torsdag den 31. maj 2012

Danish Ida Corr has hit again in the United States



The Danish singer is in top 10 on the U.S. dance charts with the song "See YouLater"


The Danish singer Ida Corr is in these weeks in the top 10 on the U.S. dancechart at an impressive seventh place with the song "See You Later," which shewrote in collaboration with the English duo Bimbo Jones, known for theirremixes by stars such as Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Madonna.

Top40 U.S. National Dance Chart is composed of an assortment of DJs, reflecting the most popular tracks at clubs in the U.S.. In recent times, the listshows an overlap with the commercial sales list and airplay chart, as dancehas really made ​​its mark in the U.S. in recent years, with names in the top ofthe list as Rihanna, Madonna and Gotye's Ida Corr come in a fine company.

Besides doing well on the U.S. dance list Ida Corr prepares to embark on a new album called "Original Club Step", published in the autumn. But already in late summer released the single "Dirty Moves".

Hear the hit song "See You Later" 

Danish "Lars and The Hands of Light" has concert for discerning Japanese



Discerning Japanese audience spreads Unit Club located in one of Tokyo's most fashionable neighborhoods. But behind the scenes there is peace in the five Danish musicians from Lars and The Hands of Light. The band's first appearance in Japan, where they will try to get a Japanese record company on the hook. Together with their promotion manager, Jessica Tolf Vulpius from their Danish label Crunchy Frog, they have been up early to concert tonight's repertoire in a rented studio. Lydprøverne in Unit Club later in the day is unusually fast over: The Japanese soundman has exhilaration.

- There is a very high level of professionalism in the Japanese hinterlands and service levels are extremely high, says Lars wagon troupe from the group. - It gives you confidence, he says. But the band also need: 
 
 More end 100 professionals from the Japanese music industry is among the 300 spectators in Unit Club. And although Japan is the world's largest market for CDs, so it requires something extra to break through for a Danish band. Indeed, interest in Western band decline.

- Young Japanese people are more conservative. Unlike previous generations, they do not fall on the tail of English and American music, says DJ and music reviewer Ken Nishikawa in Tokyo.
 
 This is a general trend in society. Young Japanese people often prefer to holiday in Japan rather than travel abroad, confirms the concert organizer Tomoyuki Ohsawa Ohsawa from Office Ltd., Which is among the audience in the Unit Club.

The vast majority of the music market is made up of Japanese bands who are totally unknown abroad. They are typically built around the idols with a very special Japanese packaging. A good example is the popular AK848 girl band or SMAP. Koreans have been extremely good to sniff the wind. Their bands are largely over how western music gives way. Koreans imitate the Japanese bands, and unlike the Japanese, they have succeeded in selling itself in the rest of Asia. - However, due to the Japanese music market size, even a tiny bite be extremely interesting, says consultant Steve McClure, who publishes an online newsletter about the Japanese music industry.

- And there is also room for niche bands, he adds.
 
 are sold around 260 million. CDs in Japan annually. It is half as many as 15 years ago. But it is still more than in the U.S., where online sales represent about 30 per cent. Foreign bands accounts for around 20 per cent. of the total record sales in Japan equivalent to 52 million. CDs. For the same reason, MXD, in collaboration with NOMEX (Nordic music export office) organized the concert with four bands in the Scandinavian Unit Club. Towards the end of the Icelandic band Kira Kira creepy performances in the adrenaline-filled Danes to come on stage. It happens with a new number: "The End Of Summer".

Among the spectators is director Johnnie Fingers from Smash Co., Among other things, arrange Fuji Rock Festival. - Japan's equivalent of the Roskilde Festival. He concedes that Finnish, Swedish and some Norwegian bands generally have a better hold of the Japanese than Danish bands. About 100 Finnish bands are active in Japan, where they are especially known for heavy metal:

- We certainly have nothing against Danish bands, says Fingers and tells us that Smash example, has booked the Danish DJ, Kid Massive, to appear at Fuji Rock Festival this year. Here, Lars has also appeared earlier when he was part of Junior Senior, who had released two CDs in Japan. They were especially known for "Move Your Feet", which among others was sung in Japan's many karaoke bars.

Crunchy Frog has already had success in getting published plates with Danish bands in Japan. Example, it is Super Heroes, Thau and The Themolo Beer Gut. Last year was the Reptile Youth with by a similar MXD and NOMEX event in Tokyo. Now it is Lars and The Hands of Light, where Lars is in front with his sister Line. The band suitor to the Japanese "pop-ears" with "Me Me Me". After the earlier more subdued bands are now gaining momentum in the audience who wriggles and beats time to the music.

As the concert progresses is in full swing in the scene. The long, lanky lead singer gives the gas line while singing and dancing in front of his microphone. - A string jumped on my guitar, says Lars turned to the audience after the end of "The Looking Glass" and is rapidly changing guitar. From scenes sliding a black-clad Japanese unnoticed in and removes the disabled instrument. When the band is ready for the next issue, stands the white guitar again on stage with a new string. Japan are still checking on things. It has also Lars. - I nupper just my own guitar again, he smiles, while the audience smiles back.

The kind of communication can the Japanese audience likes. They feel that they come close to the band. - Stage presence and charisma is extremely important if you want to succeed, says Fingers from Smash and continues: - Today, thousands of people making great music in their bedroom. But it is far from anyone who has charisma to stand on a stage. You have to deliver something special.

He expects that the physical appearance will still be important in a world of Facebook, YouTube and other social media. Japanese record companies, however, hesitated to sell their music online, and it is not yet prevalent in Japan. It is for example only a few months ago, Sony announced that it will sell its foreign bands via iTunes in Japan. Whether it will open new opportunities for western bands is uncertain. - The Japanese music industry gropes for a new direction, says McClure. There must be something new, but the Japanese record companies are cautious. Japan's demographic development also puts pressure on record sales. Today there are more Japanese people over 65 than under 20 years. The development continues. Lars and The Hands of Light ends with "Because My Body Was There" and leaves the stage to applause.

Jessica is a happy manager. - It was one of the band's best concerts ever, she says and gives a hug to Lars. From the Japanese side has also noticed the Danish band. According to Jessica, the concert organizer and promoter Creativeman, expressed that they will work to book the Danish band for next year's Japanese Summer Sonic music festival. It is one of the two main festivals in Japan. Now Jessica must spend the next week to follow up the contacts that she has gotten in Tokyo.

- 
 the complete Nordic line-up for the event "Music Night 2012" spoke - apart from the Danish group - Husky Rescue from Finland, Iceland Kira Kira and Swedes in LO-FI-FNK.

tirsdag den 29. maj 2012

Alcoholic Faith Mission - The American Dream




(philthy.) I recently discussed with my students of Intellectual Heritage the notion of psychoactive plants being present at the creation of numerous of the world’s religions… A sentiment not so far off from what Danish lo-fi outfit, Alcoholic Faith Mission, were pondering when they came up with their lovely moniker.  Friends Thorben Seiero Jensen and Sune Solund were walking by Brooklyn’s  Apostolic Faith Mission while discussing alcoholism and they joked about swapping the “A-olic” in the church’s name… And the band was born.  (While they are from Copenhagen, AFM have had some prominent moments here in the states.  Their sophomore effort, 421 Wythe Avenue, is named for the Brooklyn address which housed them during its recording process.) Just six months after they found a title for themselves, they released their debut, Misery Loves Company, which the two recorded with a laptop in Thorben’s bedroom.  The recording process was accompanied by a rather intriguing (and possibly brilliant) set of rules:


“Only record at night. The only light source could be that of candles. Consumption of alcohol was integral. And lastly, once something was recorded it could not be changed.”
The recording of their sophomore effort was also accompanied by another interestingly strict set of guidelines: “Everything used to record had to be found in the confines of their dwellings.”
After the release of 421 Wythe Avenue, the duo enlisted four more musicians for their collective.  Since then they’ve released two albums, 2010’s Let This Be The Last Night We Care, and Ask Me This, which dropped stateside March 27th, courtesy of Old Flame Records.  Their sound is a pastiche of folk artistry and a high-minded, postmodern appropriation of the cultural and theoretical significance of those traditional practices.  Their sound can be difficult to characterize, but they seem to not only recognize the beauty in antiquated forms of music, but also the power in knowing how to utilize contemporary methods.  The band kicks off their US tour tonight in DC, and tomorrow, Thursday, April 26th, they will find themselves on the local stage of Kung Fu Necktie.  I recently got a chance to chat with Thorben about their recording process, Denmark in general, and my very favorite Dane (and nearly favorite person), Lars von Trier.
Izzy Cihak: Although Alcoholic Faith Mission is Danish, you’ve done quite a bit of touring in the US, quite a bit of recording in the US, and you even technically began in Brooklyn.  What are your thoughts on the states, the US music scene, and US audiences?
Thorben Seiero Jensen: We love playing in the states.  The audiences are very attentive, making it easy to want to play every night.  However, the deals sometimes really suck!  We haven’t paid to play but we got damn close in the beginning.  However meeting the people and hanging out afterwards makes up for it.
IC: The US is largely ignorant of the Danes.  How would you characterize Denmark, from the viewpoint of a contemporary indie band?  Do you get annoyed that American pseudo-intellectual “hipsters” regard the country entirely based on the commentary of Lars von Trier (I must admit, other than Morrissey, he’s pretty much my favorite person in the world.)?
TSJ: No, that doesn’t annoy us – von Trier is a bit of an oddball, but he does make some amazing films.  Every once in a while he takes a stab at stand-up comedy, failing big time.  Latest bit he did was how he wanted to be a Nazi or whatever at Cannes… Not that brilliant, considering you’re at a press conference – Even though itwas a joke!
Anyway, Denmark is a little fairy tale country. We pay many taxes and get free medical care and schools, etc, etc – and here’s the kicker, most Americans outside of the big cities don’t understand, let Alpne believe – We are not communists… yeah.., put that in your pipe and smoke it!  We love green energy in Copenhagen alone (250.000 people within the city), we bike 1,2 million kilometers a day. We’re huge on biking – we bike everywhere.  Also, we dig windmills – and have many companies worldwide leading in their field.
The hipster wave has gotten its annoying little stranglehold on Denmark as well and there are many skinny dudes with tight jeans, dumb hats, and ugly scarves.
IC: While von Trier is in the air, I must say that the quite conservative restrictions under which you recorded your debut, Misery Loves Company (and its follow-up, for that matter), mirror the rules of Dogme 95 to a pretty un-ignorable degree… Is there anything to that?
TSJ: Well, when we recorded that we honestly had no idea it would turn out the way it did. Sune and I had just gotten a recording studio set up and we just wanted to mess around with it.  It happened one night when we started up a session that would eventually turn out to be the song “Silly Songs.”  We only did one takes and were quite pleased with the lo-fi result. And from then on out we just kept on with that M.O.
IC: You’ve recorded quite a handful of albums in a relatively short period of time.  In a time when full-lengths seem to by dying out, in favor of shorter digital releases, what is your take on “the album?” (I’m yet to succumb to digital music, despite being a “critic.”)
TSJ: The albums still serve a purpose for us. It’s not that we don’t like EP’s, etc, but it’s always nice to dive into an album and get tangled up in its moods and feelings.  It’s difficult, for me at least, to get under the skin, so to speak, of an EP with fewer songs.  That being said, many bands only have the one EP in them, which, in that case, makes it fine for them just to release a non-album.
IC: In the US you’re signed to Old Flame Records.  Any thoughts on the label or the artists that you share it with?  I’m a huge fan of Twin Tigers and Mean Creek are actually good friends of mine.
TSJ: We’re super excited about working with Rob [Mason]. Hopefully this will be a partnership that will only continue grow.  Twin Tigers has been a recent discovery of mine and I really like… Really looking forward to tour with You Won’t… Still don’t know them that well but the few songs that I have heard sound really interesting…
IC: We’re already a decent way into 2012.  What have been your highlights of the year thus far and what are your hopes and goals for the rest of the year?
TSJ: It was amazing being back on the road through Europe – we hadn’t been there for a while and getting to tour in support of the new album was nothing short of perfect. We’re looking forward to going back to the states in a couple of days to do our first extended tour there. So far it has “only” been the North East, Toronto, Montreal, and SXSW. So getting to travel the whole country is sure to be delight
IC: What can fans expect of your upcoming US tour and how would you “sell” your aesthetic to potential fans?
TSJ: Bedlam and mad fun! We like to play each show like it was our last, giving it full throttle from the get-go.  Also, we brought a certain type of merchandise that fits and suits us rather well – Flasks…

søndag den 20. maj 2012

Danish hit Producers in the studio with Pharrell



The 13 May put the Danish producer duo Pitchshifters a picture up on their Twitter profile where they stood with the U.S. superstar Pharrell.

How have you suddenly ended up in the studio with Pharrell?

"Because we're good hehe, and because we have an ok buzz among other things because of our Jadakiss / Wale / Future song 'Turn Up' which has justcome out. It is 14 days has been downloaded 1.5 million times. "

How I came in contact with Pharrell?

"Our American manager in New York have driven management of NERD in anumber of years. He puts a lot of things up for us constantly. Among other things, also here with Pharrell. "

What are you working on?

"We are starting to produce for Pharrells new artists: Buddy, Lidia Peck Alissa".

How far have you / when you can hear anything?

"We have plenty of tracks that are already finished for Pharrells artists. But the music industry in the U.S. is a giant machine, where things take time. Patience is one of the biggest talents to have in this game. But there are plenty other of our works out so just google us. "

Have you worked with other big stars?

"We have worked with Chris Brown. We have two songs, one is the bigcrossover single on Jadakiss upcoming album 'Dead Or Alive'. We have a song on the Rich Boys forthcoming album 'Crooked I', Kobe, Claude Kelly. We've just been to a meeting in New York with the whole Kanye Wesst team of A & R`s and songwriters, and it went really, really good. "