HORSLIPS- Regarded as the ‘founding fathers of Celtic rock’, Horslips announce the release of their album ‘Biography’ (Nov 1st) and book “Horslips – Tall Tales: The Official Biography” (Nov 4th on O’Brien press). Biography is an accumulation of songs that established them as one of the greatest and most important bands ever to come out of Ireland. Precisely 40 years on from the release of The Táin, Biography is a new 23-track double-CD release that compiles for the first time a complete set of the A and B sides of Horslips’ entire UK single release catalogue.
This unique package includes original 45rpm remixes and edits never previously available on CD. Also appearing for the first time on CD are ‘Bridge From Heart To Heart’ (a highly sought-after outtake from the Aliens album sessions) and the band’s rousing version of Johnny & The Hurricanes’ 1959 instrumental hit, ‘Red River Rock’ (recorded live in Cleveland, Ohio in 1978).
Founded in 1970, Horslips released 12 genre-defining albums and toured relentlessly throughout Ireland, the UK, Europe and North America over their original 10 year career. Back home, Eamon Carr, Barry Devlin, Johnny Fean, Jim Lockhart and Charles O’Connor took provincial Irish dancehalls by storm, creating a new rock music circuit and infusing the country’s disenfranchised youth with a new sense of cultural pride. In doing so, they paved the way for a new generation of bands, including The Undertones, The Radiators From Space and U2.
With ‘Horslips – Tall Tales: The Official Biography by Mark Cunningham (O’Brien Press) we see the long-awaited, first-ever book dedicated to the history of Horslips; where they tell their story in their own words – the tours, the songs, the recording sessions, the heartbreaking split and the triumphant comeback. Featuring a wealth of rare photographs and memorabilia including album art, handwritten lyrics, set lists, session notes, concert posters and tickets from the personal collections of the band members and their fans, this is the definitive history of a truly legendary band. Link: www.horslipsrecords.com
Gary Numan’s brand new Album: ‘Splinter’ (Songs From A Broken Mind) is out now! + Irish Date 8th of November – Ireland Dublin Button Factory
“Gary Numan has written a couple of the finest things in British pop” David Bowie
- “There are still people trying to work out what a genius Gary Numan is” Prince
- “I was listening to Gary Numan and I ended up becoming more polished as a designer. I started to design my tracks”Kanye West
‘Splinter’ (Songs From A Broken Mind), the inspired new album by pioneer, chart-topper and influential artist Gary Numan, features guitarist Robin Finck (Nine Inch Nails, Guns N Roses), is produced by long-standing collaborator Ade Fenton, and will be followed by a full national headline tour in November.
The album finds Gary on fine dark electronic form; sounding both cutting-edge and classic Numan, it marks his best work since the late 70s, early 80s heyday.
‘Splinter’’s opening gambit ‘I Am Dust’ is a statement of intent, combining heavy grind with his archetypal anthemic pop skills. The unsettling whispered verses, crunchy guitars and Hans Zimmer-esque strings on ‘Here In The Black’ create a sense of menace and drama, whilst more orchestral work adorns the cinematic ‘The Calling’.
Slower-burning ballads ‘Lost’, ‘Where I Can Never Be’ and ‘My Last Day’, highlight the album’s broad palate, adding elements of subtlety and even beauty in contrast to the album’s more aggressive moments.
Gary’s knack for sexy, idiosyncratic dancefloor killers is strongly evident on the pounding, growling throb of ‘Love Hurt Bleed’, whilst ‘Who Are You’ carries equal clout as-body-music-Numan-style – infectious, but sounding unlike anything else you might hear blasting from a soundsystem.
Although Numan released a straight-to-the-fanbase album ‘Dead Son Rising’ in 2011, this is his first self-penned full album since ‘Jagged’ in 2006.
In recent years he’s been quoted as an influence by everyone from Lady Gaga to Kanye West, Matthew Dear to Queens Of The Stone Age, The Foo Fighters, Nine Inch Nails, Prince and J Dilla, to Boyz Noise, Richie Hawtin and Battles (they released a single ‘My Machines’ on Warp Records with Numan in 2011).
But while Numan’s unique style continues to connect with fans from the worlds of metal, hip hop, electronica, industrial and indie, he remains as focussed as ever in pursuing his own singular vision. ‘Splinter’ sounds unique, while also utilising new sounds and ideas.
Perhaps it’s the voice – one of the most distinctive in music and often associated with machines and icy alienation, but for those who are drawn to Numan’s songs, his singing is strangely emotional, almost soulful in places. And if you like that side of his writing, you certainly won’t be disappointed with the new album, where there are several tracks that set Numan’s vocals against moody, atmospheric torch songs to stunning effect.
www.numan.co.uk / www.cookingvinyl.com
