Thursday, September 29, 2011

Mogwai - Glasgow - 30th November 1997

Thanks to Andy for passing on several Mogwai reviews and interviews published in the Glasgow Guardian in the late 1990s. First up, a review of Mogwai's last show of 1997, a homecoming date at The Arches in Glasgow.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

More mixes - Martin John Henry, Laki Mera



Martin John Henry, former De Rosa singer, has his debut solo album 'The Other Half Of Everything' released by Gargleblast Records on 10th October. 'The Other Half Remixes EP' follows on 17th October, featuring reworkings of Henry’s songs by Mogwai, Human Don’t Be Angry (Malcolm Middleton) and Miaoux Miaoux. The ep is download-only and will be available here:
http://gargleblastrecords.bandcamp.com/

Mogwai have also remixed Laki Mera's 'Crater'. The mix is available as a download in exchange for access to all your personal data for a 'Like' on Facebook here:
http://www.facebook.com/lakimeramusic

Update - the Laki Mera remix is now available via Soundcloud from the band or their label. Thanks Nick.
http://soundcloud.com/lakimeramusic/crater-mogwai-remix
http://soundcloud.com/justmusiclabel/laki-mera-crater-mogwai-remix

Laki Mera - Crater (Mogwai Remix) by Just Music label

Monday, September 26, 2011

Remember Remember 'The Quickening' out today



Remember Remember's second album, The Quickening is out today (26th September) on Rock Action Records.

Recorded in early 2011 at Chem 19 Studios, Scotland against a background of tumultuous global events, The Quickening sees Remember Remember return with the same seven piece group heard on last year’s “RR Scorpii” EP – Graeme J.D. Ronald, Andy Brown, James Swinburne, Joanne Murtagh, Joseph Quimby, Steven Kane and Tommy Stuart – further embellished on the second full length by the nylon string guitar talents of R.M. Hubbert and a full string quartet.

Remember Remember have moved their base of operations into the playroom of a disused primary school in Glasgow’s South Side, and while The Quickening is still a playful, colourful record, a lot of the toys have gone and the music dives deeper into darker, psychedelic territories hinted at on “RR Scorpii”; Pagan waltzes, apocalyptic Egyptian surf and Middle Eastern modes mingle with sombre pianos and bleak string interludes, concluding, however, with a duo of songs – ‘One Happier’ and ‘John Candy’ – both bittersweet and stratospheric , creating an ending made of pure, bright light.

The Quickening is their first album since the 2008 self-titled debut. In the interim, Ronald has helped on various projects at Green Door Studios including one where Glaswegian songwriters teamed up with musicians from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Ronald eventually wrote a piece for string quartet and tuned percussion leading to him contributing string arrangements on Happy Particles’ debut album and ultimately giving him the confidence to include string arrangements on The Quickening. The addition of the string quartet weaves hypnotic musical tapestries, evoking a Pagan Ceremony on ‘Ocean Potion’ or a foggy celtic seascape on ‘Scottish Widows’.

Remember Remember‘s musical journey, which began as one guy on stage with a loopstation and a bag of toys, now finds them here with The Quickening, a powerful and exciting listen that promises live experiences just as thrilling.

Tracklisting

1 // White Castle

2 // Ocean Potion

3 // Scottish Widows

4 // Hey Zeus

5 // Unclean Powers

6 // A Larger Demon

7 // One Happier

8 // John Candy


LINE UP//

Graeme J.D. Ronald – Piano, Guitar, Bass, Guzheng, Sampled Flutes, Glockenspiel, Vibraphone, Xylophone, Loops, Synthesizer, Handclaps. Andy Brown – The Drums. James Swinburne – Saxophones, Clarinet, Flute, Sampled Flutes, Guzheng, Wurlitzer, Handclaps. Joanne Murtagh – Glockenspiel, Vibraphone, Percussion. Joseph L. Quimby – Guitar. Steven Kane – Guitar. Tommy Stuart – Synthesizers

ADDITIONAL MUSICIANS//

R.M. Hubbert – Spanish Guitar. Stacey Sievewright – Cello. Joan Sweeney – Violins. Michael Marshall – Viola

http://www.myspace.com/rememberremember
http://www.rock-action.co.uk/

Sunday, September 25, 2011

US dates postponed

From http://www.mogwai.co.uk/:

US Dates: Announcement

It is with the utmost regret that for medical reasons we have to postpone our American shows this week and cancel the I'll Be Your Mirror performance. We will announce new dates as soon as possible and apologise for the last minute nature of this announcement.

Mogwai

The dates affected:

sept 2011
26 new york, ny, usa - webster hall
27 new york, ny, usa - webster hall
28 philadelphia, pa, usa - union transfer
29 washington, dc, usa - 9.30 club

oct 2011
1 boston, ma, usa - house of blues
2 asbury park, nj, usa - atp 'i'll be your mirror'

http://pitchfork.com/news/44122-mogwai-postpone-us-dates-again/

http://www.subpop.com/channel/blog/the_increasingly_poor_luck_of_mogwai

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Das Gift ist Irn Bru

From http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/20/germany-british-food-popularity:

Anyone craving Irn-Bru can head to Das Gift, a new pub in the rapidly gentrifying Neukölln district run by Barry Burns, a musician in the Glaswegian band Mogwai, along with his Scottish wife, Rachel. Popular bar snacks include salt'n'vinegar crisps and Tunnock's Caramel Wafers.

Das Gift offers a large range of Scottish ales from breweries such as Williams Brothers and Brewdog. "The majority of customers who buy them are German, and they are very enthusiastic about trying them since they aren't very common in Germany at all," said Rachel. The beer is authentic but for one crucial difference. "I know some Scottish ales are recommended to be served at room temperature but summers in Berlin are sometimes just so hot and humid that a cold beer is necessary."

Thanks Ian

Monday, September 19, 2011

Remember Remember 'The Quickening' full album stream



Full album stream of 'The Quickening', Remember Remember's new album, at The Quietus NOW!

The album is released next Monday, 26th September, by Rock Action

Part Chimp & Torche - split 12" pre-order



From http://www.chunklet.com/:

Five years ago, during SXSW, Chunklet put on a 20 band bill in two parking lots in north Austin. Two bands met and became immediate fans of each other. Torche, who were still a brand new band and at SXSW at Chunklet's request, and Part Chimp, the noise titans from London who were touring the States for the second time. And well, on that steamy tarmac, a love affair was born.

Almost immediately thereafter, we all started discussing a split release featuring the two bands, and sadly, it takes the pending dissolution of Part Chimp at the end of this year to make it happen. Yes, this is the final Part Chimp release here in the States and the penultimate worldwide.

Part Chimp turn in two scorchers, Dr. Horse and The Watcher while Torche send a love letter to the boys from Dayton and cover three Guided By Voices songs (Exit Flagger, Unleashed! The Large Hearted Boy and Postal Blowfish).

This, Chunklet's 9th 12" release, will be available only during the band's tour up the East Coast in November and here for a limited time. Edition of 500.

Pre-order: http://www.chunklet.com/store/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_id=99

Some details:

- It will ship the same week as the Torche/Part Chimp tour.

- The cover artwork (featuring Gorillas and Yeti's fighting in a future we'll hopefully never witness) was done by the world-renowned sci-fi illustrator Trevor Claxton.

- The type was hand drawn by Nolen Strals from Post-Typography and Double Dagger.

- Copies purchased off of the Chunklet website are available in black and colored vinyl for a very limited time and on the Torche/Part Chimp tour in early November (while supplies last).

- SPECIAL CHUNKLET EXCLUSIVE! All copies purchased off of the Chunklet website will be personally signed by the artist Trevor Claxton!

Torche/Part Chimp US East Coast Tour Dates:

Sat 11/5 / Motorco, Durham, NC
Sun 11/6 / Strange Matter, Richmond, VA
Mon 11/7 / Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA
Tues 11/8 / The Met, Pawtucket, RI
Wed 11/9 / Mercury Lounge, New York, NY
Thur 11/10 / DC9 Nightclub, Washington, DC
Fri 11/11 / Tremont Music Hall, Charlotte, NC
Sat 11/12 / The Earl, Atlanta, GA


Part Chimp have also confirmed the following European dates for their final tour:

Fri 21st Oct - Custard Factory, Birmingham - Supersonic Festival

Sat 26th Nov - Autumn Falls @ VK, Brussels - with Chrome Hoof & Ice Age
Sun 27th Nov - Le Guess Who, Utrecht, NL
Mon 28th Nov - Hafenklang, Hamburg

http://www.partchimp.com/

Monday, September 12, 2011

Mogwai: Earth Division ep released today



The Earth Division EP is out today, (Monday 12th) on CD, 12" and Digital Download. Visit your local independent record store and buy a copy. (It's out tomorrow in North America.)

Friday, September 9, 2011

Remember Remember 'Scottish Widows' video

Remember Remember - Scottish Widows from Rock Action on Vimeo.


http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/2011/09/premiere-watch-remember-remember-scottish-widows/
Here’s a fittingly autumnal video for ‘Scottish Widows’, taken from Rock Action-signed Remember Remember‘s forthcoming album The Quickening.

Remember Remember apparently write and rehearse in the playroom of a disused primary school. Seldom, frankly, has a record owed so much to the environment in which it was made. ‘Scottish Widows’ sounds like the Yann Tiersen-penned soundtrack to a film in which some terrible horror has befallen an orphanage. All the kids have vanished and there’s just a slightly battered little music box playing morosely in the corner. It’s about as bleak as it gets. Just as well, then, that it’s also very beautiful.

The Quickening is out on Rock Action on 26 September. Remember Remember play the following dates:
September
22 – London, Servant Jazz Quarters w/Clorinde
24 – Glasgow, Stereo w/Clorinde and Ben Butler & Mousepad
25 – Newcastle, The Cluny w/Nathalie Stern

Mogwai: Hong Kong - 21st November

Mogwai

Kitec
Hong Kong

21st November 2011

http://www.kitec.com.hk/

Tickets on sale from 15th September:
http://www.hkticketing.com/

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Mint Julep - Aviary (Mogwai Remix)



http://rcrdlbl.com/2011/09/07/premiere_mint_julep_aviary_mogwai_remix_

At first, you can barely see the band in their press pic; can barely hear the band in their download. But relax your squint, adjust your earbuds, allow the darkness to open and the sound to spread, and Mogwai’s post-rock rework of married Portland ambients Mint Julep will become brighter and louder than you ever thought possible. Thick shoegaze textures, soft laser squelches, and enchantress vocals seem to savor a rainy day, embracing all elements cold until they're transformed into something warm.

Free download in exchange for an email address.

Mogwai: Beijing - 5th October



Mogwai play Modern Sky Festival in Beijing, China on October 5th.

Box office link: http://www.mlive.me/

Mogwai's first show in China.

There's a considerable amount of speculation around about a show in Hong Kong on 21st November - anyone seen this confirmed?

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Mogwai at Flow Festival - streaming audio

Mogwai played Helsinki's Flow Festival on 14th August. Streaming audio of the show has just been posted at Gimme Indie:

http://www.gimmeindie.se/live/konsert/mogwai/

Apparat – ‘Song Of Los’ (Mogwai Remix)

Apparat - Song Of Los (Mogwai Remix) by Mute UK

http://www.factmag.com/2011/09/07/apparat-song-of-los-mogwai-remix/
Apparat is gearing up to release The Devil’s Walk, his first album for Mute Records.

‘Song Of Los’ is the new single from the album, and is due out on 12″ and download on September 26, accompanied by a remix from Mogwai. The Scottish outfit have been in a rich vein of form lately, delivering one of the finest LPs of their career in Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will and exploring chamber classical composition on their new EP Earth Division. There remix is full of their usual sense of drama, and transforms the source material while staying true to its melancholy spirit and textured production.

Earth Division ep stream and track-by-track guide



Mogwai – Earth Division EP: exclusive stream and track-by-track guide
Listen to Mogwai's new EP as Stuart Braithwaite talks you through each track

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2011/sep/07/mogwai-earth-division-ep-stream

Mogwai - Harvest Festival confirmed

We reported back in July that Mogwai were returning to Australia in November, and these shows have now been confirmed:

Saturday November 12 - Harvest Presents “The Gathering”, Melbourne, Werribee Park
Sunday November 13 - Harvest, Sydney, Parramatta Park
Saturday November 19 - Harvest, Brisbane, Botanical Gardens

http://www.harvestfestival.com.au/

Presumably there will be other shows on dates between the festivals.

Monday, September 5, 2011

'Earth Division' ep - pre-order from Mogwai's online store



Earth Division EP tracklisting//
1. Get To France.
2. Hound Of Winter.
3. Drunk And Crazy.
4. Does This Always Happen?

"Earth Division" EP will be available on CD, 12" and Digital Download on September 12th on Rock Action [ROCKACT61] and 13th September on Sub Pop [SP966] for North America.

Pre-order from Mogwai's online store here:
http://mogwai.sandbag.uk.com/Store/DII-1449-3-earth+division+ep++pre+order.html

Details on pre-orders from other retailers here:
http://brightlight-youngteam.blogspot.com/2011/08/mogwai-earth-division-ep-uk-pre-orders.html

Stuart interviewed at Electric Picnic



Anybody seen a setlist for Mogwai's Electric Picnic set? I believe part of the set was broadcast by RTE 2FM last night.

Right at the end of the interview, Stuart mentions that Mogwai may well be playing in China between the ATP 'I'll Be Your Mirror' show (2nd October) and the date in Mexico City (15th October), presumably meaning no further dates will be added to the US tour.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Mogwai - iTunes live ep



Following on from Mogwai's appearance at the iTunes Festival 2011 at London's Roundhouse on Saturday 23rd July, there's now an exclusive live ep available on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/itunes-festival-london-2011/id460386660

1 Death Rays (Live)
2 How to Be a Werewolf (Live)
3 2 Rights Make 1 Wrong (Live)
4 Rano Pano (Live)
5 Mexican Grand Prix (Live)
6 Auto Rock (Live)

There's also an Errors live ep from the same show - well worth hearing.