01.23.06 (MusicPortal.com) The following message was sent out recently to LINKIN PARK fans by drummer Rob Bourdon: What's up, Linkin Park fans? I know it's been a long time since we've had a chance to see you guys face-to-face. I miss playing shows, and look forward to seeing all of you in mid-late '06. We have been writing new songs for the next LP album for the last three months or so. We have been working in pairs out of our home studios and trading ideas with each other every few weeks. Now that we have a bunch of material, we are going to head into a pre-production studio where we will all be working together. We have three separate rooms to work out of at the studio, which is really cool because we can still work individually if we need to. I personally like taking song ideas and working on the drums for a while on my own before letting the other guys hear what I have come up with. Songs can be passed around from room to room so each of us can add in our part. Since we are all there together, we can help each other to develop each of our parts and create the best songs possible. It is the ultimate creative environment for how we write music, since we write by recording into a computer, not by jamming together. We currently have around 50 rough ideas for songs, which will be narrowed down to about 15 when we enter the recording studio. We are very excited about the work we have done so far, and are working hard to get it done so you guys can hear it. As I'm sure you already know, Mike (Shinoda) is doing his own solo project, Fort Minor. It's different than Linkin Park's music as it is a hip-hop album. Called 'The Rising Tied,' it is an incredible album. I think it's one of the best of the year, and I'm not just saying that because Mike is my friend. Mike's been incredibly busy because not only has he been promoting his Fort Minor album and writing with us for the upcoming LP album, but he's about to go out on the road for a North American tour, as well as international touring in Taiwan and Thailand (with 50 Cent) and headlining shows in Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand. Our own Machine Shop Recordings artist Holly Brook, who sings on the Fort Minor track 'Where'd You Go,' will be joining him to perform that song live on the road for all the U.S./Canada dates. Not only will the Fort Minor Militia fan club get chances to meet them out on tour at meet-and-greets, we're also inviting the LPU members of Linkin Park's fan club to participate in meet-and-greets and pre-sales for all the shows. Fort Minor Tour Dates: 01/28 St Paul, MN [Station 4] • 01/29 Chicago, IL [House Of Blues] • 01/31 Detroit, MI [St. Andrew's Hall] • 02/01 Toronto, ON [Phoenix Concert Theater] • 02/03 Boston, MA [Avalon Ballroom] • 02/04 Providence, RI [Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel] • 02/06 New York, NY [Nokia Theatre - Times Square] • 02/09 Atlanta, GA [Roxy Theatre] • 02/10 Washington, DC [Nation] • 02/21 San Francisco, CA [The Fillmore] • 02/24 Taipei, Taiwan, China [Taipei Soccer Stadium] • 02/26 Nonthaburi, Bangkok, Thailand [Aktive Square] • 02/28 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia [Bukit Kiara Indoor Venue] • 03/01 Singapore, Singapore [Singapore Indoor Stadium] • 03/03 Brisbane, QLD, Australia [The Arena, Fortitude Valley] • 03/04 Newtown, Sydney, NSW [Australia Enmore Theatre] • 03/05 Melbourne, VIC, Australia [The Palace, St. Kilda] • 03/07 Auckland, New Zealand [The St. James Theatre]

01.16.06 (MusicPortal.com) Classic '80s Alternative songs go back to the future with "Future Retro," as Rhino Records updates the era's shimmering synthesized sounds with remixes by some of today's hottest club DJs and producers. "Future Retro" is available January 24 at regular physical and digital retail outlets, and at www.rhino.com for a suggested list price of $18.98. In addition, a two-LP vinyl version of "Future Retro" with extended and exclusive remixes of most tracks will be available on the same date for a suggested retail price of $19.98. On "Future Retro," music from a short list of influential Alternative artists such as DEVO, THE CURE and ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN is reimagined by renowned DJ's for today's club scene. Featuring 14 brand-new remixes, "Future Retro" includes THE CRYSTAL METHOD tweaking NEW ORDER's 'Bizarre Love Triangle,' JADED ALLIANCE roughing up ERASURE's 'A Little Respect,' and Static Revenger electrifying INXS' 'Need You Tonight.' Several remixes take the original songs to unexpected sonic territories. DJ Irene reconstructs BOOK OF LOVE's 'Boy' with menacing aggro-guitar, and SPARKS takes Morrissey's 'Suedehead' on an epic ride powered by organ swells and looping vocals. Compilation producer Craig DeGraff saw "Future Retro" as a way to combine his favorite '80s Alternative Rock and current Dance/Electronica sounds to create something fresh and inspired. A true labor of love, the disc took nearly two years to bring to completion. "Future Retro" features some of today's hottest mixers. For example, Richard X produced M.I.A. and Annie and remixed the THE BRAVERY's latest single, while Progressive House legends WAY OUT WEST have two critically acclaimed albums and a slew of remixes including FAITHLESS, LIGHTNING SEEDS, Paul Van Dyk, and BT. Montreal DJ Tiga's cover versions of PUBLIC ENEMY's 'Louder Than A Bomb' and Nelly's 'Hot In Herre' have also climbed the charts recently and had dance floors packed. "Future Retro" Track Listing: CD version: 1. The Cure - The Walk (Infusion Remix) • 2. Yaz - Situation (Richard X Remix) • 3. Echo & The Bunnymen - Lips Like Sugar (Way Out West Remix Edit) • 4. INXS - Need You Tonight (Static Revenger Mix Edit) • 5. Depeche Mode - Shake The Disease (Tiga Remix) • 6. Erasure - A Little Respect (Jaded Alliance Electrospect Remix) • 7. Howard Jones - New Song (Peter Black & Hardrock Striker Mix Edit) • 8. Alphaville - Forever Young (Hamel Album Mix) • 9. New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle (The Crystal Method Extended Mix) • 10. Grandmaster Flash And Melle Mel - White Lines (Don't Don't Do It) (Elite Force Mix) • 11. Devo - Girl U Want (Black Light Odyssey Mix) • 12. B-Movie - Nowhere Girl (Adam Freeland Remix) • 13. Book Of Love - Boy (DJ Irene Rockstar Mix) • 14. Morrissey - Suedehead (Sparks Mix) • Vinyl Version: A1. The Cure - The Walk (Infusion 12" Remix) • A2. New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle (Richard X 12" Mix) • B1. Depeche Mode - Shake The Disease (Tiga Remix) • B2. B-Movie - Nowhere Girl (Adam Freeland Mix) • B3. INXS - Need You Tonight (Static Revenger Mix) • C1. Echo & The Bunnymen - Lips Like Sugar (Way Out West Remix) • C2. Howard Jones - New Song (Peter Black & Hardrock Striker Mix) • D1. Grandmaster Flash And Melle Mel - White Lines (Don't Don't Do It) (Elite Force Mix) • D2. Yaz - Situation (Future Funk Squad Remix) • D3. Alphaville - Forever Young (Hamel Club Mix)
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01.12.06 (MusicPortal.com) Atlantic Records recording artists DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE have announced details of their upcoming "Directions," an innovative anthology of 12 short films inspired by each song on the band's acclaimed album, "Plans." Every song, including the hit single 'Soul Meets Body' and the upcoming follow-up, 'Crooked Teeth,' will be delivered by a different director. The videos will be unveiled one by one on the band's website www.deathcabforcutie.com beginning January 23rd. The unprecedented collection came about as the brainchild of Otaku House, the production company owned and run by childhood friends Nick Harmer, bassist for DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE, and video director Aaron Stewart-Ahn. They saw the opportunity to enlist a variety of talented young artists to each make a short film set to a Death Cab song, without the constraints of the traditional music video - no arbitrary performance footage, and the band themselves will not appear in the films. Though the budgets would be small, there would be no creative limits placed upon the filmmakers' imaginations. The ultimate goal was to create a series of small films that worked together as both individual pieces of art and as a unified whole. Stewart-Ahn and the band compiled a list of directors, including superstars, up-and-coming new talents, and even a graphic novelist who had never had his work animated before. "We named the project 'Directions,'" says Stewart-Ahn, "because it's a pun on 'Plans,' obviously, but ultimately because we feel this project is about unique directorial visions more than anything else. We wanted to create a situation where that would be the emphasis, and I feel the list of directors alone proves that." Among the filmmakers contributing to "Directions" are Lance Bangs, famed for his work alongside director Spike Jonze, as well as his videos for such artists as R.E.M. and GREEN DAY; P.R. Brown, who has directed videos for Billy Corgan, Matisyahu and MOTLEY CRUE; Ace Norton, a stop-frame animation maestro; acclaimed graphic novelist Jeffrey Brown ("Clumsy"); the Cincinnati-based motion design collective, LIGHTBORNE; long-time DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE photographer Autumn De Wilde; writer/director Rob Schrab, the mind behind the legendary never-aired Jack Black pilot, "Heat Vision" and "Jack," and co-founder of the Channel 101 website; acclaimed music video directors Laurent Briet and Monkmus, as well as Stewart-Ahn himself, following up his critically-hailed video debut, THE DECEMBERISTS' '16 Military Wives.' "Each interpretation is phenomenal, and our hats go off to everyone involved," says DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE vocalist/guitarist Ben Gibbard. "It's our hope that this project serves as a model to both labels and bands as a way to grant the directors the type and amount of freedom we've enjoyed in the creation of the music itself." "We have truly been blessed to have met so many creative and energetic artists over the years of being a band," says Harmer. "It just seemed so appropriate to build a project that so many artists that we admire could be a part of, and it's so inspiring to stand back and watch them work." "It's thrilling to have so many enthusiastic artists involved," comments DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE guitarist Chris Walla, "and better still that they're such a varied bunch: Some are heroes; some are exceptionally talented friends; some are brilliant people none of us had heard of. I don't know of any projects quite like this one."
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01.11.06 (MusicPortal.com) DJ CAM is set to release a new remix album in "Revisited By" via Recall Records on January 31st. With over 15 years in the music business, DJ CAM has produced and remixed an eclectic and highly acclaimed selection of Hip-Hop, chill-out, and Jazz tracks. Along his creative journey, DJ CAM's work has inspired some of the best remixers in the business to put their stamp on his music. "Revisited By" compiles those remixes for the first time, and allows the listener to take a step deeper into his best work with THIEVERY CORPORATION, Kenny Dope, Kid Loco and more. "Revisited By" has already been launched on the iTunes Music Store alongside DJ CAM's entire nine-album catalog, which is now exclusively available on the popular Apple digital platform. To support the release of "Revisited By," DJ CAM will be doing a special showcase appearance at the Apple Store in New York City sometime in February. Expect DJ CAM to be included in select lifestyle marketing projects and to hear his music synchronized, as Recall Records is constantly exploring and developing entirely new expressions of modern music and imagery, whether for film, television, advertising, video games or communications and internet technology. The Collective Agency (Sasha & Digweed, UNKLE, Junkie XL) has recently signed DJ CAM for bookings and is currently working on U.S. Spring dates, including potential performances at South By Southwest, Winter Music Conference & M3 Summit, and Coachella. DJ CAM will be performing an exclusive DJ set at the MIDEM Conference in Cannes, France on January 24th as Recall Records is hosting the "Music For Images" day-long conference along with EuropaCorp, a top European film studio lead by Luc Besson. The set will also be simulcast live over the Internet and select U.S. radio stations. Laurent Daumail, better known to music fans as DJ CAM, is one of the bedrock artists of the Electronic genre, known not only for his remix work, but also for his eclectic productions in many genres. His hit remixes include everything from Nas ('Made You Look') to CYPRESS HILL ('Highlife') to Macy Gray ('Do Something') to Michael Jackson ('Rock My World'). DJ CAM's first release, 1994's "Underground Vibes," was followed by "Underground Live" (1996), "Substances" (1996), "DJ Kicks" (1997), "The Beat Assassinated" (1998), "The Loa Project Vol. 1/Vol. 2" (2000), and "Soulshine" (2002). DJ CAM currently lives in Paris, France. "Revisited By" Track Listing: 1. Success (Kenny Dope Remix) • 2. Success (Thievery Corporation Remix) • 3. Meera (Extra Lucid Remix) • 4. He's Gone (Featuring China) (Kid Loco Remix) • 5. Voodoo Child (Featuring Afu Ra) (DJ Premier Remix) • 6. Innervisions (DJ Vadim Remix) • 7. Success (Attica Blues Remix) • 8. Espionage (Featuring Guru) (Bob Sinclar Remix) • 9. Broadcasting Live (Featuring Channel Live) (Lord Finesse Remix) • 10. DJ Cam Sound System (Demon Remix) • 11. Love Junkee (Featuring Cameo) (J Dilla Remix) • 12. Meera (Tek 9/Four Hero Remix) • 13. Innervisions (Flytronix Remix)
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01.03.06 (MusicPortal.com) URSULA 1000 is set to release "Here Comes Tomorrow" on April 4th via Eighteenth Street Lounge Music. On the upcoming release, URSULA 1000 explores a mind meld of Jazz, Electro, Latin, Swing, Ska, Bossa Nova, Hip-Hop, Funk, Psychedelia and Glam Rock to create an undeniably original album chock full of fun surprises. "Here Comes Tomorrow" marks the artist's third studio album, and features guest appearances by LOS AMIGOS INVISIBLES, Federico Aubele, Dougee Dimensional, Cristina (of Ze Records fame), and members of GENTLE PEOPLE, QYPTHONE, CABARET NOIR, TOWER OF POWER and MISTY ROSES. The man behind URSULA 1000 is none other than mild mannered multi-instrumentalist Alex Gimeno. Based in New York City, his style evolved and transitioned from the sophisticated & hip background score provided by his father -- a renowned member of 50's Latin orchestra LOS CHAVALES DE ESPANA -- to the heady Rock, Punk, Disco, Funk and Electronic Dance music of his generation. Gimeno smoothly moves back and forth between musical styles from the glamorous Jet Set era to frenetic Electronica. URSULA 1000 cannot be boxed in, categorized or labeled - his music being a multi-leveled eclectic blend of styles and genres. Finding a label to house his extent of eclecticism is just too tricky. In the late '90s came the smart and highly respected Eighteenth Street Lounge Music label, operated by Washington DC's THIEVERY CORPORATION. "The Now Sound Of Ursula 1000," Gimeno debut album, drenched in its sound collage of Lounge, funky breaks, and pastiche-a-delica, was released to critical acclaim, Tower Records' Pulse magazine naming it one of the "Top Ten Dance Albums Of 1999." Joining the ranks of the international club Pop & loungecore elite, some dubbed URSULA 1000 as the U.S. ambassador to the tantalizing new sound. His second release, "All Systems Are Go Go," was compiled and mixed from a live session. It features 18 cuts that are staples in his DJ set with tracks from Japan, Germany, Italy, England and the U.S. Featuring collaborations with Dr. Luke (guitarist from the "Saturday Night Live" band) and Brother Cleve (of loungesters COMBUSTIBLE EDISON), 2002 saw "Kinda' Kinky" taking the "Now Sound" to a bigger and badder place where the leisure class meet the beatfreak upstarts on the dancefloor for a showdown. Cheeky Hammond organ breaks, spy caper intrigue, boogaloo shingalings, Samba Disco, a pinch of Electro and bongos are most definitely on the menu. That album's original artwork was done by Shag from "Supersonic Swingers & Bottomless Cocktail" fame. 2004 brought "Ursadelica," yet another mix of URSULA 1000's signature eclectic style. You can catch Alex Gimeno DJ-ing his transcontinental grooves for fashionistas at discotheques worldwide, and in New York on weekend residencies at the swank APT and the Soho Grand Lounge. URSULA 1000 has also lent his production hand to some of Dance music's finest. Over the past couple years, he's remixed the likes of Felix Da Housecat, Quincy Jones, Nicola Conte, Pierre Henry, THE FAINT, FORT KNOX FIVE, plus he's also remixed theme songs for "The Incredibles," "The Powerpuff Girls" and "Sesame Street." URSULA 1000's music has been used in hit shows like "Entourage," "Sex And The City," "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy" and Tony Hawk's ESPN specials as well.
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[Electronic News: December 2005]
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