Transglobal Underground Archives - Page 2 of 3

Total Assault On The Culture – November 2021

1 November 2021Mark

“There swims behind it all a mass of tremendous life” — Moby Dick an 1851 novel by American writer Herman Melville This month has been multi-drop van delivery driving all the way in an attempt to turn mileage into music. A few days ago, I found myself loading bathroom supplies into a hire van at the back of a warehouse in pouring rain, whilst discussing abstract mathematics and the life and works of Robert Anton Wilson by phone as confused warehouse staff looked on wondering who on earth I was talking to? Sometimes I don’t understand how anything happens, and the only thing to do is climb behind the wheel and drive…

Transglobal Underground at The Jazz Cafe, London, on Saturday, 6th November 2021 with Natacha Atlas and the Dub Colossus Sound System.

31 October 2021Mark

World fusion pioneers Transglobal Underground will be performing live on stage for the first time since 2019. The first concert will take place at The Jazz Cafe, London, on Saturday, November 6th, 2021 with Natacha Atlas and the Dub Colossus Sound System. The concert will be held in honor of original Transglobal Underground member, bassist guitarist and producer, the late great Nick ‘Count Dubulah’ Page, who passed away earlier this year. On what would have been his birthday, Transglobal Underground will be having a special celebration with original members Natacha Atlas, Goldfinger and Larry Whelan, who will join the regular Transglobal Underground crew to celebrate his memory, and debuting onstage one…

Natacha Atlas – The Inner & The Outer – Exploring themes of societal dystopia, an emotional and contemplative musical reaction to the challenges society has faced during the pandemic.

7 July 2021Mark

The Inner & The Outer by Natacha Atlas Official Natacha Atlas - Vocals (1-6) Yazz Ahmed - Flugelhorn (2-5) Jason Singh - Beatbox, Analogue Synths (1 & 6) Alcyona Mick - Original Piano Takes (1-6) Samy Bishai - Violin, Viola, String Arr. (2), Electric Bass (3), Beats (1, 3, 5, 6), Programming & Sound Design (1-6) All Tracks by Atlas/Bishai (Wise Music Publishing) Produced & Arranged by Samy Bishai Mixed by Samy Bishai Mastered by Jon Astley 'The Outer' is the first single from the upcoming project between globally renowned vocalist Natacha Atlas and production partner Samy Bishai, featuring composer, musician and sound artist Jason Singh. Exploring themes of societal dystopia,…

Transglobal Underground – A Gathering of Strangers 2021

3 February 2021Mark

Unity Beyond Borders A Gathering of Strangers 2021 by Transglobal Underground and our European Friends As people move away from their homelands out of necessity or choice, their stories of family, traditions, sorrows and joys travel with them, beyond the borders they cross. Transglobal Underground (one of the bands I have worked with closely in recent times) went on a mission a few years ago across Europe to find songs of migration and emigration which was first released as a 2010 project called U.N.I.T.E. (Urban Native Integrated Traditions of Europe) funded by an EU arts grant. This album is now being re-released in 2021 with re-mixes on “I Left My Sweet…

Transglobal Underground – Walls Have Ears released 15th May 2020

14 May 2020Mark

‘WALLS HAVE EARS’ is the new album from Transglobal Underground, featuring family members from the beginning, the present and the future. If you would like a review copy of Walls Have Ears email [email protected] Transglobal Underground - "Walls Have Ears" released Friday 1st May 2020 Transglobal Underground have been described as "an anarchic self-built non-structure that goes it’s own way." It's probably the best record they've made. Here's a video for a track called Ruma Jhuma. The track features Natacha Atlas and Sheema Mukherjee. Transglobal Underground - Walls Have Ears You’ve gone your own idiosyncratic way since the 1990s. You’ve refused labels, moved in and out of different scenes and styles,…

Review: Transglobal Underground: Walls Have Ears — as glorious as ever.

12 May 2020Mark

With swaggering reggae beats to modern Maghrebi, the near-original line-up reunites for a new studio album. Transglobal Underground were ahead of their time. Thirty years ago they rose from the ashes of the underrated indie band Furniture as a fusion of dance and world music, the furrow they have ploughed ever since. A revolving cast of characters have come and gone — the Egyptian-British singer Natacha Atlas, whose subsequent solo albums have ranged from Cairene strings to Arabic jazz; Nick Page, known in his TGU incarnation as Count Dubulah, who went on to Syriana, Xaos and most notably Dub Colossus; Johnny Kalsi of the Dhol Foundation and Imagined Village. TGU were…

Natacha Atlas – It’s A Man’s World – Music Video – From the album Strange Days (Whirlwind Recordings, 2019)

3 May 2020Mark

Natacha’s revisit of the much-loved classic “It’s A Man’s World” was prompted by a belief that its message is ever more poignant in the context of today’s world. For all the apparent progress made since this song was penned in 1966, there remains a huge disparity between society’s valuation of women vs men within the current socio-economic structure. Released on May 3 2020 in joint celebration of James Brown‘s birthday and women everywhere. Directed by Riffy Ahmed https://www.natachaatlasofficial.com https://www.whirlwindrecordings.com Natacha Atlas - Voice Alcyona Mick - Piano Andy Hamill - Double Bass Vasilis Sarikis - Percussion Samy Bishai, Emma Smith, Oli Langford, Stephen Hussey - Violin I JennyMay Logan, Gillon Cameron,…

Transglobal Underground – Walls Have Ears – For today only on Bandcamp

25 April 2020Mark

‘WALLS HAVE EARS’ is the new album from Transglobal Underground, featuring family members from the beginning, the present and the future. It will be released on May 15th 2020. Transglobal Underground - "Walls Have Ears" is available today Friday 1st May 2020, for one day only on Bandcamp. Available on vinyl £15, CD £10, and digital download £8. But for 24 hours only Transglobal Underground have been described as "an anarchic self-built non-structure that goes it’s own way." Tim and Hami have just sent me through an advance promo copy of the new album. It's probably the best record they've ever made. Here's a video for a track called Ruma Jhuma…

Natacha Atlas on Sputnik E305 & George Galloway – The Mother Of All Talkshows – Episode 21

11 November 2019Mark

Watch Natacha Atlas talking to Adam Garrie and Gayatri Galloway on Sputnik 305 - Never-ending conflict and fusion music (E305) — RT Sputnik https://buff.ly/36VvYW3 (Natacha Atlas begins around 12 minutes in) The Middle East continues to burn with the kindling of further conflict transpiring in Iraq, Syria and Libya. It seems like a never-ending war of occupation and terror for the people of those countries. But could there possibly be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel? To find out just what the current developments are in the region, we invited lecturer and journalist Sami Ramadani into the Sputnik studio to help unravel the knotted tangle of current…

Total Assault On The Culture – October 2019

24 October 2019Mark

Iron Man Records provides a cultural outpost for musicians, writers and travellers in the arts. An Embassy and Vehicle for the Imagine Nation committed to inspiring and promoting Independent creativity. The Record label seeks to encourage residents and travellers in the arts to gather, record and present their cultural insights and experiences. Read the October 2019 Newsletter here Sign up for the next Newsletter here

Natacha Atlas – Strange Days

2 October 2019Mark

“Sophisticated atmosphere...compositional boldness...solid jazz aesthetic...Natacha Atlas delivers a refined musical experience, one that encourages revelling in the most meditative parts of the human imagination“ DOWNBEAT magazine, USA November 2019 Artist: Natacha Atlas Label: Whirlwind Recordings Format: 2 x 12" (180g) Sleeve: Gatefold Country: France Genres: Jazz Pressing: 1000 Copies Natacha Atlas - Strange Days - “A darkly dystopian Arabic-infused jazz fantasy” Over the years, Natacha Atlas has worked with Transglobal Underground, Peter Gabriel, Nitin Sawhney, Nigel Kennedy, Indigo Girls, Jean-Michel Jarre, and Ibrahim Maalouf. CD: High quality, 6 panel digifile with a velvety soft-touch laminate finish & 12 page booklet with lyrics in both English and Arabic Vinyl: High quality, 180…

Transglobal Underground… A history…

19 September 2019Mark

Transglobal Underground had to happen. They refused to accept that dance music had to be four to the floor house. They refused to accept that something called ‘World Music’ ever existed. They slowed down hip-hop and sped up dub. They sang in whatever language they felt like singing in. they were DJs but they played live. Their influence is all over the place, sometimes benign, sometimes joyful, sometimes beautiful and sometimes bloody dreadful. But the price of innovation is often a trail of shite left in your wake. A thousand dodgy car adverts with colourful tribespeople, colonialised blanded out ethnic samples and ten year old beats…that’s not it at all… We’re…

Transglobal Underground – EFG London Jazz Festival 22nd November 2019

18 September 2019Mark

"Full of life and heart and drama, it’s good to have that TGU ethos in the here and now" Songlines 2018 Transglobal Underground 22nd November 2019 LONDON PizzaExpress Jazz Club 10 Dean Street London W1D 3RW https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com/whats-on/trans-global-underground https://efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk/events/transglobal-underground-1 So what is Transglobal Underground? Well, over 25 years it’s been a DJ/musical collective, a working band famous for it’s scorching live shows, a techno soundsystem, a folk festival rabble rouser, a pop group, a club night, a Middle Eastern hit production team, an improvised study group for Indian classical music, an Albanian brass band, a duo..or was it an octet?...a seminar, a medicine show and several things no one involved would admit…

MELUSINE – Children of the sweet water, by TUUP & Transglobal Underground

15 September 2019Mark

The Cinema Of The Imagination: Fairytales For Grown Ups Thu 10 October // 19:30 Bristol Tickets: £10 advance / £12 on the door PERFORMANCE STORYTELLING by TUUP MUSIC by HAMID MANTU AND TIM WHELAN of Transglobal Underground. Enter a world of supernatural beasts, power, jealousy & transformation. Medieval rulers of England and France often claimed descent from a part demonic, part angelic, part human, part fish-tailed creature called Melusine - a creator of peace and of conflict, a builder of cities, a vengeful daughter and a wronged wife – a legendary figure who the kings would credit for their achievements and blame for their cruelties. World renowned storyteller TUUP, joins forces…

Transglobal Underground – The Colours Started to Sing Again

14 September 2019Mark

If you see a barrier, smash it down. 'The Colours Started to Sing Again' is the first new recording by Transglobal Underground in several years. 'I Left My Sweet Homeland' is a remix from the 2009 release 'A Gathering of Strangers' Digital Album and CD released May 13, 2019 Natacha Atlas sings on 'The Colours Started to Sing Again.' Nori Kovacs sings on 'I Left My Sweet Homeland' Transglobal Underground represent something so unique it would be a travesty and blasphemy to attempt to define them in one sentence or write a encyclopedia, you are sure to miss something. Nation Records gave a platform to the band who in turn shared,…