Song To Song : Upcoming Terrence Malick Movie To Star Patti Smith, Flea, Arcade Fire

The exciting new film by Terrence Malik, Song to Song, will feature guest appearances by a host of musicians including Patti Smith, Flea (Red Hot Chilli Peppers), Iggy Pop and John Lydon (Sex Pistols), to name but a few.

The plot is set against the backdrop of the Austin, Texas music scene, and follows the intersecting love triangles between two couples – struggling songwriters Faye (Rooney Mara) and BV (Ryan Gosling), and music mogul Cook (Michael Fassbender) and the waitress that he ensnares (Natalie Portman).

The film was originally titled Weightless but was later changed to Song to Song. It has been in production since 2012.

The film will premiere at the SXSW Festival on March 10, before a general release date of March 17. As well as a stellar cast, Malick’s new movie will feature cameo appearances from Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, Black Lips, Flea, John Lydon, Arcade Fire, Florence Welch, Iron & Wine, Fleet Foxes, Lykke Li, Alan Palomo and Spank Rock.

Watch the trailer for Terrence Malick’s Song to Song below:

Kachina To Release EP Alright, via NexGen Sub-label Affectionate Grooves

Kachina’s new EP Alright, is set to be released by NexGen's sub label Affectionate Grooves, on February 24.

Featuring vocals by Afua, the EP is expected to become a favorite on the UK club circuit and will be followed by  “Waiting for you” a track which will be released later in 2017.

The UK based trio released their first EP on Affectionate Grooves,  ‘Smile’ in 2015, which was co-written by fellow producer Prangman.
Kachina came into fruition when producer Zurcon and front man Rob Sparx discovered their mutual interest in drum and bass, dubstep, grime and dub studio sessions. They first performed on RINSE FM DJ Marcus Nasty’s show in February 2016.

“Alright” is described as a pacey track, launching straight into cut samples of Afua’s soulful vocals and jazzy stabs with the characteristically subby dancehall bass coming in soon after. The track is perfectly mixed for the dance environment, with gating and compression techniques creating an ideal balance between sound and silence, creating effects that are both powerfully reminiscent of rock-solid 90s electronica and fresh in delivery and tone.

Drawing influences from the classic UK Garage sound popularised by Tuff Jam, Kachina also list Groove Chronicles, Burial, Marshall Jefferson, Derrick May, Carl Craig, Armand Van Helden, Moloko, Gorgon City, Cause & Affect and Prangman among their influences.

Kachina explains the title track of their release: “Alright” is an uplifting feel good tune with a happy vibe that takes you back to the classic 4/4 UKG sound but with a big BIG bass which keeps switching tone every 8/16 bars along with some lovely gospel-influenced vocals from Afua. The tune gets busier as it progresses with more drums, stab layers and vocal harmonies until it forms a much thicker, heavier and funkier sound towards the end.”

“Alright” Tracklist:
1.       Your Dreams (feat. Afua)
2.       Wrong
3.       Show Me Love
4.       Alright (feat. Afua)

Have a listen below to “Alright (feat. Afua)”

Prangman Releases New Track

Dan Meldrum, who records and performs under the moniker Prangman, is a self-confessed “drum and bass head”, whose ability to blend sounds and textures from contrasting genres has generated a lot of excitement in indie electronic music circles.

Prangman cites a range of influences, including UK garage artists Flava D, EL-B, Killjoy and Mooney, and drum and bass producers like Calibre, Break, Calyx, Tee-Bee, Black Sun Empire and Noisia & Phace. Recent appearances at Horizon and Outlook have confirmed his reputation on the festival circuit, while his latest single - “Far Away” (featuring Lyndsey Murray) - is a wonderful introduction for those not familiar with Prangman’s sound: a sparse, rhythmic vocal breaks track with alluring overtones of acid jazz and soul.

Have a listen to the track, which “pitches heavily rhythmic production against oh-so-soulful vocals” (Clash) right here:

Details About New Jeff Mills Album Emerge

Electronic music luminary Jeff Mills has released details about his upcoming album, due out on March 24th from Axis Records.

Planets will be a 9-track LP, which each track named after one of the celestial bodies that also inspired Gustav Holst’s seminal 1916 suite of the same name.

Mills teased details about the album last month, calling it an “Electronic Classical concept album” that “pays tribute” to Holst’s original score. Axis Records have now also confirmed that the album, which will feature "minimalist electronic composition for orchestras, symphonic and philharmonic",  will not only be released on CD, but, additionally, on Blu-Ray. The Blu-Ray version will offer an extended "an 18-piece suite that explores the nine planets, including the portions of space in between the planets: the nine regions Mills calls Loop Transits."

Take a look at a teaser video for the album, which was finished in Abbey Road at the end of 2016, below:

St. Vincent Makes Directorial Debut In All-Female Horror Anthology

Former member of The Polyphonic Spree, St.Vincent (real name Annie Clark) has made her directorial debut with “The Birthday Party”, a short film which forms part of a new horror film anthology entitled XX.

Recently premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, it is soon to appear on-demand and in selected theatres around the globe from February 17th.

“The Birthday Party”, named in honour of Nick Cave's first band, is not your run-of-the-mill horror movie.This is due to the fact that Clark herself is not a fan of horror movies, stating in an interview with Laura Snapes of FACT magazine that: “[they’re] too scary for me. I don’t like gore at all. I don’t like sexual violence. I don’t like blood and bone and sinew. I don’t like to see it.”

St. Vincent’s film, instead, adopts a more psychological, ethereal approach in her contribution to XX, an anthology featuring four women directors: Clark’s film, alongside Jovanka Vuckovic's “The Box”, Roxanne Benjamin's “Don't Fall” and Karyn Kusama's “Only Living Son”.

St. Vincent will also release a 5th studio album later this year.

Check out the creepy, atmospheric trailer for XX below: