Xenomania in 2012: what's coming
Posted at
8:32 PM,
11 December 2011
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 GOSSIP
In early November 2011, Gossip tweeted about being at Xenomania, so it is expected that their new album will include some sort of collaboration with the team.
JBAG (Jerry Bouthier & Andrea Gorgerino, from Kitsuné/Ponystep) are also working with Xenomania on new songs for Gossip's new album.
Gossip are an American dance-rock/blues-punk trio led by Beth Ditto. Their latest release as a group was the album Music For Men, back in 2009. Beth Ditto released her debut solo EP this year, produced by the electro-house production team Simian Mobile Disco.
THE GOOD NATURED
This English pop noir trio has been in the studio with Xenomania working on their debut album, which is expected to be released in 2012.
The Good Natured consists of 20-year-old Sarah McIntosh (vocals and keyboards), her brother Hamish McIntosh (bass) and George Hinton (drums).
They have an electro-pop sound with a dark/gothic twist and have already released three EPs: Warriors (2008), Your Body Is a Machine (2009) and Skeleton (2011).
You can listen to some of their songs on YouTube.
ANNIE
According to her Facebook, Annie has been spending quite a lot of time at the Xenomania studios.
She might be writing for other artists (let's not forget she co-wrote Mini Viva's "Left My Heart in Tokyo"), but she's probably also working on her new album, the follow-up to Don't Stop.
She has also had sessions with Timo Kaukolampi, German techno producers ND Baumecker and Sam Barker and Norwegian DJ and producer Skatebård.
Annie has been working on music for a film called The Night Within, in which she is also set to act and sing. That is also the title of her new EP, set to be released in early 2012.
FLORRIE
2011 was a big year for Florrie.
Not only did she release her second EP Experiments (which received rave reviews), but she also spent the year travelling around the world doing live shows, writing and modelling.
She is still working on her new EP, which will probably be out next year, but meanwhile there will be a little surprise released before Christmas.
ALEX GARDNER
During the past few months Alex Gardner has been updating his fans via Twitter/Facebook saying that he's working at Xenomania, possibly on his debut album.
Besides Xenomania, Alex has also been recording with people such as James Fauntleroy (who co-wrote "No Air" by Jordin Sparks, Ciara's "Love Sex Magic" and "Shades" by Diddy-Dirty Money) and the 1500 or Nothin' collective.
He released two singles in 2010 - "I'm Not Mad" and "Feeling Fine" - and a Italy-only Xenomania-produced self-titled EP.
TRES B
 Tres B has worked with Xenomania on a new release set for 2012.
Together they have created what has been described as a "soulful floor filler", inspired by his childhood idols including Congolese legends Papa Wemba. Drawing influence from his Congolese heritage, Tres B's music mixes central African folk, hip-hop and soul.
Tres B's new single, "Lonely Man", a song about being young and lonely in London after leaving the Congo due to threat of political violence, will be released in February 2012.
He was signed to Roundhouse Records in June 2010 and has since supported The Black Keys and been nominated for Best Male UK based Afro/Caribbean Act of 2010 at the BEFFTA Awards. His debut EP Best Friend was released in February last year.
SARAH HARDING (or Girls Aloud?!)
It is known that Sarah Harding has been spending time at the Xenomania studios, we just don't know what for. Feeding the ducks? Working on solo tracks? Working on *gasp* new Girls Aloud songs?
In 2009 she recorded three Xenomania-produced songs for the St. Trinian's 2 film soundtrack. Last year, Sarah apparently said that she was working on a solo album, but nothing's been heard ever since.
And Girls Aloud will definitely do "something" in 2012, to mark their 10th anniversary since "Sound of the Underground" was released. It will probably be a tour, but it could also be a new single/album, hopefully with Xenomania.
Labels: Alex Gardner, Annie, Florrie Arnold, Sarah Harding
New Annie album in 2011; new single out soon
Posted at
11:56 AM,
11 October 2010
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Annie has been busy doing DJ sets, releasing mixtapes and working on the follow-up to Don't Stop (2009). Her third album is expected to be released next year and, in the meantime, a new single should be released soon.
On her website, Annie has been writing about the time she spends at the Xenomania studios and she has even posted a few shots of the Xenomania garden (no ducks, though). Annie says: «I really love Westerham. It's a very special place and Brian Higgins and all the musicians who work there are really talented and wonderful people to work with.»
She adds: «Last time I was here we had a jam session with Fred Falke, Kieran Jones & Jason Resch, and I was singing. So this time I was writing lyrics to some of the stuff we were recording in August. (...) I try to go to Westerham and work there for at least a week every month. I work really good there. And it's inspiring to be somewhere with lots of hardworking creative people. Makes me working even harder I guess.»
 Labels: Annie
Annie's "My Love Is Better" is out now
Posted at
5:47 PM,
22 March 2010
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  "My Love Is Better" has been released as an extremely limited edition (250 copies) of 12'' vinyl, backed with remixes by Emperor Machine, Sunkh Knight and Justin Robertson. This is the tracklisting: A1 My Love Is Better (Original Mix) 3:20 A2 My Love Is Better (Emperor Machine Vocal Mix) 6:09 A3 My Love Is Better (Emperor Machine Instrumental) 6:15 B1 My Love Is Better (Sunkh Knight Remix) 5:12 B2 My Love Is Better (Justin Robertson Remix) 6:29 "My Love Is Better" was written by Annie, Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Nick Coler and Tim Powell and produced by Brian Higgins/Xenomania. Buy: Boomkat, Juno, HMV, Norman Records, Phonica RecordsBoomkat review: Limited to a run of just 250 copies, this 12" single by Norwegian pop queen Annie comes packed with remixes: there are vocal and instrumental versions of an Emperor Machine remix, calling upon squelchy funk basslines and disco grooves, while Justin Robertson goes a little deeper, serving up a high energy, full-blooded house cut. Perhaps more surprising still is the fun dubstep overhaul supplied by Sunkh Knight, but for all this fine work, it's surely the straight-down-the-middle pop of the original that remains the quintessential contribution to the 12". 'My Love Is Better' was produced with notorious chart monopolisers Xenomania, and in its earliest incarnation even involved Girls Aloud on backing vocals. Sadly, that version was vetoed by GA's record company, but what remains is nevertheless a small slice of pop perfection with a memorably silly, taunting chorus. Ace.
Labels: Annie
Best of 2009: lists (part 2)
Posted at
2:30 PM,
24 December 2009
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The online music publications have been publishing the inevitable "best of the year" lists. This is the second round-up of the Xenomania songs/albums that appear on those lists. (See part 1 here)
Orange Music Store: Top 10 Dance Tracks of 2009
Mini Viva - Left My Heart In Tokyo
 Penned by the creative wizz-kids behind Girls Aloud's back catalogue and performed by a pair of loopy-as-you-like young starlets, 'Left My Heart In Tokyo' was only ever destined for chart glory.
Stuck Records: The Best 50 Singles of 2009
5. Mini Viva - Left My Heart In Tokyo
It’s a shame that for its greatness, ‘I Wish’ has seen Xenomania revert back to familiar territory with a ‘Call The Shots’-style mid-tempo number. Back in late summer ‘…Tokyo’ showed much promise from the duo who were (and hopefully still are) being groomed as GA’s natural successors. A very tasteful yet delirious song with many surprises (including false endings, disco baselines and crowbarred middle-eigths), it proved to be something of a slow-burner in the charts against the odds. Their launch has been surprisingly low-key, let’s hope 2010 gives us the chance to know them a little better.
Totally Dublin - The Ten Best Pop Albums Of 2009
2. Pet Shop Boys - Yes
 Over 25 years into their career Messrs Tennant and Lowe wrote a top ten hit for Girls Aloud, won a Brit for Outstanding Achievement and, with the help of Xenomania, concocted their best album in years. Their trademark plangent melodies and wry lyrics are here in abundance. Love etc,. takes the subject of vacuous celebrity culture and has something intelligent to say about it. All Over The World takes a snippet of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite and transforms it into a global-pop stomper. Pandemonium – which is ostensibly about Kate Moss and Pete Doherty – is typically witty, glamorous and brilliantly catchy. Legacy wraps a surreal lyric (“The Carphone Warehouse boy has been on the phone…”) around a sombre melody. The highlight is The Way It Used To Be – a dramatic pop belter to match anything in their back catalogue.
Fairfield County Weekly - 50 Nifty Records From '09
Pet Shop Boys - Yes
With the assistance of British hitmaking team Xenomania, the PSB concocted their best, frothiest, most hum-along-able album in more than two decades. Lead single "Love etc." is just as unforgettable as any of their previous singles. — D.T.
Drowned in Sound - Top 50 Albums of 2009
40. Annie Don't Stop
The Guardian - Critics' poll 2009
48. Annie – Don't Stop
Stuck Records: The Best 50 Singles of 2009
35. Pet Shop Boys - Did You See Me Coming?
 This is a straightforward pop song and two people meeting, the attraction is obvious, or is the object of Neil’s attentions one step ahead and controlling the show? The stand out moment is as the middle eight ends and goes into the instrumental, it makes the song for me. Not the obvious choice for a second single from ‘Yes’, there are more singleworthy tracks on there, but this song breezes along quite nicely and it’s a positive song about the beginnings of a love affair. LA
30. Mini Viva - I Wish
I n the January 2010 issue of Word magazine, Peter Robinson wonders whether (in order to make the charts reflect music consumption more accurately) a hypothetical 13-year old “hammering the same tune on repeat for eight hours on You Tube” should count towards that song making the chart. If this rule were in place in the last two months of 2009, Mini Viva’s single I Wish would probably be number one on the basis of my You Tube views alone, such is my tireless – and possibly mid-life-crisis-presaging – obsession with the song and its video. I find everything about it just utterly compelling; the double chorus, the lovely crystal clear synths, the sky-scraping melody. It is the last great single of the noughties and Mini Viva are the first great pop group of the “tens” (or whatever it will be called). I realise that Simon Cowell is a force for conservativism in pop, and that the last thing pop needs is undue regard for “tradition”, but this RATM4XMAS thing seems like anti-pop, pro-rock, pseudo-political, musical snobbery to me – and that’s just as conservative as Simon Cowell. Buy “I Wish” by Mini Viva instead! Honk your horn for bright as a button, primary coloured future-pop! Hrnk hrnk!! CG
6. Girls Aloud - The Loving Kind
 Some of us (i.e. me) literally popgasmed at the news that Pet Shop Boys had collaborated with Xenomania on a song for Girls Aloud. If you are looking for a Pop Trinity they would be a good candidate. A midtempo affair in the same vein as ‘Call The Shots’, it had trademark Tennant melancholy, desperation (‘I’d do anything’) and hopelessness over someone’s suspected ability to be loved or loving. It’s what Neil once termed ‘tragi-disco’. Meanwhile, musically it makes one want to curl up in its warm synths against winter’s bitterness (an electro blanket?) and have a hot chocolate to hand. Although I pictured mist, station platforms and collars pulled up, the video reflected underlying anger with the girls smashing glass and various objects. But looking stunning while doing so. So fair enough. Girls Aloud’s last top ten single to date was a beautiful affair.
3. Girls Aloud - Untouchable
 On the surface this is just a “fan favourite” from 2008’s ‘Out Of Control’ album which delightedly received a release towards the beginning of this year. But dig a little deeper and it’s much more significant. The original version runs at just short of seven minutes, make no mistake this is one epic pop song – although it was trimmed down to a much more radio friendly four minutes upon release. It also became Girls Aloud’s first official single (ignoring ‘Theme To St. Trinians’) to miss the top ten, which feels almost criminal considering some of the lame cover versions that have out-peaked it. Yet what makes it so good? Is it the immediately distinctive twangy hook? The build-up into a 90s-esque trance ballad? The beautiful “without any meaning we’re just skin and bone, like beautiful robots dancing alone” lyric which closes the track? Like the best Girls Aloud songs, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly which is that crucial factor which keeps the whole thing hanging together so it’s best to stop analysing and just enjoy the sheer rush of another Xenomania classic.
14. Pet Shop Boys - Love etc.
 On their best single for donkey’s years the Pet Shop Boys take the subject of celebrity and treat it with some compassion – a nice touch for the most famous ironists in modern pop. Love etc started out as a Xenomania backing track which the production house had been holding back for another artist, but Tennant and Lowe kept asking after the bouncy tune they’d heard in the studio until finally the Xenomania resolve was broken. It is in some senses an atypical single for the Pet Shop Boys in that it doesn’t sound like any of their previous, and yet at the same time there’s something about it that is unmistakably “them”. Maybe it’s the namechecking of Gerhard Richter, I don’t know. What I do know is, after The Beatles, the Pet Shop Boys are the best pop group there has ever been, and Love etc. is a worthy addition to the “oeuvre”. CG
Amazon.com - The Best Songs of 2009
4. Pet Shop Boys - Love etc.Labels: Annie, Best of 2009, Girls Aloud, lists, Mini Viva, Pet Shop Boys
Best of 2009: lists
Posted at
11:48 AM,
10 December 2009
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The press has been publishing the inevitable "best of the year" lists. These are the Xenomania songs/albums that are starting to appear on those lists:
 The Quietus - 40 Albums Of The Year32. Pet Shop Boys - YesFor anyone who regards their first (and arguably definitive) singles compilation Discography as a glittering high watermark in modern pop, who views Neil Tennant as maybe Morrissey's only serious rival to the mantle of England's greatest living pop eccentric, or who has ever found themselves lost in stupefying reverie to 'West End Girls', 'Suburbia', 'Being Boring' et al, Yes willbe greeted as a triumphant return to form, comfortably their best collection of songs since 1993's near-faultless Very. musicOMH - Top 50 Best Albums Of 200935. Pet Shop Boys - Yes There are hardcore 'fans' of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe whose hands flew up in horror at confirmation that Girls Aloud's hit factory Xenomania would be producing this album. But Brian Higgins and his crew have brought new sounds and methods to the Pets' arsenal, while Tennant's lyrics have rarely been more poignant. WHAT WE SAID: "A super-concentrated hit of everything there is to enjoy about the Pet Shop Boys: danceable yet everyday pop, with irony behind the warmth and warmth behind the irony. One of their best." - Darren Harvey  Sasha Frere-Jones (The New Yorker): The Best Recordings of 20093. Pet Shop Boys - "Love etc."Pet Shop Boys have so many written good pop songs over such a long period, and with so little diminution of quality, that their lack of American super-stardom can only be attributed to occult forces. I don’t think critical analysis can solve this one. Planet Sound - Top 50 singles of 20095. Pet Shop Boys - "Love etc." musicOMH - Top 50 Best Albums Of 200929. Annie - Don't StopAnne Lilia Berge Strand's route to market with Don't Stop was fraught with drama. At various points Girls Aloud, Alex Kapranos and Xenomania were all involved in its gestation... and then she parted company from Island before it was released. Fast forward a year and it finally sees the light of day. Just as well she didn't stop, for this is superior electropop in the Saint Etienne mould. WHAT WE SAID: "Don't Stop is one of the best pop albums of 2009. Fingers crossed we don't have to wait four years until the next one." - Michael Cragg
Planet Sound - Top 50 albums of 200933. Annie - Don't Stop
Labels: Annie, Best of 2009, lists, Pet Shop Boys
Annie's Don't Stop is out now in the US
Posted at
2:08 PM,
18 November 2009
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 Don't Stop has now been released in the United States. Idolator met up with Annie to talk about the album. She reveals that she wrote around 400 songs with Xenomania and that her only Mini Viva co-write was "Left My Heart In Tokyo" (she is writing for other artists, but still doesn't reveal who).
Here's a few selected quotes from the interview:
Meeting up with Brian Higgins:
«I didn’t really know much about Brian, so I remember I first met him and I was a little bit hungover. I only slept for two hours and felt terrible! He was like, “Right. Okay. We’re gonna start working now.” And I was like, shit—this is terrible. But, to me it’s been the greatest experience, because most of the producers are much more into production and all the sounds. And of course that’s brilliant. But Brian is just about songs, basically.
«He really challenged me on my own songwriting. I just felt I experienced a lot. The first thing he said when we did the contract was, “We have to write a lot of songs, and it’s going to take a really long time.” So I ended up writing 300 to 400 songs. I have loads of songs lying around there.»
Working with Brian Higgins:
«In a way, he’s a maniac. But he’s wonderful. He’s one of the most hard-working persons I think I ever met in my life, but really such a lover of great pop music. (...)
I think he’s used to working with a lot of artists who don’t write their own music, who don’t take part in the production. I remember when we recorded “Bad Times,” I immediately had some ideas for some synth lines. He was like, “I’m amazed! I’ve got so much more respect for you.” For me, it was very natural to take part in the production. I don’t think he was that used to working with somebody who was that involved in the process of doing the actual music.»
The Girls Aloud collaboration:
«They used to [be on there], but what happened was the record label got so excited because Girls Aloud wanted to do it. I think [the label] called up their management—”Oh! We have to have a music video with Girls Aloud!” Of course, then the management of Girls Aloud panicked. They were like, “No! Their record is gonna come out at the same time as Annie’s, and it’s just gonna be confusing.” Blah, blah, blah. It was a shame, and Brian was annoyed because he thought we should just record it and not talk too much about it.»
Reviews from the US press:
- Though it is typically the producer and co-writer's job to bring out the best in the star, Annie's best work has a way of encapsulating the appeal of her partners, whether it's showcasing Richard X's gift for giving 1980s pop aesthetics a modern make-over, or Xenomania's glossy, super-charged pop-rock hybrid. Pitchfork 7.2 / 7.7
- The music is high-grade, glossy electro-pop, heavily indebted to the ’80s, as with the tweeting synths of “Songs Remind Me Of You,” buzzing keyboard-bass of “I Don’t Like Your Band,” and candy-coated new-wave guitars of “Bad Times.” The A.V. Club B+
- Novelty is only part of what makes pop work, and on Don’t Stop, Annie brings enough of the other stuff — hooks, grooves, and a combination of sass and sincerity — to make you forgive her tardiness Boston Phoenix 3/4
- Amid the booming, whistling cheerleader stomp of opener "Hey Annie," she hollas back about finding "a new pulse," and throughout Don't Stop, the singer does come off as feistier, even combative. Spin
- Amazingly enough, what Don’t Stop sounds like more than anything else is what the pop future was promised to sound like after the electronica infiltration of mainstream around the time Annie first started making music (what we actually got is a different thing). Edge Boston
- With Don't Stop, Annie has accomplished a rare feat-an intimate and human electronic pop album. These songs aren't cold and robotic, nor are they unearthly or bizarre. They're warm and breathtakingly pretty. The Daily Californian
- Produced with thick warmth, strangely overlayed by an icy cold that conjures up images of ABBA as produced by Giorgio Moroder, it has a kind of futuristic nostalgia, like a memory of something very cool that hasn't happened yet. LAist
Labels: Annie
Annie: "Brian Higgins is much more of a songwriter and is very focused on the actual writing of a song"
Posted at
9:30 PM,
12 November 2009
-
 Annie recently mentioned in an interview that working with Xenomania on her latest album allowed her to focus more on the songwriting:
«Brian [Higgins] was working more with the songs and challenging me in many ways. I really liked that, and it was something I wanted to do more on this album; concentrate more on the actual songs and what I wanted to say and how I wanted it to represent me».
She added: «What I found so cool about working with him is that he's much more of a songwriter and is very focused on the actual writing of a song. That was very interesting for me. When you work with producers, they're thinking more about the production and they leave all the lyrics and songwriting to [the artist].»
Annie is now part of the Xenomania team, working on songwriting for other artists: «I never thought that was really possible to do, but Brian really liked my songwriting and asked if I'd be interested in writing for other artists as well since they don't work with all that many songwriters. For me, it was very inspiring to get to write other songs ― it made me think differently.»
Don't Stop will be released in the U.S. on 17th November. The album continues to receive an excellent response from the press. Here's an updated round-up of the reviews:
- Xenomania-abetted lipstick-pop genius finally strikes. 8/10 NME
- It's a delightful confection, filled with attention to detail and perfectly turned – and deserving of your attention. 4/5 The Guardian
- With Don’t Stop she has created a vital pop record, one that in 2009 sounds even more relevant, vital and absolutely necessary than Anniemal did back when it was released. 90% onethirtybpm
- It’s brilliant - packed full of the sort of songs that would get X Factor judges saying things like “Smashed it” and contains enough moments to inspire a whole second generation of wannabes like Little Boots. 7/10 Drowned In Sound
- Featuring some of the most inventive producers in pop and steered by a singer who knows her way round a catchy melody or five, Don't Stop is one of the best pop albums of 2009. 4.5/5 musicOMH
- A bold collection on which Annie rarely puts a foot wrong. 4/5 Uncut Magazine
- Probably still unlikely to connect with a populace happy to make do with Akon and Jason Mraz, obviously, but an absolute triumph in every other sense. The Quietus
- 12 slices of sublime pop genius, and one ranks right up there with the best contemporary female pop. BBC Music
- It re-affirms Annie as the greatest pop star not to break through this decade. 8/10 Planet Sound
- [A] juxtaposition of sadness and electro-pop ecstasy 3.5./5 Slant Magazine
- This is an album packed with perfectly pitched electro-pop, atmospheric 80s-tinged ballads and brilliantly withering put-downs – what more could you ask for? 4/5 This is Leicestershire
Labels: Annie
Annie's "Don't Stop" is out now
Posted at
11:26 AM,
19 October 2009
-
 Annie's new album, Don't Stop, is out today in the UK. Five years on from her debut Anniemal, the Norwegian pop princess is finally ready to release her second album through cult label Smalltown Supersound. The album is scheduled to be released in the US on 17th November.
Don't Stop is available as a standard 12-track album and also as a special bonus disc version (which includes the Xenomania-produced "Sweet").
Xenomania co-wrote and produced five songs on the main version of the album. Xenomania members Matt Gray, Nick Coler, Tim Powell and Toby Scott have also added some of their magic to "Marie Cherie", "Take You Home", "The Breakfast Song" and "I Can't Let Go" (list of credits).
Buy: iTunes, HMV, Rough Trade, Amazon.co.uk, Juno, CDWow, Phonica Records
Reviews:
- Featuring some of the most inventive producers in pop and steered by a singer who knows her way round a catchy melody or five, Don't Stop is one of the best pop albums of 2009. 4.5/5 musicOMH
- Fragrant ballads "When The Night" and "Marie Cherie" add a softer dimension to a bold collection on which Annie rarely puts a foot wrong. 4/5 Uncut Magazine
- Yes, Don't Stop might be wilfully critic-friendly, but it's also out'n'out music for the masses; probably still unlikely to connect with a populace happy to make do with Akon and Jason Mraz, obviously, but an absolute triumph in every other sense. The Quietus
- Don’t Stop is 12 slices of sublime pop genius, and one ranks right up there with the best contemporary female pop. Here’s hoping more than a dozen people buy the thing. BBC Music
- Lipstick-pop genius. 8/10 NME
- (...) it re-affirms Annie as the greatest pop star not to break through this decade. My Love Is Better and Ur Girlfriend are titanic pop waiting to be covered to No 1, while Breakfast is as demented as Bonkers. Surely her day will come. 8/10 Planet Sound
- By most accounts, Annie should be a superstar. She has a solid tastemaker following and she's the whole package - looks, skills, smarts, attitude. So what gives? Whatever the disconnect, maybe Don't Stop will change it. And if it doesn't, the masses deserve the vapid divas they get. The rest of us will take Annie as is, one big wink and good beat after another. 4.5/5 URB Magazine
- Annie's pitch perfect future pop second album (...) is an absolute blinder, from Richard X's throbbing space disco Songs Remind Me Of You, the Girls Aloud beating guitars-go-electro bitch-slap of My Love Is Better and the joyous absurdity of The Breakfast Song. 5/5 Attitude Magazine
- This is an album packed with perfectly pitched electro-pop, atmospheric 80s-tinged ballads and brilliantly withering put-downs – what more could you ask for? 4/5 This is Leicestershire
Tracklist:
1. Hey Annie (Annie, H. Bjornsdottir, P. Epworth) produced by Paul Epworth
2. My Love Is Better (Annie, B. Higgins, M. Cooper, N. Coler, T. Powell) produced by Xenomania
3. Bad Times (Annie, B. Higgins, M. Cooper, N. Coler, T. Powell) produced by Xenomania
4. Don't Stop (Annie, H. Bjornsdottir, P. Epworth) produced by Paul Epworth
5. I Don't Like Your Band (Annie, H. Bjornsdottir, P. Epworth) produced by Paul Epworth
6. Songs Remind Me of You (H. Robinson, Richard X) produced by Richard X
7. Marie Cherie (Annie, H. Robinson, T. Kaukolampi, Y. Sætre) produced by Timo Kaukolampi
8. Take You Home (Annie, T. Kaukolampi) produced by Timo Kaukolampi
9. The Breakfast Song (Annie, T. Kaukolampi) produced by Timo Kaukolampi
10. Loco (Annie, B. Higgins, M. Cooper, N. Coler, T. Powell) produced by Xenomania
11. When the Night (Annie, B. Higgins, M. Cooper, N. Coler, T. Powell) produced by Xenomania
12. Heaven and Hell (Annie, B. Higgins, M. Cooper, N. Coler, T. Powell) produced by Xenomania
Bonus Disc
1. All Night (Annie, P. Epworth) produced by Paul Epworth
2. I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me (Annie, H. Robinson, Richard X, T. Kaukolampi) produced by Richard X
3. Anthonio (Annie, H. Robinson, Richard X) produced by Richard X
4. I Can't Let Go (with Fredrik Saroea) (Annie, T. Kaukolampi) produced by Timo Kaukolampi
5. Sweet (Annie, B. Higgins, M. Cooper, N. Coler, T. Powell) produced by XenomaniaLabels: Annie
Annie: "Working with Xenomania helped shape my own writing"
Posted at
10:58 AM,
-
 Annie's new album is out today, after a 15-month delay. Half of the album was co-written and produced with the Xenomania team.
«I learned so much about working with them», Annie told Planet Sound. «I'd thought music is about waiting for inspiration. You can't be like that around them. It's work, work, work, no breaks. It was really hard to figure out why they're so stern, but it's toughened up my music no end.»
«I hadn’t been familiar with too much of their work beforehand but it was a great experience», she said in an interview with Stuck Records.
«What’s incredible about Brian Higgins is that he’s so hardworking, when you think of how much energy he has to produce several records a year. He was always encouraging, saying “Come on, let’s work!” and I found it quite exhilarating. They were always able to get the sound that I wanted on tracks, and they are such good songwriters as well. I found working with them helped shape my own writing.»
Annie is still working with Xenomania - one of her co-writes was Mini Viva's recent top 10 hit "Left My Heart In Tokyo": «It was a song I originally wrote with Miranda Cooper and Brian, and was maybe going to be an Annie track until I decided that it didn’t quite fit my vocal style. I wrote so many songs with them! But it really suits the girls, they’ve done a fantastic job with it and I’m really happy to see it do well. I met Britt and Frankie a few times, they are lovely!»Labels: Annie, Mini Viva
Pre-order Annie's "Don't Stop"
Posted at
8:33 PM,
04 October 2009
-
 Annie's eternally delayed Don't Stop album will finally be released in a few weeks. It is now available to pre-order on HMV: CD // 2CD.
Don't Stop will come out in three formats: LP, CD and double CD with a bonus disc, titled All Night EP. The bonus disc includes five songs: "All Night", "I Know Ur Girlfriend Hates Me", "Anthonio", "I Can't Let Go" and "Sweet".
The album has been receiving positive reviews. Attitude Magazine published a 5/5 review, stating that «Annie's pitch perfect future pop second album» is «an absolute blinder», from «Richard X's throbbing space disco Songs Remind Me Of You, the Girls Aloud beating guitars-go-electro bitch-slap of My Love Is Better and the joyous absurdity of The Breakfast Song».
FACT Magazine also posted a "First Impressions" review of Don't Stop. They say: «Our overall impression of Don't Stop is that it's an album that will grow on us: it's par for the course when you're dealing with music this overtly pop that you need to let the choruses worm their way into your head organically. »Labels: Annie
Xenomania news roundup
Posted at
11:43 PM,
27 September 2009
-
- Girls Aloud's "Sound Of The Underground" was selected by The Telegraph as one of the songs that defined the decade. The article says that «Xenomania’s blend of electro and guitars set pop production standards». See the full list.
- The new single mix of Jessie Malakouti's "Standing Up For The Lonely" premiered last Friday on Scott Mills' Floor Fillers - skip to 0:44:00 to listen to the song. "Standing Up for the Lonely" will be released in November.
- The limited edition of Annie's Don't Stop is available to pre-order here. The special edition comes with an exclusive bonus CD.
- Alesha Dixon's latest album will be re-released on November 22nd. The album, retitled The Alesha Show - The Encore, will include three new tracks.
- Pet Shop Boys' Chris Lowe said in an interview that the reason the duo worked so well with Xenomania is because «there was such enthusiasm and such enjoyment of pop music»: «You don't meet that many people who are really into pop and the joy that you can get from listening to a great pop record — that euphoria, that shiny sound.»
In another interview, Chris also said that part of the pleasure of recording Yes was being part of the “whole pop experience” that is the Xenomania hit factory: «Girls Aloud were hanging around. You’d go into the sitting room and they’d all be there with their laptops. We had lunch with Alesha Dixon.» The experience reminded the Pet Shop Boys of the 1980s music scene, when they were pivotal figures in nightclubs, the Top of the Pops studio and European music festivals.
Labels: Alesha, Annie, End of Decade, Girls Aloud, Jessie Malakouti, lists, Pet Shop Boys
Annie's "Don't Stop" is - definitely - coming out in October '09
Posted at
1:49 PM,
16 August 2009
-
 Annie's long-delayed Don't Stop album is (finally) being released on October 19 in the UK and November 17 in the US. The follow-up to 2004's Anniemal will be put out by Norwegian independent label Smalltown Supersound.
The album recording began in 2007, with Brian Higgins working with Annie on the entire album's direction, as executive producer. Don't Stop was due to be released last year, but it was held back when Annie parted ways with Island Records.
Now Annie is back with a new version of Don't Stop (and a new album sleeve), slightly different from the early version that leaked last year. Three songs were taken off ("Sweet", "I Can't Let Go", "I Know Your Girlfriend Hates Me") and three new songs have been added to the tracklist ("Hey Annie", "Don't Stop" and "I Don't Like Your Band" - all produced by Paul Epworth).
Don't Stop features contributions from Xenomania, Richard X, Timo Kaukolampi, Paul Epworth and Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos. The Richard X-produced "Songs Remind Me Of You" looks set to be the first official single from the album.
This is the revised, final tracklist:
01 Hey Annie (produced by Paul Epworth)
02 My Love Is Better (produced by Xenomania)
03 Bad Times (produced by Xenomania)
04 Don't Stop (produced by Paul Epworth)
05 I Don't Like Your Band (produced by Paul Epworth)
06 Songs Remind Me Of You (produced by Richard X)
07 Marie Cherie (produced by Timo Kaukolampi)
08 Take You Home (produced by Timo Kaukolampi)
09 The Breakfast Song (produced by Timo Kaukolampi)
10 Loco (produced by Xenomania)
11 When The Night (produced by Xenomania)
12 Heaven And Hell (produced by Xenomania)
Annie is already working on her third album and has also been writing songs for the Xenomania team (namely for Mini Viva).
Annie links:
MySpace
Twitter
The Annieverse (fansite)
Anniemaniac (fansite)Labels: Annie
Annie interview: Girls Aloud, Alex Kapranos, Brian Higgins
Posted at
1:11 PM,
-
 Norwegian pop princess Annie was recently interviewed by Wears The Trousers magazine. Here's a few Xenomania-related bits:
Working with Xenomania:
«That was actually related to working with Saint Etienne, because they worked with Xenomania before. Saint Etienne are amazing. I think they must be some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Really really sweet. We did this one song and Bob [Stanley] said it would be great to get another producer on it and they suggested Brian [Higgins, Xenomania founder]. He really loved ‘Heartbeat’. He thought it was a great song and said he’d always been looking for the songwriter, and he didn’t realise I had written it myself. He was really excited and almost offered me a record deal the day after. I think he’s doing some really great stuff. I mean, he’s making music all the time and he’s really creative and has a lot of good ideas. Serious and ambitious. It gave me an extra punch to work really hard and that was exactly what I needed.»
The Girls Aloud collaboration:
«When I was doing ‘My Love Is Better’ they were recording ‘I Can’t Speak French’ so they were around all the time. Brian just asked them if they wanted to sing backing vocals on my song and they were really up for it – they had heard ‘Chewing Gum’ before – so, yeah, it was really really fun. But then of course their record company said no and they ended up not singing on the song after all. I thought it was a little bit stupid but what can you say? It wasn’t my choice. They were really nice, very sweet.»
Working with Alex Kapranos (who plays guitar on "My Love Is Better" and "Loco"):
«I don’t know him really well but I met him for the first time in Japan. We were both playing in Australia and then we went to Japan and hung out there. We went to this party that was quite mad! I was a little bit drunk, it was quite embarrassing. I was making this song, ‘I Can’t Let Go’ – I used to call it ‘Misery’ – at the time, and I was inspired by Alan Vega – jukebox, sort of rockabilly – and I always thought that Alex’s voice would really suit it. So I sent him the song but it didn’t happen. He decided he didn’t want to do it after all. But when I was working in Kent with Xenomania, he played ‘My Love Is Better’ and ‘Loco’ to Alex and he really wanted to play on those, so he did.»
"Heaven & Hell":
«Richard X was saying it was the most not-sounding-like-Annie song, like what I used to do before, so I guess it’s something quite different. But I really like the song. It’s sort of tear-dripping and dramatic and I really enjoy songs that are very life-and-death and very dramatic.»
The album's "power ballad", "When The Night":
Who was my role model for that? Everyone! Shit, I have to think about that. [Maria McKee's] ‘Show Me Heaven’ is quite amazing. It doesn’t sound like that at all but I wanted to make a song that was quite simple, but really sort of about pain and longing for something in a way. I might do more power ballads. Maybe a Las Vegas residency! I would love to go to Vegas. I’m not now saying that my next album will be all power ballads. I’m not becoming Céline Dion! Not yet. I think it’s probably wise. There’s only room for one.Labels: Annie, Franz Ferdinand, Girls Aloud
Annie is already working on her third album
Posted at
11:33 AM,
07 May 2009
-
 Annie has revealed that she is working on a new album, while she waits for the release of Don't Stop. Speaking of the number of times that it has been delayed, she confessed that it is «the most frustrating thing in the world».
«I'm already working on my third album while I wait. I know it's going to be a great feeling when I finally hold a physical CD in my hands, but the wait is just so boring!», she told Digital Spy.
Annie is planning on releasing Don't Stop through her own label, Totally Records. After the single "Anthonio", she's decided to release 12" singles of "My Love Is Better": «I've got some really brilliant remixes so I'll get them out on my label.»
Annie parted ways with Island Records last year: «I guess I ended up in a pretty typical, classic major label situation. The boss who signed me up left after just four months and I was basically on my own. I was working with a team who didn't really understand the project at all and didn't share the vision I had. It got to the point where it almost like a fight. I felt like I was working against them, so I'm pretty happy to be free of that restraint.»
"Everything's much more in my hands and I can be my own boss. It's great to be able to sort out my own remixes and things like that. It's definitely not easy though - especially as I'm not really business-minded at all! But at the same time it's really exciting and I can't wait to get my album Don't Stop out in September."Labels: Annie
Annie is working with Xenomania again
Posted at
10:37 PM,
30 April 2009
-
 Annie has revealed in an interview with Tellé Records that she will return to the Xenomania studios in May to work with Brian Higgins and Fred Falke.
"My Love Is Better" will (finally) be released as a single in June, in Annie's own label Totally Records. The album should be out in September:
Annie: Yes, ‘My Love Is Better’ will be out on my own label Totally in June! In addition to that, I will return to the UK and spend some time in the studio with Brian Higgins and Fred Falke. Tellé: Cool. So what about the album? How long do we have to wait?
Annie: It coming in the very beginning of September. I can’t give you the name of the label yet, but it’s definitely coming!
Meanwhile, the Richard X-produced single "Anthonio" will be released in digital format on 4th May and in physical formats on 11th May.
Annie began recording the album Don't Stop in the summer of 2007, with Brian Higgins working as executive producer.The album was originally scheduled for a release in October 2008, but a change in management at Island Records led Annie's album to be delayed several times, and she eventually left the label.Labels: Annie, Fred Falke
The latest
Posted at
5:51 PM,
26 October 2008
-
--- Gabriella Cilmi has taken six ARIA Awards on the back of her debut album, Lessons To Be Learned, and the single "Sweet About Me". She received ARIA Awards in the categories of:
BEST FEMALE ARTIST (beating Kylie Minogue)
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST – SINGLE (Sweet About Me)
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST – ALBUM (Lessons to be Learned)
BEST POP RELEASE (Lessons to be Learned)
HIGHEST SELLING SINGLE (Sweet About Me)
SINGLE OF THE YEAR (Sweet About Me)
--- Alesha's new album, titled The Alesha Show, features eight Xenomania songs.
--- Annie's Don't Stop will only be released early next year. From Annie's MySpace blog:
The album will not be out until beginning of next year.Well..I feel really bad about this,I know you..ve been waiting for this for long,and it was suppose to be out this month. Hm..what can I say,I..m a typical scandinavian perfectionist, and have had these other songs that I thought were just too good too not be on the album so I put my foot down and made my label put the record back to next year...I promise its going to be worth the wait! Its the prerogative of every woman to be late!'
So...I..m actually back in studio.Been working with Paul Epworth on a couple of songs,and I think it..s gonne be really good!!!!! So I..m working really really hard to make the best album there is.-) --- Saint Etienne's London Conversations has also been delayed. It is now set for a January 2009 release.Labels: Alesha, Annie, Gabriella Cilmi, Saint Etienne
Annie's new album will be released in 2009
Posted at
9:26 PM,
25 September 2008
-
Don't Stop will definitely only be released next year, according to Annie's Norwegian manager Kathrine Synnes. On this article, she says the the album has been postponed not due to lack of hits, but because Annie's label (Island Records) wants to spend more time on the album.
Meanwhile, "Songs Remind Me Of You" will be released as a 12'' single next month.Labels: Annie
Annie's album released in late October (?)
Posted at
12:36 PM,
14 September 2008
-
 The saga continues. Annie's new album was scheduled to be released on October 6, but in the past weeks there have been quite a few signs that the album will be delayed until early 2009.
Nonetheless, the HMV online store have recently changed the release date of Annie's Don't Stop. The album is now listed as being released on October 27.
Plus, Richard X confirms on his website that there will definitely be some "Annie thing" released this fall:
«There will be some Annie thing out this autumn/fall, we'll let you know when the mist has cleared».Labels: Annie
Annie's new album has leaked
Posted at
10:46 PM,
30 August 2008
-
 Don't Stop has leaked in its entirety today. The album was scheduled for a release on October 6, but now it will most likely be out only in early 2009. Annie went to a studio in London a few weeks ago to record new songs and an intro, so it will probably have a slightly different tracklist from the planned one.
Don't Stop is Annie's second album. It includes collaborations with Alex Kapranos from Franz Ferdinand (who plays guitar on "Loco" and "My Love Is Better") and Frederik from Datarock (vocals on "I Can't Let Go"). Girls Aloud's voices are no longer heard on "My Love Is Better" (instead, Annie has recorded the background vocals herself). Don't Stop features production work from Xenomania, Richard X and Timo Kaukolampi. Brian Higgins has worked on the entire album's direction, as executive producer.
The track list of the leaked version looks like this:
01. My Love Is Better
(produced by Xenomania)
02. I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me
(produced by Richard X)
03. Sweet
(produced by Xenomania)
04. Loco
(produced by Xenomania)
05. Bad Times
(produced by Xenomania)
06. I Can't Let Go
(produced by Timo Kaukolampi)
07. Marie Cherie
(produced by Timo Kaukolampi)
08. When The Night
(produced by Xenomania)
09. Heaven and Hell
(produced by Xenomania)
10. What Do You Want (The Breakfast Song)
(produced by Timo Kaukolampi)
11. Take You Home
(produced by Timo Kaukolampi)
12. Songs Remind Me Of You
(produced by Richard X)
13. Danny, Danny (bonus track)
(produced by Xenomania)Labels: Annie, leaks
The latest: Saint Etienne, Annie, Gabriella Cilmi, Xeno castings
Posted at
10:41 PM,
21 August 2008
-
--- "Burnt Out Car 2008" release date:
The online stores that have the 7'' single available for pre-order seem to believe that it will be released on September 8. But Saint Etienne's Bob Stanley wrote two different posts today on the band's MySpace blog, each with a different release date (September 22nd and 15th). The most likely date is however September 15, as Bob added that the single will be out a day after Heavenly's 18th birthday party (St. Etienne headline on September 14). You can listen to a 30-second clip of "Burnt Out Car 2008" on BBC 6 Music and vote for it to gain some airplay.
--- Annie was in in London for a few days working on two new songs and an intro, to be added to the album Don't Stop.
--- Gabriella Cilmi's version of "Fly Me To The Moon" (produced by Xenomania, one of the b-sides of her new single "Save The Lies") is the soundtrack of ITV2's ad campaign. Cilmi also stars in the promo.
--- Female vocalists wanted for Xenomania label:
- Female Vocalist, 15–22 years -- Great voice, great looks
- Female Vocalist, 16-22 years -- Blonde, under 5’5” to join a new girl band For more information contact info@jaynecollinscasting.comLabels: Annie, castings, Gabriella Cilmi, Saint Etienne
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GOSSIP
Tres B has worked with Xenomania on a new release set for 2012.
