Fenech-Soler
Fenech-Soler have achieved a next level aura of accomplishment with their upcoming second album ‘Rituals’ which will be released on September 2nd on Warner Bros. Records.
The album follows their self-titled debut album which was released in 2010 and earned them Q and XFM award nominations for The Next Big Thing and Best British Debut Album of the Year respectively, as well as substantial support from Radio 1.
The album was largely produced by the band themselves though they chose to collaborate on certain tracks with the likes of Tim Goldsworthy (LCD Soundsystem, UNKLE) and the innovative Swedish producer / DJ Style of Eye.
The album has already been previewed with a video for ‘All I Know’ as well as the track ‘Maiyu’, which was recently made available as a free download and graced the top of the Hype Machine chart. The album’s first full single ‘Magnetic’ will follow on July 1st.
As with the best of ‘Rituals’, ‘Magnetic’ blends memorable hooks and punchy synths, capturing the essence of Fenech-Soler’s distinct niche - electronic-based music delivered with a beating human heart.
"I think the pop element is certainly something that wasn’t calculated, but also something that we didn’t decide to turn our back on," says vocalist Ben Duffy.
"For us, it’s been about paying attention to what makes a good song and about being direct. We haven’t been afraid to make a pop record. It’s about connecting with people on a universal level while remaining true to our dance roots."
The recording process for ‘Rituals’ took place in a multitude of locations over the course of 2012. It started with an initial writing session in a remote house in the hinterlands of Norfolk as the band decided to cut themselves off from the outer world. Tasks were then divided as members headed in different directions.
Ben travelled solo to Italy to spend time writing whilst Andrew Lindsay, drummer and the production brains in the band set about custom building a studio that would later become the central hub of the recording and production process. Further sessions in Massive Attack’s studio and remote locations in the West Country provided the settings where 'Rituals' would come to life.
The title was inspired by two interlinked concepts - the fact that everyone’s lives are dictated by varying unspoken rituals and that the making of an album is the band’s very own equivalent.
Fenech-Soler’s next headline show will be at London’s Electric Ballroom on May 22nd. They’re also confirmed to perform at Glastonbury, second headline the Dance Stage at the Reading and Leeds Festivals on August 23rd and 24th and a selection of other handpicked festivals throughout the summer.