Penguin Cafe are back with a lovingly produced 10th anniversary reissue of their debut album, titled A Matter of Life… 2021. Besides being completely remastered and pressed on vinyl for the very first time, the record also features a brand new 2021 recording of lead single Harry Piers, a song commemorating Arthur Jeffes’ late father and Penguin Cafe Orchestra founder Simon Jeffes.
A Matter of Life… 2021 is a chance for a classic example of the beauty that’s found in collaboration to reach fresh ears, and an opportunity to breathe new life into fan favourites. The album, performed by a mix of personalities — including Neil Codling of Suede and, on percussion, Cass Browne of Gorillaz — incorporates the aesthetics of the original PCO, seasoned into a confident and redefined style, maintaining that quintessentially English sound, but adding a fresh direction and a sense that they are evolving into something new and very much their own.
“I originally wrote Harry Piers to play at my dad‘s memorial service 24 years ago, and I played it at the end of pretty much every gig (and soundcheck) we’ve done since, so I’ve probably played it hundreds if not thousands of times since we originally released A Matter of Life… So when we decided to reissue the album, Robert and I both felt it would be fun to record an up-to-date version of this song, because it has changed over time and it continues to evolve. So while this is still very much the same tune, I think it has a lot more nuance and detail that reflect the years that have passed since 2011” — Arthur Jeffes
The cover artwork also received an update in the shape of a beautiful photograph taken by the UK photographer and long-time collaborator Alex Kozobolis, who was sent to visit Arthur in his second home in Tuscany. Raths’ concept for this was to not only reenact the original painting by Emily Young, but to express the generational change by putting Arthur and his daughter in place of the little boy and the emperor penguin figure that suggest father and son.
The remastered 10th anniversary edition of A Matter of Life… 2021 will be available digitally, on 12” vinyl and on CD from April 29, 2022.
“it’s been really lovely to come back to these old friends — and with this re-issue we’ll be bringing them all out to play live again. Now four albums on, and with our new home at Erased Tapes, it makes a lot of sense for us to go back and pull this record out and brush it off for today” — Arthur Jeffes
Many years ago, I reviewed an album by a famous rock star, and back then I said the only reason people were even talking about it was due to who was involved as opposed to the value of the music it contained, and now here I am saying exactly the same thing again. While much may be made of singer Maiah Wynne, or that famous producer and engineer Alf Annibalini (guitar, keyboards, programming) is involved, or Coney Hatch co-founder Andy Curran (bass guitar, synthesized bass, programming, guitar, backing vocals, Stylophone), but this will be on the top of many people’s “must hear” list due solely to the fourth member of the band, one Alex Lifeson.
Many people were wondering if Alex or Geddy would get back into the studio at any point, given they have spent virtually their whole musical lives wrapped up in Rush, but I am sure most people expected that something would happen at some point, but I never expected this. Firstly, Alex trod the boards in front of someone who was known as “the professor”, one of the finest percussionists and drummers ever involved in rock music, yet he has come back with a band where the drums are all programmed. Also, even though there are some guitar solos here and there, for the most part they are kept very much in the background. This is an electronic pop rock album for the most part, with the concentration very much on the synths and Maiah’s vocals. That she is a good singer is never in doubt, and the band are very good at what they do, but overall is it any good? All I know for sure is that I don’t like it, I really don’t like it, and would not have played it as much as I have if it were not for one of Canada’s finest rockers being so heavily involved, and in some ways, there is the issue. If Alex had gone out and produced something which was in any way similar to Rush he would be castigated for doing it without Neil, so he has gone out and done something I certainly never expected.
I am just going to say that even though here we have a band featuring the one ad only Alex Lifeson I doubt I will ever play it again. 6/10 Kev Rowland
mobiUS are an English Progressive Rock group. Their eclectic style echo artists such as Pink Floyd, Yes and Porcupine Tree. They build on this established and imaginative genre and have developed a style unique to themselves. White Knight are excited to be working with this band, who will shake the world of progressive rock and become a major player.
The band was first imagined as a concept by the composer and keyboard player Tim Newcombe back in 2012. He began writing and after several experiments with various musicians, the concept lay dormant. However, Tim remained frustrated with the offerings by mass market mundane radio stations and vowed to produce something which had the spark of originality.
In 2020 Tim met Alistair McCaig at a music venue in the South of England. Tim shared his ideas and enthusiasm for the genre and Alistair’s experience within the production and mastering space opened the door to the creation of mobiUS Tim had played session with the drummer Andy Clifton and knew by reputation the burgeoning talents of the irrepressible Andy Hughes on guitar and vocals and swiftly moved to establish the vital core of the group. From there Tim enlisted his wife Louise to sing harmonies and play the soulful saxophone riffs that are so evocative in ‘Rain another Day’ Bringing in Sandra Morris and Monika Welch to enrich the performance with their gospel-esque style, was the final puzzle piece in the creation of mobiUS.
During late 2020 and the early months of 2021, Tim was fully engaged in writing and distributing material to the rest of the band. All recording was carried out remotely due to covid restrictions and the final mixes and masters were completed in April with an album release date of 23rd May 2021
A chance meeting led them to a partnership with Caerlyssi Music and White Knight Records, through whom, mobiUS are unleashed onto the world with their unique and immersive style.
In a recent interview, Tim was asked about his motivation and inspiration for the ‘Make the Promise’ album: “This is a collection of musical ideas I’ve been mulling over for some time. I am passionate that music should be a deep form of expression. Something that transcends the standard chord progressions and lyrical subjects of much contemporary music. It seems to me that imagination and ideas are constrained by what is considered a standard chord progression, or fettered by time. I especially like a song or tune to evolve. To develop. To exist and breath as an identity by itself. I love to experiment with time signatures, styles, tempo and timbre changes within the same piece.This allows the piece find it’s own direction analogous to a stream finding its way through a variety of terrains” This brings us nicely to his description of the album.
Watch mobiUS Rain Another Day. Official Video here
Track Breakdown:
Odyssey As the name suggests, this instrumental carries the listener on a voyage of musical discovery. Superficially, it’s a journey into the world, from comfort to danger and returning home. However, subconsciously it evolved into a story of my personal musical journey. Reflective and returning to my roots and love of progressive music. This piece is subdivided into sections – Farewell, Borderland, Beyond, One Step Closer, Alone, Louise’s Theme/Sunshine Eyes, Sub-Fractal, City of a Million Dreams, Escape, Home. Each imbued with excitement, melancholy, drama, peace and hope as befits the particular episode of the track.
Rain Another Day My mother was the muse behind this track. The ethos of the song is moving forward. Keep hold of the past, remember and treasure it. However there is a time to keep those memories but think of the future. As the lines of the song state ‘Embrace the morning sunshine, move towards the summertime’ The piano is evocative of a range of emotions and Andy’s strident vocals bring them to life
So They Tell Me A song about mental health. In particular multiple personality disorders. I hope that it comes across as sensitive. My intention was not to be flippant or sensationalist about this. The complexity in rhythm and the deep and sometimes ethereal layering of timbre’s create a captivating and engaging pastiche.
Spider It wouldn’t be right or correct to not include a track about the pressures of writing or producing music. This song is in fact about that and is an allegory for achievement in any scenario. It’ a song about juggling priorities. Commitments that you may feel inclined to hold onto that directly compete with dreams, aspirations and ambitions. We all face it, we al go through it and we all manage it. Why not make a song about it!
Track Listing 1. Odyssey 1.1 Farewell – 1:50 1.2 Borderland – 2:35 1.3 And Beyond – 3:38 1.4 One Step Closer – 5:33 1.5 Alone – 7:00 1.6 Louise’s Theme/Sunshine Eyes- 11:07 1.7 Sub Fractal – 11:50 1.8 City of a Million Dreams – 14:14
Line up: Andy Hughes Vocals Guitar Tim Newcombe Keyboards Andy Clifton Drums Alistair McCaig Bass Louise Newcombe Backing Vocals, sax Monika Welch Backing Vocals Sandra. Morris Backing Vocals
Credits: All songs written by Tim Newcombe Recording Engineer Tim Newcombe Recorded at BlueSkies Studios Mastered by Alistair McCaig
Eva Prima Pandora written & composed, performed, mixed, mastered and produced by Steve Bonino.
About The song
The mythology of the painting by Jean Cousin dated 1550 titled:
Eva Prima Pandora
The author creates a curious symbiosis between a painting with a mythological theme and a painting with a religious theme. The work is identified by a poster that relates the mythological character of Pandora, the first woman and origin of the evils of the human race according to Greek mythology, with the biblical Eve, also a participant in the fall of the human race into sin.
In the painting are the symbols of the skull, alluding to the death related to the protagonist, the serpent entangled in the left arm, which recalls the biblical story of the serpent’s deception of Eve in Paradise, the branch of apple tree reminiscent of the forbidden fruit and the jug that points to Pandora’s box from which the evils of humanity emerged.
Since early Christian art was developed, the Greek myth was related to the biblical account of Genesis as both women, Eva and Pandora, symbols of curiosity and responsibility in the fall of the human being.
How EVA PRIMA PANDORA came about.
The creation of this album was inspired by Nick Katona, Owner of Melodic Revolution Records.
Nick called me one day “says Steve Bonino” with an idea for a collaborative album called ‘Troubleshooting Pandora’s Box’.
It would incorporate songs written and performed by various artists including Melodic Revolution Records artists and would center around the myth of Pandora’s Box, hopefully, to be released as an album on MRR, but would start out as individual songs being released as singles.
I submitted one song which he liked and I was inspired by the subject matter so I kept writing. I submitted a second, a third, a fourth, and after the sixth submission, all of which received his thumbs up, I approached Nick with the concept of releasing a complete ‘The Steve Bonino Project’ album based on the Pandora myth to be released on MRR. He kindly agreed and so here is ‘The Steve Bonino Project’ interpretation of the Pandora’s Box myth titled ‘Eva Prima Pandora ’.
A double album of 50 epic compositions inspired by cinematic artists such as Hans Zimmer, Howard Shore, Rick Wakeman and Vangelis
Athens, Greece – Experimental musician and author Billy Yfantis, releases his 4th solo album entitled “Cinematic Works, Vol. I”. The double album consists of 2 disks featuring 50 instrumental cinematic tracks inspired by the soundtracks of Epic movies such as “The Lord Of The Rings” and “Stars Wars”. The album is the first part of a series of cinematic music albums that Billy intends to release in the next years.
Disc 1 includes compositions that capture the sound design of dramatic, epic scenes of Fantasy Adventure and Sci-Fi movies. Symphonic Classical Music is used as a medium to create a heroic and atmospheric soundtrack for sophisticated listeners. Disc 2 continues the trip of Epic sounds and operatic influences however, there are additional tracks with Jazz and Ambient music elements to complete the puzzle of the atmospheric music soundtrack.
Disc 1 1. Hail to the King of Wrath 2. Entering the City of Gold 3. The Dragon 4. New Planet 5. Beauty of the New Land 6. Knights of the New Revolution 7. Coming by the Sea 8. The Barbarians 9. Dreaming of the King 10. Hero’s Quest 11. Exploring the Field 12. Above the Tower 13. Among the Trees 14. Flag of the New Empire 15. Preparing the Spaceship 16. Neoclassical Runes 17. Reaching the Promised Land 18. Riding the Horses of Heaven 19. Ship 20. The Battle of Sparta 21. The City of Gold 22. Royal Wedding 23. The Dynasty 24. The Kingdom of the Elfs 25. The Empire
Disc 2 26. Age of Innocence 27. At the Church 28. At the Luna Park 29. At the Movies 30. At the Opera with Friends 31. Atmospheric Sunrise 32. Beyond the Clouds 33. Beyond the Mountain 34. Chinese Beauty 35. Drama 36. Fairytale Stories 37. Family Memories 38. Happiness of Yesterday 39. In the Streets of London 40. Jazzy and Nostalgic 41. The Land of Hope 42. The Magic Ring 43. The March of the Elfs 44. The Royal Temptation 45. The Ship of the Pirates 46. The Soldiers 47. The Village 48. The Warrior’s Path 49. Trip to the Stars 50. Dreaming the Sky
Billy Yfantis, except his solo recording career, has a very busy schedule with other related activities. On Jan. 27, 2021 he participated as a guest presenter at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMA) by presenting the nominees/winners of the “Best World Music” and “Best Lyrics/Lyricist” awards. You can watch the whole event here: https://vimeo.com/505567704 Moreover, later in 2021 he remixed a track from the Desert rockers Sons of Alpha Centauri which was included as a bonus 3-inch CD on the vinyl format of the recent album “Sky Island” by the Yawning Sons (project by members of the Yawning Man and Sons of Alpha Centauri). Billy Yfantis plans to experiment with new instruments and technologies for the recording of his 5th full album with a release schedule in mid-2022. Stay tuned for more information!
About Billy Yfantis Vasileios (Billy) Yfantis holds 2 Master Degrees in Information Technology and is a Ph.D. candidate in the University of West Attica by conducting research on e-government. Billy has been working on music since the late 1990s by experimenting with tape mixing and sound design. Billy is playing digital keyboards, but prefers to express his artistic dream through the electronic sounds that come from unusual machines. He has experimented with the recording of vacuum cleaners, electric blenders and other strange sounds that have resulted in musical releases. Moreover, Billy has authored books on music, business and science while from times to times he speaks about the electronic governance at scientific conferences all over Europe.
Famous Quotes (What Others Have Said) Krautrock legend Harald Grosskopf (Ash Ra Tempel, Klaus Schulze, Cosmic Jokers): “I always like electronic music made by younger musicians who consequently follow their personal instinct, rather than trying to copy what’s already been made in the past, in the spirit of: Whenever you meet Buddha kill him. Keep on tracking Billy!”
Tom McLoughlin (Director of the movie “Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives”): “I really dug his music!! VERY cool stuff!!”
Phil Lanzon (Uriah Heep): “I like the track ‘Waiting for the battle.’ Great riff. I can see this as soundtracks to Psycho – punk movies and the like.”
Bobby Borg, (Music Business Author, Consultant, Professor): “This is fkn bad ass music that everyone needs to hear… imagine the coolest meditation music out there and the coolest sci-fi movie soundtrack rolled into one! Stream it and trip out today.”
Steve Whitfield (Producer and engineer of The Cure, The Mission UK): “This music is crying out to be used in films but at the same time it’s great to just sit back listen and immerse yourself in them without any moving images and let your imagination run wild!”
Snowy Shaw (ex-King Diamond, Therion, Mercyful Fate): “I didn’t know what to expect when I had this album sent to me by the composer Billy Yfantis. To be perfectly honest, 9 times out of 10 when people send me their new album it makes me feel a bit uneasy and awkward. Firstly because I don’t listen an awful lot to contemporary music and secondly, even less to other metal & hard rock artists due to lack of interest and I don’t wanna hurt their feelings. I don’t mean that in any rude, disrespectful or arrogant way, but I’m into creating my own music, not so much into consuming music of my peers. However, this was something entirely different. I’m not even sure it’s considered music, but it’s the kind of atmospheric and meditative type of sounds that I’ve been listening a helluva lot over the past few years to try relax and cope with my stressful, turbulent life, constantly on the verge of being burnt out. That being said, I liked it and it made me calm, mindful and sleepy. Presumably the worst kind of reaction my metalhead peers would wanna hear about their new album but in this case it’s probably the best sort of compliment one could get.”
Discography 1. Cinematic Works, Vol. I (Full album, 2021) 2. Noises from the Outer Space (Full album, 2021) 3. Entering the Solar System (Full album, 2020) 4. The Noisy Whispers Compilation (Full album, 2019) 5. The Mysterious Trip (Digital single, 2018) 6. Dust Not Found (Digital single 2017) 7. Crossing The Line (Digital single 2016) 8. The Electric Blender Session (Digital single, 2016) 9. The Missing Link (Digital single, 2015)
Bibliography 1. Power Ballads And The Stories Behind (2021) 2. Is Prog Rock Really Progressive? (2020) 3. Hip Hop Goes Science: Volume I – Extended Version (2020) 4. Hip Hop Goes Science: Volume I (2019) 5. Metal Goes Science: The Academic Metal Bibliography (2017) 6. Disadvantaged Populations And Technology In Music (2017) 7. City Streets Of Europe (2017) 8. Punk Goes Science: The Academic Bibliography Of Punk (2015) 9. The Lost Lyrics (2013) 10. The Commercial Exploitation Of Color As A Consumer Stimulus (2013)
Clive Nolan & Oliver Wakeman’s “Dark Fables” was released on November 5, 2021. This standalone release was originally the third CD from Clive Nolan and Oliver Wakeman’s “Tales By Gaslight” box set released earlier this year.
“Dark Fables” contains over 30 minutes of music conceived for the abandoned “Frankenstein” album which would have joined the duo’s “Jabberwocky” and “Hound Of The Baskervilles” collaborations. As with the previous albums, “Dark Fables” features the duo’s virtuosic keyboard playing with sublime performances from Gordon Giltrap, Paul Manzi (The Sweet, Arena, Oliver Wakeman Band). Andy Sears (Twelfth Night), Karl Groom (Threshold), David Mark Pearce (Oliver Wakeman Band, Munroe’s Thunder) and Charlotte Dickerson.
The set also includes unused pieces from their “The Hound Of The Baskervilles” album; “The Man Called Sherlock”, which was the original version of the “Overture”, and “221B”, inspired by Sherlock Holmes’ famous address in Baker Street. In addition, the release also features Rick Wakeman narrating the “Jabberwocky Poem” in full, a perfect way to round off the twists and turns of another Nolan/Wakeman project! Clive Nolan (Pendragon, Arena) and Oliver Wakeman (YES, Strawbs) first combined their considerable keyboard and compositional talents to create the two aforementioned rock opera/concept albums in 1999 and 2002. Peter Pracownik was the creative behind the original “The Hound Of The Baskervilles” artwork 20 years ago and has employed his talents again for the sleeve of “Dark Fables”.
You can listen to the single release, “Why Do You Hate Me” on Oliver’s YouTube channel:https://youtu.be/hHgejgg5Wy4
The record is now available on all streaming platforms and is also available to purchase either directly from Cherry Red or from Oliver’s store at Burning Shed
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