The music video for “No Reason” was directed by Smith & Lyall and choreographed and performed by Gecko Theatre. The Chemical Brothers noted that this new single is a follow-up to their 2019 album, No Geography. Their 2019 album hit no. 3 on Dance/Electronic and won the Grammy for best dance/electronic album in 2020. In total, they have won seven Grammys in their nearly 3-decade long career, which launched with the 1995 release of their now classic album, Exit Planet Dust.

Their new single has also been mastered in Dolby Atmos at Abbey Road Studios by Giles Martin who has been no stranger to helping out The Beatles remaster their back catalogue. The limited version of “No Reason” will be released on April 28, including a 12-inch red vinyl with a previously unreleased b-side track, “All Of A Sudden.” 

The new single from The Chemical Brothers is available everywhere Friday! Listen / Watch 'No Reason' at https://t.co/YJMzC7Ywfj Video by @smithandlyall #NewMusic @eddychemical #TheChemicalBrothers pic.twitter.com/bZSt8ax0b1

— The Chemical Brothers (@ChemBros) March 17, 2023

As The Chemical Brothers do not shy away from expressing their political opinions as demonstrated in two songs, “Free Yourself” and “MAH”  from their No Geography album that was explicitly about the Brexit crisis, but that was not the case for “No Reason”.

Tom Rowlands of The Chemical Brothers shared his thoughts on electronic music. “Electronic music has always seen as a genre that’s divorced from reality or acts as an escape, but every day you come into the studio you’re informed by how you feel and what you have read in the papers,” He told NME in 2019. “These things seep into what you do. It’s Why I love using samples and how you decide to use it to communicate, you can find a voice and lyrics that resonate no matter when they’re from.”

The duo are both headed to perform at this year’s Coachella, Isle of Wight Festival and Wilderness Festival. Location-wise, they will be intertwined between Europe and the US. Their full 2023 live itinerary can be viewed here.

UK TOURS:

06/15/2023 – Isle Of Wight Festival – Newport, UK (Weekend Ticket)

06/17 – Isle Of Wight Festival – Newport, UK  (Saturday Ticket)

08/03 – Cornbury Park – Oxfordshire, UK

You can purchase your ticket from here.

The auction house provides a detailed description of the equipment on the lot’s page. “Recording industry giant E.M.I. Corporation did so many things extremely well back in their heyday, including manufacturing their own professional recording equipment, namely the BTR (British Tape Recorder), a ¼” tape, twin-track valve (vacuum based) machine. In 1953 they started building the ‘BTR2′ tape recording console and at the time, these were considered state-of-the-art mono recorders – the best that money could buy.”

The lot’s orientation continues, “They were extremely well built, using high-quality components and expert craftsmanship, and they weighed almost 600 pounds apiece. Originally made for ‘in-house’ use only – they were very highly regarded due to the fact that they were fabulous recording machines with great sound quality, were extremely dependable and relatively easy to operate – and as such there was a high demand for them outside of E.M.I. Orders were placed by The British Broadcasting Corporation (B.B.C.), who ultimately purchased and used many BTR2s throughout Great Britain..”

The recording consoles’ heydays were from 1957 until the 1980s, they were installed and used prior to and during the studio’s rename and rebranding. In 1970 the then named E.M.I Studios was renamed as Abbey Road Studios and acts continued to flock to the then state-of-the-art workplace. The BTR2s used by Abbey Road have always stood out, the studio mainly used machines which were painted grey.

Recording equipment from Abbey Road Studios is very rare to find and is rarely found for sale let alone on auction. Only a couple of items from the studios have been sold, the pieces were quickly snapped up by collectors and private buyers. This particular BTR2 console has changed hands prior, it originally was sold by Abbey Road Studios in 1980 within their Sale Of The Century. In 1988 the console was again sold to the Hard Rock Café which in turn sold it again to its current owner, the same owner who is now selling it.

These consoles are responsible for a long list of legendary albums, one particular group which regarded the console as family were The Beatles. The equipment has become a major part of the band’s history, a vast amount of the band’s discography was produced and recording using the BTR2 including such albums as A Hard Day’s Night, Beatles For Sale, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Magical Mystery Tour, The White Album and of course Abbey Road. The group’s eleventh studio home sired many of the band’s most loved hits including “Come Together” and “Here Comes The Sun“.

The Beatles and BTR2s are heavily integrated with each other, included within the auction are two photographs of the “Get Back” band with the equipment, one of John Lennon with the BTR2 and another of Ringo Starr and George Harrison with cake and champagne with the auction item. Also included within the auction is a letter penned by The Abbey Road Chief Engineer, the original instruction booklet that was used by the studios and a certificate  of authenticity from Gotta Have Rock & Roll.

The lot’s description further explains its importance to the fab four’s career, “These BTR2 recording consoles are of great importance related to the recording history of The Beatles. Very little exists in any collection, public or private, with regard to Abbey Road / Beatles used recording equipment in any form and the rarity and significance of these BTR2s cannot be overstated.”

These important artifacts of modern music are also responsible for six of Pink Floyd’s albums, The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, A Sauceful Of Secrets, More, Ummagumma, Atom Heart Mother, Meddle and their seminal 1973 release The Dark Side Of The Moon. Other acts who utilised the renowned consoles include some of popular music’s most sought after artists, Cliff Richard And The Shadows, Jeff Beck, Connie Francis, Deep Purple and The Pretty Things.

Click here to view the auction.

We are proud to have played a part in recognising the year’s most unforgettable, unique, and unsung moments in music photography for the inaugural Abbey Road Studios Music Photography Awards 2022!

Full gallery: https://t.co/LFInyZQ94M

Until next year, keep on snapping! #MPA22 pic.twitter.com/FBTkGQeRxp

— Abbey Road Studios (@AbbeyRoad) May 15, 2022

Abbey Road’s Managing Director Isabel Garvey was overjoyed at the calibre of work on display, stating;“Everyone at Abbey Road Studios is thrilled with the quality of the entries and winners in our first Music Photography Awards. More broadly, we’re also incredibly encouraged by the way in which the MPAs has been embraced across the arts and creative landscape. It’s been brilliant to create a platform to recognise emerging and established talent in this important field, and we’re already looking forward to doing it all again in 2023!”

You can see a full list of the competition winners down below:

Championing Scenes (works that explore grassroots movements and music subcultures)

Megan Doherty (winner)
Above Ground
Rob Jones
Chris Suspect
Cicely Ellison

Live (works which depict all aspects of live performance)

John Lyons (winner)
Anthony Harrison
Gary Mather
Jérôme Brunet

Studio (works showing the process of creating and recording music)

Jack McKain (winner)
Natalie Michele
Indy Brewer
Neelam Khan Vela
Aysia Marotta

Zeitgeist (works which best define the current state of modern music for 2021)

Chris Suspect (winner)
Riccardo Piccirillo
DeShaun Craddock
Alec Castillo
Jason Sheldon

Undiscovered (works which will help recognise emerging talent in the field of music photography)

Joe Puxley (winner)
Jada & David Parrish
Oscar Hetherington
Hana Kovacs
Thomas Weidenhuapt

Artist At Work (works which capture moments of creativity)

Greg Noire (winner)
Jack McKain
Jennifer McCord
CJ Harvey
Dean Chalkley
Above Ground

Editorial (works created to accompany written text)

Samuel Trotter (winner)
Yana Yatsuk
Craig McDean
David LaChapelle
Fernando Aceves
Paul Sepuya

Portrait (works that embody the personality and style of an artist through portraiture)

Yana Yatsuk (winner)
Aidan Zamiri
Vicky Grout
Lucas Garrido
Nicholas O’Donnell
Josiah Rundles

To see all of the winning images, follow the link here.

The final category titled the Icon Award, was given to Eric Johnson of the USA, whose work took viewers into the world of Hip-Hop culture in America, from the late 90s and early 2000s, capturing images of music legends like; Biggie Smalls, Missy Elliott, Nas, Lauryn Hill and Aaliyah.

After 90 years in the business of making perhaps the best and most cherished music ever. Abbey Road Studios continue to make a lasting legacy in the world of sound. For those who want to learn about the studios and their accomplishments, A full-length documentary titled; If These Walls Could Sing (directed by Mary McCartney) promises; “countless stories featuring an all-star cast of interviews, unparalleled access to the studios and, of course, a spellbinding soundtrack.”.

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The New York-based photographer made a name for himself within the late 90s and early 00’s with his timeless pieces featuring the era’s brightest stars. Johnson’s photos of Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill, Biggie Smalls, Nas and Aaliyah sired the photographer a reputation for brilliance and placed him at the forefront of the music industry. Much like the musicians he snapped, Johnson’s talent has transcended through the decades. The icon award first winner’s recent work includes modern-day artists including Shygirl and Doja Cat.

Johnson has spoken about the win, “It’s super surreal being the first recipient of the Abbey Road Studios Music Photography ICON Award. I’m super low-key by nature and through all of these years it never dawned on me that after taking all of these pics that ultimately it would all come back to me. That people would be curious about me. I kinda knew that my photos would stand the test of time but being considered an ICON wasn’t anything I really thought about. Wow!!! I’m into it.”

The legendary shutterbug continued to discuss his work, “Having such a diverse group of talented artists recognise my work is really what it’s all about. This is a curious industry we’re in. It’s been like a rollercoaster ride and this acknowledgement is such a high. It makes me feel like ‘Wow, I’ve really been right and onto something from the beginning and people are really recognising this. It’s AWESOME and inspires me to keep pushing even more. I wanna keep creating imagery that the culture really feels.”

Johnson concludes with advice for aspiring photographers, “I hope this all inspires emerging talents to try and stay as true to yourself as possible. There’s potentially something great just around the corner. Don’t sweat the industry like that. Keep working on your craft.”

Isabel Garvey, Abbey Road’s Managing Director has also given a statement concerning the award, “The judging panel wanted the recipient of our first MPAs ‘Icon Award’ to be a photographer whose impact and contribution to the art of music photography has been pronounced and unparalleled and we have no doubt that Eric meets these criteria. We’re delighted that Eric has accepted the award as his work throughout his career to date has been some of the most vital and memorable in music photography.”

The historic studios are holding the new awards as part of their birthday celebration, the ceremony will join the various events planned to observe the studio’s 90th anniversary. A statement provides further information, “The MPAS honour the images that capture the magic of live music, the creative process, and the exciting music scenes and movements taking place across the world. The awards will recognise photographers at all levels – whether established, emerging or undiscovered – via open-entry categories, as well as categories chosen by an esteemed judging panel made up of artists, photographers and influential names across the global music and photography industries.“

The collection is said to have been left by members, John Lennon, Sir Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Sir Ringo Starr at Abbey Road Studios during the recording of their first album ‘Please Please Me’. The group’s debut studio album was released through EMI’s partner label Parlophone records on 22nd March 1963 and was produced by the group’s long-time producer George Martin, often known as the fifth Beatle.

The lot’s listing states the following concerning the tape’s origins: “Gifted to the vendor, a bass player in a rock band that has sold over 20 million albums. Presented in 1971 while recording their first LP at Abbey Road Studios by a sound technician, the demo itself recorded in the 1960s.”

The lot contains a collection of unreleased and unheard tracks including early recordings of ‘I Me Mine’ with Harrison’s vocals, the Lewis Carroll inspired ‘I Am The Walrus’, featuring Lennon’s vocals and ‘The Fool On The Hill’, featuring McCartney on the piano. All three tracks were later recorded as finished products and released, ‘I Am The Walrus’ and ‘The Fool On The Hill’ were released in 1967, ‘I Me Mine’ was released in April 1970 and was the group’s final new song they worked on as a band before their breakup. The anonymous seller has also stated in a note that the collection features a recording of ‘The Fool On the Hill’ with an alternate ending.

The studio formerly known as EMI Recording Studio was opened in 1931 by the famed conductor Sir Edward Elgar. The studio saw the making of many famous and paramount releases, including ‘The Piper at the Gates of Dawn’ by Pink Floyd and more recently the 2011 album ‘Ceremonials’ by Florence and the Machine. The studio is also famous for the home of many Beatles’ albums including the 1969 release ‘Abbey Road’, famed for the cover art which shows the band outside of the studio. The album’s title was named after the studio’s street, after the album’s release the studio was officially renamed Abbey Road Studios in celebration of the record. In 2010 the studio was protected from property developers by being granted English Heritage Grade ii listed status. The studio’s legacy was further developed in 2015 when the Abbey Road Institute was founded, formed as an educational programme for production and engineering within the field of recorded music.

The unnamed seller’s note concerning the lot states the physical history of the tape and describes the content. “The cassette was transferred to a newer style cassette, as the old style cassettes tended to break and lose Chromium Dioxide causing dropouts. Even though there are some minor drop outs, please enjoy the tongue in cheek ending to ‘Fool on the Hill’ and the almost final version of ‘I am the Walrus.”

The collection has been put on auction today through the auction house, Sworders Auctioneers. A price of £500- £700 has been given as the estimated selling price of the collection. The auction house was founded in 1782 and has experience within specialist objects, including European and British paintings and furniture.

In other news, Starr has spoken on the secret to the band’s success and how other bands would not be able to reach their iconic status. The drummer has equated their influence and success to a telepathic bond which greatly benefited the band while performing live. “When we were playing together as a band, we were the best band in the land. I don’t care what anyone says. We knew each other and it was like psychic. I would be playing drums with my eyes closed and the headphones on and would know John was going to go somewhere. I’d drum in that and hold it together while they went mad and then bring it back.”

The tape is not just an incredible item of Beatles memorabilia but also marks an important point in musical history. The demo provides an intimate snapshot into the incredible influence in which Abbey Road Studios held within music and culture.

Click here to view the listing.

You Me At Six shared a teaser picture of all member crossing the famous road outside the studio, widely known from the cover of The Beatles’ album Abbey Road from 1969 recorded at the same place. The studio famously hosted the Liverpool legends for their innovative recording session in the 60s and remained globally associated with the band ever since. The post below shows the five band members following the steps of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison for an image that speaks volumes without further description.

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Did something pretty special at @abbeyroadstudios today. Coming soon… #SUCKAPUNCH

Публикация, споделена от You Me At Six (@youmeatsixofficial) на Ное 3, 2020 в 10:27 PST

The band have remained very vague in what is coming out and when, and apart from the ambiguous “coming soon…” in the social media posts there is not any other information yet. It is very likely going to be a new track, or a live recording or rework on their well-known hits or single releases. Most recently, Nothing But Thieves released and orchestral version of their single ‘Impossible‘ off their latest record Moral Panic, recorded at Abbey Road Studios. While it is unlikely that You Me At Six will follow the same aporoach, the teaser does suggest a special new release that is definitely going to capture everyone’s attention.

So far the band have released two powerful tracks of their upcoming album SUCKAPUNCH. At the end of August this year, You Me And Six dropped the punky “MAKEMEFEELALIVE“ accompanied by a spectacular music video suggesting a follow-up to the dynamic story. Most recently, the band released the second single Beautiful Way that offered a more melodic but equally electric sound and lifted the expectations for the new record even higher.

Judging by the first two singles, the band’s upcoming seventh release is going to sound heavier and more focused that ever heard before. In an exclusive recent interview for Calm, frontman John Franceschi discussed the inspiration behind the record, its lyrical themes and how important spending time in Thailand was for the entire recording and production process. He went on to state:

“Music has always been good for the soul. It offers an escapism from reality and has the power to connect people to happy, bad or vulnerable places. When someone is feeling misunderstood, they can feel like music understands and accepts them. It’s an unbelievably powerful thing, but also comes with responsibility.” 

“When someone is feeling misunderstood, they can feel like music understands and accepts them.”

ICYMI: we spoke to @joshmeatsix from @youmeatsix about their new album SUCKAPUNCH and how it embraces vulnerability and smashes toxic masculinity.https://t.co/dYdOsSVDat

— CALM (@theCALMzone) November 3, 2020

You Me At Six return to touring in 2021, given the current lockdown situation improves and we are all allowed back out for live concerts. So far, they are appearing on seven shows in the UK at the end of May, with tickets available here and all dates listed below:
19/05/2021 – Barrowland – Glasgow
20/05 – O2 Academy – Bristol
21/05 – Academy – Manchester
23/05 – O2 Academy – Newcastle
24/05 – Cardiff University – Cardiff
25/05 – O2 Forum Kentish Town
29/05 – Singleton Park – Swansea