CHICHA LIBRE : On tour + New EP !
Peruvian psychedelic pop warriors CHICHA LIBRE will perform their "intoxicating mix" of exotic sounds in Europe this coming week ! And they're bringing along with them the new, digital only, "Cuatro Tigres" EP!Here's the dates:
23/03 NL Utrecht Rasa
26/03 FR PARIS L'Ermitage
29/03 FR TOULOUSE La Dynamo
30/03 FR AGEN Le Florida
31/03 FR LA ROCHELLE La Sirene
Here's what the French press has to say:
"Chicha Libre, the tropical phenomenon of psychedelic cumbia" 20MN
"A submersion in to the steamy amazon jungle" LIBÉRATION
"Playful and explosive... deliciously retro. A bit of sweet craziness, highly recommended." FIP
"Cumbia & pop from the '70s. An intoxicating cocktail!." LES INROCKS
"A hallucinogenic substance distilled from Cumbia, we relish it" VIBRATIONS
"With the force of surf guitars, electrovox wah-wah and synthesizers, they joyfully gather latin rhythms, rock sounds and Bollywood style curiosities with a good dose of irony,.. a tasty mix" TELERAMA
& the new EP ?
You can listen now on SoundCloud!
CHICHA LIBRE – Cuatro Tigres
SKIP&DIE unveil new video and single: “ANTI-CAPITALISTA”
Conceptualised and directed by frontwoman Cata.Pirata, it was shot during gaps in the band's relentless touring scheduleSpeaking previously about the track and the video, Cata.Pirata said "The Universe is our muse. We explore it, we soak it all up, we form our own opinions, we shape our own journeys. And we hope to stimulate the same cognitive shift in consciousness within our audience. Touching on poignant (social) matters is a way for us to destroy certain taboos and thereby their repressive powers."
Asked how they're obviously not afraid to touch on politics in their songs, Cata.Pirata replied, "There are numerous paths to enlightenment, to each their own. But to make it clear, we don’t choose to share only our views on 'politics', we choose to share our 'views', which so happen to contain notions of social struggle as well as personal poetics. The personal is political."
The band has been on an ongoing tour since the record was released in October. The live line-up consists of Cata.Pirata (vocals), Gino Bombrini (percussion, guitar), Nique Quentin (percussion), Daniel Rose (guitar, sitar, saz) and René Kuhlmann (electronics).
Here are their March dates. For their full tour schedule, see HERE.
March 6 5 Days Off, Amsterdam, NL
March 6 Sugarfactory, NL
March 7 Paard van Troje, Den Haag, NL
March 8 EKKO, Utrecht, NL
March 9 Where The Wild Things Are, Zeewolde, NL
March 12 Treibhaus, Innsbruck, AT
March 13 B72, Vienna, AT
March 14 ARGEkultur Salzburg, Salzburg, AT
March 15 Selig Chur, CH
March 16 Rocking Chair, Vevey, CH
March 17 Bee-flat Bern, CH
March 20 Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld, Koln, DE
March 21 Gleis 22, Munster, DE
March 22 Palác Akropolis, Prague, CZ
March 23 Club Stereo, Nuernberg, DE
March 26 Laiterie, Strasbourg, FR
March 27 La Vapeur, Dijon, FR
March 28 La Lune des Pirates, Amiens, FR
March 29 La Machine du Moulin Rouge, Paris, FR
March 30 La Bobine, Grenoble, FR
March 31 Paaspop, Schijndel, NL
Amatorski album, tour, film soundtrack and advert
"TBC" double-pack CD now out in Germany & the Benelux
The mesmerizing young Belgian band have just completed a successful first tour in Germany, where the press has warmly welcomed the release of their TBC album ("One of the most important albums of the week" in this week's Der Spiegel).
The album (which includes their "Same Stars We Shared EP" as a bonus CD) will soon be out in the UK, France and the rest of Europe.
TBC is a beautifully arranged suite of songs which weaves electronic & acoustic ingredients with delicate orchestrations. it was created in the band's studio in Ghent, and mixed in London by Darren Allison (known for his work with Belle & Sebastian, Efterklang and The Divine Comedy).
The song Come Home (off the EP) is getting airplay on several radio stations in Germany, and is the soundtrack for an ongoing ad campaign for the Spa table water, currently on heavy rotation on radio & TV in Belgium & the Netherlands.
Amatorski are now completing an original soundtrack for Dutch feature film "In Your Name", and will resume touring around Europe from March on.
From the press:
"The best Belgian act around at the moment" (The Guardian, UK)
"Perfection on all fronts" (OOR, NL)
"Extremely classy... refined, delicate, melodic, subtle: the most beautiful concert of the evening" (Les Inrockuptibles, France, about the band's show at the Reeperbahn Festival).
The French magazine went on to compare the band's "absolutely delicious atmospheric pop" to the music of Sufjan Stevens, Portishead and Sparklehorse, while other writers have evoked Sigur Ros or The Cocteau Twins.
Maïa Vidal soon to release entrancing new album
The first video is out now!2012 has been a wild year for Maïa Vidal: following the great reception of her debut album God Is My Bike (which came out at the tail end of 2011), she played scores of shows around Europe, as well as in Japan, the US, Argentina and Brazil. The album was nominated for Pan-European indie album of the year, her video for "Follow Me" competed against Lana del Rey's and Justice's for Best Pop Video at the UK Music Video Awards.
Maïa Vidal is now about to release Spaces ✩, an entrancing new album, full of soaring melodies, arresting lyrics, innovative compositions & production.
Wander is the first video off the album.
Staff Benda Bilili Tour Cancelled
We have been informed that the upcoming March/April tour by Staff Benda Bilili has sadly been cancelled.Due to differences of opinion, two of the members have just left the band. Staff Benda Bilili's management and European agent felt that, under the circumstances, they couldn't guarantee that the tour would run smoothly, and have taken the decision to cancel. We will certainly keep you updated on the next developments.
Nous venons d'apprendre que la prochaine tournée de Staff Benda Bilili (qui devait se dérouler en mars/avril) vient d'être annulée. Nous en sommes désolés. En raison de divergences diverses, deux des membres du groupe ont décidé de le quitter. Le management et l'agent de Staff Benda Bilili ont dès lors estimé qu'ils ne pouvaient pas garantir le bon déroulement de la tournée prévue, et ont pris la décision d'annuler. Nous ne manquerons pas de vous tenir informés de la suite des événements.
SKIP&DIE & DakhaBrakha: 2 sensational new bands at Eurosonic-Noorderslag
Eurosonic-Noorderslag, Europe’s main showcase festival for European music, will host two fresh new acts from Crammed Discs: SKIP&DIE & DakhaBrakha.Taking stages by storm and making the dancefloor shake, SKIP&DIE has created a frenzy of media attention since their disc was released last October. They will have a number of appearances in and about the festival:
Jan 10 EUROSONIC | Huize Maas 23:45 - 00:30
Jan 12 NOORDERSLAG | Foyer Grote Zaal 02:30 - 03:15
And we are pleased to announce a new partnership with DakhaBrakha, the phenomenal Ukranian outfit which created a sensation at Womex 2012 with its own brand of what they call "ethnic chaos", i.e. traditional Ukrainian music revisited with a quasi-psychedelic folk punk attitude
Jan 11 EUROSONIC | Forum Images 00:15 - 01:00
SKIP&DIE set alight European stages
After a smashing start, the "Riots in the Jungle" release tour is making heads shake and feet step to the unmistakable sound of SKIP&DIE. Don't take our word for it: here's live footage from the recent Amsterdam Dance Event.Taking crowds by storm across Europe, the wild rhythms and stunning moves of SKIP&DIE are making waves at each concert they play.
Do not miss the excitement and energy of SKIP&DIE when they play in your city:
SKIP&DIE Fall 2012 TOUR DATES:
14/11 BE Brussels Beursschouwburg
16/11 NL Rotterdam Buma Rotterdam Beats
22/11 GB London Cargo
29/11 BE Antwerpen Trix
01/12 DK Copenhagen Global
08/12 FR Rennes Trans Musicales / Hall 4
13/12 DE Berlin Kantine Berghain
14/12 DE Hamburg Uebel & Gefahrlich
15/12 DE Munich Muffathalle
16/12 DE Cologne Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld
Amatorski & Crammed join forces
Crammed Discs are delighted to welcome Amatorski, one of the most fascinating and promising bands around.Amatorski (whose name means "amateur" in Polish) were described as "the best Belgian act around at the moment" by The Guardian (UK), while French mag Les Inrockuptibles compared their "absolutely delicious atmospheric pop" to the music of Sufjan Stevens, Portishead and Sparklehorse, and raved about their recent show at the Reeperbahn Festival, "extremely classy... refined, delicate, melodic, subtle: the most beautiful concert of the evening".
More news soon!
Shaking the other side of the globe, Staff Benda Billi continue to "Make the World Shake" on their first North American tour!
Rumba-rock artists Staff Benda Bilili take their positive sounds and endless energy to cities across the continent, including an incredible show at El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles (pictured above). Click for dates...Here's a report on their spectacular New York concert:
"Afropop -and an intensely appreciative New York audience- was lucky enough to watch Staff Benda Bilili play a truly phenomenal show, decisively proving that they have richly deserved every ounce of the plaudits that they’ve received over the last several years.
Staff Benda Bilili are simply one of the best bands to come out of the DRC in years. No explanation required."
(Afropop International)
Make sure not to miss them on this exclusive tour!
Upcoming dates :
25/10/2012 SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SLIMS
27/10/2012 SEATTLE, WA - TOWN HALL
28/10/2012 VANCOUVER, BC - 560 CLUB
30/10/2012 ASHEVILLE, NC - UNC ASHEVILLE / LIPINSKY AUDITORIUM
ZITA SWOON GROUP has released a stunning new video, "A Sera, A Waara", to celebrate their Fall 2012 European Tour.
"A Sera, A Waara" tells the story the difficulties of a broken heart, but offers hope through the moving energetic scenes in a baroque caravan.The group is on the road this Fall with the magic of their highly acclaimed disc "Wait For Me", the meeting of Stef Kamil Carlens and his Belgian collective Zita Swoon Group with Burkinabe vocalist Awa Démé and balafon player Mamadou Diabaté Kibié. Their sound is a mixture of raw acoustic blues, folk and the traditional Mandingo music from West-Africa. Awa Démé sings in Bambara, Stef Kamil Carlens in English and French.
"An original, thought-provoking excursion" (Uncut, UK)
"A powerful, refined and mischievous album and live show" (Vibrations, FR)
"Inventive and sparkling" (Télérama, FR)
"A shamanic experience... the great return of Stef Kamil Carlens, a modern-day hero" (Magic, FR)
"Zita Swoon Group tear up the rule book... great stuff" (New Internationalist, UK)
"This is exactly what the album is; a struggle to marry distinct elements (and not just musical ones, but social and cultural ones as well) that overwhelmingly succeeds and triumphs in doing so. 8/10" (Pop Matters, US)
“In one sentence: A concert that, despite the often serious content of the songs, burst with vitality and joy of life and confirmed that music bridges all cultural and verbal gaps.” (Knack Focus, BE)
“A concert like a sunrise.” (De Morgen, BE)
Don't miss this unique concerts series coming to a town near you:
25/10 NL Enschede Atak
31/10 NL Amsterdam Paradiso
01/11 NL Den Haag Paard Van Troye
02/11 NL Groningen Vera
03/11 NL Dordrecht Bibelot
04/11 NL Deventer Burgerweeshuis
16/11 FR Massy Paul B
17/11 BE Marche Maison de la Culture Famenne-Ardenne
18/11 BE Brussels Cinematek
But it doesn't stop there!
There are some dates already announced for 2013:
15/02 BE Strombeek CC Strombeek
16/02 BE Ath Maison Culturelle d Ath
22/02 BE Louvain-La-Neuve Ferme Du Biereau
27/02 BE Antwerpen De Roma
