Celebrate #Pride with your favorite George Michael songs reimagined by @palewaves, @yearsandyears, @MNEK, @theebillyporter, and more.

Listen now to all the covers in #SpatialAudio with @Dolby Atmos. https://t.co/15lheVMHIu pic.twitter.com/DnFoPe45Zp

— Apple Music (@AppleMusic) June 28, 2022

Opening the playlist is “Faith” covered by English indie outfit Pale Waves, the 1987 smash hit is widely regarded as the start of Michael’s long and storied solo career. Next up is “Outside” covered by Olly Alexander’s solo project Years & Years. Originally released in 2006 the track was accompanied by an infamous music video which cemented Michael as a cultural hero. Alexander has spoken on the importance of Michael and the power of his enduring legacy, “One of the things I love most about George Michael was his ability to own his narrative. He was a huge, huge star. I’m sure he struggled with some of the attention and issues that come with worldwide fame, and he still remained so iconic, so true to who he was.”

The singer continued to discuss the impact of the music video for “Outside”, “He still had fun with it. He was always trying new things and taking risks and unashamedly himself. And I take so much inspiration from that … He got arrested in 1998—I think the terminology is ‘soliciting a police officer in a public toilet’—then goes and writes a song about it. And it’s such a banger. Wow! I just think it’s so incredible for him to just own that narrative and really go, ‘Yeah, I like to have sex outside.’ And it’s such a bop.”

 

 

 

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The next hit to receive a makeover is the 1996 track “Fastlove”, included within the playlist is a cover by Grammy-nominated singer and producer MNEK. The fourth song within George Michael Covered is” Praying For Time” covered by English singer-songwriter Self Esteem, the track was originally released in 1990 and was taken from the seminal album Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1.  Apple Music’s playlist also features celebrated figure Billy Porter, the multi-talented American artist can be heard within his cover of “Monkey”. Originally released in 1988, the track was featured on the iconic album Faith and was the sixth single to be released from the album.

Faith was Michael’s debut solo album and is now a landmark release within popular music, Apple’s playlist also contains the album’s final single “Kissing A Fool”. Originally released in 1987, Apple’s curated collection features a cover by Brooklyn-based artist serpentwithfeet. Michael’s anthem and cherished love song “Careless Whisper” is also included within the playlist and has been covered by 26-year-old singer Tiana Major9. Britain’s Got Talent contender Calum Scott provides a cover of “One More Try”, the third track from Faith to be included within the playlist. The specially created compilation concludes with “Amazing” covered by Jake Shears, best known as the lead singer of pop-rock group Scissor Sisters.

For Pride, Apple Music are honouring an icon. Hear my cover of George Michael’s #Amazing now on their #GeorgeMichaelCovered playlist here: https://t.co/otq0XZHBiH pic.twitter.com/krRkFVk1z7

— Jake Shears (@Jakeshears) June 28, 2022

In celebration of the playlist’s release, Apple Music teamed up with Gay Times to host a special party. The event took place on Wednesday 29th June 2022 and was held on the rooftop of London’s The Standard hotel. Those in attendance included guests such as Ella Vaday and Kitty Scott-Claus, stars of RuPaul’s Drag Race and English electro pop artist Girli. The event also included DJ sets from ABSOLUTE and Nimmo and performances by LGBTQIA+ dance troupe Sue Veneers Club.

Along with the specially curated playlist, fans have also been treated to the inclusion of Michael’s back catalogue in Spatial Audio. This is the first time that the singer’s music has been made available in the cutting edge 3d audio technology and is accessible to stream now via Apple Music.

The fabric presents series is one of three series of compilation albums mixed by artists in the broad UK dance scene. The most recognisable of these series’, FABRICLIVE, is well known within the rave scene for its featuring of massive drum and bass artists, including LTJ Bukem, dBridge, Grooverider, and DJ Marky. Additionally, it includes other huge UK dance artists from garage, house, techno, and dubstep, with their last iteration in 2018 featuring Kode9 and Burial. This series ran from 2001 to 2018.

Conversely to the pedigree that FABRICLIVE has within the scene, fabric presents began relatively recently, in 2019, with its first artist being Bonobo. This release was, however, a hit, with a one of its bespoke tracks Ibrik becoming hugely popular despite never having a studio album release. Despite fabric presents relatively recent history, it has still hosted some huge artists, including Chase & Status, Overmono, and Maribou State.

Leon Vynehall is still shimmering from the success of his last album, Rare, Forever, a record that found its way into many of 2021’s end of year lists. A record that saw him move away from the house that defined him, he displayed his myriad of influences from outside his familiar genre, with the first track “Ecce! Ego!” sounding as if it were lifted from an early Boards of Canada album. More possessed by movements and motifs, the album was a refreshing shift in style that built on the experimental tendencies of his previous record, Nothing is Still, that at times felt more of an experimental jazz record than anything close to resembling UK house.

His new single, “Sugar Slip (The Lick)”, is a comparitive return to form, yet still an experimental endeavor with a pulsing beat and stabbing synths. Released by fabric records, the single is to feature on the upcoming fabric presents mix blended by Vynehall.

His last compilation album came in the form of a DJ-Kicks mix, which displayed a stunning variety of artists from distant genres, including Haruomi Hosono, AFX (Aphex Twin), and Ellen Fullman. Heres hoping his fabric presents mix revels in a similar disregard for genre convention.

Honoured to be part of this amazing compilation alongside some incredible talent to raise money for Reclaim These Streets @ReclaimTS

New Moons XVI will be released on 10th February @TMFederation https://t.co/idg5oYmAev

— KT Tunstall (@KTTunstall) January 20, 2022

The compilation features songs exclusively by female and non-binary artists, and in addition to Nova Twins, the roster includes the likes of Australian punk outfit Amyl and the Sniffers, American rock duo Deap Vally and indie/alternative group Pleasure Venom from Austin, Texas.

The cover of the forthcoming compilation was designed by Will Power of Bad Nerves, portraying an image of the UK’s home secretary Priti Patel, as a means of criticising her for her lack of consideration in regard to women’s safety.

Nova Twins’ contribution to the compilation is a song entitled “Bullet”, which was originally featured on their 2020 debut full-length album Who Are The Girls? The song is an explosive, lyrically biting track that deals with the realities of sexual harassment, with lyrics such as; “Who the fuck you calling? I’m that girl you couldn’t get and now you hate me for it? I’m not asking for it, don’t you ever touch my hair unless you’re paid to cut it.” The song is exemplary of Nova Twin’s sound, which fuses grime and punk; a genre-blend the duo refers to as “urban punk”.

The group originally formed back in 2014, and is comprised of two childhood friends; vocalist and guitarist Amy Love and bassist Georgia South. Originally called BRAATS, the group changed their name after the release of their first single “Bad Bitches”. The first song the band released under the Nova Twins moniker was entitled “Bassline Bitch”, which was released in April of 2015. Following the release of their self-titled E.P., the duo spent a lot of 2017 touring, having accompanied the likes of Prophets of Rage, Wolf Alice and Little Simz. In 2020, the band released their debut album Who Are The Girls? The album received largely positive reviews, and resulted in the band winning Best U.K. Breakthrough Band at the Heavy Music Awards in 2020.

To re-iterate, the compilation will be released on February 10^th. The track list can be viewed below.

1). Amyl & The Sniffers – ‘Knifey’
2). Nova Twins – ‘Bullet’
3). TELGATE – ‘Love Zone’
4). Deap Vally – ‘Royal Jelly’
5). KT Tunstall – ‘In This Body’
6). Cruel Hearts Club – ‘Sink This Low’
7). IDestroy – ‘Petting Zoo’
8). pink suits – ‘Fake Great Britain’
9). BLAB – ‘Eton Mess’
10). Pleasure Venom – ‘We Get What You Deserve’

The West Yorkshire Indie rockers’ offering to the new series is a cover of ‘Finger- Nailed For You’, originally released by influential indie-pop outfit Comet Gain. The cover will feature on the compilation album entitled ‘Stars Rock Kill (Rock Stars)’, the collection is to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the historically significant record label Kill Rock Stars. The collection is already on sale with the current track listing of covers and buyers will be notified when new songs will be available to add to their collection.

The group took to their Instagram page to announce their excitement to be involved within the project, whilst citing Kill Rock Stars as their favourite label.

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The Independent label Kill Rock Stars was started in 1991 within the states of Washington and Oregon and was founded by musicians Slim Moon and Tinuviel Sampson. The label initially started as a project between the two so that they could release their friend’s music, the type of music in which the two friends wanted to hear. No particular genre has been assigned as the label’s focus but over the years the label became known for its release of punk music. The label began by releasing compilation albums showcasing the underground music from Olympia in Washington, one particular album featured the highly influential riot grrrl group Bikini Kill.

Comet Gain became an act which the label released, most notably their 7-inch ‘Mailorder Freaks Singles Club’, which was released by the label in September 1998. The band also featured on the label’s 2-disc compilation album ‘Fields and Streams’, with their single ‘Look At You Now, You’re Crying’, released in 2002. Before being represented by Kill Rock Stars, the group started in 1992 formed by singer and guitarist David Feck. The band took inspiration from many different genres but most notably took influence from northern soul and post-punk. The band has featured many different line-ups over the years but has continued to grow since its inception in the early 90s, with the most recent album ‘Fireraisers Forever!’ released in 2019.

Listening to Comet Gain’s material it is evident that the Cribs were inspired by the group, and in the following statement they describe the connection they felt to the band. The band’s statement also talks about the group’s link to Kill Rock Stars in the early days of their career. Within the statement provided the group also speak on their choice to cover their musical predecessors. “Comet Gain are one of the bands who have meant the most to us throughout our lives. From listening to them on cassette Walkman on rainy bus journeys to college as teens, all the way through to becoming a full-time touring band, their music has been a consistent companion for us and has somehow always provided the perfect soundtrack to every place and situation we found ourselves in, no matter how disparate. For years they made us believe that Croydon was the promised land, such was the power of their poetry. They just make you BELIEVE full stop. Incidentally, the primary motivation behind the first-ever Cribs recording back in 2001 was to make a demo for KRS as a submission for the ‘Fields and Streams’ compilation… but we got too nervous and never sent it in. So this is a 20-year dream come true.”

The Cribs recently announced their new UK tour dates, In March of this year the announcement confirmed their rescheduled dates for 2022. The tour will see the boys perform in support of their album ‘Night Network’ which was released on 20th November 2020. The band’s newest studio album was an independent project for the members as it was their first self-produced album and was also released under the band’s own record label, Sonic Blew.

20/08/2021 – Crystal Palace Bowl – London
20/08 – South Facing Festival 2021 – London
03/09 – The Piece Hall – Halifax
01/03/2022 – O2 Institute – Birmingham
02/03 – The Waterfront – Norwich
04/03 – o2 Academy Sheffield – Sheffield
05/03 – SWX – Bristol
06/03 – Manchester Academy – Manchester
08/03 – Boiler Shop – Newcastle Upon Tyne
09/03 – SWG3 – Glasgow
11/03 – Roundhouse – London
12/03 – Chalk – Brighton
02/06 – Temple Newsam – Leeds

After only being available as an iTunes exclusive until 2016, the album became available as a limited-edition CD that could only be purchased on the bands website. As an early Christmas gift, the band selflessly made their holiday tunes public without any social-media announcement or incentives to promote their newest album, Imploding The Mirage.

Don’t Waste Your Wishes features 10 tracks. The most popular singles off the album include Joel The Lump of Coal, Dirty Sledding and the cover of I’ll Be Home For Christmas which features Ned Humphrey Hanson.

This year, the most powerful track goes to Christmas in LA, which is fitting for the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic as it deals with isolation and mental-health during the holiday season. Another single which is in keeping with the times would be ¡Happy Birthday Guadalupe!, featuring Wild Light and Mariachi el Bronx; it deals with politics surrounding boarder control.

There are many famous faces to appear in the music videos and in the recordings of these singles including Jimmy Kimmel, Elton John, Richard Dreyfuss and Owen Wilson. Many of the actors contributed by starring in the music video, like short films.

Christmas is nigh, Covid-19 continues to surge, but The Killers have released Don’t Waste Your Wishes at the very moment when joy and cheer are needed most throughout the UK. Nevertheless, fans can repay this early stocking-gift by ordering tickets for the upcoming The Killers tour in the spring and summer of 2021.

Don’t Waste Your Wishes Tracklist:

01. A Great Big Sled (feat. Toni Halliday)
02. Don’t Shoot Me Santa (feat. Ryan Pardey)
03. Joseph, Better You Than Me” (feat. Elton John and Neil Tennant)
04. ¡Happy Birthday Guadalupe! (feat. Wild Light and Mariachi el Bronx)
05. Boots
06. The Cowboys Christmas Ball
07. I Feel It in My Bones (feat. Ryan Pardey)
08. Christmas in L.A. (feat. Dawes)
09. Joel the Lump of Coal (feat. Jimmy Kimmel)
10. Dirt Sledding (feat. Ryan Pardey and Richard Dreyfus)
11. I’ll Be Home for Christmas (feat. Ned Humphrey Hansen)

Chase & Status’ RTRN II FABRIC marks part six of the iconic club’s Fabric Presents series that started in February 2019 with a performance by UK producer and DJ Bonobo celebrating the music venue’s 20th anniversary, and have since featured Kölsch, The Martinez Brothers, Amelie Lens, Maribou State, with Brooklyn-based house DJ Octo Octa & Eris Drew in line for the next installment in November 2020. The series covers a wide range of electronic genres and have already presented some of the finest names in the international house, techno and trip-hop scenes, with Chase & Status given the honour to enrich its repertoir with “over an hour of raw, melodic & energetic jungle“.

It’s here. We’re proud to present RTRN II FABRIC. Our first @fabriclondon mix.

Ft 6 unreleased singles & VIPs from us, one from Bou & over an hour of raw, melodic & energetic jungle.

Out Today. On CD, 8 track dbl vinyl & digital mix. https://t.co/OrYHoI1rBO#chaseandstatus pic.twitter.com/INIwPu3uFj

— Chase & Status (@chaseandstatus) October 30, 2020

RTRN II FABRIC features club classics and well-known tracks by Remarc, DJ Rap, SHY FX, Wax Doctor, Watch The Ride and Bou, as well as Chase & Status’ latest release ‘Engage‘ and few previously unheard tracks from their upcoming record like ‘Why‘ and ‘Hardstep‘. The compilation title itself is a clever twist on their last album RTRN II JUNGLE from 2019 that saw the band return to their earlier jungle roots and authentic drum’n’bass sound after few previous years of experimenting with grime projects, venturing into pop and dance territories and collaborating with an extensive list of established music stars and breakthrough artists.

In an exclusive interview for Beatportal, Will Kennard (Chase) reveals curious details about spending time with his family and keeping busy with music under lockdown, the difficulties in creating such extensive mix in the contemporary digital times, and the immence importance of Fabric for the UK club scene and the duo’s own history. He goes on to discuss the release of Chase & Status’ new tracks as part of the mix instead of standalone singles, and the final tracklist of the compilation:

“This just made perfect sense. Doing a mix with other people’s songs is cool, but we wanted there to be a bit more interest in it. There are lots of original versions of stuff, original music, and just kinds of different edits of existing songs. So I think it sounds pretty fresh!”

 

 

 

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On the eve of the release of RTRN II FABRIC… tell us your first memory of visiting the club in the comments. ⠀ ⠀ Get it tomorrow on the link in bio. ⠀ #RTRNIIFABRIC #chaseandstatus Публикация, споделена от Chase & Status (@chaseandstatus) на Окт 29, 2020 в 12:22 PDT

Following the release of the Fabric Presents compilation RTRN II FABRIC, the dynamic electronic duo has given Spotify’s very special ‘Massive DnB’ playlist the “Chase & Status treatment“. Curated entirely by the two London DJs, the world’s biggest drum’n’bass playlist this week covers an exclusive selection of 49 club bangers, including some of their recent jungle releases and more than 4 hours of d’n’b nostalgia. Listen to the full playlist in the link bellow now, or use it for an electronic twist on this year’s #HalloweenAtHome later tonight.

TAKEOVER @Spotify‘s ‘Massive DnB’ Playlist has had the Chase & Status treatment, curated by us.
Stream here: https://t.co/DbTs7yWkwm#RTRNIIFABRIC #MassiveDnB #ChaseandStatus pic.twitter.com/U845IL47TZ

— Chase & Status (@chaseandstatus) October 31, 2020