Beppu Nights by AWAKEN (別府ＮＩＧＨＴＳ)

n°16, 09th of January, 2010

www.awaken.be

[downloadable pdf version here]

Dear friends, fans and passing smiles,

should we wish you a happy 2010? May the Magnetism be with you during these 12 new months!

Awa-news takes a new rhythm, something you can call ‘cool’, ‘relax’ or just… ‘lazy’.  You’ll receive your favorite e-zine not every week but when you least expect it. Be aware!

2010 starts with the brand new long awaited Awaken single (see “Inside Awa”) and more projects: Nekokawa, Snowcat and a few unexpected collaborations.

OK, time to jump into Awa-news number 16!

What are the hottest news in Awaken’s Universe?

HOW MANY ‘L’ WERE IN YOUR NAME?

1. How Many ‘L’ Were In Your Name? 7:34
2. My Last Evening In Ôita (Awaken version) 4:36
3. How Many ‘L’ Were In Your Name? (hi-NRG mix) 8:19

So what? Is that all? Be patient, my friend… And if you click on the artwork, you may be able to listen to a teaser of the single. You bet?

Links:

Awaken: http://www.awaken.be

Sousbock: http://www.sousbock-fr.com

The Narcotic Daffodils: http://www.myspace.com/thenarcoticdaffodils

Trust No 1: http://trustno1.jimdo.com

Yours truly Gilles Snowcat will be revisiting a few of his songs on Radio (Facere, previously Radio Si), on an acoustic piano/voice set, and discuss with the team about this and that and more or less. You’ll be warned of the time of airing, of course.

Take care and see you!

email: awamail(at)hellokitty.com

Awaken main sites: www.awaken.be

www.beppunights.com

It’s Oh! Music

© AWAKEN-Awanews-

[downloadable pdf version here]

n°15, 17th of December, 2009

Dear friends, fans and passing smiles,

it’s been 3 months that you read Awa-news every week. Thank you for your faithfulness. Awa-news takes a little break for Xmas and New Year, then will be back in January. In waiting, why not telling Awa-news what you think of it, what you would like to read, what you like, what you hate…?

Feel free to send your opinion here!

OK, time to jump into Awa-news number 15!

Artists sometimes say very smart sentences, with or without knowing.

It’s rock’n'roll philosophy time!

Cherish forever what makes you unique, ‘cuz you’re really a yawn if it goes. (Bette Midler)

What are the hottest news in Awaken’s Universe?

AWAKEN IS BACK

I see your surprised face: “Awaken is back? But Awaken never ceased to release songs! We’re overwhelmed by Awaken songs! How dare you say it’s back?“.

Calm down dude!  The last official record of Awaken was in early 2008, it was the single I Know Time Is Passing By… and since then, no new release has been seen around.  Capito?

“What about the album This Mouth then? And the Yellow Line? And the Blue Hanger?“

Yep, but this isn’t Awaken, this is Gilles Snowcat from Awaken. Awaken, as a band, has been sleeping until September of this year. And now we have a new single currently on the mixing process, if ever we can say there is a mixing process in Awaken. It will be available soon online on pay-per-download only.

You will be delighted to hear musicians begged, borrowed or stolen from the cream of the indie scene.

Links: http://www.awaken.be

Our interview:

SASTIEN: I don’t have a boss anymore, it’s useless.

The online market brings its lot of discoveries, even some bands having split for years. How to describe Tertius’ music? Can we say it’s based on jams and sounds like a punk band with progressive influences? Hmmm… the saxophone brings a touch of jazz too. But let the stickers go to hell, and let’s ask Tertius’ drummer, Sastien, to tell us more.

-Nice to meet you, Sastien. Please use three words to introduce yourself.
-Sastien: My first boss nicknamed me: hunger, tiredness and stress. I don’t have a boss anymore, it’s useless.

-If you had a magic wand, in what band would you play right now?
-Sastien: Hard to tell. I mean, when I really like a drummer, I don’t see why I should replace him! Maybe Awaken, this band really needs a drummer…

-What would you say to Awa-news readers who might not know you, to convince them to listen to your albums?
-Sastien: I am proud of that music, but unfortunately we never got the chance to record an album properly. We were a live band, and now we have split. It’s a shame.

-Last but not least, would you openly admit that you are an Awaken fan?
-Sastien: Of course, I even thought of playing the drums with that band!

Links: http://www.jamendo.com/fr/artist/tertius_%28Jamendo%29

What happened on December some years ago?

Let’s jump into Awa-news’ time machine…

07/12/1984: Foreigner releases the album Agent Provocateur.

09/12/1984: Razzle, drummer of the glam band Hanoi Rocks, dies in a car crash which seriously injured two other innocents. The driver of the car survived and is hopefully still haunted by the loss of his friend.

19/12/1941: Maurice White says hello to the Elements. Mainly a drummer from the Chicago scene, he creates Earth Wind & Fire in the beginning of the 70’s and gradually becomes the lead singer of the band, until recently.

You like Awaken? You *will* like this album:

NEIL DIAMOND, Lovescape (1991)

Released in 1991, Lovescape in another proof that many singers are like good wine: they get better as they grow older. Neil Diamond releases a rather modern album, although less obviously high-tech than his records from the 80’s. Some pieces are quite easy FM songs but are enhanced by Diamond’s unique voice (“Mountains Of Love”, “Don’t Turn Around”), while other are nothing but jewels (“Fortune Of The Night”, “Lonely Lady #17″, “Someone Who Believes In You”, “When You Miss Your Love” or the lively cover of “One Hand, One Heart”). Kim Carnes was around for a duo (“Hooked On The Memory Of You”) and fans of the classic Diamond won’t be disappointed with the opener “If There Were No Dreams”. A must-listen. Can you swear you resist to “Lonely Lady #17″?

Links: www.neildiamond.com

Awa-news takes some vacation and will be back with a new serie of interviews and more news about the Awaken Galaxy. Enjoy your end-of-the-year parties and if you’re still alive, we’ll surely meet again.

Sayônara!

email: awamail(at)hellokitty(dot)com

Awaken main sites: www.awaken.be

www.beppunights.com

It’s Oh! Music

© AWAKEN-Awanews-

[downloadable pdf version here]

n°14, 10th of December, 2009

Dear friends, fans and passing smiles,

are you shopping in some depaato, expecting some snow to fall? The Christmas songs are now everywhere, till the point you start to puke. You thought you could escape them in the Awaken Magnetic Universe? Missed! Here they are too. But… in a magnetic way.
OK, time to jump into Awa-news number 14!

Artists sometimes say very smart sentences, with or without knowing.

It’s rock’n'roll philosophy time!

In writing songs I’ve learned as much from Cezanne as I have from Woody Guthrie. (Bob Dylan)

What are the hottest news in Awaken’s Universe?

XMAS WON’T BE THE SAME THIS YEAR

What!? After more than 20 years, Awaken-Nekokawa-Snowcat-whatever still hadn’t release any Christmas album!? Sad but true. This old dream now comes true. Well, this is not an album, but a virtual 45-rpm. And to be included in the bootlegs collection. Yep, only true fans will receive it, this is a very special private present.

You Make It Feel Like Christmas Won’t Be The Same This Year features two Xmas classics covered by the old cat Snowcat: Neil Diamond’s “You Make It Feel Like Christmas” and the Jackson 5’s “Christmas Won’t Be The Same This Year”.  But would a Snowcat Xmas record be complete without an original tune? Well, that’s why a special mix of “The Blue Hanger”, the ‘Merry Xmix’, is closing the single on a disco mood.

You can download for free the single here. And enjoy your Xmas, whatever you do, wherever you are.Links: http://bit.ly/55BUNr

Our interview:

MARCO MARIANI: C’est mon esprit qui rêve

Anam… Anam.. Anam… Peut être entendras tu ce nom, chanté par la pluie ou soufflé par le vent. Peut être te sera t’il susurré par le feu ou crié par la terre. Peut être l’entendras tu si tu tends l’oreille dans la forêt ou le verras tu inscris dans les étoiles. Peut être ton âme le percevra t’elle au plus profond d’elle même… Ouvre ton coeur et laisse toi porter par ce nom ancestral… Car Anam arrive et espère te combler te paix.

These French words are the mysterious introduction to Eirenya and Marco Mariani’s band Anam, an interesting project exploring the fields of celtic music with the passionate spirit of Marco, whom we interviewed today.

-Nice to meet you, Marco. Please use three words to introduce yourself.
-Marco: Italien du côté du père, espagnol-pied noir du côté de ma mère. J’ai 21 ans, presque 22, je suis brun aux cheveux légèrement longs et je fais 1m73. J’aime la vie, les grands paysages, les amis et bien sûr la musique.

Links: http://www.myspace.com/ceilteachanam

What happened on December some years ago?

Let’s jump into Awa-news’ time machine…

18/12/1938: Chas Chandler says hello to the world, without knowing that he would become a famous Animal years later.

16/12/1988: Sylvester says bye-bye to the world, but is still alive in the hi-nrg disco mind. Mighty unreal?

15/12/2006: Awaken releases the “Beppu Nights” EP. (hee hee hee).

You like Awaken? You *will* like this album:

AL STEWART, Russians & Americans (1984)

The 80’s were such an interesting era. The last really creative period for modern music. Nowadays music just recycles previous decades and plays it a bit too safe. That’s why it’s great to jump into the heart of those underrated albums like Al Stewart’s Russians & Americans. Famous for his Year Of The Cat and labeleld ‘folk singer’, Al Stewart is much more than that and was, in the 80’s, at the peak of his creativity. Follwing a rocky 24 P/Carrots, Russians & Americans changes direction to cover grounds of more synthesized music (“Rumours Of War”), sophisticated melodic pop (“Lori Don’t Go Right Now”), introspective acoustic songs (“Accident On 3rf Street”), grandiloquent cabaret rock (the slightly pinkfloydish “Cafe Society”) or new-wave (“Strange Girl”, typically 1984). Stewart doesn’t forget his stylistic habits either: some Spanish guitar (“The Gypsy & The Rose”), some folk (the superb “Russians & Americans”) and a funny cover of Len Barry’s “1-2-3″, with a funky touch. The album ends with a stunningly beautiful dark tune, “The Candidate”, putting a melancholic mood in the air and leaving us into a bitter-sweet spleen like ir was the case with 1978’s “End Of The Day”. Stewart’s voice is as unique as ever and his lyrics always clever or ironic or most likely both.

Nota #1: Awaken fans already know that “The Candidate” has been covered on Party In Lyceum’s Toilets (and if you don’t, it’s time to remember,  don’t you think?), but other songs from Russians & Americans were awakenized on other tapes and on the You Should Have Listened To AsmL tribute albums.

Nota #2: The American edition features, for no reason that I know, a different track-listing.

Links: http://www.alstewart.com

Next week is next week. And to quote Al Stewart: you’ll be a movie star… next time.

Take care and see you!

email: awamail(at)hellokitty.com

Awaken main sites: www.awaken.be

www.beppunights.com

It’s Oh! Music

© AWAKEN-Awanews-

[downloadable pdf version here]

n°13, 3rd of December, 2009

Dear friends, fans and passing smiles,

here we are, the last month of 2009 is here. While most of the projects are still on their way (new song from Awaken, solo album from Snowcat and even -yeah- some new Nekokawa pieces in sight), we will close this year with a special present for you fans. What? To know more, just…
…jump into Awa-news number 13!

Artists sometimes say very smart sentences, with or without knowing.

It’s rock’n'roll philosophy time!

One of my mottoes is that if you want to get unusual results, work fast and work cheap, because there’s more of a chance that you’ll get somewhere that nobody else did. Nearly always, the effect of spending a lot of money is to make things more normal. (Brian Eno)

What are the hottest news in Awaken’s Universe?

SOMEDAY AT XMAS?

Are you a true Awaken fan? If so, you will soon be able to get your own copy of the online 45rpm from Snowcat himself. Let the sleighbells rock! In waiting, why not refresh your magnetic mind by taking a new trip into Awaken’s Parallel World? Ah, and if you look closer to the selective discography below, you may find the Xmas record too.

Links: http://www.awaken.be

Our interview:

KEVIN SHAKEY: Strange, Radical and “Hitchhiker”.

Once upon a time, there were the 70s. Creative. All excesses were permitted. Music was a large field of experimentations, some that remained obscure, some that gained credibility to the eyes (and ears) of an underground audience (Gong, Can, just to name a few), and some that got the huge success they deserved (David Bowie, Tangerine Dream). Then came the 80s, with their electronic rhythms that were, if you look closer, a commercial recognition for what we still can call ‘experimental’, although the pop format kept those creations into an underrated mold. Yes the 80s were money-related, but still flamboyant, creative, excessive. Then, to our big misery, the 90’s saw music started to play it safe.’Safe’ is the worst sticker that can ever be put on art. Kevin Shakey definitly doesn’t play it safe at all: having a wide range of inlfuences covering Neil Young, Léo Ferré and the German Kosmische Musik, Shakey records and spreads his quite personal style without seeming to care much of pleasing the average audience. Having recently releasedan album with Ted Melvins, and still working on several projects, Shakey kindly replied the Awa-news interview.

-Nice to meet you, Kevin. Please use three words to introduce yourself.
Kevin Shakey: Strange, Loner and Electric.

-What brought you to become an active musician?
Kevin Shakey: Music herself.

-Kosmische Musik is a strong influence of yours. Do you think of bringing it to a further step, making something revolutionary with it?
Kevin Shakey: Oh no, the KM is just one of my influence, but I don’t (and I don’t really want) to make it.
I am very electric in music, and I heard many different style of music.
I think I make “indie music”, because I record many different things, like folk song, or drone, electronic things, rock, and other.
I don’t want any label for my work, I record all that I want, I got no limit in my brain and in my heart.

-Among your work, what is the piece that you think represents you the most, and why?
Kevin Shakey: Very difficult question, I got just one album and a side project (Ted Melvins), and I record many things for the next album. But I don’t got the answer, excuse me.

-Any song you’re ashamed of, and why?
Kevin Shakey: Good question: I don’t know too.

-If you had a magic wand, in what band would you play right now?
Kevin Shakey: With the Climax Golden Twins or Shellac.

-What would you say to Awa-news readers who might not know you, to convince them to listen to your albums?
Kevin Shakey: Let me sleep, let me dream.

-Would you like to live in a specific place just to be influenced by its atmosphere, like David Bowie did in Berlin?
Kevin Shakey: In Bordeaux, because this is a very beautiful place, and the musical scene is very good.
Or maybe record in Quebec city, because I love this place, and I really want travel in Canada one day.
Barcelona too, to record music about Antonio Gaudi work.

-Last but not least, would you openly admit that you are an Awaken fan?
Kevin Shakey: When I listen to “Beppu Nights” and “I Know Time Is Passing By…” live at Radio SI, I want to cry, because Snowcat got a beautiful voice, and an very important emotion through it. I love to me magnetised by Awa’ record, that’s a real pleasure to discover new records, and Gilles is a very cool guy, and I love it.
Links:  http://www.myspace.com/kevinshakey

What happened on December some years ago?

Let’s jump into Awa-news’ time machine…

01/12/1988: Jerry Garcia, from the Grateful Dead, releases his “Almost Acoustic” album.

31/12/1948: Hello Donna Summer!

18/12/1987: Bye bye Conny Plank, producer of Kraftwerk, Killing Joke, Gianna Nannini, and a bunch of others…

You like Awaken? You *will* like this album:

SIEDAH GARRETT, Kiss Of Life (1988)

Suddenly famous thanks to her contribution to Michael Jackson’s Bad, Siedah Garrett seized the opportunity to record  her album on the following year: Kiss Of Life. Although released on the Quincy Jones’ label Qwest, the Dude doesn’t produce here. However, it sounds like if he had been there: tasty digital synthezisers, strong drumprogramming, amazing synth-bass lines, well, that kind of high-class electro-funk, with inspired songwriting and the great voice of Mrs Garrett. Some sounds seem to come directly from Jackson’s Bad with a slice of Thriller’s Rod Temperton unmistakable style, but Kiss Of Life has a life on its own and is strongly recommended by yours truly. No filler to regret, only strong and quality-oriented songs, like the swinging gem “The Legend Of Ruby Diamond”, the powerful “Refuse To Be Loose” (what a beat!) or the smooth sexy “Nobody Does Me”… On the trivia part, it’s fun to hear that her  “Baby’s Got It Bad” is actually Michael Jackson’s “Got The Hots”. Copyrights, anyone?

Links: http://www.siedah.com/

What’s hot on the web side? Awa-net surfed for you and found this:

DIAGONALE

With the decline of record companies and the easy access to the internet, underground labels flourish everywhere on the web. This is a kind of revenge toward a system that ignored artists through the years, like the punk revolution in 1976. Diagonale Music is a kind of  label created by Kevin Shakey (see our interview above) and Matt Reen to release their own side-projects, in order to gain more and more freedom in their music.
Wotnot and Ted Melvins are the first ones on the list.
Feel free to visit Diagonale, listen to their artists and, why not, submit your own work. Who knows?…

Links: http://www.myspace.com/diagnoalemusic

http://www.myspace.com/matthreen

http://www.myspace.com/kevinshakey

Marco Mariani will tell us about his musical visions and projects, while you’ll find a way to discover the Xmas 45rpm from Snowcat and know if Xmas will be the same thus year… or not.

Take care and see you!

email: awamail(at)hellokitty.com

Awaken main sites: www.awaken.be

www.beppunights.com

It’s Oh! Music

© AWAKEN-Awanews-

[downloadable pdf version here]

n°12, 26th of November, 2009

Dear friends, fans and passing smiles,

time is time, time is passing by, every year it’s getting shorter… so, time to…

…jump into Awa-news number 12!

Artists sometimes say very smart sentences, with or without knowing.

It’s rock’n'roll philosophy time!

An audience is like a dame. If it ain’t sincere, it’s over. (Frank Sinatra)

What are the hottest news in Awaken’s Universe?

Awa-news library

From now on, all issues of Awa-news are stored on It’s Oh! Music site! Complete your collection now!

Links: http://its-oh.web2.jp/blog/yukineko/?page_id=156

Our interview:

MUZ: I’m a big fan of Awaken!

If you like to put labels and stickers on the music you listen to, I wish you good luck when it comes to define the style of Muz. Like some early King Crimson or late Talk Talk records, Muz doesn’t seem to follow any rule and takes you where you least expected. It can make his albums sometimes difficult to understand, but when everything seems to have been said in music, they’re suddenly refreshingly challenging. The newest one is Hidden Tracks, and is, believe it or not, easier to access for newbies.

-Nice to meet you, Muz. Please use three words to introduce yourself.
-Muz: Virtual musician contemplative.

-Last but not least, would you openly admit that you are an Awaken fan?
-Muz: Yes for sure, I’m a big fan of Awaken!

Links: http://www.jamendo.com/fr/artist/MUZ

http://www.myspace.com/jmamuz

What’s hot on the web side? Awa-net surfed for you and found this:

M!OSAIC:

“Find Out Your Missing Pieces In Our Show!“

The indie music scene is no longer only a counterpower from angry musicians against the establishment, it kinda became an establishment in itself. The scene grew up thanks to the arrogance and contempt from profit-only-based record companies. Indies labels became what majors are not anymore: companies that search for the balance between art and profit.

The indie scene not only has labels, but also distributors, shops (the wonderful CD Baby) and online radios. M!osaic is not “just one more indie online radio”, it is a unique site focussing on the Vietnamese music scene with news, articles, reviews, interviews, a user-friendly interface and, last but not least, that avoids the annoying gossip that spoils medias nowadays.

M!osaic started in 2007 through channels like Yahoo!360 (famous among Vietnamese people) and is now running on its own. Their slogan is appealing and promising: “Find Out Your Missing Pieces In Our Show!”.

So, how about a visit to M!osaic to discover more about Vietnamese music and, why not, find out your missing piece?

URL:  http://www.m-mosaic.com/

What happened on November some years ago?

Let’s jump into Awa-news’ time machine…

22/11/1988: Pink Floyd release Delicate Sound of Thunder, their first live album since 1969 Ummagumma.

25/11/1974: Nick Drake lets the needle do the damage.

27/11/1959: Simple Minds’ guitar player Charlie Burchill comes to Earth. The picture doesn’t show Mr Burchill, but the unexpected power of his wild guitar soli on the audience.

You like Awaken? You *will* like this album:

GENESIS, Wind & Wuthering (1977)

Music and autumn are good friends.  What other season can depict nostalgia like autumn? What other music than the melancholic tunes of Genesis can represent the falling leaves, the smell of the wood under a storm, and the noise of a fire in a house in mid-November?
Wind & Wuthering is one of those zero-default albums, where high-technology of the second half of the 70’s is perfectly matching a high level of musical skills and inspiration. It shows a bunch of beautiful complex ideas from Tony Banks (“One For The Vine”, “All In A Mouse’s Night”), a splendid and moving piece from Hackett and Collins (“Blood On The Rooftops”), a gentle folk song from Rutherford (“Your Own Special Way”) and great group efforts that shows an alchemy that could hardly get better. That might be why Hackett left after the tour, leaving the three remaining members become a strong nucleus that would write many more great pieces in the future.
Banks is at his peak (but he would stay there two more decades, at least until the wonderful Calling All Stations), Collins gets more and more involved into the songwriting -and his voice tends to have moments of pure emotion, Hackett is so inspired that he finds Genesis too restrictive for him, and Rutherford is kind of waking up, before writing his real masterpieces on the next two albums (“Say It’s Alright Joe”, “Snowbound”, “Man Of Our Times” and “Alone Tonight”).
If you’re looking for beautiful and skilful songwriting, nostalgic British atmosphere, classy synthesizers, creative drumming yet accessible to newbies’ ears, Wind & Wuthering is for you. If you’re more into a kind of gentle violence, you might prefer The Lamb, Duke or Calling All Stations. If the 70’s are not your taste, jump on Genesis (1983), the best Synclavier-based album ever! I you’d rather remember the early days with springtime organ, Nursery Cryme is what you need. You want simple songs? From Genesis To Revelation must be in your turntable! Now if you don’t like anything from Genesis, I wonder why you’re still reading this article.
Links: http://www.genesis-fr.com

Is there a place for experimental music in 2009? Kevin Shakey tells us everything. What else you want to know? You sure can wait one more week…

Take care and see you!

email: awamail(at)hellokitty.com

Awaken main sites: www.awaken.be

www.beppunights.com

It’s Oh! Music

© AWAKEN-Awanews-

[downloadable pdf version here]

n°11, 19th of November, 2009

Dear friends, fans and passing smiles,

what’s the common ground between John Lennon, dirty toilets, Awanyth, Art Garfunkel and Awaken? Read this Awa-news n°11 if you want to know! Hmpf!

Time to read!

Artists sometimes say very smart sentences, with or without knowing.

It’s rock’n'roll philosophy time, the quote of the week!

If being an egomaniac means I believe in what I do and in my art or music, then in that respect you can call me that. I believe in what I do, and I’ll say it. (John Lennon)

What are the hottest news in Awaken’s Universe?

Dear Awaken,…

Why should you write  letter to Awaken? To win the rare websingle that included “Seaside Casino Romance”, “Sunset On Your Secrets” and “Summer Clouds Hotel”. It was available in 2002, do you remember? Maybe you don’t. Surely you want to hear that rare record. Yes? Really? Read below:

Write a review of “My Last Evening In Ôita” and win 3 rare songs of Awaken! How to do?
1. Listen to the single here: http://bit.ly/3nv4Kt
2. Write your feelings (follow the link under the single or send email at awamail(at)hellokitty.com or write here)
3. I send you a secret link to download the 3 songs! And your opinion will be published on Awa-net.
OK? Start the race now!

プレゼントが欲しかったら、珍しい歌を聴きたかったら、『My Last Evening In  大分』についてレビューを書いて下さい。
どうしょう？
1. リンクhttp://bit.ly/3nv4Ktをクリックして、『My Last Evening In 大分』と『Chase Around 大分駅』を聞いて。
2. 意見を書いて、メールsnowcat_the_neko(at)hellokitty.comで送って下さい。 このBLOGで書いても良いよ。
3. 僕は秘密のリンクを送ります。珍しいAWAKENの歌のダウンロードが出来ます！そして意見はAwa-netの中読まれる。
分かりましたか？
レビューを待ってます！
宜しくお願いします。
雪猫ジル

Nếu bạn viết ý kiến về bài hát “My Last Evening In Ôita” thì có thể nhận 3 bài hát hiếm có của Awaken!
Làm thế nào ?
1. Nghe “My Last Evening In Ôita” ở đây: http://bit.ly/3nv4Kt
2. Viết ý kiến rồi cho tôi gửi bằng email (awamail(at)hellokitty.com) hoặc trên Blog này.
3. Tôi sẽ cho bạn gửi một link bí mật để download 3 bài hát hiếm có!
Hiểu chưa? Viết nhé!

Our interview:

AMANYTH: What the fuck?

As a Sousbock or TrustNo1 fan, the name of Amanyth isn’t totally unknown from you. Expert in electro beats, strong sound and modern beats, the man behind the album Let’s Dream To Each Other kindly accepted to reply Awa-news’ questions. Let’s talk to each other:

-Nice to meet you, Mr Amanyth. Please use three words to introduce yourself.
-Amanyth: Hi! 3 words: Heterochromia, friendship, music.

-If you had a magic wand, in what band would you play right now?
-Amanyth: Ghinzu, if we talk about active bands, maybe. In my dreams, I often play for the Pink Floyd! Tony Banks is really too good…I can’t even dream to play with Genesis!

-Have you asked 100 people what does it mean to be a man in love?
-Amanyth: Yes, of course! I’m a civil servant, and have nothing else to do.

-Last but not least, would you openly admit that you are an Awaken fan?
-Amanyth: What the fuck?

Links: http://amanyth.blogspot.com/

Inspiration can hide in the most surprising places:

Were high-school toilets *that* dirty?

You all remember your high school days, don’t you ? Some of you are still in high school, some not yet, and some left loooong ago. But for most of us, high school remains one of the most important event in our life. Wherever you are: Europe, Asia, America, Africa, Russia…

Remember the touch of the paper when the pen was scratching it to copy what the teacher wrote, or just to write a love letter ? Remember the smell of the classroom, the wooden chairs and overused tables ? Remember the voice of the teacher trying to keep the class quiet, but hardly beating the noise of 25 students trying their best to beat Deep Purple as “the loudest band in the world” ? Remember the sweet taste of the ice cream you bought between classes, or the glass of beer you secretly ‘imported’ to drink –but in vain- during the math class ? Remember the terrific “perfume” of the toilets –probably even worse than the ones of Shinjuku Station in Japan.

High school days last only a few years. What are 6 years in a 90 years lifetime ? 1/15th! But somehow these days were the most intense and, despite a bunch of depressing times, the most missed in many ex-students’ life.

That’s why, maybe unconsciously, I was led to release the album “Party In Lyceum’s Toilets” a few years ago. In the parallel universe of Awaken, the toilets of my high school were a mysterious place, a kind of corridor between real and unreal, a place to escape reality of scolding teachers and boring lessons. The smell was horrible, I admit. Terrible. Repulsing. But still, it was a haven and once the door was locked, one could feel safe from a world that they imagine scarier than it actually was.
“Party In Lyceum’s Toilets” is for those who never forgot that part of adolescence, those who still feel slightly wild despite a quieter everyday life. “Party In Lyceum’s Toilets” is more than just music, “Party In Lyceum’s Toilets” is the haven that your high school toilets were.

Thanks to CD Baby, “Party In Lyceum’s Toilets” is now easily available online (cdbaby.com/cd/awakenmusic). The object being rare, don’t miss the opportunity of getting your own copy now!
Ah, before giving you the 9 best reasons to connect to CD Baby to get your double CD, let me explain you that “lyceum” is an old word that used to mean “high school” in some countries. Don’t be confused, since it also can show a cultural hall in some parts of the world. Enough said, let’s jump to…

9 good reasons to get Party In Lyceum’s Toilets

1. PiLT is a true collector.
Only 500 copies have been printed in 2001, and most of them have been sold already. The few copies remaining are now quite rare and will not be reprinted.

2. PiLT is a big part of Awaken’s History.
Since most of you fans have joined the club since “Chú Mèo Ngủ Quên”, “Cà Phê & Pizza” or “Beppu Nights”, you might not necessary know our past stuff. This is really a must-have in every Awaken fan’s Cd-theque.

3. PiLT has been released on Valentine Day!
Though it was due to an unexpected accident from the print company, this is a sign that the mantra “Every day is Valentine Day” was active before its creation.

4. PiLT is a real and tangible object.
Not only it features more than 2 hours of Awaken’s music, but also it offers what mp3 can’t give you : a tangible piece of collector, with its 12-pages booklet and double CD jewel box wrapped into a delicate film of cellophane.

5. PiLT is an official commercial release.
Not a bootleg, nor a home-made CD-r, PiLT is one of the rare true commercial releases of Awaken, that makes it even more collectible nowadays.

6. The piece of PiLT you’ll buy is an original 2001 print.
As it has never been reprinted since then, the piece you will get is a true original one from 2001.

7. PiLT is full of Awaken’s classics!
Which past songs could be the equal of today’s favorite “Beppu Nights” or “Áo Dài Màu Hồng”, if not PiLT’s angry “I’ll Disagree”, danceable “Cold As My Heart”, darkest “Neons Of Lyceum’s Toilets” or sensual “Down The Drain” ?

8. Awaken was a real band to record PiLT.
If the recent Awaken stuff only features a few musicians, PiLT is the witness of an era when Awaken was evolving as a band. 4 members and 12 guest musicians have been working on the recording and release of this album.

9. Awaken, as a cat, has 9 lives.
PiLT is a part of them. A music experience more than just a CD. Remember, we all only have 9 lives. Why not spend one of them listening to PiLT ?

Thank you for your faithfulness into Awaken’s Magnetic Soul ~ Love Music

What happened on November some years ago?

Let’s jump into Awa-news’ time machine…

05/11/1941: The golden voice of Art Garfunkel comes to Earth.

19/11/1983: Badfinger’s bassist Tommy Evans decides to leave this world. Rumour has it that money was a big part of his depressive state. No wonder…

14/11/1988: Milli Vanilli releases “All Or Nothing”, an album on which they only appear on the cover pictures. Wonder if the overdubs have been recorded by Peter Gabriel or Simple Minds…

You like Awaken? You *will* like this album:

VANILLA FUDGE, Mystery (1984)

Vanilla Fudge is the band that heavily influenced Deep Purple back in 1968. Carmine Appice, Mark Stein, Tim Bogert and Vince Martell were famous for their creative covers of standards of pop and soul, full of Hammond organ, heavy bass, frantic drumming and… some guitar.

In 1984, like their “disciple” Deep Purple, Vanilla Fudge came back with a fresh, modern and inspired album, Mystery. This ain’t a parody of their early days: gone is the Hammond, Mark Stein focusses on synthesizers only, Carmine Appice is not afraid of trying some electronic percussions and Tim Bogert slaps here and there, when he’s not hidden by some keyboards. Martell is present on two tracks where he can hardly be heard. Jeff Beck plays guitar (under a nickname, you’ll find easily), along with Ron Mancuso.

Featuring mostly original songs and only a few covers, Mystery is a great record, totally underrated. “Golden Age Dreams” is a melodic gem (later covered by Awaken) and… why don’t you just listen to Mystery??? Mark’s voice shine. Great playing, great songs, great covers. What else can we ask? Great great album…

Links: http://www.vanillafudge.com

More or less, all or nothing? Who knows…

Take care and see you on issue 12!

email: awamail(at)hellokitty.com

Awaken main sites: www.awaken.be

www.beppunights.com

It’s Oh! Music

© AWAKEN-Awanews-

[downloadable pdf version here]

n°10, 12th of November, 2009

Dear friends, fans and passing smiles,

what more can you expect than an interview with Sousbock’s leader Sébastien Bournier, a new collaboration Trust No 1 / Snowcat and more tips to travel in Japan? Philosophy, reviews and time machine? You got everything here!

OK, time to jump into Awa-news number 10!

Artists sometimes say very smart sentences, with or without knowing.

It’s rock’n'roll philosophy time!

After about three lessons, my voice teacher said, “Don’t take voice lessons. Do it your way. You’re a song stylist. Always do it your way.” (Johnny Cash)

The notion is that if you want to welcome me with open arms, I’m afraid you’re also going to have to welcome me with open legs. (Gene Simmons)

The difference between a good performance and a great performance is a nap. (George Burns)

What are the hottest news in Awaken’s Universe?

TRUST NO ONE & GILLES SNOWCAT’S COLLABORATION ALBUM

With something that one full-lenght album a month, Trust No 1 can be considered as one of the most prolific musician in the indies world.
After a collaboration with Squonk 66, Amanyth and Sousbock, and before hearing him on the new Awaken single, Trust No One hired Gilles Snowcat to appear on the new album, “Spoiled By Purity”.
As usual, Trust No One plays all the instruments, while Snowcat sings and adds a few synthesizers and organ. Two songs were co-written by the two bad cats: “Spoiled By Purity” and “Once Bitten In Greece”.

Links: http://www.archive.org/details/SpoiledByPurity

http://www.myspace.com/treustnowane

Our interview:

SOUSBOCK’S SEBASTIEN BOURNIER: Girls! And Phil Collins.

A drummer who gradually became singer, doesn’t it remind you of someone? Ringo Starr, Peter Criss or Phil Collins? Or Don Henley? You got it all wrong. We’re talking about Sébastien “bARGIO” Bournier, the leader of French band Sousbock since 1998.  Seb is also known for being the first drummer to have recorded a studio track with Awaken, the single version of “I Know Time Is Passing By…”, and he’s featured on the next single to be released this year.

For the new Sousbock album, Lune & L’autre, Seb decided to hire a bunch of external songwriters -to add to the Sousbock team Aurélien Bournier and Nicolas Leroy-, instead of doing all the job by himself. He only contributed to the poems and a nice instrumental track, “Halo”. The result of the whole album is beyond expectations: the album rocks! It is a fresh, innovative and daring record taht doesn’t deserve the restricted “rock français” sticker anymore. From the introspective “Ce Coeur Qui Bat” to a frighteningly depressive “Rechute”, the album covers grounds belonging to classy progressive, pop or hard-rock, with a slight touch of AOR and even slices of jazz-rock. Amazing!

Awaken fans already know that “Gouttes De Pluie” is a composition from the ol’ Snowcat, written surrounded by the energizing atmosphere of Beppu City in the winter of 2008.

Nuf said, time to let Seb tell you everything!

-Nice to meet you, Seb. Please use three words to introduce yourself.
-Seb: Nice to meet you too (again). Three words. Not about me I suppose, but about the “musical me”. Well, in that case it would be “songwriter” (I HATE the “auteur / compositeur” thing that is used in French. I’m just some random guy who writes songs). “Drummer” because it’s my favorite instrument, it’s the first one and the one I enjoy the most. And then “Singer” because, well, I sing on my records even though I hate that.

-Sousbock just released its 4th album. What’s new compared to older albums?
-Seb: Well almost everything because it’s a concept album. No! Don’t run away. It’s not some boring old progressive rock double album concept. After three albums that I almost wrote alone, I felt that it was time for something new. So I had the idea to send lyrics to friends. And they all agreed to write the music for them. So the concept is “one song, one music writer”. And it’s a pretty damn good album I believe. A hard one to make (there is always a problem child!!!) but in the end I’m really proud of it. And I can say that without problem because I only write one piece of music for it (which has no lyrics, so it’s the first “real” Sousbock Instrumental). And of course, he is not that new, because he was there for the previous one, there is Nico who is I believe, the most important musical encounter that I ever made. Extra Bonus for Awaken’s fans: Mister Snowcat himself agreed to contribute one song!!!!

-Among your work, what is the piece that you think represents you the most, and why?
-Seb: A tough one, but I guess that everyone answer this the same way. Well, three songs come to mind. Obviously the first one that “is” the spirit of Sousbock : “Amnesia”. Then comes “Veilleur des ombres” which is a 22 minutes song that contains all the emotions that I love. From the pop-rock of “2h03″ to the depressive, more artistic and instrumental part of “Une ombre”. Then there is this song, from the not yet released fifth album: “Le vide et l’imparfait”. It combines both sides (hello Phil) of Sousbock : the pop-rock and the depressive rock. It will also be released on the EOAIAO compilation Evidence(s). That’s why it’s hard to name one song, because there is “Both sides of the Sousbock”. Some light, pop, and joyful songs and some darker, heavier, more depressive ones…

-What would you say to Awa-news readers who might not know you, to convince them to listen to your albums?
-Seb: Well, if you’re looking for nice French music (well, I sing in French, sorry everyone, but it’s Mister Snowcat himself that convinced me to NEVER record my songs in English again), you might want to try Sousbock. That’s pop-rock. Not clever, not new, not a revolution, but genuine music, and as I said earlier, there is different kind of songs. So I would be surprised if you don’t find one that you don’t like!! (and now I hope that everyone will listen to Sousbock, trying to prove me wrong, and that some among will be hooked !)

-You played a gig with Pete Trevawas of Marillion. How did it happen?
-Seb: He came for the Marillion French Fan Club’s Garden Party. He asked for a guitar. So I brought two guitars, one piano, mics etc… When he saw all of this he asked me to play with him. So we chose the setlist together (Marillion songs, although he proposed me to play some of my own songs, but I declined), he let me sing on many songs, and he is a truly wonderful amazing guy. I will never thank him enough for this!

-Last but not least, would you openly admit that you are an Awaken fan?
-Seb: Of course I will! Furthermore, I’m the drummer for the band for many years now (I still have the email from Mister Snowcat when he asked me to become the drummer!!) even though I only played on two songs and sang on one. I made a cover of my favorite Awaken song, but I’m not that proud of it because I made it in only one hour. I really hope that someday I will have the time to record it again in a proper way.
Thanks for this and love from the planet Sousbock to all Awaken’s fans!
Links:  www.sousbock-fr.com

http://www.myspace.com/sousbock

9 steps to live your life more meaningfully:

How to travel in Japan? (part 2)

So you are in Japan and you wisely decided to avoid those gaijin-communities and bars where you would only meet Westerners? Good idea. Now that you’re on your own, your actually not alone at all: you can always count on Japanese people’s friendliness and help, and with a little vocabulary, you will be able to get into the best part of Japanese life (the worst being the work, but I assume that you’re a visitor and that you don’t have to work). You need to eat (which in Japan, each bite is an orgasm), wear clothes, read books? Don’t worry, you can have anything for cheap. And with a good quality. Let yourself be guided by Awa-news now!

1. Joyfull / Cocosu / Sushi Meijin (chain restaurants)　ジョイフル / ココス / 寿司めいじん

The name “Joyfull” tells it all: you eat full stomach and enjoy it. Who said chain restaurants were unhealthy and expensive? Joyfull offers you an interesting choice of meat, fish, rice and everything Japanese or Western for a friendly price. As a bonus, you can have a drink-bar nomihoudai (drink as much as you want) and a soup bar, a treat in winter. Cocosu has its own specialities and attracts customers thanks to Doraemon. Then, a chain restaurant for sushi, is it a good idea? Well, when you taste the sushi in Meijin, the answer is clear: YES! Meijin is a kaiten-shushi, which means the dishes circulate between customers on a moving track, and you just pick up what you want. 1 dish is only 105yen and features two tasty pieces of sushi. You can always order more by pushing the bell above you, and a friendly staff will run to take your order. The green tea is free and you drink as much as you want, useful to know when soy sauce is rather salty.

2. Family restaurants

A wonderful way to discover the real Japan is to eat at those small and friendly restaurants, where you can eat big bowls of raamen with a huge glass of nama-bi-ru (fresh beer) while answering the friendly questions of other customers or owners. Never miss an opportunity to eat at a family restaurant, and don’t be shy when it comes to push the door: you will always remember experiences like that.

3. Ichiban Kan (tabehoudai) 一番官

Tabehoudai! You eat as much as you want during 1 hour or more (but then the price increases, be warned!). 1 hour is short, though, since you have to grill the meat and veggies by yourself. Better go with someone so you can share the duties. Some crowded days can slow down the process too, so try to go there before or after rush hours. Ichiban Kan has sushi too, but not always as tasty as in a real sushi-ya. Drinks and desserts are without restriction too, which makes me advice you: go there with an empty stomach!

4. Sanrio Shop / Gift Gate　サンリオショップ / ギフトゲート

Japan is a paradise for Hello Kitty fans. The cute Cat is everywhere, in several versions following the part of Japan you live in, and 3 times cheaper than in Europe or US. Sanrio has official shops with a lot of Kittychan stuff, from toys to sexy panties, from notebooks to DVD players, from pens to pillows, from postcards to calendars, well… everything is there!

5. Tokiwa / YouMe Town (depaato)　トキハ / YouMeTown

Those big department stores can have different types of customers, Tokiwa being more traditional and YouMe Town more fashion-oriented, but they all offer a huge variety of products at various prices, with often a floor dedicated to a 100 yen shop. Honeys in Tokiwa is a must for clothes. Usually, the basement is the food department, with the famous bentou boxes, that give you a delicious and healthy meal to take away.

6. Marushoku / Daie / Cosmos / Hirose (supermarkets, drugstores)　マルショク / Ｄａｉｅ / コスモス / ヒロセ

Japanese supermarkets and drugstores, temples of good food, fresh or frozen, and a wide variety of drinks including sake and shochu.

7. Daisou & other 100 yen shops　ザ・ダイソウ

Although with the taxes nothing really costs 100 yen but 105, you can really live for cheap in Japan if you shop in The Daisou or 100-yen-Plaza regularly. They have absolutely everything, and last but not least most of the items are sold for 105 yens. The few ones that cost 210yen, 315yen or more areclearly mentioned and even the staff will ask you if you noticed the difference when it’s time to pay.

8. Book Off / Off House

Second hand books, CDs, DVDs, videogames, magazines, clothes, Hello Kitty, bookcases, fans, heaters, juicers, toys, tables, bags, chairs, guitars, fridges… what else? Go there and see. A nice place to visit anytime.

9. 7/11, Family Mart (Kombini)　コンビに

Kombini (convenience stores) are everything you need to survive at night. You can compare them with night-shops but with a wider choice.

On part 3, we’ll visit Yamada Denki and take a drink on a vending machine. Stay connected!

Links: http://www.japan-guide.com

What happened on November some years ago?

Let’s jump into Awa-news’ time machine…

15/11/1988: Crosy Stills Nash and Young come back with the modern-sounding “American Dream”.

17/11/1980: Clarke Isaac Hanson (Hanson) says hello to the world. Remember Hanson?

23/11/1969: Donnell Clyde ‘Spade’ Cooley, swing musician, says bye bye to the world and probably meets his wife Ella Mae Evans up there, wife that he killed by himself previously.

You like Awaken? You *will* like this album:

LIPPS INC., 4 (1983)

Best known for the still widely famous “Funky Town”,  Lipps Inc is a project by multi-instrumentist Steven Greenberg and guest singers and players. There’s obviously a Lipps Inc type of sound, from 1979 till that last LP in 1983. Something thin yet danceable, funky and a bit robotic, with female voices and layers of synthesizers. The album 4 (which is, could you guess, the 4th one)  is a bit darker and deeper than the 3 previous ones, with great tunes like “Obsessed”, “Never Could Be Sorry” and “Addicted To The Night”. “Choir Practice” is a funny gospel-influenced electronic piece and the closer is a tasty slow-motion funk. I have no idea if 4 is available on CD and I honestly don’t give a shit: you can find a second-hand vinyl easily, why always bothering about digital editions? 4 is Lipps Inc’s best record and you can enjoy a 33rpm, no? I swear it won’t kill you.

Links: http://www.funkytown.com/

Who knows what toorrow might bring?

Take care and see you!

email: awamail(at)hellokitty.com

Awaken main sites: www.awaken.be

www.beppunights.com

It’s Oh! Music

© AWAKEN-Awanews-

[downloadable pdf version here]

n°9, 5th of November, 2009

Dear friends, fans and passing smiles,

number 9… number 9… number 9… the number of the Cats! Happy number 9 to all our friends the bad cats!

Enough said, time to jump into Awa-news number 9!

Artists sometimes say very smart sentences, with or without knowing.

It’s rock’n'roll philosophy time!

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. (Eleanor Roosevelt)

If a man gets up in the morning, goes to bed at night, and does what he pleases in between, he’s a success. (Bob Dylan)

You do not merely want to be considered just the best of the best. You want to be considered the only ones who do what you do. (Jerry Garcia)

What are the hottest news in Awaken’s Universe?

Sessions, sessions

After having written the song “Gouttes De Pluie” in the wonderful Beppu City for the new Sousbock album Lune Et L’autre, Gilles Snowcat the old Cat sang and co-wrote two pieces on the forthcoming TrustNoOne record. And some synths too. To be released soon, as usual with prolific TrustNoOne!

Moreover, the Old Cat has been caught playing a few synthesizers on the forthcoming single of Japanese singer Morry Ken, on the It’s Oh! Music indies label.

To be continued!

Our interview:

JOHN SINCLAIR: Effective communication

It was obvious: John Sinclair *had* to be in Awa-news. For two reasons: 1) his keyboards style in the Heavy Metal Kids and Uriah Heep are among Awaken’s notable influences; and 2) because he since became hypnotherapist, a discipline that has a fascinating impact on the Awaken Universe. Back to his days of intensive touring, John joined Uriah Heep for the Abominog album, after Mick Box had done a cleaning-up of the band. Instead of copying Ken Hensley, Sinclair brought his own bunch of skills and influences, focussing on synthesizers and giving Uriah Heep a fresher sound. On the three albums he recorded with Uriah Heep, Sinclair painted the music with creative and colorful sounds. Just listen to the album version of “Think It Over”, “Sweet Talk”, “Poor Little Rich Girl”, or the surprising “Rockarama”. Still into music but not touring like in the past, John Sinclair, busy since he became a qualified hypnotherapist, kindly accepted to be interviewed byAwa-news.

-Nice to meet you, John. Please use three words to introduce yourself.
-John Sinclair: How you doin’?

-What brought you to become an active musician?
-John Sinclair: My father bought a piano, and I was the only one that could play it.

-Now you became a hypnotherapist. Music can have some power that could, in a way, be compared to some kind of hypnosis. How do you use your musical sensitivity to practice hypnosis?
-John Sinclair: Hypnotherapy is about effective communication, as is music.

-Among your work, what is the piece that you think represents you the most, and why?
-John Sinclair: I’ve not done it yet.

-Any song you’re ashamed of, and why?
-John Sinclair: I’ve not done that yet either.

-If you had a magic wand, in what band would you play right now?
-John Sinclair: The Average White Band. Actually if I had a magic wand, I’d probably sell it and buy a bigger Pro Tools system.

-What would you say to Awa-news readers who might not know you, to convince them to listen to the albums you contributed to?
-John Sinclair: I’d prefer they make their own choices.

-Can you tell us more about the current musical projects that involve you?
-John Sinclair: All stage musical material, but I am working with an 80’s inspired pop/rock band.

-Last but not least, would you openly admit that you are an Awaken fan?
-John Sinclair: I would admit it if I was, but I’ve not seen it.

Links: http://www.johntsinclair.co.uk/

What happened on November some years ago?

Let’s jump into Awa-news’ time machine…

15/11/1976: Kiss releases Rock & Roll Over. The Catman and Spaceman are real here (not the fake ones from 2009) .

11/11/1989: Birth of Japanese idol Reina Tanaka (Morning Musume).

16/11/1982: Death of bebop jazz pianist Al Haig.

You like Awaken? You *will* like this album:

PAUL McCARTNEY, Tug Of War (1982)

It’s not always easy to be a legend. When he just turns 40 and still full of projects, the public eye sees Paul McCartney as the member of the Beatles and, despite his success with Wings or in solo, the left-handed bass player knows that whatever he does will be compared to his past work. But something like 20 years after the rise of the Fab Four’s popularity, McCartney proves that he’s more inspired than ever. Tug Of War is a fucking good album, and although it’s a solo record, it features some guests that would make any fan happy to hear play there: George Martin, Ringo Starr, Stevie Wonder, Al McKay, Steve Gadd, Dave Mattacks, Carl Perkins, Stanley Clarke, Eric Stewart, Denny Laine…
The sessions of Tug Of War started in October 1980 as a Wings album, but the sadness due to death of John Lennon made McCartney and Martin stop everything until February of 1981. The song “Here Today” (later covered by Awaken) was written for him. There’s a bunch of excellent stuff on Tug Of War, like “Take It Away” with Ringo and George Martin, “What’s That You’re Doing” with Stevie Wonder, the funky-rocking “Dress Me Up As A Robber” or the splendid “Here Today”. Nothing to forget on Tug Of War, this is a true McCartney piece of art. Who said the 80’s were sad times????!!!

Links: http://www.paulmccartney.com/

Seb Bournier from Sousbock tells the ugly truth about Snowcat and more tips to travel in Japan. And? And? More!

Take care and see you!

email: awamail(at)hellokitty.com

Awaken main sites: www.awaken.be

www.beppunights.com

It’s Oh! Music

© AWAKEN-Awanews-

[downloadable pdf version here]

n°8, 29th of October, 2009

Dear friends, fans and passing smiles,

first of all let’s wish a happy birthday to our friend Hello Kitty on theis 1st of November!

This autumn is full of new releases! While Snowcat’s My Last Evening In Ôita online 45rpm is already in your ears, heart and minds, the new album from Sousbock,  well known group from you Awaken fans, is out! It features a different songwriter for each song, while lyrics are all penned by the leader Sebastien “Bargio” Bournier. Seb will be interviewed in Awa-news n°10 to reveal you all the secrets of this masterpiece called Lune Et L’Autre.The third song, “Gouttes De Pluie”, was written by yours truly Snowcat the old Cat.

1 – Ce coeur qui bat
2 – La tête en avant
3 – Gouttes de pluie
4 – Horloge interne
5 – Lune noire
6 – Halo
7 – En sursis
8 – Rechute

Link: http://www.sousbock-fr.com/sousbock/index.php?page=lela

Kiss also released their new album, Sonic Boom, the first collection of new songs since 1998’s Psycho Circus. Even though the cover looks kinda cool, don’t be fooled by the images: “Peter Criss” and “Ace Frehley” are fake ones. They’re just the new members Eric Singer and Thommy Thayer wearing the make-up of the Catman and the Spaceman. Fake fake fake. Even Genesis and their annoying overdubs wouldn’t have done that. Why not giving Thayer and Singer a new make-up? After all, Vinnie Vincent and Eric Carr had their own, they didn’t need to copy Frehley and Criss. The answer is easy to get: Kiss just became a tribute-band of… Kiss. Despite that disappointment, the songs sound nice, thanks to Paul Stanley’s songwriting skills.

OK, time to jump into Awa-news number 8!

Artists sometimes say very smart sentences, with or without knowing.

It’s rock’n'roll philosophy time!

If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music. (Gustav Mahler)

Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life. (Ludwig van Beethoven)

Music is the art which is most nigh to tears and memory. (Oscar Wilde)

What are the hottest news in Awaken’s Universe?

MY LAST EVENING IN ÔITA just released!

Now that’s a great news! The first new songs from Snowcat since last year’s This Mouth (Nha.c cho Em Mèo) collection are out to take you around Ôita station for an unbelievable chase. Meet the office ladies and the cute notes of the mysterious shingô, making that very chase so unique…

Links: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7FL6IRE5

http://home.scarlet.be/~ping9712/awaken-mp3-engl.htm#oita

Our interview:

STÄNI STEINBOCK: It’s a long and winding road indeed!

-Nice to meet you, Stäni. Please use three words to introduce yourself.
-Stäni Steinbock: Hello! I’m Stäni! (3 OK?)

-What brought you to become an active musician?
-Stäni Steinbock: First I must ask what “active” means here? If you mean “why did I start playing an instrument” it’s probably because i saw others do it and got inspired. One of my strongest sources of inspiration to start was, of course (for my generation) the Beatles.

-You’re on the music scene for a long time. Can you describe that long road for Awa-news readers?
-Stäni Steinbock: Ooh! It’s a long and winding road (!) indeed: I sang in the school choir and a little before I was to turn 13 I started learning how to play guitar. I played with schoolmates etc. Later started studying classical guitar and, almost at the same time, also electric guitar – I started out originally on acoustic steel-string.
At the conservatory I met Reijo Lainela whom I recognised from the Finnish-British Folk Club in Helsinki, where we had seen each other. We found out we had similar tastes in music and got along well and started to play together.
I moved to Sweden (1979), but we still both performed and recorded together under the name “Kra” ( http://www.cdbaby.com/kramusic )
released 4 singles and two vinyl albums in the 80’s (out of print except for a few singles – contact me if you’re interested!) + a LIVE-cassette. Reijo says it’s so bad he doesn’t want to re-release it even on CDR (!). Maybe I should upload it to my MySpace page or Reverbnation?
In Sweden I found my dream drummer, Lars Lundbom, who now lives on New Zeeland, and he played on two Kra singles and the first album. He also wrote two of our finest songs, La Balena and Rosa Moln (which you can hear on his myspace page) plus played on several of our tours, other gigs and on Finnish National TV.
In 1991 I got a job as a sound FX designer/sound techie/in-house composer at a theatre in Finland, so I moved there, buried Kra, and wrote / recorded some music for that theatre instead (you can hear some at http://www.reverbnation.com/stanisteinbock), but after 9 years got enough of it, organised the recording of a new Kra CD (we also played on Finnish TV) “Guttural Shock” and moved to the Åland Islands which is where my old lady comes from.
On Åland I’ve been playing with local musicians, doing audio work, and also some taxi driving (just like Philip Glass!) and teaching, one winter played regularly with a celloist, Kristoffer Arwidsson, with whom we founded Turbotrabi (he likes bad old cars – I like good ones). Turbotrabi got some new life after Kristoffer stopped working on Åland, when I performed in Stockholm with MusicThoughstster Marianne Milde on viola and (old friend & music colleague) Mats Tiigiste on percussion (an Atonal Punk Song recorded live with this ensemble can be heard on http://www.reverbnation.com/stanisteinbock).
I also did a tour of the Faeroe Islands september/october 2008 with Kim Hansson on guitar and Kamilla Ravnsfjall on flute and electric organ. We played music written by me for the Finnish national instrument, the 5-stringed kantele+ other instruments. Pictures and some live recordings on http://www.myspace.com/steinbockstani.
(Tons of details from the abovementioned long road have been left out so as not to write a novel, but I’m grateful for everybody who helped me make my musical dreams come true).

-Among your work, what is the piece that you think represents you the most, and why?
-Stäni Steinbock: That’s an extremely difficult question! I think everything I’ve done does represent me very much! Maybe the songs I did with Kra are closest to my heart, but on the other hand I seem to like my new song “Hoummous for Houdini” a lot too.

-Any song you’re ashamed of, and why?
-Stäni Steinbock: Maybe some songs I wrote a long time ago – pretentious, perhaps, and silly lyrics. Hope that’s enough?

-If you had a magic wand, in what band would you play right now?
-Stäni Steinbock: Kra, I suppose, or perhaps Turbotrabi! But if you mean some band I haven’t founded – I’d love to be in Smiling Men With Bad Reputations with Mike Heron. or à Austrvega, whom I did play with, but which doesn’t seem to exist anymore. Nobody seems to have time for it. Or else maybe a new band where I could have all the right players around me & exchange ideas and create music together, maybe even do so many gigs that we could make a living from it.

-What would you say to Awa-news readers who might not know you, to convince them to listen to your albums?
-Stäni Steinbock: I wouldn’t try to convince them except by describing what I do, hoping there would be someone who would be intrigued enough by that description that they would like to listen to them!
What? You want this description? Hmm… difficult again, cos I seem to do different things: The Kra albums (and singles – maybe one day collected into an album?) are quirky (that’s the term people seem to like to use!) folk music with strains of Reggae, Gamelan, and perhaps some Balkan music. Both Reijo and I are great fans of Spike Jones, so somewhere some of that may creep in, as well as our classical “roots”.  The last Kra album is available on CD or as downloads at http://www.cdbaby.com
There’s a video suitable for your “Year of the cute” campaign to the tune of “Tribal Pursuit”, a song Reijo and I wrote together, on http://www.myspace.com/steinbockstani
The Kantele music I do is mostly “fragile” due to the nature of the instrument, but still I try to inject some variation by using other instruments to accompany it – cello, guitar, sampler, violin etc. There’s an album of it that i hope will be released soon. Soon. Soon…  Listen to some of it on http://www.myspace.com/steinbockstani
Then I have a more experimental side, too, as evidenced by tracks like “Rikkihappo Boogie” on http://www.reverbnation.com/stänisteinbock

-You seem to be a fan of vintage cars. Do you own some, which one(s) and do you use them for an everyday use?
-Stäni Steinbock: I own a Volkswagen Passat 1978, from the year when I went vegetarian, and also the year Kristoffer Arwidsson (the celloist of Turbotrabi) was born. I ride it almost daily, and hope it will pass the annual inspection once more, or maybe twice.
As a reserve car to use when the Passat’s being prepared for the annual inspection, I have a Ford Escort 1988 which I received as a gift from a friend who was about to take it to a scrapyard. I have bought new front shocks for it, which will be installed soon. Very soon, cos the Passat has to be inspected in october, I think.

-Last but not least, would you openly admit that you are an Awaken fan?
-Stäni Steinbock: Absolutely!Links: http://www.reverbnation.com/stänisteinbock

http://www.cdbaby.com/kramusic

http://www.myspace.com/steinbockstani

What happened on October some years ago?

Let’s jump into Awa-news’ time machine…

12/10/1942: Hello Melvin Franklin from The Temptations.

22/10/1979: Bye bye Nadia Boulanger. In her long carreer, she taught music composition to various people, including music genius Philip Glass and Aaron Copland, Vladimir Cosma, George Gershwin, Quincy Jones, Michel Legrand, Astor Piazzolla, to name a few!

29/10/1984: Deep Purple releases “Perfect Strangers”, reuniting after 8 years of separation.

You like Awaken? You *will* like this album:

MỸ TÂM, Yesterday & Now (2003)

There’s no Autumn in Việt Nam, and one could think Vietnamese friends are missing something not to know the pleasure of walking among dead leaves with the sound of Yesterday & Now in their ears. But they have other jooyful moments, and still they have Mỹ Tâm. Mỹ Tâm is a pop diva in the S-shaped country, crossing Eastern and Western influences, old-school Vietnamese songs with modern pop and rock. Vietnamese language is a music in itself and suits very well pop music. Some pieces are borrowed from foreign artists (“Về chốn thiên đường” is Jean-Jacques Goldman’s “Comme Toi”) or classic Vietnamese songs, like the superb “Đêm thấy ta là thác đổ” from Trịnh Công Sơn and the nostalgic piano-driven “Bóng cả”. Not to be forgotten is a splendid cover of Lara Fabian’s “You Are Not From Here”, sung in both English and Vietnamese.

Links: http://www.mytam.info

More about the It’s Oh! Music Radio, an interview with keyboardist John Sinclair (Uriah Heep, Heavy Metal Kids, Ozzy Osbourne),  and whatever you can expect!

Take care and see you!

email: awamail(at)hellokitty.com

Awaken main sites: www.awaken.be

www.beppunights.com

It’s Oh! Music

© AWAKEN-Awanews-

[downloadable pdf version here]

n°7, 22nd of October, 2009

Dear friends, fans and passing smiles,

are you enjoying Awa-news? It seems so, since the number of visits increases every week. Thank you for you faithfulness. This issue, we offer you a present, a rare Awaken item, that will allow you to save up to 100 euros! Also, songwriter Allee Willis, from the Museum Of Kitsch, kindly accepted to answer our questions. Plus our philosophy, album review (Nakashima Mika) and other past events. What else do you need? Some news? Here they are:

Awaken’s friend Kevin Shakey released a new album with Ted Melvins: First.  Their music, based on guitar experimentations, being rather hard to label, I can only advise you to listen and download the whole album here: http://www.jamendo.com/en/album/53590

1. Guitar Lesson
2. Guitar Duet
3. Wyatt Sing A Song
4. Johnny Winter Interlude
5. Das Land Von
6. Budd Dwyer Beat
7. Monkey Goes To Heaven

OK, time to jump into Awa-news number 7!

Artists sometimes say very smart sentences, with or without knowing.

It’s rock’n'roll philosophy time!

Without music life would be a mistake. (Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche)

Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence. (Robert Fripp)

Music should strike fire from the heart of man, and bring tears from the eyes of woman. (Ludwig Van Beethoven)

What are the hottest news in Awaken’s Universe?

AWAKEN OFFERS YOU A COLLECTOR!

Back in the flat 90’s, Awaken was releasing demo tapes, featuring tunes that would later become Awaken’s classics (really?), in different versions than the ones that would later appear on the cd TALES OF ACID ICE CREAM. Four tapes were released: Numb (03/1993), Phase II: Scrappy (09/1993), Zéro Sur Dix: Encore Raté (08/1994, Snowcat solo) and Awaken III: Blurp! (01/1995).

Despite a never ending background noise due to McGyver-like recording techniques, these tapes are now widely appreciated by fans who want to know more about Awaken’s past work. But they became rare, hard-to-find items. For example, Awaken III: Blurp! is sold around 40 euros now and the ultra-rare Phase 2: Scrappy can reach up to 100 euros!

Although Awaken doesn’t even own a copy of Phase 2: Scrappy, we have a digital copy preciously kept on a CD. And this week, we decided to offer a limited free download to the fans who would ask.

How to do? Just send an email to awanews(at)hellokitty.com (replace “at” by “@”) with “Scrappy” in the subject line. TAKE CARE: without that line, your mail could be lost among 254.326 offers of penis enlargers, 471.214 promotions for Viagra and 696.969 proposals. Once we receive your email, we send you a secret link (after 1 or 2 days, following our laziness) and you can download this wonderful demo.

Needless to say, the offer only lasts until next issue of Awa-news, 29th of October, 2009.

And this holy collector is worth 100 euros / 2,646,671 VND / 13,508 JPY … lucky you.

ps: Read our article on love & money lower before jumping for joy.

Links: Awaken demo tapes and bootlegs

Our interview:

Allee Willis: full of spirit and life

So you think you don’t know Allee Willis? You watched any episode of the TV serie Friends and jumped for joy at “I’ll Be There For You”, you danced on EWF’s “Boogie Wonderland” and ”September”, you discovered the Pet Shop Boys with “What Have I Done To Deserve This” or gospelled along with Patti Labelle “I See Home”? No? So, did you do the “Neutron Dance” with the Pointer Sisters? Let’s be clear: there’s at least 1 record in your room that features songs written by Allee Willis. Mostly if you’re an Awaken fan. Oh sure Allee hasn’t written anything for Awaken yet, but her songs “Evil Roy”, “Could It Be Right” or “Lilah” are among Awaken’s obvious influences.
Allee Willis, being a multimedia artist, is also running the amazing Museum Of Kitsch, where you can find an incredible bunch or the kitschest objects in the world. And of course you can contribute by sending her a pic of yours! Now you can start to scan your Awaken albums’ covers, dude…

-What brought you to become an active musician?
-Allee Willis: I love music, especially vintage Soul and Pop. I still don’t know how to read, write or play music. I hear it all in my head and I plat it down note by note, a finger at a time, by any means necessary. I’m a true multimedia artist, have been for about 30 years. I don’t like working exclusively in music. It’s a joint vision with my art, video and interactive web work.

-You co-wrote an incredible bunch of songs with different songwriters: Jon Lind, Maurice White, Bill Meyers, David Foster, to name a few. Do you feel that there’s a common point between them all, a common point that creates a spark between them and you when you create a song?
-Allee Willis: No common point between those writers, all of whom were associated with Earth Wind & Fire. I have very different kinds of collaborations with different writers. I also write both music and lyrics. When people use me for just lyrics it’s totally not interesting to me and a waste of my talent.  I haven’t come into any  project for just lyrics in about 20 years.  I try and really get to  know the person and the quirks of their personality. I think my  specialty is being able to interpret personality in both music and lyrics.

September 2009: Allee is joined by Verdine White, Luenell and Larry Dunn to perform “September” and “Boogie Wonderland”.

-Among your work, what is the piece that you think represents you  the most, and why?
-Allee Willis: Among my known work, and I’m assuming you’re talking about songs, I would say Earth Wind & Fire’s  “September” because of its incessantly positive spirit and probably Pet Shop Boys “What Have I Done To Deserve This”  because of the chant and the unusual pop song structure  with four distinct sections that most people would have turned into  four separate songs.

Patti Labelle’s “Tasty” features 2 jewels by Allee Willis: “Litte Girls” & “I See Home”

-Any song you’re ashamed of, and why?
-Allee Willis: I wouldn’t say ashamed exactly because it was an achievement just getting them done but I’d say that I found a fair number of them boring and uninspired.  A lot of times when I worked with very famous singers who weren’t very good songwriters a lot of it was about babysitting them and just getting something written so they can own some publishing. That’s the way a lot of songwriters, especially in the 80s, got their songs cut. And that’s exactly why I started doing a lot of other stuff besides music. It’s horrible knowing you’re writing something that’s substandard but you won’t get on the record if you push for it to be better.

-If you had a magic wand, in what band would you play right now?
-Allee Willis: The Allee Willis band.

-What would you say to Awa-news readers who might not know you, to convince them to listen to your songs?
-Allee Willis: I’ve sold over 50 million records. If you’re not convinced by now, don’t listen. But I’d definitely suggest going to YouTube and doing a search for me and seeing some of the music/art/video smash-ups I’ve done over the last few years.

-A song of yours that I find fascinating is EWF’s “Evil Roy”. Do you have some memories to share with Awa-news about that man who sleeps all day? Could you say that Evil Roy was a kitsch man who didn’t know about it?
-Allee Willis: I don’t think that he was kitsch at all. My definition of kitsch is something or someone that’s full of spirit and life. Evil Roy was at the opposite end.  He was a hustler and ultimately that never gets you anywhere other than deeper into your own hole.  “Evil Roy” was a cautionary tale and by no means a glorification of that guy in the song.

-Last but not least, would you openly admit that you are an Awaken / Gilles Snowcat fan?
-Allee Willis: I’d have to be because you had the good sense to ask me for this interview!

Links: http://www.alleewillis.com

http://www.alleewillis.com/museumofkitsch

Have you noticed? Have you noticed, or not?

Le poinçonneur de France-Télécom and his wife…

Back in 1958, French singer Serge Gainsbourg depicted in his song “Le Poinçonneur des Lilas” the despair of a worker who couldn’t see any other solution to his problems and boredom than shooting himself. Suicide at work, this is not new. One more reason to react quickly.

Japan has one of the highest rates of suicides in the world. Suicide is even the main cause of death among the people under 30. Well, this second point can also be explained by the better health at that age, therefore heart attacks and cancers are still rare and, logically, suicide comes statistically first. However, this is more than scary. Why people go to a point of seeing no other exit than death? Japan is famous for its harsh working system, making salary men and office ladies slaves of their company, without forgetting the social and familial pressure. Losing mind in this case is easier than we could think. When will “we” understand that if work is a necessary activity, it can only be a part of a human being’s life, and not the whole thing?

Suicides don’t occur only in Japan, though. If you heard the news about French telephone company France Telecom, you are surely aware that within only several weeks, none less than 25 workers decided to kill themselves. Twenty-five. France is not known for being a country where hard-working is the rule, to say the least, but this phenomenon increases anyway.
Is France Telecom a hell to work in? This is more than possible, and probably has a big part of truth. But not only. There’s also a dramatic lack of personal safety valve. What can you expect from a worker who not only gets an enormous pressure doing a job he doesn’t like, to make his family live, but gets back home being scolded by the wife / children because money doesn’t follow, because he’s always busy, because he’s depressed,… ?

Why that fucking money always has to spoil families, couples, lovers, parents vs children? Don’t mistake me, I kinda like money, I’d rather have 100.000.000 dollars on my bank account than zero. But is it worth destroying lives so quickly, so easily? Can’t a man live his 70 years on Earth without being pressured by those fucking social conventions? If not, can’t he escape them without feeling guilty of making his relatives sad and disappointed? After all, the problem is there. The real pressure comes from that inside guilt. It becomes easier to die than face that destructive “endo-sadness”.

Practical matters kill couples. Money, job, prestige come to spoil the precious link making two lovers so close to each other. And when a couple can be torn apart by a reason that’s so far away from love itself, this is purely unacceptable to the human. ATM machines seem less sensitive to that. But they hardly get married.

Links: an interesting article (in French) by Bernard-Henri Lévy

What happened on October some years ago?

Let’s jump into Awa-news’ time machine…

21/10/1921: Birth of Sir Malcolm Arnold. He was famous among rock fans for his work with organist Jon Lord (Deep Purple).

03/10/1988: Release of Keith Richards’ Talk Is Cheap.

09/10/1978: Death of Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel.

You like Awaken? You *will* like this album:

NAMASHIMA MIKA, Love (2003)

Kagoshima singer Nakashima Mika has already a successful career, in only 7 years of mediatic presence. She sure deserves it! Unpredictable in her musical choices, she sings soulful music, with a little touch of jazz, techno, ambient or hard-rock, following the songs and albums. Far from the flashy dressing code of most female Japanese singers, Nakashima san has a sober if not somber, darker and serious style, strangely matching with her shy manners and typical politeness.

Having hits with sophisticated songs like “Stars”, “Will” or “Hitori” is not common in Europe, but luckily not rare in Japan. The best way to start discovering Mika’s repertoire is, in my humble opinion, her second album “Love”, released in 2003.Should I say more? No, just listen and… enjoy!

Links: www.mikanakashima.com

What’s hot on the web side? Awa-net surfed for you and found this:

LES AMIS DU VIETNAM

The ‘brother site’ of last week’s Lotus Hoa Sen is without a doubt Les Amis Du Vietnam. Although its activity seems to have slightly slowed down these last months, the newsletter has a bunch of interesting news about Vietnamese events in Belgium.URL:  http://www.lesamisduvietnam.be

Tomorrow is just another day. Next week is next week. And Stäni Steinbock will tell you about his unusual musical carreer, we’ll review an album from Mỹ Tâm for you and, who knows, a surprising news on Awaken’s side. Who knows…

email: awamail(at)hellokitty.com

Awaken main sites: www.awaken.be

www.beppunights.com

It’s Oh! Music

© AWAKEN-Awanews-

[downloadable pdf version here]