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ROCKNA INTERVIEW: PON DI CORNER

Apr 26, 2017
1 min

ROCKNA INTERVIEW: PON DI CORNER

One World is the title of the debut album from Pon Di Corner, a Malta-based musical collective featuring artists with roots in three continents but, as they like to point out all from the same planet! They all have at least three things in common; a love for music, a positive vibe and they all reside in Malta. The group was recently invited to Michael Bugeja's weekly radio show ROCKNA on Radio 101, to talk about their history, their music and their upcoming Malta tour which

E.M.M. TO HOST CIRCUITS 2017 CONFERENCE

Mar 8, 2017
1 min

E.M.M. TO HOST CIRCUITS 2017 CONFERENCE

For the second consecutive year, Electronic Music Malta, in collaboration with the Fondazzjoni Kreattivita’ and the U.S. Embassy, will be organizing Circuits, its yearly electronic music conference. This year the event, offering eight hours packed with electronica-related activity thanks to no fewer than 12 confirmed guest participants, will be held on Saturday, April 1 at St James Cavalier in Valletta. The conference will feature a series of public talks, workshops, 'Agains

SUPER SPONGE SOUNDS COMING YOUR WAY!

Feb 20, 2017
1 min

SUPER SPONGE SOUNDS COMING YOUR WAY!

Never mind Spongebob Whatsisname, as from this Friday, the word 'sponge' will belong to only one entity, and that's the Super Sponge Trio! If you're not too familiar with the name (yet), that's because it's one of the latest arrivals on the local music scene, but rest assured the names and faces behind this project are no novices! On the contrary, they are all seasoned musicians, and they'll be bringing together an interesting melee' of individual influences into one collecti

E.M.M. BACK WITH THIRD TALK

Feb 20, 2017
1 min

E.M.M. BACK WITH THIRD TALK

This Saturday, February 25th, Electronic Music Malta will be presenting the third in a series of talks for the 2016/17 season. The upcoming event, once again to be held St. James Cavalier, will focus on the subject of Hardware vs Software. The talk will be given by Luc Houtkamp, who will be sharing his experiences in customizing game controllers and using them in innovative musical performances in conjunction with software he has developed using Max (Cycling '76). Luc Houtkam

ROCKNA INTERVIEW: THE BUSKER

Nov 30, 2016
1 min

ROCKNA INTERVIEW: THE BUSKER

Ahead of the launch gig of their debut album Telegram, Michael Bugeja interviewed The Busker during the November 18, 2016 edition of ROCKNA. Click here to read more about the album launch. The album launch will take place at Sagrestia Vault at the Valletta Waterfront on Friday, December 2, 2016. Tickets can be bought from www.ticketline.com.mt.For more information visit the band’s official Facebook page. Telegram will also be available on Spotify, ITunes, while physical copie

FORSAKEN'S 25 YEARS OF DOOM: A CELEBRATION

Oct 30, 2016
2 min

FORSAKEN'S 25 YEARS OF DOOM: A CELEBRATION

They may not get played enough on local mainstream radio stations, but Forsaken are, without a doubt, one of the pillars of the Maltese music scene, the metal scene in particular. Not only has this band evolved and grown into one of the top bands this island has ever produced, this Doom Metal act is also a force to be reckoned with on the international front. The band will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary with a special concert on November 12 (details in the poster above),

MALTA TAKES LONDON'S 4TH EDITION COMING UP

Oct 19, 2016
2 min

MALTA TAKES LONDON'S 4TH EDITION COMING UP

It was a chilly November night, Friday the 15th to be exact, in 2013 that The Water Rats in London's King's Cross opened its doors to what effectively would become the first edition of Malta Takes London (MTL). Born out of the idea of a two-band London gig that grew into a six-band line-up, MTL has not only continued to grow even further, but also become a regular showcase for Maltese talent; an annual fixture that brings Maltese bands - locally or elsewhere-based - together

RUTH LEE: DIA DE LOS MUERTOS HALLOWE'EN SPECIAL

Oct 18, 2016
2 min

RUTH LEE: DIA DE LOS MUERTOS HALLOWE'EN SPECIAL

By tradition, Hallowe'en is a time of celebration and superstition. Dating back to Celtic times, it was meant to keep ghosts away, or something like that anyway. Dia de los Muertos (that's Spanish for Day of the Dead but you probably sussed that out already) is similarly inclined; a Mexican holiday tied to the Hallowe'en tradition but adapted to Hispanic customs, and this Hallowe'en (a couple of nights earlier, actually), the Funky Monkey will see the two traditions come toge

MUSIC MARATHON FOR CHARITY AT TALBOT & BONS

Oct 15, 2016
2 min

MUSIC MARATHON FOR CHARITY AT TALBOT & BONS

Following the success of last year's first edition, Talbot & Bons are again staging their music marathon, which will involve 60 acts performing for 60 hours of non-stop live music. Kicking off on Friday, October 21 and ending on Sunday, October 23, the marathon event will cover a wide spectrum of music genres; from acoustic duos to jazz, soft rock and much more. The list of confirmed acts is quite diverse and features some very well-known names from the Maltese music scene, a

GET READY FOR VOICES OF THE SUCCUBI

Sep 11, 2016
1 min

GET READY FOR VOICES OF THE SUCCUBI

suc·cu·bus (noun: succubus; plural noun: succubi) 1. a female demon believed to have sexual intercourse with sleeping men That's the official definition a quick flick through the dictionary yields, but never mind all that. The only reason we've slipped it into this post is of course because later this week, on Saturday, September 17 to be precise, the first edition of the Voices of the Succubi festival will take place at Razzett L-Ahmar in Mosta. Organized and hosted by Malte

FOOTPRINTS' NIGHT OF WORSHIP

Aug 17, 2016
1 min

FOOTPRINTS' NIGHT OF WORSHIP

Having released its latest single Fly Away earlier this month, the Christian rock band Footprints has just announced it will be organizing a series of Worship Sessions during the months of September, October and November of this year. These Sessions will be held in a prayerful environment and will include modern songs of praise and worship played by the band, inspirational video clips and a moment of adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Priests will be available throu

CHESS: POP, SOUL AND PASSION

May 29, 2016
5 min

CHESS: POP, SOUL AND PASSION

It almost seems like a long time, but it's really only five years ago that I first interviewed Chess for this very same newspaper, just months after she had just moved to the UK, where she'd gone to pursue her studies and a career in music. Five years on, she's still UK-based and, with several recorded tracks, an acclaimed covers album and 2 EPs under her belt, she's about to launch her debut album proper, 1869. The album, an effective balance of pop and soul reflecting an a

CHESS RELEASES DEBUT ALBUM

May 8, 2016
1 min

CHESS RELEASES DEBUT ALBUM

1869 is the name of the debut album from UK-based Maltese artist Chess Galea. The album, which was officially released in the UK on April 18, features an eclectic blend of old-school sounds and feel-good pop, essentially reflecting the diverse array of influences that have shaped the young artist's musical journey so far. Written and performed from the soul, the album touches every emotion, from addressing current affairs and social issues to bold affairs of the heart and so

NOIR'S ALBUM LAUNCH + REVIEW

Apr 12, 2016
2 min

NOIR'S ALBUM LAUNCH + REVIEW

I was expecting a jazz album from a band such as Noir. After all, they are primarily a jazz combo, aren't they, and didn't this band make its live debut at the 2006 Malta Jazz Festival? Yes and yes, but going back to my opening sentence, this collection of songs released under the name of Till You Switch Off The Lights is not just any jazz album; as the cliché goes, it is bigger than the sum of its parts, and there's more at play here than meets the ear. In the space of its n

ROCK THE SOUTH RETURNS WITH 5TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Apr 2, 2016
2 min

ROCK THE SOUTH RETURNS WITH 5TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Last year's Rock The South flaunted all the fours with its '44 acts over four days' fourth edition. This year's fifth anniversary edition, which is endorsed by the Valletta 2018 Foundation, will see the festival go back to a three-day format, but it will still, however, offer a line-up of more than 40 acts. Kicking off on Friday April 15, once again at ZION Restaurant & Reggae Bar in Marsacala, the festival's three days will be jam-packed with with live music from an explosi

NEW SINGLE FROM THE TRAVELLERS

Mar 16, 2016
1 min

NEW SINGLE FROM THE TRAVELLERS

Their debut single Sempliċità was a resounding success, propelling The Travellers to the upper reaches of Maltese pop, dominating the local airwaves and making them a household name in next to no time. And to prove they're no one-trick pony, here they are with an equally melodic second single. Markedly different in style from its predecessor, Dak Li Int, for which a music video has also been released, may not pack the same immediate punch that Sempliċità delivered with much p

ROCKNA INTERVIEW: E.M.M. CIRCUITS CONVENTION

Mar 13, 2016
1 min

ROCKNA INTERVIEW: E.M.M. CIRCUITS CONVENTION

Electronic Music Malta will be organising Malta’s first ever Electronic Music Convention between Saturday March 19 and Sunday 20, 2016. Various activities and initiatives will be presented by the organisation’s own members and committee along with the participation of guest musicians and artists, among them Tricia Dawn Williams, Wayne Camilleri, Dean Demanuele and David Dee. Featuring in this convention is the launch of an initiative organised in conjunction with the M3P Fo

ROCKNA INTERVIEW: METAL OVER MALTA II

Mar 13, 2016
1 min

ROCKNA INTERVIEW: METAL OVER MALTA II

This weekend, Friday March 18 and Saturday 19, the second edition of the Metal Over Malta festivsal will be held at Chateau Buskett. Now expanded to a two-night event and once again hosted by Weeping Silence, the festival will this year feature no fewer than 11 bands, among them 7 foreign acts. A festival pre-party will be held on Thursday, March 17 at Black Gold Pub, Sliema (free entrance). The participating bands at Metal Over Malta II are Septic Flesh, The Foreshadowing, W

STOLT PRESENTS CHRISTIAN WUNSCH

Mar 13, 2016
1 min

STOLT PRESENTS CHRISTIAN WUNSCH

Despite being born in Monaco, Christian Wunsch has spent most of his life in Northern Spain, a region that has proved to be a fruitful source of inspiration. At the last count, Wunsch had well over 70 releases to his name on a good number of prestigious labels such as Theory, Music Man, IM, Warm Up, PoleGroup, Mechanism Industries, Sheep and Audio Assault. A sought-after remixer, he has become a global entity in his field, headlining many an international music event. An int

TIME MACHINE: THE REEDS REUNION

Mar 3, 2016
2 min

TIME MACHINE: THE REEDS REUNION

If there is one thing the social media gave rise to, it’s the possibility for people to get acquainted more easily, make new friends and, more importantly perhaps, hook up with old ones. The latter has also led to the creation of various online groups linked to particular hangouts from the past, like for example Reeds Discotheque in Marsacala, certainly one of the most popular nightspots back in the 90s. What started with 200 members and the random posting of photos from back