VIDEO: Kate Havnevik “Disobey”

“Disobey”is a rampant charge. There is no other way to describe the latest single from Norwegian songstress Kate Havnenik. Lifted from her forthcoming second album “YOU”, Havnenik has worked with Bjork and Imogen Heap producer Guy Sigsworth and crafted what is set to be one of the album’s of the year. While you await our praise-giving album review, we thought we’d  tempt your taste buds…

The Kaje talks hope to Bright Light Bright Light

Bright Light Bright Light – Rod Thomas to his friends – has been on The Kaje’s radar ever since he unleashed the poptastic “Disco Moment” last summer, so we were thrilled when news of an impending single and album launch hit our inbox unexpectedly. Single “Waiting For The Feeling” is a slice of retro pop that blows your mind, while the album “Make Me Believe In Hope” does all that and more-here at The Kaje we defy you not to fall in love with the charm of “Grace” and danceability of “How To Make A Heart”. Given our love and respect for the man we hotly tip to be providing the summer sun of the music scene, we did not hesitate to join the queue to find out more from the man himself…

For those that don’t know about Bright Light Bright Light-can you tell us a little bit more about the project?

Bright Light Bright Light is my pop project. I used to release material under my own name which had much more organic production, but while I’m still young I wanted to explore my love of pop music and dancefloor classics, so I opted for a pseudonym to make a clear distinction between my old material, and this side of my music work. I wanted to have a very clear image that matched the sound I’d been working on. I spent a long time working on the production, teaching myself to be better at production, and focusing on what I wanted to sound like, so I wanted what people saw to match what they were hearing. I’d been doing lots of remixes, and DJing out a lots (as well launching my own night ‘Another Night’ – a 90s club night – with a friend), so I though a pseudonym could link all of these strands of my music career. So, the remixes tie in with my production, the production ties in with my DJing as I play lots of my influences / remixes when I DJ …  The songs are proper songs (rather than vocal hooks over a dance track), and some had more acoustic beginnings, but the project is about enjoying my love of the late 80s/early 90s and making something that works on a dancefloor, but has soul.

You have been working away towards your debut album ‘Make Me Believe In Hope’-can you tell us about the process so far?

It’s been brilliant. I was very lucky to work with some of my favourite producers and writers. Boom Bip (I was in love with his early EPs and Neon Neon) worked on ‘Disco Moment’ and ‘A New Word To Say’, Andy Chatterley (Kylie, UNKLE, Nerina Pallot) mixed a lot of the songs and I wrote ‘Love Part II’ with him, and Jon Shave of The Invisible Men wrote a few songs with me, and became a real sidekick in shaping the record. I had a blast making it, and doing it independently gave me a lot of freedom choosing tracks, mixes, and working on the visuals to accompany it.

Post-album experience-do you now believe in hope?

Haha, I like to think I always have, but I definitely feel a lot more optimistic after finishing it and hearing a release date!

‘Waiting For The Feeling’ is your latest single-how representative of the record is it?

In terms of it being a big pop number, it’s very representative of the energy of the record. There are some softer songs, but ‘Waiting For The Feeling’ is a song that definitely represents how the album will be in the live show – lots of energy and big beats.

How do you know what works as a single and what is simply an album track?

It’s difficult to know. Everyone has their favourite track. Especially when you have 4 other band members who all pick a favourite, fans talk on Twitter and people tag on Facebook… I try to mix trusting my own judgement and listening to what people feed back. For this one, I knew. When we played at SXSW last year, it was the first time I’d played it live, and a radio DJ told me it “melted her face off”, so I thought that was probably as good a sign as I was going to get that it should be a single!

Your sound is steeped in rich pop-who would you say were your greatest inspirations?

Artists with strong identities and a distinctive voice. Bjork, Kate Bush, Depeche Mode, Erasure, David Bowie … production wise I love what Filthy Dukes, Royksopp, David Morales and Todd Terry produce, so my 90s DJing really influenced the energy and dance-leaning nature of some of the tracks. Visually David Lynch and Tim Burton have been big influences. Lots of my friend have been big influences in terms of following your instinct and making something you believe in – James Yuill and Del Marquis in particular.

Returning to the notion of hope-what hopes do you have for 2012 and beyond?

I hope that the album lives up to what my fans want, and for me, I hope that my band and I have a great time touring the record and meeting even more brilliant people along the way.

The Single “Waiting For The Feeling” is out April 30.

The Album “Make Me Believe In Hope” is out June 4th.

Words by Jeremy Williams

ALBUM REVIEW: Soap&Skin “Narrow”

Soap&Skin (Anja Plaschg) is not the type of artist whose work would be deemed ‘radio friendly’. Fair enough Jo Whiley may have given the stirring “Wonder” the odd spin on her Sunday night show, but that barely counts. While “Wonder” may represent the sole ‘commercial’ outing of Plaschg’s long-awaited sophomore release “Narrow”, it also  offers a fair insight into what the 21 year Austrian composer has on offer on her scintillating release.

Without venturing two far from the harrowing heartbreak of her 2009 debut “Lovetune For Vacuum”, Plaschg redefines the piano-based lovelorn lustre that Adele so rightly owned in 2011. While comparisons to Adele sonically are extremely inappropriate, on a content level, the two songwriters draw heavily on their emotional turmoil and translate the journeys into tragic tales that are easy for a listener to relate to.

For those unaware of Soap&Skin’s earlier work, it would be fair to say that while Adele caters for the radio listener, Plaschg focuses her energies to the left of centre. With a vocal that may provoke Regina Spektor comparatives, Plaschg boasts a little Polly Scattergood, a little Agnes Obel, a little P.J. Harvey, a little Tori Amos and a little Bjork, without ever losing her own startling presence.

“Narrow” contains compositions of epic proportions. The devastatingly uplifting “Vater” kicks off proceedings, with Plaschg focusing on the loss of her father with both experimental flare and a serene sincerity. While the twists and turns of “Vater” highlights both the highs and lows of loss, it sets the tone perfectly for what is to come. From here Plaschg takes us on a colourful journey through the industrial “Deathmental” and the tender “Cradelsong” before concluding with the brief drama of “Big Hand Nails Down”.

With each twist and turn, Plaschg is able to further entice her listener into her mindspace. “Narrow” is a colourful, challenging listen that warrants exploration. The experimental realm of Soap&Skin may not seem as immediately appealing as her commercial counterpart Adele, but “Narrow” is every inch as enticing as the stunning “21”.

Rating: 5/5
Reviewer: Jeremy Williams

FEATURE: The Jess Hall Band “”Basically David found me on the internet, on YouTube, and a few months later signed me as a solo artist.”

“Basically David (Steele – the band’s manager) found me on the internet, on YouTube, and a few months later signed me as a solo artist. Then he asked if I would like a band and I just said yes.” Jess Hall is not just another YouTube phenomenon. Rebecca Black may have set the bar for ‘success’ earlier in the year with her unexpected super flop “Friday”, but not everyone who uses the interactive video site is quite so calculated in their approach. Though Black may have hit the headlines for her autotuned attempt at pop success (in her defense she is no more or less talented than many of today’s autotuned pop starlets out there), just a quick listen to any of Hall’s home-made clips and it becomes clear as to why she was so quickly snapped up. Boasting a crisp, colourful vocal, Hall oozes effortless appeal and bursts with irresistible charm. However, the modest teenager from Swindon was far from seeking the solo spotlight as she knew her closest pals were equally talented. She continues, “I knew exactly who I wanted, so it just went from there.”

“They are like my comfort blanket.”

“It is much more fun, to be honest. It is so much better. I get so nervous on my own. I need them. They are like my comfort blanket,” giggles Hall. With best buds Alex Stone (Guitar/Vocals), Andy Vincent (Bass) and Stefan Pysanczyn (Drums) firmly installed by her side, it is obvious for any onlooker that their genuine love for each other is at the core of the project.

With the core ingredients having blossomed beautifully, the quartet have found themselves suddenly thrust into the limelight ahead of time. Having won praise for their debut single “Play Shy” (lifted from the EP of the same name) having come to the attention of BBC Introducing, BBC Radio 1 wasted no time in giving the track its first championing forcing the group to settle on a name – The Jess Hall Band. Hall explains, “We tried for a different band name but we got given a time limit and it was before Radio 1, but we couldn’t think of anything. We didn’t want to settle with a rubbish one so we just whacked band on the end of my name.”

“I wouldn’t want to do it without these guys,” explains Hall when asked about what the boys had brought to the table. Veering away from the specifics, she smiles at her co-writer Stone to respond in detail. He is beaten by Vincent, who interjects, “bass” causing the quartet to descend into giggles before Stone offers, “It gives it a fuller sound. We bring different ideas to the table.”

“I am really not sure how it all happened.”

Talking about the track that has brought them all the attention, Hall explains, “we wrote Play Shy with Guy Sigsworth, who writes with Madonna and Bjork. We co-wrote that in May and then Radio 1 liked it. I am really not sure how it all happened.” Whereas Stone is happy to explain the process, “The de-de-de-de bit is something I wrote a long time ago. I was playing it at the sessions in Fulham and I was told to turn it into a song, so I wrote a verse and at the next session we worked together to turn it into a song.”

“Songs like ‘Grace’ were mine before I joined the band. I gave them to Jess, but all the other tracks were co-writes between Jess and other people.” With their debut EP all ready to be unleashed, Stone and Hall are happy to share the writing credits. In a band without any ego, the enjoyment is apparent. The Jess Hall Band are just four talented teenagers from Swindon who are embarking on the ride of their life.

“Play Shy” is out now on iTunes.

Words and Images: Jeremy Williams

WIN: Tickets To See Ólöf Arnald In London!

Beautiful, beguiling and poised to win a huge British following in the coming months, Ólöf Arnald’s hotly anticipated new album Innundir skinni is released through One Little Indian on the 13th September 2010. It is preceeded by a single “Crazy Car” on the 6th September.

The new album marks a departure by including three English sung songs, including single to be Surrender which also features Bjork’s distinctive vocal. Arnald’s lilting voice makes her songs come alive, leaving the impression of a classic troubadour with associations to early freak-folkers like Vashti Bunyan and Judee Sill.

Of the new album Ólöf has this to say: ‘With my first record I was more surprised with myself writing songs and felt very shy about the process. The songs all came in a period of a few months and I was all at once, writing, playing them to my friends, recording them and starting to perform them. My aim with Innundir skinni was for it to be a musical development from the first album, yet random and close to my sub-conscious like Við og við. Of course that aim was challenged by how the album ended up being created in short interludes with many collaborators over a considerable amount of time. But I´m happy with the outcome. The album as a whole ended up being in charge of me rather than me being in charge of it, so the process and the album became what I wanted it to be. I owe that to my collaborators who all showed an enormous amount of patience in playing again and again to get the feel right, allowing me to throw things away, change things, etc. And of course to myself as well for daring to have the last word on what I wanted and putting the emphasis on emotional essence rather than construction of elements.’

Ólöf – accompanied by musical foil, Davíð Þór Jónsson – finally made her (sold out) UK live debut at Café Oto in April, seducing a crowd that arrived curious but left bedazzled by a magical two-hour show that oscillated between playful spontaneity and stark heart-breaking beauty, showcasing Ólöf’s extraordinary, enchanting voice and engaging stage presence. (Eccentrically, the pair provided the musical interlude to the show’s interval, playing covers). Ólöf returns to the UK for September shows as follows:

12 Dorset End Of The Road Festival
14 London Bush Hall
15 Bristol Louisiana
16 Manchester Dulcimer
18 Glasgow Captains Rest
20 Bruxells Belgium Botanique
21 Berlin Germany Privatclub
23 Hamburg Reeperbahn Festival
24 Dublin Fringe Festival
26 Paris St Eustache

Already on the receiving end of a considerable NYC buzz, Ólöf has performed a number of shows in the city alongside Bjork, Dirty Projectors, Blonde Redhead and John Vanderslice, also appearing at showcases for Brooklyn Vegan and ‘Celebrate Brooklyn!’ In May she opened shows in NY and LA for Ane Brun and opens a San Francisco residency in July for, and at the personal invitation of, Jonathan Richman.

Produced by Sigur Ros’ Kjartan Sveinsson and Davíð Þór Jónsson, the follow up to 2007’s Við og Við debut, Innundir skinni features contributions from Bjork, Skúli Sverrisson (Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed), Shahzad Ismaily (Tom Waits, Plastic Ono Band, Bonnie “Prince” Billy), María Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir (Amiina) and Ragnar Kjartansson.

WIN! The Kaje have two tickets to see Ólöf Arnald in London and two copies of her album. To win simply tell us the title of her latest album….  Answers by email to thekaje@thekaje.com