I had the luck to see last weekend Susanne Sundfør live in De Unie at Rotterdam. The concert place was a quite small hall with very minimalistic stage. White canvas behind, keyboards in the front. Behind the canvas there were some plastic birds that gave beautiful shades into the canvas with lights.
From the first song on, Sundfor captured her audience totally. Everybody was listening so carefully and quiet. It's a bit surreal feeling to sit in a concert and feel how quiet the audience is. It was like everybody is falling into a dream where the artist is the only guide leading out. She played songs from her both albums. There was one song with some really cool synth stuff, noise, I would say. It is beautiful to see how she could everything out from her keyboard, it transformed into multimachine.
I liked a lot to hear her live, without the extra stuff that she has on the album. The live concert was very pure and simple so it became very touching concert. You could hear the words lot better.
Afterwards the concert she was selling her cds and signing them. It was amazing to have the chance to say to her personally how great voice she has.
After this kind of concert you feel empty but happy. I felt that I have heard some of the most beautiful music.
"There are echoes in the garden is anybody listening
There are echoes lost in the garden is anybody listening
They whisper:
The ones who are only living are the ones who are only dying"
Moby was the first artist I totally fell in love with. His music was just amazing. Play was the greatest album. Listened it countless times and if I should still say one of the most remarkable albums that were very important to me it would be Play. Also some earlier Moby songs. Haven't still listened the latest Moby album Destroyed. Just listened it a bit and sounds like Moby is coming back to the roots of his music which is great! But here's some old school Moby songs..
One very very beautiful is this.
Moby - "When it's cold I'd like to die"
"Where were you when I was lonesome?
Locked away with freezing cold
Someone flying only stolen
I can't tell this light so old
I don't want to swim the ocean
I don't want to fight the tide
I don't want to swim forever
When it's cold I'd like to die
What was that my sweet sweet nothing?
I can't hear you through the fog
If I holler let me go
If I falter let me know"
Moby - "My weakness"
This videoclip is special one. It's from X-Files from episode
called "Closure" that is when Mulder get to the end for his search for his sister, Samantha.
Moby - "In this world"
Moby - "Feeling so real"
I was so happy to hear this song live. Amazing! Originally from the 90's
Did some browsing through of on links from my bookmarks, found lot of strange music videos. But this one was fun. Ennio Morricone: "For a few dollars more" theme with jumping eyes of Clint Eastwood. I regard Ennio Morricone as the best western movies music composer. He's watching everybody!
Here's a great interview where Florence talks and tells about each song on Ceremonials album. It's great!
Thanks to FATM army for adding this into youtube!
This is a performance, part of it from GLOW light festival 2010 in Eindhoven. This year there was also some amazing light installations. I was not there myself, but hear lot of positive stuff.
Hope to be part of it next year. Organ music is something quite different, it should be listened in big churches, where it has the space. I like its massive and over powering sound. Listen especially the part from 4:16 to 5:50. Very beautiful.
Michel Suk: Rejoice in the Lamb,
Philips Philharmonisch Koor
And the second part of it:
And some impression pictures from GLOW:
This year the students of TU Eindhoven made some tesla coil songs:
Check some more videos by searching youtube: glow eindhoven
New video "No light, no light" has been released today from Florence + The Machine. It's strong and powerful song so the video is also. You can see it here:
"No light, no light"
The tickets for Ceremonials tour are now on sale! I was on time for tickets in Amsterdam, but didn't get any so decoded to buy one for Berlin concert! So nice to see Florence + The Machine and to see a beautiful city!
Couldn't wait to post this song. It's very special, it's sung in a cappella so using only your own voice. It's a famous a cappella group from Finland called Rajaton and they are singing "Valse Triste" which is composed by Jean Sibelius, the most famous Finnish composer. It is quite astonishing! Check more about Rajaton http://www.rajaton.net/fi/etusivu/
Rajaton: "Valse Triste"
Jean Sibelius: "Valse triste"
There's also FORK, it's another Finnish A cappella group, they sing more covers of well known pop songs, but they are great also. Very different from Rajaton. The newest group member is Anna Asunta, second from the left, before her Silva Lillrank was singing in the group. And I have to admit Lillrank was better. But Anna has nice voice too. From the left Kasper Ramström, Anna Asunta, Jonte Ramsten and Mia Hafrén. Check out more about them http://www.fork.fi/
Finally the review of Ceremonials. Prepared my self with watching first some old Florence + The Machine music videos. Like Dog days, You've got the love and Cosmic love. What stuns me always with this band is how well they have thought all the details, even the smallest ones. This band is very visual. Even the booklet of the album is full of amazing pictures, everything is thought well. And I find it always great when you go to see a concert that you can see something that is bit out of this world or gives you that feeling. And Florence + The Machine gives this.
Here's one nice interview of Florence in an Australian radio Nova. She answers to some questions about Ceremonials.
Ceremonials was a very waited second album from this British band. You could follow the live stream from the album launch party all over the world from internet. And the album rose to the first place on several charts.
Ceremonials is a very different album from Lungs.As Florence told in the interviews that this album is more one. Where Lungs was more separate songs, this is more in a unison. And it's also recorded in one place, in Abbey road with one producer. What struck me on the first listening was the strong drums, they are more massive! And I think this gives a lot more kick to the songs and fits very well together with Florence's voice that is quite hard. This album has also more colors in it, it has darker songs and brighter songs, it travels through something, a story. This album I want to hear in a big concert and jump with all the others with the songs!
The songs which caught my attention at first were "Shake it out", "What the water gave me". What the water gave me was a funny thing, when I first heard it with the video I was like noo, this is something else, I didn't quite like it, but as I listened it couple times it sounded better, but still there's something in that song. Can't say I would miss something from it, just don't know. Something.
"Never let me go". never lets me go....This song I played a lot. For me it is the best song from this album. It's stunning with it's sound and power it has. I think this song means lot to many people in many different ways. And that I find a very beautiful thing with songs. You can feel them, in your own way, and every way is the right one and it still doesn't loose its power.
Here's part of the lyrics.
"Well it came up from underneath,
Fractured moonlight on the sea
Reflections still look the same to me,
As before I went under.
And it's peaceful in the deep,
Cathedral where you can not breathe,
No need to pray, no need to speak 'now I am under'.
And it's breaking over me,
A thousand miles onto the sea bed,
I found the place to rest my head.
Never let me go, never let me go.
Never let me go, never let me go.
And the arms of the ocean are carrying me,
And honest devotion was rushing out of me,
And the crushes of heaven, for a sinner like me,
But the arms of the ocean delivered me."
More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/f/florence_and_the_machine/#share
With "Breaking down" I get this feeling like listening an old favorite song that comes from the radio again and makes you happy. "Lover to lover" goes bit through my ears and out. It's nice, but yea. I miss something. "
"No light, no light" is another great song from the album. I liked the live version a lot. It is a very strong song. This song was my first favorite from the album. It has very beautiful lyrics, this is only part of them:
"You are the hole in my head
You are the space in my bed
You are the silence in between
What I thought and what I said
You are the night time fear
You are the morning when it's clear
When it's over, you will start
You're my head, you're my heart
No light, no light in your bright blue eyes
I never knew daylight could be so violent
A revelation in the light of day
You can't choose what stays and what fades away
And I'll do anything to make you stay"
More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/f/florence_and_the_machine/#share
"Seven devils" starts with haunting sounds. It's a very different kind of Flo-song. But it has something quite catchy in it. Something mysterious. It grows into a orchestra like piece of music.
"Heartlines" Was a song that also struck me. It is great! It is powerful song. This I want to hear in a big group raising my hand and singing out loud together with everybody:
"Just keep following the heartlines on your hand
Keep it up, I know you can
Just keep following the heartlines on your hand
Cause I am"
"Spectrum" will be the party song from this album I think. It has very catchy drums! When I listen this I get bit of a feeling of a mix of Flo and some old american singer, like Roy Orbison or someone else. I see this song being played very loud and the people jumping up and singing loud "Say my name!"...And every colour illuminates, We are shining, And we'll never be afraid again."
The second last song from the album "All this and heaven too". I don't know neither what I miss with it, but something. The last song "Leave my body" is a great song to end the album with. It has big sound in it.
I was happy that I waited for couple days more to get the Deluxe version of Ceremonials, that has a bonus cd with some extra songs and acoustic versions. I was shocked to find the "Remain nameless" on the bonus cd, it should be on the actual album! It is amazing! It the favorite together with the "Never let me go". It has more electronic feel in it and I like it very much. I think this same bit more electronic touch could have worked also very nice on the actual album. Remain nameless is very addictive song, I played it on repeat for lot of lot times. Don't like the lyrics videos, but it had the best sound quality from the other youtube uploads.
"Remain nameless"
" I was born in a big gray cloud
Screaming out a love song
All the broken chords and unnamed cries
What a place to come from
I wish to remain nameless
And live without shame
'Cause what's in a name, Oh
I still remain the same
You can call it what you want
You can call me anything you want
You can call us what you want
You can call me anything you want
Everybody lets you down
In this brief hole of a town
What a difference of the rushing out
Tell me what you're running from
I know everybody lets you down
I'll do the same
But know I'll always be around
This can remain the same
Call me when you need me
Call me anything you want
Darling, believe me
Nothing I haven't done before "
"Bedroom Hymns" has kicking drums in it also. I liked a lot the demo version of "What the water gave me" it has some Röyksopp like things in it. It's more rock than the album version with some extra electro kicks. I still like the demo version better! The acoustic version of "Heartlines" is touching, it gives so much more space for Flo's voice. It sounds pretty damn good with the guitar! The acoustic version of "Shake it out" works also very well with guitar! Also the acoustic version of "Breaking down" works out beautifully!
There has been announced already some tour dates for the coming year in Europe! Check them out!
Finally I bought the double cd version of "Ceremonials" by Florence and the Machine. It's great! But the strange thing is that I have been playing more the second cd that has couple songs that didn't go to the actual album and some beautiful acoustic versions. What I really felt from the album was the nice drums, lot more than in the first album Lungs. Have to listen the album couple times more through and then I'll write review about it. Somehow I like also better the demo version of "What the water gave me" it has more different kind of kick in it and more electro sounds!
But here's my ultimate favorite from the second cd and almost also from the Ceremonials side:
"Remain nameless"
And I found a really nice behind the scenes -video about creating the album. Check it out: Then you'll know also how it sounds when a zombies head is cut off.
And a small update. Just found the videoclips from the Channel4 special launch Hackey gig videos with some interviews on it. Check them out here. Thanks for the FATM army for uploading them for people outside UK.
In Finland we don't celebrate so much halloween. We have more the all saints day, pyhäinpäivä. And I found a perfect song and video for them both. Here you can find more about this interesting artist: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gil_Scott-Heron
He passed away May 2011, but did still 2010 over 100 gigs. Check his last album, after 16 years brake in 2010 he released "I'm New Here". There's also very great remix version of this album done by Jamie xx and it's called Gil Scott Heron and Jamie xx: "We're new here"
Gil Scott Heron - "Me and the devil"
This song has also quite heavy but beautiful lyrics:
leaving grief beyond compare
so if you see the vulture coming
flying circles in your mind
remember their is no escaping
for he will follow close behind
only promise me a battle
a battle
for your soul and mind
and mine
and mine
Gil Scott Heron and Jamie xx - "I'll take care of you"
