Minutes to Midnight has released a video for his track ‘13 Days’ which is taken from his album “After 1989: A Trip To Freedom”. After extensive experience working with other artists, arranging, co-writing, and mixing, Simone (Minutes to Midnight) has decided to tell a very personal story of his in the medium of a concept album. ‘After 1989 – A Trip To Freedom’ is a thoroughly crafted concept, it’s the result of a personal journey through a painful family legacy during World War II, and the tumultuous decades that followed.
The video for ‘13 Days’ begins with a clip of President Kennedy announcing he has proof of a build-up of Soviet missiles on the island of Cuba. The threat of a pre-emptive strike to America is real. The level of military readiness is set one step from a global nuclear war. With this scene set up the song progresses showing black and white video clips of what happened during the Cuba Missile Crisis between shots of Simone playing sinister bass lines and hefty drum progressions. It’s a tense and honest account of a difficult time. The track veers between haunting soft melodies and twinkling guitar to heavier out bursts with ease while Simone coos and broods throughout. With a steamy pining guitar solo and sinister smoky soundscape created by the bass and guitar interplay, Minutes to Midnight once again provides a dark, thrilling and consuming number for the listener to indulge in.
Bio: Hot off the heels of their second EP “IMMT”, German quintet Some Sprouts have released their new single Someone You Love.
Track: Someone You Love
Why We Like It: It’s a melodious sweet indie pop delight drenched in laid back sunny tones and sparkling instrumentation. With jangly dreamy strides on guitar cruising blissfully through a steady beat and twinkling soundscape the band create a mellowed gem glimmering with a light and refreshing wall of sound. With velvety vocals caressing a hazy sweet melody this effortless lush track is the easy listening tune ready to take you to a cosy summer utopia created by Some Sprouts.
Bio: Cork noise-punk trio Pretty Happy have released their new single ‘Arkansas’. Pretty Happy were included in the first round of announcements for iconic Cork Festival ‘Quarter Block Party’ and the fledgling act show no signs of slowing down, following on from support slots with Dublin grunge group Bitch Falcon and Limericks own Bleeding Heart Pigeons in recent weeks.
Track: ‘Arkansas’
Why We Like It: It’s an unsettling number – dark in its presentation. The band delve deep into a sinister work of gritty punk, smudged in blood stained aggro and chilling hysterics. The backdrop creeps and bloops with a sublime ominous bass and steady beat. The lyrics are narrated to us with a gravelly rasp=laced voice while slicing raw guitars cut deep into a dangerous backdrop filled with tension. There is an ‘American Psycho’ vibe to this track, as if we are listening to a harrowing psychotic break spiraling into a striking scene of frenzy. Its well crafted with some humorous lyrics and haunting backing coos throughout however it’s the band’s ability to create a groove filled, tight number that can chill and yet lure you in all at once that is utterly compelling and marks this band as one to watch.
About the track Arann Blake (Vocals, bass) said:“It’s a lot darker than our usual stuff, but that seems to be the direction the music is going. We didn’t want to reign in Abbey as such so she’s making all sorts of noise on the track. The vibe is kind of like a funny nightmare, disgusting, but fun.”
Bio: Chris Wilson is a singer/songwriter originally from Swords. Having traveled all over the world busking solo and with bands and other artists he has honed his craft as a performer and songwriter.
Track: ‘Now I See You’
Why We Like It: It’s a delicate number that stops time as Wilson creates a nostalgic dream capsule of tender soft musicianship and powerful, sweet lyrics. With warm guitar soothing and creating a glowing radiance throughout, Wilson provides a cosy bubble for us to rest in. It’s emotional and tender as his velvety vocals coo delicately over the melancholic yet calming melody. There is a wonderful freeing atmosphere of safety and tranquility as Wilson provides a moment to stop and reflect through beautiful musicianship and feathery light melodic flows. Simply stunning.
Bio:’13 Days’ is taken from Minutes To Midnight’s debut solo album ‘After 1989 – A Trip To Freedom’. After a long stint as an audio professional in the gaming industry, Simone (Minutes to Midnight) has now turned his focus into music production. After extensive experience working with other artists, arranging, co-writing, and mixing, M2M has decided to tell a very personal story of his in the medium of a concept album. ‘After 1989 – A Trip To Freedom’ is a thoroughly crafted concept, it’s the result of a personal journey through a painful family legacy during World War II, and the tumultuous decades that followed.
Track: 13 Days
Why We Like It: This striking number provides a gritty more groove rooted side to Minutes To Midnight’s sound. With stinging guitar melodies and a rooted bass line the track takes a sultry sinister turn as the bass coils around the drums allowing Simone’s vocals to glissade upon the velvety melody. The track wriggles and creeps with a chilling sense of mystery as it builds to a heavier crescendo with a steamy guitar solo and punchy drums.
Bio: Heavenly Faded are a New York City band who have been writing and recording since 2018. The band have a Brooklyn Bowl performance under their belt and have released their new single ‘Constellations’.
Track: Constellations
Why We Like It: It’s a blistering swagger-drenched rock number with an explosive wall of sound and catchy melody ready to revolve in your head for days. With fuzzy sharp guitars venturing from sweet piercing jingles to crashing ballsy blasts this track swarms in locked and loaded. With powerful passion-filled vocals, pulverizing drums and dynamic bass the track is a scorching lightning strike of adrenaline and classic rock power. The tight production and biting instrumentation make ‘Constellations’ a knock out and sublime track.
Minutes To Midnight has released a video to his track ‘Love Field’ taken from his debut solo album ‘After 1989 – A Trip To Freedom’. After a long stint as an audio professional in the gaming industry, Simone (Minutes to Midnight) has now turned his focus into music production. After extensive experience working with other artists, arranging, co-writing, and mixing, M2M has decided to tell a very personal story of his in the medium of a concept album. ‘After 1989 – A Trip To Freedom’ is a thoroughly crafted concept, it’s the result of a personal journey through a painful family legacy during World War II, and the tumultuous decades that followed.
‘Love Field’ is another emotive display from Minutes To Midnight as he creates a chilling icy track with light piano twinkles and warm guitar jingles. The tune floats delicately on a lamenting tone as Simone builds its intricate parts softly to create rich qualities and diverse emotions throughout. With the drums adding a punch and bite between the rooted bass line there is a groovy almost funky jazz-like quality that creates a hopeful undertone. Simone coos over the smooth melody however the track is mostly instrumental with an audio clip depicting the events as they were reported at JFK’s Assassination. The superb build on the track creates tension as the guitars whine over the progressing backdrop. Its another striking track from Minutes To Midnight.
The video takes us through the arrival of JFK and his wife Jackie in Dallas before his infamous demise. Through a variety of black and white and colour video clips we see the joy, celebration and devastation created by one event as JFK is shot. The entire video tells this story in an honest and emotional way. Simone fantasises about waving at Jack and Jackie, or leaning over the window of a sixth floor, or being Abraham Zapruder, standing still while everything changes.
Minutes to Midnight has released a video to his single ‘Skinny Kid’. After a long stint as an audio professional in the gaming industry, Simone (Minutes to Midnight) has now turned his focus into music production. After extensive experience working with other artists, arranging, co-writing, and mixing, M2M has decided to tell a very personal story of his in the medium of a concept album. “After 1989 – A Trip To Freedom” is the debut solo album. It’s the result of a personal journey through a painful family legacy during World War II, and the tumultuous decades that followed.
‘Skinny Kid’ is a tender delicate number as Simone expresses emotional and harrowing themes through a bitter, icy piano and tense progressive soundscapes. With a steady beat pounding through weaving guitars and ominous rumble on bass, the track projects images of isolation and loneliness by means of sinister chilling twinkles and tender vocals. The haunting backing vocals and lamenting pines on guitar have a chilling element as Simone portrays this harsh experience with sublime instrumentation and vivid musicianship.
The black and white video allows a train journey to tell the tale of how a young man managed to escape Germany in 1945. With clips from the war mirroring more modern clips as footsteps lead us to what happened to one individual during the war.
About the album Simone said :“ Summer, mid-eighties. During a family dinner, after a glass too many, my grandfather let a story slip from his past. He told us how fascists captured and sent him to Germany, where he spent four years in Sachsenhausen concentration camp, on the outskirts of Berlin. The Nazis spared his life because of his craftsmanship as a shoemaker. In April 1945, a few days before the Allies stormed into the city, he managed to escape with a fellow Russian inmate. They crossed Europe and came back home. I grew up during the Cold War, obsessed by a shared feeling of impending doom. My very first trip was to Prague and Berlin, a few months after the collapse of the Wall. I watched a divided city as it still was, but didn’t dare to visit the camp. Many years later, I was able to put my resolve to the test. Present day. Once again, I’m back in Berlin, this time to finally see the Konzentrationslager. I’m on the S-Bahn train to Oranienburg. At each station, my mind goes back in time, to the tumultuous decades that preceded the 9th of November 1989, when people were able to cross the Wall. I’m thinking about the connection between my grandfather’s story and the convoluted menacing world order that came out of it. When I finally cross the steel gate of Sachsenhausen, I realise how this whole story is about being a prisoner. Whether in a concentration camp, behind a wall, caught within propaganda or fearing a nuclear holocaust.”
Watch the video for ‘Skinny Kid’ below
Author : Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
