“She is much more than a gifted organist, choral conductor and social media sensation…
she’s a star on a mission” – The Sunday Times

”TikTok organist told to ‘play like a man’ is leading musical gender equality movement” – The I Newspaper

“She had rightly become “the world’s most visible organist” – New York Times 

After picking up the prestigious RPS Gamechanger Award at The Royal Philharmonic Society Awards this week, Anna Lapwood releases ‘Chevalier De Sangreal’, the second track to be taken from her forthcoming 5 track EP of film transcriptions. Recorded on the organ of the Royal Albert Hall, Midnight Sessions At The Royal Albert Hall EP will be released April 21st on Sony Classical. 

Taken from The Da Vinci Code and composed by Hans Zimmer, Anna delivers a beautifully haunting version of ‘Chevalier De Sangreal’ (from The Da Vinci Code). “We all have those pieces of music that have a strong childhood memory associated with them – they feel formative in a way – and Chevaliers De Sangreal (from “The Da Vinci Code”) is one of those pieces for me,” Anna said of the track. “ I vividly remember watching the film for the first time with my family, hearing the music and feeling incredibly emotional. I wanted to understand how the music worked so I sat in bed with a torch and manuscript paper, writing out the harmony, and trying to understand how Hans Zimmer achieved such emotion through repetition and orchestration.” Listen to ‘Chevalier De Sangreal’ (from The Da Vinci Code) HERE.

The track follows – ‘Cornfield Chase (From “Interstellar”)’ composed by Hans Zimmer – the first track to be released from Midnight Sessions At The Royal Albert Hall (listen here), and you can get to know this extremely exciting and talented artist via her Introduction video here.

Of the EP Anna comments; “Over the last 11 months I’ve been lucky enough to be let into the Royal Albert Hall in the middle-of-the night for practice sessions on the hall’s magnificent organ. As I’ve explored the strange, beautiful and wonderful colours that it has to offer, I’ve written a set of new film music transcriptions with that specific instrument in mind, capturing some of the magic that I feel in that iconic building after hours.”

The 27-year-old from a small Oxfordshire village has been making waves with her exciting approach to organ playing, awakening the senses of young and old alike, opening the gateways to classical music and shining a light on an often under-appreciated instrument. 

By day she runs choirs and teaches at Cambridge University’s Pembroke College, practising the organ at every opportunity. By night, her role as Associate Artist of the Royal Albert Hall sees her granted special access to the majestic instrument while most of us are fast asleep. This has led to an entirely spontaneous collaboration with electronic musician Bonobo – one late-night practice session was interrupted by a request shouted up from the stage, which turned out to come from a couple of members of Bonobo’s band. 18 hours later, she was helping them close their show to an unsuspecting audience of 5,000.

Anna continues to relive the magic of that event through her videos to her 450,000+ TikTok followers – a tool she is using with exciting results. The power of social media gives the ability to demystify the outdated baggage the organ once carried along with it, throwing open the doors to all sorts of possibilities.

Only 8% of organists responsible for recitals in the UK in 2022 are women. Anna’s #playlikeagirl social media hashtag, which isn’t about dividing, but uniting and reminding women to own themselves, be themselves and find themselves through music, has blown up.

With an exciting year to come, including an album on the horizon and her signing to Sony Classical indicating a new and exciting chapter in her career, keep an eye out for the woman who can do it all. 

“There’s all sorts of old ideas about who goes to an organ concert, and it was seen as having gone out of fashion. That has definitely changed,” insists Anna: “This instrument is anything from boring – just ask Benedict Cumberbatch!”

EP TRACKLIST: MIDNIGHT SESSIONS AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL

1. Cornfield Chase (From “Interstellar”)
2. Test Drive (From “How To Train Your Dragon”)
3. Davy Jones (From “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”)
4. Chevaliers De Sangreal (From “The Da Vinci Code”)
5. No Time For Caution (From “Interstellar”)

Appearances include the following, with more concerts to be announced soon

March
Tue 28th Organ Recital – First Palo Alto United Methodist Church, California

April
Sat 1st Organ Recital: Segerstrom Concert Hall, California

Sat 22nd Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony No. 3 with the London Mozart Players – Fairfield Halls, Croydon (Pipe Dreams)

Wed 26th Poulenc Organ Concerto and Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony No. 3, Hallé Orchestra – Bridgewater Hall

Thu 27th Chetham’s School of Music Masterclass – Manchester

Thu 27th Poulenc Organ Concerto and Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony, Hallé Orchestra – Bridgewater Hall

Sun 30th Poulenc Organ Concerto and Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony, Hallé Orchestra – Bridgewater Hall

June
Sun 4th Royal Albert Hall Organ Celebration (Recital) – Royal Albert Hall

July
Sat 1st Organ Recital – St Mary’s Church, Saffron Walden

WEBSITE | TIKTOK | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK |
YOUTUBE | TWITTER 

Widely respected former President of BMG UK, Alexi Cory-Smith, has created Bella Figura Music – a music company for the digital age. She is CEO alongside co-founder and Head of Investments, Neelesh Prabhu, who previously led the global investments division of BMG.

Bella Figura Music was born out of shared passions for music and technology. The team are building a purpose-built, artist-centric music company, bringing together leading technology and a relentless focus on creative excellence. The team have spent much of the past year acquiring an impressive and exciting catalogue of recording and publishing assets, with the backing of Freshstream, a private equity fund with a track-record backing entrepreneurs. Deals to date include:

Guy Chambers’ publishing catalogue which includes iconic Robbie Williams hits such as ‘Angels’, ‘Feel’ and ‘Let Me Entertain You’.

David Gray’s record label IHT which owns all his albums from the breakthrough 1998 ‘White Ladder’ to the 2019 acclaimed Gold In A Brass Age. David is closely involved with Bella Figura Music.

R3HAB’s catalogue up to 2022 including ‘All Around the World’, ‘Sad Boy’, ‘Runaway’ and ‘Call Me’.

AWAL divested portfolio of rights including shares in recordings by Placebo, David Gray, Wombats, Dashboard Confessional and more.

US songwriter/producer Darrell Brown’s publishing shares in 25 songs including hits for LeAnn Rimes and Keith Urban.

“I view David Gray and Guy Chambers as the founding blocks on which we build the business,” Alexi says. “One is records, the other is publishing – both top quality catalogues.

I am very proud of what we have achieved in Bella Figura Music’s first year of business.”

“I’ve always wanted to have my own music company and after years in corporates the timing to take an entrepreneurial path felt right,” she added.

David Gray says; “I’ve been looking for a new partner for my music for quite some time, so when I heard about Alexi and Bella Figura I thought it had the potential to be a good fit. They struck me as a company with serious ambitions, an eye for detail and a point to prove, and the fact that I had a good relationship with Alexi from her time at Chrysalis/BMG was definitely a major positive too. The world of music and technology is in a state of constant flux and it’s vital to work with people who are not only attentive to its challenges, but also alert to its opportunities. I feel very optimistic that with Bella Figura I’ve found just that.”

Guy Chambers adds; “I’m so pleased to be working with Bella Figura. I think Alexi is one of the most dynamic executives working in the music industry. Having Alexi at the helm of Bella Figura is an exciting prospect for what is a new and vital area for songwriters in the industry today.”

Artist-driven and forward-thinking, Bella Figura Music is creating a blueprint for managing music rights in the digital age. Based in a quirky Soho, London office, they are building a small, passionate team with a boutique hands-on approach, with the artists involved in every aspect of business. A primary goal is to ensure its copyright data matches every royalty payment as soon as that payment is triggered.

Why Bella Figura Music? “I wish I had a more intellectual answer for the name,” Alexi admits. “The truth is I was in an Italian deli weighing up whether to order some cake when the waiter pointed out it would not be good for the ‘Bella Figura’. At that exact moment, one of our advisors called asking for the company name. And Bella Figura just stuck. It makes a lot more sense now when you consider that our company is focused on delivering beautiful numbers and figures! I suppose I could have called it Lemon Ricotta Cake. Or not. Because as it turned out, I left the deli with just a black coffee.”

About Alexi Cory-Smith:
Prior to forming BFM, Alexi was president of BMG UK where she grew and led its music publishing and recordings business. Alexi joined BMG in January 2011, becoming SVP of BMG UK before moving up to EVP of the combined BMG Chrysalis UK in 2013.

She was promoted to President, Repertoire and Marketing of BMG UK, in 2016, heading up the Repertoire business across both publishing and records. She was instrumental in originating and managing some of the key M&A for the group including (in the UK) Chrysalis (publishing), Union Square (master catalogue marketing and licensing), ‘Rosetta’ (the Virgin/ Famous Music publishing catalogue divestment by EMI) Mute and Sanctuary (Master Catalogue divestments by UMG) and Infectious (frontline Record Label) and supporting the integration of Bug (Publishing)

She was personally responsible for key signings including The Rolling Stones and Roger Waters, two of the highest earning international acts in the BMG roster.

About Neelesh Prabhu:
Neelesh joined BMG in January 2011 and, like Alexi, served a hugely successful seven-year stint, more recently co-founding an Insurtech Start Up in Singapore.

Prior to that Neelesh ran BMG’s global investments / M&A department, looking after teams in Berlin, LA, NYC, and London, working alongside Alexi.

About Freshstream:
Freshstream Investment Partners is a private equity firm focused on the UK/Benelux regions. Freshstream made its first investment in 2016 and has offices in London and Amsterdam. It seeks to partner with entrepreneurs and management teams of rapidly growing companies to provide insight, expertise and capital to build strong, future-proof businesses that create value for its shareholders.

Freshstream is a signatory of UN Principles for Responsible Investment, iCi, and has been carbon neutral since 2018.

www.bellafiguramusic.com

“She is much more than a gifted organist, choral conductor and social media sensation…
she’s a star on a mission” – The Sunday Times

”TikTok organist told to ‘play like a man’ is leading musical gender equality movement” – The I Newspaper

“She had rightly become “the world’s most visible organist” – New York Times 

Anna Lapwood is like no other musician, and after recently signing a major label deal with Sony Classical, she will release her 5 track Midnight Sessions At The Royal Albert Hall EP of film transcriptions on April 21st, recorded on the organ of the Royal Albert Hall. An album will arrive later this year, as well as a host of prestigious organ recitals and concertos this Spring.

The first single from the EP – ‘Cornfield Chase (From “Interstellar”)’ composed by Hans Zimmer – is out today (listen here), and you can get to know this extremely exciting and talented artist via her Introduction video here.

Of the EP and first single, Anna comments; “Over the last 11 months I’ve been lucky enough to be let into the Royal Albert Hall in the middle-of-the night for practice sessions on the hall’s magnificent organ. As I’ve explored the strange, beautiful and wonderful colours that it has to offer, I’ve written a set of new film music transcriptions with that specific instrument in mind, capturing some of the magic that I feel in that iconic building after hours. Cornfield Chase is a special one because it started me off on this huge journey of exploration and discovery. I was performing a concert at Temple Church in London, where the Interstellar soundtrack was originally recorded, and couldn’t resist trying a little bit out. I posted a short clip on TikTok and it blew up straight away – I didn’t really look back after that!”

The 27-year-old from a small Oxfordshire village has been making waves with her exciting approach to organ playing, awakening the senses of young and old alike, opening the gateways to classical music and shining a light on an often under-appreciated instrument.

The Sunday Times described her as “a star on a mission and a social media sensation”. The New York Times heralded her as “the world’s most visible organist” while The i declared: “TikTok organist told to ‘play like a man’ is leading musical gender equality movement.”

By day she runs choirs and teaches at Cambridge University’s Pembroke College, practising the organ at every opportunity. By night, her role as Associate Artist of the Royal Albert Hall sees her granted special access to the majestic instrument while most of us are fast asleep. This has led to an entirely spontaneous collaboration with electronic musician Bonobo – one late-night practice session was interrupted by a request shouted up from the stage, which turned out to come from a couple of members of Bonobo’s band. 18 hours later, she was helping them close their show to an unsuspecting audience of 5,000.

The list of special collaborations doesn’t stop there. So comfortable at the venue is Anna that when she realised that a practice session coincided with Benedict Cumberbatch appearing at the Hall, she approached the actor and asked if he wanted to have a go on the organ. He and his wife Sophie Hunter, the theatre and opera director, duly accepted. 

“I played for them for about 10 minutes, and then they both had a go,” says Anna. “Benedict played Bach’s Prelude In C Major (BWV 846). We had a chat and after they left, I started practising Cornfield Chase. Benedict’s bodyguards ran back on stage as they love the piece and Benedict followed and asked if I could do it again so he could film it. When I finished, I realised he was crying, and he said: ‘You’ve got to join Letters Live tomorrow’. Then I started crying!” As Benedict read former US President Richard Nixon’s letter, written to be shared if the moon landings had failed and lives had been lost, Anna played Cornfield Chase to close the show. 

Anna continues to relive the magic of that event through her videos to her 450,000+ TikTok followers – a tool she is using with exciting results. The power of social media gives the ability to demystify the outdated baggage the organ once carried along with it, throwing open the doors to all sorts of possibilities.

Only 8% of organists responsible for recitals in the UK in 2022 are women. Anna’s #playlikeagirl social media hashtag, which isn’t about dividing, but uniting and reminding women to own themselves, be themselves and find themselves through music, has blown up.

With an exciting year to come, and her signing to Sony Classical indicating a new and exciting chapter in her career, keep an eye out for the woman who can do it all.

“There’s all sorts of old ideas about who goes to an organ concert, and it was seen as having gone out of fashion. That has definitely changed,” insists Anna: “This instrument is anything from boring – just ask Benedict Cumberbatch!”

EP TRACKLIST: MIDNIGHT SESSIONS AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL

1. Cornfield Chase (From “Interstellar”)
2. Test Drive (From “How To Train Your Dragon”)
3. Davy Jones (From “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”)
4. Chevaliers De Sangreal (From “The Da Vinci Code”)
5. No Time For Caution (From “Interstellar”)

Appearances include the following, with more concerts to be announced soon

February
Sat 4th BBC Radio 3: Record Review, Contributor

Sat 18th Organ Recital – St Luke’s Church, Battersea, London

March
Tue 28th Organ Recital – First Palo Alto United Methodist Church, California

April
Sat 1st Organ Recital: Segerstrom Concert Hall, California

Sat 22nd Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony No. 3 with the London Mozart Players – Fairfield Halls, Croydon (Pipe Dreams)

Wed 26th Poulenc Organ Concerto and Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony No. 3, Hallé Orchestra – Bridgewater Hall

Thu 27th Chetham’s School of Music Masterclass – Manchester

Thu 27th Poulenc Organ Concerto and Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony, Hallé Orchestra – Bridgewater Hall

Sun 30th Poulenc Organ Concerto and Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony, Hallé Orchestra – Bridgewater Hall

June
Sun 4th Royal Albert Hall Organ Celebration (Recital) – Royal Albert Hall

July
Sat 1st Organ Recital – St Mary’s Church, Saffron Walden

WEBSITE | TIKTOK | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK |
YOUTUBE | TWITTER 

Depeche Mode has confirmed the release date of its eagerly anticipated new album, Memento Mori, which will be released March 24 via Columbia Records.

Memento Mori’s arrival is heralded by today’s release of first single “Ghosts Again.” Having been stealthily previewed in Berlin in October at the Memento Mori launch event, “Ghosts Again” is nothing short of classic Depeche Mode: Evocative Dave Gahan lyrical imagery including “wasted feelings, broken meanings… a place to hide the tears we cry” and a hypnotic Martin Gore guitar figure atop an uplifting, optimistic groove. “Ghosts Again” is available now across digital platforms, and as an instant grat with pre-saves and pre-orders of Memento Mori – which is available for pre-order now on 2LP vinyl, CD, cassette, and digital.

“To me, ‘Ghosts Again’ just captures this perfect balance of melancholy and joy,” commented Gahan. Gore added, “It’s not often that we record a song that I just don’t get sick of listening to – I’m excited to be able to share it.”

“Ghosts Again” has been visually interpreted by longtime Depeche Mode collaborator and Memento Mori album cover and artwork designer Anton Corbijn. Corbijn’s sublime rendering of the song in stark yet rich monochrome tones can be seen HERE.

Memento Mori is Depeche Mode’s 15th studio album and its first as a two-piece lineup of Gahan and Gore, following co-founder Andrew “Fletch” Fletcher’s tragic passing in 2022. Produced by James Ford, with additional production work by Marta Salogni, Memento Mori’s gestation took place during the early stages of the Covid pandemic, resulting in themes inspired directly by that period. The album’s 12 tracks chart a vast expanse of moods and textures, from its ominous opening to its closing resolve—running the gamut from paranoia and obsession to catharsis and joy, and hitting myriad points between. The complete track listing for Memento Mori is:

My Cosmos Is Mine

Wagging Tongue

Ghosts Again

Don’t Say You Love Me

My Favourite Stranger

Soul With Me

Caroline’s Monkey

Before We Drown

People Are Good

Always You

Never Let Me Go

Speak To Me

As previously announced, The Memento Mori Tour will coincide with the album’s release. The Live Nation-presented tour — Depeche Mode’’s first in over five years and 19th overall — kicks off March 23rd with a special, limited series of North American arena dates featuring stops at New York’s Madison Square Garden, Chicago’s United Center, Los Angeles’ Kia Forum and Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena, among others. The band will then begin their European stadium tour on May 16th, including dates at the Stade de France in Paris, Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, Milan’s San Siro Stadium, and London’s Twickenham Stadium. Due to popular demand, shows have been added in several markets —  for further information, please go to depechemode.com. The full listing of dates, cities and venues is also below.

Having sold more than 100 million records and played to more than 35 million fans worldwide, Depeche Mode remains an ever-evolving and singularly influential musical force. An indelible inspiration to fans, critics and artists alike, Depeche Mode continues to forge ahead, with the Memento Mori album and tour representing the opening of the newest chapter of a peerless and ongoing legacy.

Memento Mori World Tour 2023

March 23 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center

March 25 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center

March 28 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum

March 30 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena

April 2 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center

April 5 – Chicago, IL – United Center

April 7 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena

April 9 – Quebec City, QC – Videotron Centre

April 12 – Montreal, QC – Centre Bell

April 14 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

May 16 – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome

May 18 – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome

May 20 – Antwerp, BE – Sportpaleis Antwerpen

May 23 – Stockholm, SE – Friends Arena

May 26 – Leipzig, DE – Leipziger Festwiese

May 28 – Bratislava, SK – Národný Futbalový Štadión

May 31 – Lyon, FR – Groupama Stadium

June 2 – Barcelona, ES – Primavera Sound Festival

June 4 – Dusseldorf, DE – Merkur Spiel-Arena

June 6 – Dusseldorf, DE – Merkur Spiel-Arena

June 9 – Madrid, ES – Primavera Sound Festival

June 11 – Bern, CH – Stadion Wankdorf

June 14 – Dublin, IE – Malahide Castle

June 17 – London, UK – Twickenham Stadium

June 20 – Munich, DE – Olympiastadion

June 22 – Lille, FR – Stade Pierre Mauroy

June 24 – Paris, FR – Stade de France

June 27 – Copenhagen, DK – Parken

June 29 – Frankfurt, DE – Deutsche Bank Park

July 1 – Frankfurt, DE – Deutsche Bank Park

July 4 – Bordeaux, FR – Matmut Atlantique

July 7 – Berlin, DE – Olympiastadion

July 9 – Berlin, DE – Olympiastadion

July 12 – Rome, IT – Stadio Olympico

July 14 – Milan, IT – San Siro

July 16 – Bologna, IT – Stadio Renato Dall’Ara

July 21 – Klagenfurt, AT – Wörthersee Stadion

July 23 – Zagreb, HR – Arena Zagreb

July 26 – Bucharest, RO – Arena Națională

July 28 – Budapest, HU – Puskás Aréna

July 30 – Prague, CZ – Letňany Airport

August 2 – Warsaw, PL – PGE Narodowy

August 4 – Kraków, PL – Tauron Arena

August 6 – Tallinn, EE – Tallinna Lauluväljak

August 8 – Helsinki, FI – Kaisaniemen Puisto

August 11 – Oslo, NO – Telenor Arena

“Indie pals with the bold ambition of future festival headliners” – NME

“Irresistible indie pop peppered with brilliantly surreal lyrics and infectious hooks” – Rolling Stone UK
“Fleetwood Mac meets Haim… Huge emotional bangers coming this summer” – Fabulous Magazine
One of The Independent’s 10 New Music Acts To Watch in 2023
Daily Star’s Talent To Watch in 2023
Dork Magazine 2023 Hype List

Following the success of their new EP, rising duo Dolores Forever roar into 2023 with infectious new single in ‘When I Say So’, out now on Sweat Entertainment. The band will also play a headline show at London’s Omeara on February 15th.

Produced & mixed by grammy award winner Ben Allen (Gnarls Barkley, Animal Collective, MIA, Big Moon), ‘When I Say So’ takes Dolores Forever’s dreamy pop to yet another level. Hooks, harmonies and a festival-sized chorus to boot, it’s a track that elevates the duo from just ones to watch, to one of the most exciting acts of 2023. Listen HERE.

“When I Say So is about reluctantly growing up.” say the duo. “A song for the curious who want more than they are supposed to expect. There’s the moment when you’re suddenly not the ingénue in the room anymore and everything around you is changing. You’re not sure you’re on the same ride as everyone else.”

 Following the success of their last single ‘Conversations With Strangers’, Dolores Forever has been tipped across media and radio alike as one of the most exciting new acts to make an impact this year.

Formed by close friends and songwriters Hannah Wilson (from Yorkshire) and Julia Fabrin (from Copenhagen), Dolores Forever met at a house party in London, connecting over their love of Mitski, Sharon Van Etten, Stevie Nicks and the Spice Girls.

Having already wowed at Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds Festivals this summer and with acclaim across the board from the likes of BBC Introducing, Radio 1, NME, The i, i-D Magazine, The Independent, The Line Of Best Fit, Dummy, Mahogany and more for their breakthrough debut EP ‘Baby Teeth’ and infectious single ‘Rothko’, the duo look set for a huge career. Already looking to the future with a string of magical singles to come, Dolores Forever are building unstoppable momentum. Watch this space.

Website / Instagram

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD) continue their special 40th anniversary celebrations with the announcement of a brand new expanded version of the band’s fourth studio album, Dazzle Ships – out March 31st via UMR/EMI.

The lovingly put together set comprises of the original album, plus a bonus LP of unreleased demos and rarities which has been compiled and mixed by Paul Humphreys.

There will be two sets available – one in the original bespoke die cut sleeve on 180 gram black vinyl, and a second in a standard gatefold sleeve, on blue and silver vinyl. Both versions will use the alternate blue artwork.

RELEASE FORMATS
2LP Black (D2C only – bespoke gatefold with additional panel and die cuts – a replica of the original record)
2LP Coloured (standard gatefold sleeve)
Format: 1CD

After extensive touring in 2022, the band will head out on the road again this Summer for a run of UK festival dates. See full dates below:

May

Sat 20th Lets Rock The Moor! 2023, Cookham

June

Sat 10th Let’s Rock The North East 2023, Middlesbrough
Sat 17th Let’s Rock Leeds 2023, Leeds

July

Sat 1st Lets Rock Exeter 2023, Exeter
Sat 8th Chilfest 2023, Tring

August

Fri 11th Audley End House & Gardens, Saffron Walden

Dazzle Ships 40th Anniversary Box Set Track Listing
LP1 – Side A
Radio Prague
Genetic Engineering
ABC Auto-Industry
Telegraph
This Is Helena
International

LP1 – Side B
Dazzle Ships (Parts II, III And VII)
The Romance Of The Telescope
Silent Running
Radio Waves
Time Zones
Of All The Things We’ve Made

LP2 – Side A
Telegraph 82 (Very Early Demo)
Silent Running (Demo)
Sold Our Souls (the Avenue Demo)
Shakespeare 82

LP2 – Side B
Untitled Instrumental 82
In Heaven Above (4- NEU Demo)
Telegraph Live 1984

1CD
Radio Prague
Genetic Engineering
ABC Auto-Industry
Telegraph
This Is Helena
International
Dazzle Ships (Parts II, III And VII)
The Romance Of The Telescope
Silent Running
Radio Waves
Time Zones
Of All The Things We’ve Made
Telegraph – Very Early Demo / 1982
Silent Running – Demo
Sold Our Souls – The Avenue Demo
Shakespeare ’82
Untitled Instrumental ’82
In Heaven Above – 4- NEU Demo
Telegraph – Live 1984

www.omd.uk.com


“Superb garage rock from Costa Rica” – Clash

“Fuzzed-out Costa Rican garage rippers” Gorilla vs Bear

“Las Robertas serves up a sunny set of tunes tinged with surf-rock and psychedelia and surrounded by its hallmark sylphic vocals” NPR

One of Costa Rica’s finest products, Las Robertas return with their brilliant new album Love Is The Answer on Kanine Records. Alongside the release comes the cosmic video for the album’s title-track.

Directed, shot and edited by Juan Álvarez Santos (Arma Blancx) the kaleidoscopic video takes the viewer on a journey through the complex emotional and healing processes following a breakup that culminates with love as the answer. “The track is about the moment when you realise that the best way to live life is through love,” lead singer Mercedes Oller said of the track. “Only love will bring you more freedom, happiness and power.“ Watch the video HERE.

A labour of love, the band began recording Love Is The Answer with Owen Morris in December 2019 in Hermosillo, Mexico and with factors out of their hands finished the project sporadically throughout 2020 back in San José. A blend of 90s rock, shoegaze and drenched in influence from psyche rock, the album delivers nine measures of raw, fuzzed out, guitar driven brilliance with an infectious pop edge. Lyrically the LP finds love towards the universe, individual freedom and hope in a time where the world seems ever closer to being consumed in chaos. “It is what pain sounds like,” Felipe says of the album. “But if you go beyond the sad layers of the songs, you’ll end up with guidance full of hope and strength to keep on going.”

Growing up in Costa Rica, an ecological country known for its biodiversity, the band found solace in the nature that surrounded them and gravitated towards each other at a young age for their joint love of music. Having played in various bands together over the years the group has built a small, but strong scene in a place where music venues are sparse. Now with a debut record in their hands the band has a will to take their music to all corners of the world.

With tour dates in the works for 2023 and excitement already brewing for their debut full length, Las Robertas are set to soundtrack next summer. Don’t sleep on them!!

Las Robertas are: Mercedes Oller, Russell Davis, Felipe Oller, Daniela García and Fabrizio Duran.

Zak Abel, currently putting the finishing touches to his forthcoming album for new label BMG, has teased what is to come with brand new single ‘What Love Is’ – listen here.

Laced with soul and funk, ‘What Love Is’ rings in a new musical era for Zak Abel. Lyrically laying bare the 27-year-old’s vulnerabilities, the track was co-written with Brendan Grieve (Sam Smith) & long-time collaborator Connor Blake (Dermot Kennedy), with Zak laying down vocals in the confines of his South West London bedroom. Nathan Duvall of Disciples (Calvin Harris) heads up the production, and it was mixed by Mark Ralph (Years & Years, Becky Hill, Rudimental).

Zak explains; “The song is about trying, even though you’ve been hurt before, or let down and your confidence may be a little bit low, putting yourself out there to try and find love – whatever that means for you.”

The track also arrives ahead of Zak’s big UK & EU headline tour that kicks off in Stockholm at the end of April, and will also see a date in the capital on May 23rd at Brixton Electric – tickets here.

London born, this British singer songwriter first rose to fame after providing guest vocals on Gorgon City’s UK Top 20 hit single ‘Unmissable’. He is a singular talent who writes and sings. Everything he has done so far has been building towards today.

Penning his own songs as a 14-year-old and uploading videos of his work to YouTube, it eventually led to him signing a record deal with Atlantic in 2014 and meeting influential music producer, Joker. He then released a four-track EP in 2015, and collaborated with Tom Misch & Kaytranada, setting him up perfectly for the release of his 2017 debut album, Only When We’re Naked.

Widely respected as a songwriter, he’s written hit records for Kygo, Avicii, R3hab & ZAYN, Paloma Faith and John Legend.

Zak is an Ambassador for mental health charity CALM and speaks openly about issues surrounding this topic as well as channelling themes of identity and mental struggle into his lyrics.

EUROPE

April

Sat 29th Stockholm, Nalen Klubb – Sweden
Sun 30th Oslo, Vulkan – Norway

May
Wed 3rd Copenhagen, Pumpehuset – Denmark
Fri 5th Hamburg, Kent – Germany
Sat 6th Berlin, Hole44 – Germany
Mon 8th Warsaw, Hydrozagadka – Poland
Tue 9th Prague, Palac Akropolis – Czech Republic
Wed 10th Vienna, Flex – Austria
Fri 12th Milan, Fabrique – Italy
Sun 14th Zurich, Plaza – Switzerland
Tue 16th Paris, La Maroquinerie – France
Thu 18th Amsterdam, Paradiso – Netherlands
Fri 19th Cologne, Luxor – Germany
Sun 21st Antwerp, Trix – Belgium

UK

May

Tue 23rd London, Brixton Electric
Wed 24th Bristol, Trinity
Thu 25th Brighton, Chalk
Sat 27th Birmingham, O2 Institute 2
Sun 28th Manchester, Gorilla
Mon 29th Leeds, Brudenell
Wed 31st Glasgow, Oran Mor

June
Thu 1st Aberdeen, Lemon Tree
Sat 3rd Dublin, Opium – Ireland

zakabelofficial.com

As part of her huge The Celebration Tour, Madonna has added a sixth and final London date to her schedule, performing at London’s The O2 on Wednesday 6th December.

Madonna, the best-selling female solo touring artist of all time, announced that The Celebration Tour has sold-out 36 shows and counting across Toronto, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris and more, with over 600,000 tickets sold.

Due to overwhelming demand, 36 new dates have now been added across North America and Europe. The global run now includes second shows in Miami, Las Vegas, Milan, Barcelona and more as well as four nights in Paris, six nights in New York and Los Angeles, and a newly announced sixth and final night in London, with multiple added dates already sold-out.

The Celebration Tour will kick off on Saturday, July 15th at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC with stops in Phoenix, Seattle, Denver, and more before making its way to Europe where she will perform in 11 cities throughout the fall, including Antwerp, Copenhagen, Paris and Stockholm, among others. The Celebration Tour will then return to London on Tuesday 5th December and Wednesday 6th December at The O2 to wrap up the European tour before returning to North America for additional and newly confirmed dates.

Following Madonna’s viral video that announced the tour last week, the response has been outstanding, with fans looking forward to seeing the best-selling female solo touring artist of all time perform her unmatched catalog of music from the past 40 plus years in a live setting. Building off the excitement of last week’s announcement, Madonna has turned directly to her fanbase as she builds out her Celebration Tour setlist, asking her fans “What song would you like to dance to at my show?” on her social platforms.

The Celebration Tour will offer a one-of-a-kind experience with special guest Bob the Drag Queen a.k.a. Caldwell Tidicue across all dates on the global tour.

TICKETS: Tickets for the newly announced sixth London show on 6th December go on sale Wednesday 1st February at 9am at madonna.com

Tickets for previously announced shows are available at madonna.com

AMEX INCLUSION FOR U.K.:
American Express© Cardmembers can get access to tickets by heading to  ticketmaster.co.uk/americanexpress and don’t miss your chance to see Madonna live on stage! Terms and Conditions apply

FAN CLUB PRESALE:
Legacy members of Madonna’s Official Fan Club will have a pre-sale opportunity beginning on Tuesday, January 31st at 9am through 6pm GMT. Visit madonna.com for complete tour and ticketing information.

VIP: Fans can also purchase VIP Packages, which may include premium tickets, exclusive access to a behind the scenes tour, group photo on-stage, pre-show reception, limited edition lithograph & more. For more information, visit vipnation.com.

THE CELEBRATION TOUR NORTH AMERICAN DATES:

Sat Jul 15 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena SOLD OUT
Tue Jul 18 Seattle, WA Climate Pledge Arena SOLD OUT
Wed Jul 19 Seattle, WA Climate Pledge Arena
Sat Jul 22 Phoenix, AZ Footprint Center
Tue Jul 25 Denver, CO Ball Arena
Thu Jul 27 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
Sun Jul 30 St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
Wed Aug 02 Cleveland, OH Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
Sat Aug 05 Detroit, MI Little Caesars Arena
Mon. Aug 07 Pittsburgh, PA PPG Paints Arena
Wed Aug 09 Chicago, IL United Center SOLD OUT
Thu Aug 10 Chicago, IL United Center
Sun Aug 13 Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena SOLD OUT
Mon Aug 14 Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena SOLD OUT
Sat Aug 19 Montreal, QC Bell Centre SOLD OUT
Sun Aug 20 Montreal, QC Bell Centre SOLD OUT
Wed Aug 23 New York, NY Madison Square Garden SOLD OUT
Thu Aug 24 New York, NY Madison Square Garden SOLD OUT
Sat Aug 26 New York, NY Madison Square Garden SOLD OUT
Sun Aug 27 New York, NY Madison Square Garden SOLD OUT
Wed Aug 30 Boston, MA TD Garden SOLD OUT
Thu Aug 31 Boston, MA TD Garden
Sat Sep 02 Washington, DC Capital One Arena
Tue Sep 05 Atlanta, GA State Farm Arena
Thu Sep 07 Tampa, FL Amalie Arena SOLD OUT
Sat Sep 09 Miami, FL Miami-Dade Arena SOLD OUT
Sun Sep 10 Miami, FL Miami-Dade Arena
Wed Sep 13 Houston, TX Toyota Center SOLD OUT
Thu Sep 14 Houston, TX Toyota Center
Mon Sep 18 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center SOLD OUT
Tue Sep 19 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
Thu Sep 21 Austin, TX Moody Center SOLD OUT
Fri Sep 22 Austin, TX Moody Center
Wed Sep 27 Los Angeles, CA Crypto.com Arena SOLD OUT
Thu Sep 28 Los Angeles, CA Crypto.com Arena SOLD OUT
Sat Sep 30 Los Angeles, CA Crypto.com Arena SOLD OUT
Sun Oct 01 Los Angeles, CA Crypto.com Arena
Wed Oct 04 San Francisco, CA Chase Center SOLD OUT
Thu Oct 05 San Francisco, CA Chase Center SOLD OUT
Sat Oct 07 Las Vegas, NV T-Mobile Arena SOLD OUT
Sun Oct 08 Las Vegas, NV T-Mobile Arena

THE CELEBRATION TOUR EUROPE DATES:

Sat Oct 14 London, UK The O2 SOLD OUT
Sun Oct 15 London, UK The O2 SOLD OUT
Tue Oct 17 London, UK The O2 SOLD OUT
Wed Oct 18 London, UK The O2 SOLD OUT
Sat Oct 21 Antwerp, BE Sportpaleis SOLD OUT
Sun Oct 22 Antwerp, BE Sportpaleis
Tue Oct 24 Copenhagen, DK Royal Arena SOLD OUT
Thu Oct 25 Copenhagen, DK Royal Arena
Sat Oct 28 Stockholm, SE Tele2 Arena
Wed Nov 01 Barcelona, ES Palau Sant Jordi SOLD OUT
Thu Nov 02 Barcelona, ES Palau Sant Jordi SOLD OUT
Mon Nov 06 Lisbon, PT Altice Arena SOLD OUT
Tue Nov 07 Lisbon, PT Altice Arena
Sun Nov 12 Paris, FR Accor Arena SOLD OUT
Mon Nov 13 Paris, FR Accor Arena SOLD OUT
Sun Nov 19 Paris, FR Accor Arena SOLD OUT
Mon Nov 20 Paris, FR Accor Arena On sale Feb 01/23
Wed Nov 15 Cologne, DE Lanxess Arena SOLD OUT
Tu. Nov. 16 Cologne, DE Lanxess Arena
Thu Nov 23 Milan, IT Mediolanum Forum SOLD OUT
Sat Nov 25 Milan, IT Mediolanum Forum SOLD OUT
Tue Nov 28 Berlin, DE Mercedes-Benz Arena SOLD OUT
Wed Nov 29 Berlin, DE Mercedes-Benz Arena
Fri Dec 1 Amsterdam, NL Ziggo Dome SOLD OUT
Sat Dec 2 Amsterdam, NL Ziggo Dome
Tues Dec 5 London, U.K. The O2 ADDED DATE!
Wed Dec 6 London, U.K. The O2 FINAL LONDON SHOW – On sale Feb 01/23

THE CELEBRATION TOUR NORTH AMERICAN DATES (PART TWO):

Wed Dec 13 Brooklyn, NY Barclays Center On sale Jan. 30/23
Thu Dec 14 Brooklyn, NY Barclays Center On sale Jan. 30/23
Sun Jan 7 2024 Los Angeles, CA Kia Forum On sale Jan. 30/23
Mon Jan 8 2024 Los Angeles, CA Kia Forum On sale Jan. 30/23

To connect with Madonna:


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Metallica and Trafalgar Releasing are excited to extend an open invitation to a worldwide listening party: the global premiere of Metallica’s forthcoming 12th studio album, 72 Seasons. For one night only on Thursday, April 13, 72 Seasons will be played in full in pummeling surround sound, exclusively for cinema audiences worldwide—with every one of the new songs featuring its own music video and exclusive commentary from the band. The result will offer fans an unforgettable night as they experience 72 Seasons first and fully on the eve of its April 14 release date. View a Metallica: 72 Seasons – Global Premiere announcement video from Metallica HERE.

Tickets for 72 Seasons – Global Premiere will be available beginning Thursday, March 2 at metallica.film.

Preceded by the newly released album track “Screaming Suicide”  and its brand-new lyric video, and first single “Lux Æterna” — hailed upon its November 28, 2022 release as “thundering, breakneck” (Billboard) and “gut-punching” (Rolling Stone)— 72 Seasons will be released April 14 via Metallica’s own Blackened Recordings.

Produced by Greg Fidelman with James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, and clocking in at over 77 minutes, the 12-track 72 Seasons is Metallica’s first full length collection of new material since 2016’s Hardwired…To Self-Destruct. The album will be released in formats including 2LP 140g black vinyl and limited-edition variants, CD and digital—for a full listing of configurations, pre-orders and further information, go to metallica.com/72-seasons-info.

“This is a monumental opportunity for Metallica fans to be the first to hear the new album. We are thrilled to be a part of this historical global moment—connecting Metallica with their fans once again,” said Kymberli Frueh, SVP Programming and Content Acquisitions, Trafalgar Releasing.

The 72 Seasons global premiere sees Metallica and Trafalgar joining forces once more, having previously worked together on the October 2019 worldwide cinematic release of Metallica and San Francisco Symphony: S&M², which documented Metallica and San Francisco Symphony reuniting to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their original S&M (Symphony & Metallica) concerts and releases.

About Metallica

Formed in 1981 by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, Metallica has become one of the most influential and successful rock bands in history, selling nearly 120 million albums worldwide and generating more than 15 billion streams while playing to millions of fans on all seven continents. Metallica’s catalog of multi-platinum studio albums includes Kill ‘Em All, Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, … And Justice for All, Metallica (commonly referred to as The Black Album), Load, Reload, St. Anger, Death Magnetic, Hardwired…to Self-Destruct, and the forthcoming 72 Seasons, out April 14, 2023, on the band’s own Blackened Recordings label. Metallica’s awards and accolades include nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, multiple MTV Video Music Awards, a 2009 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and Sweden’s Polar Music Prize. In 2017, Metallica established the All Within My Hands Foundation to give back to communities that have supported the band. To date, All Within My Hands’ collective efforts have raised nearly $12 million – providing $5.9 million in grants to career and technical education programs, over $2.5 million to combat food insecurity, and more than $3.3 million to disaster relief efforts.

About Trafalgar Releasing

Trafalgar Releasing, the global leader in event cinema distribution, harnesses the power of cinema to bring fans together in more than 13,000 locations in 132 countries worldwide.  A subsidiary of Trafalgar Entertainment, Trafalgar Releasing’s worldwide operations include production, acquisition, marketing, and distribution of live or pre-recorded content to cinemas led by an international team of specialists. Featuring live concerts, music documentaries, world-class opera, award-winning theatre, and more from the leading names in entertainment such as BTS, Metallica, Oasis, Coldplay, Billy Joel, George Michael, Twenty One Pilots, the Royal Opera House and more, Trafalgar Releasing has shattered event cinema box office records, most recently with the BTS Permission to Dance on Stage – Seoul: Live Viewing concert which grossed more than $32.6M at the global box office. More information about Trafalgar Releasing can be found  at www.trafalgar-releasing.com.

# # #

For event assets, visit https://spaces.hightail.com/space/0TIirU5CNJ

Renowned singer, songwriter, musician, artist and best-selling author Josh Ritter will release his anticipated new album, Spectral Lines, April 28 via Thirty Tigers (pre-order here). In advance of the release, two album tracks are debuting today: “Sawgrass” and “For Your Soul.” 

Produced by Ritter’s longtime collaborator Sam Kassirer (Lake Street Dive, Langhorne Slim), Spectral Lines finds Ritter expanding beyond the bounds of his previous work to create a record both atmospheric and profound. Dedicated to the memory of his mother, Ritter searches for commonality across these ten seamless tracks by exploring life’s most universal ideas—love, devotion and what it means to be connected, to both each other and to ourselves. 

“I think it’s important for us to share some of our most basic and common experiences with each other, however we can,” Josh said. “That’s what we really, really need right now. I know we have common experiences, and it’s important to telegraph those back because they don’t have to be lonely experiences.”

One of today’s most thoughtful and prolific voices, Ritter has released ten studio albums including 2019’s widely acclaimed, Fever Breaks, of which NPR Music praised, “He remains a hydrant of ideas while embodying an endless capacity for empathy and indignation, often within a single song.” In addition to his work as a musician, Ritter is also a national best-selling author, having released two novels to date: 2011’s Bright’s Passage and 2021’s The Great Glorious Goddamn of It All, for which the film rights have recently been optioned for development. 

Released to critical attention, Stephen King wrote in The New York Times Book Review that Bright’s Passage “shines with a compressed lyricism that recalls Ray Bradbury in his prime…This is the work of a gifted novelist.” 

In celebration of the new record, Ritter and his band, the Royal City Band, will return to the road this spring with headline shows across the US. Stay tuned for UK dates. 

In addition to Ritter (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar) and Kassirer (piano, organ, mellotron, synthesizers, drums), Spectral Lines also features Jocie Adams (clarinet, synthesizers, background vocals), Matt Douglas (woodwinds), Zachariah Hickman (upright bass, electric bass), Rich Hinman (electric guitar, pedal steel), Shane Leonard (drums, percussion, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass), Kevin O’Connell (drums, percussion, electric bass, electric guitar) and Dietrich Strause (acoustic guitar, electric guitar). 

SPECTRAL LINES TRACK LIST

1. Sawgrass
2. Honey I Do
3. Horse No Rider
4. For Your Soul
5. Black Crown
6. Strong Swimmer
7. Whatever Burns Will Burn
8. Any Way They Come
9. In Fields 
10. Someday

www.joshritter.com