In time for spring 2008, a legend who left a lasting mark on the world of music returns with a new studio album: Edit. Created and recorded between London, Vienna, Bristol and Berlin, Stewart’s sixth full-length release, Mark will embark on a global tour in 2008.
As teenage front man and mastermind of seminal Bristol post-punk legends The Pop Group (1978-80), Stewart already used his microphone as a weapon. In an era that saw public opinion and perception tainted by Thatcher, Reagan and the Cold War, The Pop Group emerged as one of Britain’s most radical exponents of new music and quickly gained notoriety well beyond the British Isles. Their until then unheard mix of punk, funk, dub, jazz and noise, countered by Mark Stewart’s scathing political slogans and lyrics (We Are All Prostitutes), easily counts among the most impressive, provocative and lasting manifestations of musical spontaneity seen, heard and experienced by the end of the 1970s.
After the group’s dissolution in the early 1980s, members of the Pop Group re-emerged in a flurry of new bands and guises: Rip Rig & Panic (featuring the then still unknown Neneh Cherry), Pigbag (with their surprise Top 10 hit ‚Papa’s Got A Brand New Pig Bag‘) and Maximum Joy. After a short stint with the New Age Steppers, Mark Stewart decided to pursue a solo career as Mark Stewart & the Maffia. His friend, production genius and ON-U sound owner Adrian Sherwood, took care of production and mixed the Maffia on their various tours. With Doug Wimbish, Skip McDonald and drumming talent Keith LeBlanc Stewart recruited a truly exceptional rhythm section who had previously played with the likes of Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash, James Brown, Madonna, Africa Bambaata, George Clinton, Tackhead and many others.
Considered seminal milestones by many of his peers and fans, the solo outings by this ‚godfather‘ of Bristol’s eclectic music scene blend the most diverse of genres in a unique and unconventional mix of dub, funk, punk, techno, electro, noise – spiced up with a generous dose of Stewart’s trademark political lyrics and slogans. Albums like As The Veneer Of Democracy Starts To Fade or Learning To Cope With Cowardice have left a lasting mark on the current music scene: icons in their own right like Massive Attack, David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, Carl Craig, Asian Dub Foundation and Nick Cave call Mark Stewart’s work a decisive influence.
hey mark, i'm here just to say that the recording session with you has been a fantastic, although traumatic, experience: you're really a hurricane, you've brought me to think our music under another, new point of view. thank you for all this and for all will come. fabrizio
Hi Mark, thanks for the great show on monday! Sorry I didn't come to say hello. Here are some pictures (unfortunately the light was very low): http://barbara-muerdter.blogspot.com/2008/06/mark-stewart-1662008-berlin-maria.html Hope to see you in Berlin some time. Good luck with the tour!
Hello! saw U in Den Haag 4 the first time... GREAT!!! GREAT!!! GREAT!!! I really dig the concert!!! Great 2C U've got Brassens in ur top friends, I'm a huge fan 2! One love, CC
Hey there....Matt Donahue aka MAD 45 here....I hope all is well for you and your world....I had a chance to work with Adrian Sherwood and Pete Holdsworth on the Universe Crew project that I was involved in....went over to the UK but we never got a chancce to hook up....great to see your new project....and have fun in Japan....I have a new music project as well....I think you will like the video for No More Bombs....it is right up your political alley....hope you are well...talk to you soon....Matt Donahue...aka ....MAD 45!!!
Great gig last night at The Voodoo Rooms, Mark. It was a pleasure to see you, Adrian, Skip, Keith and Doug again. Hopefully see you in London on the 18th - Ewan
New Tracks and News June 2008 New tracks have been added to the site today:
1. The Controls 'Can you Hear Me' taken from a cassette demo produced in 1981. The band always seemed to be playing at The Green Rooms on King Street if I remember corrrectly.
2. Sneak Preview 'Slugweird' recorded as a demo/live and not the version on the famous 'Avon Calling' album. Hopefully we will release an albums worth of material very soon.
3. Pola 'Picture Of Autumn' - a real gem of a find. This track is taken from an albums worth of material recorded by Paul Sandrone and John Tuft. Paul was the main songwriter in Thin Air and then in later life signed to Polydor with Raissa. Paul now lives in Brighton, John is still in Bristol. We have the Thin Air album being mastered as I write this, maybe we will get permission for the Pola release in due course.
4. Either /Or 'The Big Film' ah the very wonderful Key brothers Jonjo and Robin. Recorded as demo straight to 4 track we will have an albums worth of material as soon as Jonjo pieces everything together. Check out The Various Artists album as Either /Or followed this fab band when the guys split up.
5. The Escape 'I'll Pretend To Kill You' lifted from the single released in 1982. Alan Griffiths formed this band after Apartment split up. The man is and was a genius and fingers crossed we will have an album from The Escape and some of Alan's other projects very soon.
6. Viceroys 'Angels In The Rain' lifted from the Fried Egg Records World Tour single released in 1980. The band was fronted by Mike Crawford who in later life appeared fronting The Spics - we will rerelease The Spics single next month.
Other News:
The website www.bristolarchiverecords.com is now in the process of being constructed.
We have the Bristol Recorder 2 and the Thin Air album being mastered this week. In another studio we have all the Fried Egg 7" singles being remastered
greetings from Texas, currently I have Stranger than Love as my profile song, glad to support you! what a wonderful tune...sure would like to add this to my CD music collection, just tell me how?
