musomusofm on the radar playlist #30 - Simon Taylor, Vanden Dool, Callipolis and more....
Well folks, it’s been exactly 48 hours since the last ‘on the radar’ playlist dropped, I am slowly making my way through the tracks that I have received and by the start of April, I’ll be back on track and maybe able to drop back to pushing them out every 3-4 days, we’ll just have to see!
On this one, we have a broad spread of tracks from artists all over the world, from Coventry to Liverpool, from Alberta, Canada to New York City, we certainly do clock up the air miles and who knows, maybe one day we’ll be eligible for a tour of a departure lounge (though I would much prefer a return first class trip to NYC for a weekend break!)
Hit the play button below and enjoy the tracks, if you scroll below the playlist, you’ll see details of our featured artists including a bio and a list of their social media accounts, please do take time to explore these whilst you’re listening to their music and show them some love!
See you on the other side.
Simon Taylor
In the face of a challenging mental health diagnosis at the age of 23 following an ill-fated period living on a kibbutz in Israel, Simon Taylor began writing songs prolifically the following year as a form of therapy. By 2011 Simon was beginning to record these songs, which mixed elements of Latin, funk, rock and jazz with his band Simon Taylor & The Sundowners in Newcastle upon Tyne. They released an album, “Continental Girl” in 2013, a single, “Hot Love” in 2014 which was described as the “pick of that month’s releases” in NARC Magazine and also an e.p, “New York City Girl” in 2015, which received widespread American radio airplay and also record company support.
By 2016 Simon was performing under his own name with his band, and headlined with them at the O2 Academy in Newcastle in 2018. Performing and recording music solo since that time Simon subsequently released the double e.p “Under The Volcano” in early 2021.
Amongst the many artists and styles that have influenced Simon throughout his musical journey, Serge Gainsbourg, Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake, Brazilian artists such as Sen Jorge and Antonio Carlos Jobim. Flamenco, chill out plus soundtrack composers such as Ennio Morricone & Piero Umiliani have really left their mark.
His new e.p “Survival” explores the theme of mental health and Simon’s own experiences of this subject. The unreleased e.p track “Bad Times Are Through” is currently in the Semi-Finals of the UK Songwriting Competition and Simon performed a live session on BBC Radio Newcastle to promote the e.p when it was released on 4th February (available now on limited-edition CD and digital download).
Socials
Vanden Dool
Born and raised on the windswept prairie hills of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, Ty Vanden Dool would be more expected to gravitate toward the worlds of country or hard rock, but instead he turned to a very different one: the world of synth-pop and indie. Since 2014, in the middle of his studies in the University of Lethbridge's Digital Audio Arts program, he has been recording and improving upon his particular blend of old aesthetics and modern technology within the genres under his surname and slowly gained a local following.
Vanden Dool's official self-titled debut album was released in 2019, a compilation of what he considered some of his best work at the time (with some re-recordings along the way), which entered the top 20 on several campus radio stations across Canada and was described by Divide and Conquer as "an electronic based sound doused with fresh air". After touring across the country on the album's back, Vanden Dool followed up with a mid-pandemic release in the form of the 2020 EP The View from Here. A semi-concept collection of songs about his hometown, the EP once again made several campus radio charts including Earshot's National Top 10 Electronic Albums, alongside praise from Cups N Cakes ("a high-energy, explosive synth-pop sound with a unique storyteller energy") and BuzzMusic ("Vanden Dool has a timeless sound") among others.
Last fall, Vanden Dool wrapped up production on a two-song single: "You Will Not Love Me Forever", his most collaborative official release yet with backing vocals and violin by fellow Lethbridge-originated artist Makiisma. In the aftermath of moving to Calgary and despite an uncertain future for live music, Vanden Dool is now ready to release this melancholic pair of songs just in time for Valentine's Day.
“You Will Not Love Me Forever" features Megan Brown (Makiisma) on backing vocals and violin. Megan's violin was recorded by Matt Rederberg at the Farm Studios, as were all vocals on it and the B-side. Piano was provided and recorded by Gabriel Thaine Olson. Both it and the B-side were mastered by Jon Martin. The National's "Bloodbuzz, Ohio" was the main reference point for composition, arrangement and production. The lyrics are about anxieties over fans forgetting about you written to seem like a paranoid love song.
We love the track and think that you will too. Once you’ve given it a good listen, click on his socials below to learn more about this very talented artist.
Socials
Callipolis
Timothée Botbol is a Geneva-born/London-based musician who has been a cellist for years and has had the privilege of performing at The Royal Albert Hall, Donald Gordon Theatre in Cardiff, Victoria Hall in Geneva, St John's Smith Square, and recorded in Wigmore Hall. As a student I took part in many radio diffusions including BBC and Swiss National Radio (RTS).
The idea of Callipolis laid dormant for many years as he pursued a career as a concert cellist in the UK and Europe. When the world started to close down because of the Covid pandemic, Timothée saw all of his performances cancelled, allowing him the time and energy to pursue his lifelong dream.
Asked about his infliuences, Timothée said, “Mostly 80's Art-Rock acts like Queen and Bowie, but I've also grown up listening to Muse and learning all their instrumentals by heart both on piano and guitar. My vocal favourite and reference is Woodkid, and he's also an incredible inspiration for concrete sounds and steampunk atmospheres. Finally I've been working regularly as session cellist for screen composer Edward Farmer (The Crown, Bridgerton) and the influence of his music can be heard in the more cinematic bits of this release.”
What is Callipolis? Timothée explains, “Each release is like a snapshot, or a canvas of the dream-city of Callipolis. it can be from a third-person point-of-view or directly through the eyes of a protagonist. Through each song we get to see a little more of this utopic city and its darker sides, reminiscent of our own shortcomings. In "Twilight Snow" a young father stands alongside wife and son inside the crowd. As the national parade begins, doubt settles and feelings of despair and anger grow in between anthemic lines.”
Asked about his approach to writing music, Timothée concludes with, “It took me a lot of effort to start finishing up songs without constantly re-assessing and perfecting the smallest details. I usually just gave up and ended up and not releasing anything. I’m much better now, it only took me about a year to finish this one…..”
Why not spend a few minutes having a dig through his social media as this is a very interesting artist that requires a more in-depth look!
Social Media
SO there you have it folks, another 9 awesome tracks for you to get your ears around. If you liked any of them, please hit them up on the socials and tell them, mention that you heard them on the musomusofm on the radar playlist and they might even buy me a cookie if our paths ever cross!
Please take a moment to spread the word on social media, it’s on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, just head to musomusouk on either platform and give it a LIKE, SHARE, THUMBS UP or whatever you can!
Until next time…..