• Watch: Villagers – Courage

    February 2, 2015 - By 

    Having received its premiere on Lauren Laverne’s BBC 6Music show this morning, Villagers have unveiled the video for their new single ‘Courage’. Taken from the band’s forthcoming third album, Darling Arithmetic, the track is a typically exquisite effort from Conor O’Brien and co., beautifully propelled in its harmonic simplicity and lyrical incisiveness. According to the band’s YouTube page, Darling Arithmetic was “written, recorded, produced and mixed by O’Brien at home – the loft of a converted farmhouse that he shares in the coastal town of Malahide to the north of Dublin – revealing a single-minded artist at the peak of…

  • AVA Festival Belfast Announced

    January 30, 2015 - By 

    A brand new music festival and conference celebrating and showcasing electronic audio-visuals arts in Northern Ireland, AVA Festival will make its inaugural outing at Belfast’s T13 on Saturday, May 30. Up productions has teamed up with a range of Belfast locals including Matthew McBriar and Andrew Ferguson (Bicep, pictured), Oisin O’Brien (Guerilla Shout) and others to produce the festival a one day-&-night grassroots showcase and conference celebrating the strong current of electronic music and digital visual arts that has emerged from Northern Ireland. Merging an old industrial warehouse-come-skate park (T13) with both established and emerging Electronic Music Producers, DJs and Visual Artists, this…

  • Forbidden Fruit Announce First Acts

    January 28, 2015 - By 

    With Longitude announcing their first string of acts last week, Forbidden Fruit have followed suit with a very tidy announcement featuring some electronic and hip-hop heavyweights. Set to feature 70 acts over five stages, the festival at Dublin’s Royal Hospital Kilmainham –  taking place on the June Bank Holiday weekend, May 39-31 – will see the likes of Run The Jewels (above), Fatboy Slim and Wu-Tang Clan perform. Matador, Ejeca, Joey Badass, Bakermat, Earl Sweatshirt, Booka Shade, Dusky, Mr Scruff and Cyril Hahn will also feature in the festival’s fifth outing. Go to the Facebook event page for Forbidden Fruit 2015 for…

  • ASIWYFA Announce Fourth Album Details, European Tour

    January 26, 2015 - By 

    Globetrotting North Coast quartet And So I Watch You From Afar have announced details of their forthcoming fourth studio album. Set for release via Sargent House on May 4, Heirs is the follow-up to the band’s third album All Hail Bright Futures, released back in 2013. The album will be the first featuring material written by guitarist Niall Kennedy, who replaced founding member Tony Wright back in 2011. The band have also announced an extensive European Tour to coincide with the album release. Check out the artwork for Heirs above and read our exclusive fature-length interview with the band in the first…

  • Stream: Le Carousel – Destroy Us

    January 25, 2015 - By 

    Belfast-based producer and DJ Phil Kieran isn’t one to rest on his laurels. Having dropped some of the biggest techno bombs around over the years, Le Carousel has seen Phil moving in a slightly different creative direction, with the focus more on the possibilities of live production and building layers of groove. ‘Destroy Us’, his latest single under the Le Carousel alias is snappy, tight and the flourishes of melody are so bright and cheery, you’d be hard pressed not to tap along. It’s a slice of electro-pop loveliness, basically. Don’t take our word for it though, have a listen…

  • Stream: The North Sea – Drinking Alone

    January 25, 2015 - By 

    A song “about escape and times of thought and reflection”, Dublin five-piece The North Sea have released arguably their strongest single effort to day, ‘Drinking Alone’. The second single to be taken from their forthcoming debut album the song is a sublimed-composed slice of alt-pop “exploring themes of alienation and separation between a couple, realising there love has waned or changed”. The band have also announced a five-date Irish tour, taking place across February and March: February 22: Crane Lane, Cork February 25: Cobblestone Joes, Limerick March 5: Voodoo, Belfast March 6: Whelans, Dublin March 19: Roisin Dubh, Galway ‘Drinking Alone’ will be released on…

  • First Acts Announced For Longitude 2015

    January 23, 2015 - By 

    Headliners Hozier, Alt-J and The Chemical Brothers are amongst the first acts announced to play this year’s Longitude. Set to take place in Dublin’s Marlay Park from July 17-19, the annual festival will also see performances from Caribou, Sbtrkt, Wild Beasts, Jungle, Dublin’s very own Girl Band and several more. Tickets for Longitude – priced at €149.50 (plus fees) for a weekend or €59.50 (plus fees) – are on sale next Friday,January 30 at 9am via Ticketmaster.

  • Watch: Jape – Seance of Light

    January 19, 2015 - By 

    Having suitably blown us away with the video to ‘The Heart’s Desire‘, Jape has returned with the video (or should we say, short film) for ‘Seance of Light’. Chronicling one man’s colourful occupational escapism (that is to say: getting off his face following a failed job interview) the video was directed by Dave Tynan and produced by Dave Leahy and Liam Ryan. The concept of the video was based on ‘Bleached’, a short story by Dave Rudden. Check out our live session with Jape here and make sure to check out Jape’s column on the recording of The Chemical Sea…

  • Stream: Myles Manley – Pay Me What I’m Worth

    January 19, 2015 - By 

    Having debuted on BBC Radio 1 last week, ‘Pay Me What I’m Worth’ by Sligo singer-songwriter Myles Manley is a terse and terrific little tale of self-worth. The first song to be taken from his forthcoming EP – set for release via Trout Records – the track, despite being rather slight at 1.52, perfectly encapsulates what makes Manley so comprehensively endearing as an artist: the abject chords, the wry wording and Manley’s remarkable, instantly recognisable vocals. Read our feature on Trout Records, featuring Manley, in the second issue of our physical magazine here.

  • Stream: Myronik – String Tension

    January 15, 2015 - By 

    Based in Celbridge, just outside, producer Liam Myers AKA Myronik has just unveiled his latest track, ‘String Tension’. Having impressed on earlier efforts including ‘You Me You’ and ‘Joyless’, ‘String Tension’ is a nicely simmering, minimalist synth affair, featuring an acapella recording by one Courtney Odom found on Soundcloud. Keep an eye out for Colm Moore’s forthcoming Track Record feature with Myers. In the meantime, stream ‘String Tension’ below.