Welcome to this bonus post for this week about a band that I have mentioned in the past that now have some new material out that I want to share with you all. Friars Lantern are a duo from Brighton who are aspiring to produce music that is inspired by certain programmes ans films such as American Horror Story and others alike.
Last time I presented to you a single called "Possessive Voices" which was a different tone of music I hadn't heard of that uses a womans voice that is layered ontop of guitar pedals and drums. It produced a quite atmospheric but exciting sound and the duo have now released an Introductory piece to their EP which will be out in 2015. Titled "Intro" the duo seem to be heading down the same path with their sound and using voices over different instruments. Though the specifications of the sound are the same as the previous single, they have managed to use their instrumentation and knowledge to create something fresh and new.
Is introductory to their EP gives the listener a flavour of what's to come in 2015. Its not too long for an intro and its not too short to not give an idea of their sound. The length is 1:45 and is about right to really give people a chance to question about what they have in store next.
They have released a clever little video to go along with the single which involves footage from Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. Where you see Charlie open his chocolate to find the golden ticket which everyone knows. Though they have put a dark, but unseemly simple twist to it where they make it out as if Charlie never opened his chocolate. Rewinding the memories and pausing the moment to make it stop happening. A really clever concept for a video.
I look forward to hearing their EP that comes out in 2015. You can be sure I will be reviewing it in the near future. Make sure you check the band out and support them too.
Hello, Welcome to blog post 37, today I have a Brighton based two piece band that are rocking the music business to high hell and back! If you haven't heard of Royal Blood yet then you've clearly been cooped up in your room all summer. Their debut album took the summer music scene by a storm and I'm here to tell you why. Royal Blood are a two piece rock band formed in 2013 that have a rounded rock sound that is unusually distinctive compared to most rock bands out there. I heard a lot about Royal Blood before they released this album, I'm pretty sure they were practising at Brighton Electric Studios when I was there a few moths beforehand. Their name was floating round Brighton like a black rain cloud that was sure enough to turn into a storm. Mike Kerr (Vocals, Bass Guitar) and Ben Thatcher (Drums) have released an album that is now at the forefront of rock music. These guys are now the new generation of the rock genre and I wouldn't want it to be any other band.
The powerful might from "Out Of The Black" to introduce the album really gives you a flavour of what you're in store for. "Come On Over" uses a simple structure but really keeps the tempo going for the album to give listeners like myself a lot of hope for rock in the next few years. "Figure It Out" is the most popular track from the album that has been played a lot on BBC Radio 1 and 6 music. With the catchy riff line to work through and the double time section at the end, its no wonder its the most popular track. Once you get to "Blood Hands" you are already halfway through the album surprisingly. The time for the half way mark is 15 minutes and 50 seconds which to most bands is not even onto track 4. The total time for the album is 32 minutes and 42 seconds, very short for an album, but this could be the reason for its success. Brilliant short songs, keeping the listener entertained throughout with no messing around. The longest song is 4:12 and is possibly the weakest song. This could be because its the longest and isn't keeping to the way Royal Blood have recorded the rest of the album. With the band only being a two piece band, I was worried about there not being enough within the sound to keep the album's momentum up. With the use of space between the guitar and vocals, catchy riffs and heavy drums the band have done a fantastic job. I cannot express how difficult it is to create such an emphatic sound with a 3 piece let alone with bass and drums.
Mike uses distortion and other pedals alike to create a guitar tone on the bass. This then creates a tone that sounds like its coming from two different guitars. Ben's hard hitting drums and tight fills compliment the overall sound. The one thing I was worried about with this album was that the songs would sound the same. Luckily this doesn't happen and each song has its own characteristics which really made this album for me. Each song doesn't follow the same structure as the last, but every song is still heavy and high tempo. I believe this is one of the reasons that this album has done extremely well this year. There are no sad or slow songs, its all go go go from the word off and its exactly what the rock industry has been needing for some time now. In conclusion this album is one to remember for some time and hopefully will be around for many years to come rocking out the industry. Even though it has not been long since their newest release, I look forward to what they hold in store for us next in a few years to come! Thanks for reading and until next time! Lewis
Hello! Welcome to blog post 28! This is a little review about a Brighton based band who are a little bit out of the ordinary for your ordinary band but has the possibilities to be something big. Friar's Lantern is made up of Abby White and Hayden Ashdown. Both from BIMM Brighton, they have formed this band to be out of the ordinary, to do something different and they're on the right path for sure! They are an atmospheric/electronic duo who base their music around various films/tv programmes that fit into the niche of its required sounds. This track is inspired by the American hit show 'American Horror Story'. The sounds coming from the both of them are mesmerising in the fact they can produce such interesting sounds with various instruments and technology. The track starts off with some dialogue that echo's through the introduction which already sends signals to me that this is going to be no ordinary song. The breakdown turns into layers of interesting guitar rhythms and tones. I know the both of them personally and all the strange, yet hauntingly beautiful screeches are coming from Hayden's guitar through various pedals. He loves his fuzzface and many others that make these powerful and intriguing sounds.
They are also known for performing live with clips of films in the background. The film doesn't have any sound, but the band play to the track as if they're re-creating the music behind what is going on in the film. They certainly are something else this band which is why I decided to review their first single they released. I'm sure there is plenty more to come from this duo so keep an eye out for their work in the future! Links will be down below for their soundcloud and facebook. They're relatively new so make sure you go give them some love! Thank you for reading and until next time Lewis
Hello, Welcome to blog post 26! Today I'm going to be letting you all know about an artists who goes by the name of 'Lost Midas' aka Jason Trikakis. An artist who started out as a rated hip-hop drummer in his 20's, is now a fully fledged producer of his own electronica beats. Signed to the label Tru-Thoughts, his debut album "Off Course" has caught the attention of many radio DJ's from the likes of XFM and BBC Radio 6 Music. He has been writing music all his life, but hasn't had the opportunity to express his musicality when he was drumming for other bands. So once he decided to climb aboard his solo career and also learn many other instruments, he managed to find his sound he has been searching for as "Lost Midas".
His music is described as "electrofusion" to which he describes it as because there simply is no other word or description of his music to him. With electronic production becoming his main love, as well as a passion for playing keys. Trikakis found himself in LA where his over-lapping sounds have created a vibrant and unique sound. Each individual track displays his unique blends of electronic production and songwriting. I enjoy the guest appearances on the album to give it more of a dynamic range throughout the record. The album features appearances from Audris, Taylor O'Donnell and NuTrik. The track "Head Games ft. Audris" has impressed many DJ's and magazines alike such as DJ magazine and Radio 6 Music. Other tracks that have been in the radar of radio is "Archetype Forgotten" with plays from Huey Morgan and Steve Lamacq. "Head Games" is a personal favourite of mine because the vocals are given a lot of space in the track to which then the audience can listen to the music being produced too. Lost Midas is a very gifted musician with a lot of ideas and knowledge to create his own sound. Using pads, keyboards and the drum kit all at once when he performs requires a lot of concentration and perfection to get the right sound. I really admire Trikakis' admiration and ambition towards his music.
This is what other people are saying about the rise of 'Lost Midas': “Beautiful, dreamy sounds coming out of LA courtesy of Lost Midas.”... “Amazing… absolutely brilliant.”- BBC R6MusicLauren Laverne’s Headphone Moment and MPFree“This is fluorescent, fragrant electronic music.” - CLASH
Lost Midas will be doing a mini tour in October starting off at Low End Theory. Then ending up at the Tru-Thoughts 15th Anniversary show featuring The Seshen and Alice Russell as headline act at the Skirball Cultural Centre in LA on 24th October 2014.You can grab his debut album from the Tru-Thoughts Etch Shop and Itunes.
