News

We are pleased to announce that Adam Ficek has extended a worldwide publishing agreement with Blow Up Songs to represent his share of the songs co-written whilst as a member of Babyshambles and for all of his solo releases as RKC (Roses Kings Castles). These add to the catalogue of songs that Blow Up already represents of Adam’s whilst he was a member of The White Sport and Main’s Ignition.

Adam Ficek’s Babyshambles co-written songs were released as part of The Blinding EP (2006) and Shotter’s Nation (2007) both released by Parlophone Records. These songs are The Blinding, Love You But You’re Green, I Wish, Bed Steal or Borrow, Sedative and UnBilotitled.

Adam is an is a English musician and songwriter whilst also a psychotherapist.

We are pleased to announce that Maya Lavelle has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with Blow Up Songs. Lavelle, is a Dutch music artist, songwriter and composer who is based in London.

She creates distinctive pop music that takes a journey into a world of phantasmagoria represented by striking visuals and enigmatic quirky videos. Clash Music calling her a “pop icon-in-waiting” around the release of House On A Rocky Road, the single which peaked at 27 in the UK iTunes Top 40 singles, broke into the UK Official Singles Charts Top 75 and reached number 1 in the Netherlands iTunes Charts.

She has released nine singles to date, with three of which have reached Number 1 in the Netherlands iTunes Charts, whilst her debut single “This Ain’t The End” was aired on MTV and was utilised for “The Rift” film soundtrack. At the time of release “This Ain’t The End” video also tantalised online fans of The Walking Dead TV show by being linked to the outcome of one of the storylines of season 6.

Lavelle’s last music video HOBO featured a memorable paring of her interacting with a real live bear, which instantly became a big online hit with her growing fanbase.

Lavelle cites her influences as pop, electronic and classical music whilst being inspired by cinema and literature.  She has a master’s degree in advanced composition and orchestration at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. Whilst she has taught “creating music for theatre” at the University of Amsterdam at AHK in Amsterdam in the past few years.

As a classically trained composer, she won prizes such as for ‘Best Piece’ in the Young Composers Meeting competition in Appeldoorn, Netherlands. She was chosen to represent Netherlands for theBerlin International Film Festival in the Berlinale Talent Campus as a film composer.

We are pleased to announce that Coastlines via Gifted Limited (Japan) have signed a sub publishing agreement with Blow Up Songs for music publishing representation for UK and European territories.

Coastlines are DJ / producer Masanori Ikeda and cro-magnon keyboardist Takumi Kaneko.

They have released EPs on vinyl-only from Flower Records which sold out instantly and attracted attention from music lovers in Japan and abroad, including a licensing offer from the prestigious chill-out label “Music For Dreams” in Europe.

Two albums have been released to date, the self-titled Coastlines (2019) and Coastlines 2 ((2022)

The music could be described as laid-back mix of instrumental downtempo, Balearic, fusion, haunting chill-out and other musical styles that make Coastlines an essential soundtrack for the after hours.

Masanori Ikeda started DJ activities in London in the early 1990s with various DJ residences including at the Blow Up club at the Laurel Tree and then at the Wag Club in the mid nineties. Masanori has therefore had a long association with Blow Up and we are pleased to be working with him again in a publishing capacity.

After returning home to Japan, Masanori activities became based in Tokyo where he started music production activities.

Masanori Ikeda, as solo artist Mansfield released numerous albums, 12 inches EP released. Among them, “City Lights” released in 2008 gained popularity to become sold out immediately as analog release.

Various works have been licensed to compilation albums both in Japan and abroad, whilst he is also a respected remixer for various artists.

As a DJ and as a songwriter, he has released various official Mix CD series and compilation albums with such companies as V2, Avex, EMI, Flower Recored etc.

In 2017, started chill out project with keyboard player Takumi Kaneko, named Coastlines.

Masanori provided music for Flower Records 20th anniversary commemorative compilation album “Past and Future”

August 2018 saw the release of “Coastlines E.P.” their first single.

Takumi Kaneko, keyboardist of cro-magnon (Jazzy Sport) Started playing with the piano from the age of 0. In 1996, he moved to the United States with an aim of being a Jazz Pianist, but after going back to Japan, he moved through Hip-Hop and Dance Music, whilst being an active as a member of cro-magnon.

And in 2013, released a solo album “Unwind”.

In parallel with solo live performances he has made live guest performances, production cooperation, and been involved in diverse musical sessions.

In 2017, started chill out project with DJ Masanori Ikeda, named Coastlines.

Flower Records 20th anniversary commemorative compilation album “Past and Future” he provided music.

A rare keyboardist who is always challenging to a new world.

We are pleased to announce that Patrick Walden has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with Blow Up Songs for songs co-written as a member of Babyshambles and The White Sport.

The titles include Babyshambles top 5 UK hit Fuck Forever and other titles co-written with Pete Doherty for the UK top 10 album Down In Albion released by Rough Trade Records in 2005. These titles include The 32nd of December, Pipedown, Sticks and Stones, 8 Dead Boys, In Love With a Feeling, Loyalty Song and Up The Morning.

For the band The White Sport, Blow Up Songs publishes all of Patrick’s co-written songs with Andrew Aveling and Adam Ficek for the album ‘Songs The Postman Can Whistle’ released by High Society Records in 2004. Blow Up Songs already publishing all of the other White Sport writers for the same album.

The song Fuck Forever is featured in the Pete Doherty documentary film ‘Stranger In My Own Skin’ directed by Katia deVidas and released this week in the UK.

We are pleased to announce that Patrick Roberts has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with Blow Up Songs for the majority of his songs as a member of The Sea Urchins and Delta. This follows closely behind the recent announcement that Patrick’s brother James had signed to Blow Up Songs.

The titles include The Sea Urchins ‘Time Is All I’ve seen’, from the band that launched Sarah Records with the single Pristine Christine. To songs with with Delta, the band that formed in the nineties after the demise of The Sea Urchins, include the songs Beautiful, Elephant Man, Slippin’ Out amongst others, along with co-written songs with James such as Nothing Happened and TV On.

The Guardian described Delta as “Byrdsy harmonies and Pacific Coast flourishes with a very British despondency”. Delta were signed by Mercury Records but the album Hard Light didn’t see the light until it was finally released by indie label Dell’oroso Records.

Delta played several times over the years at the Blow Up club, including the third birthday event in Mayfair (1996). The Blow Up team have been long time fans of the band, a band that looked at one point set for a big breakthrough success. We are very pleased to be working with Patrick along with James and their brilliant collection of songs.

We are pleased to announce that Spatial Awareness has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with Blow Up Songs.

Spatial Awareness is the artist moniker for Tony Pontius, a live electronic artist, DJ, producer and remixer, taking the slightly more oblique path; part unreconstructed indie kid, part soul enthusiast, part techno fiend, and part disco weirdo. This path has seen Spatial Awareness enthralling dancefloors all over the place – from Spain’s Benicassim Festival and Razzmatazz Club, to underground warehouse parties in LA, to Motion and the Secret Garden Party and the Ministry of Sound in the UK, and many more inbetween.

Tony was blessed with a musically eclectic youth… Raised in the Essex soul music hotspot of Canvey Island with 2 DJs for older brothers, and exposed to their various influences of all things soul, funk, hip hop, emerging house, but also indie and classic pop, young Spatial inevitably became a mobile DJ by the age of 15 – a baptism of fire around the insalubrious establishments of deepest Essex. A progression to clubs soon followed, as well as a growing urge to make music. Stints playing bass in terrible punk bands lead to an interest in engineering and production, and eventually actually creating electronic music.

Acid, disco, techno, and house all blur together sublimely at the edges in the world of Spatial Awareness. His somewhat eclectic tastes encompass a lot of quite disparate things – dub, film soundtracks, electronica, post-punk, motorik rhythms, synthpop, Bowie and Roxy and the Velvets and more besides… Elements of all these seep into the music Spatial Awareness creates and plays.

2021 saw Spatial Awareness join Anja Schneider’s Sous Music label with the EP “The Day That God Went Mad”, and also the HE.SHE.THEY. family with two killer remixes of Cosmic Cat’s “Keep The Body Dancing”. A remix for post-punk indie band Teleforme closed out the year, with 2022 having become even busier – including the release of a 12” of his remixes of Boy George and Marc Almond released in September, and several releases including the popular club track “Diverger”, which prompted this quote from none other than Fatboy Slim: “I just love the spatial awareness sound. so much depth, so much space…. so much soul.”

We are pleased to announce that James Roberts has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with Blow Up Songs for the majority of his songs as a member of The Sea Urchins, Delta and as a solo artist.

The titles include The Sea Urchins indie pop classic Pristine Christine. The song that launched Sarah Records and one of the defining tracks of the C86 scene. Also Please Fall The Rain which was made NME Single Of The Week by Bob Stanley (as was ‘Pristine Christine’) on its release.

From James songs with Delta, the band that formed in the nineties after the demise of The Sea Urchins, include Funny Looking Angels taken from the bands third album Hard Light. Funny Looking Angels was later covered by Smith & Burrows (Editors/ Razorlight) for their 2011 for the album of the same name. The Guardian described Delta as “Byrdsy harmonies and Pacific Coast flourishes with a very British despondency”. Delta were signed by Mercury Records but the album Hard Light didn’t see the light until it was finally released by indie label Dell’oroso Records.

In 2006 James released the highly acclaimed a solo album Everything You know Is Right, of which, all titles are published by Blow Up Songs. “An album inspired by the vague concept of creating a “modern day Jimmy Webb album propelled by a 21st century Carpenters” Roberts received his highest accolades to date with many branding the album a masterpiece” (Shindig Magazine).

Delta played several times over the years at the Blow Up club, including the third birthday event in Mayfair (1996). The Blow Up team have been long time fans of the band, a band that looked at one point set for a big breakthrough success. We are very pleased to be working with James and his brilliant collection of songs.

Sea Groove by Big Boss Man has been used in the new Netflix film I Used To Be Famous directed by Eddie Sternberg. It is streaming from today after its cinema launch a week ago. Sea Groove is taken from the debut album by Big Boss Man ‘Humanize’ on Blow Up Records. The song was written by Nasser Bouzida, Scott Milsom and Trevor Harding and is published by Blow Up Songs.

Blow Up Songs is pleased to confirm that we have four songs that feature in the forthcoming new film The Allnighter, directed by Aimee Graham. The Allnighter will receive its world premier at this years Cinequest in San Francisco (Aug 21st-24th).

The songs included in the film are:

“SEA GROOVE” Written by Nasser Bouzida, Trevor Harding, Scott Milsom. Published by Blow Up Songs Ltd. Performed by Big Boss Man (Blow Up Records)

“THE ALARM GOES OFF,YOU GET UP, YOU GET BY” Written by Ali Heath, Published by Blow Up Songs Limited. Performed by Ali Heath (Blow Up Records)                                  

“ALL I HAVE IS YOURS (INCLUDING YOU) ”Written by Erik Stein and Jon Boux, Published by Blow Up Songs Limited. Performed by Cult With No Name (CWNN Records)

“MAINS TO GO” Written by Justin Anderson, Adam Ficek, Lester Jones, Paul Harrison and David Rabjohns. Published by Blow Up Songs Limited. Performed by Mains Ignition (Tummy Touch Records).

The film stars Owen Beckman, Gretchen Lodge, Sylva Kelegian, David Koechner, Tiny Lister, James Russo, Alexandra Kenworthy, Jilon VanOve.

Cinequest link: https://tickets.cinequest.org/websales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=216999~a12ee803-7eae-437e-8208-1c4d52da2020&epguid=330ab4d6-45cd-4e3a-a87e-02c739b12dbb&

As announced today by Blow Up Records, Big Boss Man are to release two vinyl 7″ singles. Comprising of all new instrumental tracks that are slices of pure killer dance floor funk. All tracks written by founding members of the band, Nasser Bouzida and Trevor Harding and published by Blow Up Songs.

Pre-order the two 45’s in the following formats: Vinyl 7″ (limited edition 500 each single) shipping direct from the Blow Up Greedbag shop (shipping 23/09/22)
https://secure.greedbag.com/put/org/~f92a7bfb-b2c7-4238-8f97-6e0363c32398/productlines/item/~big-boss-man-2022-2x/

The two singles are as follows:
Cat number BU131
A Side – Juju Funk (Bouzida / Harding)
B-Side – Return Of Baron Samedi (Bouzida)

Cat number BU132
A Side – Double Groovy (Bouzida, Harding)
B Side – Trans-Pacific Express (Bouzida)

The four tracks that form the A and B sides will be released digitally, one track a month. starting with Return Of Baron Samedi on all digital services 15/07/22

We are pleased to announce that Vanessa Anne Redd has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with Blow Up Songs for the representation of her songs that includes all the titles for her recent solo albums alongside co-written songs for Rubicks and Six Years.

Vanessa Anne Redd is a London based British / German singer-songwriter. She released her third solo Vanessa Anne Redd record “Sweet Way Around” in 2021, following on from her critically acclaimed solo debut “Behind the Wall” and “Zumbo Waxes”. VAR makes raw alternative folk-rock, sweeping melodies mixing cathartic darkness and light. Her solo work is inspired by artists such as Syd Barrett, Holly Go-Lightly, Nico, Elliot Smith, Leonard Cohen, Billy Childish and Angel Olson. 

She’s received support from BBC Radio’s Steve Lamacq, Lauren Laverne, Janice Long and Radio X’s John Kennedy, along with a coveted Album of the Month recommendation by UK music magazine Loud & Quiet, and praise by magazines such as UNCUT, RnR and Clash Magazine. 

 She has previously released albums as part of electronic act Rubicks, and alt-folk duo Six Years, has toured the UK, Europe, Canada and the USA with the likes of Gary Numan and John Foxx and played SXSW and Canadian Music Week. 

Her music has been released through her co-owned label Sharp Attack Records and licensed to Universal, Mute, Modular DJ’s and Rough Trade compilations. It has appeared in fashion films (Valentino/Pam Hogg) and skate/snowboarding videos. 

Vanessa co-runs her own label Sharp Attack Records with long time collaborator Marc Makarov with whom she has been working co-producing acts on their label (Phoebe Coco/The Durrell Family). She also makes her own films and videos to accompany her own music. 

We are pleased to announce that Phoebe Coco has signed a publishing agreement with Blow Up Songs for the worldwide representation for the compositions of her debut album ‘My White Horse and I’.

Phoebe Coco is a London based British singer songwriter. With ‘My White Horse and I‘ (Sharp Attack Records) she invites you to step inside a unique world of sound and music, songs with lilting lyrics and mesmerising hooks; a whirlpool of voice, piano and electronica- ‘Somewhere between Electro-pop and whimsical alternative folk’ (Beatnik)

‘Phoebe Coco has just the thing’
Tom Robinson- BBC 6 Music
‘A sense of being slightly unsettled but utterly intoxicated at the same time, excited with a
certain amount of trepidation & everything is a bit mysterious’ ‘Effortlessly compelling’.
Adam Watson BBC Introducing Wales
Beautiful young artist
–David Preshaah Hoxton Radio
‘This is lovely – the laconic vocal puts me in mind of Anna Calvi in places, in others Oh Land.
Feels like a dark fairytale…’
Sarah Gosling

We are pleased to announce that Ali Heath has signed a new publishing agreement with Blow Up Songs for worldwide publishing representation for his forthcoming debut solo album When the Day is Done, to be released in 2022.

Ali is of course one quarter of Alfa 9, who Blow Up Songs has had a long relationship with as publisher for his and all bands writers for their three albums to date on Blow Up Records.

We are pleased to announce that Helicopter of the Holy Ghost songwriters, Billy Reeves, Crayola Lectern and Gavin Fisher have signed agreements with Blow Up Songs for worldwide representation of their songs of the album ‘Afters’. The highly acclaimed album which reached #14 Independent charts, #26 vinyl charts and was released by K-Scope Records in 2021.

The Helicopter of The Holy Ghost are Billy Reeves, Crayola Lectern and Mark Morriss

Billy Reeves formed The Audience for a bet in the mid nineties, fortunately meeting the fabulous Sophie Ellis-Bextor two days later at The Garage, Islington. (He won the bet seven months later). The band reached the dizzy heights of 12 in the LP charts. In 2000 he signed to Sony with the group ‘Yours’ but this project was violently curtailed by joy-riders that hit his Morris Minor at 99 mph (on the way home from promoting the first ever gig by the popular heavy metal band, The Darkness). A long coma, many operations and a housebound year ensued. In 2017 his brother gave him two mini-discs that had been saved from the wreckage, including demos of songs he had forgotten – due to crash-related amnesia. These songs were recently moulded into an album, ‘Afters’ by Reeves, Mark Morris, (solo artist and singer with the chart-topping guitar-janglers The Bluetones), Mark Peters (of Engineers – Rough Trade included his solo LP ‘Innerland’ in their best albums list of 2018), and Crayola Lectern (from Crayola Lectern/Zofff/la Momo/Departure Lounge and Damo Suzuki’s band up the Con Club in Lewes). 

The Helicopter of the Holy Ghost album Afters – in the media.

UNCUT: “…luxurious laments…dominated by a morose beauty. 8/10”

PROG: “Mark Morriss turns these melodic songs into something poetic…the result is a lovely album”

MOJO: “fittingly dreamlike…a deeply cryptic underbelly”

LOUDER THAN WAR: “merits repeated listens, weaving an indefinable spell”

THE QUIETUS: 

“Crayola Lectern’s playing… autumnal prog of (the) Canterbury Scene nodding to artists like Robert Wyatt or Bob Stanley’s ‘English Weather’ compilations”

GIDEON COE, BBC 6MUSIC: “mighty fine. The story is quite something; the record is quite something too”

ROBERT ELMS, BBC RADIO LONDON: “See, I told you it was good!”

THE WEE REVIEW, SCOTLAND “A dazzling debut, unique, compelling”

BIG ISSUE: “defies the odds, astonishing it was ever made”

POPIPTICA albums of the month: “Slowly rendered after a long period hidden away, Afters is a colourful but never pushy album to keep you company for many days yet to come”

GOD IS IN THE TV: “…a startlingly beautiful record. One that uncovers different elements and depths every time you listen. When you add together musical talents such as Crayola Lectern, Mark Morriss and Simon Raymonde and fold that into the melodies from over twenty years ago, you’re striking gold”

LP: ‘Afters’ available to stream/buy on very ltd vinyl or CD (K-Scope Records)