POSTS TAGGED : Adwaith

Radio Europa – Something Beautiful [feat. Gwenllian Anthony of Adwaith] (Conformist Remix)

Conformist is the moniker of Cardiff producer Michael Simmons – taking inspiration from Public Enemy’s Bomb Squad and cut n’ paste pioneers Coldcut, Steinski and The Dust Brothers to name a few – renowned for his leftfield, meticulous, dense and layered productions.

Conformist has returned with a new remix of Radio Europa’s ‘Something Beautiful’ featuring vocals by Gwenllian Anthony of Adwaith – a teaser of more to come, with a third album expected from Conformist later in 2020. Conformist has given it a fresh new look, a makeover blending an intricate palette of synths, glitches and glistening strings, spliced vocal samples and spluttering beats to create something sophisticated, seductive and supremely inventive. In short, the outcome is stunning.

Listen to Conformist’s rework below:

Adwaith – ‘Lan y Môr’

With a string of brilliant singles and Welsh music prize winning debut album Melyn, in the past few years, Welsh outfit Adwaith – Hollie Singer, Gwenllian Anthony & Heledd Owen – never cease to amaze with their intense, compelling and unique experimental post punk sounds.

The Carmarthenshire trio are back with new single ‘Lan y Môr’, marking Welsh Music Day, and adding to their ever growing catalogue of brilliance. Bursting with potent energy ‘Lan y Môr’ is built around bright grooving melodies, buzzing bass, surfy guitar and interlocking riffs as it takes off, fizzing like a rocket underpinned by frenetic and transfixing motorik beats. As always, Adwaith are fearless in their creative endeavor as trio deliver yet another potent blast of post-punk – and it goes without saying, Adwaith are unique and one of the most exciting bands on the planet.

Listen to ‘Lan y Môr’ below and if you haven’t done so already, check out their Welsh music prize winning debut album Melyn here.

Adwaith – ‘Gartref’

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Welsh trio Adwaith introduced themselves and their experimental post-punk earlier in the year with stellar double A-side single ‘Fel i Fod’ / ‘Newid‘.

Hot on the heels of their double A-side, the trio – consisting of Hollie Singer (vocals, guitar), Gwenllian Anthony (bass, keys, mandolin), and Heledd Owen (drums) – have announced new single ‘Gartref’.

Opening with acoustic strum and tender, hushed vocals, ‘Gartref’ builds slowly, smouldering with emotion as it draws you in under its intoxicating spell. A beautifully melancholic slice of wistful indie-pop, based around minimalist instrumentation and the beautifully, mesmeric vocals; a truly beautiful song. As with all Adwaith’s songs thus far, they instinctively forge a direct emotional connection with the listener,

Oh, and that’s not all! A much anticipated debut album is due for release later this year too. Exciting times.

Out via the excellent Libertino Records, ‘Gartref’ is out now. Tune in below.

Adwaith are also one of twelve acts selected from across Wales for Horizons 2018, so expect to be hearing plenty more from them over the next 12 months. Find out more about them here. 

Horizons Acts for 2018 Announced & Playlist

Horizons-2018

As regular patrons of the site will be acutely aware I have a great fondness for Wales, and more specifically Welsh music (not to mention the footballing powerhouse that is Wrexham AFC).

For a relatively small place, Wales does rather well for itself musically and for somewhere of its size, it is surely unmatched in both quality and quantity. From the towns and cities, mountains and valleys, Wales proves itself time and time again, to be an ever reliable source of creative, superbly inventive and experimental sounds across a myriad of genres.

While I am entirely grateful for the seemingly never ending stream of wondrous sounds, something apparent from a casual listen to Adam Walton’s excellent BBC Radio Wales Programme (see also Bethan Elfyn also of BBC Radio Wales & Lisa Gwilym’s C2 on BBC Radio Cymru) or cursory glance at the Focus Wales lineup or the Horizons showcase.

It is the latter that draws our attention today – a collaboration between BBC Wales and Arts Council of Wales – Horizons aims to showcase exciting new, independent contemporary music in Wales, providing promotional and performance opportunities, incl. festival slots throughout the year.

Just this week, the twelve acts selected from across Wales for Horizons 2018 were announced. There are some familiar names in there; Adwaith, Campfire Social, CHROMA and Nia Wyn, and some new; Himalayas, I See Rivers, Aleighcia Scott, Alffa, Eadyth, Marged, No Good Boyo and The Pitchforks. Either way, new acquaintances or old, it is an incredibly diverse array of artists.

You can, like me, delve in below:

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Introducing: Adwaith

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I fear I’m destined to repeat myself over and over but for a relatively small place, Wales truly produces a staggering amount of stellar music. The latest addition to ever growing list is Adwaith, an experimental post punk three-piece from Carmarthenshire, consisting of Hollie Singer (vocals, guitar), Gwenllian Anthony (bass, keys, mandolin), and Heledd Owen (drums).

The trio recently released double A-side single ‘Fel i Fod’ / ‘Newid‘ through the very fruitful Libertino Records, which captures the essence to why you will be better for letting a little bit of Adwaith into your life.

‘Fel i Fod’ is a tender, inward searching affair with a foreboding aura of fear and marked with a melancholic mood. With its gorgeous subdued keyboard washes, chiming bright guitars, and stunning vocal harmonies, ‘Fel i Fod’ is simultaneously delicate, yet bold and confident, as the sense of fear subsides and trounced as it reaches its crescendo.

‘Newid’ on the other hand, is a harder edged, meatier and energetic proposition. Fueled by clattering post-punk chords and pulsating bass, it flits between darkness and light, and in continuity with ‘Fel i Fod’ there is an overwhelming and resounding feeling of defiance and hope. Over two tracks, sang in their native Welsh, you’ll be get a flavour of this trio’s spectrum of pristine but biting indie-pop to shuffling, lightly pulsating post-punk.

Powerful, beautiful and very special indeed – whatever 2018 has in store for Adwaith, it’s going to be interesting keeping an eye on, beginning with double-A single, ‘Fel I Fod/Newid’. Tune in below:

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