RÜFÜS DU SOL SHARE NEW SINGLE NEXT TO ME ALONGSIDE ARTIFICIALLY INTELLIGENT OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO DIRECTED BY OSK
Today, Grammy-nominated live-electronic trio RÜFÜS DU SOL have released their latest single on Rose Avenue and Reprise / Warner Records, Next To Me. The track adds a new chapter to the band’s career-long straddling of the dualities of light and dark, loss and love.
Next To Me portrays a sense of maturity and adoration on a level not felt before from the band. At its core it is a song of devotion, of caring compassion, an affair of the heart not undercut by the pressures of stardom or toils of young love. It’s a point of departure from the haunting emotive rollercoaster of recent single Alive, and a more positive lyrical take on the foundation set by the similarly anthemic Treat You Better off the 2018 Grammy-nominated SOLACE LP.
Tyrone sings in the chorus, “…and when time runs out, I want to feel you standing next to me”.
In Jon George’s words, “There were a lot more yearning lyrics being put down when we were writing the track, but we felt it didn’t need any of the darkness that you hear on a lot of our other records. We wanted to create something more positive and happy, a kind of homage to the feel-good soul of classic house music. I am sure there is part of this that reflects a feeling in our lives and relationships. We wanted to share that with this track.”
Tyrone echos, “We decided we wanted this to be a simple love song, which is rare of us to do, to create something purely sweet without juxtaposing that with the raw, dark emotions on the other side”
Next To Me was spawned from a pandemic recording trip in Joshua Tree and refined six months later in RÜFÜS DU SOL’s Los Angeles studio. A true tale of the songwriting process and the value of simplicity, the vocal melody and piano lead originally captured in the desert remain the beating heart of the record. The track offers a clear hook fused with progressive electronic sonics, a furthering of the band’s ability to produce with one foot in mass appeal and the other in the dance music underground.
James Hunt adds, “We tried adding things to make it ‘better’ and kept returning to the feeling we experienced when we first wrote the song that day in the desert. It’s a good example of the thing that came out on the day we wrote it being the most pure and authentic version of what we were trying to create.”
The band has tapped futuristic directors Osk to create a self-initiated, artificially intelligent visual work to accompany Next To Me. Known for collaborations with Kanye West, NASA, John Coltrane (estate), and Google, Osk has combined the power of A.I. with RÜFÜS DU SOL’s obsession with audio-visual world-building to immerse viewers into new complex landscapes. The official video sees A.I.-generated topographies unfurl and unfold into morphing images that defy reality, seamlessly flowing from mountain tops and valleys to city scapes and highways. This technological connection between the natural and manmade worlds reflects the sonic palette this band has spent the last decade refining.
Osk comments, “We don’t see A.I. as a tool but as a collaborator – one we are in a constant conversation with as we develop new possibilities for its expression and our own. New perspectives are always valuable, and although much of the way A.I. operates is modeled on or inspired by us, it has a fundamentally different way of understanding that can reveal new approaches or perspectives we may not have seen. Merging artificial intelligence with the existing languages of film, art, music and human expression expands our notions of them all.”
RÜFÜS DU SOL have already experienced an immense demand for their live return, selling 70,000 tickets in three days for their largest headlining shows to date at Los Angeles Banc of California Stadium. The onsale was a true barometer for just how deeply fans crave the sonic escapism RÜFÜS DU SOL work to deliver at every show. This banner moment joins two sold out nights at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in August, and a bevy of headlining festival appearances already announced including Governors Ball, Austin City Limits, III Points and more.
Next To Me is released today.
DIGITAL PIONEERS BLOCKPLAY ANNOUNCE CRYPTO-BASED RECORD LABEL ALONGSIDE FIRST OFFICIAL SIGNING H3RIZON WITH NEW SINGLE SERIOUS
BlockPlay have today launched their digital record label with integrated music NFT studio and distribution capabilities, and announced their first official signing H3RIZON, the uber-talented Aussie girl group taking over the TikTok pop scene. Released today, their impressive new single Serious is a total bop, accompanied by a vibrant, 2000s-inspired music video directed by Rowena Rasmussen of JTown Creative (Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Jessica Mauboy).
Pop superstars H3RIZON consists of Bernadette Marquez (Bernie), Taylah Albert (Taya) and Gabrielle Montalbo (Gabby). With 1.7 million followers on TikTok, fans are eagerly anticipating the BlockPlay-backed EP and associated music NFT collection. Serious is a cheeky little pop explosion – bouncing synths and irresistible vocal hooks abound, inviting the listener to press play again and again. In the colourful, joyous and playful video for the track, the H3RIZON girls are television stars – Gabby is a weatherwoman, Bernie is a workout instructor and Taya is a chef – amongst a vivid set of neon colours and flashing lights. It’s a slick production, sweet and the perfect introduction to H3RIZON on the precipice of their pop music world domination, as the girls explain why H3RIZON just works so well, “With Tay’s RnB background, Gabby’s classical music influences and Bernie’s production skills, we found ourselves ultimately drawn to each other to form a ‘new’ girl group that follows in the footsteps of Destiny’s Child, TLC, Chloe x Halle, and Little Mix.” The upcoming H3RIZON NFT collection will consist of a set of crypto-fashion digital collectibles laced with the pop songs lifted from the EP.
BlockPlay is transforming how independent artists connect directly with their fans thru NFTs, as the digital label’s founder, Wilson Olegasegarem (artist name Wilsonn) outlines, “After the success of my own music NFT, we received an enormous amount of outreach from the music industry to do the same. We now have the capital to back up to twenty-five or so independent artists to produce and release exciting new independent music and innovative NFT collections.” Olegasegarem’s vision for the next evolution of the direct-to-fan music industry is for artists to retain control of their own masters and for the digital label to provide the capital and cutting-edge technology to help support their career paths.
Offering further insight on why artists will be interested to jump in on BlockPlay, H3RIZON’s managers Phil Anquetil and Kelvon Avon comment, “H3RIZON will be one of the first-ever artists completely powered by the blockchain… We’re no longer relying on the major labels to take a risk on our amazing artists – we’re allowing savvy fans and followers the opportunity to invest in digital collectibles …the merging of music, tech, NFT/Crypto can be the new model for artists success, and H3RIZON are set to pioneer it!”
BlockPlay is powered by the NFT marketplace technology software provider, Monegraph, the inventors of NFTs and providers of the industry’s most powerful enterprise platform for minting, auctioning and marketing digital collectibles. Olegasegarem stressed, “Our partnership with Monegraph is fundamental. It is the only NFT platform in the world that offers the digital media rights contract baked directly in the blockchain protecting both the NFT buyer and the artist/label. It enables the artist to issue NFTs while explicitly protecting their copyright and associated commercial rights to their music.” He further explains, “Once your NFT has been auctioned, you can be paid instantaneously into your crypto wallet which sure beats having to wait a long time to collect your royalty payments.”
BlockPlay is architecting a label-musician relationship that is aligned with artist’s financial interests and maximises their creative potential. Describing BlockPlay’s mission, Olegasegarem says, “BlockPlay is flipping the traditional record contract as you know it on its head! The new frontier of what a label looks like is here, and the model looks very different and promising for the future generation of talent to make an income straight away from digital collectibles! We are a group of artists and innovators in the tech realm and we are looking for innovators alike. We are calling out for artists, creatives, labels, fashion houses, designers, execs… you name it. The possibilities are endless with BlockPlay.”
For more information, visit https://blockplay.art
H3RIZON’s first single with BlockPlay Serious is out today
ARCHIE ROACH ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL ‘THE ARCHIE ROACH FOUNDATION STAGE’ FOR 2022 PORT FAIRY FOLK FESTIVAL
National treasure, Archie Roach is thrilled to announce the launch of the inaugural THE ARCHIE ROACH FOUNDATION STAGE at 2022 Port Fairy Folk Festival. The stage will be curated by Archie Roach and the local Gunditjmara community of southwest Victoria, and will provide the opportunity to share the ancient knowledge of the Gunditjmara people through dance, art, music, storytelling and conversations about native plants and bush medicines.
“It’s very important and culturally significant that we, as the Gunditjmara community in southwest Victoria, can share our culture which has existed for well over sixty thousand years, with the rest of the community, especially those attending the folk festival,” explains Archie. “For me personally, it’s huge! I was taken away as a child from my mother’s country when only two years old. To come back to my community and to be able to present our culture on the Archie Roach Foundation stage would not have happened if I had not found my way back to my people. The local Gunditjmara community will be programming the stage and that’s what is exciting about this idea. We are only limited by our imagination. I am very grateful to both RISE and Port Fairy Folk Festival for getting behind this, and I’m so stoked and can’t wait to present something exceptional!”
On Wednesday next week, Archie will unveil the first episode of Kitchen Table Yarns – his twelve-part YouTube series initiated to support emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander singer songwriters. Episode one will see Archie invite the supremely talented Yorta Yorta woman, Allara Briggs Pattison to yarn with him (via zoom) at his kitchen table to share stories about her songs, her community and her language.
With thanks to Creative Victoria and the Australia Council For The Arts for making this project possible, this incredible series will be a story of intergenerational celebration and connection through music. The first episode is set for release at 5pm AEST on August 4, and the second and third episodes featuring Rulla Mansell & Marlon Motlop will land at 5pm AEST on August 18, and Lydia Fairhall at 5pm AEST on September 1. And then new episodes will drop at 5pm AEST on the first Wednesday of each month thereafter, all available to stream on Archie Roach’s YouTube channel www.youtube.com/archieroachmusic
“When I started off in music nobody had much of a clue about who I was and what I was writing about,” Archie explains. “I was considered a curiosity. Yarning at my kitchen table with these young artists will help people understand who they are and give them another platform to promote their music. The kitchen table has always been a place of inspiration for me. It’s a place where I’ve written most of my songs, drank many cups of tea, ate meals, played music whilst my children ran around making plenty of noise. It represents family, community and love. We thought it would be a great idea to have a YouTube series and conversation at the kitchen table.”
“It’s important their voices are heard so they don’t have to go through what I went through. They are our future and when the time comes for us older singer songwriters to finish up we know it’s in good hands.”
And it is bittersweet that today Archie has been announced on the lineup for Queenscliff Music Festival set to take place on November 26, 27 and 28 this year, but regrettably also today announces the rescheduling of his nine-date regional NSW tour due to the evolving COVID-19 circumstances in NSW. All tickets purchased will be honoured for the new dates (which will be announced in the coming weeks), without need for exchange.
“We are sorry to inform you that we had to reschedule the NSW regional tour that was going to happen in August – to early next year because of the current COVID situation,” explains Archie,“Please hold on to your tickets, as we are really looking forward to catching up with you early next year. I hope everybody stays safe during these uncertain times. Look after yourselves.”
Tune in to each episode at youtube.com/archieroachmusic
For more information, head to www.archieroach.com
WED 4 AUG | 5PM AEST | KITCHEN TABLE YARNS | EP 1 FEAT. ALLARA BRIGGS PATTISON | WATCH
WED 18 AUG | 5PM AEST | KITCHEN TABLE YARNS | EP 2 FEAT. RULLA MANSELL & MARLON MOTLOP | WATCH
WED 1 SEP | 5PM AEST | KITCHEN TABLE YARNS | EP 3 FEAT. LYDIA FAIRHALL | WATCH
26 27 28 NOV 2021 | QUEENSCLIFF MUSIC FESTIVAL, VIC | TICKETS QMF.NET.AU
Further information on the first three Kitchen Table Yarns artists:
Allara Briggs Pattison is a Yorta Yorta, musician, composer, filmmaker, and involved in the climate justice movement. Using a double bass and loop station at the core, she is inspired by ancient oral traditions and is a natural storyteller. Allara harnesses hard-hitting spoken word taking the listener on a journey reflecting cultural, spiritual and environmental empowerment. Gently lulling audiences into a united chorus of unadorned melodies, her sound is unique and soul-stirring.
“The kitchen table series is super exciting and such an amazing opportunity for emerging artists to chat with Uncle Archie about music, life and culture. Even when gigs seem to be cancelled over and over again, this series creates something deadly, ongoing and humbling in a time when there is no stability as a musician. Big love and thanks to Uncle Archie for the opportunity to yarn over a cuppa tea and a Monte Carlo.”
Rulla X Marlon burst onto the Australian music scene in under a year. The two played football together at the Glenelg FC in Adelaide, SA but In the past year have gone from kicking footballs to kicking down doors and performing on some of the biggest stages in this COVID era. From opening for Midnight Oil at WOMADelaide to rocking the stage at the Bass in the Grass Festival in Darwin, the two are backed by an all First Nations band to bring you a sound so compelling it makes you want to dance, with lyrics that make you want to think. Rolling Stone has labelled Marlon X Rulla as an act to “…undoubtedly need, to pay attention to as their careers rise”.
“To be able to share a yarn with Uncle Archie means more than we can put into a small sentence or to even try and summarise. It’s beyond an honour. It’s a moment in time I have no doubt we’ll cherish for the rest of our lives. Uncle Archie means so much to us individually but also collectively to all people. Uncle Archie epitomises the essence of a true authentic storyteller. His being will transcend for generations, long into the future.”
Lydia Fairhall is a Worimi woman respected nationally as a theatre and film producer, a community arts and cultural development practitioner, a writer, an artistic director, a musician, songwriter and more. She has programmed and produced countless shows, for the likes of ILBIJERRI Theatre Company, Brown Cabs, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company, Footscray Community Arts Centre while also producing a run of incredible albums including her most recent – ‘True North’.
“Uncle Archie’s music has got so many of us through hard times and been the soundtrack to our joy and belonging. It is an honour of the highest kind to be joining him at his kitchen table.”