French Indie Pop Sensation SLIIMY Arrives Stateside For SXSW, Debut Album Available Now!
It’s fitting that both the word “unique” and 20-year-old Sliimy (Yanis Sahraoui) are French. With his tumble of colors and curls, moods and manners and styles and eras, Sliimy embodies the essence of uniqueness. His debut studio album, Paint Your Face, zips and darts between mournful ballads and exuberant pop-funk, executed with a blend of childlike glee and energy to spare. His unique style can even be found within the art design for Paint Your Face. Check Morris, best known for his work with Lily Allen, designed the fold-out collage, which features a riot of shapes, fabrics and colored textures. Meant to represent the inner workings of Sliimy’s thought processes, it’s clearly a busy, slightly baffling place, that’s capable of balancing the tightrope of soaring highs and searing sorrow. Happy’s the word. Sad’s another. Sliimy’s got both bases covered.Grammy nomination great surprise as group of montrealers set up Antler Films
Montreal Producer Sach Baylin-Stern and director Ben Steiger Levine received a nomination at the 2010 Grammys for Best Short Form Music Video, titled “Mr. Hurricane”, played and interpreted by Montreal based trip-hop duo Beast (Verve Forecast).
They are up against some of the biggest names in the industry - Coldplay (Capitol), Black Eyed Peas (Interscope Records), as well as Depeche Mode (Capitol).
The future will be very interesting as Executive Producer Sach Baylin-Stern, and associates Jeremie Saindon and Christophe Collette strive to set up Antler Films.
Antler is a collective of reputed filmmakers and artists (Ben Steiger Levine, Jeremie Saindon, Christophe Collette, Joshua Sherrett, Thibaut Duverneix, Dave Pawsey, The Sanchez Brothers, Greg Kaufman).
This grouping of such young and accomplished artists is particularly exciting - each person having unique skills. Antler’s team has specialists in film/video production, cinematography, 3d visual effects, motion design, and conceptual/fashion photography. They constitute a body of talent that is particularly open to exploring new ideas and methodologies. This young roster’s body of work is comprised of hundreds of music video’s (including Beast, Chromeo, Sam Roberts, The Stills, We Are Wolves, The Most Serene Republic, Dumas, Plants and Animals, Hey Rosetta), several dozen films, short, interactive, and feature length, (including 300, Sin City), and advertising for countless clients local and international (though Antler will not produce advertising).
With talent, patience, and support, this production company is set to make an impact.
SUPERSTAR DJ / PRODUCER DAVID GUETTA’S ‘ONE LOVE’ ALBUM GOES PLATINUM IN CANADA
GUETTA IS ONE OF THE YEARS MOST CELEBRATED ARTISTS WITH FIVE GRAMMY NOMINATIONS, WHILE
“SEXY BITCH/CHICK” IS A 4x PLATINUM DIGITAL SINGLE AND DOMINATES AT #1 ON CANADIAN RADIO CHARTS
TWO UPCOMING SOLD OUT SHOWS IN CANADA
In just over three months David Guetta’s album ‘One Love‘ has gone Platinum in Canada! Since its #2 Debut here on the Nielsen SoundScan Charts, the much celebrated album has also generated a 4x Platinum Digital Single (”Sexy Bitch/Chick” featuring Akon) and a Platinum Single (”When Love Takes Over” featuring Kelly Rowland).
Guetta recently had a big night at “The Grammy Nominations Concert Live – Countdown to Music’s Biggest Night,” not only did he perform on the live telecast with the Black Eyed Peas, but he picked up five Grammy nominations. This is the first time he has received a nomination. Guetta is nominated in the Album Of The Year and Record Of The Year categories as producer of the Black Eyed Peas monster smash “I Gotta Feeling.” His own album ‘One Love‘ earned an impressive three nominations for Best Dance Electronic Album Of The Year, along with Best Dance Recording and Best Remixed Recording for the album’s first single “When Love Takes Over.”
“I really didn’t expect to receive five Grammy nominations,” said Guetta. “It’s fantastic that the Academy have recognized the impact dance music has had in North America this year. My mission was for this music to be heard by and touch millions. By bringing together the best urban artists and electronic music, I feel the barriers are coming down and we are together.”
Add to this the incredible popularity and success of “Sexy Bitch/Chick” around the world and what a year it has been for Guetta! Here in Canada the song has held the #1 chart position at CHR Radio for eight consecutive weeks and has held the #1 spot on the All Formats Chart since November 1. The video has also reached #1 on the Much Music, MusiquePlus and Much More Music Countdown Charts.
It only seems fitting that Guetta will be back in Canada to end this decade and kick off the new one with two highly anticipated and SOLD OUT DJ shows in Vancouver on December 30 at the Commodore Ballroom (sold out in 40 minutes!) and in Edmonton on January 1 at the Edmonton Event Centre.
DAVID GUETTA “ONE LOVE” ALBUM GOES GOLD IN CANADA
NEW SINGLE ‘SEXY BITCH’ (FEATURING AKON) HAS GONE PLATINUM AND IS TOP 10 AT CHR RADIOGUETTA TO SERVE AS A EUROPEAN AMBASSADOR AND SPOKESPERSON FOR DJ HERO™
Last week David Guetta’s latest album “One Love” went Gold in Canada in a matter of just a few short weeks and remains in the Top 10 of the Current Album Charts! The success of this release kicked off with an exceptional debut on the Canadian charts earlier this month at #2 on the Top Current Albums Chart, #3 on the Top Digital Albums Chart and also reached #1 on the iTunes Album Chart.
Now it has been announced that Guetta will serve as a European ambassador and spokesperson for the revolutionary new music gaming experience DJ Hero™. This hotly anticipated game which will be released worldwide before the end of the year also features several of his tracks - ‘Sexy Bitch,’ ‘When Love Takes Over‘ + ‘On the Dancefloor‘ - in an exclusive download package format.
Guetta’s star continues to rise around the world with the album already reaching Platinum in France, Gold in South Africa and Belguim…to name a few. He currently has the #1 Album in Europe, #1 Single in Europe (’Sexy Bitch‘ featuring Akon) and #1 Airplay in Europe for 11 weeks (’When Love Takes Over‘ featuring Kelly Rowland).
In Canada, Guetta’s new single ‘Sexy Bitch‘ has already gone Platinum and is making some serious impact at radio. The track is currently Top 10 at CHR, Top 15 at All Formats and Top 40 at Hot AC and quickly growing on all these charts. It was also the #2 Digital Song in Canada last week. The ‘Sexy Chick‘ video has also made quite the splash and continues to climb the various Countdown Charts at #12 - MusiquePlus, #15 - MuchMoreMusic and #22 - MuchMusic.
First single ‘When Love Takes Over‘ has gone Gold and after already burning up the Hot AC and CHR charts it is still picking up major adds at AC radio. The song is also the #1 video on the Musimax Countdown Chart.
DAFT ARTS VIDEO
Hey — fyi — another amazing video from the Daft Arts production company (LA-based producer Paul Hahn and some dudes who wear robot costumes). Directed by Bryce Kass, who also directed that jaw-dropping video for Douglas Armour’s “Flushed and Flamelike, Themselves. This video for Jay Retard’s “It Ain’t Gonna Save Me” is equally mute-stare-inducing.
Bambu Launches First Clothing Line: Bambu Apparel
Bambu, makers of The World’s Finest Rolling Papers, announces the launch of its first clothing line, Bambu Apparel.
Recognized as one of the world’s 1000 oldest companies, Bambu Apparel draws inspiration from its own archives using original artwork from advertisements and marketing materials dating all the way back from 1764.
“We spent years searching eBay and other websites collecting old postcards, advertisements and any other Bambu products we could get our hands on with the hopes of re-releasing these items at some point. With the help of MerchDirect we’ve translated our history into a tangible, wearable product that we feel embodies our company,” said Bambu’s Sarah Saiger.
UBISOFT EXTENDS GLOBAL REACH, OPENING NEW STUDIO IN TORONTO
Province supports Ubisoft in development of first Ontario-based studio
Ubisoft announced plans today to open a full development studio in Toronto, Ontario – a first for the company in the province. This significant announcement is expected to result in the creation of 800 net new jobs within the province over the next decade. The government of Ontario is investing CA$263 million over ten years in the company and Ubisoft’s net investment will be over half a billion CAD in the new studio, which will begin operations in late 2009.
“Today’s announcement marks a strategic move for Ubisoft as we continue to expand our internal development force,” said Yves Guillemot, president and chief executive officer at Ubisoft. “We are in an excellent position to grow and after extensive analysis we are thrilled to have reached an agreement with the government of Ontario to found our new studio in Toronto. The city is one of North America’s economic and cultural epicenters and our expectations are high. We’re excited to be able to count on the exceptional local talent, who will contribute to our accelerated growth and will have a profound impact on the video game industry with the excellence of their creativity.”
Ubisoft Toronto will be overseen by Yannis Mallat, chief executive officer at Ubisoft Montréal, whose proven leadership and vision will be a major asset to the growth and success of the new studio. Ubisoft Toronto will work on Triple-A games and will emulate the proven business model and creative excellence for which Ubisoft is known. In addition, Ubisoft Toronto will bring its own flavour to the global Ubisoft brand, which will benefit from the deep pool of dynamic and quality talent trained in video game design and production in the province of Ontario.
The Toronto studio will also build on the city’s existing experience with the film production industry. Collaborating with local film industry veterans to enhance video game production and extend Ubisoft’s convergence strategy, Ubisoft Toronto will contribute to Ubisoft’s global plan of extending its brands to complementary platforms and mediums, including books, comics, short films and other products.
“We are incredibly excited to finally tap into the remarkable talent Ontario has been developing over the years,” said Yannis Mallat. “Toronto’s unique pool of experience video game industry and film industry talent will allow us to develop a team with exceptional ability to help us realize our goals for creating brands with universal appeal that extend beyond the world of video games.”
The studio in Toronto will be the fourth for Ubisoft in Canada, with other studios located in Montréal, Quebec City and Vancouver and employing more than 2,300 creative staff across the country.
Today’s announcement is made possible with the support of the Ontario provincial government and its dedication to invest in organizations that create jobs and provide long-term value for the provincial economy. Premier Dalton McGuinty was on hand today at the Ubisoft press conference in Toronto to help announce plans for the new studio and elaborate on the provincial government’s support for the endeavour, stating “Our world is one where you can borrow capital, you can copy technology and you can buy natural resources. But to build a high wage and a high standard of living you need talent. By investing in Ubisoft, we’re building Ontario’s economy now and for the future.”
Among its more than 17 multi-million selling franchises, Ubisoft is known for developing and producing such legendary game brands as Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell®, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six®, Assassin’s Creed®, Prince of Persia®, Red Steel®, Rayman®, Rayman Raving Rabbids®, and Far Cry®.
Industry professionals interested in joining Ubisoft Toronto, please contact work.in.TO.ubisoft.com
