Ben Howard returns with his 4th album, Collections From The Whiteout, produced alongside Aaron Dessner (The National). The foreboding darkness that coated Ben’s second record I Forget Where We Were and thinly veiled its follow up Noonday Dream, isn’t so evident on Collections. These are songs written from headlines scanned, or news stories scrolled past, providing inspiration for a selection of vivid narrative snapshots – the death of amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst (Crowhurst’s Meme); Russian fraudster Anna Sorokin (Sorry Kid); the man who stole and crashed a plane in Seattle (The Strange Last Flight Of Richard Russell); and the dismembered body a friend of his father found in a suitcase floating along the Thames (Finders Keepers). Alongside them, the personal anecdotes from the same scattered period living between Paris, Devon and Spain. Yussef Dayes features, as does Kate Stables (This Is The Kit), James Krivchenia (Big Thief), Kyle Keegan (Hiss Golden Messenger), and Dessner. Thomas Bartlett, St. Vincent’s go-to pianist, and Rob Moose, a long-standing arranger of strings for Bon Iver, are also present. Long-term guitarist to Ben’s band, Mickey Smith (A Blaze of Feather), remains a reassuring constant. It’s a sonic adventure that continues this nagging suggestion that Ben is one of the UK’s most inventive and naturally talented songwriters. CFTW is his latest opus, and arguably his most fully realised to date.

alt-J are Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton and Thom Green. They returned in 2022 with their latest album, The Dream.  

alt-J are one of the most successful British bands of the millennium. Their 2012 Mercury Prize and Ivor Novello Award-winning debut An Awesome Wave, was followed two years later by their number one, GRAMMY and BRIT Award-nominated album This Is All Yours. Released in 2017, RELAXER flew straight into the top 10 of the UK album chart ahead of a summer of major international shows - including a headline show at London’s O2 Arena and headline performances at numerous festivals - and became their second album to be nominated for the Mercury Prize.

As one of Iceland’s most successful exports, singer-songwriter Ásgeir has always pushed the boundaries of his thoughtful brand of folk-pop. His debut album, ‘Dýrð í dauðaþögn’, became the best-selling debut in Icelandic history, leading to the English-language version ‘In The Silence’ in 2014. He continued to refine his sound with ‘Afterglow’ in 2017, ‘Bury The Moon’ in 2020, and ‘Time On My Hands’ in 2022’, earning praise from press and radio worldwide, including the likes of The Independent, MOJO, NME, The Line Of Best Fit, Clash Magazine, BBC 6 Music and Radio X.
 
In recent years, Ásgeir has embraced solo performances, playing nearly 70 intimate shows across Europe, the Nordics, and Iceland, including a UK tour with Icelandic singer GDRN. He also performed with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra and recorded a live session for Arte TV in Berlin. His passion for live music has taken him to unique venues, including small churches, deepening his connection with audiences. He wrote a song for a Kafkaesque play that was hosted at The Reykjavik City Theatre called Sýslumaður Dauðans.
 
Ásgeir is now back with his next album, focusing on songwriting with a fresh approach; prioritizing melody and personal storytelling, exploring themes of relationships, aging, hope, and nostalgia. His influences range from Leonard Cohen and Daniel Lanois to contemporary artists like Adrianne Lenker and Dina Ögon.
 
The album’s production was a hands-on process, with Ásgeir playing most of the instruments and collaborating with a select group of musicians, including Nashville cellist Nat Smith. Recorded both solo and with a band, the songs capture an organic, heartfelt energy. With this new chapter, Ásgeir continues to evolve, offering music that is as introspective and accomplished as ever as well as deeply resonant.

Official Soundcloud of Thievery Corporation

collector/producer/dj/dreamer 
lives in Tel Aviv Israel 


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