Mixmag Greatest Dance Track of All Times Contest

British dance magazine Mixmag is currently hosting a context in order to select the best dance track ever. The list is huge and among the favourites are eternal classics like New Order's "Blue Monday", 808 State "Pacific State" Way Out West "The Gift" or Leftfield's "Open Up" with Johnny Lydon.
To vote on the names on the list or to state you favourite dance track log on to the page http://www.greatestdancetrack.com/.
As for Trendenz, we do have our favourites and number 1 goes undoubtedly to Underworld's "Cowgirl". But we could name others such as Pop Dell'Arte's "Querelle", "Renegade Soundwaves's "Renegade Soundwave" remixed by Leftfield or Slam's "Positive Education" just to name a few.

Rodrigo Leão, Neil Hannon and Beth Gibbons in concert

Rodrigo Leão, one of the most prominent Portuguese musicians with a sound international career, has just launched "Songs", a record featuring all his songs in English and recorded with the collaboration on vocals of interatinal stars such as Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon, Portishead's Beth Gibbons and Scott Mathew. To mark the occasion, Rodrigo Leão invited these three musicians and other guests to take to the stage with him and his band in Lisbon and Oporto of which we give you one video with the king of coll Neil Hannon.
This founding member of the iconic Portuguese band Sétima Legião would later be also one of the founding members of Madredeus, having embarked on a solo careers and released a dozen of remarkable records mixing electronica with classical music influences and tones and tunes from different parts of the world, e.g. Brazil or Argentina.
Aside from the collaboration with the three aforementioned artists, Rodrigo Leão worked together with Ryuchi Sakamoto, in "Cinema", an album considered by the magazine Billboards as one of the best of 2004.
Listen to "Songs" to listen to "Cathy" with Neil Hannon and other songs in this album and check his bio and work at www.rodrigoleao.pt to have a clearer picture of the work by this composer.  

The Knife tour Europe as of April

The Knife will be touring Europe to promote their new album. "Shaking the Habitual". Dates confirmed as of April 27 for Hamburg, Milan, Zurich, Munich, Cologne, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Lodon, Berlin, Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm. This swedish band, which hasn't  played live for six years is to play in  coming big festivals. They are confirmed for now gigs at Primavera Sound in Barcelona and at Flow, Way Out West and Øya Festivals in Scandinavia.

Benetton launches new campaign focused on color

 United Colors of Benetton launched today a new advertising campaign focusing on color using models from different places and geographies from Tunisia to France, through to California, England, Sudan, Germany, Uruguay and Brazil. The brand focused again on the potential of color, the very same feature that helped this brand gain notoriety in the early days.

 

The use of color is there, according to Alessandro Benetton, to reinforce the identity and excellence of a brand which considers diversity a true value. This campaign was developed under creative direction of Fabrica, in collaboration with Macs Iotti and these colorful images can soon be seen on the press, on billboards, in the stores and on Benetton Internet sites.

This return to color comes after the strategy of digging deep in the company’s heritage to re-launch some iconic patterns and items of Benetton, something some consumers had been asking for and which fits perfectly the new vintage trend witnessed in recent years all over the world.

Benetton seems indeed to be on right path as far as creativity is concerned, something which became clearer when You Nguyen took the creative helm of the company and focused on producing and selling more fashionable items along with the basic line. The results are there and Benetton shop windows never looked so fashionable as in recent years.

 

 

Madrid Fashion Week kicks off on February 18

Mercedes-Benz Madrid Fashion Week is around the corner. The shows start on February 18 at the usual Place in the Madrid International Trade Fair grounds and rely on the presence of nearly 40 designers from all parts of Spain. Contrary to previous years, the first day is a mix of names, whereas in past seasons the first day featured fashion shows by the veteran names in Spanish fashion. We will give further details on this Fashion Week. But for now we would just like to give you a hint of what is there to come by showing some examples of winter collections currently in the shops and shown last year in Madrid.

Sita Murt 

Carlos Diez Diez 

Carlos Diez Diez 

Carlos Diez Diez

Francis Montesinos

Francis Montesinos

Francis Montesinos

Francis Montesinos

Agatha Ruiz de la Prada 

Victorio & Lucchino  

Agatha Ruiz de la Prada 

Agatha Ruiz de la Prada 

Elisa Palomino 

 

Elisa Palomino 

Elisa Palomino

Andres Sarda 

Andres Sarda

Amaya Arzuaga 

Juanjo Oliva 

Davidelfin

Juanjo Oliva 

Teresa Helbig 

Ana Locking 

Ion Fiz 

Martin Lamothe 

Sita Murt 

Sita Murt 

Sara Coleman

Marc Almond - 12 Years of Tears

Most of your will remember the man only because of the hit single "Tainted Love" which he recorded with Soft Cell, the band he formed with Dave Ball. Tha band split before the nineties, got back together for a brief reunion and an album in 2001, and the two member decided to embark in their own projects. Dave Ball formed the electronic dance band The Grid (whose remix of "Waifs and Straifs" we highly recommend) and whose album "456" is a must-have in every record collection.
As for Marc Almond, he started a solo career, launching a myriad of albums with superb pop songs, flirted with French and Russian music and has been performing solo ever since. The album "Tenement Symphony" or the single "Glorious" are perhaps the greatest living proof of Marc Almond skills.
Trendenz saw the man in Cologne in 1999 at the Saartory Saal and is here the prove that the man is indeed an master of performance.
For those who never had the chance to seeu him live, "12 years of tears". Most of your will remember the man only because is a astonishing document live at the Royal Albert Hall, featuring Marc Almond's own songs and some Soft Cell classics.
In this world of fast information it is good to stop a while and look back in delight at the work of someone who has given a great contribution to the story of Pop music throughout these years.
http://www.amazon.com/12-Years-Tears-Royal-Albert/dp/B000K2Q7VY/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1358770272&sr=1-1&keywords=12+Years+of+Tears+-+Live+dvd

Visage to release new album in 2013

"Fade to grey" was one of the most iconic songs back in the 80s recorded by Visage, a band fronted by Steve Strange and which help providing the soundtrack for the New Romantic or Blitz movement which marked the London nightlife 30 years ago in clubs like the Blitz, the Fridge or Camden Palace. "Mind of a toy", "The damned don't cry", "Malpaso man" or "Whispers" were some of the songs recorded by the band and which were meant to stay.
But the world hasn't heard from him for years, aside from some occasional parties he attended and/organised in England, particularly in London, marking a shy return of the new romantics to life, particularly in the last two years. These parties were there to bring back somehow the spirit of the Blitz, a club inspired by electronic music and David Bowie looks .
But Visage promised to come back in 2013. The band has just announced a new line up comprising Steve Strange, Steve Barnacle, Robin Simon (ex Ultravox) and Lauren Duval and a new album to be released in the Spring. Hence, and considering the role of Steve Strange as a true master of ceremony and the relevance of some of his songs and taking into account the attendance and acceptance of live acts by Heaven 17 and BEF, Human League or ABC, the music that marked a whole generation may be here to stay and make a comeback, with new music variations and not sheer revival, we hope.

Shakira half-naked for a good cause

Shakira is about to throw a huge world Baby Shower whereby the presents will go not to her baby but to the millions of babies UNICEF cares for. The Colombian singer wanted to celebrate her nine month of pregnancy granting her image and that of Gerard Piqué to help the children in need. The pictures were taken by the photographer Jaume de Laiguana depicting Shakira showing showing her belly and wearing Wolflanb designs.

Special Boxes by Luis Onofre

Two years ago Luis Onofre decided to create special shoe boxes for his stylish shoe collections. You can find them in different colours and cloth, matching the colour of the relevant shoes. Now this Portuguese shoe designer whose shoes can be found in the best stores worldwide decided to create special boxes to accomodate bottles of good licquor. Hence, why not offer a pair of shoes and a bottle of good wine in two stylish boxes. Check them out at www.lojaluisonofre.com.

Night Train to Lisbon

Night Train to Lisbon by the Swiss writer Pascal Mercier became one of the biggest successes in Europe after its publication in 2004, selling two million books.

Nine years after it is now time to see the movie under the same name which now reached movie theatres worldwide.
The book tells the story of Gregorious, a man who incidentally bumps into a woman about to commit suicide on a bridge. Much to Gregorious relief, he manages to prevent the woman from putting an end to her life. The woman disappears out of shame or just to leave the man with a piece of paper in his hands which will change his life in the years to come. Left alone in the bridge Gregorious sees the bit of paper, written in an alien language, pretty similar to Spanish. He takes to a library to try to understand the words and comes across the book 'A Goldsmith of Words' by the Portuguese writer Amadeu de Prado. He soon decides to take the long journey south to Lisbon in order to find out more about this writer and to learn the language.
The book is the story of this journey and of a man who, by trying to find more about this writer, comes up with questions and the need to find answers to his life.
Lisbon is once again the final destination of a character, played in the movie by Jeremy Irons. It is not the first time this actor films in Portugal and it is not the first time Lisbon is the stage for the story of a man trying to a find a new path by going through his past in the process. This movie and book somehow take us back to Erich Maria Remarque’s “One night in Lisbon”, where a man recalls his past and tells his story to a stranger in one night in a city he was supposed to spend just a couple of days before pursuing his journey, but which ends up being his final destination.

The Return of David Bowie

David Bowie celebrates 66 years and instead of waiting for us to give him a birthday present, which we would be delighted to, he decided to give his fans not one but three presents. As of today those who love and cherish the man, or simply admire him, will have a new DavidBowie.com site with a great deal of material, and 119 countries can pre-order both the new single “What have we now” and the new album “The Next Day” on iTunes, an album to be released worldwide in tow months. 10 years after his last recording Bowie is back in force and in style. The month of March promises to be a full one with the release of the new album and the big exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London from March to July covering a fair deal of Bowie’s career and collaborations with the world of art with hundreds of objects on display. As for its 30th studio recording “The Next Day” was produced by Tony Visconti, the man who has worked with him in numerous records in his career. The album features 14 songs. The is also a deluxe version available with three more songs. David Bowie, who has been living in the last two decades in New York hasn’t unveiled so far any plans to go on tour. But considering the press buzz, the exhibitions and the good reception of the new single, it is expected that the man who sold 130 million albums will take to a stage soon somewhere in the planet. Meanwhole listen to the new single and check the new site www.DavidBowie.com where you can listen the new single, new versions of old songs and new material supplied by the man who was one of the first musicians to start exploring the huge potential of the Internet.

The London's Call for Fashion

The eyes of the fashion press and industry are set this week in London. The city is hosting the menswear fashion week featuring shows by 60 London designers and brands thus kick starting the 2013 fashion carrousel. Seen by many and for years as the stage for wild creativity and extravaganza, London Fashion Week has been gaining commercial importance according to journalists and experts in the field, attracting new buyers and thus becoming a must-attend and must-show for heritage brands too. Tom Ford, Tommy Hilfiger, Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith and Burberry Prorsum are some of the renowned brand who will be showing their collection as of today in the British capital. But London Fashion Week is known for its penchant to show new talents. Marten van der Horst, Craig Green, J.W. Anderson or Christopher Cane are some of the younger designers who will be showing their collections in London this week.
According to Dylan Jones, Chair of London Collections: Men and Editor of British GQ, comments “London is the home of menswear, so it's only natural that it has its own dedicated fashion week”. To show the art and craftsmanship of British tailoring, Savile Row tailors will be hosting “The English Gentleman”, an event which is there to show “the modern face of British elegance to an international audience made up of buyers and journalists”, a showcase with both models and real men dressed by famous tailors from Savile Row. This is just an example of the many events taking place in London this week alongside with the fashion shows, from the reception by David Cameron today and 10 Downing Street to Fashion Forward, sponsored by the Mayor of London and which is there to single out the best new talents, trough to offbeat events and heritage brands cocktails in a city whose fashion week is gaining more commercial appeal without losing its role as the preferred stage for relentless and uncompromised creativity.

Book - "Why did you buy me a walkie talkie? I was a single child." By Santi Balmies

We begin 2013 with a book recommendation. "Porque me comprasteis un walkie-talkie si era hijo único", a book by Santi Balmes.  "Why did you buy me a walkie talkie? I was a single child", tells the story of the seventies singer Constancio Obs, also known as Cuchi Cuchi, narrated by his son through the conversations with his psychiatrist Sigmund Floyd and with his friends, a true voyage through the world of popular music and also a tale of manipulation in the world of showbiz and oblivion artists fear to a great extent as their career progresses.
The book is a must-read to all music fans given its assorted references to the world of pop music, written by a man with experience in the field. Santi Balmes is a better known as the front man of the Spanish band Love of Lesbian, a very successful band with marvelous songs of love and despair and celebration of life of which we recommend "Doming Astromantico" and "Alli donde soliamos estar".
This is the second book by this Catalan author now targeted to an adult audience, after having written "Yo mataré monstruos por ti" (I will kill monsters for you"). "Porque me comprasteis un walkie-talkie si era hijo único" was released by the publishing house Principal de los Libros, feaatures illustrations by Ricardo Cavolo and is now available in Spanish book shops and in the assorted major online bookshops.