Last week I was moderately obsessed with an amazing mix put together by Expensive Looks (hear it yourself by CLICKING HERE). And it was at the 43:51 mark where I was introduced to my newest favorite artist, Chad Valley (a.k.a. Hugo Manuel) and his stunning remix of “Sermon” by The Touch. Based out of Oxford, England, Chad Valley just released a brand new 7-track album on June 20th entitled Equatorial Ultravox and in just a few short days I can honestly say I’ve listened to it at least 30 times. The Guardian recently profiled Chad Valley and the following is an excerpt from the article:
Nearly a year later, Manuel is about to release a seven-track follow-up entitled Equatorial Ultravox that – despite sounding like an album title Muse would reject for being too overblown – is a continuation of his brilliant way with lush, melancholic electronica. The first single from the EP is Now That I’m Real (How Does It Feel?), a soaring paean to youthful hopes and dreams, featuring pillow-soft beats, layers of backing vocals (the track also features Rose Dagul of Rhosyn) and a delicious keyboard riff. For the video – a Guardian exclusive – director Lucy Bridger has created an intimate, black-and-white portrait of a young couple sharing tender moments, before the girlfriend’s obsession with all things circular leads to a slightly unnecessary squabble over a glass ball. (via Guardian)
“Now That I’m Real” is such a gorgeous track it serves as another powerful reminder of the efficiency of music at pulling the listener into a particular emotional landscape within mere seconds. Literature, on the other hand, can often take hours to generate an emotional reaction from a reader — yet truly great music can do it in lightning speed. Hugo, you certainly have an impressive musical gift, and I look forward to being front row centre when you perform live with Active Child here in Montreal on September 13th! For a full list of all of Chad Valley’s North American shows with Active Child be sure to visit his Tumblelog at ChadValley.tumblr.com. You can also follow Chad Valley on MySpace, Facebook, and Soundcloud. Take a listen to “Now That I’m Real” below, as well as his remix of The Touch’s “Sermon”. Amazingness. You can also pick up your own copy of Equatorial Ultravox over at iTunes. And if you’re lucky enough to find yourself in Oxford, you can check out Chad Valley’s visitor’s guide to his favorite parts of the city over at Drowned In Sound.
SEE ALSO: Active Child’s Brand New Teaser Track “Hanging On” Is Blowing My Mind
