Jóhann Gunnar Jóhannsson 19 September 1969 – 9 February 2018) was an Icelandic composer who wrote music for a wide array of media including theatre, dance, television, and films. His work is stylised by its blending of traditional orchestration with contemporary electronic elements.
Jóhann released solo albums from 2002 onward. In 2016, he signed with Deutsche Grammophon, through which he released his last solo album, "Orphée". Some of his works in film include the original scores for Denis Villeneuve's Prisoners, Sicario, and Arrival, and James Marsh's The Theory of Everything. Jóhann was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score for both "The Theory of Everything" and "Sicario", and won a Golden Globe for Best Original Score for the former. He was a music and sound consultant on Mother!, directed by Darren Aronofsky in 2017. His scores for Mary Magdalene and Mandy were released posthumously.
His only directorial work, Last and First Men, premiered at the Manchester International Festival in 2017, where he also performed the score live with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.
"A Model Of The Universe" - composition from the original score to the 2014 motion picture by Icelandic composer/producer Johann Johannsson.
"The Theory Of Everything" is a 2014 British film directed by James Marsh and penned by Anthony McCarten. The film was inspired by the memoir TRAVELLING TO INFINITY: MY LIFE WITH STEPHEN by Jane Hawking, which deals with her relationship with her ex-husband theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, his diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and his success in physics.
A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS may well be known for their bizarrely teased haircuts as much as their hit single "I Ran". A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS were one of prime movers in the 80's new wave era. Growing out of the synth-heavy and ruthlessly stylish new romantic movement. Hairdresser Mike Score (lead vocals, keyboards) formed A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS with his brother Ali (drums) and fellow hairdresser Frank Maudsley (bass) in 1980, adding guitarist Paul Reynolds several months later..
"Telecommunication" became an underground hit in Euro-disco and new wave clubs. The band signed a major-label contract with Jive by the end of the year, and their eponymous debut album appeared in the spring of 1982. "I Ran (So Far Away)" was released as the first single from the album, and MTV quickly picked up on its icily attractive video, which featured long shots of Mike Score and his distinctive, cascading hair. The single climbed into the American Top Ten, taking the album along with it. In the UK, "I Ran" didn't make the Top 40, but "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)" reached number ten later that year; in America, that single became a Top 40 hit in 1983, after "Space Age Love Song" peaked at number 30. "Wishing" was taken from the group's second album "Listen" in 1983. The band released 1984's "The Story of A Young Heart" which fielded the hit "The More You Live, The More You Love".
A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS are famous for their music but also famous for their references in popular culture from TV (Ross's Haircut in Friends), Computer Games ("I Ran" was the standout track on Grand Theft Auto Radio), Film (The band and haircut are referenced in Pulp Fiction, X-Men and The Wedding Singer) . This cemented the bands reputation and brought the band to a whole new legion of fans.
In 2003, the original line-up of Mike, Ali, Frank and Paul reunited for a one-off performance on the VH1 series Bands Reunited. In September 2004, they reformed again and did a brief tour in the United States. From 2004 to 2021 Mike was as busy as ever touring the band around the world. In 2018 the band appeared on record together for their "Ascension" album. The original members all make an appearance on record together for "String Theory".
One of the highlights of the second installment of their Orchestral Hits Opus 'String Theory', iconic 80's band A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS return with "Messages". A long term fan favourite now get's a single release, with five versions in total.
The Original Mix combines the unforgettable guitar energy of the 1982 release, with the Prague Philharmonic swooping in on choruses for added scale and emotional reach, an additional layer that is amplified on the Neo Classical Extended mix, and dialled down slightly on the more laid back Domestic Technology Mix.
Today's tune "Messages" is taken from the new album "String Theory", the single was released along with the Main Extended mix, there's something here for even the hardest hardcore SEAGULLS fans - and long may they continue. Released April 22, 2022
"Shining Star" is a song by EARTH, WIND & FIRE issued as a single in January 1975 on Columbia Records. The song rose to No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart, becoming their first single to top both charts (and only single to top the former).
"Shining Star" was produced by Maurice White and composed by White, Larry Dunn and Philip Bailey. The song also came off EARTH, WIND & FIRE's 1975 album "That's the Way of the World".
The concept for the song came to Maurice White while strolling at night during the band's recording of "That's the Way of the World" at Caribou Ranch. He became inspired by looking up at the starry sky and took his ideas about the song to the other band members.
Today's powerhouse classic was made by vox/lead guitar: Myles Kennedy, guitar: Kathy Moore, drums: Dennis Leeflang, BVs: Christa Wells, bass: Mike Squires, trumpet: Austin Drake, tenor saxophone: R.W. Enoch and trombone: Lindsay McMurray. Mixed by Don Gunn Edited by Mike Squires.
The tune was made for the podcast Couch Riffs https://couchriffs.com. Couch Riffs is a music performance video series and audio podcast created and produced by Mike Squires ( Duff McKagan's Loaded, Harvey Danger, Alien Crime Syndicate and others). The video series has taken some twists and turns along the way and currently is focused on creating full-band quarantine videos. Keep coming back to find more videos soon and with more and more great musical guests. Enjoy!
Grant-Lee Phillips lost in the music as he performs his recent single "Remember This".
The single is taken from the forthcoming album "All That You Can Dream", which is due out on 20th May 2022. Like many artists, Phillips turned to song-writing when his touring schedule was paused indefinitely during the pandemic.
He explains: “I found respite in the process when I could do little else. It became a sort of meditation on this time in my life and the events that we’ve collectively experienced. We’ve experienced some staggering events over the past several years or so. When people speak of those things, it’s not enough to simply highlight or underline the headlines of the day. The aim is to tap into the feelings that we share that are trapped beneath our skin—and figure out how we expel those feelings by talking about them. I found that the circumstances of being off the road and left to reflect on what this time feels like, produced a different kind of song. In some ways, that freed me up to write and record the kind of song that was personal and executed as though it were for an audience of myself alone. That’s freeing.”
In a nod to this lyrical elegance, "All That You Can Dream's" music is ornate but spare. Phillips wrote and arranged the album's songs on guitar or piano, adding a basic rhythmic and vocal framework. To flesh out the music's contours, he then enlisted a pair of trusted previous collaborators, the Los Angeles-based bassist Jennifer Condos and drummer Jay Bellerose. "They were going stir-crazy themselves and welcomed the idea of a long-distance recording project," Phillips says. Bellerose set up drums in his living room, Condos served as engineer, and the duo laid down rhythm tracks to songs Phillips had sent over, as if the three musicians were all in the same room.
It’s a sensitive, introspective collection of songs that reflect the uncertainties and anxieties of the world we’re currently living in. Look out for the album and, in the meantime, enjoy this and try to catch him live, see all the dates below.
Today's tune "Remember This", taken from the upcoming album "All That You Can Dream".
GRANT-LEE PHILLIPS TOUR DATES 2022 / 2023
APR 27 WED
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 10:00pm
Oslo, Norway
APR 28 THU
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 10:00pm
Bergen, Norway
APR 29 FRI
Byscenen in Trondheim @ 9:00pm
Trondheim, Norway
APR 30 SAT
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 10:00pm
Bodø, Norway
JUN 2 THU
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 8:00pm
Boston, MA, United States
JUN 3 FRI
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 7:30pm
New York, NY, United States
JUN 4 SAT
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 8:00pm
Philadelphia, PA, United States
JUN 5 SUN
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 8:00pm
Washington, DC, United States
JUN 7 TUE
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 8:00pm
Pittsburgh, PA, United States
JUN 8 WED
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 8:00pm
Cleveland, OH, United States
JUN 9 THU
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 8:00pm
Ann Arbor, MI, United States
JUN 10 FRI
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 8:00pm
Chicago, IL, United States
JUN 11 SAT
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 8:00pm
Milwaukee, WI, United States
DEC 1 THU
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 10:00pm
Dublin, Ireland
DEC 2 FRI
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 10:00pm
Cork, Ireland
DEC 3 SAT
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 10:00pm
Limerick City, Ireland
DEC 4 SUN
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 10:00pm
Belfast, United Kingdom
DEC 6 TUE
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 10:00pm
Manchester, United Kingdom
DEC 7 WED
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 10:00pm
London, United Kingdom
DEC 8 THU
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 10:00pm
Bexhill On Sea, United Kingdom
DEC 9 FRI
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 10:00pm
Newport, United Kingdom
DEC 10 SAT
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 10:00pm
Bristol, United Kingdom
DEC 11 SUN
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 10:00pm
Guildford, United Kingdom
JAN 19 THU
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 10:00pm
Chester, United Kingdom
JAN 20 FRI
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 10:00pm
Strathaven, United Kingdom
JAN 22 SUN
More Music @ 10:00pm
Morecambe, United Kingdom
JAN 24 TUE
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 10:00pm
Leeds, United Kingdom
JAN 25 WED
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 10:00pm
Liverpool, United Kingdom
JAN 26 THU
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 10:00pm
Birmingham, United Kingdom
JAN 27 FRI
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 10:00pm
Leicester, United Kingdom
JAN 28 SAT
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 10:00pm
Ramsgate, United Kingdom
JAN 29 SUN
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 10:00pm
Winchester, United Kingdom
JAN 31 TUE
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 10:00pm
Cambridge, United Kingdom
FEB 1 WED
Grant-Lee Phillips @ 10:00pm
St Albans, United Kingdom
