Real World Records

Launched in 1989, Real World Records has grown into a label of wide-ranging, world-class music from all corners of the globe.

[realworldrecords-blog]

Cara Dillon – Society of Sound artist for November

Real World continues to work with Bowers and Wilkins to bring outstanding music for members of Society of Sound.  Presented this month is award-winning Irish singer Cara Dillon with her album A Thousand Hearts.

Produced and arranged by Cara’s husband Sam Lakeman the album features guests including Timothy B Schmit (The Eagles). The songs slip effortlessly between traditional ballads, Americana and folk.  Cara’s exquisite crystalline voice carries both beauty and poignancy - she is one of the most superlative singers of her generation.  

This is the opportunity to own this music in the best quality possible, audio at studio standard not heard before:  

"We had both 16bit/44.1 and 24bit/96 masters done with each being approached from a differing objective. To me there's no comparison, the Hi-Res masters were given far more room to breath, have much greater detail and the dynamic is far greater.” - Sam Lakeman

Discover more about this Society of Sound release

[realworldrecords-blog]

The Gloaming : ‘A Concert to Blaze In the Memory’

Following a fantastic series of concerts in Australia, including Sydney Opera House, The Gloaming return to Europe. Shows have sold out in Liverpool and Belfast and for three subsequent nights at the National Concert Hall in Dublin.  These promise to be electrifying shows...

"And when it’s all over the audience doesn’t hesitate to jump to its collective feet to give these amazing musicians the standing ovation they so richly deserve.”  -  - Themusic.co.au (Review of The Gloaming at The Sydney Opera House)

The tour continues - see the full schedual

[realworldrecords-blog]

Gruff Rhys remix of 9Bach premiering now on Line of Best Fit

Following the acclaim their outstanding album Tincian received upon its release earlier this year, on 17 November, 9Bach will release a digital only EP of remixes.

The Tinc EP features remixes of four of the albums tracks. The first mix on the EP is by Gruff Rhys who has re-worked 'Asteri Mou' turning it into a haunting and hypnotic song cycle, building toward a pounding climatic finish. It’s Gruff’s first remix undertaken in his own right.

The remix is premiering now on Line of Best Fit

Gruff says of his remix:

 “I love this song by 9 Bach - I worked with engineer Simon Jones in trying to exaggerate the natural rounds of the vocal parts - The plan was to create an R&B mantra that would build into a droning racket - that would transport us into another dimension, or at least out of Cardiff.”

The other remixes on the EP are by: Gravenhurst, who has turned ‘Lliwiau' into a “narcotised fug of heart-palpitation bass and wraith-like vocals” (The Quietus); Carcharorion, who have warped 9Bach’s interpretation of traditional folk song 'Pa Le?', making it now sound as if celestial robots have joined Lisa Jen’s extraordinary vocals and Sir Doufus Styles (Cate Le Bon, Super Furry Animals, The Flaming Lips) whose mix of 'Wedi Torri’ is a subtle reworking, emphasizing the beauty of the original.

These four incredible, leftfield re-imaginings of 9Bach’s unique sound are complimented by a re-recording of the band’s exceptional track Bwythn Fy Nain, which originally appeared on their debut album. The re-recording is from a live session the band recorded earlier this year at Real World Studios.

TInc EP tracklist:

01 Asteri Mou - Loops & Drones remix, Gruff Rhys

02 Pa Le? - Carcharorion Remix

03 Wedi Torri - Sir Doufus Styles Mix

04 Lliwiau - Gravenhurst Remix

05 Bwthyn Fy Nain - Real World Session Version

Pre-order the Tinc EP now:

iTunes / Amazon

To celebrate their most successful year to date in November and December 9Bach will undertake a mini UK tour:

November

20th     St Donats Arts Centre - Book tickets

21st      Acapela, Pentyrch - Book tickets

22nd    Le Pub, Newport - Book tickets

23rd     Colston Hall, Bristol - Book tickets

December

4th        The Vortex, London - Book tickets

6th        Neuadd Ogwen, Bethesda - Book tickets

*Tickets available now from: http://www.9bach.com/gigs/

[realworldrecords-blog]

Jef Neve – Society of Sound artist for October

Each month Peter and Real World Records work with Bowers & Wilkins to curate the music for Society of Sound – a meeting place for people who are passionate about sound.

Following hot-on-the-heels of the recent release ‘Mar De Leva’ a retrospective of the music of contemporary Colombia, this month’s release comes from a little closer to home and the debut solo album from acclaimed Belgian pianist Jef Neve.

The album, One, was recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios and after more than a decade travelling around the world, playing with all sorts of different bands, and being the driving force behind the award-wining jazz group the Jef Neve Trio, this is Neve’s first release as a solo artist.

“At first I felt naked, deserted, a big confrontation with myself, as if I was looking into a mirror trying to reveal the reflection of my own personality. It took me half a day to reach that point where I could start to let go of my fears and energize the music, aiming for melodies that were never done before.

After the first recording session, my whole point of view of making a good new album changed completely, it had to be no less than perfect and from then on I accepted the personal challenge to do absolutely everything possible to make this album, whatever it would take.”

More details on the release of One and how to hear it

More details on Society of Sound

[realworldrecords-blog]

Celtic Connections Opening Concert 'Nae Regrets' - Martyn Bennett's GRIT

One of the main themes running through next year’s Celtic Connections festival is paying homage to the late and great musicians who have left their mark on the current musical landscape.

The Opening Night will be a show dedicated to the remarkable Martyn Bennett, one of Scotland’s great musical visionaries. To commemorate ten years since his passing, the Opening Night of the festival will feature a full orchestration by experimental cross-genre classical violinist Greg Lawson of Bennett’s last great work, the album GRIT. It was a fearless album that drew from the great voices of the tradition like Lizzie Higgins and Sheila Stewart MBE and placed them against a soundscape of beats and samples and started the evolution of celtic fusion.

The concert will take place on Thursday 15th January, 7:30pm at the Main Auditorium, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.

Find out more via the Celtic Connections website

Read more via BBC News

[realworldrecords-blog]

Society of Sound 76: Mar De Leva - A selection from Polen

This month the featured music on Society of Sound takes us to contemporary Colombia.

Polen Records has produced or released some of the most important acts of Colombia and South America. In 2013, Polen was first nominated at the Latin Grammy Awards with Bomba Estéreo's album Elegancia Tropical (2012) as Best Alternative Music Album. 

The compilation, on Society of Sound, Mar de Leva is a slice of that inspirational vision. 

Felipe Alvarez, the founder and visionary behind Polen Records says:

“The catalogue exposes the artistic line we helped to create and seek to maintain, revealing the multicultural identity of our country. Our roster includes cult bands such as Bajotierra and Sidestepper, singer Ella Fuksbrauner, Mucho Indio, Bomba Estéreo, Radio Cumbia, Cero39 and Mitú. Artists such as Chocquibtown, Pernett and Sol Okarina have also been part of the family and shared their music with us. 

At Polen Records we admire and appreciate the music our artists create and understand our job as a collective effort to get this music to the widest audience possible.” 

One of the key artists for the label are Bomba Estereo, who’s track El Alma y El Cuerpo features on the compilation - listen below.

Back in 2005, visual artist Simón Mejía began a collaborative project that explored the new sounds of Colombian traditional rhythms and melodies with electronic beats and western structures influenced by pioneer bands such as Sidestepper and Bloque De Búsqueda. For this project, Simón brought together different DJs and musicians in 7 tracks that eventually became Bomba Estéreo´s first EP, Vol.1, released in 2006 by Polen Records. This EP included the song “Huepaje” that featured guest singer Li Saumet and gave way to the first building blocks of what would later become Bomba Estéreo's international debut, ‘Estalla / Blow Up’ (Polen Records 2008). Ever since, Li Saumet has been the voice and face of the band, teaming up with Julián Salazar on guitars and Kike Egurrola on drums, Simón on the bass and sequences and Felipe Alvarez in the musical production.

More details on Society of Sound

More details on the ‘Mar de Leva' release

[realworldrecords-blog]

Martyn Bennett's "Blackbird" used in new Danny Macaskill film

Martyn Bennett's "Blackbird" used in new Danny Macaskill film "The Ridge".

“Blackbird” from Martyn Bennett’s album “GRIT” is being used in a new film, produced by Cut Media, featuring Scottish trials cyclist Danny Macaskill.

In the film, Danny climbs aboard a mountain bike and returns to his native home of the Isle of Skye in Scotland to take on a death-defying ride along the notorious Cuillin Ridgeline.

Watch the film and listen to a full version of “Blackbird” above.

[realworldrecords-blog]

Real World 25 - Out now

Today marks the release of Real World 25 - a beautifully packaged Clamshell Box with 3 CD wallets, 28 page booklet containing the story of 25 Years of Real World Records, and a collection of Real World Tales with contributions from musicians, producers, designer and managers.

Available via:

iTunes / Amazon / Real World / Proper Music

[realworldrecords-blog]

Great Musical Pioneer ‘Mandolin’ U Srinivas Dies

We have learnt today of the death of the great Indian musician U Srinivas.  

Born on February 28, 1969, he started to play the mandolin, a little-known instrument in India, when he was only six years old. Even though, at the time, the mandolin was an alien instrument in South Indian classical music, Srinivas learnt to play Carnatic ragas on the mandolin with so much ease and dexterity that his name has become synonymous in India with the mandolin and he is popularly called Mandolin Srinivas.

Real World had the honour to work with him on two albums.  Rama Sreerama was a memorable live performance of traditional Carnatic compositions that took place in a candle-lit Wood Studio. Dream was the highly-experimental musical partnership with producer/guitarist Michael Brook featuring collaborations with Nigel Kennedy, Nana Vasconcelos and Jane Siberry.   

A calm, gentle and mediative young man, Srinivas was surprisingly modest for an artist of such international critical acclaim, as he said “Where is the end to music?  The more your learn, the more you want to know”.

Read more about U Srinivas

[realworldrecords-blog]

Aurelio "Lándini" out now

Aurelio's new album Lándini ("landing" in Garifuna) is out now.  Listen to Aurelio performing some tracks from the album via our YouTube Lándini playlist.

Lándini is available via: Real World / Amazon / iTunes

[realworldrecords-blog]

Don’t Miss The Gloaming's Return To London

If you’ve missed their outstanding live performances so far, now is the opportunity to catch the exceptional experience of The Gloaming live, returning to London for a show in the beautiful main hall of the Barbican. With numerous sell out shows behind them already, make sure you book your tickets early as this is currently their only UK show planned for 2015.

Considered by many one of the world’s finest fiddle players, Martin Hayes will be joined by long-time collaborator guitarist Dennis Cahill, legendary sean-nós singer Iarla Ó Lionáird, hardanger innovator Caoimhin Ó Raghallaigh and experimental, mercurial New York pianist Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman).  This group of extraordinary virtuoso musicians each have their own highly successful individual careers, but have come together in this group with a shared musical aesthetic to form a band with a sound all of its own - sparse and beautiful, authentic and suffused with powerfully-emotional melodies.

“..it’s a remarkable set that sees the only standing ovation and the only encore of the weekend. Gaelic is the language and the tunes drip with the melancholy of the diaspora. As the five musicians shift gears effortlessly through The Sailor's Bonnet, picking up the pace, feet start stamping on and off the stage, the crowd begins to whoop and one can only marvel at the intuitive understanding between the five. But it's not just jigs and reels that make them remarkable: the opening Song 44, with Bartlett holding down his piano strings to mute them, and violins scraping ominously, has more in common with post-rock than with Christy Moore. It's a staggering display of both emotion and virtuosity".

The Guardian (Live review from Other Voices Festival, Derry)    

Book early to avoid disappointment!

Discover more about The Gloaming

[realworldrecords-blog]

Spiro - Pole Star (Out 8th Sep)

Spiro first met on the Bristol music scene and have been together, their line-up unchanged, for over 20 years. Since their formation, it was clear these were not your average acoustic instrumentalists. They’ve been likened by The Word to “Detroit techno played by a travelling band out of a Hardy novel – or Steve Reich playing the cider-scented backroom of a village pub" and as “cinematic, breathtaking and beautiful” by Songlines magazine. 

This lost gem of an album, released independently by the band in 1997, is a wonderful addition to the Spiro collection, showing how their fascinating sound began and how fresh it remains even today.

Pre order Pole Star (Out 8th Sep): Real World  / iTunes / Amazon

[realworldrecords-blog]

New Society of Sound release: Roddy Woomble - Live at King's Place

This month's Society of Sound release is the first of an occasional series of live recordings from London’s Kings Place. Roddy Woomble (Idlewild) and his band make the most of the bespoke acoustics playing a beautifully balanced set of songs mixing folk, Americana and Scottish influenced tunes. Roddy’s intimate vocals are backed by Hannah Fisher - fiddle & vocals, Sorren Maclean - ccoustic guitar & vocals, Luciano Rossi - Piano and Craig Ainslie - electric bass.

Recorded live at King’s Place by Dave Wells and mixed by Patrick Phillips at Real World Studios.

Since 2010 and the Idlewild hiatus, Roddy Woomble and his solo band have toured consistently playing hundreds of concerts in theatres, folk clubs, village halls and arts centres the length and breadth of the UK. Together they have released three albums 'The Impossible song & other songs' (2011). 'Listen to Keep' (2013) and 'Live in the Inner Hebrides' (2014). The show at Kings Place comes at the end of his solo band touring for a while as Idlewild gear up to release a new album and tour in 2015.

Subscribe to Bowers and Wilkins Society of Sound and listen to this as a high quality digital download

Learn more about King's place

[realworldrecords-blog]

Aurelio's new album 'Lándini' out 15th September

The new album, Landini, from Honduran songwriter, singer, and guitarist Aurelio is set for release on the 15th September.

The songs on Lándini are about Aurelio, his feelings, his family, and Garifuna life in general. There's a sadness, a melancholy throughout, but the rhythms remain really lively. It affects the body, the brain, and the soul in a way that is very unique to Garifuna music. It always has a purpose, whether it's dancing or documenting a tragedy or just poking fun at someone; there is never a notion of "I'm going to make a song because I need to make a record" - such a concept does not even exist in Garifuna culture.

Pre order Lándini

[realworldrecords-blog]

Peter Gabriel in Discussion at WOMAD 2014

The Shed at WOMAD #158 (01.08.2014) by Mark Coles on Mixcloud

Peter Gabriel joined Mark Coles (Radio 4/ The Shed) at the Society of Sound Stage at WOMAD Festival, on Saturday morning, to chat about sound systems, audio quality and 25 years of Real World Records. As part of the discussion there’s a very special opportunity to hear, for the first time ever, the studio version of one of Peter’s new songs “Show Yourself”.

As well as that, Mark takes us on a tour of some of the musical and spoken highlights of the festival:

"The Shed downsizes to a tent this week to bring you highlights from this year's WOMAD Festival. Join me live on stage with Peter Gabriel and backstage with Welsh band 9Bach, Namibia's Elemotho and - conjuring up music to scare off poisonous spiders - the Italian pizzica star Anna Cinzia Villani.”

Available to listen to now on markcolesmusic.com, on Mixcloud and on radio on Sunday lunchtime on World Radio Switzerland and on Tuesday evening on Radio New Zealand

The PG interview starts at 11:54 in.

Find out more about Real World 25

[realworldrecords-blog]

Curios 'Captive' available on Society of Sound

The new album available on Society of Sound is Captive by Tom Cawley’s band Curios. 

Curios, Tom Cawley on piano, Joshua Blackmore on drums and Sam Burgess on double bass, were described by Time Out Magazine as “state-of-the-art piano trio music” and since their formation in 2006 have been garnering rave reviews for music that draws on romantic classical music as much as modern jazz. Cawley’s compositions are melodic, fiery, serene and intense.

"most formidable piano trio in the UK" and “triumphant” - Mojo Magazine.

“spellbinding” - The Independent 

“dazzling” - Jazz UK

“pioneering” - Musician magazine

Their album ‘Hidden’ from 2007 was nominated in the BBC Jazz Awards, and reached the top 5 in both the HMV and the Radio 3 Jazz Charts. 

Discover more about the new Curios album ‘Captive’ 

Find out more about the Society of Sound

[realworldrecords-blog]

9Bach Perform at the Commonwealth Connections Final Concert - BBC at the Quay

From BBC at the Quay in Glasgow, the culmination of World on 3's 35 part Commonwealth Connections series. Lopa Kothari presents with a concert of bands from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. 9Bach, are representing Wales.  You can also hear Edinburgh-based Shooglenifty, originators of 'acid-croft’ who mix contemporary styles with Celtic folk; uilleann pipes player Jarlath Henderson from Dungannon, County Tyrone who will perform with Scottish bagpiper Ross Ainslie; alongside England's Bellowhead.

Catch the show on 31 Friday at 23.00 on BBC Radio 3