Music

Singer, songwriter, dancer, activist and musician, James Brown was known by two nicknames: The Hardest Working Man in Show Business and the Godfather of Soul. He is also known as the Inventor of Funk, the Grandfather of Hip-Hop and is certainly one of the most influential musical pioneers of the last century. Born in 1933 in South Carolina, he died in December 2006 of pneumonia at 73 years old. He lives on through his music. As he said himself “If people wanted to know who James Brown is, all they have to do is listen to my music.”

He grew up in abject poverty and his parents split up when he was very young, so at age 4 he was sent to live with his Aunt Honey, the madam of a brothel. Brown later recalled his impoverished childhood: “I started shining shoes at 3 cents, then went up to 5 cents, then 6 cents. I never did get up to a dime. I was 9 years old before I got a pair of underwear from a real store; all my clothes were made from sacks and things like that. But I knew I had to make it. I had the determination to go on, and my determination was to be somebody.”

Well, as we know, the story has a happy ending because James Brown was certainly somebody! He developed his powerful voice singing in the church choir and his musical career started in earnest in 1955 when Bobby Byrd invited him to join his R&B group, The Gospel Starlighters. Naturally, with his almost overbearing talent and charisma it didn’t take long before he was running the show. Changing their name to the Famous Flames they started performing in local clubs. A year later in 1956 they recorded a demo tape of Please, Please, Please and played it for a talent scout for King Records. Within months the song reached Nº6 on the R&B charts. But it wasn’t until a couple of years later that Brown got the kick start he needed to make it into the big leagues. He recorded Try Me and the song went straight to Nº1 on the R&B charts. Then followed a string of hits, Lost Someone, Prisoner of Love and Night Train.

Brown toured relentlessly, performing 6 nights per week throughout the 60’s, which earned him his first nickname, The Hardest Working Man in Show Business. He was such a great showman – you could describe him as hypnotic even. His dancing was incredible and his charisma and passion left audiences in raptures. He mastered all the popular dances of the time “the camel walk,” “the mashed potato,” “the popcorn” and of course his own “do the James Brown.” He went on to record many of his most popular songs during the 60’s including Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag which is considered the first ‘funk’ song – an offshoot of soul and a precursor to hip-hop.

During the 70’s more hits came, most notably Sex Machine and Get Up Offa That Thing although with the advance of disco, plus personal financial troubles, the 70’s weren’t his best decade. He made a brilliant comeback in the cult 1980s film The Blues Brothers and recorded Living in America in 1985 which was featured in Rocky IV and became a huge hit for him.

He was one of the first musicians to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – in 1986, which was the year it started. The late 80s were lost in a mix of depression and drug addiction and ended in 1988 when he went to prison for 15 months after a high speed car chase with the police. He continued touring after release from prison, albeit on a much lighter schedule than in his heyday.

This incredible show, filmed 6 years before he died, is a must-have video for any fan. He might not have had the energy of his youth but he could still hit it! This concert event at the House of Blues in Las Vegas features music through five decades of his chart-topping hits.

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1 Get Up Offa That Thing
2 Gonna Have A Funky Good Time
3 Living In America
4 Popcorn
5 Soul Power
6 Soul Man (Vocals – Roosevelt Johnson)
7 I Got That Feeling
8 Hot Pants
9 Try Me
10 Prisioner Of Love
11 Georgia On My Mind
12 If I Ruled The World
13 Why Don’t You Do Right (Vocals – Candice Hurst)
14 Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag
15 Funk On A Roll
16 Payback
17 I Feel Good
18 Papa Don’t Take No Mess
19 Please Please Please
20 Sex Machine
21 I Still Care (Vocals – Tomi Rae)
22 Try (Vocals – Tomi Rae)

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If you’re an animal lover, you’re certainly going to appreciate this list of music videos we’ve put together starring man’s best friend. A great deal of training went in to some of them, a great deal of comedy went into others, but a great deal of cuteness is present in all of them.

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1.) OK Go – White Knuckles

OK Go never fail to impress with their brilliantly choreographed one-take music videos and catchy anthem-like tracks. They really went up a level with this one though as it features a bevy of incredibly well trained rescue dogs… and a goat.

2.) Tokyo Police Club – Wait Up (Boots of Danger)

All the neighbourhood hounds rally up to this alternative rock backdrop. They break into somebody’s back garden and end up throwing themselves a pool party. It’s a dogs life!

3.) Swedish House Mafia – Save The World

A possy of practically perfect pedigree pooches prowl the urban sprawl in the dark of night, stopping the bad guys and protecting the innocent. They’re out to save the world one heroic act at a time. You’ve never seen a set of more adorable vigilantes.

4.) Sympathie (Original) – Herr Tischbein

German musician Herr Tischbein got the mixture of trumpets, comedy and canine just about right in this classy vid. He definitely set out to put a smile on the viewers face, and so far he’s been very successful. Guaranteed to make you giggle.

5.) Baha Men – Who Let The Dogs Out

We’ve all seen it, we’ve all heard it… and it’s packed full of four legged furry’s! It had to go on the list.

6.) Dogs Sing For A Cure – We Could Be Heroes

This very sweet, light hearted and cleverly done rendition of We Could Be Heroes was made to raise awareness for pet cancer. Not only is it definitely worth a watch, it’s also worth donating to the charity who organised it’s production: http://www.pettrust.ca

7.) WIll Young – Come On

Will Young starts off being embarrassed by his seemingly not-so-well trained show dog at a very important competition. As the video goes on, the greatest thing happens. This could be classified as a tear jerker… You’ve been warned.

8.) Fall Out Boy – Take Over, The Breaks Over

The bulldog featured in this one gets showered with a plethora of bones – yay! Then some mailmen show up and start breakdancing, as they do… and then some sexy human kittens in heals pop up and start grinding on each other, as per usual. Safe to say the dog is confused, or so we think. Wait, is that band member wearing a steak? Keep watching to see how this bulldog ends up saving the day. More doggy power!

9.) Allison Weiss – Making It Up

This is a cute video showing how if you get dumped, your dog will be there for you. But remember, he’s still a dog, and not a boyfriend replacement. Don’t be too upset when he doesn’t appreciate you getting him a takeaway coffee at the park. He’s going to want to run around at some point!

10.) Mayer Hawthorne – Her Favorite Song

The cool dawgs in this set are running the nightlife; deejaying, bartending, piano playing, drinking hard liquor and getting lucky with the ladies… or at least trying to.

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Whether they have a penchant for nudity, statement making, crowd shocking tendencies, or are simply desperate to shake things up in a revival attempt; these are our top ten naked music videos featuring some of the best known artists in the business. Sex sells, that’s an old cliché if ever there was one, but it still works, add in a little celebrity fairy dust and bingo you’ve got a million hits in one morning. This top ten list has it all when it comes to the nudity stakes – abs, pecs, butts and boobs, some very long tongue action and even some balletic sexual reenactments; enjoy!

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Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball

There’s no better way to reinvent yourself from perfect Disney princess to rebel with one hell of a cause, than to get naked (except for some hob nail boots of course) and swing around on a demolition ball, lick a hammer and shave off most of your hair. Here’s the sweet and innocent Miley Cyrus’ transformative music video Wrecking Ball which does not leave much to the imagination, except why on earth she chose those awful white knickers when she finally did put some clothing on?!

Robin Thicke – Blurred Lines

Robin Thicke also needed some reinvention and he found it when Blurred Lines topped the charts and became a humungous success all over the world in 2013. He had a little help from his friends, Pharell and T.I., when he launched himself back out of obscurity and made a bomb with this track. The music video of course had its own little part to play in all this…you may not know this but the video that most of the public saw over and over and over again last year was not the only one to be released. The other video was the one that got all the boys talking. So, clever old Thicke hooked the ladies with his dulcet tones, slick suit and shades and lured in the guys with his unrated video of all the models stripped down to their birthday suits (bar a teeny tiny something you could call underwear and some platform trainers), bouncing around cutely between the three singers. Take a look at the previously, temporarily banned adult version of the Blurred Lines music video.

Lady Gaga – Applause

Lady Gaga is no stranger to getting her kit off, we had plenty of footage to choose from with this young strip fanatic. Lady Gaga, née Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, is a woman on a mission. She wanted to hit the big time and she went for it, getting naked is not exactly high on the list of shocking moments in her thus far illustrious career and she certainly is not reticent to baring all. Forget the dress made of meat, forget the McQueen ensembles, forget the masks and ever-changing hair styles (although she manages to squeeze in all of the above anyway) and take a look at Gaga unveiled in Applause. (OK she might not be strictly naked but can you count a bit of string and a couple of shells?=

Britney Spears – Womanizer

Britney Spears may have had her troubles in the past, and may well again in the future but when it comes to buffing up her body and getting back out there she is a master. The video for Womanizer is a no-holds-barred depiction of a raunchy Britney in her entirety. She gets naked, sweaty, fries an egg in a sexy robe, gives a saucy secretary rendition, a red-headed waiter/waitress (?) and a sexy chauffer-ess who can drive using her 6’ heels in this tongue in cheek (sometimes) performance. The plot is to expose the guy she is seeing who has managed to womanize all of these different versions of her, but Britney wins in the end as she makes her bed without him in it.

Katy Perry – California Gurls ft. Snoop Dogg

Katy Perry is yet another chameleon when it comes to her appearance, although a lot less Art Pop and more candy pop than Gaga she has had her fair share of costume and hair changes in her career. With a more Alice in Wonderland meets the Care Bears feel to it; California Gurls features Snoop Dogg and also a butt naked Katy Perry laying on a pink fluffy cloud in this sickly sweet video about the girls from the West Coast.

Blink-182 – What’s My Age Again

Blink-182 do the naked thing properly in this video, they are stripped bare running through the streets, playing their instruments, playing basketball, and even the odd cartwheel whilst distracting the general public with….their nakedness! Check out the video to What’s My Age Again for some full on Blink-182 which will really make you blink.

D’Angelo – Untitled (How Does It Feel)

In keeping with the male theme for a moment, a treat for the ladies is upon us. D’angelo’s Untitled (How Does it Feel) video is basically a close up head shot of the rather stunning (and naked of course) man with a simple black backdrop. The camera pans out to reveal more unveiling the top of his hips (strangely similar to a Ken doll) and then back to a facial close up, then some trickly sweaty ab close ups and an odd nipple grab, a slow spin around to show off the back, a few more pan in and outs, some more warbling and that`s all there is to it in this up close and personal eye candy video; you even get a zoom in on his molars.

Alanis Morissette – Thank U

This one deserves a mention just because it is Alanis Morissette for one thing and also because she is naked for the duration. This is not a ploy for attention or a desperate reach out for viewers, this is an artistic video, it is not crass nor does it appeal to the masses for admiration. The song is about admitting your faults, your flaws, thanking the world for the emotions we experience in a positive way and letting it all out; the video depicts the same thing in the physical sense. It is simple, it touches on the greater sides of humanity and it is, despite Alanis’ fairly odd, quirky delivery, quite beautiful. And it’s a good song – Thank You!

Sigur Rós – Fjögur Píanó

Sigur Rós features a very different Shia Le Boeuf in Fjögur Píanó, an incredible arthouse video depicting two lovers and their journey through a day in their life via dance and a bit of hallucination. The film starts with the pair discovering their post-coital cuts and bruises and performing a very sensual ballet rendition of their sexual acts. This is quite beautifully choreographed, and many scenes show full nudity. Shia is definitely not shy when it comes to revealing all, yes all. They then go on a seemingly drug induced trip whilst licking some hallucinogenic lollipops, which is all slightly surreal and odd but very entertaining. They then have a huge fight and wake up the following morning in much the same situation; Groundhog Day?

Robbie Williams – Rock DJ

Robbie Williams’ Rock DJ has to get a mention when it comes to naked videos, because, well he bares more than just his body in this depiction of how to get attention. Assuming this is a reflection of life under the spotlight and how you literally have to bare it all to get ahead in show business, sell your soul if you have to. This gets a rather incredible almost horrific spin as he strips off his clothes initially to raise some interest – when this fails he starts to give more and more of himself to the crowd as he peels of his flesh and launches it at them. The girls go mad for literal pieces of Robbie…warning, this is pretty gruesome.

Gotye – Someone That I Used To Know ft. Kimba

And who could forget the one hit classic; Gotye’s Somebody That I Used to Know feat. Kimba. The video depicts Gotye’s naked body being gradually painted from head to toe with abstract shapes as he eventually blends in with the background, and then an also painted, also naked Kimba pops in for her de-painting and verse of the catchy tune that had us all singing along in 2011.

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This 24-year-old Angelino singer-songwriter mounts enchanting, effortless vocals on a daydreamy backdrop for an entirely timeless yet refreshing new blend of soul & folk music. Predisposed for musical merit, Williams continues the story set in motion by her father David Williams, whose guitar-playing genius lent itself to the likes of Michael Jackson & Whitney Houston.

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Writing her own chapter in the legacy, Williams has cultivated her talent from an early age. In 4th grade, she was selected to perform Hard Knock Life with Jay-Z for a TV special. Cut to today and she is still gaining nods in the hip-hop scene, most recently collaborating with Freddie Gibbs on his single The Hard.

Further proof of her ever broadening appeal can be found on YouTube, where her cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams alongside Leighton Meester has acquired over 2 million views.

Having given fans a teasing taste last year with her debut single, ironically titled, Keep Me Waiting, Williams released her 5-track The Lonely One EP on March 25, 2014. This was followed by national TV exposure on ABC’s Rising Star, which saw her being voted into the final by 4 million viewers!

Earlier this year you released your first EP titled The Lonely One. How would you describe it’s sound / vibe?
I would describe the sound of my first EP as melancholy/dreamy/soul/folk.

Dana Williams – The Lonely One

We love your cover of Dreams by Fleetwood Mac, sung alongside Gossip Girls’ star Leighton Meester. We want to know why there are not more of these videos on YouTube – are there future plans for more poolside sessions?
We have had conflicting schedules over the past few months but plan on releasing more duets together! And, I am not sure if they will be poolside.

Dana Williams and Leighton Meester – Dreams (Fleetwood Mac cover)

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life journey?
At this point, I am just proud that I have been able to continue to make music, share it with others, and follow my dream.

Have you ever leant towards a different career path, or have you always wanted to be a musician?
I always wanted to be a musician, but I have always been incredibly shy, so in college I considered being a poet. I considered just writing poetry and songs for other people and avoid performing my own music. But then I realized that my passion was performing my music for people and it honestly makes me the happiest to perform. Also, I can still write poetry and be a musician! 🙂

Dana Williams – Keep Me Waiting

Not everyone that knows about you, knows that your late father was a guitar player for Michael Jackson. That’s quite a legacy. How has your father’s influence affected the way you view music and the world around you?
Well, since I grew up in a musical family, music comes as second nature to me. It makes it more of a lifestyle. Whereas, when people ask me ‘what else would you want to do?’ there really are no other options, music is a part of my soul and I couldn’t live without it and I think that has a bit to do with the fact that I grew up around it.

When you were on ABC’s show The Rising Star you performed live to millions of people. We got goosebumps ourselves watching your powerful performance. What was going through your head while you were giving it your all on stage?
I was mostly just thinking: ‘everyone is staring at me, and I better not mess up’ because since it’s shot live, if you make a mistake it will be caught on camera and reported in the news and that was the most stressful thing for me. Performing for a live studio audience is weird, because when you play a live show everyone is there to see you and they know your music and they are into it, but for a studio audience, the energy is slow, the audience has to be quiet while we are shooting and everyone is sitting down, so they just sit and stare at you and it’s hard to tell if they’re enjoying it or not.

Dana Williams – Stay (Rising Star 2014 performance)

During your time on the show you were praised endlessly but also you were constantly being judged. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve taken away from the whole experience?
Well, there were some times where the criticism got to me. But at the end of the day you have to do what’s best for yourself. The biggest lesson I learned was that it’s important to connect with the audience (in this case….a camera). I learned a lot about my performance and how to improve upon that.

Give us your top three artists in todays scene that you’d want to work with.
Chance the Rapper, Spooky Black and Shakey Graves.

One reason why your songs are so popular is because real people can really relate to them. With your sound and the raw emotion you project in your lyrics, you manage to create this world that people already know. They get that feeling of ‘This song is about my life’ or even ‘I remember feeling that way, or being in that place.’ How does it feel knowing that you strike this chord in so many others?
It’s nice to know that I strike a chord with so many others. I write about my personal life experiences, finding love and then losing it, and I feel like love is something everyone can relate to. Every person loves. Even dogs love.

Dana Williams – Right Now

You’ve recently performed alongside rapper Freddie Gibbs at the 3rd Annual Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival. How did you and Freddie first meet, and how did you come to feature in his 2012 song The Hard?
I met Freddie through my cousin. He accompanied her to one of my first shows at a restaurant in West Hollywood, like two and a half years ago, and afterwards he said, “I like your vibe, let’s do a song together” and then we did! He pulled a few tracks for me, but the one that ended up being The Hard was the one that I think we both preferred.

Freddie Gibs – The Hard ft. Dana Williams

What would you say draws you in to this kind of real and gritty rap music… What resonates with you?
I’m not sure what draws me into any kind of music really. I just like good music. It doesn’t matter if it’s rap, country, blues, soul, classical, I am just drawn to good music and Freddie is a really talented rapper and that’s what draws me in.

We want to know what you have lined up for 2015?

I have some new videos and music lined up which I am very excited about! I have been writing new stuff, so more content then last year I would hope! And some potential collaborations 🙂

Finally, looking back over 2014, what would you say is the most fun you’ve had?
The most fun I’ve had is probably playing shows with Leighton and singing duets with her. I really appreciate her support, and I love performing my music for live audiences!

Dana Williams chose our Sunday Sessions this week. Click here for the playlist!

Follow Dana Williams on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, or visit her Website.

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David Foster is a legendary musician, songwriter and one of the most successful record producers in history, creating albums that have collectively sold in the hundreds of millions. He is the king of pop, the hit man, the No. 1 music producer in the world. In the course of his enviable career, he has worked with just about every star in the business.

Before he became such a legend he received a valuable piece of advice from legendary music impresario Quincy Jones. “He said to me, ‘If something isn’t exactly the way you think it should be, don’t put your name on it,’” Foster recalls. “His words of advice had a great impact on me, and since then I’ve always fought for my artistic vision. I don’t always win, but I know when an artist hires me, it’s my job to push them toward greatness, and to get something out of them they didn’t know was there. My personal motto has become, ‘compromise breeds mediocrity.’”

This philosophy has shaped the way Foster has approached everything in his more than four decades as a musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, producer, and recording artist. It is the reason why superstars like Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Rod Stewart, and Stevie Wonder have trusted him with their voices and to help them realize their musical dreams.

Foster has won 16 Grammy Awards (and 45 nominations), including three for Producer of the Year, an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe, and racked up three Oscar nominations for “Best Original Song”. In June 2010, he was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall Of Fame.

In 2012 Foster entered a new phase in his career, becoming the chairman of Universal’s Verve Music Group. His mission, he says, is to turn the fabled jazz label (founded in 1956 and home to Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, and other jazz luminaires) into the premier label for singing legends and legends in the making. The label’s roster includes Andrea Bocelli, Diana Krall, and Natalie Cole. Foster recently signed Grammy-winning artist Sarah McLachlan and R&B-soul great Smokey Robinson. Foster also has his eye on the next generation of talent, having signed Malaysian singer Yuna and Swedish YouTube sensations Dirty Loops, a virtuoso trio who blend jazz, rock, pop, and dance music into a unique hybrid all their own. “As a musician, artist, writer and producer, I’ve been on both sides of the glass in the studio,” Foster says. “I feel like I’ve been prepping for this new job for 40 years.”

Born in Victoria, British Columbia, Foster began studying piano at age four. As the story goes, his mother was dusting the family piano, hit one of the keys, and was shocked when David correctly called out, “That’s an E!”, thus discovering he had perfect pitch. The son of a maintenance yard superintendent and a homemaker, Foster has chronicled his life in the highly regarded, best-selling autobiography Hit Man. The book is filled with page-turning, eye-opening anecdotes — from Foster joining Chuck Berry’s band at age 16 to sitting in Paul McCartney’s kitchen talking to him about the day The Beatles broke up.

In May last year, Foster received his star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame. It is located on Vine Street in front of the iconic Capitol Records building, adjacent to the stars of his musical heroes — John, Paul, George and Ringo — a thrill for the self-described “biggest Beatles fan on the planet.”

We have compiled a Showtime playlist based on the wildly successful PBS specials, Hit Man: David Foster and Friends, in which Foster plays master of ceremony and also accompanies a staggering lineup of stars.

1 – Chaka Khan – Through the Fire
2 – Earth, Wind & Fire – September / After the Love has Gone
3 – Ne-Yo/Charice/Robert Randolph – Earth Song
4 – Natalie Cole – This Will Be
5 – Lara Fabian & Michael Bolton – The Prayer
6 – Love Theme From St. Elmo’s Fire (Feat. Kenny G)
7 – Donna Summer – Last Dance
8 – Michael Buble – Save The Last Dance For Me
9 – Earth, Wind & Fire – In The Stone/ September Medley
10 – Babyface (Kenny Edmonds) – I Swear
11 – All-4-One – Medley
12 – Seal / Michael Bolton – hen a Man Loves a Woman / It’s a Man’s World
13 – Chaka Khan – I’m Every Woman
14 – Martina McBride – Smile
14 – Eric Benet – Chocolate Legs

Hit Man: David Foster

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Foster has made charitable work his life’s other priority. The David Foster Foundation work to provide financial support to Canadian families with children undergoing life-saving organ transplants. Over the past quarter century, the Foundation has helped more than 700 families and provided millions of dollars in direct support. In addition to easing financial stresses, the Foundation also strives to increase organ donor awareness and registration in Canada and the United States. If you’d like to learn more about the David Foster Foundation or find out how to sign up to be an organ donor, please visit www.davidfosterfoundation.com

Follow David:
Twitter: twitter.com/officialdfoster
Facebook: facebook.com/davidfostermusic
Websites: davidfoster.com / VerveMusicGroup.com / davidfosterfoundation.com/

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TED runs lectures on all sorts of cultural and scientific issues and is seen as one of the most easily accessible intellectual hubs out there. From looking into how sampling has affected the music industry to eleven year old violinists, here are our Top 10 music related TED talks that are really worth watching.

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Mark Ronson – How sampling transformed music

Mark Ronson, the Brit Award winning musician, DJ, singer and song producer talks about how sampling transformed music. He demonstrates examples of how sampling works during this TED talk using the latest equipment. The English superstar speaks candidly about his obsessions with fiddling about with other people’s music, picking out the bits he likes and using them for his own benefit. The intent of this highly original talk is to explain how much variation and opportunity there is in making music, now that sampling has become commonplace. Take a look and see him in action sampling fifteen different TED talks to make one “audio-visual omelette”.

Sting – How I Started Writing Songs Again

You may assume that lyrical geniuses have it easy when it comes to churning out lyrics but, in this popular TED talk, Sting explains how he suffered from writers block for many years. To overcome this songwriting drought he utilized his memories of the misery that was his monotonous occupation as a young man working in a shipyard for material. He performs a song from his upcoming musical and also a rendition of Message in A Bottle.

Beardyman – The Polyphonic Me

This is an incredible performance of mimicry and technology alongside an astonishing musical talent. Beardyman struggled with the idea that as a human he could only produce one note at a time and so, being a musical inventor decided to create a machine that could loop and layer sounds he makes with his voice. His ability to copy a whole host of worldly sounds and perfectly imitate almost any musical instrument is remarkable; this piece is one of the most watched musical TED talks going.

Jennifer Lin – Improvising on piano aged 14

This is a truly incredible young lady, at such a young age her improvisation skills and piano dexterity is something to behold. She is a very talented young girl; she displays here as she comments on the process of creativity and then selects a sequence of random notes which she uses to create an amazing improvised piece of music. And did I mention she is only FOURTEEN?

Eric Whitacre – A Virtual Choir 2000 Voices Strong

This is an innovative and astounding visual and audio performance. Eric Whitacre, the Grammy-winning American composer and conductor, known for his choral, orchestral and wind ensemble music, has been involved in many “virtual choir” assemblies, however, this is the first time he has done it live and simultaneously. His usual method is to cut and splice different singers from different countries to create his pieces. This time he is working in real time as he utilizes the technology of Skype to bring together 32 singers from around the globe to join an onstage choir performing his Cloudburst based on a poem by Octavio Paz. The conductor and composer excels himself with this performance which has inspired millions.

Clayton Cameron – A-rhythm-etic

Jazz, funk, hip hop, pop, latin, R&B, Clayton Cameron can drum the beats to all these musical genres. In this TED talk he speaks about how all beats have one thing in common, mathematics. This is what the drummer calls a-ryhtm-etic. He breaks down and explains the equations behind the beat whilst playing them out on the drum using his famous brushes. He gets the audience involved while he delivers this interesting talk which has over a million views.

Sleepy Man Banjo Boys – Bluegrass Virtuosity from New Jersey

These boys are just incredible. They are all under the age of sixteen but can play a Bluegrass tune like the best of them. Having grown up in New Jersey, not famous at all for its Bluegrass music, these kids have been covering and writing songs since a very young age. They are amazingly talented and will have your toes a-twitching while you watch them perform three marvelous songs on the banjo and guitar; truly awe-inspiring stuff that has almost two million views!

Sirena Huang – An 11 year old’s magical violin

This is another incredible performance. This 11 year old girl is a fiercely talented musician as she displays here in this TED piece. She gives a charming introduction where she praises the design of her instrument as timeless. Sirena is a beautiful violinist; this is one not to be missed, nearly achieving two million TED views.

Preston Reed & Usman Riaz – A Young Guitarist Meets His Hero

Usman Riaz is a self taught percussive guitarist and is pretty amazing. He spent many years watching YouTube videos of famous musicians playing the instrument in order to learn how to play. He performs an incredible piece in this TED clip. If that wasn’t inspiring enough along comes one of the best in the field, Preston Reed who will blow you away with his performance. This is followed up by an incredible improvised piece by both artists combined.

David Pogue – The Music Wars

David Pogue is an American technology writer and TV science presenter. Pogue has written, or co-written, seven books in the For Dummies series (including Mac computers, magic, opera, and classical music). The Yahoo tech columnist discusses downloading issues during this “satirical mini-medley”. This is a very clever piece which features Sonny & Cher and The Village People.

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The MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs) took place at the SSE Hydro Arena in Glasgow last night. The event was hosted by Nicki Minaj whose boobs, not butt, were the talk of the evening, and completely took over Twitter. One Direction were the biggest winners, taking home four awards including Best Pop and Best Live Act. Unfortunately they weren’t at the show to collect their awards in person, fans had to make do with a video thank you.

Ariana Grande also did well taking home two awards for Best Song (Problem) and Best Female Act. Other stars winning multiple awards were Katy Perry (also absent) and 5 Seconds of Summer.

Nicki Minaj showcased a number of outfits throughout the evening, but the most talked about was the outfit she wore when she first appeared on stage. She also performed a fantastic medley of her hits (no official videos available yet).

Other performers were U2, Ed Sheeran, Royal Blood and Canadian artist Kiesza, whose fantastic performance was mostly from the inside of a glittery red phone box.

Other artists appeared at the O2 Academy in Glasgow with their performances making up part of an outside broadcast – with performances shown live on screens around the Hydro Arena. A heavily pregnant Alicia Keys was one of the artists in this outside broadcast.

The majority of the audience must have been under 20 and crowds of teenagers were queueing up from midday on Sunday (8 hours before the show started) and the excitement was palpable. Many had come from all over Europe to see their stars perform.

Highlights
Highlights from the show included Nicki Minaj’s incredible and much-talked about cleavage, the fact that Ariana Grande didn’t wear a ponytail (hooray!) and then performed in her knickers (hooray!) – her entrance was pretty impressive as well – she came flying in on a huge chair/swing.

Nicki Minaj’s see through jumpsuit has to be a highlight – and of course when she played mini golf on the stage shooting the ball into a model of her butt…Ed Sheeran’s performance of Thinking Out Loud was amazing – as were the dancers that accompanied him.

Other WTF moments were the appearance of a dinosaur, Katy Perry hugging a model of Nicki Minaj’s butt, the incredible amount of times Ariana Grande said Thank You and last, but certainly not least, the free drinks tickets that were thrown into the audience.

It’s no mean feat of organisation hosting the EMAs and organisers revealed that an incredible 10,000 km of cable had been installed to power the event. The attending stars and performers needed 22 hairdressers and 40 make-up artists to look as good as they did and a huge wiggery was built backstage to house the 300 hairpieces and 500 wigs! The dressing rooms were jammed packed with luxurious gifts and each performer and presenter was given a goodie bag that included diamond and crystal jewellery, condoms and SpongeBob SquarePants socks.

THE WINNERS

Best Song
Ariana Grande – Problem, ft. Iggy Azalea

Best Pop Act
One Direction

Best Male Act
Justin Bieber

Best Female Act
Ariana Grande

Best New Act
5 Seconds of Summer

Best Video
Katy Perry – Dark Horse ft. Juicy J

Best Rock Act
Linkin Park

Best Electronic
Afrojack

Best World Stage Performance
Enrique Iglesias

Best Alternative Act
Thirty Seconds to Mars

Best Hip-Hop Act
Nicki Minaj

Best Live Act
One Direction

Best Look
Katy Perry

Best Push Act
5 Seconds of Summer

Best Song With A Social Message
Beyonce – Pretty Hurts

Best UK & Ireland Act
One Direction

Best US Act
Fifth Harmony

Biggest Fans
One Direction

Global Icon
Ozzy Osbourne

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This week we are guided by Demi, a London based DJ with a free spirited approach to life and music, for our Sunday Sessions. Demi is a London born Greek Cypriot whose stylings are based largely on emotion, life and personal experiences alongside his passion and deep, unrequited love of music. He has worked and played all over the world, started his own label with a unique open-minded ethos, released his own tracks and follows his unknown path into undiscovered dimensions. We talked about life, music, anthropological intricacies and caught up on space travel and Space Ibiza of course…

How would you describe your music genre?
I really don’t subscribe to genres. I always had this issue of having to explain myself. The sets I deliver speak for themselves and people can make their own interpretation from what they hear. It’s unfortunately a consequence of the system of pigeon-holing. I just find it more natural to encompass different sounds and moods within a set, which is why I always insist on playing longer sets. I feel like I’m cheating otherwise, to be frank.

What is your inspiration?
Anything or anyone that can affect me emotionally inspires and spurs me on with my music; whether it is for performing or producing. For better or worse, I think people are inspiring. I think everything that exists around us is there for inspiration to be drawn from and it’s always been my emotional trigger when applied to music I make or play. 

Recently I’ve had the most tragic news in my life which, I feel, has in its own bizarre way, brought out this intensity in my studio work which has made me execute and finish things a lot quicker. Channeling some of these negative issues or thoughts has in turn helped bring out a positive outcome and some sense of closure with the body of work I’m hoping to share soon to fans that continue to support me, and the general public.

Describe your ultimate, dream, fantasy, perfectly amazing Utopian gig!
Performing in space! It might be a bit tricky pulling off a running man move, what with the zero gravity factor, but Krumping, which I’ve been always fascinated by, which has had a major resurgence in recent years could go next level up there. Sounds in the outer orbit could be a lot of fun 🙂

How would you sum up your sound?
Performance wise, I am driven on stage to deliver something that is an extension of myself, which I only hope people can take something from when they go back to their own situations and lives.

Fundamentally there is always an emotional substance in my sound that is communicating a message to the people on the dance floor. Out of necessity it might even lack a groove at times. I fundamentally strive for a level of intensity and soul in whatever I am creating and this can be intense with something slow and subtle at 98bpm or something more aggressive at 128bpm. I love pretty much all the different candy in the jar 😉

With whom would be your ultimate collaboration?
For his musicianship and studio prowess then no question it would be PRINCE. For his studio wizardry, I would say Trentmoller.

Advice for a positive ‘onstage’ experience?
The 5 P’s of life – Preparation and planning prevents piss-pot performance. (Quote: Alex Sansford)

What’s your favourite gig or event to date?
My first booking in Tokyo at the world famous Club Womb. It was a last minute announcement as a replacement for Desyn Masiello, who, at the time was unable to make the gig. He kindly recommended the promoters there to book me as I was also touring at the same time around Asia. There was little time to prepare for the gig itself and despite being deliriously jet-lagged, it was such an adrenalin-charged gig in an awesome space for music to be played. The magic can only happen when all the elements are aligned and it was the people that especially made my first gig there unforgettable. The Japanese are really up there with the best people you can play to and they have given me so much love and support over the years. Playing Tiga – Far From Home at the end of the night as the encore was probably the closest to a set bringing me to tears.

Where would you choose to play if you could spin the globe and point out a place?
An open space in the Galapagos Islands spring to mind. Animals and humans united!

Name a DJ you admire and why?
Danny Tenaglia. Quite simply, as far as DJ’s are concerned, there is no equal in my books. He still has the fire and energy of a 23 year old starting out and yet is still as savage and meticulous as ever with his selection. We often exchange a lot of music and ideas. His encyclopedic knowledge of music and attention to sound is still a huge influence on me, in terms of how I prepare and select my music, along with how I perform when I am on stage.

What were your musical influences growing up?
Predominantly Disco/Funk and old R&B made up the fabric of my music education via one of my uncles who loved his music and whose taste I always seemed to connect with. Shortly after, in my late teens, electronic music was exposed to me by friends at school. One fateful trip to Ibiza in 1997, when hearing Armand Van Helden spin 6 hours at Amnesia, blew my brains wide open. Hearing Daft Punk shortly after that and the likes of Sasha, Danny Tenaglia and John Digweed began to really mould all the different areas of my musical tastes together.

When will your EP be released?
My first solo-produced EP will be coming out in December on my vinyl label Eyetone Records. 

How does it work – do you sign acts or release individual tracks, what kind of sound are you looking for?
Mainly individual tracks at the moment. I don’t subscribe to the ‘you need to be in my gang’ if a record is going to be signed to Eyetone. I have a very relaxed and freeform kind of relationship with the artists. They can pursue their own interests outside of any contribution there maybe to Eyetone. I’m not interested in any sense of exclusivity or even inclusivity. The label is an open platform for all artists with a passion and desire to have a body of work that might have meaning for someone else too and that hopefully can be drawn on in years to come for this and the next generation of music enthusiasts and DJ’s. So if you don’t know me and I don’t know you, then you stand an equal chance when you send your demos in – JUST NO EDM! eyetonerecords@gmail.com

What are your top five artists, bands or DJ’s right now?
Toro y Moi, Napoleon, MCDE – Motor City Drum Ensemble, Bob Moses, Ricardo Villalobos

Your most respected peer?
Francois Kervorkian

The hottest club in London?
Fabric

Hottest International club?
Warung in the South of Brasil – it’s hot and the hottest!

What are you doing on Sunday?
I’m looking forward to a long phone conversation with an old friend of mine who now lives in the Cayman Islands and runs a parasailing company, so his life is predominantly spent in the waters. He’s one of those few folk left in this world who still only communicates by phone and fax. It’s heartwarming holding these kind of friendships where time and distance really is irrelevant. If I can also squeeze a Sunday Roast in then it would be a fine Sunday indeed 🙂

DJ Demi chose our Sunday Sessions this week! Click here for the playlist.

Follow Demi on Soundcloud, Facebook and YouTube, or visit eyetonerecords.com

Free edits – Demi has made some great music available for all our readers, check it out here: https://soundcloud.com/demiofficialmusic/sets/edits-86

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