The Blind Boys of Alabama to receive Lifetime Achievement Award from Americana Music Association
The cermony takes place on 18 September at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium.
Wed, 03 July 24
The second of three two-track digital singles from Bob Holroyd ‘The Surrey Ambience Service’ / ‘Searching’ is released on Real World X today, following hot on the heels of last month’s release of ‘Mangled Pianos’ / ‘Steal’.
These two new, complimentary pieces were written during the last 18 months of uncertainty and they use repetition and layers of sound to reflect the, often contradictory, emotions we’ve all experienced in this period.
Like a musical emergency-response team for the nervous system, the evocatively titled ‘The Surrey Ambience Service’, offers the antidote to the feelings of tension and uncertainty that waiting on the unknown engenders, “My music has become a lot about space, not rushing, letting the ideas gradually form,” says Holroyd. “I love to explore the textures of different sounds, and how these can be combined to make a sort of sonic collage. This track definitely is about the waiting, the tension of not knowing what will happen. But things can and do develop within us, layer by layer and we do move to a different internal space – we just can’t always push it.”
The idea was to create an aural representation of the feeling I had during lockdown, which was a time where I was doing the same, or very similar things, every day, without much variation or structure. Bob Holroyd
The second track ‘Searching’ has a similar meaning and influence, built around repetitive lines that develop, as if adding more colours. “The repetition for me is sort of like daydreaming, it allows my mind to wander. The middle of this track when the piano loop temporarily stops is like being lost in one’s thoughts, but then coming back to them again, slightly clearer.”
The Surrey Ambience Service is out now on all digital platforms.
Embark on a voyage of musical discovery with us by signing up to the Real World newsletters
The cermony takes place on 18 September at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium.
Wed, 03 July 24
Bangoro is a track taken from Bab L' Bluz's critically acclaimed second album 'Swaken'. In its album...
Wed, 12 February 25
New folk duo Owen Spafford & Louis Campbell visited the studio to record a new EP for Real World X.
Tue, 05 March 24
French-Moroccan power quartet Bab L' Bluz, release the third track from their album Swaken.
Fri, 05 April 24