Wednesday 22 September 2010

O2 YOUR COUNTRY LIVE 2010

8TH - 11TH NOVEMBER @ O2 SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE, LONDON
14TH NOVEMBER @ O2 ACADEMY, LIVERPOOL
16TH NOVEMBER @ O2 ACADEMY, BIRMINGHAM
18TH NOVEMBER @ O2 ABC, GLASGOW


O2 Your Country Live is a fantastic FREE annual live music event to reward O2’s international calling community in the UK. Bigger and better than ever before, this year’s event presents renowned artists from East European, African, Antipodean and Caribbean communities across the network of national O2 academies.

The Caribbean community will be treated to a night with reggae superstar Tarrus Riley and legendary DJ David Rodigan; the sensational MOBO award winning Nneka headlines the African night supported by MTV Africa’s Best Performer 2009 Samini; Polish icon Kayah will entertain East European customers alongside fast rising Czech act Toxique; and hit Australian rockers Regurgitator take on the Antipodean crowd with New Zealand rapper Scribe.

O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
Mon 8th – Tarrus Riley, David Rodigan (Caribbean)
Tues 9th – Nneka, Samini (African)
Wed 10th – Regurgitator, Scribe (Antipodean)
Thurs 11th – Kayah, Toxique (East European)

O2 Academy, Liverpool
Sun 14th – Kayah, Toxique (East European)

O2 Academy, Birmingham
Tues 16th – Kayah, Toxique (East European)

O2 ABC, Glasgow
Thurs 18th – Kayah, Toxique (East European)

Your County Live began in April 2008 as an event at the O2 Indigo with Wilkie from Poland. In 2009 the event was extended to three sell out nights, again at the Indigo O2, featuring the Parlatones, The Ruby Suns and Ben Lee for the Antipodean community; Malkit Singh and The Dohl Foundation for the South Asian community and Myslovitz and Morandi for the East European community. In 2010 the South Asian night developed into O2’s sponsorship of the nationwide network of Melas.

Gosia Manka, O2 Channel Marketing Manager said:

‘’Your Country Live has been hugely successful for us, helping to build brand consideration amongst international communities and raise awareness of relevant O2 offers. Through leveraging our sponsorship assets we’ve been able to deliver great experiences to these communities.”

Your Country is an O2 pay & go SIM that rewards free minutes to international mobiles and landlines from the UK when you top up every month. Ticketing is simple. O2 customers text a keyword to a unique number or visit O2Yourcountrylive.co.uk for a chance to get a free ticket to the gig of their choice. Winners will be notified by text message up to one week before the chosen event. On arrival at the venue visitors enter their unique PIN into the touch screen ticket machines to retrieve their ticket. Want to go to the gig but not on O2? Get your free SIM at O2Yourcountrylive.co.uk

• Text YC1 to 66102 for Tarrus Riley & David Rodigan on 8th Nov
• Text YC2 to 66102 for Nneka & Samini on 9th Nov
• Text YC3 to 66102 for Regurgitator & Scribe on 10th Nov
• Text YC4 to 66102 for Kayah & Toxique on 11th Nov
• Text YC5 to 66102 for Kayah & Toxique on 14th Nov
• Text YC6 to 66102 for Kayah & Toxique on 16th Nov
• Text YC7 to 66102 for Kayah & Toxique on 18th Nov


O2Yourcountrylive.co.uk

SCIENTIST LAUNCHES DUBSTEP INTO OUTER SPACE!

RELEASE DATE: 29TH NOVEMBER 2010

Tectonic's most ambitious project to date, ‘Scientist Launches Dubstep Into Outer Space’ sees legendary dub engineer Scientist version 12 exclusive and unreleased dubstep rhythms from the scene’s top producers including Kode 9, Shackleton, Pinch and Mala. It's a vital and unprecedented move for dubstep; one year in the making, uniting roots and futurism in visionary style. In archetypal style, Scientist puts decades of tactile, hands-on experience to work, deftly transforming the killer originals into living, breathing dub music with his most sacred of black arts.

The effect is most radical when he renders the ultra modern surfaces of Guido's 'Korg Back' or Pinch and Emika's prescient stepper '2012', realigning the dance's depth perception with the skill of an electro-acoustic mastermind. No less, when working with vocalists such as Dokkebi Q's Hitomi and poet Roger Robinson in King Midas Sound's 'U' or the dread vibes of Spaceape on Kode 9's 'Abeng', he enhances their duppy potential tenfold. Perhaps most spooky of all is his version of Shackleton's 'Hackney Marshes', morphing the original's Nyabinghi-like percussion into a subtly spiritual and psychoactive slab of riddim minimalism. However, for many the highlights will be the dreadnaught overhauls of Mala DMZ's bassbin punishing 'City Cycle', and Loefah & Sgt. Pokes' 'Dog Money' respectively, realising many dub-fiend's most feverish dreams in ultra-heavyweight fashion.

Hopeton Brown aka Scientist is one of Jamaica's most revered dub engineers. His career behind the mixing desk began in the mid '70s at King Tubby's Dromilly Road studios in Kingston earned him the “Scientist” tag in a legendary conversation between Bunny Lee and King Tubby. By the early '80s he was working at Tuff Gong studios and it was during this period that he created his seminal series of albums for Greensleeves including 'Scientist Rids The World Of The Curse Of The Evil Vampires' and 'Scientist Wins The World Cup'. In the tradition of Lee "Scratch" Perry, King Tubby, and Prince Jammy, Scientist developed a distinct and unmistakable style, manipulating reverb, delay and filters to create transient sonic dimensions which places him as one of the most distinguished dub engineers alive today.

With the advent of dubstep in the early '00s and its subsequent entry to international consciousness, Scientist's influence has never been more pertinent. From its genesis in sweaty, bass-loaded backroom sessions of South and East London to mainstream chart status, dubstep has come to define the cutting edge of dance music while still adhering to the deeply rooted principles of bass and space laid out by the original dub auteurs. Creating an optimized, tactile experience with emphasis on physical bass weight and immersive psychoacoustics is an aesthetic clearly shared by the original Jamaican engineers and the vanguard of contemporary dubstep.

Label boss Pinch says “This project has taken over a year to put together from its conception late last summer. The final results are worth every minute of effort that's gone into this - this is definitely my proudest moment for Tectonic to date. The influence of dub swings round full circle!”



multiverse-music.com

myspace.com/tectonicrecordings

Thievery Corporation: It Takes A Thief

15TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY
ESL MUSIC
RELEASE DATE: 15TH NOVEMBER 2010



‘It Takes a Thief ‘is a retrospective compilation from Thievery Corporation celebrating 15 years of pioneering and revolutionary beats by the masters of downtempo music.

The album is a collection of tracks specially selected by Rob Garza and Eric Hilton for both long time fans and for music lovers who have heard of Thievery Corporation but may have never listened to the band. Rob Garza said “looking back and realising it’s been almost 15 years since we started, we figured maybe now is the time. These tracks are some of our favourite moments.”

Thievery Corporation have released 5 studio albums to date and sold over 1.5 million records since 1996. Thievery’s tracks have been licensed for film, TV and advertisements including True Blood, Entourage, Six Feet Under, CSI, Skyy Vodka, Jaguar, Lexus, EA Sports and many others.

Spanning right across the last 15 years of their career, the album unfolds in a kaleidoscope of sonic colour. It serves to demonstrate the versatility and diversity of their sound as it showcases classic tracks like “Warning Shots” featuring incendiary reggae toaster Sleepy Wonder, “Vampires” featuring Afrobeat heir Femi Kuti, “Shadows of Ourselves” featuring multi-lingual Persian singer Lou Lou, and of course the hit track “Lebanese Blonde” featuring the late jazz chanteuse Pam Bricker. ‘It Takes a Thief’ also features an exclusive, never before released track “The Passing Stars” also featuring Pam.

This release is, however, more than just a collection of great songs. It is also an inspirational example of a band on a small independent label who can transcend the hype machine that surrounds the modern music industry and the ‘throw away culture’ inherent in dance music to become a ‘dominant force’ as godfathers of the electronic landscape.

From the release of the duo’s first LP, its been remarkable to witness the growth of Thievery Corporation's fan base as it has steadily grown in such a DIY, organic fashion. Hilton himself notes, "We were so inspired by the true do-it-yourself ethos of the DC punk scene that Rob and I both grew up on. A lot of great music reaches fans without the typical hype and fanfare enjoyed by bands on the majors.”

This fan base has only got stronger as the years have passed, to such an extent that Thievery Corporation have been able to sell out the famed Hollywood Bowl, London's Shepherd's Bush Empire and countless other legendary venues around the globe.

Their infectious live show features 15 musicians and a carousel of performers unlike any other live band playing today. In 2009, Thievery Corporation sold out 2 nights at New York’s Terminal 5, and recently finished a 13 date European tour including Morocco, Rome, Athens, Paris, Berlin and Amsterdam.

"As we are in the midst of recording our sixth studio album this year, it just seemed like the time was right to release this collection. It's been a great journey - musically and personally - and we just wanted to have that one definitive document. It Takes a Thief is it," explains Garza. "We feel like it's a great look back for some; and for others, an excellent introduction to our sound."

The band is preparing to announce a major US tour for the autumn of 2010 and is recording a new album to be released in 2011.

thieverycorporation.com
eslmusic.com

Monday 13 September 2010

Prince Fatty Launch Party

David Silverman Outpost Media Metro

>Cost of night on the tiles 'is down'<



The price of a night out on the tiles has plummeted by nine percent in the past 20 years according to new research. The average night out cost £32.64 in 1990, compared with £53.89 in 2010. But comparing average salaries then and now, the real cost of boozing, nightclub entry and travel has gone down, PR company Outpost aid. In 'modern money', the price of a night out from 1990 is now equivalent to £59.40. 'Consumers are getting a much better deal in today's clubbing market than they had in previous years,' said Outpost spokesman David Silverman.

Outpost Media MD David Silverman Talks to House Magazine

Here is an interview that MD David Silverman gave to House magazine (Soho House Group)issue 11 2009.

Company
Outpost Media


What do you do?
I am the MD of Outpost Media - a multi-media PR agency. Our clients include record labels, brands, festivals, venues and events.

What are you working on right now?
We're currently working on a strategy of maximising PR for one of our artists who has been awarded a 2009 MOBO. I'm also speaking to one of our clients about a big gig he is putting on at KOKO and how best we can promote the event. It's Outpost's 5th birthday soon too, so the team brainstormed some ideas of what kind of party we want to put on and where. We're looking forward to announcing the Glade Festival 2010 and we have a constant stream of new projects which at the moment seems like it is turning into a river...

What's your best feature?

Oooh - my eyebrows.

Favourite Building

I actually love the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Admittedly, thats not too exotic but I think they look amazing and every time I see them I realise that, yes, I do actually live in London

Contact Details?
david@outpostmedia.co.uk
020 7684 5634

Wednesday 8 September 2010

Outpost PR MD David Silverman Writes For Music Week

Fresh from announcing Faithless’ groundbreaking new partnership with Fiat, Outpost Media’s David Silverman considers how best to gel a relationship between brand and band that benefits both parties.


As music and brands becoming increasingly entwined with each other, critics have debated the right formula for a brand and band collaboration.

The bands we are talking about here are generally the big music ‘brands’ of our day – the Duffy’s and The Florence’s and the brand ‘investors’ in music like Coca-Cola and Impulse. What we are starting to see at the moment is a trend which encourages a closer relationship in the creative process as illustrated by the recent Faithless and Fiat partnership.

One of the key areas to look at is alignment. A brand can enhance their image by association with another brand of equal footing in another industry. This gives them the opportunity to market to each others audience, including any cross over, while enhancing the credibility of their own brand to their existing audience in the process.

The issue comes down to creativity - building and marketing a product is a different type of creation, but creation is what it is. The key is to match up that creativity with an artist that has the same creative values.

Who are their fans? What is the demographic of those fans? What are the key elements of the artists sound and what is their reputation? These are all questions that need to be worked through. Choosing the right artist to work with becomes a question of believability: is it trustworthy, does it make sense - are consumers going to believe this partnership.

Many critics of the brand / music tie in would note that a certain artist has appeared to ‘sell out’ but making sure the partnership is believable goes someway to stopping this happening.

Overt criticism of these types of deal display a lack of knowledge and understanding of how difficult it is for artists to put records out these days. The brand sells drinks, the band sells music. Artists have customers too – it’s just that they are called ‘fans’.

As record labels focus more and more on back catalogue, sign more artists to spend less time on each, a new generation of record label is emerging: one that is more of a partnership than the traditional record label model. It’s just that no one thought that someone who invented a fizzy pop drink a hundred years ago would end up being the saviour of the music industry.

musicweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=28&storycode=1042159&c=1

Tuesday 7 September 2010

Mr Jones Watches Launches Masters of Time Collection

LAUNCHES: NOVEMBER 2010

The Mr Jones Watches brand is defined by the innovative and exciting designs that experiment with the idea of time keeping. The range thinks of watches as portable artworks as well as practical devices.



This Autumn the brand launches the ‘Masters of Time’ collection. The range of five iconic pieces is the result of a series of collaborations with influential individuals – an author, an artist, a comedian, a sportsman and a DJ. Each watch designed to represent the persona of its designer whilst maintaining the brand’s unique style.

For the collection Mr Jones selected five influential figures who he felt represented the creativity and uniqueness of the brand: Graeme Obree World Record breaking cyclist, Iain Sinclair award-winning author and essayist, Willam Andrews writer and comedian Tom Middleton DJ and pioneer of electronic music and Brian Catling poet, sculptor and performance artist.

Mr Jones worked closely alongside each collaborator on their watch to ensure that every detail was incorporated to convey both the ethos behind the brand and the ideas behind the design:

“The watch today is a defunct tool - we all have a mobile phone to check the time on, but the watch endures because it expresses something of our personality. Whilst many watches are a symbol of material wealth, Mr Jones Watches are concerned with ideas.”
Crispin Jones, founder Mr Jones Watches

Each watch in the Master of Time collection is available as part of a signed,
numbered edition of 100 pieces and is priced at £145.

The Masters of Time series is available exclusively from Mr Jones Watches.

MrJonesWatches.com

Prince Fatty: Supersize



LABEL: MR BONGO

RELEASE DATE: 1ST NOVEMBER

“One of the best sessions in the last few years - reggae royalty” Mark Lamarr - BBC Radio 2

The Prince Fatty sound is once again in full flow on new album ‘Supersize’. Renowned sound engineer and record producer Mike “Prince Fatty” Pelanconi has been a prominent member of the reggae and dub scene in the UK since the mid 90s. Finding himself frustrated by the tempos and mixes of certain records he loved – typified by DJing one time after Don Letts who had already played half his selection – he set about recording his own versions with a supergroup of London’s finest reggae musicians.

“I have worked with many of the UK based reggae musicians at one point or another so I went about selecting the best possible musicians from my experiences with two criteria in mind – the best skills and the most vibe. At the same time my Dub Supervisor and Reggae Jedi aka Little Roy and I started to record tracks for his new album and I found myself recording reggae every day. The Pioneers were dropping by my studio, Alcapone was cutting specials and singers like Winston Francis were just hanging out.”

As well as versions of favourite reggae and soul songs, two tracks stand out – Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s ‘Shimmy Shimmy Ya’ and ‘Insane in the Membrane’ by Cypress Hill.

“I was sad when Ol’ Dirty passed away and for me the great hip hop era ended with him. I cut the version of ‘Shimmy Shimmy Ya’ soon after he died, as a tribute we often hold a minutes silence when me and Horseman do this live. We did ‘Insane In The Brain’ for fun as we had a show supporting Madness coming up. The nutty boys challenged us to a sound clash and they lost. Though we played a dirty hand, they were gracious in defeat.”

The vocal line-up also include Slits singer/daughter of Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook/new Mr Bongo signing Hollie Cook and features a dub of ‘That Very Night’ from her own album to be released in 2011.

Prince Fatty’s 2007 debut album ‘Survival Of The Fattest’ achieved widespread critical acclaim from the music press and was supported across BBC Radio, resulting in a raucous live session on Mark Lamarr’s show.

Favouring recording on vintage equipment to preserve his signature sound; Pelanconi’s unique style has attracted the likes of Lily Allen, Graham Coxon, Little Barrie, Gregory Isaacs and Sinéad O'Connor to work with him. He has recently opened his own studio The Ironworks in Brighton.

Launch Party Friday 22nd October @ Hootananny, 95 Effra Road, Brixton, London, SW2 1DF

princefatty.com | mrbongo.com