Episode 4 – Friday 13th ft Octavian – here
Watch Episode 5 – Pac-Man ft Schoolboy Q – here
Watch Episode 6 – Strange Timez ft Robert Smith – here 

www.Gorillaz.com

Gorillaz are once again disrupting the paradigm and breaking convention in their round the back door fashion with Song Machine, the newest concept from one of the most inventive bands around. Song Machine will see Gorillaz joined by an exciting and ever-evolving roster of as yet unannounced collaborators captured live in Kong Studios alongside the world’s most successful virtual band*. The cameras are rolling 24/7, the fourth wall is broken, the kettle is on, the chaos is real, the door is open… What’s coming next? Stay tuned.

Song Machine: Season One – Strange Timez is out on 23rd October 2020 with physical releases on standard CD, vinyl and cassette; plus the 17-track Deluxe and Super Deluxe box sets. Not forgetting the bulging full-colour, one-of-a-kind 210-page Almanac, the very first annual from Gorillaz.

Virtual band Gorillaz is singer 2D, bassist Murdoc Niccals, guitarist Noodle and drummer Russel Hobbs. Created by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, their acclaimed eponymous debut album was released in 2001. The BRIT and Grammy Award winning band’s subsequent albums are Demon Days (2005), Plastic Beach (2010), The Fall (2011), Humanz (2017) and The Now Now (2018). A truly global phenomenon, Gorillaz have achieved success in entirely ground-breaking ways, touring the world from San Diego to Syria, winning numerous awards including the coveted Jim Henson Creativity Honor.
 
* The band are recognised by The Guinness Book Of World Records as the planet’s Most Successful Virtual Act.

About 6LACK:
Pronounced “Black”, the alternative R&B and three-time GRAMMY-nominated rapper/singer/songwriter 6LACK is the #2 most streamed R&B artist behind Frank Ocean. His debut project FREE 6LACK recently went platinum, and his sophomore album released East Atlanta Love Letter (now certified GOLD) to critical acclaim and peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on the Top R&B Albums. 6LACK has been the most featured artist of 2019-2020 with over 30 features, and hasn’t missed a beat releasing his latest project 6 PC HOT EP, which went top 5 on the R&B Charts, in addition to its R&B debut, 6pc opened at No. 11 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at No. 15 on the all-genre Billboard 200.

WOODKID

“Horizons Into Battlegrounds”

NEWEST ADVANCE TRACK FROM S16 

SOPHOMORE ALBUM OUT OCTOBER 16

AVAILABLE FOR DIGITAL & PHYSICAL PRE-ORDER NOW
 
woodkid.com

adaptiveminerals.com

Woodkid has unveiled “Horizons Into Battlegrounds,” a third dimension of S16, his sophomore album out October 16 via Caroline Records in the U.S. and available for pre-order at: https://woodkid.lnk.to/S16_PreOrder

“Horizons Into Battlegrounds” is, in the words of Woodkid (a/k/a Yoann Lemoine), “a simple piano ballad which contrasts with the rest of the album’s sound. It’s an intimate, stripped-back track with a cry for help within the lyrics – it’s a tender loving embrace, a moment of calm amongst the chaos.”

That emotional range is made manifest in a stunning solo rendition of the song Woodkid performed exclusively for COLORS, which can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/ryXb_V71KKU

“Horizons Into Battlegrounds” has been preceded by two sonically divergent offerings from S16: First single and epic video “Goliath” materialized in April, its monolith groove serving as a vessel for questions regarding individual and collective responsibility for the state of the world. “Goliath” was quickly named one of TIME Magazine’s Best Songs of April, as well as one of ROLLING STONE’s Songs You Need To Know. “Pale Yellow” followed in June with a 180 degree swivel into introspective meditation on intimacy and struggles to overcome trials both mental and physical, and was lauded by UPROXX as “a promising taste of what’s to come from the long-awaited new album.”

As indicated across the musical and emotional spectrum of “Horizons Into Battlegrounds,” “Pale Yellow” and “Goliath,” S16 questions the notion of scale, from infinitely large to infinitely small, the balance of forces between human and industrial, and the idea of collective and individual responsibility for bringing a world to the verge of breakdown.

S16 was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, and other locales including Berlin, Paris, Los Angeles and Iceland, also calling upon Tokyo’s Suginami Junior Chorus to find just the right opening for one particular passage. Its name alluding to the chemical symbol and atomic number for sulphur in physics, S16 questions matter itself; what are our cells, our hearts made of? Where is the boundary between reality and fiction? Sulphur is, indeed, an essential element for living things, but liable to burst into flames. Like the ardent suffering stoked by music, which can then soothe, like being wrapped in a hug.

S16 is the follow-up to Woodkid’s 2013 debut The Golden Age, which sold nearly one million copies worldwide and was nominated for two GRAMMY Awards. In the time since The Golden Age was released, Woodkid has worked with Nicolas Ghesquière from Louis Vuitton, the New York City Ballet, Jonas Cuaron to write the original soundtrack of Desierto, and more. Dior Homme’s fall-winter 2013 collection, “A Soldier on My Own,” was inspired and soundtracked by The Golden Age’s “Iron,” named for a phrase in the song’s lyrics. More recently, in 2019, the second episode of Netflix’s monster hit series The Umbrella Academy featured another song from The Golden Age, “Run Boy Run,” both as soundtrack to a pivotal scene and as the episode’s title.

S16 will be available across digital and streaming platforms, with physical configurations including standard black vinyl and limited color vinyl 2LP editions, single CD, and a very limited Vinyl Box Edition (D2C only). Please visit woodkid.com and adaptiveminerals.com for further information and updates.

Rammstein

Herzeleid (XXV Anniversary Edition – Remastered)

Limited Anniversary Editions of 1995 Debut Album Out December 4th:
Deluxe Digipak CD, Splattered Vinyl 2LP and HD Digital

It was 25 years ago to the day, 25 September 1995, that Rammstein emerged from Berlin with its debut album, Herzeleid. 

To celebrate this first indelible impact on global hard rock history, Rammstein and Vertigo/UMe will release limited, remastered editions of the band’s groundbreaking debut on December 4th 2020.

Herzeleid (XXV Anniversary Edition – Remastered) will feature the album’s original tracklist on a single CD, housed in a lavish, cross-shaped digipak with deluxe slipcase, and, for the first time ever, the remastered album with HD sound will be available digitally.

In addition, there will be a 2LP version with a slipcase containing two 180 gram heavyweight black vinyl discs with blue splatter effect. The creator of the original artwork, Dirk Rudolph, is also responsible for the Anniversary Edition packaging. The booklets also contain the original band portraits shot by Praler. Both the CD and vinyl editions are strictly limited.
 

Tracklisting: 1. Wollt ihr das Bett in Flammen sehen – 2. Der Meister – 3. Weisses Fleisch – 4. Asche zu Asche – 5. Seemann – 6. Du riechst so gut – 7. Das alte Leid – 8. Heirate mich – 9. Herzeleid – 10. Laichzeit – 11. Rammstein

The limited editions can be preordered here: 
http://www.rammstein.lnk.to/Herzeleid_25

THE SHINS
“The Great Divide”

SINGLE AND VIDEO OUT NOW VIA AURAL APOTHECARY / MONOTONE RECORDS

“FLIPPED” VERSION AVAILABLE NOW EXCLUSIVELY VIA AMAZON MUSIC

Now an age has come out of the loneliness
Your hand in mine
The great divide
The blind collective mind of man is all they’re offering
Then you bring a breath of life out of the emptiness
Your hand in mine

The Shins break an extended silence with the viscerally beautiful new song “The Great Divide.” The first official release from the band in over two and a half years, “The Great Divide” is available now via James Mercer’s own label Aural Apothecary and Monotone Records across all digital platforms.

Co-written and produced by James Mercer, Jon Sortland and Yuuki Matthews, “The Great Divide” is, in Mercer’s words, “A blend of futurism and nostalgia. We used everything from vintage synthesizers to iPhones, from a sixties Ludwig kit to an 808.” In Mercer’s unmistakable style, the lyrics of the song tap into humanity’s current collective angst, against a backdrop of reassuring melodies that evoke both bracing freshness and comforting familiarity. “It’s an epic about longing and love in a broken world,” says Mercer. “I guess we wanted to try to provide a bit of warmth and sentiment in hard times.” 

“The Great Divide” video is also available to be experienced visually, directed by Paul Trillo with creative direction from Jon Sortland and production provided by Hunters House Entertainment Group. “While the track feels intimate lyrically,  the performance called for something visually vast in scale,” says Sortland. 

“For me,” says Trillo, “‘The Great Divide’ is about coming to a turning point. The theme of the song speaks to this palpable rift we’re all feeling right now. So when Jon Sortland first reached out with a flurry of ideas, I got really excited at what this could be. We knew we wanted to craft something as grand as the song; something that was both wildly surreal yet also resonates on a human level. I wanted to place the current state of things, this “Great Divide” we’re going through, within the larger context of the universe. Like the song itself, It was both timely and timeless. That’s when I sort of stumbled on this idea of an infinite zoom out through time. The song also has this entrancing quality that keeps pulling you in further and further, so that continual motion made a lot of sense.” 

Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/LHM04sclWho

Additionally, a “Flipped” version of “The Great Divide” is available exclusively via Amazon Music. “The Great Divide (Flipped)” continues a tradition that began with 2017’s Heartworms, which was “Flipped” into a companion album entitled The Worm’s Heart, featuring every song from Heartworms reimagined, re-recorded and released as alternate versions. “The Great Divide (Flipped)” appears on the Stay Indie playlist, or via request by asking  “Alexa play the Amazon Original by The Shins” in the Amazon Music app for iOS and Android and on Alexa-enabled devices. 

“When the Shins do a ‘flipped’ version of a song,” Mercer explains, “the goal is always to re-approach the production aesthetic and show a different side to the piece. The idea is that a song properly written can be framed in many different contexts and still remain engaging. Yuuki Matthews, Jon Sortland and I sat down and talked about how we could change things up. The original idea was to treat it like a piano ballad but that soon gave way to Yuuki‘s moody post new wave treatment. I immediately loved it and so the direction was established. When we flip a song correctly you should have a hard time picking which version you like best!” 

You trace the lines through space and time
Until you find they all align
You give to me
A memory
Just a melody
I have to sing.

– “The Great Divide”