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On this
page you will find some information on my favourite musicians.
When in civvies, this twenty-four-year-old Hungarian artist goes
by the name of Laszlo Fogarasi. He grew up 250 kilometres from Budapest,
Hungary in the tiny village of Mernye. Yonderboi showed small interest
in music in his early years, the young Laszlo was not allowed to sing
in the school choir. His music teacher called him 'cloth-eared' and only
let him pretend to sing while mouthing the words. But she encouraged his
parents to pursue some sort of music experience noting the little boy's
good sense of rhythm.
Until at secondary school, he took classical guitar lessons for half a year, and shortly later received his first computer with a mono soundboard.
Disappointed by the traditional musical education, Yonderboi started to make music his own way for fun. He handled music as material, as play-dough and was enchanted by the fact that he could create it himself, less by the style of music he created. He never worried what note or chord he was playing and always concentrated on the emotional character of the songs.
Eager to have his music heard he recorded his first album before even finding a flat. An empty room in the building of his Hungarian record label UCMG served as recording studio and bedroom, while the vocals and acoustic instrument layers were recorded in a professional studio within two days as that was all he could afford. The whole album was made on a cheap pc with free software, postproduction was not available. The result was astounding. "Shallow and Profound" is a beautiful album which features an emotional and melodic, but also saucy mixture of down tempo, Trip-Hop, Lounge and 60ties Bar-Jazz.
After two busy years Yonderboi decided to slow down, taking some time to recharge and experiment with music. An extreme interest for traditional song structures grew as he listened to classic pop songs. His interest in movies also continued to grow. New heroes in music and film were found. People like Jack Nicholson, David Bowie, Sam Shephard, David Lynch, Jarvis Cocker, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Vincent Gallo will always influence the young artist.
His second album called "Splendid Isolation," takes that eclectic
sound and expands it further. Blending Eastern-European folk with downtempo,
rock and some trippy beats, Yonderboi creates one of the most striking
dance albums of 2005. The album opens with crows cawing, following by a melancholy
snippet of violin music and ominous piano, sounding like it's emanating
from an aged radio. Then suddenly the melody expands to orchestral levels,
and a chorus of angelic voices sing out, "All we go... to hell!" over swelling
strings. From there on, Yonderboi's album follows its natural course --
delicate piano melodies mixed with soft beats and synth, organ-laced pop,
guitar pop, and one outright rock song, "Were You Thinking Of Me?", which
is ruled by energetic riffs and a solid, driving melody. Then follows the
whirling, heart-racing electronica of "Trains in the Night," followed by
stretches of yearning whirlwind dance, before coming full circle creatively
with a pair of gentler, softer songs, and the parting message: "Even
if you're victorious/you've got to break the chain of evil/with love..."
"Splendid Isolation" has much the same vibe of "Shallow and Profound,"
but the jazz'n'lounge has been toned down, in favour of a more rock-oriented
sound. There are electric guitars laid over the trippy beats, almost guaranteed
to speed up your pulse. The only flaw with it is that a few bits defy the
synth that frames them. But in the best spots -- "Motor" and "Love Hides,"
for instance -- the synth adds a ghostly air to the driving melodies.
One of his songs from "Splendid Isolation" has been selected for the soundtrack of Beverly Hills Cop.
Some useful links on Yonderboi's music, if you are interested:
http://www.mole.de/eng/Artists/yonderboi.html - this is the website of Mole Listening Pearls, the German label that publishes Yonderboi's records
http://www.yonderboi.com - under construction, but hopefully coming soon
back to top
Gorillaz is an animated hip-hop collective or supergroup, comprised
of four animated band members: 2D (vocals, keyboards), Murdoc Niccals (bass),
Noodle (guitars) and Russel Hobbs (drums, percussion). This virtual band was created by Damon
Albarn (of Blur) and Jamie Hewlett (of Tank Girl fame) and was based
on their interests, dreams and fears. Matter-of-fact references to horror
films are everywhere, including samples from George A. Romero films. There
are also some rather obscure references made to people and things such
as Tom Savini, Looney Tunes and the band Swell Maps.
Gorillaz has a dark and humorous backstory. Murdoc inadvertently
put 2D into and out of a coma while trying to steal keyboards and reckless
driving. Russel and his family re-rooted to England from New York due to
Russel being possessed by a demon, put in a coma for 4 years until being
saved by an exorcism, and being on the wrong end of a drive-by shooting,
which contributed to his drumming and rapping skills, since his friends'
spirits reside in him. Noodle arrived in a FedEx crate from Japan after
an ad was posted for a guitarist. According to the storyline, character
2D's legal name is Stuart Tusspot. His original nickname was Stu-Pot. He
Became 2D after the accidents caused by Murdoc, giving him 2 dents in his
head (2D standing for two dents). No one knows what Noodle's real name is,
but it is said she was named "Noodle" because that was the first word she
said in English. The band lives in the also-fictitious Kong Studios, high
upon a mountain in the centre of a cemetery in Essex.
At "live performances" of Gorillaz, the physical band plays behind a specially designed screen which covers the stage area. Videos, animatics and image collages are projected onto the audience side of the screen, while choreographed lights behind the screen light up silhouettes of the physical band, creating a meld of the physical and animated. For their first tour of the United States, two screens were used; one was simply the animatics, while the second, lower screen displayed the band's silhouettes along with various quotes from interviews.
Gorillaz has two albums so far. The first, self-titled one launched
as a side-project of Damon Albarn who is the frontman of the Britpop band
Blur. It is kind of a soundtrack CD to the jaw-dropping animation Web site
gorillaz.com, but it stands alone as a playful piece of genre-squishing art
pop. Inspired by the punky reggae parties of Sandinista!-era Clash, tracks
like the dub-rap-rock mutation "Clint Eastwood" and its catchier two-step
Rasta remix bring back the exuberance missing from Blur's last album, 13,
while running with its anything-goes avant-aesthetic. These virtual Gorillaz
would rather squeal than keep it real.
Their second album, Demon Days injects the party-ready Gorillaz aesthetic
with a brooding sensibility that's immediately apparent on the zombie-movie-sampling
"Intro." In fact, a morbid sentiment abounds, as evidenced by many songs,
including "Last Living Souls" and "Every Planet We Reach Is Dead." Even though
Albarn has weighty issues occupying his thoughts, he hasn't forgotten how
to boogie, as revealed by the slinky "Kids with Guns" (featuring backing
vocals by Neneh Cherry) and the funky "Feel Good Inc." (with De La Soul),
which sounds like the slacker cousin of Outkast's "Hey Ya!" The ominous "November
Has Come" (featuring MF Doom) and the bizarre "Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's
Head" (with a spoken-word performance by actor Dennis Hopper) round out this
eclectic pop/rock/hip-hop offering.
http://www.gorillaz.com - the official site of Gorillaz. It is the inside of Kong Studios, the virtual hedquarters of the band. Its design is reminds of the computer games where tou can navigate in various rooms, collect objects, etc. At some points there are video games and hidden surprises.
http://fans.gorillaz.com - you can find news, interviews, FAQ, discography, tour dates, interactive features, talent competition, etc.
http://www.gorillaz-unofficial.com - a very nice website with song guide, discography, images, lyrics and forum.
back to top
- First of all, here are some extremely useful links:
- http://www.sing365.com is a great lyrics page. Short biographies and pictures are also available.
- http://www.youtube.com contains music videos.
- http://www.epitonic.com and
- http://hype.non-standard.net offer mp3 files to listen to.
When in civvies, this twenty-four-year-old Hungarian artist goes
by the name of Laszlo Fogarasi. He grew up 250 kilometres from Budapest,
Hungary in the tiny village of Mernye. Yonderboi showed small interest
in music in his early years, the young Laszlo was not allowed to sing
in the school choir. His music teacher called him 'cloth-eared' and only
let him pretend to sing while mouthing the words. But she encouraged his
parents to pursue some sort of music experience noting the little boy's
good sense of rhythm. Until at secondary school, he took classical guitar lessons for half a year, and shortly later received his first computer with a mono soundboard.
Disappointed by the traditional musical education, Yonderboi started to make music his own way for fun. He handled music as material, as play-dough and was enchanted by the fact that he could create it himself, less by the style of music he created. He never worried what note or chord he was playing and always concentrated on the emotional character of the songs.
Eager to have his music heard he recorded his first album before even finding a flat. An empty room in the building of his Hungarian record label UCMG served as recording studio and bedroom, while the vocals and acoustic instrument layers were recorded in a professional studio within two days as that was all he could afford. The whole album was made on a cheap pc with free software, postproduction was not available. The result was astounding. "Shallow and Profound" is a beautiful album which features an emotional and melodic, but also saucy mixture of down tempo, Trip-Hop, Lounge and 60ties Bar-Jazz.
After two busy years Yonderboi decided to slow down, taking some time to recharge and experiment with music. An extreme interest for traditional song structures grew as he listened to classic pop songs. His interest in movies also continued to grow. New heroes in music and film were found. People like Jack Nicholson, David Bowie, Sam Shephard, David Lynch, Jarvis Cocker, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Vincent Gallo will always influence the young artist.
His second album called "Splendid Isolation," takes that eclectic
sound and expands it further. Blending Eastern-European folk with downtempo,
rock and some trippy beats, Yonderboi creates one of the most striking
dance albums of 2005. The album opens with crows cawing, following by a melancholy
snippet of violin music and ominous piano, sounding like it's emanating
from an aged radio. Then suddenly the melody expands to orchestral levels,
and a chorus of angelic voices sing out, "All we go... to hell!" over swelling
strings. From there on, Yonderboi's album follows its natural course --
delicate piano melodies mixed with soft beats and synth, organ-laced pop,
guitar pop, and one outright rock song, "Were You Thinking Of Me?", which
is ruled by energetic riffs and a solid, driving melody. Then follows the
whirling, heart-racing electronica of "Trains in the Night," followed by
stretches of yearning whirlwind dance, before coming full circle creatively
with a pair of gentler, softer songs, and the parting message: "Even
if you're victorious/you've got to break the chain of evil/with love..."
"Splendid Isolation" has much the same vibe of "Shallow and Profound,"
but the jazz'n'lounge has been toned down, in favour of a more rock-oriented
sound. There are electric guitars laid over the trippy beats, almost guaranteed
to speed up your pulse. The only flaw with it is that a few bits defy the
synth that frames them. But in the best spots -- "Motor" and "Love Hides,"
for instance -- the synth adds a ghostly air to the driving melodies. One of his songs from "Splendid Isolation" has been selected for the soundtrack of Beverly Hills Cop.
Some useful links on Yonderboi's music, if you are interested:
http://www.mole.de/eng/Artists/yonderboi.html - this is the website of Mole Listening Pearls, the German label that publishes Yonderboi's records
http://www.yonderboi.com - under construction, but hopefully coming soon
back to top
Gorillaz is an animated hip-hop collective or supergroup, comprised
of four animated band members: 2D (vocals, keyboards), Murdoc Niccals (bass),
Noodle (guitars) and Russel Hobbs (drums, percussion). This virtual band was created by Damon
Albarn (of Blur) and Jamie Hewlett (of Tank Girl fame) and was based
on their interests, dreams and fears. Matter-of-fact references to horror
films are everywhere, including samples from George A. Romero films. There
are also some rather obscure references made to people and things such
as Tom Savini, Looney Tunes and the band Swell Maps.
Gorillaz has a dark and humorous backstory. Murdoc inadvertently
put 2D into and out of a coma while trying to steal keyboards and reckless
driving. Russel and his family re-rooted to England from New York due to
Russel being possessed by a demon, put in a coma for 4 years until being
saved by an exorcism, and being on the wrong end of a drive-by shooting,
which contributed to his drumming and rapping skills, since his friends'
spirits reside in him. Noodle arrived in a FedEx crate from Japan after
an ad was posted for a guitarist. According to the storyline, character
2D's legal name is Stuart Tusspot. His original nickname was Stu-Pot. He
Became 2D after the accidents caused by Murdoc, giving him 2 dents in his
head (2D standing for two dents). No one knows what Noodle's real name is,
but it is said she was named "Noodle" because that was the first word she
said in English. The band lives in the also-fictitious Kong Studios, high
upon a mountain in the centre of a cemetery in Essex.At "live performances" of Gorillaz, the physical band plays behind a specially designed screen which covers the stage area. Videos, animatics and image collages are projected onto the audience side of the screen, while choreographed lights behind the screen light up silhouettes of the physical band, creating a meld of the physical and animated. For their first tour of the United States, two screens were used; one was simply the animatics, while the second, lower screen displayed the band's silhouettes along with various quotes from interviews.
Gorillaz has two albums so far. The first, self-titled one launched
as a side-project of Damon Albarn who is the frontman of the Britpop band
Blur. It is kind of a soundtrack CD to the jaw-dropping animation Web site
gorillaz.com, but it stands alone as a playful piece of genre-squishing art
pop. Inspired by the punky reggae parties of Sandinista!-era Clash, tracks
like the dub-rap-rock mutation "Clint Eastwood" and its catchier two-step
Rasta remix bring back the exuberance missing from Blur's last album, 13,
while running with its anything-goes avant-aesthetic. These virtual Gorillaz
would rather squeal than keep it real.
Their second album, Demon Days injects the party-ready Gorillaz aesthetic
with a brooding sensibility that's immediately apparent on the zombie-movie-sampling
"Intro." In fact, a morbid sentiment abounds, as evidenced by many songs,
including "Last Living Souls" and "Every Planet We Reach Is Dead." Even though
Albarn has weighty issues occupying his thoughts, he hasn't forgotten how
to boogie, as revealed by the slinky "Kids with Guns" (featuring backing
vocals by Neneh Cherry) and the funky "Feel Good Inc." (with De La Soul),
which sounds like the slacker cousin of Outkast's "Hey Ya!" The ominous "November
Has Come" (featuring MF Doom) and the bizarre "Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's
Head" (with a spoken-word performance by actor Dennis Hopper) round out this
eclectic pop/rock/hip-hop offering.http://www.gorillaz.com - the official site of Gorillaz. It is the inside of Kong Studios, the virtual hedquarters of the band. Its design is reminds of the computer games where tou can navigate in various rooms, collect objects, etc. At some points there are video games and hidden surprises.
http://fans.gorillaz.com - you can find news, interviews, FAQ, discography, tour dates, interactive features, talent competition, etc.
http://www.gorillaz-unofficial.com - a very nice website with song guide, discography, images, lyrics and forum.
back to top