Tag Archives: Nouvelle electro

LeVant – Sideways (Official Video)

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LeVant – Sideways (Official Video)

There comes a point when music becomes too homogenized that breaking the rule of what music should be, comes to the fore. This is what I got when I listened to the recordings of LeVant( George D. Stanciulescu) and I tell you, his tunes can either be something you like right away or something that need time to proliferate themselves into your subconscious. One  example is the new single Sideways. It is a trip chilled out track with layered sounds and arresting vocals. It’s perfect to relax to after a long day but can also be a source of scrutiny if you want to know what it is all about.

I think his songs are snippets of 20th century music made into a delicious salad of beats and melodies, a witness to the evolution of musical styles. Such parts are distilled into a 4-minute song. Some of them approach the atonal realm of modern composers  Schoenberg. What made the complex parts cohesive are the rhythmic simplicity.

There is also something very Romanian about his music but this influence can be subtle. Now watching the music video made for Sideways, is such a treat. I don’t want to write spoilers so you better see it for yourself.

I asked him about the video. I noted that it really fits the music.  This was his reply:
“Well, the video was basically kind of indie filmed and it features one of the most known contemporary fringe performers in Romania, namely Irinel Anghel. A friend of mine filmed her perform, I did the editing & the montage, so probably that’s why the music & the visuals fit.”

Official video for LeVant’s new experimental electronica single, featuring an exclusive performance by multimedia artist Irinel Anghel.

Recitations by Nicoleta Lefter.

Music, production & video edit by George D. Stanciulescu.

Camera : Stefan Marginean

(c) 2014

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/LeVantProject

TWITTER: https://www.facebook.com/LeVantProject

With George D. Stanciulescu and LeVant at Train Delivery 2014.

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Escape into the wind by Loic Rathscheck

About the video:

Loic:Thanks to Ives for sending me the Go Pro video mounted onto my dad’s vintage sail boat (Aile).

The pictured crew members are my dad and Ives. The music is a joint track from Paula and myself.

The challenge here was to edit material that came from only one camera perspective.

The idea was to create a video that shows the little importance of time when you sail. Let the wind take you along! Don’t be fooled though, concentration and effort are still required.

I have spent some good times at the Yacht Club de l’Ile de France.

This video is dedicated to my farther for his birthday, the kind people at the Yacht Club de l’Ile de France and to all those who enjoy sailing.

Here is the link to the club’s page: http://www.ycif.net/

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Icon by Nouvelle Electro

For those who haven’t heard yet, this was posted earlier this year. Nouvelle Electro as Paula(England) and Ian Henderson (Ireland)

This is a beautiful tribute to the late and great Marilyn Monroe.

Cool Song-Better Place by Anders Biegel

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Here is a a feel good song  from a singer/songwriter based in Denmark. I discovered him through Instagram and found out he has a song playing in Spotify. I like his voice. It’s strong, distinctive and clear. Regarding the tune, it’s filled with high keys and pulsing melodies that come in and out of the stanzas. They swirl and bumped against each other during the chorus-beautiful sounds.
“Take me to a better place,
Up to the light for a change.”
His songwriting is sincere and they reflect what he does in life. He is a runner with a website dedicated to fitness and well-being. I think this is brilliant as the music scene is already saturated with angst-ridden artist. I don’t classify him among the acoustic/coffee shop musicians as his sound has a richer grander style. His sound is suited to orchestras and arena-type rock music. But in place of guitars you have keyboards. He loves his acoustic guitar and brings it everywhere. https://soundcloud.com/anders-biegel
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Facts and Figures from The Marwills.
Whenever I hear a tune from Canadian rock band The Marwills, I feel like I am transported into the great era of the 70s when there was punk and funk rock. I love the lead vocals as it reminds me of what’s been missing in mainstream rock these days. And oh, it’s not just mainstream rock but all music that you could possible download in iTunes or hear on the radio. I love a powerful male voice with a terrific range and not something engineered in the studio. It looks like The Marwills are paving the way for ‘real’ music to finally come through. But I guess we will have to wait for a few years until the mainstream can catch up!
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Nouvelle Electro receive a nod from Andy Gillespie of Simple Minds
Hi, we’re delighted that Andy Gillespie, synths for Simple Minds, has listened to “Icon” today and gave the track positive feedback! -Nouvelle Electro.
This is a shout-out from Nouvelle Electro which are a dou of Paula  and Ian Henderson. They have just released a remixed of their single “Icon” which is a tribute to the late Marilyn Monroe. I think Paula has captured the sweet cooing vocals of the late thespian and, one of the delightful surprises of this song is the audio sample of Ms Monroe talking.

Lacy James and Nouvelle Electro

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“Red Sky” Nouvelle electro’s new track

Presenting the online debut of another track from UK/Ireland based duo Nouvelle Electro. The track has chilled beats and heavenly vocals. The spare instrumental arrangement gives way to the nuance of the lead vocals at the same time incorporating ambient sounds to create an transporting  listening experience. Sophisticated, smooth, laid back with hints of Kate Bush.

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Lacy James

New York based World Music artist Lacy James will have a release party tomorrow. Details below:

Who: World Music Artist Lacy James

lacy james

Lacy James

What: Album Release Party & Video Premiere

Where: DROM @ 85 Ave A, New York, NY

Nearest Subway: F Train to 2nd Ave

When: Thursday, February 28th @ 8PM

Click Here to RSVP

Ages: 21 and over (photo ID required)

Event Link: Drom

Spotlight:Nouvelle electro(Interview)

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Nouvelle electro Paula and Ian

Nouvelle electro Paula and Ian

This week’s featured artists are a duo of Ian Henderson and Paula better known as Nouvelle electro.

Ian: synths, vox, songwriting, programming, production. Former member of Irish Synthpop band EDEN 1997-2011 with over 20 releases world wide including Let It Flow, If I Was A Pet Shop Boy and Only Lovers Do.

Paula: Synths, vox, songwriting, programming.Various solo works and collaborations.

Paula O’ Brien and Ian Henderson of the duo Nouvelle electro love the art of songwriting. My conversation with them provided a glimpse of the ideas that what are important in creating a strong tracks. It’s all about the underlying structure. Style comes later. It is fascinating to know makes  a song stand out from the rest. Blend those with the hard work that songwriters put to it, and you get something timeless and beautiful.

Meriam-Webster  online dictionary defines Nouvelle as: relating to nouvelle cuisine nouvelle restaurant-French, “new cuisine”> and it can also mean trendy and novel.

The Taste of Sweet Salvation is catching fire on the inter webs for its strong melody and big beats. We are talking about full bodied medium paced beats that can groove their way into your subconscious. This single has two versions. The one which is the radio edit and the other one with orchestral arrangement which  is the album version yet to be released. It has more layers and also longer than the one on this post.

Ian Henderson is based in Kells, Meath Ireland while Paula O’Brien (she prefers to be called as Paula) is based in Yorkshire. I was about to elaborate how they started this musical partnership but I will let them tell you that through this interview.

How was the experience launching your first track? Do you think this cements what you think your duo stands for in terms of style and direction?

Ian: Well we really just let this track out as a taster, to get a feel for how it worked. In terms of an official launch track we are a bit off that at the moment. We have a lot of work in the pipeline and there are a few potential tracks there as the first release. Salvation is one aspect of the sound we have worked on. I’m conscious of modern electro acts have fallen into a particular style and and we made a conscious decision to write songs first and style later.

Paula: Sharing “The Taste of Sweet Salvation” with everyone has been an exciting process. The positive feedback and support has been great! Already we’ve had 2 radio stations give us airplay and more is scheduled soon. As for the creative direction, we have so many influences between us to draw upon so who knows what will happen! Whilst the track certainly places us firmly within the electro genre, we’re not going to limit ourselves to a particular approach.

That beat was perfect. How did you know that a particular track demands that kind of tempo?

Ian :When Paula first sent me the demo I found the melody very strong and I wanted to make sure I captured the mood of the song accurately. The main thing I felt I could bring to the track was a bit more urgency and drama. I actually went through various versions before we ended up with the track today.

Paula: The original track was up tempo. Ian has given the beat a stronger presence and the new bass line now gives the song a very defined groove.

For Paula: It seems collaboration comes easy for you.What is it that you find in collaborative work that you can’t find in solo projects other than fusion of styles?

Paula:Collaboration is just an extension of the creative process. Aside from the fusion of styles, it’s nice to connect with others who understand where you are coming from and speak the same language, to feel a common bond in this way. Kindred spirits. It’s great when it’s a balanced experience of creative exchange and input. When it does feel like this it’s much more of a positive experience. It’s how creativity should feel, ideally.

For Ian: What is so good about composing and producing for Nouvelle electro?

Ian: For me Nouvelle is a kind of “come out of retirement” project. After the last EDEN album I was so burnt out and miserable. I had lost the spark and joy of making music altogether. I only recorded one thing in the entire of 2012. So this came together very naturally and at the right time for me. I’m happy to be locked in my studio again.

 What’s the inspiration behind The Taste of Sweet Salvation?

Ian: Oddly enough I only added in the string sections at the end of the mix. I had just watched Lord of the Rings and thought the arrangements in the soundtrack were amazing and I must try and implement some orchestral parts. It really warms the song. So in short, Frodo inspired me!

Paula: Lyrically, eternal love, the quest of the heart…(sorry Frodo!)

I love the addition of the choral voices in the last part of the song. Who’s idea is it?

Ian: This goes back to my earlier thoughts on the song needing more urgency and drama. The biggest challenge I had with this song was the remaining bars after the middle 8. It took me a while to crack it in terms of really giving it that final lift and push. I added the vocals to do just that.

Paula: Ian arranged and added the backing vox parts and I really like the result. It’s a first for me, hearing a backing male vox on one of my songs!

In terms of structuring songs, what’s the outline? How do you two decide what the song should sound like?

Ian: It’s a new way of working for me, as in we are working in different studios and its a lot of back and forth over the net. There is no set way, to date Paula sent me songs and me her, and I’ve sent some so her ideas for development and vice-versa. In terms of sound I don’t want us to get boxed into one style or become predictable. So while salvation is quite moody and purposeful the track we are working on the moment is the polar opposite, full of candy canes and happiness!

Paula: We are very flexible where ideas are concerned, you have to be…and wait and see where they lead in their own time. We’re in regular contact and the tracks are developing quite quickly. We might have a theme for a lyric, it might be a track we’ve already got written so the structure is in place when we send our work to each other. The end result though may be entirely different. Whatever inspires! No hard or fast rules.

 

Nouvelle electro will have a live radio interview coming up in March. That and more airplay. To get more of their news, please like them in facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NouvelleElectro?ref=ts&fref=ts

Additional links:

www.soundcloud.com/nouvelleelectro
www.twitter.com/nouvelleelectro
www.youtube.com/nouvelleelectrouk
www.nouvelleelectro.bandcamp.com

Gallery

Ian
Paula
Paula