by TheEqualizer on 23 Aug 2017 23:47
The self-titled debut album by the new band of Stewart Copeland, Adrian Belew, Mark King & Vittorio Cosma comes in a CD Digipak.
“Strange Things Happen” is the title of a song on Gizmodrome´s debut album. Certainly great things have happened in the studio, when the four incredible talents met to create one of the most exciting and versatile albums of 2017.
Gizmodrome is in fact a high-voltage “All-Star-Band” formed by Stewart Copeland (The Police and multi-awarded soundtracks composer), Mark King (Level 42), Adrian Belew (ex King Crimson, David Bowie, Frank Zappa and Talking Heads) and Vittorio Cosma (who played with Italian prog legends PFM and an impressive list of Italian and international stars).
In days of “long-distance recording”, with musicians emailing each other sound files, never having been in the same room, Gizmodrome started with the very opposite approach: real old school excitement by four musicians in the rehearsal room! It is not a surprise that four musicians with such diverse talents and backgrounds, playing one step from each other, have created music that is vibrant, electric and unpredictable.
Stewart Copeland who is known for his exceptional drum style in songs that changed pop rock forever, is obviously the wild talent behind the drums, but he takes the lead as the main singer in almost all songs and it is the match of his unique vocal approach with the melodic vocals lines of Mark King and the extravagant singing style of Belew to make each song a masterpiece!
One would naturally wonder how two US based musicians could end up forming a band with one English and one Italian musician… Stewart Copeland explains: “Vittorio and I have been playing together for years, in Italy, but it got serious when Adrian and Mark joined us for 15 days of wild creativity in a Milan recording studio. If you put the right guys together in a rehearsal room, “strange things” definitely happen!”.
“Stewart texted me and asked if I fancied joining him and some of his friends in a studio in Milan”, remembers Mark King, “and next thing, I’m banging out basslines to his ferocious beats with Mr. Adrian Belew bouncing sounds off the walls that I never heard before, and Vittorio who somehow always pulls it all together. That is Gizmodrome!”
Adrian Belew adds: “Gizmodrome totally surprised me! I went into a studio in Italy not knowing what to expect and by the end of day one of recording I knew two things: the musical chemistry was incredibly exciting and we were having incredible fun!”.
The result of this amazing experience is something new and truly unique. Gizmodrome is unpredictable and pioneering.
“Gizmodrome took me back to the authentic joy to play music I had when I was sixteen", says Vittorio. “Just a band and a garage with the walls covered with the posters of all my music heroes. Only it happens now that I’m playing with the people on the posters!”
“Gizmodrome” has been produced by Claudio Dentes, a wizard producer that could be best described as the musical version of Dr. Brown in “Back To The Future”, responsible for some of the most creative and successful Italian production for the last 30 years.
1. Zombies In The Mall
2. Stay Ready
3. Man In The Mountain
4. Summer's Coming
5. Sweet Angels (Rule The World)
6. Amaka Pipa
7. Strange Things Happen
8. Ride Your Life
9. Zubatta Cheve
10. Spin This
11. I Know Too Much
12. Stark Naked
Gizmodrome - Riff Tricks: The Instrumentals EP:
The EP comes in a CD digipak. Strictly limited edition to only 1000.
Every mix brings a choice, which solo to use? Which keyboard part of the many recorded? What´s the leading instrument for each song and its parts? Effects or not?
While the "main" Gizmodrome album was being mixed in Milan, all recorded music has been sent to Hamburg, Germany, at Chameleon Studio. Local producer and engineer Eike Freese has mixed the alternative instrumental versions on this EP without having listened to what had been used on the studio album and what was the sound and the mood of the "main mixes".
The result is outstanding, the songs are shown from a totally different perspective from their album versions. Instruments originally suppose to sustain the songs have become the lead and without the presence of a vocal part, the joyous virtuosity can shine in all its glory.
For all progressive rock fans, these alternative versions will be an essential companion to the "official" album.
In addition this limited edition carries an exclusive pre-version of "Zubatta Cheve" as well as "Zombies In The Mall" sung by Raiz.
1. Zombies On Call (Zombies In the Mall)
This track was inspired by a Spyro the Dragon tune called Louis, so named because it reminded me of Louis Belson - to whom it bears no resemblance. Vittorio and Raiz got hold of the riff and turned it into a song that we used to do back in the day on the piazzas with Gizmo.
2. Druther Be A Cowboy (Stay Ready)
In 1984 George Lucas commissioned a main title theme for a Star Wars TV spin-off called Droids. That got me into the mood to write this song.
3. Sweet Domination (Sweet Angels)
Taylor Hawkins called one day to ask for a little drum solo/groove that he could use for a collage of drums solos from his gang of drum chums. I missed the part about needing just four bars and went ahead and made this two-minute thing. Turning the groove into a song was a puzzle cleverly solved at the Gizmodrome.
4. Just Bring Whiskey (Ride Your Life)
Mark had this riff that we could sit on forever while imagining a Black Mass, Sabbath, or other Metal Métier. Every now and then you just want to drag the knuckles and go all Neanderthal.
5. The Cans of Doom (I Know Too Much)
This another Vittorio riff that we played on the piazza back in our Gizmo past.
6. She Can’t Hear You (Strange Things Happen)
A song from the early eighties built on the Fairlite music computer. It was the first computer of any kind to enter the studio. Doesn’t sound like a computer any more does it?
7. Guika Longiano (Zubatta Cheve)
We got this groove from somewhere in the second encore at a piazza show. The crowd was festive and happy to hoot and holler with this slow dance. Since there was no real singing going on we could cut up the groove and build a song upon it.
8. Louis Hansa (Zombies In the Mall)
Vocals by Raiz
This is the song that we used to do live, based on the Louis riff.
-- STEWART COPELAND, August 2017
1. Zombies On Call (Zombies In the Mall)
2. Druther Be A Cowboy (Stay Ready)
3. Sweet Domination (Sweet Angels)
4. Just Bring Whiskey (Ride Your Life)
5. The Cans of Doom (I Know Too Much)
6. She Can't Hear You (Strange Things Happen)
7. Guika Longiano (Zubatta Cheve)
8. Louis Hansa feat. Raiz (Zombies In The Mall)
There is no bigger gong.