Category Archives: Music

Every kind of sound imaginable.

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Outsider Y.P. – The artist formerly known as Young Phantom

What you may need to know…

01. Cork-based rapper/beatmaker/freelancer Mark Mavambu has always been an ambitious sort, and the extent of what he has in mind is starting to make itself apparent.

02. Having both joined the ranks of the Word Up Collective (Dublin) and established Outsiders Entertainment as a catch-all banner for the exploits of himself and collaborators, the former Young Phantom has taken up the A$AP Mob naming convention to get the ball rolling on the latter, rebranding as Outsider Y.P.

03. Streaming above (in a Broadsheet premiere!) is the cinematic video for Saddest Day, the leadoff single for new album Alone.Insane.Alive, releasing on April 30th. On the video, he writes:

The music video is shot in the city of Hong Kong, starring fashion designer and model Sai Wing. The video is shot and edited by 3JBK, a team of videographers and video producers based in Hong Kong.

The collaborative effort was scripted and co-directed by Outsider YP and 3JBK’s Edward Chun. This is the first of a possible many other collaborations between Yp and Asian based creatives. His love of anime and Asian pop culture in general was one of the driving forces behind Yp deciding to attempt to shoot his first music video in Asia.

04. The album launches on April 29th with a special listening party at the Glucksman Museum in UCC, with what’s described as an “unorthodox” listening experience, performance and an ambient DJ set from veteran Leeside beatslinger Stevie G.

Thoughts: This column has sung his praises before, but it bears repeating – Young Phantom is one of the most exciting artists in Irish music of any genre today.

Outsider Y.P.

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Ghost Robots – Waterford five-piece

What you may need to know…

01. Alt-rock is the order of the day for Waterford five-piece Ghost Robots.

02. Formerly known as We, the People, the band rebranded in 2015 and releasing their Sell It to Me EP.

03. Streaming above is the lead-off single for same, Under Fire.

04. Catch ’em at home tomorrow night, playing creative space The Bearded Lady on Michael St. BYOB show, so no glass, no trackies, etc.

Thoughts: A lot here for fans of the broader church of alternative sounds and references.

Ghost Robots

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Irish music is littered with stories of innovation and hidden legacies, lost to time and forgotten.

One artist, an Irish emigré returned home, is preparing to rectify his case.

Writes Rohan Healy:

Hanging in the Bridle Bar of the Áras an Uachtaráin (Official Residence of the President of Ireland) are the framed, original, hand-written lyrics of one of David Virgin’s songs.

He was instrumental in the creation of industrial music in the late ‘70’s with his group SPK. He has lived the world over and in a career spanning four decades has performed with the likes of Mary Black, Nick Cave, INXS, Lloyd Cole, Billy Bragg and Cat Power to name a few.

David now lives permanently in Dublin, the town of his birth, and in summer 2017 will release “The Beautiful Album” through Beardfire Music, backed by his sons, now of The Dublin City Rounders. The family trio will also take to the stage for a select number of live appearances to launch the album upon its release.

Ahead of the full album in summer, the singles “Love Comes” and “Rock N Roll” are out now and available to purchase on Bandcamp, and the music video for “Love Comes” was released online.

David Virgin

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BODIES – Mope-core

What you may need to know…

01. The solo outlet of musician David Anthony McGeown, BODIES specialises in what he refers to as “mope-core”.

02. A new outfit, emerging first as McGeown’s recording pseudonym and subsequently as a live band, BODIES’ debut album Drench was completed last year and should be enroute later in 2017.

03. Streaming above is the project’s debut single Nightmoves, released in December of last year, accompanied by a remix from much-fancied producer Kobina.

04. Next live excursion is Friday night at the Mezz in Dublin, supporting Cork psych-rockers The Sunshine Factory. Also on the bill are Death in the Sickroom and The Thrash Blues.

THOUGHTS: A bleak take on the broad church of alternative sounds and reference points.

BODIES

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A new animated interview from the PBS Blank On Blank series.

Joe Smith recalls a meeting with George Michael in 1986.

To wit:

George Michael was 23 when he sat for this interview, which has never been broadcast before. He had just embarked on his solo career after leaving Wham!. During the conversation, George Michael talks about his sexuality and shedding his pop-ballad persona á la Careless Whisper. He sounds confident in striking out on his own and sees a clear path to super stardom, but he openly talks about the fear that lurks within that fame might be his demise. He reflects on the power of his fame, as he recalls the historic trip Wham! took to play in communist-China in 1985.

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Shardborne – Limerick prog/technical metal

What you may need to know…

01. At last, an excuse to talk about Limrock proggers Shardborne and their ridiculous array of riffs.

02. As well-known for tireless work in mucking in on metal events in Limerick as they are for their intricate, technical metal, the band emerged at the tail end of the last decade, releasing debut E.P. Aeonian Sequence in 2011.

03. Streaming above is the band’s debut album, Living Bridges, released in 2015 via Out on a Limb Records, and available for download on the band’s Bandcamp.

04. Catch them playing Fred Zeppelin’s in Cork in support of Guilty Optics‘ album launch this Thursday. €7 in the door, kickoff at 9.

Thoughts: One of the leading lights of Irish metal, a considered fusion of technical metal precision and prog-rock exploration.

Shardborne

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WORM – Cork ambient two-piece launch new label

What you may need to know…

01. Leeside stalwarts Caoilian Sherlock and Mr. K (he of Not Earth), by their powers combined, are ambient duo WORM.

02. Recorded during the winter of last year, debut album Stars Talking was given life in various locales around the city, including the dearly-departed Cork Community Print Shop.

03. Streaming above in the widget now, and also available for name-your-price download.

04. This release is also that of their new label, Small Town Disco, so named for Sherlock’s radio show on Dublin Digital Radio.

Thoughts: Thoughtful, in-the-moment jams from their own space and time. Wonderful.

WORM

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Shookrah – neo-soul from Cork

What you may need to know…

01. Last time we’d checked in prog/neo-soul outfit Shookrah they were doing a few gigs ahead of getting ready to put down their new extended-player.

02. Second E.P. Clichés is complete, and due for release in the early part of this year.

03. Streaming above is the video for lead-off single Gerascophobia, directed and edited by the band’s own Emmet O’Riabhaigh. For the pedants among our commentariat:

Gerascophobia is an abnormal or persistence fear of growing old or ageing. Gerascophobia is a clinical phobia generally classified under specific phobias, fears of a single specific panic trigger. Gerascophobia may be based on anxieties of being left alone, without resources and incapable of caring for oneself. Sufferers may be young and healthy.

The term gerascophobia comes from the Greek γηράσκω, gerasko, “I grow old” and φόβος, phobos, “fear”. Some authors refer to it as gerontophobia, although this may also refer to the fear of the elderly.

04. Playing Connolly’s of Leap tonight, for those of you out Wesht, and tickets/bus available in the city. They’ll also be playing the Right Here, Right Now festival in the Cork Opera House on April 30th, tickets also on sale now.

Thoughts: Treading the lines between jazz, soul, R’n’B, pop and hip-hop, this new material sees the outfit grow ever more musically fearless.

Shookrah

Photo shoot of the 2010 PSA in progress. A robot called Shimon played the marimba while Caity Jimenez played the drums.

Georgia Tech’s improvisational robotic marimba player Shimon joins a jazz band on stage at Washington’s Kennedy Centre. To wit:

Georgia Tech’s Robotic Musicians and Musical Cyborgs features Shimon, the robotic marimba player, alongside other robotic musicians and a drummer who wears an assistive robotic drumming prosthesis. Shimon utilizes artificial intelligence and creativity algorithms that push musical experiences and outcomes to uncharted domains.

Niiiice.

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