Original article at Consequence Of Sound

Last night, Koko played host to an all star lineup. Usually featuring NME’s en-vogue bands or opening the floor for Club NME, Camden’s venue of choice was blessed with two fantastic acts, The Joy Formidable and Passion Pit.

The Joy Formidable

The Joy Formidable is one of those bands. The North Wales trio arrived in 2007, after a name change, some personnel changes and some time spent honing their skills. From that point on, the accolades fell at their feet. The Guardian’s “ones to watch,” a regular top spot on Steve Lamacq’s Radio 1 show, and NME’s backing ensure that it’s not a case of if, but when.

They took this support slot and gave it their all, practically assaulting their home crowd with a combination of pure verve and intense musicality. As expected, they opened with “The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade”, a 5 minute opus that opens their recent EP, A Balloon Called Moaning.

Lead singer Ritzy is captivating, a peroxide blond with bangs who has been grunged up. She can shred, too. They are a tight knit group (Ritzy and bassist Rhydian are an item) and it shows. It’s a team effort; everything is done in house (the T-shirts, the album artwork, even the production).

They make a heck of a lot of noise for 3 people. The Joy Formidable do for three what The White Stripes did for two. The music is epic, occasionally dark, but always fun. Crucially, there is no let up in the set: they have very little time with which to steal our approval.

The set was capped off with “Whirring”, which gradually transformed into a shredding session. As they left the stage, the instruments were strategically giving off feedback. There is unfinished business here.

Passion Pit

Passion Pit had to bring its A-game tonight. During their first headlining date in February 2009, lead singer Michael Angelakos was heard muttering “stone cold London” as the crowd wasn’t warming up to the band. There was latent tension in the air — the band’s last performance in London was back in July, less than two months after the release of Manners; the reception was warmer, but still far from where it should have been. The band was struggling to find their feet.

Last night’s edition of Passion Pit was reborn. Electronic, experimental albums such as Manners often take months of grueling refinement before they click on stage. And Passion Pit has another layer of complexity in their vocalist. Their music is built around Angelakos’ voice. If he’s off point, so is the entire performance. He was clearly feeling the pressure, letting us know that we “scared the shit out of him”.

They were almost 30 minutes late on-stage, however, a move which annoyed native Kokoers, expecting the usual punctuality. Finally emerging from the wings, they started the set with minimal interaction. The nerves took over and the first two tracks slipped by, although Angelakos was easily hitting all the high notes. Once the opening synths of “Make Light” were fired up, they knew everything was going to be okay. They loosened up a bit, exchanging smiles, and letting us know how cool we were.

The quintet still rely on a Macbook to cue some samples, a set-up that has caused problems in the past. Fortunately, everything ran to plan. “Little Secrets” had the crowd jumping and the sultry synths really hit the spot on a cold Tuesday night. Passion Pit has been using the same setlist for much of 2009, and we can only assume that they are saving their new material for their next tour. Whilst it was a shame not to hear anything fresh, the setlist highlights how strong the majority of their songs are. Culling from both their sole album and previous EP, it was a slick performance.

“Sleepyhead” offered the first true singalong moment, a true crowd anthem with the brilliant Mary O’Hara sample. They then left the stage after a heavy interpretation of Chunk of Change track, “Smile Upon Me”. After an extremely quick rest (perhaps too much so, they could have had us chanting a little more!), they traipsed back on for a two track encore. The night closed with “The Reeling”, which only truly got the crowd jumping during the refrain. It was a reminder of Passion Pit’s fragility — when everything is together, they can deliver some of the most enjoyable and sonically interesting music out there. Yet because of the complexity of their music, they tread a knife edge during each performance.

Passion Pit Setlist:
Eyes As Candles
Live To Tell The Tale
Make Light
I’ve Got Your Number
Let Your Love Grow Tall
Little Secrets
To Kingdom Come
Folds In Your Hands
Better Things
Sleepyhead
Smile Upon Me
Moth’s Wings
The Reeling

——

Twitter is rapidly becoming thee place to trawl for rumors and exclusives. Don’t believe us? Try this one on for size: Talib Kweli has announced his latest collaboration via the social networking site:

“Wait in the lab with mfdoom madlib and kanye. No words”

In other words, it looks as if Kweli has teamed up with Madlib (after their brilliant album Liberation arrived in 2007), MF Doom, and Kanye West for some sort of collaboration, and the possibilities have set tongues wagging.

Of course, the timing couldn’t be better, what with fans hoping for a return to the underground for West, who faced public ridicule over the Taylor Swift incident at the VMA’s, and the fact that Madlib and MF Doom’s Q-rating is quite high right now (cough cough Madvillian).

The details don’t go beyond there, but we’ll be sure to keep you updated if we find out more.

Original article at Consequence Of Sound

VV Brown has taken the smart move of building up to her debut U.S. release. In a bid to avoid the common U.K. to U.S. “lost in translation” effect, the London-based singer will precede her forthcoming debut full-length, Travelling Like The Light, with two smaller releases.

The Attic EP premiered digitally on October 20th; the four track release contains pivotal songs from Travelling Like The Light. The EP will be followed her first U.S. physical release, a 7-inch featuring 2 songs — “LEAVE! (Little Boots Mix)” and “Crying Blood (Andrew Weatherall Remix), out November 17th.

The digital marketing push coincides with a TV coup — her songs have recently been featured on CSI: NY, The Vampire Diaries, and The City a Desperate Housewives promo. Travelling Like The Light, is due on February 9th, 2010.

The Attic EP Tracklist:
01. Game Over
02. Quick Fix
03. Crying Blood (Andrew Weatherall Remix)
04. Shark in the Water (Acoustic)

Sufjan Stevens opened up the Pandora’s box that is his future (beyond all the other new stuff) in a recent interview with Mich Vish Interracial Morning Show!. Recording a Q&A session, which will air this Wednesday at 8:00 AM EST, the singer/songwriter spoke at length about his ever-changing feelings:

“I’m trying to dissuade any kind of conceptual framework and just write music, love songs, pop songs, and just forget all that conceptual mess…”

And just as The Strokes look to be moving further and further from their fourth album, Sufjan seems intent on not completing the “Fifty States Project”. Fortunately, we won’t have to wait long for his newest material; the next album should be arriving next year.

“I think that a lot of the new material that I’m working on is inspiring enough to get me to record it and maybe have a new record out next year.“

Read more excerpts from the interview in Vish Khanna’s sneak peek. Then, click here for a preview of what probably is to come.

Original article at Consequence Of Sound

London is musically a very, very special place. The best bands play one of the huge arenas, whilst those finding their feet navigate the pubs and underground festivals of Camden and Shoreditch. London tour dates are crucial, as there are always influential people in the audience; tonight, I shared the front row with someone from musicOMH and the Times.

Cargo played host to a triple bill on Monday night, the famous graveyard slot. The performing venue is surprisingly small; the restaurant and bar take up much of the available space, with the performing space crammed into a small section of the building. It’s tiny, accommodating 200 people, a bar, and an impressive PA system.

Each act had 50 minutes to demonstrate their worth, though this night was all about one man — James Chapman, also known as Maps. The buzz surrounding this guy is huge — his debut We Can Create was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize with good reason, and follow up Turning The Mind is set for a US PR push in the coming months.

Before his set, we had to endure an admittedly inventive acoustic solo set from It Hugs Back’s singer and an experimental offering from Banjo Or Freakout. The latter, a one man band, worked his way through the numerous pedals, pads and loops to create heavy soundscapes. The potential is there, but his set was utterly eclipsed by what came next. We knew it, and so did he.

The pure volume of Maps’ gear kept me under the false illusion that the original line up of three remained. Having seen the band only 200 metres away at The Legion in May, I expected a three piece. Only two people arrived. It is worth noting that their sound has been similarly streamlined.

They launched straight into the set with Maps’ best track to date, “It Will Find You”. The song is clean cut- dense percussion, synths and effects pedals to the max. Chapman is a creative genius, mixing his potent lyrical and musical talents to true spine chilling effects. Unfortunately, about 15 seconds into the first song, feedback began to wail out of the PA system. Chapman turned all his dials down and moved to another synthesiser, frantically trying to fix the problem. The levels were completely out of sync.

On the second song, “Papercuts”, more problems emerged. “I don’t have any monitors…” he called to the techies. The vocals were lost in the mix, and Chapman was trying everything possible to fix the problems from the stage. The roadies looked on, before finally springing into action. By the third song things were finally balanced.

Current single “I Dream Of Crystal” was suitably dramatic, with vocoder effects and an electronic drum breakdown. Chapman is a strange guy, but he’s totally at ease in his skin: it became a running joke of sorts. Explaining forthcoming single “Die Happy, Die Smiling” he said “This song is about murdering your ex-girlfriend… I have recurring dreams about it, and I’m not sure if they’re real. Have any of you ever dreamed about this?” to which someone replied “I’ve already done it!”. “Well done, mate” Chapman replied.

The set also featured some of his older work, drawing from the 2 EP’s which preceded his debut album. “Back And Forth” a firm fan favorite, segued into “Let Go Of The Fear”, a straight dance dub. That is, barring the minute long soliloquy… A clearly unplanned encore of “Valium In The Sunshine” was a slight anticlimax, as the song was one of his more lightweight choices. “We haven’t rehearsed this at all, but what the hell, let’s play it”. It was impressively brave of them, but they pulled it off.

Tonight, everything seemed to conspire against the band. In what was a true test of patience, Maps came through the other side. “My Mum & Dad are here to see me, and everything’s going fucking wrong”. Worry ye not, James. On the evidence of tonight, they will be very proud of you.

Original article at Consequence Of Sound

Having found their frontman, Glasvegas’ guitarist Rab Allen recently outlined what’s ahead for the Scotish outfit, specifically the recording plans for its highly-anticipated second album. Speaking to Spinner U.K., Allen confirmed that the followup to the band’s 2008’s self-titled debut will be here soon rather than later: “We do one last show in Poland and then we go straight to Los Angeles and we’re gonna record the next album there. That’ll be released early next year.”

The move leaves no down-time for the band, after its U.S. tour followed on from a hectic home debut. “That was our choice. James [Allen] has been writing a lot… It’s great and we just wanted to try to get the next thing out as [soon] as possible.”

The calendar is already regimented, but the band is looking to fit in some sightseeing time whenever possible. “Me and James will come out and finish off the demos and then the rest of the band will come out in November … I think we’ll probably spend Christmastime there as well. My mom and James’ mom are going to come over. We invited them over. We’ll send them to Vegas for a few days. They’ve never been to America.”

The band have chosen to keep Rich Costey and maintain continuity across the records. He will co-produce with lead-singer James Allan, and they may be taking up one Mr. Rubin on an earlier offer. “I think Rick Rubin said we could do the drums in his house,” Rab says.

Just make sure you keep Houdini off the record, okay?

On March 2nd, 2010, the pride and joy of New Zealand, aka The Ruby Suns, will look to followup the release of 2008’s Sea Lion and a 2009 that has included a massive U.S. tour with The Dodos by releasing their third full-length effort, Fight Softly.

In a recent interview with Pitchfork, Ryan McPhun, the group’s singer/songwriter, revealed that the direction of the band’s third album will be far different than experimental summer effort that was Sea Lion.

For starters, the release, Fight Softly, will deliberately explore darker themes: “With this new album, I just wanted to do something different because doing the same thing would just be boring to me. It’s probably the opposite of what I did for the last one.”

McPhun went on to explain that he’ll be drawing closely from his personal taste in music, namely pop: “I was trying to incorporate more classic pop stuff. A lot of the reverbs on Bad were really inspirational to me– though that might sound silly. In the last year or two, I had a break from guitar music. I’ve just been appreciating pop music.”

And it seems the influences might run deeper than that, as McPhun would like to work with a renowned pop producer: “We were just talking about working with other producers, and how Teddy Riley– who worked on Michael Jackson’s Dangerous album– might be available.”

Of course, all will be revealed on March 2nd when the record hits stores via Sub Pop.

Original article at Consequence Of Sound

Tiësto is a puzzle. The name screams dirty trance, bred in the sweaty clubs of the underground scene. And he was happy with that predetermined image… for a time. The three time “World’s No.1 DJ” has now dropped the DJ acronym from his name altogether. In tandem with this, his fourth album seems driven by some new ambition — maybe he was bored of just being “the best”?

For Kaleidoscope, Tiësto has waded into unknown territory, attempting to do with indie what N.A.S.A. tried with hip hop. He has, however, succeeded where N.A.S.A. failed. The Spirit Of Apollo was crammed, featuring some 30 featuring artist over 17 tracks. When the collaborations worked (see “Gifted” “Whatchadoin?”) there were smiles all around, but a number of tracks were under-developed or featured incompatible artists on the same song.

The execution on Kaleidoscope draws from these mistakes, with featuring acts randomly spread across the album. Upon hearing each track it’s obvious that the contributions have been selected with a great deal of care. Intentions are laid bare with a 7 minute opus on the opening title track, featuring Sigur Rós’ lead singer Jónsi. The song builds in tune with Rós’ recent efforts, but Tiësto’s influence is also clearly felt.

“You Are My Diamond” is sure to incite riots in the club, but it’s just trance-pop (circa early 2000’s) and there is nothing to suggest this hasn’t been festering for years. The vocals are cheesy, forgettable and on the 17 track album this wouldn’t be missed. Fortunately, this is followed by one of the strongest tracks, lead single “I Will Be Here”. The collaboration with Sneaky Sound System is a straight club anthem, building on a scattergun drum sample until the synth drop. And what a sound to behold it is, with a lyrical hook on the right side of vagueness: “When the big road falls apart /And you think that the feeling will linger/You need somewhere to start”. The video is also worth a few viewings (best robot dance… ever).

It’s not all big names — relative unknown Priscilla Ahn has surely set up a career in trance vocals with her fey turn on “I Am Strong”. The crucial decision was to allow one featured artist per song, and I struggle to think of a song where another artist would better suit the intended sound. Tiësto is clearly a taskmaster, taking the involved acts out of their comfort zone — indie rock singer-songwriter Cary Brothers lays down an emotionally charged vocal track on “Here On Earth”, which turns out to be a strangely affecting song.

Kele Okereke builds his fledgling relationship on “It’s Not The Things You Say”, which sounds like a direct follow up of Bloc Party’s latest single “One More Chance” (coincidentally remixed by Tiësto). Piano and processed beats are the hallmarks, as on the aforementioned single. Nelly Furtado guests on “Who Wants To Be Alone” whilst Tegan and Sara take vocal duties on “Feel It In My Bones” — this double whammy is probably the clearest show of ambition, and both are triumphs.

Emily Haines of Metric sizzles on “Knock You Out”, a pulsating club anthem with catchy lick “You got to knock me out, some other way”. The bridge is perfectly constructed, cutting away the bass and adding echo “High-ah-ah-oh-hopes” before ramping it up again. All hell breaks loose. The bombastic “Louder Than Boom” is a thrill-ride, lacing in Atari effects until you feel like a punch drug teenager, high on Contra. It is one of few instrumental tracks, although Tiësto pulls of the balancing act with consummate ease, saving the biggest beats for the club tracks and amping up the musicality for the collaborative efforts.

This album will no doubt polarize opinion, as Tiësto has turned his back on his past in a number of ways. This is not trance music, but from an objective viewpoint this is far more original than any of his older efforts. That it is commercially focused seems to incite rage in his loyal followers.

It was a good choice to make. This album is exciting — the collaborations are perfectly pitched, and it’s a thrill to see what Tiësto will design to accommodate each artist. As is normal with these collaboration albums, there isn’t really any sense of cohesiveness, but this is substituted by a raw quality that gives the songs themselves individual chart potential. In (now) typically overblown fashion, the accompanying world tour will take in 150 dates and 5 continents. “World’s No. 1 DJ”? What’s that when you can target best musician in the world?

Original article at Consequence Of Sound

This Is It, both as a soundtrack and a documentary, exists for a number of reasons. On one level, it’s an attempt to focus and draw attention to what Michael Jackson lived for (music), and not what he did (scandal). On a more superficial level, this is Sony milking his legacy. Any true MJ fan will already own 90% of the songs that make up this two-disc set. It is, however, that 10% which justifies this album’s existence.

Early estimates suggest hundreds of original songs lie dormant on a number of hard drives. On this release, one new track, three demos, and a poem are offered up. Barring these exceptions, the tracklist is primarily made up of his hits, presented sequentially as they appear in the accompanying documentary.

It begins with “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’”, the steadfast opener which served him well for the majority of his tours. A pulsating floor filler, the hand claps and tightly strung guitar have become trademark MJ: the small additions which take this beyond pop music. “Smooth Criminal”, arguably Bad’s strongest track, was a catalyst in the move to the frenzied new jack swing of the 80’s. The staccato beats and breathy vocals were immortalized once MJ dropped the anti-gravity lean. Like much of his music, it “clicks”. Devoid of the moonwalk, “Billie Jean” was not as essential. Without the zombie routine, “Thriller” wouldn’t be as iconic. He planned it all, keeping the aces in his sleeve, and crucially, keeping us entertained.

“Jam” builds on this concept, revolving around Jackson’s dancing. It came into its own when the video — featuring a fun “duel” between the two Michaels, Jackson and Jordan — was released. Two titans of an era (with the same initials, no less) sharing the same screen. Entertainment gold.

“Earth Song” offers Jackson at his most fragile. The environmentalist is brought to the fore, and from a musical perspective, this is a very affecting track, with some of Jackson’s best vocal work. “Human Nature” is another heartfelt ballad, showcasing the softer tones of his voice. Devoid of the overblown backing, Jackson can focus on the emotion of the song. It is during these introspective moments that we get a clear look of what he was all about; a stalwart humanitarian with a profound obsession of children, his feelings were often misconstrued. Ballads were prevalent in his career, but Jackson was always at his best when he had something to fight for. Give him an ideal, a concept of wrongdoing, and he would take to it. With the bit between his teeth, brilliance ensued: “They Don’t Really Care About Us” is a prime example, issuing a strong message but allowing MJ to do his thing. He popped, and he locked.

“You Shake My Body Down To The Ground” is an unexpected inclusion, the only Jackson 5 number included on This Is It. It holds some interest as the last song they ever performed live as a group, in 2001. “Thriller” resets the focus as the ultimate Halloween song, and one which inspired one of the best videos of all time. The hits stack up, with “Beat It” taking over the reins. Jackson penned this number one and really pushed the boundaries of pop music, featuring a guitar solo from one Eddie Van Halen. It netted a new audience for him, as a guilty pleasure for rock fans.

“This Is It”, MJ’s “latest” single, is a strange beast. Two versions are included on the disc — the original studio cut and an expansive orchestral take. The song itself is not exceptional, and draws too closely on the messianic imagery that Jackson was partial to: “I’m the light of the world”. The “Jackson Brothers” vocals are clearly recent, as is the orchestral treatment (tacked on). The original song (a 1983 duet with Anka) was titled “I Never Heard”; the Jackson estate have simply scoured his back catalogue to find a song containing the 3 words “this is it”:”The song was picked because the lyrics were appropriate because of the name Michael gave his tour.”

The second disc is the main selling point. The demos are the most interesting thing about this release, as they offer a real insight into Jackson’s creative process, generally kept behind closed doors. An acoustic interpretation of “She’s Out Of My Life” is extremely emotional. It must be one of the only tapes in existence where his voice is accompanied by a sole instrument. As with the recently unearthed “Billie Jean” demo, Jackson focuses on the general rhythm and feeling of each track rather than nailing the lyrics, emitting his “hee-hees” or screaming “woah” to get out of tight spots, and gloss over forgotten lyrics. A rough cut of “Wanna Be Startin’ Something” lays down the rhythmic foundation, the bass amplified and with less of a disco-vibe. During album standout “Beat It”, we hear Jackson laying down the vocal harmonies on the chorus. These moments allow us a peek at his prodigious talent.” This is the harmonies… the vocal harmonies on the chorus of.. uh… “Beat It”. I’ll do the verses and then I’ll do the choruses.”. Easy.

“Planet Earth” was originally printed in the sleeve notes of Dangerous, but the poem penned by Jackson is now on record. It’s three minutes of child-like filler, but the ending is a neat trick. The album closes with a quintessential Michael Jackson one-liner: “With all my heart, I love you.” The world has unrequited love for Michael Jackson. One that will never fade.

Patrick Wolf is a modern pop icon. Who else attempts to incorporate a head-mic and numerous costume changes into their performances? Britney, Madonna, Gaga and pals, sure. But who could claim that they still write intellectually stimulating music? It might sound silly, but this 26-year-old (nee Apps, now Wolf) has a rightful claim to the pop throne. His stage theatrics are almost without equal, and underneath all the sorrow, makeup, and provocation, Patrick Wolf is just another one of our aspiring stars.

The venue was ideal for what he had planned for the opening night of his European tour. The Paradiso, easily Amsterdam’s best venue, is a converted church, which was packed to the rafters (literally) on Monday evening, the stage adorned only with a large fabric painting displaying a blanched landscape. The acoustics were perfect, and the atmosphere was buzzing while Wolf’s band set up. A drummer, audio technician, violinist and bassist provide the backing, but the rest of the considerable burden lies with Wolf.

The main man himself sidled on stage wearing a ridiculous monochrome Union Jack one-sie (or playsuit, in Vogue vernacular), with huge strips of fabric attached to his right shoulder. With typical panache, he seemed completely at ease, clearly aware that he could push the limits on a weekday, performing in one of the world’s most liberal cities. The show opened with “Who Will”, the first in a number of measured tracks from his latest album, The Bachelor. It’s a melancholy opener but loses none of his trademark provocation, the opening lyric “Who will penetrate the tightening muscle?” leaving little to the imagination. Amsterdam didn’t bat an eyelid.

As usual, Wolf stopped the set early on to ask for requests, eventually settling on “Pigeon Song” (despite this writer’s request for “Bloodbeat”), a solo number with complicated nail pizzicato. He followed it up with “Bluebells”, where the electronic and beat driven aspects were amplified. There was a huge contrast between the slow (which Wolf usually plays alone) and the fast paced numbers, but it all linked up well through Wolf’s improvised noodling between songs.

“The Sun Is Often Out” was preceded by a small monologue about the suicide which led Wolf to pen the song: Stephen Vickery, a poet and friend, committed suicide by throwing himself into the Thames. Wolf addressed the unanswered questions that are associated with this type of loss, giving an emotional solo performance which had the crowd in silent awe. This was in direct contrast with “Hard Times”, boosted in the live environment, which had Wolf playing a flying V electric guitar before marching off stage. The band continued the refrain without him, to which he emerged wearing a white tie, some tails and shorts, with a codpiece to finish the job. The crowd lapped it up.

From this point he had the crowd working for him; during “Theseus”, Wolf picked up another of his many instruments, an “Appalachian Mountain Dulcimer”, before proceeding to explain that tuning them was difficult due to the design, which revolves around mountain air pressure. The rapport was easy and belies his relative anonymity. As the show progressed he slowly evolved into his more camp, in your face persona, referring at one point to the prostitution in Amsterdam: “How do you think I made my money when I was 18? I was a natural blond then.”

“Thickets” featured a three part string harmony, arguably more suited to a live environment with its expansive sound. It is, however, obvious that his earlier work still incites the crowd in a way that the new material cannot yet touch. Wolf wrote “Bloodbeat” as a teenager, and over the years it has been transformed, taking on a show-stopping status in his set. “The Libertine” also sparkled, a ukelele led gypsy stage act which has been honed through years of practice.

After one final change of outfit (this time to a gold lame skin tight jumpsuit) he wrapped up the set, emerging for a two song encore. “Vulture” was saved for last, where a more aggressive, sexually charged stage persona was on display, with crotch grabbing and writhing. After one final vocal flourish, he was gone.

Celebrity is often unfair, the best talents are often missed and under-rated. At this point in his career, Patrick Wolf certainly falls into this category. His music is ever more challenging and experimental, and the stage performances have an air of Bowie about them. And yet, he still rails against the rules and limitations of major labels and societies’ shortcomings. It sounds cruel, but if his journey continues to produce such wonderful music, long may it continue.

Patrick Wolf- Bloodbeat | Link 2

Hi everyone- long time no post. I’m back, and I actually have some really, really exciting things in the pipeline. First things first, I now write for Consequence Of Sound- see my bio and archive. I am allowed to re-post my articles on The Cold Cut, and therefore there should be a steady stream of good material posted here, whatever happens!

The original article can be found over at the site.

Earlier this week, we told you that a soundtrack will indeed be accompanying the release of the upcoming Michael Jackson feature film This Is It. Today, we know what exactly will be making up said soundtrack.

First and foremost, as NME reports, the forthcoming soundtrack will close with a brand new single, coincidentally entitled… “This Is It”.

The song — out October 12th — is said to feature backing vocals from his brothers (although whether they were on the original single is questionable), and arrives a week before the film and accompanying album. See what they did there? The two disc album follows with an October 26th release date, two days before the two week cinematic run of the rehearsal documentary begins.

The single –- the first in a long list of unreleased material — will also be featured in the credits for the forthcoming film. “This song only defines, once again, what the world already knows – that Michael is one of God’s greatest gifts,” said John McClain, co-director of the forthcoming documentary. High expectations all around.

As if that wasn’t already enough, the rest of the soundtrack’s composition looks equally captivating. According to Rolling Stone, disc one will contain the original album masters of the hit songs included in This Is It, sequenced in the order that they appear in the film, while disc two will include previously unreleased versions of some of Jackson’s most famous songs, plus an unreleased spoken word track of a poem written by Jackson titled, “Planet Earth”.

For a taster of the forthcoming documentary, watch the recently premiered clip of MJ blocking “Human Nature”:

Imogen Heap- First Train Home | Link 2

Imogen Heap’s production values have always been absolutely pristine, and this is very much the same. Remember “Hide & Seek”? Of course you do- well, “First Train Home” uses the same vocal layering affect, albeit more as one of many tricks rather than the vocoder effects that made “Hide & Seek” such an essential, popular hit. “First Train Home” is already confirmed as the opening track and first single for her latest album, Ellipse, due out on August 25th.

AEG have taken the best possible action in releasing video of Michael Jackson’s last rehearsal for the This Is It tour. This footage was taken on the Tuesday night at the Staples Centre, and as you will see, Michael looks in great shape. It’s hard to believe he died from cardiac arrest less than 48 hours later. For a 50 year old, he certainly still had ‘it’, moving with the same natural rhythm that he always possessed.

The vocals are not live, perhaps suggesting the tour would be the same (much like the History tour). This would have been a shame. Many rumours suggest that AEG will be producing a rehearsals/production DVD to recover some of the financial losses they have made, so we should hopefully be seeing more of these production tapes. Watch the clip below, shed a tear for the King Of Pop:

I had never considered the possibility. I took him for granted. This news, that the King Of Pop, Michael Jackson, passed away on Thursday is absolutely crushing, a blow that makes me sick to my stomach. I have been considering the best way to remember him for the last few days, yet nothing that I can say or do will change the fact that we have lost a true pioneer. Most things have already been said, so in this tribute I’ve tried to express how I feel and also to collate some of the speculation, alongside musical memories (see the end of the post). I’ll be posting a true musical tribute soon.

Michael Jackson collapsed at his California residence at around noon Pacific time on Thursday, June 25th. His personal doctor attempted to resuscitate him at the scene, before an ambulance arrived and took him to UCLA Medical Centre. Jackson was prounounced dead at 2.26 PM, from a suspected cardiac arrest. Michael was just short of his 51st Birthday.

However, a recording of the 911 call and a video of the ambulance’s departure point towards the possibility that there was never any hope for Michael. The urgency which you might expect was not there- the ambulance making multiple attempts to reverse out of the drive and no mention being made in the 911 call made that this was Michael Jackson’s residence. There have been reports that the ambulance team wanted to pronounce Michael dead at his house, but his personal doctor would not allow them to make ‘the call’.

An autopsy was performed on Saturday, with results pointing to no foul-play in the death- the Jackson family have already suggested they will request a second autopsy, and toxicology results from the first may take weeks to arrive. Michael’s personal cardiologist (Dr. Conrad Murray) was believed to be ‘on the run’ but has since co-operated with the investigation. It was initially believed that he administered a fatal dose of painkillers (Demerol, specifically) to Michael prior to his death, but was earlier told he was ‘free to go’.

Lisa Marie Presley’s (his first wife) outpouring also supports this fact- Michael purportedly said, in reference to the circumstances of her father’s (Elvis Presley) death “I am afraid that I am going to end up like him”. Michael’s supposed addiction started through back pain, and some say it was a vice that he was unable to beat.

This is the most affecting news for a long, long time. In the modern era, the effects are uncharted. Twitter closed down and Google went into self-defence mode as the number of queries for the term “michael jackson” rocketed beyond what was programmed into the systems. MTV devoted their entire network to Michael for 48 hours- fitting, considering all his work on the crossover video hits, including “Thriller” and “Bad”. And already, numerous artists have recorded tribute songs (see below).

Jackson’s comeback at the O2 arena was scheduled to begin on July 13th, mere weeks away. Many were hoping for a triumphant return, and on these terms, Michael will never get that chance to finally put the questions to rest. AEG (the tour promoters/organisers) stand to lose a lot of money, and the situation regarding the refund of tickets is starting to be released. I was one of the lucky few with a ticket to see him at the O2. On September 21st, I would have seen his ‘This Is It’ tour in London. It is a bizarre twist of fate- I have always held seeing him perform live as one of my musical targets in life, alongside many modern fans.

What of the man? His appearance and personal life polarised opinion and was the precursor to the modern paparazzi culture, but no one can argue that Michael made unmatched contributions to the world of music, raising the level of performance and recorded music.

His well-charted relationship with plastic surgery and health fads (hyperbaric chambers and masks- the latter an ‘illusion’) tarnished his image, alongside the tempestuous allegations of child-molestation. He was cleared of all charges, but never looked the same man. Those who know him well regularly comment on his health, and he was said to be in good shape for the O2 residency, having danced and sung in rehearsal on Wednesday night.

His character had it’s flaws, largely due to his highly unusual childhood. He was, however, a person with the best intentions at heart, clearly shown through his endless contributions to charities and people less fortunate. His talent was unquestionable, blessed with a pure voice and the Midas touch. His choreography is just as relevant today, and he raised the level of musical performance, directly influencing all those who produce music today. I share the opinion that someone like Michael Jackson only comes along once- he is simply untouchable.

Personally, I have many ‘musical moments’ with MJ’s albums. I remember searching endlessly for a live version of “Scream” on Youtube, finally finding one of the only performances on the History tour when he went it alone, without the backing track. And it is truly, truly impressive, one of his best performances to date (see below). “Thriller” soundtracked my mid-teens, exploring all the music that I had missed due to my age. I found “Money”, a real gem, on History. There are so many potential singles, spanning across his career, that never got the attention they deserved.

I really hope his family release the remaining material, including his as-yet unreleased album and video recordings of his rehearsals for the O2 performances. The ‘Dangerous’ tour tapes can be found on Youtube (”Beat It” below), and are the best display of his performing talent and character. For the latter part of his career, Michael mimed in many of his performances, but in the tapes he sings and dances, even adding in the sound effects and guitar solos when the sound team miss the cues. It is a special reminder of his talents, to see him with his guard down, having fun on stage, the place where he was ‘most comfortable’.

There are promising signs for the future- a catalog of 100 unreleased songs was kept for Michael’s children, but the debt which he accumulated will probably force their sale. Jackson has purportedly racked up $400 million of debts, but his death may be the only thing that can change the tide- industry analysts are already predicting 1 billion record sales (a huge increase from his charted 750 million) which should clear his estate of all outstanding costs. The back-catalogues are linked to his children’s trust funds, so the creditors won’t be able to touch it.

I am sure there are still a few more twists and turns to his story- I’ll be keeping the site up to date with any further developments. This is tragic, but I hope we always remember Michael the performer, the badass, the pioneer. He was taken before his time. Rest in peace, the King Of Pop. We will never forget you.

The Game ft. Chris Brown, Diddy, Polow Da Don, Mario Winans, Usher, Boyz II Men- Better On The Other Side (Tribute to MJ) Link 2 Link 3

Don Diablo- Song for MJ (Remember the time) Link 2 Link 3

Michael Jackson- Billie Jean (Home Demo from 1981) Link 2 Link 3

I have some very good news, however. I’m currently working on an entirely new design for The Cold Cut. I’ve been hoping to do this for a long time but now that I have the summer holidays, it seems like a logical point to take on the task. I’m going to be integrating a whole heap of features into the design, so if you have any requests, leave a comment.

The whole idea is to simplify the user experience- I’ll keep you posted on design progress and should get some posts up in the mean-time. Anyhoo, I didn’t want to post without at least a few cool tid-bits for you to look at/listen to so enjoy!

E-603 does something new with mash-ups. Immuzikation’s successor?

A very well executed fan video for Florence And The Machine’s “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)”