Daily Archives: August 6, 2022

The Blackheart Orchestra release The Tide video. The song is taken from their forthcoming album Hotel Utopia, released by Ceandar Records on 23 September.

The Blackheart Orchestra are Manchester based multi-instrumentalists Chrissy Mostyn and Rick Pilkington who take a wide range of influences from artists such as Sigur Ros, Bat For Lashes and Bjork.

Together they combine contemporary rock with electronica, atmospherics and classical styling to create a unique brand of ethereal art-rock that is laden with pop hooks and poetry, raw emotions and philosophy. They are frequently compared to such diverse artists as Cocteau Twins, early Pink Floyd, Portishead and Kate Bush as well as contemporary composers such as Steve Reich and Philip Glass.

The bands 2019 album Mesmeranto reached #16 in the UK Indie Chart, #18 in the UK Rock Chart, #4 in the USAs Big Takeover Albums of the Year and was voted twice in the Rock Writers Top 20 Albums of the Year.

The album received unanimous praise from the likes of Louder Than War, PROG magazine, RnR and No Depression as well as gaining them recognition and applause from musical peers including Genesis Steve Hackett and Motrheads Phil Campbell. They won Best British Duo.

They were voted #4 Best New Band in the UK. Chrissy was recently voted #5 Best Female Vocalist in PROG Magazines Readers Poll, and their lockdown online concert series The Big Armchair Concerts was voted #10 in Most Important Rock Events of 2020.

Now, following a recent, successful 17-date UK tour, the band announce details of their new album. Hotel Utopia which finds them at their most mesmerizing, haunting best.

Never afraid to take on the most daunting subjects, Mesmeranto was based on the concept of death, inspired by Mostyns mother who was nearing the end of her life. Now Hotel Utopia takes a musical look at the afterlife.

The 13 songs discuss the one mystery that has troubled every human animal that ever lived. What happens after life? Whether we believe in God with a capital G, with a small g or believe in no g at all, Hotel Utopia is a collection 13 songs that discusses our fear of the mystery of the moment the light goes out. Or does it?

Its a record that doesnt attempt to answer that question but provokes the listeners thoughts while holding their hand along a musical journey that meditates on our fears and fantasies of heaven stopping off en route at murder, suicide, the end of the world and reincarnation as we all approach the unknown mystery of our own personal Hotel Utopia.

Opening song The Tide deals with the end of a loved life, a song Chrissy wrote about her mothers passing and the impact the subsequent grief had on her body and spirit. Under The Headlights sees every life as part of something bigger and features a historic recording of the voice of 1960s British philosopher Alan Watts.

Amplifying the thought, the video was shot just three feet from the edge of the 531ft high cliffs at Birling Gap, South Downs, sadly the worlds third most popular suicide location. The Warning looks at the death of the earth, and is a melancholic call to arms to a species seemingly dedicated to self-destruction, whilst Astronaut is a childs nave vision of life ahead ultimately replaced by reality.

Continuing with these themes, songs such as Alive, A Dangerous Thing and Dust examine the sanctity of life, love, the mystery of death and the pain of bereavement. Whilst Casting Spells playfully asks is someone keeping a tally on our behaviour and is the afterlife a spin of the wheel based on our track record? Atlantic illustrates a fantasy journey of reincarnation, an underwater dream state of the subconscious mind.

Whilst the final track, The Flood, is about apocalyptic endings, yet rebirths and new beginnings. It is the perfect closing to extraordinary album The Blackheart Orchestras most mesmerizing and ambitious to date.

Based on Chrissy Mostyns track by track guide, available on request.

Were extremely excited to announce our three years in the making album Hotel Utopia. Hotel Utopia is 13 songs about the afterlife. It holds the listeners hand along a musical journey that meditates on our fears and fantasies of heaven stopping off en route at murder, suicide, the end of the world and reincarnation.

Hotel Utopia is an audio movie for the listeners mind, emotions and imagination. The album will be supported by an 18 date tour of the UK.

Track list:

The TideUnder The HeadlightsSafeThe WarningAstronautAliveA Dangerous ThingCasting SpellsDustAtlanticTranslucentRaise Your HeartThe Flood

Hotel Utopia will be available on 23 September.

Buy Link:https://store.theblackheartorchestra.com

The album release will be immediately followed by a 18-date promotional UK tour:

Sept 1 OSWESTRY Hermon ChapelSept 4 HULL AdelphiSept 6 MASHAM Town HallSept 9 LEEDS Seven ArtsSept 11 EDINBURGH BannermansSept 15 WIGAN Old CourtsSept 17 OUNDLE Victoria HallSept 18 LICHFIELD The HubSept 22 SUTTON Sound LoungeSept 24 WINCHESTER The RailwaySept 25 SOUTHAMPTON Hanger Farm ArtsSept 29 PENZANCE Acorn ArtsOct 1 CREDITON Arts CentreOct 8 LEDBURY Market TheatreOct 12 CHELMSFORD A CanteenOct 13 BRIGHTON BrunswickOct 16 POOLE Sound CellarOct 20 BANBURY The Mill Arts CentreOct 23 SHEFFIELD Greystones

Download / stream herehttps://linktr.ee/theblackheartorchestra

Originally posted here:

The Blackheart Orchestra announce new album 'Hotel Utopia': a meditation on death and the afterlife - Metal Planet Music

Few rappers in the game in history, even have been able to generate hype quite like Houstons own Travis Scott. Whether its sold-out live experiences, mobs of fans lining up for his McDonalds meal, or ridiculous resale prices for his sneaker collabs, Traviss sound and aesthetic have amassed a legion of listenerswho, in turn, transformedhim a gargantuan pop cultural figure.

Its no surprise, then, that fans have been foaming at the mouth for any and every bit of information about La Flames next move. Were currently in the longest waiting period between albums in his entire career, as the highly anticipated and critically acclaimed ASTROWORLD dropped four years ago (twice as long as the gap between2016s Birds In The Trap Sing McKnightand his 2018 magnum opus). There have been plenty of teasers and interesting revelations about Traviss next album UTOPIA, and weve compiled some of the most important pieces of the puzzle.

Before getting into what the 31-year-old rager has said about the project, its important to note that the album rollout took a tragic turn in November 2021 when 10 attendees died and over 300 were injured at his Astroworld Festival in Houston. As such, Travis has been quite silent as far as media and music, and many fans have stopped listening to him as a result.

Whether or not you think Travis is responsible for the tragic event, his Instagram video apology disappointed many whofelt it was phoned-in and ingenuine. UTOPIA is now Traviss chance to address the incident on a larger scale. It will be most interesting to see to what lengths the Goosebumps star will go to talk about his thought process following the incident. Will he honor the memory of those lost? Will he avoid the topic entirely? Or will he move his music into a new, less rage-heavy direction?

Only time will tell, but for now, heres what we know.

Talking about UTOPIA is interesting, because while no tracklist has been officially confirmed, a few leaked tracks like LOST FOREVER with Westside Gunn and James Blake, NIAGARA FALLS with 21 Savage, as well as BLUNT TALK with Bryson Tiller, have given fans an idea of what UTOPIA may hold. However, we do have at least one official single that will likely make it on the new album: FRANCHISE, Scotts glitchy banger with Young Thug and M.I.A. Wed also be remiss not to mention HIGHEST IN THE ROOM, a hit single he dropped in 2019 that, despite being three years old at this point, mightve been a part of his plan to promote UTOPIA.

With these newly teased tracks, it seems Travis is pulling apart his psychedelic approach to hyper-energetic trap in two directions: FRANCHISE has punchier drums and less use of reverb than most songs in his catalog, whereas LOST FOREVER is one of Traviss most ethereal beats and one of the rare occasions where he uses traditional flows and percussion patterns. Both sound incredibly futuristic which is appropriate for the albums title, yet not far off from what Travis is known for.

La Flame himself made a few comments on the albums new sound and what he aims to create.In a June 2021 interview withWWD, he told fans: Im in this new album mode where its like psychedelic rock. So even just like the field of cactuses and mushrooms, you might get tripped out."

He previously spoke to i-D Magazine about his excitement over crafting a new sound. "I never tell people this, and Im probably going to keep it a secret still, but Im working with some new people and Im just trying to expand the sound. Ive been making beats again, rapping on my own beats, just putting everything together and trying to grow it really. Thats been one of the most fun things about working on this album. Im evolving, collaborating with new people, delivering a whole new sound, a whole new range. I want to make a f**king new sound. I might spend days banging my head against a wall trying to figure it out, but once I do it, its like ultimate ecstasy.

He also provided some insight into the UTOPIA album title inan interview with CR Men.

Medicine, nursing, being a better person, talking, language, communicationyou know, a utopian state. Thats what my album is about. You think utopia is a society where everything is good: health, buildings, architecturenah. Its just about proper lines of communication. Because thats the dystopian sh*t were in right now. Its all hate, hate, hate, and all of that is drawn from what? Miscommunication, non-communication, non-understandable communication, ignorance to communication. I dont like this person. Why? Because somebody told me something to not like this person? Because in history I read to not like this person? Why?

With all the Houston native has said about UTOPIA, fans might notice theres one part of the equation missing. Travis announced a prelude mixtape titled DYSTOPIA as a companion piece, akin to how 2014s Days Before Rodeo gave fans a taste of what was to come on his studio breakout, 2015s Rodeo. La Flame dropped two singles off of the mixtape: the woozy yet energetic ESCAPE PLAN and the elegantly nocturnal MAFIA with a surprise feature from J. Cole.

It seems DYSTOPIA may be no more, as the Astroworld Festival in 2021 was meant to promote the project. While these tracks were more standard La Flame fare compared to some more experimental leaks, they were still well received by fans. Audiences are curious tohear what form DYSTOPIA will take: a scrapped project with a few singles, or perhaps, it integrates itself into Traviss larger vision for his upcoming studio album.

Maybe UTOPIA will be the psych-rock epic that fans have always seen in Travis Scotts career trajectory, or maybe its a continuation of the sounds he crafted on ASTROWORLD. No matter the case, leaks and singles indicate that whatever direction he chooses, were sure to find innovative songwriting and production from the SICKO MODE hit-maker.

As far as release dates go, Travis confirmed in a recent interview with i-D Magazine that the album will definitely drop in 2022 and spoke on how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted his creative process. He said its made him way more productive, despite the drawbacks of free time that the pandemic brought us all.

You in the crib, and I got the studio at home and I have the peace to record all day, you know? Obviously like, you lose a little bit by not being able to travel and, you know, just see the earth.

Travis began teasingUTOPIAas early as July 2020. On July 8th, 2020, he posted a picture of himself with a simple caption: Utopia.

Then in August of that year, on the two-year anniversary of ASTROWORLDs release, Scott released a letter thanking his fans and ending with the note, See you in Utopia. He also wrote a letter in October to his DJs and staff thanking them for their hard work and support,promising to see them in Utopia, as well.

When the Astroworld crowd tragedy occurred, Travis became silent on social media out of respect for those affected. It wasnt until December that he once again added Utopia to his Instagram bio, a small step to regear the albums rollout.

In April 2022, fans spotted billboards around Los Angeles suggesting the album was near completion. While its taken longer for UTOPIA to drop than expected, the billboardshelped divert theconversation from the Astroworld tragedy to Travis Scott's next artistic moves.

Its also worth noting that La Flamebegan performing again recently.He performed LOST FOREVER and MAFIAand the 2022 Billboard Music Awards. Travis also made his first festival appearancesince the Astroworld tragedy as a guest at Futures Rolling Loud Miami 2022 set in July. Most recently, it was announced that he would have a Road To Utopia nightclub residency at Las Vegass Zouk Nightclub.

This residencyseven-night residencybegins on September 17th, with an additional date on October 15th. He alsohinted at debuting newmusic at his shows at The O2 Arena in London. With a string ofconcert dates announced for the coming weeks, it seems like Travis will be releasing Utopiavery soon. We predict itll drop sometime in late October, which would coincide with the final dates of his Road to Utopia shows, buthopefully, it drops even sooner.

All thats left now, unfortunately, is to wait. Stay tuned to HotNewHipHop for more news on UTOPIA, Travis Scott, and the next steps in his rollercoaster of a career.

Read the original here:

Here Is Everything You Need To Know About Travis Scott's "UTOPIA" - HotNewHipHop

Katie Holmes and musician Bobby Wooten III are still going strong and look pretty smitten.

The two were photographed out together in New York City again just before the start of the weekend, and both were all smiles as they walked hand-in-hand. Katiewore a tan sleeveless jumpsuit and black sneakers while the Broadway starsported a gray T-shirtover a pair ofkhakis and black shoes as they strolled through Washington Square Park in Manhattan.

Their outing comes more than two months after they made their red carpet debut as a couple at the Moth's Silver Ball in the city. The event honoredsinger-songwriterDavid Byrne, who Bobby worked with on the BroadwayrecordingofAmerican Utopia.

Katie, 43, and Bobby, 41, took their romance publicin April, when they were photographed showing PDA in New York City. During their day out, the couplestrolled through Central Park andvisited the Guggenheim Museum. They also spent time withthe actress'momKathy Holmes.

In May, Katie and Bobby were seen again out in New York City over Mother's Day.

Read this article:

Katie Holmes and Bobby Wooten III Are All Smiles on Romantic NYC Stroll - E! NEWS

Imagine a world where plants evolved and became walking, talking creatures.

Thats director Anand Rajarams invitation to audiences in As You Like It, one of the headline events in this summers Dream in High Park series. Rajarams 90-minute version of Shakespeares comedy officially opens on August 4 and runs through September 4 at the High Park Amphitheatre.

Rajarams goal is to make the production accessible to the widest possible audience and that meant starting from a place where children will understand it, as well as those for whom Shakespeare is foreign or English is a second language, or anyone who just understands cinematically, visually, by pictures, he said.

The idea that the characters are more than human came out of discussions with Anne Barber and Brad Harley of Shadowland Theatre, who are designing sets, costumes and props for the show. I told Shadowland that I dont want there to be human beings onstage because I want the audience to be in a place of What is this? said Rajaram. And Shadowland said, Well, what if everyones a plant of some kind?

He believes audiences will buy into the conceit quickly because weve got Pixar, weve got Monsters, Inc., weve got Cars, weve got Toy Story. Weve got all these things that are heightened reality, said Rajaram. Theres a very strong cartoon esthetic to the show. The idea is its a live cartoon.

Shakespeare aficionados who come in expecting something close to published versions of the script might initially be disoriented. But the people who approach it with an open mind, I think, will see it very differently, said Rajaram. The show features new music by five contemporary recording artists, including Serena Ryder, Kiran Ahluwalia, Lacey Hill, Maryem Tollar and an anonymous contributor.

This is a full-circle moment for Rajaram, whos never directed a major production before. His first professional acting job was in a High Park production of A Midsummer Nights Dream in 1996, a gig he pursued doggedly because the Shakespeare in High Park productions he saw in high school were the only ones in which he felt there could be space for him onstage. Because of the openness of the space and the openness of casting, (High Park) was the first place I went to when starting his career, said Rajaram.

As You Like It is a story of overturnings and reinventions: Duke Senior and his daughter Rosalind are banished from the court by Duke Frederick, Seniors brother. Before leaving, Rosalind falls in love with Orlando, who pursues her to the Forest of Arden. In the forest there are multiple and overlapping romances, including Rosalind dressing as a boy and inviting Orlando to woo her as if she were Rosalind (which of course, she is). Meanwhile, Duke Senior tries to remake his life in a new setting.

When approaching the play, Rajaram started with the title: What does As You Like It mean? I think it means the world as you would like it to be, he said.

He turned to Thomas Mores book Utopia, published in the mid-16th century, which proposes another land which has different rules than the present and shows some things that are good and some things that are bad, but just shows alternate ways of living, said Rajaram.

So if its As You Like It and we start in a place where everybodys destabilized, everybodys trying to find stability, peace, whatever, then when they get to the forest, then thats their opportunity to figure that out.

Rajaram found contemporary resonance in the idea of trying to rebuild a society without duplicating existing power structures. Were in a time of great destabilization, financially and socially, and all the paradigms that we knew are kind of crumbling and new ones are arising. We are actively seeking utopia but tearing down a statue doesnt attain it, he said. The building after is the hard part and thats where all the characters are.

To reinforce this idea of breaking down hierarchies, Rajaram came to rehearsals with a gold crown on his head, wearing a costume: a big velvet peacock puppet with its head in front of him and tail behind.

Ive seen directors who will show up at rehearsal wearing a suit because its a mark of authority, he said. This is kind of a playful upturning of the idea. Im the king in the room, but Im also riding a peacock. Its to maintain a sense of play in the room and maintain a sense of not taking things too seriously.

Everyone responds differently to his costume, Rajaram added, but nobody has a negative response.

Working on the show has allowed Rajaram to explore the concept of utopia in depth.

When we go to the forest, its all things dying and decaying and mushroomy and fungusy, and thats scary. But thats where the richness of everything really is, where its free and abundant, he said.

Utopia ultimately is reconciling mortality. Once you arent afraid of death anymore, thats when you achieve utopia. Thats what love is, fundamentally, is when its timeless and theres no fear of death.

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Read the original here:

Shakespeares As You Like It is reimagined as a utopia with talking plants for the Dream in High Park - Toronto Star