ANTONY Covers BEYONCE in Amsterdam

All I can say is wow!

ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS "Epilepsy is Dancing"

In conjunction with yesterday's release of “The Crying Light” LP, Antony and the Johnsons also serve up this spectacular new video for the track "Epilepsy is Dancing".  For lack of better phrasing, here's this...

"Antony asked his friends the Wachowski Brothers to work with him on a video for his new single "Epilepsy is Dancing". They in turn invited painters Tino Rodriguez and Virgo Paradiso to create costumes and a mystical environment and choreographer Sean Dorsey and his dancers to bring the dream sequence to life. Antony's artistic partner Johanna Constantine stars as herself in the role of "Deer Monster". The video was lit and shot by the up-and-coming directors of photography, Chris Blasingame and Banker White, and produced by Jim Jerome. The production team collectively named themselves AFAS. Please enjoy the fruits of their San Francisco art party."



The Crying Light is available now via Secretly Canadian.

ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS - The Crying Light

Antony and the Johnsons will release their 3rd LP The Crying Light on January 30th, 2009 via Secretly Canadian. The effort has been said to be greatly influenced by the "natural world" and a press release states that it could be an album "emblematic of its time, a reflection of the momentous changes that we are facing, within each of our private worlds as well as collectively, and how we are summoning the courage to start moving through them." Wow.

The Crying Light will feature the phenomenal track "Another World", a rightful contender for one of the best tracks of this year. With a breathtaking vocal by Antony Hegarty, alongside a harrowing piano refrain, "Another World" is a lament to the destruction of our planet in what is one of the most heartfelt pleads to take action I've ever heard. Sorry Al Gore.

And now I have the privilege of offering the track to you. Enjoy the beautiful talent of Antony and the Johnsons.

Antony and the Johnsons - Another World (mp3 link)

And here's the video...

ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS Set to Return with New Ep and LP

Antony and the Johnsons are prepping a pair of follow-ups to their Mercury Music Prize winning album I Am a Bird Now. The first release will be the 5-track ep Another World, which hits stores October 7th via Secretly Canadian. The same label will also release the new full-length The Crying Light, due January 2009.

In the meantime, you can still get your Antony fix on the Hercules & Love Affair album and on the new Bjork single "Dull Flame of Desire", which will also feature remixes by Modeselektor. A new video for the single is also on the way.

Antony will embark on a special symphonic tour in September, where he will be joined by a local symphony in each city. Due to the scattered nature of the dates, I expect more will be added. Here are the dates as of yet:

9/5 Portland, OR
9/10 Milan, Italy
9/12 Zaragoza, Spain
10/14 Los Angeles, CA
10/16 New York, NY
10/30 London, England
10/31 London, England

ReviewHERCULES AND LOVE AFFAIR - s/t 91%

At its core, the debut effort from Hercules and Love Affair, the brainchild of NYC-based DJ Andy Butler, is a great dance album. But there are a number of elements at work here that elevate the record from “just great” to “awe-inspiring”. Co-produced by this decade’s go-to electronic guru Tim Goldsworthy (Cut Copy, The Rapture, LCD Soundsystem), the album is as much a sincerely personal piece of detailed work as it is a solid collaborative effort.

With its feet firmly cemented to the ground, Hercules and Love Affair references the many eras of dance music-disco, Chicago House, and synth-pop to name a few. But Butler’s love of these sounds doesn’t just skim the surface. This is a man with a vast knowledge of those 12-inch crates of yesterday. The sounds produced here recall the hyper art disco of influential artists ranging from Arthur Russell, Frankie Knuckles, and the Paradise Garage days of Larry Levan.

The top of the album gets started with “Time Will”, as Antony Hegarty (of Antony & the Johnsons) in his most sultry, Alison Moyet-esque breathiness, commands:“Don’t lie to me, Don’t give it up”. Antony’s voice is instantly captivating. It almost seems like it was birthed to produce emotive disco tracks (his appearance on My Robot Friend’s “One More Try” a few years back was a good hint at this). Slowly, Goldsworthy’s production trickles in, lifting the track into an oddly gorgeous gay-torch-synth-ballad.

With “Hercules Theme” the fun really gets started. The track introduces one of the most impressive elements at work here-the fantastic use of live trumpets and trombones. The horns swirl into a state of frenzy around lush strings and the eloquent vocals of transsexual diva Nomi, who carries over into another standout track “You Belong”. With its soulful vocals and its genre defining high-hats and syncopated beats, you are instantly transported into a Chicago House club circa 1981.

But without a doubt, the highlight of the album is the breakout hit “Blind”. Decorated with lively horns and sweeping strings, everything comes together here in a stunning way, largely propelled by the phenomenal arrangement and, most importantly, the chilling vocals of Antony. Not only is it an essential dance track, it will absolutely be remembered as one of the best overall tracks of the year.

Perhaps what should be highlighted most about Hercules and Love Affair would be the knowledge and passion behind the work, something that justifies the so-called dance renaissance of now. Dance music has always been at its best when done with a curious intelligence and an outsider’s passion. The minds and souls at work here are very much worth paying attention to.

Originally published at kevchino.com.

HERCULES & LOVE AFFAIR

The debut album from Hercules & Love Affair has been on a constant repeat around here for the last few weeks. It is a great throwback to disco and house music, but somehow sounds really fresh at the same time. I've been kicking myself for missing their performance at Studio B last month, but it happened to be my birthday and I had the most ferocious hangover from the night before. Damn! From what I've heard, the show was pretty much spectacular, as can be witnessed by this live video of the first single "Blind".

The next single will be "You Belong" and it has a brand new video. Check it out below.

Hercules & Love Affair - You Belong (music video)