Cocteau Twins

The long-awaited Cocteau Twins tribute CD from Dewdrops Records is finally here - almost! The CD and its artwork are in production, and...we have previews of TWO of the tracks - "Crushed," by Translucia and "Sugar Hiccup," by Sugar Hiccup. Download the MP3 previews now in the Media section (at cocteautwins.com.) Many thanks to Stratton Davis and the guys at Dewdrops for getting these to us! We'll be previewing other tracks in the coming weeks.

"It all started as an idea on the fan-based online discussion list. Wouldn't it be fun to record and gather cover versions of Cocteau Twins originals and pass them around to other fans? It was a challenge as well as a salute to the end of a dearly beloved band. That was back during the waning days of 1997 and early 1998. Within a year the project took on a whole new direction. After hearing a couple of exceptional covers I was compelled to contact Brant Nelson and Pat Mannion at Dewdrops Records. If word-of-mouth on the mailing list could generate these tracks what could industry contacts do? They both agreed it was worth investigation and thus began our journey. Three years and thirty submissions later we are finally near the end. We chose twelve diverse tracks which reflect the influence and impact this very unique band had on people across the world. They are as follows:

1. Trance to The Sun - 'When Mama Was Moth'
2. Translucia - 'Crushed'
3. An April March - 'Pink Orange Red'
4. Numeralia - 'Oomingmak'
5. Sugar Hiccup - 'Sugar Hiccup'
6. Bethany Curve - 'Ivo'
7. Siddal - 'Watchlar'
8. Subdew - 'Great Spangled Fritillary'
9. Neil Impelluso - 'Ribbed and Veined'
10. Halou - 'Half-Gifts'
11. The Von Trapps - 'Need Fire'
12. Pumalin - 'Cherry Coloured Funk'

"In anticipation of the release we want to offer the online fans the opportunity to hear some of this first. Click the band name to visit their respective website. Click the song name to hear the MP3. Keep your eyes peeled here for more downloads in the near future. There will be a release party for the disc at Club Violaine(at Vertigos) in Los Angeles. More information on that to follow.

"Until then, enjoy..."

Stratton Davis - February 2002

11. Apr 2000

Also check out Leesa Beales interview of Simon last month.

4AD WILL release a compliation this year , approximately in June, though it won't have anything new or unusual on it, it will be tracks chosen as if it were a Greatest Hits. I have no more news on this at the moment. Unreleased songs, this is something that is unquantifiable, and will either happen when the moment is right or not at all. Since the BBC sessions, the demand for MORE stuff is growing, but Cocteau Twins, alive or dead, would be doing a disservice to the fans if we just chucked stuff out without care and attention to design and quality.

Whatever personal opinions are on the artistsic merits of the BBC sessions, there is no question that it was lovingly put together. I believe there will be more stuff in the future, but as yet there are no plans. There is a video compilation planned, and a company is putting together a proposal for 4AD, Capitol and Mercury to peruse.

First up, (street date 2/25/00) licensed to NY's Shadow Records, is SNEAKSTER, a trippy, dub-bass-heavy-techno duo and their acclaimed album " Pseudo Nouveau ", (extra tracks for the US release includes Guthrie's remixes only previously heard on the UK EP " fifty-fifty ") Then shortly after this, NY's Instinct Records release the gloriously-titled "Pearl & Umbra" from RUSSELL MILLS/UNDARK, (OUT NOW in USA)-another dark slab of confectionary, made all the sweeter by performances from the likes of Peter Gabriel, Trent Reznor, David Sylvian , Michael Brook, Brian Eno, Bill Laswell, Harold Budd, etc etc etc.

As if this weren't enough, the Bella Union stable presents a special night of its' music at SXSW 2000 in Austin, Texas. ON WED MARCH 15th at Maggie Mae's East. That night will see the debut of Robin Guthrie's new band, VIOLET INDIANA, and his first public performance since the Cocteau Twins' split. They will headline a show that will include THE AUTUMNS plus Simon Raymonde, & THE CZARS, whose appearance at the Ritz Lounge for SXSW'99 made such an impact, and they will include material from the forthcoming album "Before...but longer" ( European release date May 2).

Next month's Virtually Alternative features the band who hail from Denver, and the CD includes the wondrous song 'Dave's Dream', (familiar to those who recently received the BU purple sampler) as Bella Union look to license THE CZARS for the States. SNEAKSTER fly from London to make their SXSWdebut on these shores with teen singer Sophie Hinkley and warp DJ Mark Clifford keen to see how the US audience takes to their unique sound.

And finally, troubadour TIM KEEGAN & DEPARTURE LOUNGE, recently seen across the States opening for Robyn Hitchcock, is back for more. Simon has been remixing tracks from the band's new album for a single called 'New You' due out on Bella Union in May.

All-in-all, a frantic few months ahead for Bella Union, but it won't end there...... THE WAVE ROOM, classic pop-tinged slices of ambient and trancey song-smithery from singer Hamish Mackintosh, with guest appearances from Jah Wobble(P.I.L. & Invaders of the Heart) on this great debut "Love Medicine"(BELLACD20) Streetdate-June 10

A new instrumental series is due in July featuring new cds from MICK TURNER(Dirty Three), HAROLD BUDD, JAH WOBBLE, new music from RAYMONDE & GUTHRIE (their first work together since CT split)and hitherto unknown dub-space-rock from Cambridge band GWEI-LO and the three bass players who make up the wonderfully strange ROTHKO.