A Guy Called Gerald has spent the last couple of years flitting through shadows, turning up on labels like Perlon, Beatstreet and Sender like a peripatetic prophet of the Berlin underground, seeding the scene with cryptic singles that return to the past to suggest alternate futures.

Now he returns to Berlin’s Laboratory Instinct label with the follow-up to 2006’s Proto Acid: The Berlin Sessions, the album that re-established Gerald as an acid hero and techno auteur. Tronic Jazz: The Berlin Sessions builds upon the foundation established by its predecessor to create an even more powerful statement of intent, one that communicates more persuasively than ever Gerald’s vision for techno in its third decade of existence. One immediate difference stands out, this time around. Where Proto Acid offered a seamless mix of 24 cuts, recorded in one epic session, Tronic Jazz collects 13 standalone tracks. That’s welcome news to DJs. But there’s something else: freed from the flow of the mix, the tracks go deeper into themselves, even while contributing to the overall shape of the album as a single, coherent form. They’re more varied in tone and mood, and even tempo. While Proto Acid was, by definition, a tracky affair, a kind of puzzle comprised of interlocking pieces, Tronic Jazz stretches out to explore its ideas in greater detail and greater depth.

Nothing overstays its welcome: Gerald is a master of concision, and he manages to express everything he needs in five-minute chunks-inside which time stops still, arrested by the interplay of deftly programmed machine rhythms, carefully arranged chord progressions, and a masterfully intuitive sense of sound design.

The main thing relating Proto Acid and Tronic Jazz, of course, is their resolutely analog underpinnings. Like Proto Acid, Tronic Jazz is an extension of a life spent listening closely to machines, knowing exactly what knob to tweak at exactly the right instant. It represents a feedback loop through the artist and his circuitry-a spontaneous journey though the miles of silicon in his vintage boxes. And every track’s arrangement, likewise, is an extension of a life spent listening to his audience. Following on Gerald’s unique performance style-two laptops left unsynched, an on-the-fly fusion of molecular selection, DJing and improvised production that he calls “Responsive DJing”-Tronic Jazz’s 13 tracks all know exactly where their listeners want to gom and they drive forward with uncommon focus, though not without satisfying the occasional devious urge.

You could call Tronic Jazz’ sound classic: its Spartan drum machines, analog synthesizers and carefully sculpted funk are all modeled after a blueprint laid down decades ago in Chicago and Detroit. In great contrast to so much electronic dance music of the past decade, it’s not generally concerned with the digital realm. It avoids the “feature creep” afflicting too much house and techno, where the possibility to do just about anything with sound leaves the music at an impasse, piling on effect after effect, techniques suffocating musical ideas. It’s more concerned with the expressive potential of a restricted kit: finding the loophole in familiar rhythms to turn them inside out with a
single, carefully placed accent. Cutting a glissando lead through a field of drum shrapnel, like some kind of pixie earthmover, or rubbing two basslines up against each other til they throw off sparks. After so many years of digital anything-goes, you might have forgotten the kind of sounds that are possible with “old” machines: the way a lead stacked against tuned percussion and shrouded in pads can evoke still other sounds, hidden in the mix, or maybe not really there at all. It’s a ghostly, suggestive presence, a kind of evocation of infinite possibility within the context of a limited set of inputs. In that sense, Tronic Jazz follows a certain minimalist impulse, but it’s far too lush ever to be mistaken for the dread “mnml” of recent years.

This stuff is wide-eyed and full of life. When it funks, it funks hard, and when it smoothes out, it can be as intimate as a hand-written note left on a lover’s pillow. As “classic” as Tronic Jazz may be, the album refutes any notion that “classic” equals “retro,” that the ideas have all been expressed before. Tronic Jazz takes the foundations of house and techno as though they were a kind of language, and speaks volumes with them.

01. People Moover
02. Nuvo Alfa
03. Flutter
04. Iland
05. Just Soul
06. The Dip
07. Round Eco
08. Dirty Trix
09. Wow Yheah
10. Indi Vibe
11. Pacific Samba
12. Conclusion F min Blue
13. Merfed

The duo’s new night (which is also their label) Electric Playground, is to take place at Nocturnal in Sheffield each month, and will showcase the pair themselves as well as headline slots from big DJs from across the world.

We caught up with them for their take on chasing the next big thing, the importance of their radio shows (forthcoming guests include Justice, Sneaky Sound System, Mark Knight, Funkagenda) and how they got into all this…

What music did you grow up around?

Nick:  I really started getting into music in the 90s so I’ve sort of seen dance music evolve into different genres and styles.  Growing up in London I listened to a lot of pirate radio and was into more hardcore and jungle, I also played the guitar so would learn to tracks by bands like Oasis, Smashing Pumpkins and Stone Roses.

Andi: I’ve been obsessed with all kinds of electronic music since I was a little kid. My dad was always playing stuff like Kraftwerk, the Pet Shop Boys, Georgio Moroder, Pink Floyd and the Human League when I was growing up, and so when the dance scene really kicked off in the early 90s I loved it straight away, even though I was too young to get into the clubs.
What scenes were you involved in Leeds and are you still?

Nick: Our first event we put in in Leeds was in 2003 when Mission first opened, it was a progresive house night called Distortion and we ran it for about 10 months until we decided to concentrate on studio based stuff.

Andi: We launched the Electrik Playground in Leeds at the start of 2008 and since then we’ve been lucky enough to take the night into different venues and cities around the UK, and now we have regular parties at Ministry of Sound in London, Nocturnal in Sheffield and Privilege Ibiza.
How did you get into this game?

Andi: I spent 2 weeks work experience in 1996 at the council in Huddersfield making weak tea and choosing the best fonts for new road signs.. which made me take a long hard look into ways of making a living out of my hobby and not getting a proper job. I used to make tapes of old hardcore, drum and bass and rave and sell them outside school for £2.60 - so I figured it was the way forward. I managed to blag my way into the studios of Kiss FM in Leeds and worked for free throughout college. I used to be the guy who sat in with all the specialist DJs making sure they weren’t too stoned to work the desk, and inevitably sometimes they wouldn’t turn up, or a pre recorded show would go wrong so I’d be ready and waiting with a bag of records.. I eventually got my own show and Kiss became part of the Galaxy network in 97.

Nick: I always wanted to get some decks, but it wasn’t until I started Uni and my student loan came through I afford some.  After a couple of months of learning how to mix in my bedroom I put on some events at the University union and then that led to some parties at a small 300 capacity club in Sheffield.  Once I’d finished my course I took a year off to keep putting on events and seeing where I could get Djing - nearly 10 years on I’ve still not got a proper job!

Do you prefer radio or club DJing and why?

Andi: Impossible to choose! The adrenaline rush you get when you start a live radio show and the red light goes on is awesome.. it’s a weird feeling knowing there’s millions of people all around the country listening to what you’re saying and playing, but of course you can’t see any of them, and you don’t get that instant feedback that you do in a club. You can experiment more on the radio though, as you don’t need to keep people dancing - just interested. It’s a privilege to be able to help break new artists and tracks to.

Nick: Both of them are wicked in different ways, but I don’t come from a radio background, so for me you can never beat the buzz of playing to an up-for-it crowd in a rammed out club.
As radio DJs you always champion new stuff - always looking for the next big thing… ever think we should dwell on what we have a little longer?

Nick: That’s a very good question, in this industry you can be the hottest new property and flavour of the month for a short while and then just disappear.  I think in general you are always searching for the next big thing as you want to stay ahead of the crowd and bring some uniqueness to your sets.  But at the end of the day if its good music we will play it regardless whether it’s from an a-list superstar who has been around for years or a kid who has made it in his bedroom in Syberia on a 10 year old PC…

Andi: There’s such a wealth of classic and interesting electronic music from the last 20 years that we also make sure we go back to some of the forgotten anthems and classics on the radio shows every week.
You impressed people with your 2007 artist album “Research & Development” - what inspired and influenced that?

Nick: We’d got bored of hearing the same sounding music and got into a bit of a rut musically ourselves. We had our own sound, and a formula to make tracks and remixes, and while it worked well for a couple of years it stopped being a challenge or particularly exciting. We thought it would be a good experiment to start again, move the studio out of the city and start writing different music, with proper instruments and incorporating the same cross section of styles we play on the radio.

Andi: We got back to basics, moved our studio into the middle of nowhere, unplugged the broadband and started working with musicians and singers from rock, folk, indie, hard dance, minimal and drum and bass - learnt different things from them all, and came up with a first draft of the album. Which was shit. So we went back and did it over and over until it was right.
Any plans for another?

Nick: At the moment the music we make and play crosses a lot of different genres so one track can be very different from the next.. keeping us on out toes.  We’re also enjoying doing lots of remixes for artists like Chicane, Robbie Rivera and Snow Patrol and are pushing our single releases through our Electrik Playground label.  So in a nut shell, there is no album planned for the next 6 months or so.

Andi: We might take a couple of months out this winter to lock ourselves away and work on a new album though..
Do you ever have to look for new music or do you just use the ton you must get sent?

Andi: We’re lucky enough to get sent between 250 and 300 new tracks every week - which pretty much covers all styles and sounds from all the record labels and direct from producers and artists themselves. It takes 2 full days to download and listen to each week so it’s quite a job to listen to every track, but it’s worth it for the gems you find in the pile.
What do you look for in a record before it gets played in your set?

Nick: Simple - is it going to work make you need to move..  We get sent loads of records that just do nothing, I sometimes wonder if the producer forgot to finish the track before sending it over or whether he’s trying to be cool by keeping it super minimal…

Andi: If you’re listening to around 300 tracks a week, and a certain record stands out a mile from the crowd, you know instantly it’s got something special.
What makes a good DJ, great?

Nick: I think its all down to reading the crowd.  It’s so easy for anyone these days to go onto Beatport, download the top 20 tracks in a certain genre and turn up to a club with a pre-worked out set of bangers.  Trouble is, if the crowd aren’t into the 20 tracks the DJ has chosen and the dance floor clears, he’s in toruble!  I’m always shocked when I see big DJ’s totally misread the crowd and not adapting their set accordingly.  At the end of the day a DJ is there to entertain, not try and educate and be cool.

Andi: You also have to understand the progression of a night. Where has the art of the warm up DJ gone? We started our careers as residents at Gatecrasher in Sheffield, playing house, prog and techno to a trance crowd and warming up for people like Tiesto and Paul Van Dyk. You have to understand that to make a really AMAZING night, you have to ease a crowd into it, and (a massive cliché but still true) take them on a journey. If you’ve learned the basics, understand the dynamics of a dancefloor and know what the crowd wants a certain point in the night, you’re probably set for when the big time calls.
How would you describe your style?

Nick: Interesting, different, eclectic house music.

What you working on in 2010?

Nick: It’s going to be our busiest year on all fronts from DJing, producing, radio and promoting our Electrik Playground parties.  The way things are it the moment, you have to work 5 times harder than you did maybe 3-4 years ago.  We are aiming for at least 1 single and remix a month, getting a tour of Asia sorted for Electrik playground, pushing and growing our EP label with a mix compilation and some big radio projects…

Andi: We’ve also got some really big secret projects in the oven at the moment, so hopefully by the end of 2010 people will be shocked at what we’re up to.

He founded the now legendary SUBLIMINAL RECORDS empire in 1997 and released his first artist album worldwide in 2004, entitled “My World”. The success of the first single “Break Down The Doors” led to Erick’s debut music video, featuring a cameo by supermodel Naomi Campbell. He has also found commercial success with Reel 2 Real’s hit “I Like To Move It” featured in “Madagascar 1 & 2″.

Raised in Colombia and New Jersey, Erick started DJing at the age of 11 and was soon inducted into the house fraternity through his friend Marc Anthony. He has won numerous prestigious awards along the way such as “Best International DJ 2002″ and “Best House DJ 1999 / 2001″ and is as comfortable behind the camera as he is behind the decks, appearing on MTV UK and as host of MTV Ibiza for two consecutive years in addition to starring in a seven part series for Channel 4.

Spring 2010 is going to be busy for Erick as he launches his new album “Playboy Compilation” as well as his first foray into fashion; a limited edition capsule collection of laptop cases and luggage. The Erick Morillo for knomo collaboration launches exclusively at Selfridges and Apple online.
knomo Team Up With Superstar International DJ Erick Morillo for Stunning SS10 Collection

Bored with being a clone on the 9-5 commute? For spring 2010, why not stand out from the crowd and showcase your style status with an ‘Erick Morillo for knomo’ laptop bag from the must-have Brixton range.

knomo’s Brixton collection embodies the very nature of the London area it is named after; kooky and cool with a fresh yet relaxed take on design. Favoured by creative’s, style aficionados and budding musicians, the Brixton range is ideal for stylish men. With this in mind, knomo wanted to create something special and enlisted the help of one of the most fashionable men in music, legendary house music DJ and Producer Erick Morillo.

Erick has been a heavy-hitter on the music scene since the late 1980’s achieving massive hits like Reel 2 Real’s “I Like To Move It.” His laptop plays an integral role, whether producing new music or DJ’ing to crowds of thousands, so Erick knows exactly what he needs when it comes to a laptop bag.

Designed for practicality, the Erick Morillo collection consists of 4 bag styles including a Saxby Slim messenger, Riley tote and Lincoln and Tokyo slim briefcases; along with stunning NEW luggage pieces the Lisbon trolley, Berlin Weekender and Berlin gym bag; all in waxy coated canvas with soft leather trim. The bags are offered in 2 colour choices: an Ibiza-bright, sunshine yellow shiny canvas, with black leather trim; and a sophisticated matte grey canvas with brown leather trim. Each reflects a mood and adaptability- subtle and sophisticated by day, loud and crowd-pleasing DJ by night.

“My laptop and equipment are essential to my work - travelling constantly, I need something practical yet fashionable to see me around the world. I’m delighted to be working with Knomo on this collaboration”. Erick Morillo

As an added bonus, every bag from the Erick Morillo collection will include an exclusive compilation CD with some little-known EM tracks and some new tunes by up-and-coming artists on his label - a must for all die-hard fans!

So whether you kick it old skool with records and decks or you let your mouse do the mixing, there is a style for every budding DJ; and if you prefer to leave it to the professionals, grab yourself a bold and unashamedly stylish bag from the ‘Erick Morillo for knomo’ collection.

The ingenious tracker tag in each knomo can help you retrieve your laptop should you lose it (see unique Tracker ID in every bag, with freephone international number for the finder to call).

The ‘Erick Morillo for knomo’ range is stocked exclusively in Selfridges and will then roll out nationwide to stores including Harrods, Apple, Fenwick and John Lewis; or see www.knomo.com or www.erickmorillo.com

Little Britain star Matt Lucas has said he will not be appearing in the new series of Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer’s BBC show Shooting Stars.

The comedian, who has played giant baby George Dawes since it began in 1993, said he is "busy writing a new series".

In a statement he said: "I just couldn’t fit everything in this time, because we’ll be right in the middle of rehearsals and rewrites."

Filming for the comedy panel quiz is scheduled to start in the spring.

"I love being on the show and love working with Vic and Bob and the whole team," Lucas said.

"Of course I’ll be watching, and I hope we can all do something together again soon."

Lucas, who went on to make Little Britain with David Walliams after Shooting Stars originally ended in 2002, kept the scores from behind his drumkit, while dressed in a giant babygro.

The show returned to BBC Two last year after a 15-year break.

Reeves and Mortimer will continue to present, with original team captain Ulrika Jonsson returning along with comedian Jack Dee and Angelos Epithemiou.

"We are really looking forward to the new series. We remain determined to try and cheer Jack up, we can’t wait to see what Ulrika’s going to look like once the surgeon has finally finished tinkering with her and we both hope Angelos is just going to turn up on time," Mortimer joked.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Pink Floyd have won a court battle with record label EMI over how their music is sold over the internet.

The rock legends, signed to EMI since 1967, sued the label over its decision to sell individual album tracks online.

EMI has been ordered to pay £40,000 in court costs as an interim payment. The judge is still considering how much more the label should pay as a fine.

EMI has also been banned from selling single Pink Floyd tracks online without the band’s permission.

The group, whose latest contract was signed before download stores like iTunes appeared, also disputed the way royalties for digital sales were calculated.

They largely avoided releasing singles, instead preferring fans to listen to entire albums such as Dark Side of the Moon, which has sold more than 35 million copies around the world.

Artistic control

Earlier this week, Robert Howe QC, appearing for the group, said the the band’s deal with EMI stipulated that their "seamless" albums should not be split up and that they "wanted to retain artistic control".

He said it would have been "a very odd result" if band members were able to control exactly how their music was sold as a physical product but there was "a free-for-all with no limitation on online distribution".

Elizabeth Jones QC, appearing for EMI, disagreed and said the word "record" in the band’s contract "plainly applies to the physical thing - there is nothing to suggest it applies to online distribution".

The band were not present to hear the judgment at the High Court in London.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Uplifting house classic Shine On returns to Cayenne Records just in time for Miami! Originally released by Degrees of Motion back in 1992, Shine On became the definite anthem for a generation of house lovers. Achieving huge success in the scene thanks to ‘that’ piano riff and the outstanding vocals of Biti, house connoisseur and Kidology founder Mark Wilkinson brings this classic bang up to date for the new clubbing season.

Wilkinson’s history reads like a house music bible. DJing in over 65 countries and counting plus producing under half a dozen monikers alongside his own name, Mark also runs the hugely successful club brands Kidology and Ibiza Republik who will be appearing on the terrace at Space Ibiza this summer.

Since ‘Problem Kids’ (a production outfit with Xpress2’s Rocky in the 90’s), Mark has released on some quality labels including Junior Boys Own, Paper Recordings, Defected and Azuli plus launching his own label Kidology Records. His remix of Lou Reed’s Satellite of Love scored him a UK top 10-chart success back in 2004 under the guise Dab Hands. Other hits included Supergood and DYOT that continued to do the damage on the dancefloor and airwaves, whilst club night Kidology went from strength to strength. Kidology’s ethos is about putting the ‘party’ feeling back into club land- it’s outrageous, flamboyant, and friendly, and encompasses a special brand of ‘glam silliness’ with the help of the Kiddettes - a group of outgoing ladies who keep the party vibes strong throughout the night.

After beating Rheumatic Disease, Mark maintains a highly positive outlook on life, aiming to raise £1,000,000 for charity by running a series of marathons. After the dreary year of 2009, he decided to do a re-rub of this feel good anthem for 2010.

Shine On comes with three stunning mixes from Mark, the Vocal Mix for that real hands in the air moment, a stripped back Dub Mix to impress any dancefloor to full effect and a Radio Edit.

Whether you are going to Miami, Ibiza or having a party at home, watch this classic continue to Shine On through 2010 and beyond!

http://www.djmarkwilkinson.com
www.kidologylondon.com
www.cayennerecordings.com

Hernan Cattaneo both epitomises and defines the term ‘global DJ’ after 20 years as a force within electronic music. From his early tribal and progressive sets at Clubland in Buenos Aires to later residencies for global brand Cream in South America, Liverpool and Ibiza, Hernan also toured with Paul Oakenfold that led to performances at some of the world’s biggest festivals including Burning Man in Nevada, Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver and South West Four in London. With releases on John Digweed’s Bedrock and Paul Oakenfold’s Pefecto imprints and of course his must have instalments of the Renaissance Masters Series and subsequent two Renaissance ‘Sequential’ mixes, Cattaneo really is the crËme of the crop… and we can’t wait to have him back for another sure-fire legendary appearance set at The Gallery.

Joining him will be one of our long serving legends Nick Warren. Having smashed Ministry of Sound’s 18th Birthday along with Sasha back in September as well as putting on a huge Way out West (Live) show last year; Nick continues to travel the world over wowing fans wherever and whenever he appears. Tonight will be no exception as he gets back the decks at the world famous Ministry of Sound for another of his prog infused sets guaranteed to get everyone all in a lather!!

We welcome a Gallery debut for one of the rapidly rising buzz names in dance music Henry Saiz. Henry is already well known in his native Spain, with his productions, amazing live sets and his residency at the Cassette Club, one of the best underground clubs in Madrid.

2007 was a breakthrough year for this young star, taking his live show around Europe whilst his original productions on esteemed Spanish labels Natura Sonoris, Paradigma Musik & Software, were picked up by no less than John Digweed for his recent compilation: Transitions Vol.4. Such was Digweed’s belief in the Henry’s production talents that he cherry-picked him to remix his track ‘Gridlock’, which was released on Renaissance Recordings earlier this year. He recently signed for Renaissance Label and we cannot wait to welcome him to The Gallery for his debut!

The Bar meanwhile welcomes the third outing of one of our brand new residencies here at The Gallery in the shape of DAT Soundsystem. This new DJ concept has been brought to life by friends and now established artists Anil Chawla, Dale Anderson and Tim Davison - who all first met each other at Turnmills. The Gallery was rocked to its core by their debut appearance back in May and the talented trio as will again embark on a 6 hour back-to-back-to-back this Friday. Welcome to the future!

Box
Hernan Cattaneo
Nick Warren
Henry Siaz - Gallery Debut
Rebekah
The Viceroy

Bar - D.A.T SoundSystem
Anil Chawla
Tim Davison
Dale Anderson
James Burgess B2B JIM

Baby Box - Spinning Quickly
Just Stu
Alvin
James Hughes
I Love My DJ
Dim Sum
Marc Grant

Loft - Playedoh
Sean Scott
Nick Dubz
Lewis James Brown
Steve Worrell
Paolo Panella
Tred Benedict

10.30pm - late

Contact: 020 3189 0076 // 020 7740 8627 // gavyn@thegallery-club.co.uk
Prices: £10 NUS & Members // £13 Advance // £15 on the door // £6 after 3am
(Unless stated otherwise)

Advanced Tickets: www.ministryofsound.com/tickets
www.residentadvisor.net

www.thegallery-club.co.uk
www.ministryofsound.com/club
www.myspace.com/thegalleryclubuk

The Lost Boys actor Corey Haim was a "tormented soul", friend and fellow actor Corey Feldman has said.

Paying tribute to the star, Feldman said he wept when he heard Haim had died at a California hospital on Wednesday aged 38.

"This is a tragic loss of a wonderful, beautiful, tormented soul, who will always be my brother, family, and best friend," he said in a statement.

A post-mortem is due to be held to determine the cause of death.

Troy Searer, an executive producer of the short lived reality show The Two Coreys starring Haim and Feldman, said Haim’s "heart and his potential were only outmatched by his demons".

The assistant chief of the Los Angeles County coroner’s office, told local television reporters Haim had been suffering flu-like symptoms.

Ed Winter said Haim’s mother, who lived with the actor, called paramedics after he collapsed while getting out of bed at his apartment. He later died at Providence St Joseph Medical Center.

Winter added coroners found some prescription medication in Haim’s apartment but "no illicit drugs".

After battling drug abuse for years, Haim openly talked about overcoming his addictions around the time he was promoting his reality TV series in 2006, saying he had become clean and sober.

The Canadian-born star’s first role was in the 1984 film Firstborn and came to prominence in the 1986 movie Lucas alongside Charlie Sheen and Winona Ryder.

The star told The Sun in 1994 it was while filming The Lost Boys opposite Kiefer Sutherland in 1987 he discovered drugs.

He admitted his drug habit damaged his career and the star later went into rehab and was put on prescription drugs.

However his career outlook had been improving in recent months - the actor appeared in Crank 2: High Voltage last year and had been promoting his latest film, American Sunset.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

By Mark Savage
BBC News entertainment reporter

Some groups achieve overnight success. Others have to wait decades before they find their audience. Texan rockers Spoon fall firmly into the latter category.

Seven albums into their career, they can finally fill venues like New York’s Radio City Hall in the States, but remain relatively unknown in the UK.

Despite their anonymity, the band were declared the "best-reviewed act of the 2000s" by US website Metacritic last December, after its editors compared a decade of critical opinions on more than 7,000 albums.

Spoon’s latest release, Transference, came out shortly afterwards, with frontman Britt Daniel describing it as an "uglier record" than its predecessors.

Largely ditching the straightforward, melodical approach of their previous work, it focuses on atmospheric grooves, cut-up vocals and austere, moody soundscapes.

Nonetheless, it has seen the band retain their reputation for critical consistency.

It gave the quartet their first top five chart placing in the US - and has brought the group greater attention in the UK, where such acoustic experimentation is more warmly welcomed by rock fans.

"It does seem like there’s more going on here, for once" says Daniel drily.

"Maybe people want to hear more of that experimental thing right now, or it could be the back catalogue catching up with people.

"There’s a case to be made that people want to hear stuff that blows their minds."

Transference is certainly a headphones record, drawing you into its sonic universe with the textured, rhythmic opener Before Destruction, before veering off into spiky garage pop on The Mystery Zone and raging, bitter anger on the piano-pounding single Written In Reverse.

Many of the songs are based around demos Daniel recorded "in the basement", and retain a scratchy lo-fi immediacy that is generally missing from big rock records.

"Sometimes it’s hard to beat those first, spontaneous takes," Daniel says.

"We used to take the demos into the studio and try to reconstruct them, but there’s an awareness that you never really can capture it the same way again."

"Are we incapable of making a bad album Probably not, but I don’t want to find out"

Britt Daniel on his band’s critical reception

However, he concedes, there was a "a long-standing war" between the band and their producer, Mike McCarthy, about how much of the demos they could use.

"Mike is an engineer and a producer at the same time and he probably wanted the fidelity to be as good as possible," Daniel explains - before adding "and he probably wanted to give himself something to do".

Broken deal

Spoon were formed in 1993 by Daniels and drummer Jim Eno. The name came from a song by German artrock outfit Can.

"If I’d known I was going to be in a band for more than 18 months I wouldn’t have called it that," the singer deadpans, 17 years later.

They spent a decade on the brink of breaking into the mainstream, including a disastrous stint with major label Elektra - who got cold feet and dropped the band after just one album.

It was, curiously, teen drama The OC which gave the quartet a much-needed boost, after nabbing the ragged funk of The Way We Get By to soundtrack one of its more affecting will they / won’t they romantic liaisons.

That kickstarted the band’s decade-long run as critical darlings - something which Daniel finds vaguely amusing.

"Are we incapable of making a bad album Probably not, but I don’t want to find out," he muses.

"I don’t think we’ve made any particularly bad records, but I don’t particularly like listening to our first one.

"We played some of the songs from it on tour a couple of years ago, but they seemed to be about as well-received as the first time around."

‘Goofy’

There is a sardonic, self-deprecating tone to the 38-year-old’s conversation.

He is reluctant to talk at length, as though he’s afraid he’ll run out of words. Certain questions are (politely) dismissed out of hand.

"Why is this album moody" he responds to one line of inquiry. "Maybe I was just feeling moody."

In part, the singer is wary of falling into cliche. When he momentarily forgets himself and mentions "the spirit of rock’n'roll", Daniel pauses, reassesses and dismisses his comments as "goofy".

Similarly, when recording the video for Written In Reverse, the star went to great lengths to avoid hackneyed rock conventions.

"Lip-syncing is like acting, and I’m no good at that," he explains. "We wanted something spontaneous."

The video doesn’t quite sidestep cliche (it’s recorded in "authentic" black and white, for one) but it does perfectly capture the rolling, rickety groove the band have mastered on their seventh album.

"I came up with a bunch of songs that got on something and stayed on it," Daniels explains, "rather than trying to make their mark with a bunch of fancy chords and little bit parts".

"It’s a sort of song we hadn’t really tried too much of before and I wanted to see if we could pull it off."

And did they succeed

"Yes, I think we pulled it off."

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Comedian Roy "Chubby" Brown hit a woman in the face during a foul-mouthed dispute in a Teesside supermarket car park, a court has heard.

The comic is said to have hit 21-year-old Kelly Oliver after almost colliding with her grandmother’s car in Middlesbrough last September.

Brown, 65 and charged under his real name Royston Vasey, denied common assault at Teesside Magistrates’ Court.

The comedian, of Northallerton, is known for his explicit sexual material.

Ticket machine

Viviene Turner, prosecuting, said Brown reacted angrily after Miss Oliver watched him reverse his silver Lexus within an inch of her grandmother’s car in the car of park of the Middlesbrough town centre branch of Sainsbury’s on 2 September.

The court heard he wound down his window and swore at her.

Miss Oliver, now six months pregnant, said she did not respond.

She claims when she walked over to a ticket machine, Brown got out of his car and began shouting at her.

Brown is then said to have hit her with his right hand on the left side of her face.

The court heard Brown drove off when Miss Oliver’s grandmother said she would note down his registration number.

The court was told Brown admitted in 1996 to common assault occasioning actual bodily harm against his ex-wife, for which he was fined £300 and ordered to pay compensation.

Miss Oliver had two cautions relating to violent incidents and failed to comply with a dispersal notice in 2008, the court heard.

The case continues.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Singer Charlotte Church has agreed a £2m deal with an investment company to finance the recording of her next album, it has been confirmed.

Specialist music investment company Power Amp Music, which launched in 2008, will bankroll the recording and marketing of the star’s next album.

Church said the deal gives her more "control and ownership" over what happens in her career.

Power Amp also funded Madness’ 2009 album The Liberty Of Norton Folgate.

‘Clear vision’

Church said she was "delighted" to sign the deal, adding: "This is a wonderful time to be a recording artist."

"It provides me with a financial commitment equivalent to that of a major record company."

Power Amp Power founder Tom Bywater said: ""Charlotte had a clear vision of what she wanted to do and we have provided the funding for her to achieve those ambitions while allowing her to retain full creative control and copyright ownership."

Church rose to fame aged 12 as a classical crossover singer, scoring a smash hit with her debut album Voice of an Angel.

After three more classical albums, she moved into pop in 2005 with Tissues and Issues, which went to number five in the UK album chart.

In 2006, she launched a TV career fronting her own Channel 4 chat show.

In recent years Church has focused on bringing up her two young children with rugby player partner Gavin Henson.

Last month it was announced she would be making a return to TV as part of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new talent search programme, Over The Rainbow.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

The Lost Boys actor Corey Haim has died aged 38, the Los Angeles coroner’s office has confirmed.

A spokeswoman said he passed away in the early hours of Wednesday morning at Providence St Joseph Medical Centre.

A post-mortem will determine the cause of death and no other details have been released as yet.

The Canadian-born star’s first role was in the 1984 hit Firstborn. In recent years, he appeared in reality TV show The Two Coreys.

The series, which also starred Haim’s friend Corey Feldman, was cancelled in 2008 after two series.

The pair, who both have battled drug problems in the past, starred in the 1988 movie License to Drive together and became well known for their on and off screen partnership.

After Firstborn, Haim landed a role in the 1985 TV movie A Time to Live and also appeared in several episodes of the TV show Roomies.

He went on to become a teen heartthrob after starring in the 1986 film Lucas, alongside Charlie Sheen and Winona Ryder.

Haim starred alongside Kiefer Sutherland in The Lost Boys, about a group of friends who do battle with a band of teenage vampires.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Coronation Street actress Beverley Callard has revealed she has been receiving treatment for depression.

The 52-year-old actress, who plays Rovers landlady Liz McDonald, was absent from the soap for five months last year after a "serious breakdown".

She was treated at the Priory Clinic at the time and remains an outpatient at the facility.

Callard has now teamed up with mental health charity Mind to raise awareness of mental health issues.

The actress, reported to be "well on the road to recovery", said: "I feel it is really important to try and help lift the stigma that makes life so difficult for the one in four people who experience mental health problems."

‘Reach for help’

She thanked her friends, family and colleagues for their support and the media for respecting her privacy during her illness.

"Being able to recover out of the media spotlight has hugely helped me and meant that I could return to work last year whilst still receiving treatment as an outpatient.

"Now I feel able to speak about what I went through and thank everyone for their support," she said.

Paul Farmer, chief executive officer of Mind, said: "The support Bev received from her friends, family and ITV had a huge part to play in the steps she took back to good health.

"We encourage anyone who may be suffering in silence to reach out for help and urge those that they turn to, to be there for them without judgment."

A spokeswoman for Coronation Street said: "Everyone at ITV has been behind Beverley through this very difficult time.

"We are extremely proud of the huge progress she has made and delighted that she is back on screen at the centre of the show and we continue to support her."

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Florence and the Machine is to headline her first major festival, topping the bill at the Latitude event in July.

Florence Welch, who won best British album at the Brit Awards last month, has graduated to headline status after breaking through last summer.

Latitude organiser Melvin Benn booked her in September. "We were so sure that she would come through as being as strong as she is," he told BBC 6 Music.

Florence will be joined on the bill by Belle & Sebastian and Vampire Weekend.

Empire of the Sun, The XX, The Horrors and Charlotte Gainsbourg will be among the other musical acts on offer.

Known for its broad cultural agenda, the festival will also host performances from the Royal Opera House, the Royal Shakespeare Company, author Bret Easton Ellis, poet Wendy Cope and a half-hour excerpt of Hair: The Musical.

"There is a genuine guilty pleasure," Mr Benn said, referring to Hair.

The three-day event, which was headlined by the Pet Shop Boys, Nick Cave and Grace Jones in 2009, attracts 30,000 fans a year.

"I intend to make sure it doesn’t become too big," Mr Benn said. "It’s growing at the rate that it should grow at. It’s about right."

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Troubled record company EMI has named former ITV boss Charles Allen as its new chairman.

Mr Allen was already non-executive chairman at the firm, whose artists include Lily Allen, Robbie Williams, Katy Perry and Coldplay.

EMI also said chief executive Elio Leoni-Sceti would leave at the end of the month after two-and-a-half years.

EMI, which had annual losses of £1.75bn, has been hit by illegal downloading and falling album sales.

‘Great business’

It is not clear who will replace the outgoing chief executive, who said: "My job here is now done and it is time for me to move on".

Mr Allen praised the work of Mr Leoni-Sceti, who he said had done "a great job".

"Our goals for EMI Music remain the same. I will support and guide the group’s strong team, keep EMI’s focus on creativity… and deliver a digital platform," he said.

"This is a great business - our task is to ensure it has a great future."

EMI at the centre of a legal dispute between private equity owner Terra Firma and US bank Citigroup.

Terra Firma is seeking billions in damages linked to its £4bn purchase of EMI in 2007.

Its boss Guy Hands accuses the bank of inflating the price of the firm by not revealing that the only other bidder, Cerberus Capital Management, had withdrawn.

Citigroup is contesting the claim, saying it will defend its role in the proceedings "vigorously".

Job cuts

EMI is now the smallest of the four major record labels, and has launched a turn-around plan to try to cut costs and boosting internet sales to compete against the likes of Universal and Warner.

It has also cut about 2,000 jobs but lost some of its acts, including Radiohead, in the row that followed. It plans further cutbacks.

Its most recent annual loss, in the year to March 31 2009 results was one of the biggest ever losses on a private equity investment.

EMI was sold at the height of the private equity buyout bubble in 2007. The business has been battered by its high debt levels and a weak performance as record companies struggle to make cash .

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Strictly Come Dancing presenter Tess Daly has said her 10-year marriage to fellow presenter Vernon Kay is "worth fighting" for.

It is the first time Daly has spoken on TV about her husband since he admitted sending explicit texts to five women.

Speaking on the BBC’s One Show, Daly said: "It’s been tough as you can imagine, but I’ve taken some time out to think things through."

Kay recently admitted on his radio show that he had been "foolish and selfish".

‘So much support’

Without referring directly to the texts, the Radio 1 presenter said that he had "disappointed and let down a lot of people".

He added: "To my family and everybody else, I am very sorry."

Daly, 40, who married Kay in 2003, said: "At the end of the day we’ve had 10 great years together, we’ve got two beautiful kids and we both think that’s worth fighting for.

"Dealing with it in private is difficult enough but dealing but with it in public is even harder.

"I’ve had so much support from everyone that I meet really, not just family and friends, that has really touched me a lot and has been amazing," she added.

Earlier this month the celebrity couple made their first official appearance together since the revelations when they attended a Prince’s Trust award ceremony.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Actress Farrah Fawcett was not included in the Oscars In Memoriam segment because she was better known as a TV star, the Academy has said.

Fawcett’s family said on Tuesday they were "deeply saddened" and "bereft" over her omission from the ceremony.

But the academy said as the star was known for her "remarkable television work", it would be more appropriate to honour her at the Emmy Awards.

Charlie’s Angels star Fawcett died of cancer in June last year.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences executive director Bruce Davis said he was not surprised some fans and family members were upset at the exclusion.

‘We’re sorry’

He said the committee debated including Fawcett in the memorial segment, but "an unusual number of extremely distinguished screenwriters" died this year, and the academy tried to honour many of them in the short time allowed.

"In every category, you’re going to miss some wonderful people," said Davis, who has helped assemble Oscar’s In Memoriam montage since it began in 1993.

When asked why Michael Jackson was included when other actors were left out, Davis said the singer had appeared in a popular theatrical film recently.

But he appreciated that the actress’s omission would upset some people.

"There’s nothing you can say to people, particularly to family members, within a day or two of the show that helps at all," Davis said.

"They tend to be surprised and hurt, and we understand that and we’re sorry for it."

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

BBC Radio 2 host Sir Terry Wogan has been named digital radio personality of the year at the annual Tric Awards.

The 71-year-old, who broadcast his final breakfast show in December, beat Radio 1 breakfast host Chris Moyles and his successor Chris Evans.

Sir Terry joked that he had received a "sympathy vote" for having undergone surgery to have his knee replaced.

Barbara Windsor was also presented with a lifetime achievement award at the ceremony which took place in London.

‘British institutions’

The 72-year-old, who is best known for playing Barbara Windsor in BBC One soap EastEnders, is due to leave the show later this year.

"I’m not retiring. It will be interesting to see what happens," she said.

Speaking of her long career, the actress added: "In a year or so it will be 60 years. I love it now as much as I did then."

"I know that I’m known for two great British institutions, EastEnders and Carry On."

Sir Terry admitted that he still listens to the breakfast show, but is enjoying the extra time in bed.

"I don’t think about the morning radio show. I miss the jollity and laughter of course but I lie in bed now," he said.

Speaking of Evans, who has been criticised by some of Sir Terry’s fans, he said: "He’s been doing brilliantly, of course he has. People have to give him a chance. I was doing it for 100 years. You worm your way into people’s affections. He’s just been doing it for weeks."

Chris Moyles’ breakfast show won best radio/digital radio programme and EastEnders beat Hollyoaks and Coronation Street to TV soap of the year at the ceremony, which was held at London’s Grosvenor House hotel.

Tess Daly picked up the gong for Strictly Come Dancing, which was named best TV reality programme, beating The Apprentice and The X Factor.

Other winners included Doctor Who for TV drama, BBC Breakfast for TV daytime programme, Harry Hill for TV personality, Eamonn Holmes for satellite and digital TV personality and Ricky Whittle (Calvin Valentine in Hollyoaks) for TV soap personality.

Gary Lineker won the award for best sports presenter and Mark Austin won best newscaster.

The Television and Radio Industries Club awards are voted for by broadcast professionals.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Actor Charlie Sheen is expected to return to the set of Two and a Half Men on Tuesday, according to his publicist.

The actor, who entered rehab on 23 February, is in the process of leaving the facility, trade newspaper Hollywood Reporter has reported.

Sheen is scheduled to appear in court on Monday on domestic abuse charges stemming from his Christmas Day arrest.

The 44-year-old was arrested following a fight with his wife, Brooke Mueller, at their home in Aspen, Colorado.

He was later charged with menacing, misdemeanour assault and criminal mischief against his wife.

The hit comedy will have been shut down for three weeks if Sheen returns to the studio next week.

The creator of Two and a Half Men and the CBS network have previously expressed support to the star.

They said in a statement: "We wish him nothing but the best as he deals with this personal matter."

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

By Neil Smith
Entertainment reporter, BBC News

Director Martin Scorsese explains why it is more important that his films stand the test of time than win awards as he launches his new thriller, Shutter Island.

Three years ago veteran film-maker Martin Scorsese was named best director at the Academy Awards for crime drama The Departed.

For many, it seemed an overdue accolade for the man responsible for such celebrated movies as Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and GoodFellas.

But while the 67-year-old was happy to be acclaimed by his peers, prizes don’t mean much to him in the greater scheme of things.

"It’s nice when the films are recognised," he said during a recent visit to London to promote his new psychological thriller Shutter Island.

"But when you’re in the thick of battle, you just try to get through it and make something that allows you to say years from now: ‘Yes, I directed that film.’

"All I can do is try to do the best work I can," he continued. "I can’t think in terms of awards."

Which is maybe for the best, given the way his new film was shunted out of awards contention by US movie studio Paramount.

This psychological drama had been due to open towards the end of the last year, thus making it eligible for this month’s Oscars.

Essential

At the last minute, though, the decision was made to push back its release date to February in the US and March in the UK.

It has been reported Paramount wanted to use its awards season advertising budget to promote two other movies, Up in the Air and The Lovely Bones.

Given the latter’s failure to impress the Academy’s membership, however, many in Hollywood are now questioning the wisdom of that strategy.

If Scorsese or leading man Leonardo DiCaprio feel slighted, though, they did not show it during a visit to Europe to present Shutter Island out of competition at the Venice Film Festival.

The film’s recent success at the US box office, meanwhile, goes some way towards vindicating its release date shift.

Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane, Shutter Island marks DiCaprio’s fourth collaboration with Scorsese after Gangs of New York, The Aviator and The Departed.

That close relationship proved essential for the actor when it came to probing the film’s intense subject material.

Set in 1954, it sees DiCaprio play a US Marshal investigating a patient’s disappearance from an off-shore hospital for the criminally insane.

Once there, though, his character Teddy Daniels makes some startling discoveries which make him question his own hold on reality.

"I’m glad I got to do this character and this film with Marty," says DiCaprio. "It’s great to have a guide or a mentor when you’re making yourself vulnerable.

‘Extremes’

"You need somebody there who will drive you as an actor who you can trust in a situation like that.

"We kept pushing Teddy to darker and darker places during the course of the film, and I think it was surprising for both of us at times.

"There were quite a lot of emotional extremes, and it’s hard for those things not to rub off on you."

Sir Ben Kingsley, who appears in the film as one of the titular asylum’s head doctors, was no less delighted to be working with such a cinema institution.

"It was an absolute thrill when he called me at my house," the 66-year-old told the BBC News website. "I couldn’t believe my good fortune."

An unexpected bonus of making the film, though, was the chance to share the passion of one of the movie world’s most dedicated cineastes.

"Marty is a very contagious individual," says the actor. "You share his enthusiasm and benefit from his energy.

"His work is astonishing and comes from a profound love of cinema and an understanding of what it can do.

"He has saved so much of our cinema heritage for us and campaigned for all kinds of work to be re-recognised and re-appreciated."

Shutter Island is out in the UK on 12 March.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

An inaugural list of 50 women to watch in the arts has been chosen by a panel including the BBC’s Jenni Murray and playwright and actor Kwame Kwei-Armah.

The list includes directors, producers and curators who make a contribution to cultural life across the UK.

The Cultural Leadership Programme (CLP) received UK-wide nominations for consideration by the panel.

It said it hoped the women would redress gender balance at senior level in the cultural and creative sectors.

The list includes Moira Buffini, the National Theatre’s writer-in-residence; Seonaid Daly, producer of the Glasgow Film Festival and the Phoenix Dance Theatre’s artistic director Sharon Watson.

The Cultural Leadership Programme was launched in 2006 as a partnership of Arts Council England, Museum Libraries and Archive Partnership and Creative and Cultural Skills.

Its research suggested that male leaders outnumbered female leaders by two and a half to one across the field in 2009.

The women to watch are expected to lead the way in design, libraries, literature, museums, heritage, music, performing and visual arts, the historic environment and creative businesses.

Murray said: "The final 50 women were chosen after a great deal of consideration by the judging panel and represent some of our most ambitious and talented cultural leaders.

"While we are obviously celebrating the achievements of outstanding individuals, it is also important to see these women as a collective force and as representative of women’s potential to reach the top of their game within this, and any other, sector."

The judging panel was headed up by BBC Radio 4’s Murray and also included Dame Liz Forgan, chair of Arts Council England; Jenny Sealey, artistic director of Graeae; Rita Clifton, CEO of Interbrand; Sarah Weir, head of arts and cultural strategy for the Olympic Delivery Authority and multi award-winning choreogrepher Wayne McGregor.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

A US television producer has pleaded guilty to attempting to blackmail US chat show host David Letterman over his sexual affairs.

Robert Halderman was charged after threatening to reveal all unless paid $2m (1.47m euros).

The attempt sparked Mr Letterman to make an on-air confession about his affairs with production staff.

Mr Halderman’s lawyers had initially claimed he was attempting to sell the comedian a thinly veiled screenplay.

Appearing in front of New York State Supreme Court, Mr Halderman reached a plea bargain in which he will serve six months in prison, perform 1,000 hours of community service and give up his right to appeal against his conviction.

Apology

He could have faced up to 15 years in prison had he gone to trial and been convicted.

"In September of 2009, I attempted to extort $2 million from David Letterman by threatening to disclose personal and private information about him, whether true or false," Mr Halderman told the judge.

In a statement to the court, he apologised to both Mr Letterman and his family.

The former producer for CBS’ true crime programme, 48 Hours Mystery, is reported to have obtained the details he used to blackmail Mr Letterman from his ex-girlfriend’s diary entries about her relationship with her boss.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

CADENZA LAB marks the evolution of one of the world’s most respected
electronic music labels. With an impeccable reputation based on releases
from the finest producers on the planet including Reboot, Ricardo Villalobos,
Thomas Melchior, Guy Gerber, Loco Dice and Rhadoo, Cadenza has
consistently been at the forefront of dance music culture.

Now CADENZA LAB gives music fans more of what they want: instant access to incredible new music from CADENZA artists. Designed for DJs and music lovers alike, CADENZA LAB means more new music from Cadenza favourites including Luciano and Mirko Loko, delivered through all major download platforms including Beatport, Juno, and Whatpeopleplay.

Join Cadenza for the official CADENZA LAB launch 27 March 2010 @ Grass at
the Miami WMC featuring: Luciano, Brothers Vibe, Mirko Loko, Gavin Herlihy, Alex Picone and Sety.

Cadenza Lab release schedule :
05.04.2010 - CAL001 - Luciano
19.04.2010 - CAL002 - Francisco Allendes & Marcelo Rosselot
25.05.2010 - CAL003 - Mirko Loko
14.06.2010 - CAL004 - Yakine

Gavin Herlihy promo mix:

http://www.gavinherlihy.com/mixes/Gavin%20Herlihy%20DJ%20set%20at%20LoKee_London_Feb%2028th_2009.mp3

Download link for the Billie Jean (Dennis Price Progressive Remix) - Michael Jackson

http://tiny.cc/billiejeandennisprice

Charming Ghost EP

Great music and news: Unusual Sound presents the label’s debut EP!

deep progressive minimal techno.

Pre-release and direct label music sale: www.myspace.com/unusualsoundmusic

Release Dates: 3/10/10

www.junodownloads.com/labels/unusual+sound\

www.djdownload.com

3/31/10 all other stores

(Trackitdown, iTunes, 7 Digital,Traxsource, Audible, Beatsource, Deutsche-DJ-Playlist, Callarecord, Discotraxx, DJ Tunes,dancetracks, Virgin Mega Store. Audio Jelly, Dancetunes, etc.)

More info:

www.reverbnation.com/djdennisprice

www.reverbnation.com/djslew

www.reverbnation.com/lefrenk

http://fairtilizer.com/user/unusualsound

Sign up to mail list to receive music every month through reverbnation:

http://www.reverbnation.com/label/unusualsound

Music Policy: Commercial House & Club Classics

DJs
PMD
Philth
Move The House

2 of a Kind

Free Guestlist via WWW.ENTICEPARTIES.COM

Special Drinks Offer:

2 for 1 on all Cocktails from 5pm till 9pm

Fri 9^th April
Free Entry b4 9pm
2 for 1 on cocktails from 5pm till 9pm
Door Price: Free b4 9pm £5 after on the Entice Guestlist
Dress code: Sexy and stylish, smart trainers allowed
Over 18’s

CONTACT:

For Group, Birthday or Table bookings call 020 7627 2728
or send guestlist names to 07930 132 108
EMAIL: mail@enticeparties.com
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FACEBOOK GROUP: Entice Parties London
FACEBOOK: Entice Parties London / Paul-Michael Daley

VENUE:

Aquum

68-70 Clapham High Street

SW4 7UL
www.AQUUM.com
Nearest Tube: Clapham Common
Nearest Train: Clapham High Street
Buses: 35, 37, 137, 417

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————————————————————————————————————ENTICE IBIZA TOUR in association with Ibizan Heat

18^TH - 26^TH June 2010

After our amazing week in Ibiza in June ‘09, Entice are proud to present Ibizan Heat 2010 - a week of mayhem on the World’s most popular party Island Ibiza!!

BOOK NOW to get £40 off! Call Nick, our travel agent, on 020 8780 555.

Whats included in the Package

With your ATOL protected flights from Gatwick and free return coach to your spacious 2 bed, self-catering apartment you get an Ibizan Heat wristband which gives you:

FREE ENTRY to FOUR club nights with International DJs playing alongside Entice Residents:

Free Parties
‘CREAM’ @ AMNESIA
‘IBIZAN HEAT’ @ THE ABANDONED ZOO
‘AQUA FIESTA’ @ ES PARADIS
EDEN or PRIVILEGE - one venue to be confirmed

+ ‘WE LOVE SUNDAYS’ @ SPACE (half-price entry and FREE coach)
+ FREE daily pool parties @ KANYA Beach Pool Bar (with exclusive 20% off food and drink)
+ TWO coach trips to BORA BORA beach

The FOUR free club nights are worth £150 alone - not to mention all the above extras!

PRICE:

You can book the full ATOL protected package including flights, accommodation, free coaches, 4 free club nights (worth £150 alone) for the standard price of £389. Don’t forget to mention ‘Entice’ when you book!

With our ATOL Protected & IATA Bonded travel agent @ Vacation Club Ltd.

CALL: Call Nick our travel agent on 020 8780 5551
EMAIL: Send an email with any questions to info@enticeparties.com
WEB: www.enticeparties.com

REMEMBER: Mention ‘Entice’ when booking to ensure you get £40 off in December’s Early Bird offer.

Thursday 1^st April 2010

10pm - 6am | Advance Tickets £18-£23

Tickets available from www.thegreatestshow.co.uk

Motion, 74-78 Avon Street, St. Philips, Bristol BS2 0PX

Arcadia Warehouse (www.arcadiaspectacular.com)

HYBRID, FAR TOO LOUD, TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS (DJ set), BASELINE CIRCUS, STEREO8 / ROAR TERROR / STEVE REDUX

BUGGEDOut! Room (www.buggedoutbristol.net / www.buggedout.net)

VITALIC (selector set), FAKE BLOOD, RETRO / GRADE,

DEEPGROOVE, JULIO BASHMORE

Just Jack Room (www.justjack.org)

TIEFSCHWARZ (Basti), BILL PATRICK, BUCKLEY, JOSH TWEAK

The Blast Room (http://www.myspace.com/theblast_bristol)

RANDALL, TAYO, TRUTH, TOMB CREW, DJ DERRICK, BORO b2b THE BANDIT

Reeling from the success of their sell out New Year’s spectacular, Bugged Out, Arcadia, Just Jack and Bristol’s own Blast are again joining forces, to host The Greatest Show On Earth, taking over a vast site comprised of a skate park, warehouse, terrace, tunnel, car park and nightclub at Motion in Bristol on Easter Bank Holiday on Easter Thursday 1st April. The Greatest Show On Earth promises a unique experience featuring staggeringly flamboyant production from Arcadia, who are responsible for transforming Glastonbury’s Shangri-la, Bestival and Glade, and creating an unforgettable event for the out of season festival revelers.

Arcadia come armed with their full range of pyrotechnics and circus acts, performing phenomenal activities that have become notorious on the major UK festival circuit. The Greatest Show on Earth is set to push boundaries even further, producing a futuristic theatrical world of activity while taking in the sounds of some of the finest electro, techno and bass around. This event sets out to be much more than a regular club night offering not just exceptional music, but a fusion of explosive multi-level stage sets, and an armory of special effects and performances, stimulating the senses visually, physical and mentally. Also on board are the creative souls, The Secret Garden Party, with their Fayre in the car park, as well as Team Love, who have gained their stripes from running the dance lounge at Glastonbury.

The Arcadia Warehouse plays host to the mighty Hybrid AKA Mike Truman, Chris Healings and Lee Mullins, the Swansea-based collective with designs on the future of music. Hybrid bonded over a remix of Pink Floyd’s ‘Another Brick in the Wall’, and they’ve been doing DJ sets and mixing their own music ever since, becoming sought-after remixers, and putting their skills to use for artists as varied as Jazzy Jeff, Carl Cox and Alanis Morissette. Alongside, Far Too Loud, who have gained a significant reputation in dance music for quality, dance floor-destroying production with a signature mix of hard-hitting beats, dirty baselines, detailed production and twisted sound design that has set them apart from the rest. Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs bring their enigmatic and charged sound along with support from StereoO8, Roar Terror and Steve Redux.

Bugged Out are an all night electro/techno party that takes place in Bristol, London, Manchester, Milan, Rome and Barcelona. They create their own contribution to The Greatest Show On Earth in the Skate Park with Vitalic, the disco visionary responsible for shaping the sound of modern-day electronic music, and whose name arouses intense emotion in his countless admirers. Fake Blood brings his meticulously constructed sets - that have popped many an electro-diehard’s blood vessels - to the evening. This skill, coupled with a secret and highly debated identity, have made him one of the most enigmatic acts of recent times. The seminal Retro Grade are Tom Neville and Serge Santiago, recently signed to Deconstruction. They take their inspiration from a period between disco and house - the grey zone where synths were first used with disco and when drum machines were used to keep in time. A bit along the lines of a modern day Italo Disco, their sound, remixes and live sets have been receiving stand-up attention in all the right places. Local boys Deepgroove come armed with 100% party attitude and a keen ear for exactly the right tune to devastate the dance floor, consistently smashing it and pleasing their loyal following. Bugged Out’s final culprit Julio Bashmore, promises to showcase his distinguished mix of house, disco and dubstep.

Taking on the tunnel are Just Jack, an award winning Bristol based club night that play serious music in a not so serious manner, throwing carnival style events that will literally eat your head. Brothers and music lovers, Tiefschwarz headline the Just Jack room. The German duo have evolved over the last ten years, staying ahead of the genre du jour and managing to remain as popular as ever.  In a short time as a DJ, Bill Patrick has become like one of the finest connoisseurs of the underground scene, impressing at every opportunity with his sublime blend of subtle house music and often name checked by fellow luminaries such as Seth Troxler.  Just Jack’s resident, Buckley is widely known for his DJ, production and remix skills as well as for his consistent eight year residency at Leeds institution Back to Basics, one of the longest weekly house nights in the world and holds a subsidiary position at We Love at Space in Ibiza. Finally Josh Tweak lends strong support in the Just Jack room.

Last but by no means least, The Blast, one of Bristol’s most exciting club nights will be filling the cave with bass. Bringing the cutting-edge of global bass talent to Bristol, Blast have been causing massive ruptures on the city’s underground. Basically, if it’s got a big heaving bassline then it’s fit for Blast. Proudly presenting Tayo, one of the driving forces in the nascent breaks scene, he made a name for himself as a remarkably talented DJ, and as A&R for Mob Records, one of the scene’s pioneers. More recently, Tayo has focused on developing a dub infused breaks and dubstep sound to great success. DJ Derrick, whose legendary record collection encompasses his beloved reggae, ska, dancehall and rock steady, and Randall are both on board to further charge up the party atmosphere. Start preparing now as stamina will be tested as The Greatest Show On Earth pulls out all the stops to enhance your Easter weekend.

RAVE AID - MISSION MALAWI

SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO

& T B/R Residents:

Luca C | Ben Rymer | Matt Walsh | Ben Westbeech

Thursday 15^th April 9pm - 6am | £10 all night.

T BAR, 18 - 22 Houndsditch, Aldgate, London EC3A 7LP

www.tbarlondon.com | Info@tbarlondon.com | 02032061091

www.missionmalawi.co.uk / www.myactionaid.org.uk/jaimeritchie

T Bar’s very own managing director and co-founder Jaime Ritchie is creating clubbing with a conscience, as she presents ‘Rave Aid’, an evening set to raise funds for the ‘Mission Malawi’ charity. This May Jaime will be taking part in Mission Malawi 4 - a two-week cycle ride across Malawi for the biannual charity challenge, that raises money for HIV/Aids projects run by Action Aid in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. For this very special occasion T Bar welcome come very special guests, Simian Mobile Disco, plus the group force of the T Bar residents providing support on the night.

Simian Mobile Disco are James Ford and James ‘Jas’ Shaw. Their trademark techno sets need little introduction or fanfare. 2010 sees them continue to dj and play live worldwide promoting a series of releases on their new Delicacies imprint and their curated events under the Delicatessen moniker. They first formed Simian Mobile Disco as a DJ partnership, playing around Manchester.  Their outstanding DJing got them some much-deserved attention and then led to remixes for bands such as Air, and eventually Simian Mobile Disco began their own original production work. Soon the Mobile Disco name took on a life of its own.  The pair have played with groups like LCD Soundsystem, Tiefschwarz and Soulwax as well as also remixing for the The Kills, Ladytron and The Departure.

As a DJ Luca C has been playing extensively for the past 3 years, bringing his blend of disco, cosmic, modern disco and house influenced sounds as far as Japan, Russia and the U.S headlining shows and supporting artists such as Theo Parrish and Frankie Knuckles amongst others. Luca’s love for writing and producing music has led him to recently be involved in co writing Ali Love’s new album on Back Yard records, out later this year. Ben Rymer was one third of legendary Sheffield electro-pop pioneers Fat Truckers, who’s groundbreaking debut album released on Gigolo Records, was one of the most influential releases of the new millennium. Later Ben joined forces with Henry Riton to form Gucci Soundsystem, his new release on DFA is causing a fresh storm on the underground neue disco circuit.  Matt Walsh has resided with Turbo Recordings after being seen by Tiga at T-Bar. His residencies at Bugged Out! and T Bar have allowed him to tour the world with his trademark sound of electronic house and techno through to new wave, acid house and disco. Ben Westbeech’s debut cut from his album, ‘So Good Today’, was immediately picked up by Gilles Peterson, who made it the inaugural single for his brand new Brownswood label, and subsequently rinsed it on his Worldwide show. Before its official release the record was voted fifth best single at the 2005 Worldwide Awards, and it has gone on to become one of the slinkiest dancefloor anthems.

All proceeds from this night will go directly to Mission Malawi 4 in support of ActionAid.  For more information please visit http://www.missionmalawi.co.uk/ or  http://www.myactionaid.org.uk/jaimeritchie

DOP (Live), Will Saul (Simple),

Matt Tolfrey (Leftroom), Geddes (murmur)

Room 2 - Resident Advisor

Levon Vincent, Floating Points, Cottam

Room 3 - Tayo Presents Lean Left

Heidi (Get Physical), Tayo (house set), Frank Tope (Wild Geese),

Joe Ransom (sticks & stones), Antony Hill (FACT)

**Secret Location** 10pm - 7am

Tickets available from www.residentadvisor.net/mulletover / Phonica Records

£8 Early Birds - Sold Out | £10 - £15 in advance | £20 On the Door

mulletover are inviting all friends and family to celebrate their 6^th Birthday with them over the April Bank Holiday - don’t they grow up fast. For this momentous occasion they are treating us to 3 Rooms of underground house, techno, dub and disco with a few birthday surprises and a birthday present for the first 600 people who purchase a ticket. To make things that bit extra special, mulletover have set a theme of ’silver’. So whether you come donned as a disco ball or head to toe in tin foil, we welcome one and all in, sporting some silver bling.

The eccentric and slightly crazy dOP play live and headline mulletover’s own room. The French trio have re-energized house music over the past few years, almost reveling in bringing new sounds to their productions, taking cues from their past work in jazz, reggae, hip-hop and rock & roll bands, they’ll be giving a full demonstration of their uncanny ability to make experimental music danceable. Producer and DJ behind Simple & Aus Records Will Saul, will be treating us to his distinctive sound of deep, futuristic house, techno and disco with flashes of soul and irresistible melodies that hark back to early days of Detroit.  Matt Tolfrey is a workaholic when it comes to his music production, with a seemingly tireless dedication to forging his own unique style. Joining mulletover for the second time, he will be drawing on his own hybrid strain of electronic funk alongside his good friend mulletover’s own indispensable creative force, Geddes, who completes room 1 with his distinctly deep and appealing signature sound.

The Resident Advisor crew step forward for one of their rare, unique and pioneering London showcases in the second room. RA are hands down the global leader for all things underground and electronic music, a place to turn to for heads and novices alike. They will be bringing gifts in the way of Levon Vincent, who is an honorary member of the tri-state’s Underground Quality crew headed by label owner Jus Ed, and an unmissable and immeasurably talented performer. Hailing from the talented family of CDR Sessions in London, Floating Points has been one of the most promising producers to watch out for this year with his various re-edits online have been spinned by the likes of BBC 1Xtra’s Benji B, Radio 1’s Gilles Peterson and Domu, this will be one of his biggest London dates of the year. Cottam has been hands down the biggest selling artist / label in Rubadub and other independent record stores in 2009. His unique brand of low slung house, disco, hip hop and techno is hard to beat with a DJ style compared to the unusual meeting of Surgeon and Theo Parrish.

Tayo presents the third room with Lean Left. The last few years have seen the boundaries blur to the extent categories no longer exist. LEAN LEFT will concentrate on all that the 4/4 groove can offer with Tayo himself will be playing a very specially crafted house set. Get Physical’s Heidi is the second addition to the Tayo room. Heidi is fast conquering the dance music world and her impeccable tune selection has landed her a monthly slot on the BBC’s ‘In New DJ’s We Trust’ show on Radio 1. Frank Tope, who has been turning heads as part of production duo Wild Geese joins Joe Ransom, winning hearts with his heads down shoulder shuffling house music under the name STICKS & STONES. Finally the eclectic wonderment of Anthony Hill from the website and style leader FACT magazine. Good ears, great music taste, and a DJ as tight as a mouse’s ear.

Showtek has been crowned ‘BEST EUROPEAN DJ’ and ‘BEST EUROPEAN PRODUCER’, as well as their globally acclaimed recent album ‘Analogue Players in a Digital World’ being voted ‘BEST ARTIST ALBUM’. Showtek’s infamous track, ‘World is Mine’ was titled ‘BEST TRACK’, this being a record breaking third consecutive year they have won this award. To round all of this off nicely, ‘Goodgreef Xtra Hard’ won ‘BEST COMPILATION’, of which one CD was mixed by none other than Showtek.

The Eindhoven based act, consisting of brothers, Wouter and Sjoerd Janssen has stunned audiences all over the world with a combination of jaw dropping DJ performances, a very unique sound and superb production, churning out massive hit after hit - a big highlight being their remix of Ferry Corsten’s trance classic, ‘Out Of The Blue’, showcasing their versatility and diversity - a winning formula that has led to world domination in the hard dance scene.

Currently on a world tour that has so far taken Showtek to all corners of the globe, including Asia, Canada, USA, Europe and Australia, the brothers commented; “It’s absolutely amazing to win four Hard Dance Awards and be part of a fifth. We have worked really hard in the studio to compile our latest album and to receive such recognition is fantastic, especially as these awards are voted for by the clubbers - the people that really count.”

To show their appreciation to the voters, Showtek are giving away their brand new track ‘Expansion’ - downloadable now from www.trackitdown.net
Showtek has also launched a competition to win a trip with them to Coloursfest in Scotland on June 5th.
For details on how to win and for more information on the ‘World Number One Hard Dance Act’ please visit www.showtek.nl

@ Askham Bryan College

York

24/04/10

8pm - 4am

£10

@ nocturnal

sheffield

Saturday 13th March

Kate lawler

Riley & Durrant

Lee Brinx

Polekatz

£6 - Before 1am

£7 - After 1am

£5 - NUS all night

11pm – 8am

Following on from last months massive EP with Prok & Fitch, we are pleased to welcome back the legend that is Kate Lawler! Kate not only rammed Nocturnal out, but also absolutely smashed the club to pieces back in November and we cant wait for her to do the same on 13th March!!! This time, she brings her “Techno Prisoners” brand along with her resident Lee Brinx for a very special “Vs” party. Flying the flag for Electrik Playground will be Galaxy FMs Riley & Durrant backed up by Sankeys residents Polekatz.

For those who don’t know the name James Dutton how would you introduce yourself and your music style?

Im a 21 year old, Chester born, Leeds based DJ and Producer and i play a range of underground House and Techno.

How and where did it all begin? and what was the main turning point for you?

I have always loved music even when i was really young, i played the Piano and Cornet in school and then as i grew older i developed an interest in dance music and DJing. One of the main turning points for me was probably meeting Cream resident Anthony Probyn one day at my local record shop, he basically took me under his wing and i followed him to all his gigs and learnt a lot about the industry that way, He also took me to Cream @ Nation in Liverpool for the first time and it completely blew me away!

As you were a bit of a dab hand on the piano and cornet in your youth do you think that experience and love for music benefited you to become the artist you are today?

Definitely! I think listening and creating music at such a young age helped me develop my passion for music and performing, even though playing the cornet in primary school is completely the other end of the scale from what im doing now but i think i have definitely benefitted from it.

Do you have any advice for any budding DJ’s and Producers who want to get into the industry?

It seems strange for me to give advice to people as i still have a lot to learn myself, but i think finding your own style is extremely important, don’t conform to what is ‘cool’ at the moment people will take more notice if your doing something a bit different.

Now 2009 was a massive year for you, what has been the highlights for you?

Yeh it was a bit of a crazy year really, there where many surreal moments where i had to pinch myself, but the main highlights have to be warming up for Sasha and Digweed, i have been a great admirer of the two for many years so to warm up for them was something i will never forget, also playing the Terrace and Main room @ Amnesia is also an experience which is hard to beat.

What have you been up to so far this year and what are your plans for the rest of it?

Iv just come back from a month in Dubai and Australia which was fantastic and i am now back in leeds continuing my work experience year for Galaxy Radio and The Electrik Playground, I have also been spending a lot of time in the studio with numerous projects and gigging quite a lot with my residencies at the Mint Club in Leeds, Uberlube and Una Mas in Chester which are all going really well. For the summer, i am back out to Ibiza for my third season which i’m really looking forward too, then at the end of the year i begin my final year at University which is going to be a bit of a shock to the system!

We have heard a lot about Uberlube it seems to be getting a good following can you tell us more about it?

It was something that my friend Sean Dougherty started up 3 years ago as a trade night in Chester playing House and Techno which was pretty un-heard of at the time in such a small city but a following grew and grew and we now run events on the last Saturday of every month at D’Meltin Pot in Chester, its a wicked party, very intimate with a crazy crowd, we have got guests like Kos, Tom Budden and Reset Robot coming up which is pretty exciting as we would never of dreamt to bring names like that to Chester 3 years ago.

Let’s talk about the production side for a second, what software/hardware are you using in the studio?

Im pretty much all software based at the moment, i use mainly Logic with various plug-ins as well as elements of Ableton and Reason for playing with loops and developing ideas.

Which piece of equipment could you not live without?

Definitely my Macbook Pro, id be lost without it.

We saw you out in Ibiza a few years ago and noticed you had made your own midi controller…it was getting a lot of recognition out there talk us through what you built and how it works…

Well, without getting too geeky it was basically a university project where i had built my own Ableton type patch in Max Msp and this controller was built to work with it, i was really pleased with it so tested it out at a few places as a bit of fun, although in hindsight it probably wasn’t a good idea as it was held together with masking tape and the knobs would always fall off! ill never forget Deadmau5 turning round to me and asking ‘What the hell is that thing?’ as i sellotaped it to the mixer, it its now retired in pieces on a shelf in my studio.

I know that you have been spending a lot of time in the studio at the moment what have you been working on? Anything coming out soon?

Yeh I have a release coming out on Rekluse called ‘Muji’ which is part of their Reklusives Vol 1 releases which will be out Mid-March, i also have an E.P with Ryan Thompson which will be coming out on Fergies Excentrik Muzik label which is pretty exciting and im currently working on collaborations with Reset Robot and Tim Weeks as well as a lot original stuff too.

Who are your favorite producers at the moment?

Alot of quality music is coming from the south coast of England at the moment, Producers like Tom Budden, Rich Jones, Jon Gurd and Mouj to name but a few are all putting some great stuff out, but Dave Robertson for me is at the forefront of it all at the moment especially under his Reset Robot alias, 2010 is definitely the year of the Robot!

We have been lucky enough to see you play a few times this year in the UK and in Ibiza and have been very impressed with your set up…I’m sure you must get people asking about it can you tell us a bit about it?

At the moment i am mainly using Ableton with a vast range of effects and Dummy clips run through four channels on an external mixer but im also working with the idea of running Traktor pro run in series with Ableton using a routing system called Jackrouter which is a sort of internal patch bay, i then run the outputs through a patch iv created in Logics Mainstage but im still testing it at the moment before i take it live.

Hardware-wise i use a Allen and Heath Xone 1D, a Korg NanoKontrol and run outputs through a Profire 610 into a Djm800 and Efx1000.

Iv been lucky enough to have a good play with the CDJ2000 and the Rekordbox software recently which is a very exciting piece of kit so i think i will be incorporating them into my set up sometime in the near future.

Who or what have been major influences too you and your style of music?

Iv had so many influences over the past few years, from various DJs and Producers to my friends and family, but Ibiza has to be my biggest influence, Hearing the worlds best DJ’s play pretty much every night for 4 months is pretty special and the whole spirit of the island and the love of music is really inspiring, there is no place like it!

Ok a few questions to get to know a bit more about the real James Dutton!

Favourite venue in the UK?

Tough one, i love the Mint Club in Leeds, its such an intimate venue with amazing light and sound production but for me Nation in Liverpool has so much history and 3 very unique rooms and on its night there isnt many clubs in the world that could beat it.

Favourite venue overseas?

its between Space and Amnesia in Ibiza, there both amazing for very different reasons.

Dj’ing or producing?

DJ’ing

Food you can’t live without?

Sushi

One fact that people probably wont know about you?

Probably that i grew up on a dairy farm.

Thanks for taking the time to talk to us here at TIMC be sure to check out James’s new mix that he’s made for all the TIMC visitors

Download the Mix From Here: http://soundcloud.com/james-dutton

House music has seen many artists come and go over the years. Often dragged down by the transient sub-splinters that rise and fall within its realm. But Germany’s Ian Pooley has been a prevalent force from the word go and with his highly anticipated new compilation, Pooled 25, about to hit the shelves – this is certainly set to continue.

Since coming to the fore in 1993, Ian’s carved out a startling career - spreading the good word house from behind the decks and penning some of the most influential dance music of the last two decades. Over the last 7 years, he’s also been channeling this experience and skill into another arena. In 2003 he decided to set up his own label, quite simply titled - Pooled Music. Predominantly designed as a vehicle for his own productions and remixes, but also as a springboard for those rare exponents of the scene that sing from his very same song sheet.

Fast forward to 2010 and the label has just notched up its 25th release. For Ian you see, it’s all about quality over quantity. And few could argue that the standard kept throughout Pooled Music’s 7-year campaign has been anything but stellar.

Much of this is down to the label’s distinctive sound. Voicing deep, emotive tracks ignited by a solid groove and a dash of funk is Pooled Music’s clear blueprint. That’s not to say the music is simple - far from it in fact – as there is always an abundance of rich texture and sublime instrumentation to be found. But a Pooled Music track is always identifiable as a Pooled Music track, and that is a vital asset in today’s swamped digital age.

Representing this ethos is something that Ian wanted to tackle with this first label compilation and he achieves this with aplomb. The 12 tracks take in a selection of his own productions and remixes as well as sumptuous cuts from some of today’s most revered electronic artists.

From the word go, that trademark analogue bass, inherent in much of Pooled Music’s output, throbs away with satisfying guile. First via the twisted soul of Osunlade’s remix of Kemetic Just’s ‘Thank You’ and then through Pooley’s plump and purposeful dub of Zoo Brazil’s ‘Treat Me’. By the time rising star, The Timewriter, puts his stamp on proceedings, the mix is in full and very fine flow. Pooley then treads techier waters via Viet2’s interpretation of Pooley’s ‘It’s You‘ and delves into more radiant, disco-flecked territory with Phil & Dan’s ‘Brighter’; before finishing with the blissful flutter of his own ‘My Kicks’ revisited by painfully in form production duo – Vincenzo & Lovebirds.

It’s a mix that illustrates perfectly the many personalities of Pooled Music. Shades of Chicago, Detroit and New York are audible throughout; and there’s more than a nod to the modern day European sound championed in cities like Amsterdam, Mannheim and of course Berlin. Classic, timeless, but always innovative – that’s the Pooled manifesto.

Tracklisting

1. Kemetic Just - Thank you (Osunlade Rmx)
2. Zoo Brazil - Treat me (Pooley Dub)
3. Ian Pooley - All nite (Timewriter Rmx)
4. M.V.I.P. - Aviator (Pooley’s Dub)
5. Ian Pooley - Around here
6. Ian Pooley - The Dark White (Juno Mix)
7. Ian Pooley - What i got (Derrick Carter Rmx)
8. Ian Pooley - It’s you (Viet2 Rmx) previously unreleased
9. Phil&Dan - Brighter
10. Ian Pooley - Searchin’ (Pooley Dub)
11. Ian Pooley - Heat (Magik Johnson’s in da House Rmx)
12. Ian Pooley - My Kicks (Vincenzo&Lovebirds Rmx)

Tour Dates

March 6th - Waterford, Ireland @ Basement Bar (re:publik)
March 26th: Kaunas, Lithuania @ Pop Star Bar
April 17th: Krefeld, Germany @ Katakomben (1live radio gig)
May 1st: St Gallen, Switzerland @ Trischli Club
May 8th: Erfurt, Germany @ Cosmopolar
July 10th: Berlin @ WMF

Boyzone’s Mickey Graham has become the latest celebrity to be voted off ITV1’s Dancing on Ice.

The Irish singer found himself in the skate-off after his performance to bandmate Ronan Keating’s When You Say Nothing At All.

But former EastEnders actress Danniella Westbrook was saved in a close judges’ decision, with three votes to two.

Graham said: "There comes a time when it’s time to leave. It’s been the most amazing journey - such an adventure."

The star, who scored the lowest marks with the judges, said he had found it hard fitting in rehearsal time around promoting his band’s new single.

Judge Nicky Slater said Graham could "skate better" while Jason Gardiner said he expected more this far into the competition.

"It was an alright performance - there’s a lot of time where you are looking down at the ice. We’re at week nine. Come on, you’ve got to lift and project out," Gardiner said.

Former Emmerdale actress Hayley Tamaddon and partner Daniel Whiston scored a perfect 30 out of 30 for their skate to Jai Ho from Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire.

After a standing ovation from the panel, head judge Robin Cousins said: "You took it to another level tonight that I didn’t think you were ready for yet and it was absolutely on the money."

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Women are outnumbered two to one on British television, a study commissioned by Channel 4 has found.

More than three-quarters of contributors to news programmes were men, a study of 386 hours of TV over three weeks on six main channels found.

Women did occupy half the roles in soaps, reports the study to mark International Women’s Day.

Sky News is having all its programmes presented and produced by women for the day.

Researcher Dr Guy Cumberbatch claims the study is the most comprehensive analysis ever of people appearing on television screens.

"Accusations of sexism and ageism on TV are not new," says BBC media correspondent Torin Douglas.

"But this research gives broadcasters figures to measure themselves against."

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

By Laetitia Wajnapel
Fashion writer

All eyes turned to Hollywood for the Academy Awards on Sunday night.

As well as finding out who would win the coveted statuettes, it was just as important for some to know which fashion trends were adopted by tinsel town’s royalty this year.

The Oscars are the ultimate red carpet fashion show, with outfits ranging from chic to shabby.

One of the main trends this year - as seen on the runway for spring/summer 2010 - were pastel shades, mostly in blues and greys.

Rachel McAdams and Anna Kendrick, who was nominated for best supporting actress, both made this trend their own in Elie Saab.

Kendrick played it safe in a floor-length blush number, while McAdams was slightly more daring in a floral print strapless dress with draped bodice.

Michelle Lee looked stunning in her Grecian inspired Naeem Khan frock, as did Kate Winslet in Yves Saint Laurent.

With pastel colours leading the way, a general air of softness and femininity seemed to sweep the red carpet, with ruffles, frills and glowing faces galore.

Among the very best dressed was Zoe Saldana in a fresh and fashion conscious purple Givenchy haute couture gown with matching shoes and bag - perhaps unsurprising for a fashion week front row regular.

Sequin overload

Up In The Air actress Vera Farmiga, who was up for a best supporting actress statuette, channelled her inner little girl in a red fan-pleated Marchesa strapless dress and Fred Leighton jewellery.

The Oscars would not be complete without an overload of sequins and embellishments and this year did not disappoint.

Sandra Bullock, who won the best actress Oscar for The Blind Side, was stunning in a champagne-coloured Marchesa gown which made her look like the statuette she took home.

Cameron Diaz went for a gold paillette explosion in Oscar de la Renta, while Carey Mulligan made a bolder choice with her embellished black strapless Prada dress and Fred Leighton jewellery.

In pictures: Oscar fashion

Along with Saldana and Bullock, Maggie Gyllenhaal in hand-painted Dries Van Noten and Meryl Streep in a perfect white Chris March dress, were the most elegant ladies in the room.

Gyllenhaal may have gone home empty-handed, but deserved to win the prize for most fashion forward outfit. Flame-haired 1980s teen dream Molly Ringwald drew attention in her purple draped dress that complemented her colouring to perfection.

The main fashion faux-pas came courtesy of Melanie Griffith in black sequined Versace as well as Diane Kruger and Sarah Jessica Parker who failed to impress in Chanel.

Nicole Richie in Reem Acra looked like a sardine in a can, while Jennifer Lopez and Amanda Seyfried, both in Armani Prive, appeared to have wrapped themselves in shiny quilted blankets before taking the stage.

As usual when it comes to fashion at the Academy Awards, the focus was very much on women, but some men wanted a piece of the action and tried hard to stand out from the tuxedo-clad crowd.

Daringly different

We can often count on Mickey Rourke to play that part, but this year it was a (bow) tie between Robert Downey Jr - wearing a Lanvin suit, trainers, tinted glasses and a bow-tie that may or may not have come directly from 1976 - and Nick Park wearing home-made plasticine neck wear.

A special mention went to Burberry for dressing the entire male cast of the Hurt Locker, plus Jake Gyllenhaal, Gerard Butler and Woody Harrelson.

Style-wise, this year’s Oscars were predictable. Strapless, floor-length gowns dominated with only a few daring to be different.

Perhaps when stylists no longer rule the red carpet we will see a little more individuality and personality shining through.

Laetitia Wajnapel is the editor of fashion and lifestyle blog MademoiselleRobot.com

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Stars have begun arriving at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles for the 82nd Academy Awards.

Mo’Nique, who is nominated for the best supporting actress award for her role in Precious, was among the first to arrive on the red carpet.

The Hurt Locker and Avatar will be going head-to-head for the coveted best picture Oscar later.

Jeff Bridges is tipped to take best actor for Crazy Heart, while Sandra Bullock is favourite for best actress.

James Cameron’s 3D sci-fi juggernaut Avatar, which has taken more than $2bn (£1.32bn) at the box office, had looked like a favourite in early 2010.

But the Iraq bomb disposal drama The Hurt Locker by Kathryn Bigelow is tipped to take the prize.

Voting system

But with 10 films in the running for best picture and a change in the voting system, the way is still open for a major Oscar upset.

Quentin Tarantino’s eight times nominated World War II fantasy Inglourious Basterds could benefit from a split vote.

Cameron and Bigelow, who were once married, also go against each other in the best director category with Bigelow heavily tipped to win.

Industry paper The Hollywood Reporter on Friday predicted wins for Bigelow for both best picture and director.

If Bigelow is named best director she would be first female to win - only four women have ever been nominated.

Bridges, 60, has swept the awards season this year, winning Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards for his portrayal of an alcoholic country singer.

‘In the bag’

British hopes in the acting categories include Colin Firth, Dame Helen Mirren and Carey Mulligan.

But Bullock is expected to win best actress for American football drama The Blind Side.

But she has close competition from Meryl Streep, whose role in Julie and Julia has earned her a record 16th Oscar nomination.

The best supporting actor and actress awards seem to be already in the bag for Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds) and Mo’Nique.

All of which leaves stop motion animation heroes Wallace and Gromit as one of Britain’s best hopes of taking home an Oscar.

Nick Park, nominated in the short animated film category for A Matter Of Loaf And Death, is in line to win his fifth golden statuette.

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Sound of 2010 winner Ellie Goulding has gone straight to the top of the album chart with her debut release Lights.

Singer-songwriter Goulding, 23, who also won the Critics’ Choice Award at the Brits, knocked Lady Gaga’s The Fame from the top spot into second position.

In the singles chart, London MC Tinie Tempah went straight to number one with his debut single Pass Out.

Last week’s number one, Jason Derulo’s In My Head, dropped to three. Rihanna’s Rude Boy moved up one place to two.

Elsewhere in the singles chart, the next highest new entry was Never Be Your Woman by Naughty Boy presents Wiley featuring Emeli, which went straight in at number eight.

The cast of the television show Glee were down two places to 20 with their cover of Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’, with the original version at number 27.

In the album chart, Alicia Keys stayed at number three with The Element of Freedom.

The cast of Glee took the fourth position and Florence and the Machine’s Lungs was in fifth place.

American R&B singer Derulo’s self-titled debut release was a new entry at number eight. Doctor Who and Torchwood star John Barrowman’s first album went straight in at number 11.

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Rock singer Mark Linkous, frontman with US band Sparklehorse, has killed himself, according to a statement from his family to Rolling Stone magazine.

"It is with great sadness that we share the news that our dear friend and family member Mark Linkous took his own life today," the family said.

His four acclaimed Sparklehorse albums led him to be regarded by many as a hero of the US alternative rock scene.

His work included collaborations with Tom Waits, PJ Harvey and Danger Mouse.

His family said in the statement: "We are thankful for his time with us and will hold him forever in our hearts. May his journey be peaceful, happy and free. There’s a heaven and there’s a star for you."

Virginia-born singer-songwriter Linkous - thought to be in his 40s - released the first Sparklehorse album Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot in 1995.

The following year, he "died" for two minutes after ingesting a dangerous mix of Valium and antidepressants while supporting Radiohead on tour in the UK.

He recovered, but the incident almost left him paralysed - after lying unconscious for 14 hours, with circulation to his legs cut off.

He suffered a heart attack when doctors tried to straighten the limbs, and he had surgery seven times to save his legs.

But despite that ordeal, he went on to record 1999’s Good Morning Spider, 2001’s It’s A Wonderful Life and 2006’s Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain.

Linkous was working on a new Sparklehorse album, which was due to be released by the Anti- record label.

In 2009, Linkous’s multimedia collaboration album with producer Danger Mouse - real name Brian Burton - and the director David Lynch, entitled Dark Night Of The Soul, was made available online ahead of its official release this summer.

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The campaigner, who led the Western relief effort in the 80s, said there was "not a shred of evidence" Band Aid or Live Aid money was siphoned off.

The report included claims 95% of the $100m (£66m) sent to the province of Tigray was used by rebels to buy arms.

The BBC World Service has said it stands by its report.

Mr Geldof told BBC One’s Andrew Marr show he would personally sue the Ethiopian government and spend the money on aid if any evidence was produced.

‘Credible voices’

He said: "Produce me one shred of evidence and I promise you I will professionally investigate it, I will professionally report it, and if there is any money missing I will sue the Ethiopian government for that money back and I will spend it on aid.

"There is not a single shred of evidence that Band Aid or Live Aid money was diverted in any sense, it could not have been."

The World Service report featured interviews with two former members of a rebel group who made the allegations dating from the mid-80s.

They told the BBC they posed as merchants in meetings with charity workers to get aid money which they used to fund attempts to overthrow the government.

One rebel leader estimated that $95m (£63m) from Western governments and charities, including Band Aid, was diverted.

The CIA also alleged aid money was being misused.

A 1985 report from the crime agency concluded: "Some funds that insurgent organisations are raising for relief operations, as a result of increased world publicity, are almost certainly being diverted for military purposes."

Mr Geldof, who was speaking to the BBC from Nairobi, also said one of the sources quoted in the report was a "dissident political exile" who was "not credible".

The anti-poverty campaigner and the Band Aid Trust are reportedly taking their complaint to the broadcasting regulator Ofcom.

"There is a clear public interest in determining whether some money given as famine relief ended up buying guns and bullets"

Andrew Whitehead, BBC World Service

BBC response to criticism

They and a number of other agencies, including Oxfam, the Red Cross, Christian Aid and Save The Children, are also writing to chairman of the BBC Trust, Sir Michael Lyons.

John Kennedy, a co-founder of the Band Aid Trust, said: "The trust is writing to the BBC and Ofcom to complain about the broadcast."

A Christian Aid spokeswoman confirmed it was planning to support the complaint.

Mr Whitehead, the news and current affairs editor at the World Service, said the BBC "stands by" its report.

Writing in the Editors blog on the BBC website, he stated: "It presents evidence, compelling evidence, that some of the famine relief donations were diverted by a powerful rebel group to buy weapons."

Mr Whitehead defended the journalist who made the documentary - the World Service’s Africa editor Martin Plaut.

He wrote: "He has a particular expertise in the Horn of Africa, and indeed reported from there on the famine back in the 1980s. He has spent almost a year gathering material and doing research for this documentary - and the BBC stands by his journalism."

Mr Whitehead admitted the two former rebels quoted were "at odds" with their old leader, who is now prime minister of Ethiopia, but added: "They are credible voices".

He also said their claims were backed by a former US diplomat.

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Acclaimed tenor, Philip Langridge, has died at the age of 70 after suffering from cancer.

Langridge, considered to be one of the leading talents in English opera and oratorio, died on Friday.

Langridge studied at the Royal Academy of Music and appeared on all the world’s great operatic stages.

He was known for his versatility and command of a wide variety of styles and was made a CBE in 1994 for his services to music.

London’s Royal Opera House (ROH), where Langridge had performed many times since 1983, issued a statement saying all there were "very sad at this news".

"Philip was such a generous friend to all of us at the Royal Opera House, and on a personal level that friendship went back many years," said Elaine Padmore, director of Opera at the ROH.

She paid tribute to "his intelligence, his humour, his wonderful voice and superb musicianship, his compelling presence on stage, [and] the many roles he made his own".

Langridge made his debut at the ROH in a double bill singing the role of The Fisherman in Stravinsky’s Le Rossignol and Teapot in Ravel’s L’Enfant et les sortilèges.

His roles for The Royal Opera included the title role in Idomeneo in 1989, Jupiter (Semele) in 1996 and more recently Don Basilio in David McVicar’s production of Le nozze di Figaro in 2006.

He returned to the Wagnerian role of Loge in Das Rheingold on a number of occasions for the ROH, first performing the role in 1996.

Grammy awards

Langridge was born in Hawkhurst, Kent in 1939. He started his career as an orchestral violinist before making his professional operatic debut at Glyndebourne in 1964.

He made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 1985 as Ferrando (Cosi fan tutte) and at Salzburg in the role of Aron in Schoenberg’s Moses und Aron in 1987.

He first performed as Loge (Das Rheingold) with the Metropolitan Opera, New York in 1993 and the following year he appeared in a new production of Oedipus Rex in Japan which won the Classical Music Award for Best Opera Production.

Langridge’s interpretations for major Britten roles were highly regarded. He sang the title role of Peter Grimes all over the world including at the ROH, English National Opera, the Metropolitan Opera and La Scala.

He was a dedicated and enthusiastic performer of contemporary British music and premiered several works by British composers including Birtwistle’s The Mask of Orpheus, (ENO).

Langridge was also a champion of many important 20th-Century roles including Mark in Tippett’s The Midsummer Marriage.

Langridge’s command of a wide variety of styles is reflected in his extensive discography, ranging from the early classical to the present day, and which earned him numerous awards including two Grammys.

His last performances on stage were with The Metropolitan Opera, New York in December 2009 and January 2010 where he reprised the role of The Witch in Richard Jones’ production of Hänsel und Gretel.

Langridge leaves his wife Ann Murray, herself a mezzo-soprano, and their son Jonathan.

Langridge also had three children from a previous marriage, one of whom is the opera director, Stephen Langridge.

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Actor Michael J Fox is to be honoured by Sweden’s Karolinska Institute for his work in raising funds and awareness for Parkinson’s Disease.

Fox will be given an honorary degree of medicine by the institute, which awards the annual Nobel Prize in this discipline.

Fox will receive the doctorate in a ceremony in New York on Friday.

Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991. He has since raised millions of dollars for research into the disease.

The actor, most famous for his roles in the Back to the Future movies, set up the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

Since 2000, the foundation has succeeded in giving more than $175m (£116m) to research aimed at developing drugs to combat Parkinson’s.

Despite his illness, the actor has kept on working. He continued in the hit US TV comedy series Spin City until 2001.

He has since had roles in other successful US TV series Boston Legal and Rescue Me as well as lending his voice to characters in animation movies, including Stuart Little.

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By Tim Masters
Entertainment correspondent, BBC News
Los Angeles

Sandra Bullock turned up at the Golden Raspberry Awards on Saturday to pick up the worst actress prize just one day before she is expected to win an Oscar.

Bullock, who won the Razzie for the comedy All About Steve, arrived with a trailer filled with DVDs of the film to give to the audience.

"Something tells me you all didn’t watch the film because I wouldn’t be here if you really, really watched it and understood what I was trying to say," she said.

Bullock is hotly tipped to be named best actress for her role in American football drama The Blind Side at the Academy Awards on Sunday.

Panning

The Razzie awards are held in Los Angeles just ahead of the Oscars to celebrate the direst films of the year. The last big star to turn up and claim her award was Halle Berry in 2005.

Bullock received a standing ovation when she arrived on the Razzies stage with the DVDs.

"Everyone gets a copy and this is the deal I’m going to make," she told the cheering crowd.

"I will show up next year if you promise to watch the movie and really consider if it was truly the worst performance. If you’re willing to watch, I’ll come back next year and give back the Razzie."

In All About Steve, Bullock plays Mary Horowitz, a socially awkward crossword compiler who turns stalker when she meets a local TV cameraman.

During the film she joins a group of protesters, gets hit by a tornado and falls down a mine shaft where she meets a deaf girl at the bottom - all while wearing a pair of shiny red boots.

Bullock also co-produced the film, which made a profit at the box office. Critics, however, gave it a panning.

In other prizes at the Razzies, the worst picture of 2009 was won by Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, while John Travolta’s film Battlefield Earth was named worst picture of the decade.

The Jonas Brothers were named worst actors for their 3D concert movie, while Bullock and Bradley Cooper won worst screen couple - also for All About Steve.

The Razzies were set up by copywriter and publicist John Wilson as the antithesis to the Oscars, and are voted for by members of the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation, which is open to anyone.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

By Tim Masters
Entertainment correspondent, BBC News, in Los Angeles

The final countdown to the 2010 Oscars has begun, with The Hurt Locker and Avatar going head-to-head for the coveted best picture award.

James Cameron’s 3D sci-fi juggernaut, which has taken more than $2bn (£1.32bn) at the box office, had looked like a clear favourite in the early part of the year.

But his ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow’s Iraq bomb disposal drama is now being tipped in Tinseltown to take the prize.

If it wins, it will be the lowest-grossing best picture winner in Oscars history with earnings of around $15m (£9.9m).

Both films lead the way at the 82nd Academy Awards with nine nominations each.

But with 10 films in the running for best picture and a change in the voting system, the way is still open for a major Oscar upset.

Quentin Tarantino’s eight times nominated World War II fantasy Inglourious Basterds could benefit from a split vote.

British hopes

Cameron and Bigelow also go against each other in the best director category with Bigelow heavily tipped to win.

Industry paper The Hollywood Reporter on Friday predicted wins for Bigelow for both best picture and director.

If Bigelow is named best director she would be first female to win - only four women have ever been nominated.

Jeff Bridges is widely expected to take best actor for Crazy Heart.

The 60-year-old has swept the awards season this year, winning Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards for his portrayal of an alcoholic country singer.

British hopes in the acting categories include Colin Firth, Dame Helen Mirren and Carey Mulligan.

Firth, up against Bridges for his Bafta-winning performance in A Single Man told the BBC he did not expect to be making an Oscar speech.

"I’m not sure I’ll get the chance. I think I might have peaked," he admitted at the Independent Spirit Awards on Friday.

Likewise, Sandra Bullock is expected to win best actress for American football drama The Blind Side.

But she has close competition from Meryl Streep, whose role in Julie and Julia has earned her a record 16th Oscar nomination.

She is also up against Carey Mulligan, whose Bafta win for An Education raised her profile in the final few days of voting.

‘Christmas for movies’

Meanwhile Dame Helen Mirren, nominated for The Last Station, told the BBC she was not too nervous ahead of the big night.

"The first time is so frightening and intimidating, but once you’ve done it once you know the nature of the beast," she said. "But they do it incredibly well here in America. It is the great celebration of film - it’s like Christmas for movies."

The best supporting actor and actress awards seem to be already in the bag for Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds) and Mo’Nique (Precious).

All of which leaves stop motion animation heroes Wallace and Gromit as one of Britain’s best hopes of taking home an Oscar.

Nick Park, nominated in the short animated film category for A Matter Of Loaf And Death, is in line to win his fifth golden statuette.

He said: "What’s really difficult is I’ve read that Wallace and Gomit is favourite but you can’t afford in yourself to get too confident, and you’ve got to imagine things not working out so you enjoy the evening.

"But obviously with four already, I won’t be that disappointed."

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US singer Stevie Wonder has collected one of France’s top cultural honours in Paris, 30 years after he was first named to receive it.

The 59-year-old Motown star was made a Commander of the Arts and Letters by French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand.

Mr Mitterrand praised the singer as "music’s familiar genius".

Wonder was named a Commander in 1981, but officials said scheduling conflicts had delayed his formal decoration.

"I receive this honour in memory of my mother and in memory of all of those that have made it possible for me to stand here today," Wonder said.

The singer was also in Paris to perform and collect a lifetime achievement prize at France’s biggest musical awards show on Saturday.

"All this in one day, it’s almost too much for me. I’m breathless," he added.

Mr Mitterrand told Wonder: "As citizen, administrator and culture minister I just called to say we love you."

Previous recipients of the honour include actors Roger Moore and Dennis Hopper and punk singer Patti Smith.

The Order of Arts and Letters was established in the 1950s to recognise those who have contributed significantly to the arts in France and throughout the world.

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Classic 1980s comedy series Police Academy is set to return to the big screen according to reports.

New Line cinema is rebooting the franchise with original producer Paul Maslansky returning, The Hollywood Reporter said.

No writer or director has attached their name to the new version as yet.

The original film, which starred Steve Guttenberg, was released in 1984 and spawned six more movies and a TV show grossing $240m (£158m) worldwide.

‘New talent’

"It’s going to be very worthwhile to the people who remember it and to those who saw it on TV," Maslansky said.

"It’s going to be a new class. We hope to discover new talent and season it with great comedians.

"It’ll be anything but another movie with a numeral next to it. And we’ll most probably retain the wonderful musical theme."

The first Police Academy film featured Steve Guttenberg as Carey Mahoney, a repeat offender forced to enter the academy.

Sex in the City actress Kim Cattrall also starred as one of the recruits in the movie which introduced characters including gentle giant Moses Hightower, gun-crazy Tackleberry, mousy Hooks and human sound effects machine Larvell Jones.

The series ended with in 1994 with the seventh film, Mission to Moscow.

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Brit award winner Dizzee Rascal has signed a deal for his autobiography which promises to "lift the lid" on his troubled background.

The 24-year-old Londoner will co-write The Dizzee Rascal Story with music journalist Ben Thompson.

The deal is a joint venture between Canongate Books and the publishing arm of the rapper’s independent record label Dirtee Stank Recordings.

It is due to be published as an illustrated hardback in October 2010.

Dizzee grew up on a council estate in Bow, east London and was excluded from four schools in as many years.

A spokeswoman for Canongate said the book would tell the tale of his upbringing and of the time he was stabbed in Cyprus.

"The Dizzee Rascal Story will provide a much more intimate insight into the real story behind the charismatic young artist," she said.

The rapper topped the UK singles chart twice in 2009 with hits Bonkers and Holiday.

He won the Brit Award for best British male last month.

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The harrowing drama Precious has swept to victory at the Independent Spirit Awards, taking five prizes including best feature.

Its stars Gabourey Sidibe and Mo’Nique took the best female lead and best supporting female lead.

The awards, which celebrate independent film, took place in Los Angeles two days before the Oscars.

Many Oscar nominees attended, including British actors Colin Firth, Helen Mirren and Carey Mulligan.

Mulligan’s An Education won best foreign film while Jeff Bridges was named best actor. Woody Harrelson scooped best supporting actor for his role in the war-on-terror drama The Messenger.

The awards ceremony, celebrating its 25th anniversary, had moved from its Santa Monica beach location to a tented car park in central Los Angeles. The event was hosted by Eddie Izzard.

‘We’ve won already’

Other winners included Crazy Heart for best first feature and Anvil! The Story of Anvil for best documentary. The heavy metal band Anvil played twice during the ceremony.

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Bridges, who is front runner to win the best actor Oscar, also performed one of the songs from Crazy Heart.

The 60-year-old Hollywood veteran, who has never won an Oscar, said that he was "not counting any chickens".

Mo’Nique, who is hotly tipped to win the best supporting actress Oscar, said: "Have I prepared a speech for Sunday No. No. Why is that Because I think the universe would say: ‘You have a lot of nerve.’"

Precious also won the screenplay award for Geoffrey Fletcher, while Lee Daniels took best director.

When asked about his Oscar chances, he said: "We’ve won already."

Colin Firth, who went home empty-handed, told the BBC about the response to his "fridge man" speech when he won a Bafta award last month.

He said: "There have been a few fridge men who’ve popped out of the woodwork! It’s very interesting to find out how many there are…"

Asked how he would top the speech at the Oscars, he replied: "I’m not sure I’ll get the chance. I think I might have peaked."

Joel and Ethan Coen’s A Serious Man - nominated alongside Avatar and Hurt Locker for best picture at the Oscars, won the Robert Altman Award presented for a movie in the spirit of the ensemble films of the late director.

The film followed the woes of a Jewish professor whose life is falling apart.

Iraq bomb disposal drama The Hurt Locker was not eligible for the Spirits this year because it was nominated in 2009.

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Tickets for this year’s V Festival have sold out in record time, organisers said.

Tickets for the annual two-day music festival to be held on 21-22 August went on sale on Friday and sold out within one-and-a-half hours.

Acts alternately play at Hylands Park, in Chelmsford, Essex and Weston Park, in South Staffordshire.

Kasabian and Kings of Leon have been chosen to headline. The Pet Shop Boys and Madness are also confirmed acts.

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A group of leading British Asians has called on the BBC to reverse its planned closure of digital radio station Asian Network.

The group includes comedian Sanjeev Bhaskar, boxer Amir Khan and Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty.

In a letter to the Guardian newspaper, signatories said that a key outlet for Asian talent would be "tragically lost" if the station was shut.

The BBC unveiled the proposal this week as part of a major service review.

This also included the proposed closure of fellow digital radio station 6 Music and a 25% reduction in website spending.

The threat to 6 Music has prompted protests from thousands of listeners, as well as musicians like David Bowie, Lily Allen and Coldplay.

BBC director general Mark Thompson said that half of BBC websites would close by 2013, along with teen services Switch and Blast, and that he expected an extra £600m ($893m) to be diverted into programme-making as a result of the changes.

"As loyal licence-fee payers, we trust we will not be let down"

Letter signatories

Those supportive of Asian Network said in the letter: "The BBC we have grown up with has always prided itself on celebrating diversity.

"In that respect the Asian Network is a national platform for musicians, Asian culture in general, news, debate and documentaries.

"It provides a key platform for the national Asian community, and offers an outlet to Asian talent, which is demonstrably underrepresented in the more mainstream BBC.

"We urge the BBC Trust to reconsider this proposal and stop the closure of a valued station which is greatly needed by your licence-fee-paying audience nationally.

"As loyal licence-fee payers, we trust we will not be let down."

Other signatories include writer Meera Syal, Khalid Mahmood MP, Lord Dholakia and Lord Kamlesh Patel.

BBC Asian Network has an annual budget of £12.1m and attracts about 360,000 listeners a week.

The BBC review said the station provided an "inconsistent listening experience," adding that the audience was declining and the costs were relatively high.

Following the announcements made earlier this week, the proposals have now been put out for public consultation by the BBC Trust over the next three months.

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By now you would probably have heard his (long since sold out) debut single ‘Constellations’, complete with handclaps and his opening crib of ‘Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star’, but, come April 12, when his debut, self-titled album drops, there will be many, many more songs to treasure, from the brightly scrubbed anthem in waiting ‘Radar Detector’, to the barbed riposte ‘Bad Day’ to the plaintive, lovelorn croon of ‘The Bomb Song’, all of which he wrote and recorded entirely on his own, in his apartment, on one mike on his PC.

Deez’s live shows, extravaganzas of unbridled energy and unfettered joy, each and every one of them, with him being known to break into spontaneous bouts of synchronised dancing mid-song (an extension of which can be seen in his widely circulated viral Youtube video, ‘The Spring Dance’.

Darwin Deez is a true original. He talks about his songs being “a little bit “Thriller”, a bit Dismemberment Plan”. He gets as excited about new bands like Everything Everything as he does about the new John Mayer album (although he confesses that it was “not really for me”). And he laughs off any spurious vocal comparisons to Julian Casablancas, saying “I love the Strokes, and I get the similarity, but he draaaaaaaaaws his words out”. He is a singularly brilliant, hilarious, complex, entertaining individual, and writes songs that will make you want to bust out your dancing shoes while also touching that raw, emotional nerve in your body. He is everything a pop star should be and so rarely is. Embrace him now, before everyone else does…

It’s hard to believe it’s almost five years since The Automatic signed their first record deal and began their meteoric rise from a local band in the small Welsh village of Cowbridge to topping the charts, touring the world and having their pictures all over magazines covers everywhere.

Now in 2010, the band prepare to release their third album “Tear The Signs Down” which musically and lyrically marks another massive leap away from those small town roots and reflects the experiences of a band who are in control of not only their music but also, now everything else as well. As the title suggests, they are following their own path regardless of anything or anyone.

Featuring the singles ‘Interstate’ and ‘Run and Hide’, ‘Tear The Signs Down’ was recorded in the band’s own Cardiff studios with long time producer Richard Jackson (Future Of The Left, Super Furry Animals) over a ten month period in 2009. Freed from a major label deal, ‘Tear Down The Signs’ will be released on the band’s own Armoured Records.

In support of the release, the band are about to embarking on a headline tour that will take in the whole of the UK. The full tour dates are as follows:

MARCH

2^nd Swindon 12 Bar

4^th Exeter Cavern

5^th Falmouth Princess Pavillion

6^th Yeovil Orange Box

7^th Gloucester Guildhall.

8^th Oxford O2 Academy 2

9^th Colchester Arts Centre

11^th Northampton Roadmenders

12^th Stoke Sugarmill

13^th Hull Adelphi

14^th Liverpool O2 Acadmey

16^th Glasgow King Tuts

18^th Sheffield O2 Academy

19^th Manchester Academy

20^th Leeds Brudenell Social Club

22^nd Norwich Arts Centre

23^rd Nottingham Rescue Rooms

24^th York Fibbers

25^th Birmingham O2 Academy

27^th Brighton Audio

28^th Bristol Thekla

29^th Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms

*1. Missing You*
*2. Missing You (Q-Burns Abstract Message Remix)*
*3. Missing You (Alland Byallo Remix)*
*4. Missing You (Space Bump Dub)*

After years of intense negotiation, EIGHT-TRACKS has finally been able to snag an otherworldly release from our favorite psychedelic warrior, renowned DJ/producer Brett Johnson. Brett should need no introduction with his
checkered past of releasing top notch bleeps and booms for labels like Classic Music Company, Freerange, and his own Aesoteric imprint. The last few years has found Brett wandering the globe and evading capture but
finally our EIGHT-TRACKS team of techno-investigators were able to track him down at his Dallas-based secret headquarters. The result of this confrontation is “Missing You,” a gloriously melancholy cut that successfully bridges Brett’s affinity for potent house rhythms, Detroit-bred bass lines, and decidedly deeper intentions. It satisfies that necessary primal groove as it successfully strums the heartstrings. *

Imprisoned studio warlock Q-Burns Abstract Message was on hand to complement “Missing You” with a suspiciously spacious remix. Drawing inspiration from a pile of broken King Tubby records, Q-BAM’s version rattles within a moisture-soaked cell block, building into an analog epiphany further enhanced through a steaming, dusty spring reverb box. Totally slinky for the dancefloor, it aims to beguile the rarely hypnotized.

San Francisco’s KONTROL freak Alland Byallo was also enlisted to provide his magic touch to this already enchanted offering. Byallo’s treatment finds pounding machinery giving way to a concrete funk, layers of vocal drones and synth bellows providing an aural blanket sprinkled in shimmering melody. Alland’s hefty production strips “Missing You” of its melancholy and trades that for an ominous march, providing peak time fireworks when carefully placed in a DJ’s set.

Brett Johnson returns to close out the single, wrestling a Space Bump Dub from his original scheme. Here a steady bounce holds the structure as strident tones confront calming synth pads. The vocal from the original returns, now serving as a warm, reassuring force amidst the digital surroundings. The space between the beats matter here, with the listener/dancer given room to comfortably navigate the exotic sonic landscape. It’s deep stuff.

Brett Johnson’s original and Space Bump Dub were mastered by C-Rock of Motorcitysoul while the remixes were mastered by EIGHT-TRACKS’ own Atnarko. The collage within the tape is by Brooklyn artist Kyle Eagle.

EIGHT-TRACKS welcomes you to embrace Brett Johnson’s “Missing You” and its crafty reworks, our first statement of 2010 and an encouraging signal for things to come.

Creamfields which scooped the award for ‘Best Dance Festival’ in the 2009 UK Festival Awards (the 3rd time the festival has won the coveted award) was granted the license last night by Halton Borough Council’ regulatory committee. Following last years sell out show which attracted a record breaking 60,000 people from across the UK, the team behind the festival have increased investment into site infrastructure for 2010, which will see bigger and better arenas and increased space and capacity in the campsites.

Event Manager Jim King from Loudsound said: “This decision to grant the festival a 3 year license is a very important decision in that it clearly shows the confidence that the authorities have in Creamfields and it’s management team. The festival has now established itself at its new location in Cheshire as one of the largest, most popular and well operated electronic festivals in the world.”

In 2006 Creamfields relocated from Liverpool to its Daresbury home in the heart of the Cheshire countryside, and to coincide with its 10th Anniversary celebrations became a 2 day camping show in 2008. Line up for this years show to be announced soon.

Creamfields 2010 returns on Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th August Bank holiday weekend, Early Bird camping tickets are on sale now £100+BF (*Limited Offer) / www.ticketline.co.uk / Tel: 0844 888 4401. Info:  www.creamfields.com / Tel: +44 (0) 151 707 1309.

US pop star Lady Gaga has announced three more dates for the UK leg of her Monster Ball tour, but some tickets have nearly doubled in price.

The lavish tour kicked off in Manchester last month, when tickets cost between £27.50 and £35.

However, the extra dates, which have been organised by a different promoter, are priced between £50 and £75.

Some fans on the singer’s website have expressed concern at the steep price hike for the forthcoming gigs.

Ric Dickinson wrote: "Will we be getting a brand new show when the tour comes back to the UK in May Or will the show be the same and fans will be expected to pay £75 for a show that only cost them £27 to see months earlier

Another fan, calling themselves Barley 142007, said: "I was sure the price will go up but this is steep!!!!"

Two dates on the current leg of Lady Gaga’s tour, in Sheffield and Nottingham, were postponed earlier this week and will now form part of the star’s second outing.

Referring to those dates, Dickinson continued: "I will gladly pay the extra if we are promised something extra, however surely it would be a case for trading standards, especially as the rescheduled shows will get to see a show that everyone else will get to see after paying three times as much."

‘Comparable and fair’

Lady Gaga has already revamped her stage production once - scrapping her entire US show and retooling it for the UK at a reported cost of £2m.

Arthur Fogel, chairman of global touring at Live Nation, said: "What was a small arena/theatre production is now a massive, first rate arena production.

"Ticket prices for the previous dates were set long before the current Monster Ball show was developed. Ticket prices are comparable and fair."

The Live Nation website said the tour had been extended due to "overwhelming response". Tickets go on sale on 12 March.

The Brit-Award winner, known for hits such Paparazzi and Just Dance, will play Birmingham, London and Manchester in May and June - in the same venues she has already visited on the current leg of the tour.

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Bets are being laid and predictions made as to who will gratefully clutch an Oscar to their chest and who will remain sitting in the audience, mentally tearing up their thank you speech.

SOURCES FOR THIS DATA

• Internet Movie Database (IMDB) and www.oscars.org
• We also trawled photo archives and other online sources
• Genre, age and nationality: IMBD and actors’ websites
• Height: Mainly IMDB, and average from NHS information Service study - 5ft 8 (men) and 5ft 4 (women)
• Eye and hair colour: IMDB, actors’ websites, image research and archive footage
• But hair colour is the hardest characteristic to verify, given how easily this can be changed

But can a study of best actor and actress winners over the past 81 years cast light on how a nominee’s age, appearance and genre of film might affect their chances We trawled the internet for past winners’ vital statistics.

The average age of Best Actor winners is 44, almost 10 years older than the average for female winners at 36 years of age. The gender gap widens when you look at the proportion of winners aged over 40 - 63% for men, whereas only 26% of winning women in the leading role category have passed the big four-zero.

Of this year’s nominees, three of the five actresses in the running are over 40 - Sandra Bullock (45), Meryl Streep (60) and Dame Helen Mirren (65).

Carey Mulligan in many ways fits the profile for the average winner of the Best Actress award in that she is young, light haired and nominated for a romantic role in An Education. But she is British, and the Academy tends to vote for Americans.

However, once US actors and actresses are taken out of the equation, British thespians fare better than all other nationalities combined, with 20% of male winners and 18% of female winners hailing from the UK.

Perhaps this may clear the way for New Yorker Gabourey Sidibe, nominated at 26 for her role in Precious. But she is African-American, and only one non-white woman has picked up the Best Actress gong in the award’s history - Halle Berry, for the equally gritty Monster’s Ball. For male winners, 93% have been white.

While the Academy tends to favour younger women, for men the same does not hold true. Younger actors are under-represented, with Adrien Brody being the only leading male winner aged under 30 - he was 29 when he picked up his Oscar for The Pianist. But 27 women have picked up the Best Actress gong while in their 20s - that’s 33% of the female winning contingent.

Of this year’s male nominees, the youngest is Jeremy Renner at 39, followed by George Clooney, 48, and Colin Firth, 49. Jeff Bridges is 60 and Morgan Freeman is 72. If he wins for his role as Nelson Mandela in Invictus, this will provide a fillip for not only the proportion of non-white winners, but for the grey-haired as well.

While 11% of men have accepted an Oscar as silver foxes, only 4% of winning women have stood on the podium with silvery locks.

As for the type of film which dominates, one genre tops the list for both sexes - 49% of female winners and 28% of male winners starred in romance films. Women who act in thrillers are generally well received by the Academy’s voters, as are men who take the lead in war films.

But who knows which way the Academy will jump this time around Picking winners is an inexact science. Any wager laid on likely winners is entirely at your own risk.

Compiled by Elena Egawhary.

Add your comments on this story, using the form below.

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Artist Ai Weiwei, considered "one of China’s greatest living artists", has been chosen to take over Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall.

Ai, who helped create the Olympic Bird’s Nest stadium in Bejing, has been selected to undertake the 11th commission in Tate’s Unilever Series.

It will be open to the public from October until April next year.

The space is currently occupied by a big "black hole", entitled How It Is, by Polish artist Miroslaw Balka.

The cavernous space has previously been occupied by a giant crack, a series of spiralling slides and bunk beds.

Human rights

Ai is the first artist living and working in the Asia-Pacific region to be commissioned for the series.

He has played a key role in contemporary Chinese art over the last two decades, and has been highly vocal about human rights issues in the country.

His work includes Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn (1995), which shows the artist dropping an ancient ceramic vase, and Template (2007) in which he used 1,001 wooden doors and windows from destroyed Chinese buildings to create a huge sculpture.

To commemorate the 2008 Sichuan earthquake he produced Remembering 2009, a wall of Chinese text that covered the facade of the Haus der Kunst in Munich, Germany, made up of thousands of children’s backpacks.

Vicente Todoli, director of London’s Tate Modern said: "As Tate continues to widen its representation of art from all parts of the globe, we are delighted to be commissioning one of China’s greatest living artists for the Unilever Series.

"Frequently conceived on a grand scale, Ai Weiwei’s compelling installations are among the most socially engaged works of art being made today, so it will be thrilling to see how he responds to the vast, public environment of the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern this October."

The artist’s creation will be unveiled to the public on 12 October.

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Star Trek director JJ Abrams says he has high hopes of a science fiction film winning the best film Oscar.

"I think there’s a real shot," he told the BBC. "I know everyone’s looking at Avatar, but I was a huge fan of District 9 as well.

"I’m just excited that they’re both up there, nominated for best picture."

Abrams was honoured on Thursday for his contribution to the film industry at the Oscar Wilde awards, which celebrate Irish-Amrican film-making.

The 43-year-old, who also created the television series Lost, missed out on an Oscar nomination for best film - although his Star Trek reboot is listed in the technical, sound and make-up categories.

"I’m a huge fan of sci-fi and fantasy, horror," he told the BBC, "so as long as the films keep getting made, whatever awards they win or don’t win is sort of beside the point."

A science fiction film has never won a best picture Oscar, the closest being Peter Jackson’s fantasy epic Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, in 2004.

In 1977, Star Wars was beaten to the prize by Woody Allen’s Annie Hall, and five years later Gandhi won best picture over ET: The Extra Terrestrial.

Star Trek sequel

Abrams was introduced at Thursday’s ceremony by Tom Cruise, who described him as "a film-maker who doesn’t set borders - a great guy and an incredible artist".

The pair recently announced they will be making Mission: Impossible 4, with Cruise reprising his role as as Ethan Hunt. The film is to be released in May 2011.

Abrams said: "I’m working with Tom on the script and we are getting a director very soon, so I’m very excited. We had such a good time on the one we did before."

Meanwhile, the director is also preparing a Star Trek sequel.

"We are at the beginning stages and a script does not exist yet so it’s hard to know. But I would love to work with those actors again," he said.

"I want to do everything I can to make it the best movie possible which might, of course, mean that I shouldn’t direct it - so we’ll see."

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Singer Katy Perry is among the stars whose voices will feature in a film based on the Smurfs, reports say.

The 25-year-old is in talks to portray Smurfette, one of the creatures created by Belgian cartoonist Pierre Culliford in 1958, according to Variety.

British actor Alan Cumming and How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris are also linked to the project, a mixture of live-action and animation.

Raja Gosnell will reportedly direct the film, set for release in 2011.

The former editor is best known for directing the two Scooby-Doo films and canine caper Beverly Hills Chihuahua.

Pop star Perry has enjoyed a number of hits including I Kissed a Girl, Hot N Cold and Waking Up in Vegas.

She is currently engaged to British comedian Russell Brand.

Known for their blue skin, white hats and mushroom houses, the Smurfs were the stars of a popular 1980s TV series.

Their distinctive complexion has been compared in recent months to that of the aliens in sci-fi hit Avatar - dubbed "Dancing with Smurfs" by one online critic.

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Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park has said that he would like to make a Plasticine animation in 3D.

Park, speaking in Los Angeles ahead of Sunday’s Oscars, said he had planned to make a Wallace and Gromit story in 3D but shelved it for financial reasons.

"I’d like to see a 3D Plasticine animation - I think it would really suit it," he told the BBC.

"In a way I’ve been a bit sceptical, but I have a feature idea up my sleeve which I’m thinking might be 3D."

Park, one of the key figures at Aardman studios, is in line to win his fifth Oscar for A Matter of Loaf and Death, which is nominated for best animated short.

He has already won Oscars for Creature Comforts, The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave and his most recent was in 2006 for Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

He described James Cameron’s 3D spectacular Avatar - a front-runner for best picture - as "beautifully done, technically amazing".

"I know lot of people didn’t like it but I had a lot of time for it," said Park.

"When I first saw 3D coming in I had quite an appetite to do a 3D film. We were even planning to do an IMAX Wallace and Gromit at one point in 3D but for some reason financially that got shelved."

Pre-Oscar nerves

Despite his previous Oscar successes, Park said he was still nervous about the ceremony.

"I’m dreading it, to be honest. It’s wonderful to be nominated, but it’s the idea that you don’t know if you’ve got to get up and make a speech in front of millions of people."

He added: "The first few times I had this overwhelming feeling of, ‘What am I doing here’.

"Coming from the UK, a Preston boy, taking up a hobby that became a career, playing with Plasticine, it still feels a long way from Hollywood.

"Each film takes weeks, months, years working in the dark - and then you find yourself in the bright lights."

Park has no such doubts about what to wear this year.

"I’ve got the mother of all bowties ready for this year," he laughed. "I made it the other night - out of a bit of wrapping paper - it must have cost about 50p."

He also brought models of Wallace and Gromit to LA but doubted he would take them to the Oscar ceremony.

"They probably wouldn’t let them in with all the security. It’s tricky bringing them through customs, because Plasticine somehow registers the same as Semtex so I’ve been pulled aside few times and questioned!"

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Fashion designer Alexander McQueen, who died last month aged 40, has won a top design award.

McQueen was named one of seven category winners at the Brit Insurance Design Awards 2010 for his latest spring/summer catwalk show.

Paula Reed, judge and style director of Grazia magazine, said the show emphasised the "enormity of his loss".

Other category winners included Monterrey Housing, a new model for social housing in Mexico.

BRIT INSURANCE DESIGN WINNERS

• Architecture: Monterrey Housing, Mexico
• Fashion: Alexander McQueen
• Furniture: Grassworks
• Graphic: The Newspaper Club
• Interactive: The EyeWriter
• Product: Folding Plug
• Transport: E430 Electric Aircraft

Grassworks, a flat pack furniture kit made of sustainable bamboo which requires no drills or glue, won the Product category, while the zero-emission E430 Electric Aircraft won the Transport award.

McQueen beat other fashion collections, including Beth Ditto’s clothing label at Evans, to take the award.

Ms Reed stressed the jury did not give the award to McQueen, who was found dead at his London home on 11 February, for "sentimental reasons".

She said the video presentation of McQueen’s last show was one of the most "compelling" pieces in the awards exhibition at the Design Museum.

"Among the fashion nominees, Alexander McQueen was a clear winner," she said.

"The designer had been working for years on developing fabrics that could blend the hard into soft and had pretty much come close to achieving that in this collection.

"Then there was the way the prints had been worked, taking one image across an entire piece of fabric and fit by hand to the body to make a dress: something seemingly random was minutely thought through. But there was also the sheer spectacle of it.

"The impressiveness simply compounds the enormity of his loss."

McQueen’s winning designs will now compete for the overall Brit Insurance Design of the Year 2010, to be announced at the ceremony at the Design Museum on 16 March.

The winning entries, along with all the shortlisted designs, are on show at the museum until 6 June.

Artist Antony Gormley, chair of the judges, said: "The seven winners provide a snapshot of some of the most outstanding designs from the past 12 months and reflect the important role design plays in improving people’s lives."

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John Lennon’s son Sean has defended the decision to licence footage of his father for use in a car advert.

The advert for French firm Citroen sees the former Beatle ponder on "copying the past" and "looking backwards".

Writing on micro blogging site Twitter, Sean Lennon said the ad was "not for money" but was intended to keep his father "out there in the world".

"Having just seen [the] ad I realize why people are mad," he wrote. "But [the] intention was not financial."

Many have criticised Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono for allowing the interview footage to be linked to a commercial product.

But her 34-year-old son defended his mother, saying she was merely "hoping to keep dad in [the] public consciousness."

The ad, he said, meant "exposure to [the] young". "Not many things as effective as TV," he continued.

When the advertisement for the Citroen DS3 was launched, the car company said Lennon had been chosen for his "universal, timeless and iconic status."

The ad was first broadcast on 14 February on ITV1.

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They were completed by Hendrix’s original engineer Eddie Kramer, who recalls his time in the studio with the rock icon and says the album sounds "like it was recorded yesterday".

When Jimi Hendrix walked into London’s Olympic Studios in early 1967, just after his debut hit Hey Joe, the studio’s owner instructed senior engineer Eddie Kramer to work with the chap with the "big hair" because Kramer did all the "weird stuff".

Casting his mind back to his first encounter with Hendrix, Kramer says the guitarist was "a very, very shy guy".

"He walks into the studio and he’s got this white raincoat on, it’s a bit dirty," he tells BBC 6 Music. "Very quiet, he sits in the corner, doesn’t really say very much.

"I remember seeing the amplifiers being hauled into the studio and I remember thinking, how am I going to record all this"

After Hendrix had plugged in and played for the first time, he went into the control room to listen to the results.

"His smile was a mile wide and he loved what I’d done, and so from that point on we clicked."

That was the start of a fruitful partnership, which saw Kramer work on all three studio albums that Hendrix released during his short career.

The artist who created Purple Haze saw the musical spectrum as a palette of colours, often describing his desired sound to Kramer as a particular shade.

"He would say: ‘Hey man, can you make it sound like purple, man, with a little bit of red in there’" he explains.

"Jimi was so focused - He had the most unbelievable amount of concentration on one idea"

Eddie Kramer

"I knew exactly what he meant. If he said green I knew he meant reverb. If it was red, it was more this, more that. There were certain signals that he’d give me verbally, but he’d describe them in colours and in actual sounds."

The Seattle-born rock trailblazer was a prolific musician and a notorious workaholic, meaning he left a packed vault when he died in September 1970. Many recordings have seen the light of day over the last four decades.

The "new" album, Valleys of Neptune, released on Monday, is taken from recordings made at Olympic and at Record Plant in New York in 1969.

An "amazingly productive" working regime is to thank for the continuing stream of material, Kramer says.

"Jimi was very disciplined, and we didn’t have much time because time was money and there wasn’t much money." Hendrix’s manager and sometime producer Chas Chandler had to sell his bass guitar to finance some of the sessions, Kramer recalls.

"It was amazing. Jimi was so focused. He had the most unbelievable amount of concentration on one idea.

"He comes into the studio and says: ‘This is the song we’re going to do.’ And he knew exactly what it was going to sound like in the final analysis, and he wouldn’t stop until he got there."

As well as working with Hendrix, Kramer has twiddled knobs for most of British rock royalty - from The Beatles and Rolling Stones to Led Zeppelin and David Bowie.

Most great artists have a similar focus, he believes. "There are many musicians that I’ve had the great fortune to work with that have had this ability. But Jimi particularly had this laser-like concentration."

The Valleys of Neptune sessions came after his first three albums, when Hendrix was struggling with his personal fame, the engineer says.

"There’s probably enough material for an album a year for the next 10 years"

Eddie Kramer

"There was turmoil in the personal and private life but in the musical side, I don’t think so. I think he was searching for a new direction and I think he was right on it."

Kramer was transported back to the studio when listening back to the tapes, he says. "You hear his voice cracking jokes, making fun of everybody. It’s loose but the band’s on fire and it really has a tremendous energy. And it’s really fresh."

Valleys of Neptune is the first album to come through a deal between Hendrix’s estate and Sony’s Legacy label, which is likely to lead to many more releases in the coming years.

"I can safely say, having been in the studio for the last year working on this album, plus other stuff that we’re working on, there’s some very, very exciting stuff coming," Kramer explains.

"There’s some live stuff coming up. When we look at what’s in the library there’s probably enough material for an album a year for the next 10 years."

Eddie Kramer was speaking to BBC 6 Music’s Julie Cullen. The full interview can be heard on 6 Music’s Music Week show on Sunday from 1300-1400 GMT.

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The government has been defeated in the House of Lords over measures to tackle online piracy after opponents said the plans could hamper digital innovation.

Ministers want the power to change laws on online copyright in future without the need for further legislation.

The Lords said the "blanket nature" of the clause was "objectionable".

But their chosen replacement - giving courts the right to block internet sites which are infringing copyright - has also prompted criticism.

The government argued that the new Digital Economy Bill should include the power to amend copyright law to ensure legislation could cope with more technically advanced forms of piracy in the future.

But Google and Facebook were among the firms to express "grave concerns" about the provision, saying it could allow ministers to "increase monitoring of user data even where no illegal practice has taken place".

‘Swift recourse’

And on Wednesday, Lords voted to support a Conservative and Liberal Democrat amendment to the bill which paves the way for the clause to be scrapped.

Lib Dem spokesman Lord Clement-Jones said it would be replaced with a measure allowing courts to use injunctions to force internet service providers (ISPs) to block certain websites.

"We cannot rely on the front bench of any major party to respect or understand the internet and modern technology"

Pirate Party UK

He said the "more proportionate, specific and appropriate" measure, approved by 165 votes to 140, would tackle websites offering films or music illegally.

"There are several sites out there on the web, many of which are based outside the UK, which refuse to stop supplying access to illegal content - indeed whose business plan depends on supplying illegal content," Lord Clement-Jones said.

"At the moment it is not explicit what could be done about such sites.

"This site-blocking remedy would give rights holders an explicit, swift recourse to courts to block access to those sites."

He added: "I believe this is going to send a powerful message… that we do not believe in censoring the internet, but we are responding to genuine concerns from the creative industries about providing a process whereby their material can be satisfactorily accessed legally."

But the amendment has caused just as much concern in some quarters.

Search engines

The Internet Services Providers’ Association said it would lead to "blocking based on accusation rather than a court injunction".

"I don’t think it would be sensible or appropriate to adopt this approach"

Lord Young of Norwood Green, junior innovation minister, on site-blocking

The Open Rights Group said the industry was "faced with an appalling sight" - a choice between the government’s flawed stance, and that of the Lib Dems and Tories, who are "pushing an approach likely to produce straightforward threats, bans and withdrawals of sites with user generated content".

Pirate Party UK, which campaigns on the issue, said the new measure does not require offending websites to be hosting the infringing material, only that such material is "accessible at or via" the location.

Therefore, it said it could affect search engines like Google and sites like YouTube, adding: "Today’s events clearly demonstrate that we cannot rely on the front bench of any major party to respect or understand the internet and modern technology."

Junior innovation minister Lord Young of Norwood Green said blocking websites was an "enormous step".

He said it would be hard to block sites offering illegal content without also blocking legitimate material, and agreed that sites linking to other sites - such as search engines - could be adversely affected.

"I don’t think it would be sensible or appropriate to adopt this approach," he warned during the debate on the bill.

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The BBC has revealed the six acts who will face the public vote in a bid to become this year’s UK Eurovision entry.

The Eurovision hopefuls, including four solo acts and two groups, will perform live in front of a panel of judges in Your Country Needs You! on 12 March.

Esma Akkilic, Karen Harding, Josh Dubovie and Alexis Gerred will vie with trio Miss Fitz, and five-piece Uni5.

Hitmaker Pete Waterman, who is writing and producing this year’s Eurovision entry, will lead the panel of judges.

"We’ve got the song and we’ve got six acts - now all we’re waiting for is the public," said Waterman.

The panel will also include Strictly Come Dancing’s Bruno Toniolo and Sugababes star Jade Ewen, who performed last year’s UK entry in Moscow.

Following performances by the six acts on the BBC One show next week, Waterman will choose three acts to debut the Eurovision song.

EUROVISION WANNABEES

• Alexis Gerred, 20
• Esma Akkilic, 17
• Josh Dubovie, 19
• Karen Harding, 18
• Miss Fitz
• Uni5

The final decision rests with the voting public.

The four solo performers - Esma, Karen, Josh and Alexis - are aged between 17 and 20. They will vie with an all-girl trio from London, Miss Fitz, and the five-piece act Uni5.

Waterman will work on the UK entry with fellow music producer Mike Stock, who together formed part of the highly-successful 80s recording trio Stock Aitken Waterman, which launched the career of Kylie Minogue, among others.

"If any man can second guess European musical tastes surely that man is Pete Waterman," said Eurovision host Graham Norton, who will present next week’s deciding show.

"I can’t wait to get to Oslo and see the competition. Fingers crossed we can build on last year’s success.

Jade Ewen’s performance of It’s My Time, a joint collaboration by Lord Lloyd Webber and songwriter Diane Warren, came fifth in the contest in 2009.

The Eurovision Song Contest will take place in the Norwegian capital on 29 May.

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David Walliams, Fearne Cotton and Davina McCall have completed their charity bike ride for Sports Relief and raised their target figure of £1m.

They were among a group of celebrities taking part in a non-stop relay from John O’Groats on the tip of Scotland to Land’s End in Cornwall.

They reached their final destination on Thursday at 1850 GMT.

"It was tough, we were cycling through the night at minus 15 degrees sometimes," Walliams said afterwards.

The Little Britain star added: "We’re all shattered. But it was great working as a team. There were no egos.

"We were all supporting each other a lot. We’ve all shared something quite special together."

Developing countries

Miranda Hart, Russell Howard, Patrick Kielty and Jimmy Carr also took part in the four-day fundraising event.

"We all got emotional when we came into Land’s End"

Davina McCall

The stars cycled night and day on their bikes and experienced extreme weather conditions, such as blizzards and heavy rain.

The team also suffered cuts, bruises and saddle sores.

Big Brother host McCall said she was still "buzzing" from the challenge.

"We all got emotional when we came into Land’s End. I have walked away from this with some new best mates. Ask me right now and I would say ‘yes I would do this again’. I am on such a high still, I kind of want to do it again."

Hundreds of people turned out to greet the cyclists at the finishing line in far west Cornwall.

Sport Relief, a spin-off of the long-standing charity Comic Relief, takes place from 19 to 21 March and will raise money for charity schemes in the UK as well as developing countries.

It will kick off with a night of entertainment on the BBC, with a sketch from Gavin and Stacey star James Corden and special editions of Masterchef, Top Gear and A Question Of Sport.

Other celebrity challenges include rugby ace Lawrence Dallaglio cycling around the Six Nations and BBC One Show presenter Christine Bleakley water skiing across the English Channel.

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Bafta has blamed "human error" for a mistake that saw "a number" of eligible shows left off a list circulated to members voting for its 2010 TV awards.

It said it had acted to inform the 7% of members who had already voted of the omissions and would give them a chance to submit their vote again.

The Independent reported Alan Carr’s Chatty Man and Chris Moyle’s Quiz Night and were among the missing shows.

However, a Bafta spokesperson would not confirm which programmes were affected.

The first round of online voting, which decides the nominations for this year’s awards, opened on Tuesday.

Statement

It was at this point, said Bafta’s representative, that "a number of omissions were spotted".

"The lists were immediately investigated, a human error discovered and amendments made online that afternoon.

"BAFTA is satisfied that the entries originally omitted have been presented fairly to every voter in this first round."

The academy’s prepared statement ended by stating that "neither the integrity of the voting process, nor the chances of any entrant, have been effected (sic) in any way."

The Bafta Television Awards will be held at the London Palladium on 6 June.

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Veteran actress June Whitfield will appear for a short stint in Coronation Street, it has been announced.

The 84-year-old will play a friend of Blanche Hunt, the character made famous by Maggie Jones, who died in December.

Whitfield, who said she "admires" the ITV1 show’s cast, will make her first appearance at Blanche’s funeral.

Blanche was last seen on screen shortly before Christmas, and her absence has since been explained by an extended stay in Portugal.

Speaking of Whitfield’s role, a spokesperson said: "We felt it fitting to have someone of June’s calibre be involved in Maggie’s swansong."

Whitfield, who starts filming next week, will explain how Blanche died to her daughter Deirdre Barlow, played by Anne Kirkbride.

The news of Blanche’s death will reach the Weatherfield cobbles in May.

Whitfield said the cast have an "amazing schedule", adding: "I don’t know how they do it. I only hope I don’t let them down."

Members of the Coronation Street cast turned out to celebrate the life of 75-year-old Jones at a memorial service in Salford last week.

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Naomi Campbell said she "will not be held hostage" to her past misdemeanors after hearing a New York chauffeur will not press criminal charges against her.

Ms Campbell was alleged to have hit the driver from behind, causing his head to hit the steering wheel.

"I have worked very hard on correcting my previous wrongdoings and I will not be held hostage to my past," she said.

The 39-year-old model has been sentenced to community service over previous incidents of assault.

"I try to treat everyone with respect and I am pleased the driver has apologised," her statement continued.

"I would like to put the last few days behind me and move on."

The incident took place in New York on Tuesday.

Campbell’s driver, Miodrag Mejdina - who had been hired for the day - initially told police that he pulled his black Cadillac Escalade over to the side of the road in central Manhattan after she struck hit him from behind, propelling his head forward on to the steering wheel.

However, a lawyer for the 27-year-old driver, apologised on his behalf on Thursday, saying he "got angry and overreacted".

"This whole thing has been blown out of proportion and I apologise to Ms. Campbell for causing that to happen," said Mr Mejdina in a statement, adding that he regretted involving the police.

‘Reckless assault’

In 2000, Campbell pleaded guilty in Toronto to assaulting an assistant who said that the model hit her on the head with her mobile phone.

She served a five-day community service order in New York in 2007 after admitting reckless assault, having thrown a mobile phone at her housekeeper.

In 2008, she was sentenced to 200 hours’ community service in the UK after she pleaded guilty to assaulting two police officers on board a plane at London’s Heathrow airport.

Several of her former aides and maids have also sued her, accusing her of violent outbursts.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

US rap star Snoop Dogg has won the latest round in a long-running fight with UK border authorities over his right to enter the country.

The 38-year-old was denied a UK tour visa in 2007, but managed to have it lifted the following year.

After the UK Border Agency challenged the ruling, the case went to an Asylum and Immigration Tribunal.

Last week two senior immigration judges decided border authorities were wrong to deny the hip-hop star entry.

Snoop Dogg - real name Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr - was told of the decision on Monday, which enables him to re-apply for a visa.

However, there is still no guarantee that a visa will be issued.

‘Risk to the public’

A UK Border Agency spokesperson said it was "disappointed by the tribunal’s decision in this case".

"We are studying the determination carefully and will take a decision whether to appeal."

The original ruling came in the wake of Snoop Dogg’s arrest in April 2006, following a fracas at Heathrow Airport involving members of his entourage.

The following March he was denied a visa to enter the UK on a European tour with fellow hip-hop star P Diddy.

After that ruling was overturned in 2008, the UK Border Agency continued to contest the case, maintaining it believed that Snoop Dogg could constitute "a risk to the public".

Last year the rapper was cleared of hitting a fan who jumped on stage during a 2005 concert in Seattle, though his record company was ordered to pay damages.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.