Newsletter #20

SOPA Newsletter # 20 - May 6, 2008: Live shows, dj'ing, new cds, reviews, videoes etc.

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Hi!

Welcome to the 20th SOPA Newsletter!

Can you believe it's twenty newsletters already? We're not spamming you, are we? Hope not. :-)
We got a bunch of stuff for you for this little "anniversary of sorts."

Before we get started... a quick thank you must go out to those who came to the two recent SOPA Nights. Those were great evenings with such nice people. Hope to see you again in the future! We had such fun!

In this newsletter:

LOTS OF 9 LIVE
SOPA DJ'ING IN BERLIN
GIRLS LOVE RALLIE LIVE VIDEO
NEW 9 CONCERT CONCEPT: 'ME AGAINST MYSELF'
NEW DISTRIBUTION CDS IN THE SHOP
9 REVIEW AT DISKANT
TWO NEW SOPA CDS ON THE WAY
ANOTHER 9 GIG FOR SALE ON MAY 9TH
GAFFA REVIEWS DELICIOUS COMPILATION
9 CDS IN STOCK
FRIENDS DOING THIS AND THAT

LOTS OF 9 LIVE
9 is touring Italy at the moment. Still some shows left there! And one in Berlin He's also doing some radio shows.

May 6: Radio Fantasy, Italy, interview.
May 8: Radio RAI Regione, Italy, interview and music
May 10: Bologna, Italy, "9 da camera" (private performance).
May 11: Bologna, Italy, "9 da camera" (private performance).
May 28: Zur Moebelfabrik, Berlin, performing with Tom Bug, Dubspace, Polsi and Mittekill

A side note: Tom Bug also has a workshop in Berlin on the 24th where he'll fiddle around with his wonderful musical hardware. Do yourself a favour and visit http://www.bugbrand.co.uk . Amazing stuff he's got going on there.

SOPA DJ'ING IN BERLIN
Marzipan Marzipan just played her first show in a long time and now has a dj set (as Zelda Panda) coming up soon. That's on May 25 at Intersoup in Berlin.
And when 9 is playing with Tom Bug in Berlin on May 28 at Zur Moebelfabriek Capt. Daydream will be spinning some tunes too at that gig. Probably some electronic stuff - from the very old and weirdly new.

GIRLS LOVE RALLIE LIVE VIDEO
We got a bit of video from SOPA Night #3 in Næstved. Girls Love Rallie playing two songs - the last one with a spur of the moment participation by 9 and Polsi. We hope to get some more video from the recent SOPA Nights (9 and Delay Lama) on YouTube very soon. For now... go Rallie!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xihAtNLqVpk

NEW 9 CONCERT CONCEPT: 'ME AGAINST MYSELF'
Marco of 9 is also working on a new concert concept involving video. He calls it "Me Against Myself" and you can catch a preview of his new work on YouTube and see how he interacts with himself while performing. Watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5omMr3e7IqY .

NEW DISTRIBUTION CDS IN THE SHOP
We got two new items in the Distribution section! Go and check out these great offers out...

9 - s/t
An EP of 9's songs from before he put together his SOPA album. Socalled "digital campfire songs". As with the album you get soothing electronic arrangements with that 9 pop twist and Marco Brosolo's distinctive sung/spoken vocals. One song from this EP, "Lullaby", is also on the "Eponymous" album, but in a different version. The rest of the songs are totally unique to this cd.
http://www.sopa.dk/releases/D005.htm

My Friend George - Born In The U.S.A.
Before Girls Love Rallie ventured on to SOPA he was singer, songwriter and guitarist in the band My Friend George which released this mighty fine album of catchy lo-fi diddies in 2005. We got some copies from the kind Morningside Records so you can have a bit of Rallie before he releases his solo album on SOPA.
http://www.sopa.dk/releases/D006.htm

We also got some more copies of The Cille's EP in our Distribution section, because we ran out. Don't wait too long if you want one.

9 REVIEW AT DISKANT
Danish music webzine Diskant has written the very first review of "Eponymous" by 9. The album gets a 6/10-rating and some really nice words:
"Right from the first notes of the opening track 'Delay' a warm atmosphere in the music pops up and hovers in the room. (...) A lot of electronics that gives the compositions life, that makes them hover as fly ash instead of being heavy in the tradition. (...) Brosolo's deep and warm voice - as well as relaxed way of singing - supports the relaxed atmosphere - as does the various guest vocals that are on the album. The electronic instrumentation never becomes so insistent that it overtakes the attention, but in return brings more life to the album. (...) A pleasant acquaintance."
Read it all in Danish here: http://www.diskant.dk/Anmeldelser/Pladeanmeldelser/1-9/9-Eponymous.htm

TWO NEW SOPA CDS ON THE WAY
Oh yeah, we know we've said it before, but now it seems that the cds by Girls Love Rallie and Delay Lama are just around the corner. They are putting their final touches to them as of writing this. Exciting stuff! It's goooood, yep! :-)

ANOTHER 9 GIG FOR SALE ON MAY 9TH
It's that time of the month again. The 9th. And you know this means that another 9 gig is up for grabs for the huge amount of 1 cent (euro) on eBay. Doesn't get much cheaper than that, eh? So if you want to have your own concert somewhere (anywhere!) then be quick and buy it on May 9th. For more info visit http://www.9-9.it .

GAFFA REVIEWS DELICIOUS COMPILATION
Denmark's biggest music magazine Gaffa has reviewed the SOPA DELICIOSA compilation. It gets some really nice words and a total of four stars. The artists singled out in the review are Marzipan Marzipan, Konrad Korabiewski, Le Fiasko, Neueregene, Maria Timm, Skammens Vogn, A.K. Hansn and Singvogel. To quote at bit of it:
"Even though we have a mixed bag here the standard is generally high, and the mix sounds less messy to the ear than it does on paper. (...) An abundance of musical originality. (...) A treasure trove for the curious music lover."
Read it all in Danish here: http://gaffa.dk/anmeldelser/view.php/mreview_id=35519 .

ALL NEW CDS IN STOCK
Oh, and yes, despite all the troubles with getting the 9 cds to SOPA HQ our second try was succesful. Hence... we now finally have the 9's in stock ready to go! And that's SOPA's first "real printed" cd (not a cd-r).
And don't forget the new cd by Agata & Me either. Sure to rub you the right way. Have a listen at http://www.myspace.com/agataandme . Also watch their little video for the lovely "Mirror" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IzV2LKFhao . That tune really sticks in your head, dudn't it? The Germans call that an "Ohrwurm", oh ja. ;-)

FRIENDS DOING THIS AND THAT
Our friends in Le Fiasko (featured on SOPA DELICIOSA) is battling it out on the Danish indie chart Det Elektriske Barometer at the moment. So go vote for them if you like the songs. And go see them on the coming Spot Festival in Aarhus, Denmark, where they are among the lucky ones performing there.
Voting is here: http://www.dr.dk/p3/barometer

Golden Diskó Shop, a good friend of SOPA, is also playing live in Germany several times soon. Don't miss out on any of all this if you're in the neighbourhood...
http://www.myspace.com/goldendiskoship

SOPA made a new friend on the latest SOPA Night: Spejderrobot. He just released a really nice album of electronic music. Got a lot of great reviews in the Danish press. Do yourself a favour and listen to some of it at http://www.myspace.com/spejderrobot .

Also: When Under Byen is playing three shows in Denmark and Sweden at the very end of May Nils Gröndahl will of course be part of the fun as usual, but audiences at the two Danish gigs will also get the pleasure of having Wendy McNeill play for them before the main act. One more reason to attend these shows. Wendy contributed one of her wonderful songs to the SOPA DELICIOSA compilation.
More info on the shows at http://www.underbyen.dk .

One of the singers, Anna Brønsted, in the DELICIOSA-contributing duo The Sad Lovers has a cd out under the bandname Our Broken Garden. On the label Bella Union, no less. Wow. http://www.myspace.com/ourbrokengarden

And don't forget... if you're interested in putting on shows with any of the SOPA artists - or maybe performing alongside them if you're a musician yourself - then send us an e-mail. Maybe we can make fun things happen! :-)

See you on planet Earth! They play music and sing songs there...

Capt. Daydream