colleen

I’m very happy and excited to announce the release of Solar/Stellar (Colleen remixed), a digital EP on Second Language http://secondlanguagemusic.com featuring remixes of three songs from my last album The Weighing of the Heart. I’m usually not a fan of remixing as a concept and as a practice, as I rarely find remixes to be superior or equal to the originals  (I do love the concepts of version and dub in the Jamaican style though, something much more inventive in my opinion – but I digress). However I just had to change my mind when I heard the remixes of “Breaking Up the Earth” by the Home Current and “Moonlit Sky” and “Ursa Major Find” by Comma Period http://comma-period.tumblr.com/

“Breaking Up the Earth” was the track I worked on last while making the album, and bears the mark of what I plan to develop further on my next album: a much more rhythmical, dub-influenced approach. From the start I thought it almost begged to be remixed, and indeed the Home Current took that seed and transplanted it into inventive – dare I say the word? :-) – dancefloor territory. As for “Moonlit Sky” and “Ursa Major Find”, the vocal-heavy remixes of Comma Period sound to me like a far-out encounter between early Steve Reich and a sort of stuttering My Bloody Valentine. I do hope you’ll like them as much as I do!

Visual artist Sougwen Chung http://sougwen.com has made a truly incredible video for the “Moonlit Sky” remix.

http://vimeo.com/75109606

And the wonderful artwork is once again courtesy of Iker Spozio http://ikerspozio.net

You can buy the EP from most digital retailers, including
Boomkat : http://boomkat.com/downloads/797933-colleen-solar-stellar
Amazon : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Solar-Stellar-Colleen-Remixed/dp/B00EP3JXBA
ITunes https://itunes.apple.com/fr/album/solar-stellar-colleen-remixed/id691180277
Spotify http://spoti.fi/16lnJkV

Apologies in advance if some of the links don’t work, I’m writing this post away from home on a tablet using an android app for the first time and well…it’s not easy! :-)

Back into action after a much-needed break this summer!

I very rarely participate in compilations but decided to make an exception for “music and migration iii”, the third and final instalment in a trilogy released by second language, the label that released my last album. The project was launched in partnership with birdlife international who are celebrating their 20^th birthday, and the compilation’s aim is to highlight the problems (usually due to man’s actions) encountered by migrating birds. Find out about the compilation here and about birdlife international here.

I’m going back to playing live in a couple of weeks, first in sicily on 20 september, then for 4 shows in france in october and a show in cork, ireland, on 2 november. As usual you can find all the details in the future shows section (be careful with show times for the poitiers and rennes concerts as they are a bit unusual / attention aux horaires des concerts à poitiers et rennes, assez inhabituels).

If you’re wondering what my concerts sound and look like these days, you can see a video of my show from 13 june 2013 in paris at the collège des bernardins. Thank you benoit!

Here’s a short version (also available on youtube here)…

… and a longer one

More news of a discographical nature soon!  :-)

It was my pleasure to talk to Martin Holm of Second Language, the label that released The Weighing of the Heart in May, as part of the Second Language podcast series. The interview took place two days after the Crystal Palace and Cafe Oto shows, and the day before I had been treated to an incredible visit of London’s hidden gem of a bird and wildlife paradise, Rainham Marshes, where Martin works (you’ll hear more about our feathered friends soon…), so I was still feeling a bit groggy, but it was great to talk about African influences, my search for rhythm, singing, general inspiration, production and a possible dub future ;-)

Listen to the podcast here.

I’ve had the great pleasure of doing a short mix for tom ravenscroft’s programme on BBC radio 6 music, and you can listen to it here (it starts with Prince Douglas and ends with Moondog) until friday 21st june. It should be my last mix for a while, so i hope you’ll enjoy it !

I’ve had the great pleasure to prepare a mix for Dublab in tandem with Iker Spozio, who not only has created the artwork for all my music since 2004 but has also shared an enormous amount of incredible music with me over the years. You can listen to our mix here. We hope you will like the music in there as much as we do!

I was interviewed in Spanish for Mondosonoro, so far it’s the only interview in Spanish available, read it here.

Following the Colleen special a couple of weeks ago, French radio programme Bouche cousue has broadcast the interview we did in early May, there were a couple of sound issues but the interview is definitely a good one, and you can listen to it here.

Last but not least, thanks to all of you who came to the Dublin, Glasgow and London gigs, I had a wonderful time and I hope you did too!

Tomorrow is the Paris show in the beautiful Collège des Bernardins, and after that three shows in Italy and back home to work on new music!