You Only Sing When You're Winning: July 2012

Wednesday, 25 July 2012

Elton Still Standing; At Least For Pnau

This week saw Elton John prove he is still standing, as he returned to the pinnacle of British music. Not since November 1990 had Sir Elton topped the UK album chart with his compilation album 'The Very Best of Elton John'. Now, thanks to the help of two unfamiliar Aussies, Sir Elton John's 59th album entitled 'Good Morning To The Night' has outsold the likes of Maroon 5, Frank Ocean, Paul Simon and Ed Sheeran.

Today's world of music is brimming with electro and dance fuelled remixes, often created by the reworking of classics from days gone by. Sir Elton decided that he wanted to try his hand at this market and thus turned to Australian dance act 'Pnau' in order to help him. He invited the Australian duo to work with him in remastering some of his older material with the aim of creating music that would not look out of place in today's bars and nightclubs. The choice of the little known Pnau raised many eyebrows, however it was clear after completion that Elton's choice was the right one.

Pnau was formed in Sydney by Nick Littlemore and Peter Mayes. Music enthusiasts may remember the two from the band 'Empire Of The Sun', who enjoyed a successful year in 2008 with singles such as 'Walking On a Dream' and 'We Are The People'. The success, however, was short lived and the two producers turned their hand back to their original alias, Pnau.

Since forming in 1999, Pnau have released four solo albums. Their first, 'Sambanova', was an instant success back home in Australia, winning the ARIA Award for best dance release. However, just a week after winning the award, the album was pulled from music stores after controversy surrounding uncleared samples. Littlemore and Mayes put this down to a lack of knowledge of the music industry. The album was subsequently re-released a year later once legal matters had been settled.

Pnau's second album was somewhat of a letdown, as it failed to live up to the highs of their first album. Although it was their first overseas release, it failed to chart in Australia or in the UK. The duo, therefore, returned to the studio and focused on a slight shift in style, that would ultimately reap rewards.

Their eponymous third album was the one that caught the attention of Elton John, with John claiming it was "the greatest record he had heard in years". It featured well known artists such as Nick Yannikas and Ladyhawke, and it led with the rather quirky single 'Wild Strawberries'. It is said to be this song that left Elton John eager for more. The outcome saw John sign Pnau to his management label.

'Soft Universe' was the first release under the watchful eye of Sir Elton John. The pressure was well and truly on Pnau to create a truly brilliant album, coming off the back of a successful spell as Empire Of The Sun. However, yet again the Australian duo failed to flatter. The album did contain an Empire Of The Sun feel to it, only it seemed as if the tracks on Soft Universe were just the tracks that failed to make the Walking On A Dream EP. Ironically, the only song that meets expectation on the album is 'Twist of Fate'. The following song on the album, 'The Truth', shows glimpses of what could have been a quality album, but it is the seventh track, 'Epic Fail', that comes closer to summing up the record.

However, it seems that Pnau's reputation of one good album - one bad album, is set to continue. Their refashioning of Elton John's back catalogue of the 70's is sheer brilliance. The album only contains eight tracks, however it seems as if the Sydney duo have gone for quality and not quantity.

The title and first track off the album is already a club hit and features extracts of eight of Elton John's early recordings, highlighting that this album is not just a work of art, but a work of science. The way in which Littlemore and Mayes have carefully moulded samples of Elton John's music to create new sounds, itself, is stunning. The way in which they have created appealing music is genius. This is further displayed in the album's second single 'Sad', which uses tracks such as 'Crazy Waters', 'Curtains' and 'Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word'. Sad is sure to be a timeless hit and the signature song of the album.

Nick Littlemore and Peter Mayes admitted that they were aware of the dangers of taking up such a project. The album was destined to be either a chart topping hit or a complete failure. Thankfully it was the former. We now sit in anticipation of Pnau's future work, which will again come with great expectations. However lets hope this time they produce material that matches the belief their mentor has in them.

Thursday, 19 July 2012

Olympics - Who Will Be The Golden Boy?

The Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic games in London begins a week on Friday and is sure to be a spectacular event. The first sport to commence will be the football, which starts on the Wednesday before.

The Great Britain football team has been a hot talking point for the last six months. First, we didn't even think there would be a team. Then we didn't know which nations would be willing to cooperate. Then David Beckham was promised to be selected; and then later omitted from the final squad. Now we are left with some of the finest talent from Great Britain, all itching at the bit to represent team GB in their first group match against Senegal at Old Trafford.

I'm sure we are all aware of the eighteen players in team GB and their capabilities. However, many of us are more oblivious to the vast array of gifted youngsters that will take to the field for the other fifteen teams. Therefore I have compiled a list of the players I feel are destined to make a name for themselves at the 30th Olympiad.

Along with Great Britain, group A is made up by Senegal, Uruguay and United Arab Emirates. Senegal have the youngest side in the group and consists of players from across Europe, only goalkeeper Ousmane Mane plays is his native country. The stand out name for us Barlclays Premier League followers is Mohamed Diame of West Ham and formerly Wigan. However, Everton fans will also be aware of Magaye Gueye. The midfielder is rated highly in Senegal and is beginning to spring up the pecking order at Goodison Park after scoring his first goal for the club at the end of last season. At 22 he is certainly one for the future, along with Anderlecht's Cheihhou Kouyate. The once Arsenal target caught the eye of Arsene Wenger playing at either centre half or defensive midfield, and is sure to be a rock in the Senegal side.

It has to be said that UAE are somewhat of an unknown quantity. All 18 of their squad are based on home soil, although captain Hamdan Al Kamali has recently been loaned out to Lyon. The French giants tried to make the move a permanent one, although Al Kamali's parent club Al Wahda are holding out for more money. The 23 year old plays at the heart of the defence and was listed in the top 100 best young players in the world by Spanish magazine 'Don Balon'.

The strongest team in Group A is arguably Uruguay. Their national side has seen a renaissance in the last few years thanks to the likes of Luis Suarez and Edison Cavani who are two of the over 23 players in the squad. At the age of 21, Liverpool's highly rated centre back Sebastian Coates joins his Liverpool team mate in the Olympic squad, along with fellow 21 year old Abel Hernandez of Palermo. Hernandez was in Uruguay's World Cup squad two years ago and scored in a 3-2 friendly win over Republic of Ireland last year. The stand out man for Uruguay is Gaston Ramirez of Bologna. The 21 year old playmaker scored some breath taking goals in Serie A last season, making himself one of the hottest young properties in world football. He was born in the Fray Bentos region of Uruguay, and his displays last season has left everyone wanting a slice, including Juventus, Liverpool and Man City no less.

Gaston Ramirez

Group B may well be the most evenly matched group in the tournament. Gabon boast the youngest team in the tournament, and is largely compiled of home based and French based players. The only stand out in the side is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. At just 23 he already has 25 full international caps and 8 goals. He plys his trade in France with Saint-Etienne, but has also played for top European clubs such as Lille, Monaco and AC Milan. Many experts are tipping him to be the next great African player, and the Olympics may just be the place for him to showcase his talents.

Piere-Emerick Aubameyang

Gabon are joined in group B by the much favoured Mexico. The Mexicans have the oldest team in the tournament, but have some exciting young players to offer. Tottenham payed Barcelona £6 million for Giovani Dos Santos in 2008. He came with a huge reputation, a reputation that he has failed to live up to. However, he has often demonstrated why he carries this reputation with his performances at international level. With a wicked turn of pace and some deathly tricks, Dos Santos might remove the villainous shackles placed on him at Spurs, and rather fuel a return to Spain that he so dearly wants and needs. He will be joined by Chivas midfielder Marco Fabian, labelled the new 'Chicharito' in his homeland. The 22 year old is an excellent talent and has made over 100 appearances for his club already.

Marco Fabian

South Korea will be led by Premiership boys Ji Dong-Won of Sunderland and Park Chu-Young of Arsenal. Celtic fans will be well aware of the threat that Ki Sung-Yueng posses in the centre of midfield. His hearty performances in the SPL have seen England's big boys open their eyes at the prospect of him moving south across the border, and this tournament might be the defining factor, as long as he can display the talent he has. Bundesliga aficionado's will know all about South Korea captain Koo Ja-Cheoi. The Wolfsburg midfielder is only 23 but has been capped 27 times for his country and scored an impressive 10 goals. He almost sealed a deal with Blackburn two years ago but failed to obtain a work permit. He will pull the strings in the heart of midfield to good effect over the two weeks for his country.

The group is completed by Switzerland. The Swiss are somewhat of a dark horse and could spring a few surprises. Their attack will be led by Admir Mehmedi of Dynamo Kiev and Innocent Emeghara, who are likely to form an effective partnership, guilty of scoring plenty goals. Man United fans should need no reminding of Basel dynamic midfielder Fabian Frei. The 23 year old scored in the 3-3 draw at Old Trafford last season and is sure to form an effective partnership in midfield with Fulham's Pajtim Kasami. He played 7 times for Martin Jol's side last term and looked a bright talent.

Thiago Silva

Group C will without doubt be a one horse race, as football's Samba boys line up against Belarus, Egypt and New Zealand. Brazil host an array of talent in what is a scarily good team. Many teams will find it hard to break down the defence of Rafael (Man Utd), Thiago Silva (PSG), Juan Jesus (Inter Milan) and Marcelo (Real Madrid); every team will find it hard to simmer the attack of Man United target Lucas (Sau Paulo), Chelsea target Oscar (Internacional), Pato (AC Milan), Hulk (Porto) and of course the most talked about football youngster since Freddy Adu, Neymar. If Brazil do not will gold, it will only be via the virtue of disqualification.

Neymar

Belarus have performed well in recent under 21 tournaments. However they have very little to turn to in preparation for the Olympics. They will rely on Brazilian born, key midfielder Renan Bressan, who will hope his Brazilian friends will spare his adopted country any severe embarrassment. They competed in the recent Toulon Cup warm up tournament, where they failed to win a game and scored only one goal from open play.

Egypt, like Belarus have little to offer in terms of quality, although expect them to show more heart and desire. All Egyptian hopes lay with Mohamed Aboutrika, the golden boy of Egyptian football, who is the third oldest player in the tournament at 33. In terms on youthful capability, Egypt offer European based Ahmed Hegazy and Mohamed Salah, who have been newly recruited by Fiorentina and Basel respectively. Marwan Mohsen is a veteran at under 23 level, with 32 caps and may also be pivotal in an unlikely Egyptian threat. Expect a few goals from him as he already boasts 23 at international level.

The final team in group C is New Zealand. Our Commonwealth friends have called upon rising star Kosta Barbarouses. At 22 he has recently joined Panathinaikos on loan and, taking in to consideration his international caps at all levels, he has a goal ratio of a goal every two games. West Brom's Chris Wood is one of five players based in England and is likely to pose a threat upfront. Melbourne Victory's Marco Rojas may offer some dynamic runs and defence cutting passes from midfield. However, you may get the feeling New Zealand are just there to make up the numbers.

Jordi Alba

The final group consists of Japan, Honduras, Morocco and Spain. Our tournament organisers have earned their money by ensuring the possibility of a Spain-Brazil final, which, barring any travesties that prevent this outcome from occurring, may well rival the 100m final for excitement. Spain have an enviable batch of talent of which to select from. European Championship Final goalscorer Jordi Alba is in the squad along with two Barcelona team mates. Athletic Bilbao's much sought after Javi Martinez will captain the side. His Bilbao team mate Iker Muniain may, however, be the gem in the Spanish crown. His ability has got Barca or Real written all over it, and as the youngest player in the squad, he is sure to light up the tournament.

Iker Muniain

Morocco have assembled a squad from all over Europe. Abdel El Kaoutari will look to tighten up the defence with confidence, fresh off the back of a successful league campaign with Montpellier. His displays at the back for the newly crowned French champions have earned him the tag as one of the best young defenders in the league. At just 22 expect big things of him in the future. He will look in front to Abdelaziz Barrada of Getafe and captain Driss Fettouhi of Istres to pull the strings in midfield. Both looked very efficient players for their clubs last season. Upfront the experienced Nordin Amrabat will partner rising star Zakaria Labyad. He has recently secured a move to Sporting Lisbon, with the Portuguese side expecting big things from him.

Honduras enter as relative unknowns. The nation spent a long time in football wilderness until their World Cup qualification two years ago. It obviously encouraged the younger generation as they have a pretty handy batch of young players at the ready. Their captain Johny Leveron is a regular for domestic runners up Motagua and is solid at the back. Midfielder Mario Martinez is contracted to Real Espana in his homeland, but has been loaned out the past two seasons to European sides Valengra and Anderlecht. He is on the brink of securing a move to MLS side Seattle Sounders, thus highlighting his capabilities. The hot property of Honduran football, is 19 year old Andy Najar. He applies his trade in the MLS for DC United, having already made 70 appearances for them. He is definitely one to keep an eye on.

Andy Najar

The final team is Japan. They will look too their five German based players to do the business for the national side. Hiroki Sakai and Gotoku Sakai are not related but will look to form a brotherly like partnership at the back. Hiroshi Kiyotake will join highly rated midfielder Takashi Usami in midfield. The former was on loan at none other than Bayern Munich last season and will join German rivals Hoffenheim for the forthcoming season. He may be the shining light in Japan's bid to win Olympic gold, either him or Yuki Otsu of Borussia Monchengladbach who will lead the line upfront.

Takashi Usami

As the games draw closer, I'm sure many of us will struggle to hide our excitement. Ticket sales for the football may have failed to meet expectations, but I can guarantee the quality of football on the pitch will not. We can look forward to seeing older stars such as Ryan Giggs, Craig Bellamy, Luis Suarez, Edison Cavani, Carlos Salcido, Houssine Kharja and even Juan Mata, but we must remember that this tournament is about nurturing young talent, and I can promise you that there will be plenty of that.

Tuesday, 17 July 2012

Disclosure - London's Best Kept Secret

Its been a while since the last post, but worth the wait in my opinion.

When we talk about sibling double act's we think about Noel and Liam Gallagher, Gary and Martin Kemp, Ray and Dave Davies or even 2 Many Dj's Stephen and David Dewaele. However, most of us will never have heard of Guy and Howard Lawrence. The two brothers hail from South London and form the dance act Disclosure.

They remind me of a modern day Pet Shop Boys, only a thousand times better (not that the Pet Shop Boys were that bad). They were brought to my attention with their remix of Jessie Ware's single 'Running'. The single itself is good; Disclosure's remix is amazing.

Their genre is somewhat hard to define, as the Croyden pair mix various dance sub genres together. Expect a bit of 2step, dubstep, house and garage. Whatever it is, it is genius.

They first came to prominence with the release of their five track 'Carnival' EP, which features anthemic keyboard notes, soulful vocal samples and that timeless vinyl hiss. Of all sources, the Guardian summed it up perfectly, describing it as, "dance music so frenetic, you can't even dance to it". What's more the EP is free to download.

Many music critics have been throwing superlatives at the siblings for the last year, and their glowing reputation is only getting brighter. Their latest release, 'The Face' EP is without doubt my soundtrack to the summer.

The Face has two sides to it. On one, Disclosure's House/Garage vibe; and on the other an almost 90's Hip Hop feel. Vocalists Sinead Harnett and Ria Ritchie contribute to the EP, making it the hottest EP in dance music this year. 'Lividup' is a personal favourite, and The single 'Control' has already made it on to Radio 1's playlist and a video is about to hit your screens within the next month.

These guys will not remain a secret for much longer, I can assure you of that. They are destined to be a hit with festival goers next year. The only thing standing between these guys and success, may well be themselves. On past evidence, brothers in bands have not seen eye to eye. So lets hope that Guy and Howard can disperse of any brotherly venom, and instead focus on producing more uplifting music.