It’s news worthy of a siren’s song! Yes, hold on to your parasol and try to ward off the vapors: Antony and the Johnsons have announced the upcoming release of a live album titled Cut the World! Out August 7 on Secretly Canadian, the album was recorded live in the Denmark Concert Hall in Copenhagen on September 2 & 3, 2011, and reflects Antony’s continued search of the ultimate macho aesthetic, an exploration of the importance of the Westernized male self. This recording is sure to be another benchmark on Antony’s journey through the male stereotype and its dark, brooding place in society.
Opposite day! Antony has actually explained the concert as a continued meditation on light, nature, and femininity, which sounds more in line with the asexual chanteuse’s sensibilities. While comprised primarily of live symphonic performances of tracks spanning the group’s four full-length records, it also features two previously unreleased tracks: the title cut, “Cut the World,” and “Future Feminism,” in which Antony pontificates on the merits of putting the ladies in charge of things as a way to “restore the world.” While it sounds more like an idea for a Beyoncé club thumper, I’m sure it’s lovely and contemplative when song-simpered by Antony.
If you missed the Copenhagen date last year and aren’t into this whole ‘recorded music‘ malarkey, make sure to check out Antony and the Johnsons on their forthcoming tour of elegant European cities where you probably don’t reside. The tour culminates in a two-week curatorship at London’s Southbank Centre as part of the Meltdown series, where Antony has chosen a festival’s worth of performances by a pretty stellar batch of contributors, including Elizabeth Fraser, Laurie Anderson, and William Basinski. No word on a Beyoncé collaboration, but given the way Antony’s been plowing through the pillars of female pop during his brief career, it’s only a matter of time.
Cut the World tracklisting:
01. Cut the World
02. Future Feminism
03. Cripple and the Starfish
04. You Are My Sister
05. Swanlights
06. Epilepsy Is Dancing
07. Another World
08. Kiss My Name
09. I Fell in Love with a Dead Boy
10. The Rapture
11. The Crying Light
12. Twilight
Tourdates:
06.02.12 - Moscow, Russia - Ahmad Tea Festival
06.05.12 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Holland Festival
07.03.12 - Paris, France - Salle Pleyel
07.06.12 - Lyon, France - Théâtre antique de Fourvière
07.09.12 - Istanbul, Turkey - Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Theater
07.11.12 - Gent, Belgium - Gent Jazz Festival
07.13.12 - Ostrawa, Czech Republic - Colours of Ostrawa Festival
07.15.12 - Joensuu, Finland - Ilosaarirock Festival
07.19.12 - Molde, Norway - Molde Jazz Festival
07.22.12 - San Sebastian, Spain - Jazzaldia Festival
07.25.12 - Lisbon, Portugal - Cascais Music Festival
07.28.12 - Lucern, Switzerland - Blue Balls Festival
08.03.12 - Stockholm, Sweden - Stockholm Music and Arts Festival
08.01-12.12 - London, UK - The Southbank Centre (Meltdown)
• Antony and the Johnsons: http://antonyandthejohnsons.com
• Secretly Canadian: http://www.secretlycanadian.com
• Meltdown: http://meltdown.southbankcentre.co.uk
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