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Seven Notes: DJ Wordy’s top 10

Susanna Grant — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:35:53 +0000

China's no 1 turntablist DJ Wordy will DJ ing at both the Beijing (9th May) and Shanghai (16th May) Seven Notes events. Here, he gives us his top 10 favourite tracks:

1. Lonnie Liston Smith - A Garden Of Peace

2. Cashmere Cat -Mirror Maru

3. Hudson Mohawke - FUSE

4. Daft Punk - Something About Us

5. Kanye West - Flashing Lights

6. Jay-Z - Nigga what Nigga who

7. Andrew Hale - L.A. Noire Main Theme

8. Portishead - Undenied

9. The Pharcyde - Runnin'

10. Jessie Ware - Running (Disclosure Remix)

John Metcalfe curates listening experiences in the dark at London’s Kings Place

Bowers & Wilkins — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:57:54 +0000

Current Society of Sound artist and multi-talented composer/producer John Metcalfe has curated Monomedia: a series of concerts where the invited musicians will play their entire sets in the dark.

In an interview with Kate Mossman for Kings Place What’s On (Issue: April-June 2013) he explains the inspiration behind the concept: "I was on a commuter train at night once, and in one of the carriages, the electrics had gone. All the lights were off - and it was fantastic. Everyone was quiet, no one was playing on their phones - everyone was lost in their own thoughts. It was as though we were bound together - this was our carriage, our secret. No one tried to turn them back on." Metcalfe believes that listening in the dark "kick-starts parts of your brain you've completely forgotten about. Someone suggested using blindfolds first but that makes me think of long-haul flights. It wasn't the point anyway - it's not about desensitising you to what's around you, and even in darkness, you can see certain shapes emerging." From influential Factory Records signings, Durutti Column, to arranging strings for Morrissey, Blur and Peter Gabriel through to his solo compositions, John Metcalfe’s work melds avant-pop, electronica and contemporary classical so it's no surprise he has chosen artists who work on the experimental side of contemporary music. Thomas Dolby, Will Gregory and The Radiophonic Workshop are all uncompromising in their approach to composition and the nature of the sonic worlds they choose to create. Metcalfe's idea of listening in the dark was also inspired by his frustration that musicianship often gets lost in the flamboyant spectacle of pop performers: "The guitarist may be doing a brilliant counter-melody, the drummer may be doing something amazing with the kick-drum, but all of that somehow gets lost. You know when the lights go down at the start of the gig and everyone cheers? In many ways that's the best part of the show. I thought, why not extend it." John Metcalfe's Monomedia, Kings Place, London Thursday 9th May: Thomas Dolby Friday 10th May: Will Gregory's Moog Ensemble Saturday 11th May: John Metcalfe Band & special guests + The New Radiophonic Workshop

Seven Notes: Perfection of Design

Susanna Grant — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:52:33 +0000

Seven Notes Creative Director Mat Cook and Musician/Producer Howie B discuss the concept behind the tour and why the two brands work together so well.

Seven Notes, a touring exhibition of sound, music and design that celebrates the arrival of the new Maserati Quattroporte, launches in Dubai this evening and will make its way to London via Shanghai, Tokyo, Los Angeles, New York and Milan. Maserati Quattroporte is the car manufacturer's first model to feature an integrated Bowers & Wilkins car audio system.

Seven Notes Dubai: DJ Raxon’s Top 10

Susanna Grant — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:37:16 +0000

First event of the Seven Notes Tour takes place in Dubai and features local DJ legend, DJ Raxon.

We asked him for his top 10 favourite tracks of the moment:

1. EdOne & Bodden - Soundness

Its the latest release on our audio tonic Records, killer vocals and always gets everyone in the right mood

2. Raxon - Stanton (Kolombo Remix)

Kolombo really nailed this remix, very simple yet effective on the dancefloor, always get great reactions from it

3. Nick Curly - Undeground (Raxon Remix)

This remix is very special to me, it was released last year on Nick Curly's own label Cecille and got it in the top 30 on Beatport's tech house charts and was supported by Solomun for a few month over the summer of 2012

4. Raxon - Be Right There (Original Mix)

One of my first singles of 2013 also got many great reactions more than expected, just humbling..

5. Amine Edge & DANCE - Gimme Tha Fonky (Raxon Remix)

Its always an honour to remix a huge name in the dance music industry such as Amine Edge & DANCE

6. Turntablerocker - Promise (Original Mix)

You can’t resist the late 70's discofunk feel in this tune. Flashing lights, ping pong your hips and freak out.

7. Baher - Come On (Original Mix)

This track was sent to me as demo from a new up and coming producer from my home town in cairo, i was honestly not expecting much but as soon as i heard it i was blown away and immediately signed to our label as part of our Miami Sampler 2013

8. Going Deeper & Biatlone - Maybe (Original Mix)

really amazed witht he amount of talent that is coming out of russia these days, cold weather but such warm music

9. Kruse & Nuernberg - Dont Hold Back (Original Mix)

This german duo from hamburg have been exploding for the past few years, and we were luck enough to sign an ep with them on audio tonic Records, they always deliver the deep house goodness

10. Sasse & Raxon - The Day Before Tomorrow (Original Mix)

its very difficult to collaborate with someone when it comes to music, one the other hand there are some that just work perfectly.. it was when sasse came over to mu studio in Dubai when i had an already started this track and he had instantly was feeling it, then the magic happened. Links: souncloud.com/raxon facebook.com/djraxon facbook.com/audiotonic

Maserati and Bowers & Wilkins go on a world tour

Susanna Grant — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:13:17 +0000

Seven Notes World Tour is a touring exhibition of sound, music and design that celebrates the arrival of the new Maserati Quattroporte – the car manufacturer’s first model to feature an integrated Bowers & Wilkins car audio system.

The experience comprises of a multi-sensory sound installation based on the shared design principles of the two brands – engineering excellence, technological innovation and true performance. It is the natural progression of the Seven Notes collection of music tracks, produced by internationally acclaimed artist and producer Howie B (Björk, U2), that were created using the seven distinct notes of Maserati V8 engines. The tracks were produced at London’s Abbey Road Studios using Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series Diamond loudspeakers. Encompassing Dubai, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Los Angeles, New York and London, plus a special Vogue tribute event during Men’s Fashion Week in Milan, Seven Notes World Tour features an exclusive live performance of the Seven Notes tracks by Howie B at each location. Howie B is supported by a local DJ in each city, making each individual performance uniquely different.

The tracks are also available to download exclusively here.

Commenting on the tour, Howie B said: “Every musical project has its distinct challenge, whether it is working with a big recording artist like U2 or Björk or whether it is marrying an unanimated object with an animated object, in this case the engine with the music group. The resulting Seven Notes tracks exceeded what I could have imagined. The Seven Notes World Tour will bring this music to life via a stunning audio-visual feast that has never been seen before.” The tour starts in Dubai on the 24th April and finshes in London on the 17th July. Seven Notes World Tour:

Beijing 9th May
Shanghai 16th May
Tokyo 23th May
Los Angeles 6th June
New York 13th June
London 17th July

Premium surround system in new Maserati Ghibli

Susanna Grant — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 11:20:15 +0000

Bowers & Wilkins is proud to be the audio supplier of choice in a second Maserati car, and a very exciting car, too: the all-new Ghibli is set to break new ground for Maserati.

Launching at the Shanghai Motor Show, the Ghibli will have a sportier character compared to the larger Quattroporte, which already features a Bowers & Wilkins premium surround system, and will be available with a choice of two turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 engines, an eight-speed automatic transmission and both rear-wheel drive and the new “Q4” all-wheel drive system. Like the Quattroporte, the Ghibli will be powered by a diesel engine, with a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel. The Ghibli’s premium surround system draws on Bowers & Wilkins extensive know-how along with the brand’s technologies and pioneering use of materials to raise audio performance to new levels. The system’s components utilize a combination of high-performance, low-distortion speaker designs, including extended range aluminium tweeters, Kevlar® midrange units, and Rohacell™ woofers, reflecting components found in Bowers & Wilkins award-winning premium loudspeakers. Every detail of the Bowers & Wilkins premium surround system is designed and acoustically optimised for the Maserati Ghibli, following an intensive engineering and design collaboration between the Maserati and Bowers & Wilkins teams aimed at uncompromised best-in-class results. The 15-speaker system is powered by a high-efficiency multichannel DSP amplifier, and cutting edge surround technology that allows customers a choice of listening modes, effectively putting them on stage or in the audience, making for an engaging and immersive audio experience which is unlike any other…. and only available in the car.

Sound Artist Melanie Manchot on Janet Cardiff

Susanna Grant — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:00:05 +0000

Artist Melanie Manchot's new show, LEAP after The Great Ecstasy, featuring Bowers & Wilkins speakers, opens today at CARSLAW St* Lukes.

Here she talks about sound artist Janet Cardiff and the how the quality of her recordings have inspired her. "The first time I experienced a Janet Cardiff audio walk was her piece The Missing Voice, Case Study B (1999), which had been commissioned by Artangel. Picking up the walkman and set of headphones in the old Whitechapel Library (now part of the The Whitechapel Gallery) the work took you on a meandering walk through side streets and alleyways until you emerged at Liverpool Street Station. The quality of her binaural, three-dimensional sound makes for an almost hallucinatory experience where recorded and real sounds merge as if the past and present momentarily collided in your ears. In her work, sound becomes visceral, emotive, immersive. Guided by her seductive voice you follow her every instruction as if enacting a script, you the puppet her holding the strings. The best art allows you to temporarily see reality in a different register. Handing back her headphones after the 50 minute walk, the familiar streets around Brick Lane felt distinctly altered, cinematic and heightened. I have encountered Janet Cardiff and Georges Bures Miller’s The Forty Part Motet a number of times now but the most moving installation was during Nuit Blanche 2009 where it was presented in the old Eglise Saint Séverin. The piece is a reworking of Thomas Tallis’ “Spem in Alium” with every voice of the choir piece installed on a separate speaker arranged in the room. When you walk between the speakers you take the respective positions of the different voices and hear the music from their perspective, as if you could temporarily inhabit their aural space. The Forty Part Motet transforms the music into sculpture giving the act of hearing a spatial dimension. Many filmmakers are highly attuned to the power of sound, beyond the common understanding that film music gives shape, tonality and drama to the action. David Lynch is a prime example of a film maker with extraordinary knowledge of sound, a mastery of subversive tonal structures that work on the viewer in subliminal ways. Robert Altman’s film Nashville is astounding for its use of a-synchronous sound. If you watch the film on good headphones the density of aural elements in some sections will give you a whole new experience of the film – of its cinematography, its complex temporal structure and overlapping storylines." Melanie Manchot

LEAP after The Great Ecstasy is on at CARSLAW St* Lukes from 20 April - 1st June.
The gallery is open Thursday - Saturday 12 - 6pm

What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision awards Z2 Wireless Music system five stars in a glowing review

Susanna Grant — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:39:03 +0000

What Hi-Fi? have reviewed the new Z2 Wireless Music System, and were very impressed.

They awarded it a glowing five stars, and were unstinting in their praise.

On design: “Z2 keeps it fairly minimalist – all clean, sweeping lines and uncomplicated design.”

On sound quality: “Z2 is an upfront, dynamic and energetic listen that grabs your attention immediately and takes you along for the ride.”

On the Control app: “The Bowers & Wilkins Control app is still one of the best out there when it comes to usability and gets the job done in a few minutes.”

In summary: “Once again, Bowers & Wilkins has managed to strike that hard-to-find balance of a product that’s thoughtfully designed, looks the part and sounds great.” You can read the full review here

Z2 – What people are saying

Susanna Grant — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:35:49 +0000

Reviews are starting to come in for our Z2 Wireless Music System and they are looking good...

Digital Trends awarded it 4 out of 5 stars and a 'Recommended Product' classification, concluding "the elegant design, flawless wireless performance and stellar upper register make it a serious contender in the mid to high-end wireless speaker market" Read the full review here. PCMag.com also gave the Z2 4 out of 5 stars, describing it as "a stunner" and have made it their new Editor's Choice for speaker docks. Read the full review here What Hi-Fi? have filmed an unboxing video and will be reviewing the dock soon. We will post more reviews as they come in.