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Abysse – A Short Movie Review

15/06/2025 By ACOMSDave Leave a Comment

 

AbysseAbysse is about loss. Félix and Matthieu have been friends since childhood, bound by years of shared memories. When Félix returns to Bordeaux for the summer, it’s with the hope of reconnecting and reliving those carefree days. But one evening, Matthieu vanishes without a trace, leaving Félix haunted by unanswered questions. He plunges into a world of silence and confusion, embarking on a relentless, almost senseless quest to reclaim a friendship that feels lost forever.

 

 

A film crafted with care by writer and director Justin Berrocal.

Starring: Vincent Lambin, Baptiste Miremont, Romane Braud, Oscar Lalanne, Justin Berrocal

Director of Photography: Florian Gislier
Original Music: Paul Klein
Editing: Thomas Lescure
Sound Engineer: Florian Gislier
Colour Grading/Mixing: Florian Gislier

Length: 15.48 mins

Links:

  • YouTube – Abysse
  • I’m Not Gay (2020) – Gay Short Movie Review

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Movie Reviews Tagged With: Bordeaux, childhood, cinematography, disappearance, drama, emotional, film, film review, friendship, Justin Berrocal, loss, music, mystery, search, silent quest

Shaping Peace Together International Day of Peace

14/09/2020 By ACOMSDave

 

International Day of Peace to celebrate and reflect on Shaping Peace Together – focusing on compassion, kindness and hope.

With inspirational and motivational poems, prayers and music, from the Northern Ireland Interfaith Forum and the 4 Corners Festival representing the diverse faiths and communities across Belfast.  The event will celebrate the progress we have made towards peace and reflect on how we can continue to build a peaceful society.

This International Day of Peace is dedicated to fostering dialogue and collecting ideas and you will have the opportunity to share thoughts on how we can continue to shape peace together.

 

Belfast City Council Event via Zoom

Tagged With: Belfast, City Council, Internation Day of Peace, music, Peace, Poems, prayers

The Jackie Rawe Interview

30/09/2018 By ACOMSDave Leave a Comment

ROB’S INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR JACKIE RAWE

This interview with Jackie Rawe, a musical artist of some note,  was put together by HINRG Rob who is a long-term fan and music aficionado.

Jackie Rawe

The Jackie Rawe Interview

1 Can you please give us some background information?

I was born in Bow in the East End of London, I was one of four children with an older sister and younger brother and sister who are twins. Most of my family could sing but would never do it in public, I became the only professional singer in the family.

2 Jackie can you please tell your fans how you got started in the music industry? 

My neighbour at the time was the one who got me into singing, she used to tell me I had a good voice and had faith in me. I never dreamed I’d be a singer, I’d never even thought about it although I used to sing in the school choirs and always sang along to the tv adverts as a kid.

After I left school and started working in an office, my neighbour rang a voice coach and over the phone, played him a recording of me singing from her cassette player, he told us to come along so he could hear me properly. For 6 months we travelled from Bow all along the district line to Ealing every Saturday and had a 30 minute singing lesson. I used to sing old standards as he had a pianist that couldn’t play the current pop material lol. After 6 months I gained the confidence in my own voice and started going for auditions. My uncle was a jazz singer and he also encouraged me when he knew I was into singing. My first professional job was with The Ross Mitchell band and we had a 1 year residency at the Locarno Ballroom in Portsmouth.

3 Your breakthrough hit I believe in dreams was originally called A lovers theme and it was released in 1979 by Ellie Warren. Are you aware of this version? 

Yes, I am aware of that version and I also know Ellie very well. My second singing job after the Ross Mitchell Band was with a band called the Ray McVey band, they had a residency in London’s Leicester Square. Ellie was the main female singer when I joined and I looked up to her, she was an amazing singer and a great performer.

4 I believe in dreams was released in 1985 on Fanfare Records which was run by Simon Colwell. Any memories of him? 

I met Simon a few times and he was very down to earth. I met him again in the early 90’s as I was a songwriter for Warner Chappell Publishing and Simon and I had a meeting with a view to one of his artist covering a song of mine. I also did an audition for the X Factor and performed for the judges but Simon had forgotten who I was, I don’t blame him, it was a long time ago lol.

5 You released a single called Love bites back in 1985 under the name of Jane Spring. Why was it not released under your own name?

Jackie Rawe - Love Bites BackThe name they used was not down to me and I don’t recall why they didn’t want to use my name, it’s interesting actually as they did organise a photo session and they used my picture on the record cover and I still have a copy of that single, it was a good photo as well. I’ll see if I can dig it out for the article.

6 You also released another single in 1985 called Heartbeat under the name Rawe deal on Zafiro Records Spain. It was released by Passion Records in the UK. It is rare and I have not heard it yet. Any memories of this song? 

I don’t remember anything about this track at all lol! Passion Records were in the same office as the Shakatak management so they knew me and I was one of the original singers with Shakatak from 1979 to 1983. Nigel Wright the co-owner of Skratch Music, producer and one of the original members of Shakatak was always coming up with different projects which Passion Records were involved in and I sang on a few tracks for him. Sometimes you just take the money and run as the saying goes. It’s part of the life of a session singer.

7 From 1986-1990 I believe that you were in the groups Midnight Sunrise and Massivo. Can you tell us anything about them? 

To be honest Midnight Sunrise wasn’t actually a group. The main man was Ian Levine and I used to do a lot of work for Ian as a session singer, singing background vocals on tons of his records. He wrote the track ‘On The House’ which he wanted me to sing and we had a photo session and did a video. I think I was just paid a fee for that record and some friends of Ian’s joined us for the photo shoot and the video, It was a put together kind of thing that was never going to tour. If the record would have become a hit I would have probably gone out on my own to do the PA’s. By the way I dyed my hair blond for that video and we dressed as gangsters and gangsters molls, it was good fun.

Massivo were a team of writer/producers with Steve McCutheon as the main man. I knew Steve because of my Shakatak days, his father was Les McCutheon who co-owned Scratch Music and co-produced all the early Shakatak records back in the early 80’s. Steve asked me to go in the studio to write a track and we wrote a song called ‘Kingdom of Love’, I liked that track a lot.

8 You have worked with the best UK hi-nrg labels including Almighty, Passion and Nightmare Records. Did you ever record for Klone or Energise? 

No not for those 2 companies although in the last 2 years I’ve met Gary from Energise and he has suggested that maybe we could do something so who knows what’s around the corner.

9 There is a rumour that you provide the vocals for a hit by Capella. Is this true?

Yes, I sang a track called ‘Move it up’ although not sure if it was actually a hit or not. Interesting job, I was asked to go to Italy to record the track, stayed over just one night, recorded the vocal, then got a flight home. No royalties just a session fee on that one. I wasn’t even told what my vocal was being used for, I found out some time later when someone asked me “Is that your voice on the Cappella record”, so I checked it out and low and behold!

10. Apart from I believe in dreams, you are best known for your work with Almighty Records under many different names. I believe that you recorded about 50 tracks with them including remixes of I believe in dreams. Anything that you wish to share about this period? 

I’ve had many great periods in my life and I’ve been very lucky with the work situations I have attracted, and the people I’ve met and worked with. Working for Almighty was one of those great periods, they gave me a lot of work most of it on a session basis but I’m very grateful for the experience I gained and obviously for the bills that got paid lol. I never had any notice of what I was going to be recording, I’d go in and Jon Dixon would play me the original record, then we would find a key that worked well for my voice and I’d start recording, sometimes a line or a couple of lines at a time if I’d never heard the song before. I spent more time with Jon Dixon than anyone else when I worked for Almighty Records. Jon produced most of the records I sang on and he is an excellent producer and engineer and very hard worker but he didn’t get credited for his work. Even though he stopped working for Almighty many years back he still books me for sessions and his most recent project that I sang on was an album and tv show with Jane McDonald.


11 Can you remember the names of the background vocalists on I believe in dreams original and remixes? 

Yes, ‘Jackie Rawe’ lol, I did all the background vocals and the lead vocals on both the Almighty and Fanfare versions.

12 I know that you have worked with 3 of the Almighty vocalists Jill Saward, Tracey Ackerman and Belle Laurence. Do you happen to know any of the other singers such as Hannah Jones Tessa Niles Linda Taylor Miriam Stockley and Juliette James? 

I know Tessa Niles, Linda Taylor & Miriam Stockley very well.

13 is there any unreleased songs hidden in the vaults that your fans won’t be aware of? 

Not that I know of.

14 Did you provide background vocals on any Hi-nrg songs for example Ian Levine productions or Almighty Records? 

Yes, absolutely tons for Ian Levine this was another great period in my life and a lot for Almighty but more lead vocals for Almighty. I sang my own background vocals on the records I made for Almighty. I also sang a lot of backing vocals on pop records including Boyzone, Geri Halliwell, Dannii Minogue, Louise Rednapp and the Honeyz just to name a few.

15 You are a very famous backing singer for artists such as Celine Dion Elton John and Dead or Alive. Any stories that you wish to share with us? 

Back in the late 70’s early 80’s I toured with Sheena Easton, it was through Sheena that I met her producer Chris Neil. Chris booked me for a lot of background vocal sessions, he produced Think Twice for Celine and Walking in Memphis for Cher and I sang background vocals on both of those records. He also booked me for sessions with Mike and the Mechanics, Godley and Cream and asked me to sing a duet with Paul Carrack which was called ‘When You Walk in The Room’ released in 1987. Paul made a video but I wasn’t used in the video, someone is miming to my voice. Most of the time when you’re working for A list artists like that, you don’t get to meet them. The instruments and backing vocals are recorded first then the artist comes in at a later stage to record their vocals, so I didn’t meet Celine or Cher but I did meet Mike Rutherford and Paul Carrack.

I met one of the guys from Dead or Alive but it wasn’t Pete Burns and it was so long ago that I don’t remember who it was. My friend Tracey Ackerman who you mentioned earlier used to do the Dead or Alive sessions but she wasn’t available for that session so she recommended me.

I met Elton when I sang on ‘Something About The Way You Look Tonight’, he is a very down to earth guy and I felt privileged to meet him and to sing on his record.

I’ve also sung background vocals for Tom Jones on a live TV show called Viva Cabaret and on live gigs with Eric Clapton and Roger Daltrey.

My voice was featured on a record by ‘The Streets’ called ‘Blinded by The Lights’. I sang on a few albums for Mike Skinner and the first time I worked with him he was making records in his bedroom and I sang in the wardrobe that was built into the alcove of the room, (next best thing to a vocal booth lol).

There are many more artists I’ve worked for in a live and recording situation, too many to mention in this interview but there is a list of credits on my website: www.jackierawe.com

16 I was lucky enough to see you live in concert twice. In Manchester and in London and you were absolutely amazing. Have you any plans for some more gigs on the gay scene? 

There are no pa’s in the diary on the gay circuit currently. I still sing every weekend in London and surrounding areas doing mostly soul and Motown.

17 Is there anything else to share with your fans?

I have been very blessed to have a singing career spanning 41 years (at the time of this interview) and to have travelled the globe touring with different artists. I love singing and to have my voice recorded on so many records either lead or background vocals has been such a gift to me and my legacy to the world.

18 Finally is it possible that you can list your Almighty Records songs? And which hold the best memories for you. My favourites are I believe in dreams and Unbreak my heart. . . 

Jackie Rawe Lead Vocals for Almighty Records 1993-2011

Jackie Rawe:

I Believe in Dreams                                   1997

Respect featuring Jackie Rawe:

You Know How To Love Me                       1998

Deja Vu featuring Tasmin:

Un-Break My Heart                                   1996

Don’t Speak                                              1997

To Deserve You                                        1997

I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing                     1998

My Heart Will Go On                                 1998

Uninvited                                                 1998

When You Say Nothing At All                     1999

If I Could Turn Back The Hands Of Time     1999

Get to You                                                2000

Against All Odds                                       2000

No Rhyme No Reason                               2000                          

Hold Your Head Up High                           2000

Rhythm and Rule                                      2000

Stay                                                         2001

The Measure of A Man                              2003

Leave Right Now                                       2003

All This Time                                            2003

That’s My Goal                                         2006

You Raise Me Up                                      2006

The Best I Can Do                                     2006

Everybody’s Changing                               2006

Somewhere Only We Know                       2006

Honest Mistake                                        2007                          

Moonlight Shadow                                     2011

This is The Last Time                                2011

Who’s That Girl:

La Isla Bonita                                           1997

Amazing                                                  2000

American Pie                                            2000

Burning Up                                               2000

Express Yourself                                       2000

Like A Prayer                                            2000

Live To Tell                                              2000

Open Your Heart To Me                            2000

The Power Of Goodbye                             2000

Rain                                                         2000

What It Feels Like For A Girl                      2000

Back To Basic:

Please Forgive Me                                    1993

The Dream Girls:

Year Of Decision                                       1996

Bianca:

Hot and Steamy                                        1997

Crush                                                       1998

2 Hope 4:

O Lucky You                                             1997

Wake Up Boo                                           1997

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to speak to us

You’re very welcome, and thank you for asking me.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Community Journalist Tagged With: Hi-NRG, I believe in dreams, Jackie Rawe, Jane Spring, Love Bites Back, music

Gisela Meyer at the NPL Musical Society

27/11/2016 By ACOMSDave Leave a Comment

Gisela Meyer plays pieces of the night

NPL Musical Society

On Friday the 18th November, I was invited to a lunch time concert in the National Physic Laboratory Science Museum to be given by Gisela Meyer, the concert had as its theme ‘Night Pieces’ and consisted of pieces by four composers/artists:

  • John Field (1782-1837)
    • Nocturne in Bb major – Cantible
    • Nocturne in A major – Poco Adagio
  • Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936)
    • Notturno – Lento
  • Romeo Wecks (1994)
    • Nachstuck I
    • Nachstuck II
    • Nachstuck III
  • Marice Ravel (1898-1937)
    • Gaspard de la nuit
      • ON
      • Ondine
      • Le gibet
      • Scarbo

As mentioned the concert is held in the NPL in the Scientific Museum, which is a former hunting lodge and one time home of William, Duke of Clarence (later King William IV) with views across Bushy Park.

The setting is spectacular, but like all government buildings is in need to some TLC (Tender Loving Care).  I was advised that the maintenance contract is coming up for renewal, which may explain why it appears so tired and dilapidated. From looking around the outside territory of the building and the building sitting behind it to the right, it would not surprise me if it was to end up as development territory into very well appointed apartments easily within the million pound bracket or more because of the location and proximity to London!

Now returning to the concert and Ms Meyer; I think everyone enjoyed the range of items performed, though for me the highlight was Gaspard de la nuit by Ravel.  I have attempted to find a video of Ms Meyer playing, but nothing turned up during my searches, so here instead you have pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet playing:

 

Ms Meyer was born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany where she undertook her  undergraduate studies (Piano with side subject Cello)  and her postgraduate diploma (Piano solo) in Weimar, Gisela obtained a MMus in Accompaniment at the Guildhall School for Music and Drama.

The four pieces are different but similar in that they in the main allowed you to drift away slowly loosing yourself in the music, and does Ms Meyer who is wonderfully accomplished, but almost seems dwarfed by the grand piano, which she plays with total command.

If you are interested in classical music, and have the time, and are in Teddington then I would definitely recommend getting in touch with  the NPL Musical Society organisers by contacting Frances Wilson on info@franceswilson.co.uk

Filed Under: Editor to ACOMSDave Tagged With: classical, Gisela Meyer, music, NPL, Teddington

HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT? – LGSO

12/08/2016 By ACOMSDave 1 Comment

Hiding in Plain Sight - LGSO - London Gay Symphony Orchestra
Hiding in Plain Sight – Queer people in NornIrl are used to (locally) powerful elements, namely the now-largest political party, the DUP DUP(Democratic Unionist Party) and the Free Presbyterian Church, both constructed by the late Dr. Ian Paisley, being resolutely opposed to, in essence, any rights for LGBTs.  The situation in other places, particularly other parts of the ‘Anglosphere’ can can appear wreathed in a pinko-lavender glow.  We are cosily slotting into British, especially London society, it seems.
How odd, then, was it to read and hear of the puzzlement on the foot of the BBC Proms recent ‘outreach’ to amateur LGSOorchestras.  (Most such bands are not ‘amateur’ in the strict sense of the word, being made up partly of professional musicians who teach or are ‘session’ musicians in recording studios,or are simply retired or bringing up families).
The puzzlement was caused by the LGSO (London Gay Symphony Orchestra), even liberal[ish] blatts were, on the face if things, taken aback.  The blatts seemed not to have been aware of the LGSO’s existence, including the journos who should HAVE KNOWN – LIKE THE ONES WHO DIDN’T TURN OUT WHEN IT was working with the USA choirs.  Even the local blatts, and the (two) in Islington are professional and consceintiously ‘local’ – and have Lefty histories, they were started by Communist Party people who left after Prague in 1968.  A substantial number of them didn’t want to simply dissolve into their surroundings.  That was by an organisation founded on May 1996, that has 150+  members, and gives a minimum of four concerts per annum, usually given in the C of E church Saint Sepulcre, Holborn Viaduct- the up-coming autumn one is billed for  St. S’s.usually in a church on the border of Islington and the City of London.  It first rehearsed and gave concerts in the Drill Hall a Gay-oriented arts centre, since closed down due to ‘austerity’.
With a bit o’luck the LGSO (there’s a similar band in Birmingham) will get ‘picked on’ by the Beeb and show their stuff.  They really ought to make records, some major bands in London, and similar large cities sell recordings of the concerts audiences have just sat through.  The LGSO filled the Royal Festival Hallsome years ago accompanying LGBT choirs from Europe and the USA.  Thus it isn’t unused to critical audiences – though the critics in the ‘straight’ press ignored the event, even though it was given on behalf of two charities.
Further links:
  • LGSO Twitter
  • Speak Out London and the Drill Hall Archive

  • RADA Studios
  • LGSO – London Gay Symphony Orchestra
  • Gisela Meyer at the NPL Musical Society

Hiding in Plain Sight - LGSO

Filed Under: Community Journalist, Music Reviews Tagged With: BBC, bigotry, classical, democratic unionist party, DUP, journalism, LGSO, London Gay Symphony Orchestra, music, professional

ROCK AGAINST BOWIE

21/02/2016 By ACOMSDave Leave a Comment

David Bowie (né Jones) died a short time ago, as ever on such occasions, tributes ‘poured in’, and there is no doubt that Bowie was an artist who could produce very interesting material. He could also, it should be said, produce whole albums-worth of dreck. The person who first broke ranks on the adulation was the comedian (and sharp investigative television reporter), Mark Thomas.

He noted Bowie (“the Thin White Duke”)’s Hitlerian salutes and straightforward racism, shouting “Keep Britain White”, and “Get the foreigners out” in the course of early 1970s gigs. Such people don’t ‘do’ irony, the fact that he was using African-American music crudified for honkie consumption never seems to have ‘fizzed’ on him.

He was, admittedly, one of the few people who composed ‘concept albums’ worth listening to – one on the theme of travelling from Vladivostok to Moscow along the Trans-Siberian Railway. That’s the sort of thing ‘Rock Stars’ did in those days, when not molesting under-age girls or chucking televisions out of hotel windows. Bowie was a quite inconsistent artist and some of his stuff is worthless. The guitarist Eric Clapton, of the band Cream, joined in the racist fun at his own gigs.

A result of this dangerous nonsense was the founding of Rock Against Racism, at the instigation of a professional photographer ‘Red’ Saunders, in a letter to the ‘music press’, presumably mainly NME (New Musical Express) a mass-circulation journal at the time. There already was a group called Rock Against Racism an arm of the SWP (still the International Socialists, becoming a ‘party’ in 1976). The SWP was very gratified at a sudden huge extension of its youth base.

It was less enthralled to learn that the great majority of the base thought their particular analysis of society was surplus to requirements. The SWP personnel were voted out of office in RAR, though the IS / SWP were allowed to sell their wares at RAR gigs – some of which were enormous. The racist Right found that “there ain’t no black in the Union Jack” stirred most teenagers to thump them rather than nod in agreement. Ska and reggae bands were ever-present at RAR gigs and rallies. RAR’s magazine Temporary Hoarding was first published on May Day 1977.

Despite that, the racist Right looked as if it was going to make inroads in electoralist politics, it got 10% of the vote in the 1974 London’s local elections. It certainly seemed to be making determined efforts to monopolise the streets. Kevin Gateley was killed in Notting Hill in the Summer of 1976, prior to that Enoch Powell, in April claimed that ‘Britain’ was being “hollowed from within…” a portentous remark, if not a particularly clear one. England, or at least London, experienced a number of long, hot summers. In August 1977 the National Front staged an “anti-mugging” march through Lewisham. It left the south London, largely plebeian borough in a mess, but did very little to wipe out ‘mugging’ (street theft of purses and money off isolated, working class people) mostly women out shopping.

There can be little doubt that the rank and file of the police were sympathetic to the NF. The ‘blacks’ had suddenly become a majority, allegedly, in some London boroughs and parts of other cities and towns. The ‘Asians’ were a slightly more ambiguous matter, they didn’t look all that out of the ordinary, at least when they didn’t wear ‘Asian’ clothes. And they had the proper attitude to women, they should be seen and not heard, and stay in the kitchen. The ‘Blacks’ largely of West Indian origin have now become observably English. Some third, and forth generation ‘Asians’ have reverted to wearing the sort of clothes worn in the Indian subcontinent. Given that even liberals can use phrases like “fourth generation immigrants” possibly this is not too blameworthy.

Rock Against Racism rather fizzled out in the course of the 1980s mainly because groups like the National Front did, there was nothing like an invasion (you’ll recalled Mrs Thatcher used similar language in the 1990s, when she was Prime MInister) or a ‘deluge’. It was for most towns and cities more of a trickle of immigrants. The people coming into the economy proved useful, – most of the Asians were middle class and educated. They were somewhat similar to the Poles of the ‘noughties’, nearly all of whom had skills. Despite which, the Daily Mail attempted to work up grievances against them – then they all went home.

It is worth mentioning that Blair Peach, a New Zealander was killed opposing a National Front celebration of St George’s Day (April 23rd) in Southall. It is in (far) west London, and was heavily populated by Indians – the biggest Hindu temple on the planet is in the area. Peach was part of a crowd of about 3,000 – they were managed by an astonishing number of police, about 2,500. Peach was killed some streets away clearly obviously trying to get away from a baton charge.

He didn’t manage to escape, and died next day of a physical trauma – a huge injury to the back of his head. The London Metropolitan Police took years to admit that they did it. And that they had been very heavy handed dealing with a crowd that was not being physically aggressive and was not much bigger than their own body of men. This was the socio-political ambience that Bowie and Clapton decided to throw their tuppence worth of racist bilge around.

Filed Under: Music Reviews Tagged With: composer, David Bowie, movies, music, performer

X-Men star opens up about first on-screen gay kiss in music video

03/01/2016 By ACOMSDave Leave a Comment

Troye Sivan had his first on-screen gay kiss in the video

Troye Sivan had his first on-screen gay kiss in the video

Actor and singer Troye Sivan has spoken about his first on-screen same-sex kiss, which took place in a video trilogy for his album Blue Neighbourhood.

The X-Men Origins: Wolverine star opened up about the emotional video trilogy which was directed by Tim Mattia.
Featuring three songs – ‘Wild’, ‘Fools’, and ‘Talk Me Down’, the videos follow a gay couple from their childhood friendship to a tragic ending.
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“I heard these three songs but I just never listened to them in that particular order before”, Sivan said.

“You see a little girl and a little boy holding hands and everyone’s like, ‘Aww, sweet! When are you guys going to get married?’ I wanted to show that for young LGBT kids.’”
Of the passionate kissing scenes with co-star Matthew Eriksson, Sivan said he had not done anything quite like that before.
“I’d actually done it before with girls… It was my first time kissing a guy on screen. We had been friends on Facebook for a really long time but we had never met in person. The day after we met he was shirtless with his legs wrapped around me.”
Check out the video trilogy below:



https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2016/01/02/x-men-star-opens-up-about-first-on-screen-gay-kiss-in-music-video/

Filed Under: Movie Reviews, Music Reviews Tagged With: gay kiss, movies, music, Troye Sivan, x-men

Christmas carols have never been so sexy

23/12/2015 By ACOMSDave Leave a Comment

Gay Times Logo

21st December 2015

by Daniel Megarry

Hunky-Holidays-2

All-male a cappella group Hunkappella have released their latest video just in time for the holidays, and it’s a present we can all enjoy.

Taking on a variety of classic Christmas tunes, the hunky group go through more costume changes than Cher on tour, including a few revealing outfits…

Give it a watch below!

Filed Under: Music Reviews Tagged With: cappella, Chritmas, Hunkappella, music

Troye Sivan: ‘These Songs Are About Boys’

15/09/2015 By ACOMSDave Leave a Comment

troye_primary

The YouTube sensation and pop performer makes it his mission to change the musical landscape.
BY JASE PEEPLES
SEPTEMBER 11 2015 6:00 AM EDT

 
 
Troye Sivan’s highly anticipated EP Wild is only hours away from its U.S. release when I meet with him on a balmy Thursday afternoon at a West Hollywood coffee shop. With more than 3.5 million followers on YouTube, the singer’s latest effort had no trouble claiming the top spot on iTunes moments after it became available for preorder, but the success of his previous album, 2014’s TRXYE, set a high standard for the artist to surpass. Upon its debut, it was the number 1 album in 66 countries on iTunes and debuted at number 5 on the Billboard 200, and the music video for album’s lead single, “Happy Little Pill,” went on to rack up more than 17.5 million views.
These are statistics that might make any emerging artist antsy on the eve of a follow-up release, but the 20-year-old Australian-raised singer is quite at ease as he saunters into the shop, dressed in a plain maroon T-shirt and skinny jeans, with a satisfied smile splashed across his face. Moments after he joins me at a quiet corner table, he explains why competing with prior success is the furthest thing from his mind.
“Chart positions are very cool and awesome, but my biggest worry between the last EP and this one was that my music would change and grow, and I feel like that’s happened,” he says. “However, when I first set out to work on Wild, it was nerve-racking because I wasn’t sure what I was capable of — I’m still not sure — but as soon as I had that moment where I thought, That’s better than anything I’ve written before, the pressure got better and better because I felt at ease about writing something I was really proud of.”
He cocks his head thoughtfully to one side before adding, “I think the most important thing to me at this point in my career is being able to be honest in my songwriting — and these songs are about boys.”
It’s this kind of fearless honesty that has earned Sivan his legions of loyal followers and placed him on a short list of young out artists like Sam Smith, Shamir, and Years & Years front manOlly Alexander — LGBT trailblazers who refuse to believe the myth that a successful career can only be had by staying in the closet. In fact, Sivan says he feels it’s his responsibility to break new ground for the next generation.

Troye Sivan

“I have a platform and I should be using it to spread good if I can,” he says. “I know being able to see a gay artist who was living a happy, successful, and healthy life is something I would’ve appreciated seeing when I was 13 years old. The thought of being that for someone else is really awesome to me, and it motivates me to keep living my truth openly, honestly, and proudly.”
For Sivan, living that truth means embracing subjects in his art that others have been afraid to tackle in the past. Writing love songs with male pronouns for his previous EP was the first step, but Sivan says he wanted to help move the needle for LGBT visibility even further this time around.
In his latest music video, for the title song “Wild,” he presents a story of first love between two very young boys.
“I feel like gay relationships are sexualized in the media and I just wanted to show a romantic, adorable, puppy love situation between two little boys because that’s something we never ever see,” he says. “We usually see stories when the teen is grown up, they’re 18, they’re going out, and maybe they’re promiscuous. That’s a part of gay culture — and it’s a fun part of gay culture — but there’s also those little baby crushes you have when you’re younger. I wanted to show that naïveté, that innocence, and that joy before someone tells you there’s something wrong with you.”
He stops and turns his gaze toward the steady stream of traffic rolling by on Melrose Avenue a few feet away and his voice softens before he continues.
“Unfortunately for me, I always felt in the back of my mind that there was something wrong with me. Even when I was a little kid, I remember suppressing any feelings I had towards other boys,” he says. “I was just aware I wasn’t supposed to be having those feelings from a very young age. And the boys in the music video, I only wish that I could’ve had that kind…”
He stops again, this time taking a deep breath before meeting my gaze with a warm smile. “Well, let’s just say I guess I’m a little jealous of the kids in the music video because they get to experience that — if only for a brief second, but they get to experience that relationship without any baggage.”
The subject is obviously one close to his heart, and Sivan says the video is the first installment of his “Blue Neighborhood Trilogy,” which will follow the story of these fictional boys as their relationship develops over years.

“To me the old ways of thinking about sexuality, these are all inevitable things that are going to change and my attitude is, let’s pretend as if they are changed,” he says. “Let’s pretend it’s not an issue to have two boys kissing in a music video or whatever it is. Let’s just do it and do it unapologetically because that is our honest experience. That is our truth.”
He adds, “Hopefully these videos will be the most viewed thing I’ve ever done in my life.”
With his latest music video garnering more than 2.5 million views in its first week and ringing endorsements of his new EP from famous fans like Taylor Swift, the singer appears to be well on his way to achieving that goal. Furthermore, his growing popularity is proof that young LGBT artists making music about their experiences can be power players in the same field as their straight counterparts.
Sivan teases that “a lot more music” from him will drop before the end of the year and he’ll be kicking off a tour “very soon” as well. Nevertheless, throughout it all he plans to stay focused on his primary mission: Creating a more inclusive music landscape for LGBT people.
“Over the years I’ve met a lot of fans who will whisper things in my ear like, ‘I’m bisexual and no one knows except for you now.’ Those are always awesome moments and I love that people feel like they can confide in me…but I’m fighting for a day when that won’t be necessary,” he says.  “It’s my hope that somewhere, a young gay person who is struggling with who they are will see something like ‘Wild’ and say, ‘Maybe I do like boys, and that’s completely fine because there’s those kids in that music video — so I think I’m going to be just fine.’”

Filed Under: Music Reviews Tagged With: music, These Songs Are About Boys, Troye Sivan

Chad King of A Great Big World Discusses Singing About Loving a Man

19/08/2015 By ACOMSDave Leave a Comment

A Great Big World

Having made waves with ‘Hold Each Other,’ Ian Axel and Chad King talk about giving pop some heart and taking a shot at Broadway.
 OUT
BY ALEX PANISCH
AUGUST 14 2015 3:30 PM EDT

 

Chad King (left) and Ian Axel
Ian Axel and Chad King set the world afire with their 2013 single “Say Something.” Coming seemingly out of nowhere, the track exploded and caught the attention of Christina Aguilera who later appeared on a re-recorded version of the song. Earlier this year, that version of the song netted the duo their first Grammy.
Two years on, history seems to be repeating itself. Once again, A Great Big World has dropped a single—this time “Hold Each Other” a cut of their upcoming second album—that’s whipped up a groundswell of support.
“[The reception] has been really good, overwhelmingly positive,” says King, who sings the most buzzed about lyric on the single: “Something happens when I hold him.”
“Originally the lyric in the chorus was ‘something happens when I hold her,’ ” says Axel. “And after a day away from the song, I was like, ‘Wait a minute, how is Chad going to sing that line? We need to change it.’ So we changed it and it became a very powerful song for us.”

The change was subtle, yet it greatly magnified the track’s emotional resonance, especially for its singer. “I think what is really interesting is that I was [at first] uncomfortable singing it as ‘Something happens when I hold him,’ ” King explains. “The fact that I was uncomfortable singing it, as someone who’s gay, it showed me and Ian that we have to spread this message because I shouldn’t be scared to say what’s in pop music. It isn’t done in pop music often, not in this way. The fact that I was scared to say that showed us that we needed to do it.”
As Axel explains, it wasn’t originally a statement. “But it became a statement in a way. It’s so subtle that I don’t think people really hear it on the first or second listen and it’s just Chad singing about the person he loves and wants to hold and it’s really not a big deal.”
The moment was somewhat revelatory for the pair, who had, in swapping a pronoun, slammed into pop music’s generic heteronormativity.
RELATED | Catching Up With A Great Big World
“After that first day when Ian changed the lyric it became second nature,” King says. “The initial switching of that pronoun, I’m not used to seeing [in pop music]. Even when we’re writing, there will be some stream-of-consciousness moments where I’m singing about ‘she’ and ‘her’ and ‘the girl,’ but in no way do I actually feel those things. I feel that it’s a habitual thing that I learned over the years listening to pop music.”

It’s songs like “Hold Each Other” that work within pop’s framework while still innovating and challenging convention that will mark A Great Big World’s upcoming LP, slated for a November release.
” ‘Hold Each Other’ is a positive happy love song because we’re in a much better place than we were when we wrote the last album,” Axel says. “I’m getting married, and we were just writing a love song.”
King agrees: “I’m hopeful that we can bring an emotional aspect to pop music that you haven’t seen before. I feel like ‘Hold Each Other’ is in the direction of our new album, where it’s really emotional songs underlying this track that you want to bob your head to and I’m hopeful that we’re on to something.”

“We were being as vulnerable as we could, writing a song that we needed to write because it was our therapy and all of a sudden it found a lane on pop radio,” Axel says. “I think the pop world is the place we want to be because we get to reach the most amount of people. ”
“I feel like if you’re scared to say it, or you’re embarrassed or ashamed or insecure about it, I feel that the general rule of thumb for us is ‘let’s sing about it.’ Because those are things that need to be said and need to be heard and are what people connect to the absolute most and what people need to hear because we’re all in this thing together and we all feel the same things and our stories are everyone else’s stories.”
Considering that “Hold Each Other” has been met with so much positivity and praise, it seems that everyone is ready for Axel and King’s brand of catchy, yet emotionally honest, pop. Well, almost everyone that perhaps. “I thought we would have had a little more resistance to ‘Hold Each Other’, especially getting it played on radio,” King explains. “There have been a couple stations in the South that have refused to play it because they feel it’s too progressive. But I’m OK with that, because it means we’re doing something right. If they can’t play a song like this, which is only about love, if they can’t play a song about love then I don’t want to listen to their station.”

The duo’s putting the finishing touches on their sophomore LP and say that the album will still be classic A Great Big World, just a bit more “grown up.”
“I feel like we’re trying to marry the theatrical sense of what we do and the emotional sense,” Axel says. “Trying to hit a little bit more in the pop arena because we want to reach the most amount of people. I feel the album is a little bit more beat driven as well. I think that our fans aren’t going to be disappointed at all, because it sounds like us and it has the same heart that it did in the first album.”
Beyond finishing the album and gearing up to tour in early 2016, the guys also have a Broadway musical in the works that Axel says they’ve been developing for three years. “It’s been a dream of ours to do this since we’ve known each other. We’re pretty much finished with revisions on the first draft, we’re about to go to a director, and there are some Broadway producers onboard,” he says. “It’s a show about family and what family is and how family is what you make it. There are definitely some twists and turns we can’t give away.”
While things are still coming together, King and Axel do have some information that they can share, including the tentative title: Two Blocks Away. “It’s a pop musical,” King says, “So there’s our music but some songs are eight minutes long.”
“It’s kind of our music but on steroids,” Axel sums up. “We don’t have to write to any form or structure and we can just do whatever our hearts desire because of the stage; anything can happen on the stage.”
A Great Big World’s second LP is due in November. “Hold Each Other” is out now.

Filed Under: Music Reviews Tagged With: Chad King, Ian Axel, music

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