quête:rpa

Während er sich auf die größte Stadiontour des Jahres als Special Guest von Oasis vorbereitet, kündigt Richard Ashcroft heute den 3. Oktober als Veröffentlichungstermin für sein brandneues Album "Lovin' You" an. "Lovin' You" ist sein siebtes Solo-Album und sein erstes komplett neues seit "Natural Rebel" von 2018 und folgt auf "Acoustic Hymns, Vol. 1" von 2021.

Der zweifache Gewinner des Ivor Novello Award (Songwriter des Jahres und Outstanding Contribution To British Music) hat sich im Laufe seiner drei Jahrzehnte umfassenden Karriere zu einem der versiertesten und einflussreichsten Songwriter entwickelt. Sein erstes Kapitel mit The Verve erreichte einen bemerkenswerten Höhepunkt mit "Urban Hymns", einem hitreichen Album ("Bitter Sweet Symphony", "The Drugs Don't Work", "Lucky Man", "Sonnet"), das mit 11 Platinauszeichnungen zu den meistverkauften Alben in der Geschichte Großbritanniens zählt. Die Band erreichte mit ‚Forth' ein zweites Nummer-1-Album und gewann drei BRIT Awards.
Seine Solokarriere setzte diesen Erfolg mit seinem Debütalbum "Alone With Everybody" fort, das auf Platz 1 landete. Alle fünf folgenden Studioalben landeten zwischen #2 und #5. Mit The Verve und seiner Solokarriere hat er drei britische Nummer-1-Alben und fünf weitere Top-10-Platten aufgenommen, außerdem eine Nummer-1-Single und fünf Top-10-Hits.

Während er sich auf die größte Stadiontour des Jahres als Special Guest von Oasis vorbereitet, kündigt Richard Ashcroft heute den 3. Oktober als Veröffentlichungstermin für sein brandneues Album "Lovin' You" an. "Lovin' You" ist sein siebtes Solo-Album und sein erstes komplett neues seit "Natural Rebel" von 2018 und folgt auf "Acoustic Hymns, Vol. 1" von 2021.

Der zweifache Gewinner des Ivor Novello Award (Songwriter des Jahres und Outstanding Contribution To British Music) hat sich im Laufe seiner drei Jahrzehnte umfassenden Karriere zu einem der versiertesten und einflussreichsten Songwriter entwickelt. Sein erstes Kapitel mit The Verve erreichte einen bemerkenswerten Höhepunkt mit "Urban Hymns", einem hitreichen Album ("Bitter Sweet Symphony", "The Drugs Don't Work", "Lucky Man", "Sonnet"), das mit 11 Platinauszeichnungen zu den meistverkauften Alben in der Geschichte Großbritanniens zählt. Die Band erreichte mit ‚Forth' ein zweites Nummer-1-Album und gewann drei BRIT Awards.
Seine Solokarriere setzte diesen Erfolg mit seinem Debütalbum "Alone With Everybody" fort, das auf Platz 1 landete. Alle fünf folgenden Studioalben landeten zwischen #2 und #5. Mit The Verve und seiner Solokarriere hat er drei britische Nummer-1-Alben und fünf weitere Top-10-Platten aufgenommen, außerdem eine Nummer-1-Single und fünf Top-10-Hits.

Red Panda is back on solid 180 gramm vinyl!
This time Roustam teamed up with Tolga Fidan for the Berlin Sessions vol. II
You know the deal...500 copies vinyl only - first come/ first serve. No repress!

Richard Ashcroft"s fourth solo album "These People" became a fan-favourite in 2016, receiving great reviews and becoming a #3 album in the Official UK Albums Chart. His reunion with Wil Malone, who had previously worked on the string arrangements for The Verve"s seminal albums "A Northern Soul" and "Urban Hymns" added depth and emotional resonance to the album"s sound. Ashcroft demonstrated his continued relevance and creative prowess as a solo artist, reaffirming his status as one of Britain"s most enduring and influential musicians. Released on his Righteous Phonographic Association label via Cooking Vinyl, and now available on vinyl again in a 2LP special edition Clear and Blue Marble Vinyl effect, housed in a Gatefold sleeve.

Record number 3 from Unveiled Nuance brings a new confidence in the further developed sound of owner Means&3rd. A continued eye for detail as well as a roughness that breathes dark soul into the production aesthetic that we have yet to hear from the artist.

“Hardship Repackaged As Growth” Opens the EP with boomy, rugged low end and grainy driven synth lines with sharp hits of wide sonic impact and a depth of layered atmosphere, placed on a bed of dense percussion until its break point exposes contorted, abrasive stabs just surviving the crunch of their processing, that then take the forefront. “Countenance” replies to the previous track with a more calculated, rounder and organic palette of audio that focuses on a cadenced synth line that breaths with the arrangement, fizzing to break point and engaging the deeper listen. Swung percussion keeps the groove providing a propulsive backing that sits on ganrled bass hits before the focus returns on the charged lead line.

“Character Ethic” carries deep suspense from the off, with filtered menace being teased below the surface, warping atmospheres are stacked and build the apprehension against a militant 16th shaker before an almost vocal like modulated synth reveals itself and is left to dance prominently across the stereo field. Layers of energy providing percussion complete the picture for a mesmerising trip. “Desperate And Relevant” the most driving of the 4 cuts takes an effectively reduced stand where square wave accents build new levels of intensity. Propulsive low-end and cohesive percussion writhe through the track’s arrangement closing out the EP with a powerful ending, a blistering siren sees the track’s breakpoint provide a release worthy of the pressure built.

Richard Ashcroft is set to release the new album ‘Acoustic Hymns Vol. 1’ on October 29th via RPA / BMG. The album features twelve newly recorded acoustic versions of classic songs from his back catalogue spanning both his solo career and his time with The Verve.



ABOUT



After lockdown was lifted, Richard decided to start the project as a way to reunite the community around him, bringing a selection of great musicians and old friends back together again. As the project took shape, they discovered just how varied their new approaches could be. Some of the arrangements proved to be timeless and remained similar to the originals, with years of experience and a new found passion that saw Richard’s vocals express a fresh empathy within their lyrics. Meanwhile, other songs took on a new shape in this stripped-back set-up.



The rebirth of the iconic ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ was an emotional moment for Richard. It felt particularly poignant re-recording a song that he had written almost twenty-five years ago, especially as it's now officially his composition after Mick Jagger and Keith Richards relinquished their writing credits to him.

Another big moment comes with the new version of ‘C’Mon People (We’re Making It Now)’, a duet with Richard’s old friend Liam Gallagher. The pair have often talked about recording or performing the song together since it was first released in 2000, and now it’s finally happened - the sheer energy and delight that they shared during the session is palpable as the new recording beams with a joyous feeling of optimism.



‘Velvet Morning’ is another track that has been transformed. The vocals on the original version, as featured on The Verve’s classic ‘Urban Hymns’, were sung via a megaphone that Richard had purchased from a car boot sale the day before the recording session. Now Richard’s vocal really shines as it unleashes the song’s full magnitude.



The biggest surprise on ‘Acoustic Hymns Vol. 1’ is the inclusion of ‘This Thing Called Life’, a song which Ashcroft has rarely played live. It was originally recorded with No I.D. in the USA as a highlight of his soul-tinged RPA & The United Nations Of Sound project. Now taken back to basics, the new arrangement reveals a song that feels perfectly at home alongside Richard’s most highly regarded work.



Produced by Richard with regular collaborator Chris Potter, the album features his regular live band boosted by some special collaborators. Wil Malone provides the string arrangements, which were recorded at Abbey Road Studios. In addition, Chuck Leavell (The Rolling Stones, The Allman Brothers) performs piano, Roddy Bloomfield leads the brass section, and Steve Wyreman (Leon Bridges, Vic Mensa) contributes acoustic guitar and backing vocals.



Richard Ashcroft recently announced details of four special shows, each billed as “An acoustic evening of his classic songs.” After quickly selling out two nights at London’s Palladium, he subsequently added two bigger shows at the Royal Albert Hall and the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool to fulfill huge public demand for tickets. He will play:

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