‘Into The Gap’, initially released in February 1984, was the fourth album by Thompson Twins.

It was a multi-platinum album on both sides of the Atlantic, staying at number one in the UK for three weeks and being top ten in the US. The album produced four massive hit singles: ‘Hold Me Now’, a top-five smash in the UK and the US, ‘Doctor Doctor’, ‘You Take Me Up’, and ‘Sister Of Mercy’.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of ‘Into The Gap’, the album has been remastered at Abbey Road by Frank Arkwright and will be reissued as a comprehensive 3-CD set featuring new sleevenotes with interviews with all three band members, a limited edition red vinyl LP, a digital deluxe version and Dolby Atmos digital and Bluray. David Kosten mixed the Dolby Atmos version.

In the 40 years since their commercial peak, Thompson Twins have finally been recognised as quiet visionaries. The band was multi-gender and multiracial, taking on Middle Eastern and Jamaican influences and melding them with cutting-edge technology alongside producer Alex Sadkin (Grace Jones, Robert Palmer, Bob Marley And The Wailers) at the famous Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas.

After an early seven-piece version of the band dissolved, the remaining threesome, Tom Bailey, Alannah Currie and Joe Leeway, recorded the groundbreaking ‘Quick Step & Side Kick’ album, which broke the top 40 in the US and reached number 2 in the UK. Remarking on the time Tom Bailey remembers “We were no longer a band, Instead, we were designers of pop music. We divided ourselves so that Alannah wrote our lyrics, I wrote our music and Joe, who had come from the theatre, was in charge of our live side, working with Alannah on how we presented ourselves visually.”

The shift to a trio also meant a change in sound, looking back Alannah says ‘The whole reason we were able to make those tracks was because we discovered the synthesiser and drum machine so suddenly we were able to make big sounding records with only three of us in the studio. Marrying traditional instruments and percussion with big synth sounds to get the human warmth with cool machines was what we aimed for. We were constantly accused of it not being ‘real music’, especially in America, because we rejected the who concept of rock and roll and guitars in favour of synthesisers and percussion.”

Tom notes that Alannah’s lyrics were key in making the music resonate “Alannah writing the lyrics was a gift for making our music universal. The words had to mean something to me, but they also had to mean something to the person you don’t know who’s dancing on a Saturday night. Alannah’s lyrics fitted how she was thinking and how I performed. I was able to fully inhabit her ideas.” Joe Leeway also recognises Alannah’s trailblazing spirit “Things are done differently now. All the way up to Doja Cat, women have their own audiences and their own authority. Generations now don’t remember how different it was. I learned a lot from Alannah, who brought a lot about respect for women in a male-dominated world. Alannah writing our lyrics was part of that.”

Once the album was completed, Thompson Twins took to the road In support of the album. The band toured the US extensively, playing their own shows and massive stadiums in support of The Police. All of the trio’s hard work paid off in the USA in 1984 when ‘Into The Gap’ entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #10, and the band, including two future members of The Cure, played a 50-date tour, including sold-out shows at New York’s Radio City Music Hall and The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

There would be further highs in the band’s career, including having Madonna and Nile Rodgers perform with them at Live Aid and the underrated ‘Here’s To Future Days’ album, but ‘Into The Gap’ was the moment that Thompson Twins captured the Zeitgeist on two continents. It was a very long way from the squat in Clapham, London, where the band had formed just seven years earlier. To bring the album full circle, Tom Bailey has recently toured the world playing the album in full to rapturous audiences eager to hear these classic songs live once more.

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Vanessa Williams, award-winning star of stage, screen, and music, releases exclusive new remixes of her smash hit single, “Legs (Keep Dancing)”.

The track, her first pop recording in 15 years, recently debuted at No. 3 on Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Digital Sales chart and has surpassed a million digital streams in a matter of weeks. The seven-track collection, Legs (Keep Dancing): The Remixes EP, features a variety of edits by the 808 BEACH duo of New York City-based club DJ Bill Coleman and his London-based collaborator John “J-C” Carr who have jointly remixed or produced blazing tracks on a who’s who in club music such as Lizzo, Sia, and Adam Lambert.

The 808 BEACH Mix is a percussive, peak hour, circuit-etched, hands-in-the-air club mix which spotlights the song’s anthemic elements and Williams’ affirmative lyrics. The inspired 808 BEACH Hustlin’ Mix complements the song with a decidedly modern nod to the revered sound and groove of ’90’s House Music with a slight European bent and groove. “We had an absolute blast tackling the empowering tune and Vanessa’s powerful performance with our refresh for DJs,” says Bill Coleman of the mixes. “Both of our 808 BEACH versions are tailor-made for this summer’s dancefloors, kikis, and celebrations. These `Legs’ are indeed still made to keep dancing – ‘til you can’t do it no more!!!”

“Legs (Keep Dancing)” was co-written by Disney songwriter / producer Chantry Johnson, newcomer songwriter Kjersti Long, and veteran songwriter/producer Kipper Jones, who co-penned Williams’ early classics, “The Comfort Zone” and “The Right Stuff.” The mixes are available in MSQ Stereo and Dolby Atmos Immersive Audio. Aside from the digital streaming configurations, the remixes will be available on limited edition 12-inch vinyl later this summer.

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GRAMMY Award winning duo Twenty One Pilots have released their new album CLANCY.

Co-produced by Joseph and Paul Meany, CLANCY marks the final chapter in a multi-album and nearly decade long narrative first introduced in the band’s 2015 multi-platinum breakthrough, BLURRYFACE.

The ambitious collection is highlighted by the previously released tracks ‘The Craving (single version),’ ‘Backslide,’ ‘Next Semester’ and ‘Overcompensate,’ the latter of which rocketed up the Alternative Radio chart hitting #1, marking their 11th #1 at the format, and welcoming listeners back to the band’s immersive world of‘ Trench.’

Having amassed over 33 billion streams worldwide and over 3 million tickets sold across global headline tours, the Columbus, OH based duo of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun have established themselves as one of the most successful bands of the 21st century and redefined the sound of a generation.

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Multi-platinum selling rock band Crowded House have announced their 2024 Australia and New Zealand – Gravity Stairs Tour – in support of the new album which will be released May 31, 2024 globally.

Their Gravity Stairs Tour kicks off November 9, 2024 in Wellington and wraps December 14, 2024 in Brisbane.

Produced by the band with Steven Schram (Paul Kelly, San Cisco), Gravity Stairs shows Crowded House’s current incarnation featuring Neil Finn, Nick Seymour, Mitchell Froom, Elroy Finn and Liam Finn.

“So looking forward to getting amongst our people having practiced in the northern hemisphere for a few months. The band will be running hot and we can’t wait to sing with you and elevate our collective spirits. Sing it if you want to be a part of Some Greater Plan” ~ Neil Finn

Speaking about the album title Gravity Stairs, Neil says the name was inspired by an unnaturally heavy stone staircase near where Finn vacations. “The Gravity Stairs are symbolic of the struggle to ascend, acknowledging the opposing forces of weight on the mechanics of living. It’s an act of will every day.”

Crowded House have sold over 15 million records worldwide as well as earning a Brit Award, 13 Australian ARIA Awards, 3 Aotearoa Music Awards and an MTV VMA, the band have generated billions of streams, consistently sold-out tours on multiple continents and have been captivating audiences for nearly four decades. Originally founded by Neil Finn, Nick Seymour, and the late Paul Hester, the group’s self-titled debut in 1986 went platinum, uplifted by worldwide smashes “Something So Strong” and “Don’t Dream It’s Over” which has been covered by everyone from Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande to U2, among others.

In 1996, the group delivered a legendary performance to an audience of over 150,000 on the steps of the Sydney Opera House, beginning a hiatus that finished in the wake of Paul’s passing in 2005. This led to albums Time on Earth (2007) and Intriguer (2010) and a return to the Sydney Opera House for four unforgettable nights. 2018 saw Neil join Fleetwood Mac as a full-time member, canvassing the globe on a massive world tour. Two years later, he and Nick led another era of Crowded House, forming the band’s current line-up. They issued their first full-length offering in eleven years, the unanimously acclaimed Dreamers Are Waiting (2021) and the band leapt into a rapturous world tour in support.

From joining his brother Tim in the New Wave favourites Split Enz to leading Crowded House to his numerous solo efforts, Neil’s varied body of work is connected by his knack for penning meticulous, indelible melodies and impressionistic lyrics that demand multiple listens. It’s earned him devoted fans all over the globe.

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Internationally-acclaimed dance music powerhouse Galantis has released fourth studio album, Rx.

The 14-track collection features new single “One Cry” featuring Rosa Linn alongside previously released hits like “Lighter” with David Guetta & 5 Seconds of Summer and more.Rx, which Galantis (the genre-bending dance music project of Christian Karlsson aka Bloodshy),has been working on for the better part of two years, is a straight shot of adrenaline and emotional catharsis.

Its centre piece is  “BANG BANG! (My Neurodivergent Anthem),” a hair-raising sing-along that lays bare the musician’s diagnosis and was praised by Rolling Stone as “an upbeat festival-ready banger.”

And from “Koala” to some of the album’s monumental collaborations, like the missile of a pop banger “Lighter” with David Guetta and 5 Seconds of Summer, Rx is a mind-bending shot to the synapses.

Rx is available now via Big Beat Records.

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For eight years Empyreans have waited patiently for word from visionary duo Emperor Steele and Lord Littlemore as they traversed the world on their sonic pilgrimage… that wait ends here with their new album.

In a kaleidoscopic universe where reality merges seamlessly with fantasy, the fourth age of Empire of the Sun unveils itself as a holistic musical adventure where imagination and reality blur and the surreal reigns supreme.  “It has been a journey unlike any other that Empire Of The Sun has undertaken. We always ‘go there’ when it comes to exploration of both the self and the outside world,” says Littlemore. “This body of work represents the greatest shift in consciousness our world has ever seen and that’s reflected in the music.”

“Ask That God is an album we searched for and were thankfully blessed with. We are nothing more than conduits, gathering experience and finding what is meant for the Empire to find,” explains Steele.

Photo Credit: William Barrington-Binns

The propulsive first single ‘Changes’ heralded the new era as a moment to reflect on what was happening to the band itself – a second coming, the new era and a sense of rebirth. The idea goes to the heart of the Empire’s purpose, to nurture and amplify bliss and beauty through finely crafted manifestations of sound and vision.

All that is underpinned by the band’s infectious ability to build musical worlds that no one wants to leave as demonstrated through the hypnotic disco laced groove of the addictive second single ‘Music On The Radio’ which is released today. “To me this song is like a teenager rebelling against his imaginary emotions. It’s penned in only that unique way Lord Littlemore can bring words to life. The bass wraps it’s arms around you in some kind of hypnotic groove and you’re powerless to its charms” says Steele.

Emperor Steele and Lord Littlemore continue their musical journey as kingdom builders not shying away from their indelible ability to weave their music with their unmistakable visual aesthetic and storytelling.

In the second video instalment filmmaker Michael Maxxis takes us on a visual trip with the portal-jumping Emperor and Lord arriving in a parallel universe for a surreal pool-party. With its bold neon feel and odd squad of characters, the video puts the song at its centre capitalising on its infectious hypnotic pulse.

Empire of the Sun have left an indelible mark on the global music scene, boasting a remarkable career that has seen them sell over 5.5 million albums worldwide and accumulate a staggering 7.6 billion streams. The band’s illustrious three albums have seen multi-generational and far-reaching global success for iconic anthems including “Walking On A Dream”, “We Are The People”, “Alive” and “High And Low”. Enjoying multi-platinum success in the US, Canada, UK, across Europe and Australia plus eight ARIA Awards & two APRA Awards, the band continue to solidify their status as musical pioneers.

‘Ask That God’ which will be released on Friday July 26th, 2024.

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SLASH, the iconic, GRAMMY winning guitarist and songwriter, has announced his highly anticipated sixth solo album titled Orgy of the Damned.

A collection of 12 dynamic songs that shakes up and revitalizes blues classics with a stripped-down, instinctive approach, SLASH’s new album, Orgy of the Damned, creates a singular expression that pays homage to the blues.

The first single “Killing Floor,”-which features Brian Johnson of AC/DC on vocals, and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith on harmonica-is an electrifying, raucous and gleefully unbridled take on Howlin’ Wolf’s 1964 Chicago blues standard; stream “Killing Floor,” has just released.

“Killing Floor’ is one of my favorite Howlin’ Wolf songs, but also one of the iconic blues riffs that turned me on as a young guitar player. I’ve always wanted to cover it in some capacity and this record was the perfect vehicle. But playing it with this band, and with Brian Johnson singing, it was an achievement I would never have imagined back then. Let alone Steven Tyler providing the harp” states Slash.

While Brian Johnson from AC/DC said; “When Slash asked me to sing on ‘Killing Floor,’ I said yes immediately. It was one of the first songs I learned in my very first band, and when he played me the backing track it was a no-brainer, and Steven’s harmonica is so bloody hot. I had a ball with Slash in the studio, and I think we did this great old song justice. Rock on.”

By celebrating both well-known and largely undiscovered songs, SLASH offers a nostalgic nod to the past while reinvigorating the songs with his inimitable guitar playing and the spirit of collaboration. For Orgy of the Damned, the acclaimed guitarist re-teamed with storied producer Mike Clink and enlisted the album’s diverse guest vocalists, which include Gary Clark Jr, Billy F. Gibbons, Chris Stapleton, Dorothy, Iggy Pop, Paul Rodgers, Demi Lovato, Brian Johnson, Tash Neal, Chris Robinson, and Beth Hart, in a similar way to his 2010 self-titled solo LP Slash. To round out his band in the studio and on the road, SLASH reunited with two of his bandmates from his Blues Ball outfit in the 90s, bassist Johnny Griparic and keyboardist Teddy Andreadis, and brought on drummer Michael Jerome and singer/guitarist Tash Neal.

Credit: Gene Kirkland.

Although he grew up in England, SLASH’s American grandmother turned him on to the blues early on, and he was immediately taken with B.B. King. At the same time, his parents raised him on a healthy diet of 60s British rock ‘n’ roll, from The Who to The Kinks. Once he moved to Laurel Canyon, SLASH found himself surrounded by rock and folk singers like Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Neil Young—all of whom eventually inspired his playing and songwriting. It wasn’t until he began playing guitar himself that SLASH realized all of his favorite musicians had been influenced by the same B.B. King blues records he’d listened to as a young kid.

Orgy of the Damned encompasses a broad range of styles within the blues genre, veering from an upbeat, rowdy take on Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads” to a plaintive, twanging rendition of T. Bone Walker’s “Stormy Monday.” Some of the songs, like Steppenwolf’s “The Pusher,” Charlie Segar’s “Key to the Highway,” and Albert King’s “Born Under a Bad Sign,” had been performed by Slash’s Blues Ball, while others, like Stevie Wonder’s “Living for the City,” were long-time favorites for Slash. “Hoochie Coochie Man,” written by Willie Dixon and made famous by Muddy Waters in 1954, showcases the in-the-moment nature and unrestrained energy of Orgy of the Damned, with Z.Z. Top’s Billy F. Gibbons stepping in on guitar and vocals. The group went into a rehearsal room in North Hollywood and began hashing out soulful, rollicking takes on the classic songs. Everything was played live in the room, with an emphasis on improvisation which resulted in a collection of dynamic, energized songs that are immediate, raw, and distinctly familiar.

As SLASH was considering vocalists, he approached his old friend and collaborator, Iggy Pop, who had long wanted to record a blues song. Pop suggested Lightnin’ Hopkins’ 1962 track, “Awful Dream,” a sparse, drawling number originally laid down on acoustic guitar. The duo decided to recreate that stripped back vibe and recorded their own languid, emotionally resonant version sitting on two stools in SLASH’s studio. “Iggy’s interpretation of that song is actually sublime,” says SLASH. “And it’s something that nobody’s really heard from him. At the end of the track, you can hear him just singing the harmonica parts.”

Elsewhere on Orgy of the Damned, Demi Lovato lends her powerhouse voice to “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone,” a fervent, soulful version of the 1972 single by The Temptations that SLASH admired as a kid. Although the song veers more towards R&B, the guitarist wanted to give it his own impassioned spin. The album concludes with a soaring original instrumental number, “Metal Chestnut,” penned specifically for Orgy of the Damned by Slash.

Orgy of the Damned showcases a lesser-heard aspect of SLASH’s musical prowess. While he has always embraced a broad range of styles and genres, the album offers a rare opportunity to explore a unique side of his playing and bring to the forefront a rollicking journey through his strong blues inspirations, that have long been in the background of his illustrious career.

Orgy of the Damned will also be available on vinyl and via CD and will be released on May 17th, 2024 via Gibson Records and is available to pre-order now.

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Sir Rod Stewart and Jools Holland with his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra present the exquisite Swing Fever today.

For the first time, Britain’s new partners in swing have united on record to share their peerless dexterity on a tribute to such truly great songs as ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’, ‘Frankie And Johnny’, ‘Sentimental Journey’ and ‘Lullaby Of Broadway’. The results, recorded at Jools’ own studio in Greenwich.

Swing Fever is the realisation of conversations between Rod and Jools that began in the pandemic years, and of Rod’s dream of making an album of the songs that were, in many ways, the rock ‘n’ roll of their day.

Sitting down together, Jools recounts: “I was just packing up to go away for Christmas, and you rang me. We hadn’t really spoken at any length before. I thought ‘I love Rod, how exciting,’ and you said ‘I want to do a record.’ I’d been a fan of Rod forever but we realised with the old music that we liked a lot of the same things.”

“I’d already started making a swing album, but it didn’t turn out how I wanted it,” explains Rod. “It was more Frank Sinatra than it was Louis Prima, let’s say. So I cancelled that, and then I realised the guy I should go to is Jools. Also, our fanatical model railway enthusiasm bonded us together. So we started recording.”

Swing Fever is out now.

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Assembling an essential collection of generational anthems, LINKIN PARK will present their first-ever career-spanning greatest hits album entitled Papercuts (Singles Collection2000-2023).

In addition to the classics, LINKIN PARK uncovered the never-before-released track “Friendly Fire.” Recorded during the 2017 sessions for their seventh album One More Light, it features a powerhouse vocal performance from the late Chester Bennington. About ‘Friendly Fire’ Brad Delson added,

‘Friendly Fire’ was always one of our favorite songs from the One More Light sessions. Something about it wasn’t quite right so as close as it got to the finish line, we chose to set it aside for later. When we started looking for an unreleased track to include on our greatest hits collection, I was blown away by the power of the song, the power of the storytelling, the power of the vocal, the sonic landscape and I actually thought that it was closer than maybe we had realized at the time.

We got together to work on it and connect some of the missing pieces that for whatever reason hadn’t revealed themselves during the recording of One More Light. I can’t wait for people to hear it. It’s such a beautiful, compelling, heartbreaking, hopeful story and it really resonates with me today.”

Papercuts will release on April 12, 2024 via Warner Records.

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Jason Derulo officially kicks off a new era with Nu King.

As his boldest body of work yet, he collates a handful of fan favorites such as ‘Acapulco,’ ‘Slow Low,’ ‘Swalla,’ ‘Lifestyle’ [feat. Adam Levine], ‘Love Not War’ [feat. Nuka], and more alongside various newly recorded anthems – including this collab with David Guetta ‘Down’.

“Nu King is the culmination of my career so far. It’s been nine years since my last full-length, and a lot has happened. I never stopped making music though. A lot of those songs didn’t have a proper home,so I made a place for them. The newer songs are just a piece of my life at the moment. Combining everything, the entire album has a cinematic feel. For the title, King is my son’s name. You can gofurther, and this is a crowning moment I’m really proud of. 2023 was a preparation year; 2024 is a year of celebrating all of the hard work I’ve put in and what I’ve built.” – Jason Derulo.

The 27-song project is available now.

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