The style clash monster stripped down to the bones: We always wondered what an acoustic version of us would sound like. MTV Unplugged without the MTV. The fourth EP “SPRING TOWN - ACOUSTIC DELIGHTS” is the perfect record for the morning after the rave: Four acoustic versions of the past, present and future of Urban Delights. Chilled out and folky, but nevertheless funky & hypnotic.
SPRING TOWN - why not release a cover version before the original? The steel string guitar replace the string loop that the album version is built around, and we were surprised how great this song feels without any electric strings attached. It is always interesting to find out what you can leave out instead of adding layers..
WEEKEND LOVERS - an upcoming single to be, this song works so well with so little. A Jose Gonzalez inspired nylon guitar replaces all the electronics and indie rock sounds, plus one chilled vocal. Less is more. A singer songwriter version of a strong song about nightlife, sex & passion of a party weekend: “Just for a night your life seems so far away..”
BREAK IT ALL DOWN - the originial has been released on the first EP and was a part of the infamous “Urban Delights vs Bikinirama” video project that created some surprising internet buzz. Here we tear the original apart and make a new bluesy start. Our favourite quote about the video so far: “An anarchist’s wet dream” haha..
ROCK ‘N’ ROLL STAR - An Urban Delights Classic revisited - the funky dancefloor filler gets a minimal acoustic treatment. The party song about the inner confusion of a struggeling rock ‘n’ roll superstar is transformed into a darker Curtis Mayfield inspired soulful world. With just an acoustic guitar and a beautiful cello (thx hagen), whispering instead of shouting - compare to the original.
and oh yeah, technology: the “buy” and “buy the whole set” links only work on our website!!!! click HERE please!
Last but not least: “Art Inspired By Music” #7 - This EP´s artwork is by Mittenimwald, a Hamburg based artist that interpreted “Spring Town” with a stunning combination of stencil & indian ink. We are big fans, his work is amazing.. Don’t forget to visit his blog or website, he’s currently exhibiting some of his art at the “Gängeviertel” in Hamburg. Watch out for this guy, he will be big soon!
Stay tuned,
HK & MH Urban Delights
Aug 15
16.08.2009 / Hamburg - Wilhelmsburg / Dockville Festival
We made 250 individual Crap Stage tape-flyers for The Big Chill and passed them out. We wonder how many people think the music is actually ON the tape haha.. They will only find CRAPPY music though. And hopefully they will follow the link to our site :) Watch the sweaty stencil-making here.
The “Adult Swim” blog writes: “Building and operating a working stage on a flatbed truck, with lights, amps, projector and DJ booth takes a small army. (…) Pumping out a steady stream of dub, hip-hop, drum and bass, soul and mash-up party tunes as the sun retreats and the cold sets in, the Crap Stage’s purple and green flashing stage-lights lure the punters up the hill like a boombox child catcher waving lollipop glo-sticks. At 1am Harry K moves from the decks to the stage, cranks up the bass and kicks off a live set with fellow Urban Delights-man Malte Hagemeister. Suddenly the Crap Stage audience swells to a bopping, bobbing mass. By 3am it’s heaving with the lightly toasted, waving their neon rave toys and maintaining their groove with fuzzy, grinning abandon. It’s a dead nice situation.” (more)
ART INSPIRED BY MUSIC #2: In this weeks art spotlight we have Chin Keeler and Emma Tornero with their project Lardart: “two artists working together collaboratively, exploring the process in different ways. They trade ideas and thoughts to break through to a common goal, suspending their individual artistic vision and preconceived ideas of outcome in an animated dialogue of polar styles. Both work on the same piece at the same time, intuitively sourcing imagery or deliberating on a concept or theme, negotiating spontaneity and intent, fusing Chin’s immediacy of style with Emma’s naturalistic precision (more)”.
We love their interpretation of one of our forthcoming album tracks, “hit the breaks”, watch the art work and listen here. They also designed this year’s Crap Stage, which is why we have chosen them for this week.
Ooh lala - URBAN DELIGHTS NAKED!
