Tuesday 24 April 2018

SEARCH FOR ACTS TO JOIN HORIZONS 2018 ANNOUNCED!

BBC Wales and Arts Council of Wales are today announcing that the search for Horizons artists to join its 2018 project is now underway. The applications process is now open and the 12 successful acts will be supported and promoted in various ways by Horizons over the next 12 months.

Horizons is a unique showcase of new, independent contemporary music in Wales. Now in its fourth-year, Horizons is a collaboration between BBC Wales and Arts Council of Wales.

Since its inception in 2014, Horizons has given a platform to over 36 emerging artists from Wales giving them support and mentoring to help them reach new audiences in Wales, the UK and beyond, and supported many more at festival stages and help release ambitions through the Launchpad fund.

The Horizons project aims to be a comprehensive showcase of promising talent in Wales. From providing promotional and performance opportunities, over the past four years Horizons has provided new Welsh acts with a breadth of support and some unforgettable experiences as they start their journeys into music.

Horizons acts have been showcased at some of the biggest festivals at home and internationally from Glastonbury, The Great Escape, Festival No.6, Sŵn, to Eurosonic and SXSW and performed sessions at the legendary Maida Vale Studios. In the three years of the project previous Horizons alumni include Candelas, Swnami, CaStLeS, Violet Skies, Afrocluster, Baby Queens, Kizzy Crawford, Seazoo, The People the Poet, Reuel Elijah, Danielle Lewis and many more who have benefitted from the Horizon’s Project.

- The 12 artists will be offered a platform at events across Wales and on BBC Wales’ national services - BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio Wales.

- Acts who want to be considered fill in a form online via bbc.co.uk/horizons. Horizons acts will be selected by a panel of experts from within the partnership and the wider music sector.

The Horizons project will be bringing music to many festivals over summer 2018 and will offer more exciting opportunities to Welsh musicians later in the year through its Launchpad funding scheme.

Also new for this year, The Horizons Project has hand picked 12 'Horizons bloggers' who will help spread the word about the Horizons 12 new acts for 2018. Providing personal, insightful and in depth coverage of the acts selected with blogs, podcasts and exclusive content. Horizons Bloggers will also be appearing on panels and on the BBC to help promote the acts and the project's work online and on social media.

Music fans can follow the Twitter account @horizonscymru for all the latest news.

Violet Skies, one of the artists from the 2015 Project says:

“It’s was a mad year for me as part of the Horizons scheme. I’ve been lucky enough to tick off a lot of things from my musical bucket list - The Great Escape, Festival No.6, Sŵn, Maida Vale and now, I’m looking forward to Eurosonic and SXSW festival. It's been a lovely little Welsh family of talented musicians and a really good support team - it's nice to turn up at festivals or a show knowing you have people there to help you. Writing and collaborating with other artists has been a highlight too, and having so many others going through the same as you is so reassuring.”

Lisa Gwilym, BBC Radio Cymru presenter said:

“What I enjoy most about the Horizons project is the opportunity to get to know 12 artists so much better. To be able to follow their journey over the year – from all the festivals to the famous Maida Vale studios – is extremely exciting. I can’t wait to hear and see the range of music on offer from the Horizons artists this year.”

Lisa Matthews, Portfolio Manager at the Arts Council of Wales, says:

“We’re proud to support Horizons for a further year and see another 12 artists have a creative and potentially career changing year. There’s been some incredible opportunities created so far and we’re looking forward with excitement more incredible music experiences.”

Bethan Elfyn, Project Manager of Horizons at BBC Wales, said:

“The music industry is constantly changing and it is a challenge to get new, unsigned artists heard in such a competitive world, but a challenge the Horizons team relish. We’ll have a special start to our festival calendar this year by revealing our new 12 at the Biggest Weekend Fringe Festival in Swansea, and putting on a whole host of acts across a whole week of activity in Swansea. That’s just the start and we look forward to a 12 month journey with the new artists.”

Applications are open from April 23 to Midnight, May 7, and announcements will follow from May 21 at the Biggest Weekend Fringe.

Please follow Twitter and Facebook - @horizonscymru - for all the information.

For interview requests and press photos please contact Bill at soundandvisionpr@googlemail.com

Y CHWILIO AM ARTISTIAID A BANDIAU I YMUNO Â GORWELION 2018 WEDI CYCHWYN!

Mae BBC Cymru a Chyngor Celfyddydau Cymru yn cyhoeddi heddiw bod y gwaith o chwilio am artistiaid i ymuno â phrosiect Gorwelion ar gyfer 2018 bellach ar droed. Mae’r broses ymgeisio ar agor a bydd y 12 artist a band llwyddiannus yn cael eu cefnogi a’u hyrwyddo mewn amrywiol ffyrdd gan Gorwelion dros y 12 mis nesaf.

Mae Gorwelion yn cynnig llwyfan unigryw i gerddoriaeth gyfoes annibynnol, newydd. Cydweithrediad ydyw rhwng BBC Cymru a Chyngor Celfyddydau Cymru, ac mae bellach ar ei bedwaredd flwyddyn.

Ers ei sefydlu yn 2014, mae Gorwelion wedi rhoi llwyfan i dros 36 o artistiaid newydd o Gymru, gan roi cefnogaeth iddynt a’u mentora er mwyn eu cynorthwyo i gyrraedd cynulleidfaoedd newydd yng Nghymru, y DU a thu hwnt. Mae hefyd wedi cefnogi llawer mwy o artistiaid ar lwyfannau gwyliau ac wedi cynorthwyo i wireddu uchelgeisiau trwy gyfrwng y Gronfa Lawnsio.

Nod prosiect Gorwelion yw cyflwyno amrywiaeth gynhwysfawr o dalent addawol o Gymru. Drwy gynnig cyfleoedd hyrwyddo a pherfformio, dros y tair blynedd diwethaf mae Gorwelion wedi rhoi ystod o gymorth a phrofiadau bythgofiadwy i artistiaid a bandiau newydd o Gymru wrth iddynt ddechrau ar eu taith ym myd cerddoriaeth.

Mae artistiaid a bandiau Gorwelion wedi cael llwyfan yn rhai o’n gwyliau mwyaf gartref ac yn rhyngwladol, o Glastonbury, The Great Escape, Gŵyl Rhif 6 a Sŵn i Eurosonic a SXSW, ac wedi perfformio sesiynau yn stiwdios enwog Maida Vale. Mae artistiaid Gorwelion yn ystod tair blynedd gyntaf y prosiect yn cynnwys Candelas, Swnami, CaStLeS, Violet Skies, Afrocluster, Baby Queens, Kizzy Crawford, Seazoo, The People the Poet, Reuel Elijah, Danielle Lewis a llawer mwy sydd wedi elwa yn sgil prosiect Gorwelion.

- Bydd y 12 o artistiaid yn cael cynnig llwyfan mewn digwyddiadau ledled Cymru ac ar wasanaethau cenedlaethol BBC Cymru - BBC Radio Cymru a BBC Radio Wales.

- Bydd angen i artistiaid/bandiau sydd eisiau cael eu hystyried lenwi ffurflen ar-lein ar bbc.co.uk/gorwelion. Bydd artistiaid/bandiau Gorwelion yn cael eu dewis gan banel o arbenigwyr sy’n rhan o’r bartneriaeth ac o’r sector cerddoriaeth yn ehangach.

Bydd prosiect Gorwelion yn dod â cherddoriaeth i lu o wyliau yn ystod haf 2018 ac yn cynnig rhagor o gyfleoedd cyffrous i gerddorion o Gymru yn nes ymlaen yn y flwyddyn trwy gyfrwng cynllun ariannu y Gronfa Lawnsio.

Un peth newydd eleni yw’r 12 o ‘Flogwyr Gorwelion’ sydd wedi cael eu dethol yn arbennig gan brosiect Gorwelion ac a fydd yn cynorthwyo i roi’r gair ar led am 12 artist/band newydd Gorwelion ar gyfer 2018, gan roi sylw personol, treiddgar a manwl i’r artistiaid a’r bandiau a gaiff eu dewis, trwy gyfrwng blogiau, podlediadau a chynnwys arbennig. Bydd Blogwyr Gorwelion hefyd yn ymddangos ar baneli ac ar y BBC i helpu i hyrwyddo’r artistiaid, ac yng ngwaith y prosiect ar-lein ac ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol.

Gall dilynwyr cerddoriaeth ddilyn cyfrif Twitter @horizonscymru i gael yr holl newyddion diweddaraf.

Dolenni/manylion ymgeisio:

Meddai Violet Skies, un o artistiaid Prosiect 2015:

“Roedd fy mlwyddyn yn rhan o gynllun Gorwelion yn un wallgof. Rydw i wedi bod yn ddigon ffodus i gael cyflawni llawer o bethau oedd ar fy rhestr o brofiadau cerddorol - The Great Escape, Gŵyl Rhif 6, Sŵn, Maida Vale, a nawr rwy’n edrych ymlaen at Eurosonic a gŵyl SXSW. Mae wedi bod yn deulu bach hyfryd o gerddorion talentog o Gymru gyda thîm cymorth arbennig o dda – mae’n braf cyrraedd gŵyl neu sioe gan wybod y bydd gennych bobl yno i’ch helpu. Mae ysgrifennu a chydweithio ag artistiaid eraill wedi bod yn un o’r uchafbwyntiau hefyd, ac mae cael cynifer o bobl eraill yn mynd drwy’r un profiadau â chi yn gefn mawr.”

Yn ôl Lisa Gwilym, cyflwynydd ar BBC Radio Cymru:

“Yr hyn rwy’n ei fwynhau fwyaf am brosiect Gorwelion yw’r cyfle i ddod i adnabod 12 o artistiaid gymaint yn well. Mae’n hynod o gyffrous gallu dilyn eu taith yn ystod y flwyddyn – o’r holl wyliau i stiwdios enwog Maida Vale. Rwy’n edrych ymlaen yn eiddgar at gael clywed yr amrywiaeth o gerddoriaeth a fydd ar gael gan artistiaid Gorwelion eleni.”

Meddai Lisa Matthews, Rheolwr Portffolio yng Nghyngor Celfyddydau Cymru:

“Rydym ni’n falch o gefnogi Gorwelion am flwyddyn arall, a gweld 12 artist arall yn cael blwyddyn greadigol a allai newid eu gyrfa yn 2018. Mae cyfleoedd anhygoel wedi’u creu hyd yma ac rydym yn edrych ymlaen yn llawn cyffro at ragor o brofiadau cerddorol anhygoel.”

Yn ôl Bethan Elfyn, Rheolwr Prosiect Gorwelion yn BBC Cymru:

“Mae’r diwydiant cerddoriaeth yn newid yn barhaus ac mae’n her sicrhau bod artistiaid newydd nad ydynt ar gytundeb yn cael eu clywed mewn byd mor gystadleuol, ond mae’n her y mae tîm Gorwelion yn cael blas arni. Bydd gennym ddechrau arbennig i’n calendr o wyliau eleni gan y byddwn yn datgelu ein 12 newydd yng Ngŵyl Ymylol y Penwythnos Mwyaf yn Abertawe, ac yn cyflwyno llu o artistiaid yn ystod wythnos lawn o weithgareddau yno. A dim ond y dechrau fydd hynny – rydym ni’n edrych ymlaen at daith 12 mis o hyd gyda’r artistiaid newydd.”

Gellir ymgeisio rhwng Ebrill 23 a hanner nos ar Mai 7, a daw’r cyhoeddiadau wedi hynny o Ŵyl Ymylol y Penwythnos Mwyaf.

Dilynwch Gorwelion ar Twitter a Facebook - @horizonscymru – er mwyn cael yr holl wybodaeth.

I wneud cais am gyfweliadau a lluniau ar gyfer y wasg, cysylltwch â Bill ar Soundandvisionpr@googlemail.com

Friday 13 April 2018

The Mu-Tones release their debut single 'Slab City Records' on the 30th of June 2018 through Ugly Man Records. Supported by a launch show at Jimmy's Northern Quarter in Manchester on the same night!

The Mu-Tones release their debut single 'Slab City Records' on the 30th of June 2018 through Ugly Man Records. Supported by a launch show at Jimmy's Northern Quarter in Manchester on the same night!
https://soundcloud.com/soundandvisionpr/mutonesslabcityrecords Manchester trio The Mu-Tones are a noisy garage pop band forged of three talents and a desire for direct communication, led by formerMarion guitarist/songwriter Anthony Grantham and joined by Alex Redhead (bass) formerly of Amplifier and Peter Gray (drums) who used to play with Letters to Fiesta. The Mu-Tones manifesto is direct and to the point: short sharp songs crammed full of loud, angry, weird magic. Anthony says "Some of them are about how I feel, and some of them show how I feel without making a lot of sense"

Their debut single 'Slab City Records' is a bruising distillation of the Mu-Tones sound, filthy basslines, scorched riffing and railroading drums, it's flying across the rails into a sizzling crescendo, think The Pixies or Husker Du reassembled through Grantham's imagination. This urgent noise pop is laced with an insurgent ode to a forgotten area of the US: "Its an area in America not even on the map, run by solar power, apparently they have gigs on there, it's something I'd love to do." says Grantham"Also it DOES sound like the sort of thing you'd hear Lux Interior saying, which is kind of what the second verse is about."

Anthony Grantham was the guitarist and one of the songwriters in revered 1990s band Marion until they disbanded "When I left we had stopped writing, at least together, and writing has always been a great joy of mine"

Ugly Man Records was established in 1986 with the début release of Wonderful Life, by Liverpool band Black. Over the next 26 years, they have had the good fortune to release débuts by Elbow, I am Kloot and Josephine Oniyama. They have published football fanzines and books by Frank Sidebottom.

Best of all they are still here now releasing great music and finding even more emerging talent'.

Mu-Tones launch their debut single 'Slab City Records' at Jimmy's Northern Quarter on the 30th of June 2018. Tickets for the show will be available here https://bit.ly/2Hf7UDy www.instagram.com/themutones www.twitter.com/themutones