Mikelangelo launches his new album
CITY OF DREAMS at Melbourne Festival
Tues 14, Wed 15 and Thu 16 October
Featuring Clare St Clare and Miles Brown
Internationally acclaimed singer, songwriter and performer Mikelangelo launches his new album CITY OF DREAMS over three nights at the Foxtel Festival Hub at Melbourne Festival on October 14th, 15th and 16th.
City of Dreams had its genesis in the streets of Melbourne two years ago, by accident not design, when Mikelangelo began making up tunes and words while walking through the parks, streets and laneways of the city. He captured these early sketches on his phone and they became his first demo recordings for City Of Dreams. With funding from Arts Victoria, he embarked upon this ambitious recording project at the end of 2013.
Mikelangelo conceived to record each song with a different artist or band, working in various local studios with different engineers and producers including Myles Mumford, Loki Lockwood, Miles Brown and album producers Daniel and Gideon Frankel. Together they have made an album that is a haunting yet celebratory soundtrack to the city. He says:
“I think the best way to make a truly great album is to follow your instinct at every turn and to trust the artists with whom you are collaborating. If you want to make music that will live forever, you have to be brave and completely ignore the rules.”
Through this involved and intuitive approach, an album of great lyrical and musical scope has been produced. The artists who have worked with Mikelangelo on the album have been instrumental in shaping the musical journey, particularly in the case of electronic artist Miles Brown and dream pop singer Clare St Clare. With Mikelangelo they have co-written the brooding and ethereal album opener Lost and the airy and evocative duet Dawn, and have also worked closely together on title track City Of Dreams and the beautiful finale to the album, Closer. Mikelangelo says:
“I think that everyone has their own personal relationship to the city, one that is filled with hope, longing and desire, like a romance with a lover. Each artist I have worked with has brought something of this depth and mystery to the songs, to make an album that is a love letter to the city.”
The album will be released by clandestine new Melbourne label The Imaginarium. The label is the brainchild of award winning producers, Daniel and Gideon Frankel. Inspired by the influential legacy of studio/labels of the 1960s, the Frankel brothers have created their own studio/label to produce and release contemporary classic albums. City Of Dreams will be their first release and Rocket Distribution will handle distribution of the album. City of Dreams will be released worldwide digitally on Tuesday 14 October and will be in-stores in Australia on Friday 17 October. The album is currently available for pre-order as download, CD and limited edition vinyl via Pledge Music.
Mikelangelo would like to thank Arts Victoria for their contribution towards producing CITY OF DREAMS.
City Of Dreams will be launched with a stunning multi-media show with projections by Morganics and featuring an array of amazing guest artists including Clare St Clare, Miles Brown (Night Terrors), Rob Snarski (Black Eyed Susans), Stu Thomas (Kim Salmon, Dave Graney), Jane Hendry and Kelly Day (Broads, Wagons and The Nymphs), Tali (Biddlewood), Dan McKay (The Nation Blue), Justin Rudge (Bakersfield Glee Club) and more mystery guests.
MELBOURNE FESTIVAL
FOXTEL FESTIVAL HUB
TUES 14 OCT 6PM
WED 15 OCT 8PM
THU 16 OCT 8PM
Bookings: www.melbournefestival.com.au/mikelangelo
