Friday 25 februar @ 21:00
Leila Adu + Mills Projects
Ausland
Lychener Str. 60, Prenzlauerberg, D-10437
BERLIN
– Check out a Live Review of the Rome Concert “Ode to the Unknown Factory Worker CD Release Tour” here: Inkoma Zine
Leila Adu Leaves the Assembly Line for the “Ode to the Unknown Factory Worker” CD Release Tour
Leila Adu embarks on a 2 month tour of the US, United Kingdom and Europe in support of her new CD released on Rai Trade/Tracce
London, United Kingdom – February 8, 2011 – Winter is arching towards Spring with singer/keyboardist/composer Leila Adu touring the US and UK/Europe in support of her critically acclaimed new album “Ode to the Unknown Factory Worker.” Released January 18th on Italy’s Rai Trade/Tracce label, Leila’s work on the album has been sited as “a revelation” (by legendary Soft Machine founder Robert Wyatt), “Alternative-Alternative” and “Joni Mitchell brimming with melanin.” Leila Adu is ready to bring all those declarations home.
Born in London of Ghanaian and New Zealand descent, Leila has made quite a name for herself on the global experimental pop and improvisational circuit. The “Ode to the Unknown Factory Worker” Tour which began in Los Angeles, CA, on January 28, crosses Europe in February-March (shows still being added) and climaxes with a special homecoming CD release show in London. The tour features her dark yet humorous songs speaking the language of pre-war blues, sci-fi environmentalism, immigration electronica and Bing Crosby . Leila is accompanied on drums by noted Italian electronic producer Daniele De Santis, with some dates featuring supporting artists such as Otto Fischer, Mills Projects and Dave I.D.
Leila Adu has been hailed as an artist who is “a rebel inspirer.” She says “the world is a beautiful place but in this moment there is a lot of pain and injustice that is not being fully addressed. Art should reflect that.” Armed with a strong belief in the power of live music, “Ode to the Unknown Factory Worker” (tour and CD) seeks to challenge the status quo and comfort the challenged. The great reviews are coming in but Leila’s journey has just begun.
The “Ode to the Unknown Factory Worker” Tour Dates (more to be added later)
friday january 28 @ 9:00 PM
Leila Adu with Orlando Greenhill
The Mezz Bar
501 South Spring Street
LOS ANGELES CA 90014
mercoledì 16 febbraio @ 22.00
Leila Adu (solo)
Circolo Caracol
via Battichiodi
PISA
giovedì 17 febbraio @ 21:30
Leila Adu with Daniele De Santis
Fanfulla 101
via Fanfulla da Lodi, 101
ROME
venderdì 18 February@22:00
Leila Adu + Accademia del Danno
Circolo Arci Lebowski
Corso Vittorio veneto 817
RAGUSA
Italy 97100
freitag 25 februar @ 21:00
Leila Adu + Mills Projects
Ausland
Lychener Str. 60, D-10437
BERLIN
thursday 3 march @ 8:00 PM
Leila Adu + Otto Fischer solo
The Vortex
11 Gillett Street, Dalston
LONDON
The “Ode to the Unknown Factory Tour” is sponsored by URB ALT Media and Little Red Hen Publishing.
Contact: K’China Li for 4961 Polemics
email: urbalternative@gmail.com
twitter: urbalt
facebook: www.facebook.com/LeilaAduMusic
website: www.leilaadu.com/media-relations
Leila Adu has mastered the art of forging smart outsider music with a warm accessible core.
Her new album “Ode to the Unknown Factory Worker” is a determined step in a journey towards a new artistic folklore merging a century of musical traditions with an electronic future. It speaks the language of pre-war blues, world music, post rock electronica and truly eclectic folk‐pop.
PERFORMANCES START AT 9.00 PM
TICKETS £7.50 @ticketweb or £10.00 at the door
‘Up Close & Intimate’ Series
saturday 5 march @ 8:00 PM
Leila Adu
Arch1 Members’ Club
Cranberry Lane
West Ham, E16 4PD
LONDON
Leila Adu celebrates global CD release on Rai Trade/Tracce, the Italian National Radio label
New York, NY—Leila Adu reemerges to the international music scene on January 18th with her powerful new album “Ode to the Unknown Factory Worker.” The 11 song CD is a raw musical travelogue of uncertainty and triumph in the exciting nomadic life of the popular New Zealand/Ghanaian singer-composer-multi-instrumentalist. Touring the globe solo and with band throughout 2009-2010 in support of her Steve Albini produced “Dark Joan” LP, Leila received a spontaneous opportunity to return to the recording studio from Rai Trade/Tracce, the Italian National Radio label. The resulting album, “Ode to the Unknown Factory Worker,” primarily features her dark yet humorous songs in naked arrangements for solo voice and piano/electric keyboards. Accompanied on 4 propulsive tracks by drummer Daniele De Santis, Leila’s quirkily structured compositions speak the language of pre-war blues, sci-fi environmentalism, post-rock world music, immigration electronica and Bing Crosby.
TRACK LIST
Martian Raft
Brazen Hussey
Must Walk Slowly
Trojan Cow
Ode to the Unknown Factory Worker
The One Minute Pastry Song
Fortuna
Glass
Slick Department Store
A Moment of Peace
Cigarettes & Circus Puffs
Leila Adu has mastered the art of forging smart outsider music with a warm accessible pop core. The worldwide CD release of “Ode to the Unknown Factory Worker” on January 18 is a call for celebration and reflection. It is Leila’s determined step in the journey towards a new global folklore merging primal traditions with an electronic future.
[ Visit website | Purchase ]
See Leila’s live performance and interview for Live from the ATL:
/// Ode to the Unknown Factory Worker CD RELEASE TOUR /// Tour Dates announced in Rome, Berlin & London
— NEW SITE for 2011 now here at leilaadu.com with new stuff, like Leila’s blog ‘Time Travel Blog’ – Take a look around!
— NEW Leila Adu Facebook Page: the Facebook group is being phased out into a page. Be one of the first to: “LIKE!” Facebook Musician/Band Page
Interview — The Fashion Cult
“The BeatStylist recently had the pleasure of chatting with singer/songwriter/composer/musician Leila Adu, whose fourth album Ode to the Unknown Factory Worker is out now…”Themes are along the lines of our current armageddon/global disaster zeitgeist, portrayals of women, consumerism and good ol’ attraction and loving woes.”” Read full interview at The Fashion Cult
[photo Leon Dale, styling Eighty Jane]
Review — Italy’s premiere Alt Rock & Experimental Magazine ‘Blow Up’
“This new work recorded for Rai Trade’s beautiful Tracce series, sees her [Adu] in almost total solitude (in four songs she is joined by Daniele de Santis on drums) and comes to grips with a singer-songwriter with extremely sparse piano and vocals yet rich with off-kilter digressions. Splinters of folk, of blues but also hypnotic and ghostly prog [absit inuria verbis!] that move away from the more popular terrains and put her in a personal sphere with which you want a little time to familiarize yourself. Fascinating when you become attuned to it. (Click photo for full review in Italian)
Leila Adu’s new album is OUT NOW online through Cargo Records UK and Goodfellas Italy, licensed by Raitrade (the Italian National Radio label who have released albums by Anthony Braxton, Robert Wyatt & Matthew Shipp.) The album is in stores in Italy where it is already receiving critical acclaim: Sentire Ascoltare and I’ve Always Wanted to be a Gangster
Ode to the Unknown Factory Worker will be in stores in the UK, USA, Japan, Germany and France in January 2011.
Next month, the new album Ode to the Unknown Factory Worker is out on the Italian National Radio label, RAI Trade/Tracce, in the UK, USA, Germany, France and Japan distributed by Goodfellas. Tracce has achieved critical acclaim due to their previous releases including experimental legends Robert Wyatt, Anthony Braxton, Amiri Baraka and Matthew Shipp.
In Atlanta, Georgia, Leila performed on the outdoor stage at Centennial Olympic Park with Stoni Taylor and Miles of Stone and had two promo shoots.
Award-winning Atlanta based UK photographer, Leon Dale, shot Leila who was dressed in African inspired garb by Eighty Jane, the Nigerian/American fashion stylist/poet which will feature in her hip chique fashion blog www.thefashioncult.com.
Tania Calderon, beauty, fashion and commercial photographer, took a series of images at her studio, Calderón Foto.
Also coming up in 2010, Minus Habens, the electronic label who have been releasing legends such Brian Eno, Depeche Mode, Angelo Badalamenti, Aphex Twin and Cabaret Voltaire will release MDF, the electronica project of De Santis. Tracks from the album feature Leila including the pre-release single “prendi uno” which was featured on New York based online community and festival URB ALT’s digital download sampler with Flying Lotus, Gonjasufi and Jneiro Jarel. Leila is now working on a new solo album for 2011 using ‘Ableton Live’ to produce the set of electronic songs.
Performance of The City & The Voodoo Lady @ Urb Alt Fest 2010, 92Y, New York
Stateside Summer and New Releases
With over 13,000 downloads of their previous sampler, the latest URB ALT Sampler-Tres Free download was released in June to celebrate the URB ALT 2010 Festival launch and includes ‘prendi uno’ the new single by MDF Feat. Leila Adu. Electronica producer MDF‘s solo album ‘Horus’ was released this year and labels are already interested in his next release which will include ‘prendi uno’ and other tracks in collaboration with Leila Adu. The URB ALT Sampler-Tres Free download features artists who performed for this year’s festival:Muthawit, Oh My Goodness, Dearling Physique, The Twin Shadow, MiLo and Lou Rossi, as well members of the URB ALT community from around the globe such as Gonjasufi/Flying Lotus, Dave I.D., Tuneyards, Faith, Jneiro Jarel and more.
Leila Adu’s fourth studio album of songs ‘Ode the the Unknown Factory Worker,’ solo piano, organ and voice with four tracks accompanied by drummer Daniele De Santis, is set to be released by RAI TRADE/Tracce and distributed worldwide in October 2010. ‘The Shoreditch Concert,’ an acoustic free improv concert released last month on Amirani Records of the group of Hannah Marshall_Nicola Guazzaloca_Gianni Mimmo_Leila Adu’ is receiving consistent reviews and radioplay in France and Italy. ‘Dark Joan’ the album produced by Steve Albini out on Frizz Records, is now being physically distributed in New Zealand stores and sites by Border Music www.youtube.com/bordermusicnz
