October 2006
PLANETARY FOLKLORE 2
Due for release at the end of this month - we now have the final tracklisting for the latest As One full length project on Italy's Archive label:
Blueshift
Seyfert's Sextet
Germanium
It's All Turning Blue
Irradiant
I Used To Live Here (Pt's 1 & 2)
Pastorale
exclusive bonus for Japanese edition:
Interrupt
The track Germanium will be released as a single in January 2007 with exclusive remixes.
All formats feature original art and design by Gareth Bayliss.
September 2006
ART REMASTERS
Kirk's ART label finally release the first in a series of remastered re-issues of the early catalog. First up is ART 3 - Carl Craig's first major UK release featuring the classics Neurotic Behaviour and Chicken Noodle Soup + How The West Was Won and Sleep.
The EP features stunning new artwork and logo - and all tracks have been remastered at London's all analog Electric Mastering.
Available now - distributed by Rubadub/Blackhole.
Autumn 2006
FESTIVALS & RADIO SESSIONS
It was a summer of festivals and acoustic radio sessions as The Beauty Room album finally launched. Live shows at Cargo and The Big Chill were followed by acoustic sessions for Radio 1's Blue Room and Worldwide shows, Radio 2's August Bank Holiday Chillout Special and for Robert Elms' Radio London show - hosted by Sean Rowley.
Kirk's role as the bands Musical Director meant studio and DJ work took a back-role as all efforts were focussed on the September album release.
Kirk did however find time to Dj at Bestival on the Isle of Wight.
Special thanks goes to the emergency relay driver who rescued Kirk after his car blew up on the M3. Also big thanks to the taxi driver who managed to get Kirk to the ferry crossing despite severe road closures and a 3 hour journey.
Kirk also DJ'd for the Freerange label at the AKA Bar alongside producer/Dj Simbad - and finally managed to make his debut at the main room at Fabric alongside Stacey Pullen & Co.
April 2006
RBMA PODCAST OF THE WEEK
Kirk's lecture at last years Red Bull Music Academy is currently podcast of the week at the RMBA website. Catch it while you can!
Kirk has also recorded an exclusive 2 hour Radio show for RBMA Radio. Specifically featuring songs and artists which have inspired The Beauty Room project - the show is due to be aired from April 29th and will be repeated throughout the next 2 weeks. Check the RBMA Radio schedule for exact timings.
WORLDWIDE RADIO 1
A 3 song The Beauty Room showcase session was broadcast on BBC Radio 1, Sunday 16th April as part of Gilles Peterson's Worldwide show. This session is available on-demand from the Radio 1 website until April 22nd. As The Beauty Room co-leader Kirk was interviewed about the project and his production history. A new track from the forthcoming Planetary Folklore II album was also featured.
March 2006
THE BEAUTY ROOM AT ABBEY ROAD
February saw the final touches being added to the forthcoming album by The Beauty Room. Deodato's orchestral arrangement for Holding On, plus three further string arrangements for the album were recorded at Abbey Road, Studio 2 using The Heritage Orchestra conducted by Jules Buckley and contracted by Chris Wheeler. These final versions have been mixed and mastered ready for full album release in July 2006.
Prior to the self-titled album Peacefrog will be releasing a CD single featuring 'Holding On'/'Soul Horizon'. This will also be available as a limited edition double A-side 7" - available in late April.
THE BEAUTY ROOM AT MAIDA VALE
The Beauty Room are currently rehearsing a 3 song showcase which they will perform in session for Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Radio 1 show in April. The session will include the album tracks Holding On, Burn My Bridges and Don't You Know.
Gilles Peterson has featured The Beauty Room tracks 'Don't You Know' and 'Burn My Bridges' on his show in recent weeks, and made the project his album of the week on his J-Wave Radio show in Japan. Patrick Forge has also given extensive airplay to numerous tracks in the past 18 months since they first surfaced in demo form on his respected Cosmic Jam show.
A dedicated The Beauty Room website is due for launch by the end of the month - the URL will be listed here shortly. This official site will thereafter be the place to get the latest release and gig news regarding this project.
REMIXES
Kirk's remix of Jazztronik's "En:code" has been well recieved and will see release shortly as part of a large remix project of Jazztronik's recent album. Kirk has also completed a remix of Far Out Recordings artist Sabrina Malheiros entitled 'Saudade Rio' - taken from her excellent recent album 'Equilibria'
ROBERT OWENS
March also saw recording sessions at Bugz In the Attic's West London studio for a forthcoming collaboration between Kirk and Chicago vocal legend Robert Owens. Owens is of course well known for his unique and pioneering vocal style on the early Mr Fingers/Fingers Inc releases in the late 80's. He took time out from touring with Coldcut to lay down vocals to an As One techno-special.
Kirk will be DJing alongside both Robert Owens and Mr. Fingers at The Egg club in London on April 7th - this will be after his early appearance on the same night at the new Freerange Records residency at Gramophone, Commercial St. London E1.
PLANETARY FOLKLORE II
Finally for this month - Kirk is mixing the next As One album - a Part 2 to his infamous Mo Wax album 'Planetary Folklore'. Almost 10 years on he revisits the concept of radically chopped up breaks, modal jazz all merged with way-out techno. Due for release later this year on Italy's finest Archive label - more details to follow!
January 2006
SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE
Kirk’s lecture from last months Red Bull Music Academy in Seattle is now available online.
Hosted by Radio 1XTRA’s Benji B, the lecture covers Kirk’s early musical influences, his introduction to production and his pioneering approach to Djing using Ableton Live.
ArRANGE
The ArRange concert was a huge success and via this website Kirk wishes to express his heartfelt gratitude to all involved in turning this ambitious concept into reality.
Kirk Degiorgio and Tom O’Grady (The Beauty Room, As One) performed their arrangement of David Matthews' ‘Could Heaven Ever Be Like This’ with a 40 piece orchestra and rhythm section. This radical new arrangement is vastly different to the disco-fied original – the tempo is slowed to a funky 100bpm and a moody brass and woodwind introduction builds into moving strings until the drums and bass kick in. Conducted by Todd Simon (Breakestra, Yesterday’s New Quintet), the vocal melody is played by O’Grady on Fender Rhodes. Kirk – using Ableton Live – triggers synth effect layers that he patched on his Modcan Series B modular system.
Kirk was honoured and overwhelmed by two other performances at the ArRange concert:
Clare Fischer - with assistance from his son Brent - presented an arrangement of the As One composition Amalia. The Fischers’ arrangement added a latin swing and new harmonisation with the string section playing the original bassline.
Brazilian-born disco-fusion legend Deodato then presented a stunningly beautiful arrangement of the forthcoming single Holding On by The Beauty Room.
The rest of the concert was equally successful. Tom O’Grady was privileged to be invited by Underground Resistance to sit in on Fender Rhodes on their uplifting arrangement of Deodato’s ‘Keep It In the Family’. Tom joined Mike Banks, Gerald Mitchell on keys, whilst DJ S2 spun in the beats.
Deodato presented a thumping version of the Galaxy2Galaxy classic ‘Hi-Tech Jazz’ and whereas this version used beats and synth parts from the original, David Matthews re-scored Aztec Mystic’s ‘Aguila’ completely for the orchestra. This incredible feat was highlighted by some phenomenal live drumming.
With further arrangements from Todd Simon - performing David Matthews’ ‘Sandstorms’ (from the rare CTI album Dune) – and rapper/producer Oh No! (Stones Throw) plus solo piano pieces from Deodato and Clare Fischer, this was a night never to be forgotten.
Check out the gallery of the event here.
REMIXES
The rest of 2005 saw Kirk on remix for duty for 3 various projects: Italian Nu-Jazz artists DJ Solko and Pilot Jazou plus Japan’s Jazztronik. These remixes should see release early in 2006 – more details to follow.
NYE
Kirk passes his thanks to everyone who made it down to Superconductor in Leeds on NYE. After resident Dan Moore had taken the roof off at midnight Kirk and Ian O’Brien covered the rest of the night with a mix of Ableton and vinyl. Forthcoming gigs include trips to the Netherlands in February and Japan – more details to follow.
FABRIC
Kirk’s techno-house hybrid ‘Rumours’ from the Elegant Systems LP has been included on the next Fabric compilation – mixed by Global Communication (Mark Pritchard and Tom Middleton).
DON’T YOU KNOW
The limited edition debut single by The Beauty Room has received much critical acclaim and airplay from a diverse selection of DJ’s including Norman Jay, Jazzanova and Radio 1’s Rob Da Bank.
