CHOCKSY signs with Platform

London based Chocksy (Real name David James) is an eclectic artist who has set out to deliver his own take on electronic music.

Blending elements as diverse as techno, new wave and indie pop, it’s all about vintage-sounding drum machines, lush synth pads and colourful melodies, with influences from the 1980's including bands like Soft Cell, Shannon and Pet Shop Boys, as well as Italian Disco and Acid House music. '' I love retro stuff, even down to the old fashioned 'one armed bandits' you find at funfairs and old seaside towns '' he says.

Brand new single YOUR TOWN is a powerful track with a cool staggered 808 style groove. The bass synth lines and the vocals interact with each other brilliantly, creating really cool patterns and harmonies.

In addition to the new single, Chocksy is aiming to complete an albums worth of songs this year. '' I will continue to write from what I experience in this crazy twisted city of London. I would love to have a club anthem playing in my favourite venue!'' he says.

Chocksy's debut single 'Your Town' is released on Platform Records - available at all download stores from April 28th 2014.

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https://soundcloud.com/platform-whimsical/chocksy-your-town

THE URCHINS sign with Platform Records.

Formed in 2012, THE URCHINS are an eclectic indie rock band from the outskirts of Glasgow, consisting of two sets of brothers and a close friend. All members are born from a shared vision of creativity and a burning ambition to be the biggest band In the world.

The band's gritty rock and roll tunes along with some indie acoustics give a foundation for a mesmerizing sound which almost takes you on a journey back to the 60's. Haunting and open synth melodies create intricate patterns with electric guitars and a steady, funk-inspired rhythm section.

The Urchins refuse to get stuck in a box, preferring instead to experiment with their music and push their sound to new directions. You can expect anything from a jangly 60's pop hook to something more experimental and 'out-there'. Although they manage to create songs with different concepts and ideas, there is always a blueprint, a 'stamp' imprinting the band’s personality over the song.

From the O2 to The Barrowlands, they have covered most of the city's top venues for up and coming acts. With a catalogue of songs which have blossomed over the years, The Urchins undoubtedly consider songwriting their main drive behind the push they're making into the guitar music scene.

Debut single 'I Feel A Fall Coming' is released on Platform Records - available at all download stores from April 7th 2014.

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The Urchins:
Steven O'Neill – Vocals
Simon Regan - Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
Chrissy O'Neill - Lead Guitar
Martyn Regan - Drums
Jonny Carroll - Bass Guitar

STOP PRESS sign to Platform Songs

STOP PRESS! sign to Platform Songs.

STOP PRESS! are a soulful ska/indie 4 piece from London and South East England.

Recently signed to Platform Songs, the band draw influence from technical indie and authentic 1st wave ska/reggae movements to create an inventive blend of contemporary summer vibes. Devoted to their inspirations, the band aim to enlighten minds and lighten moods with the music they have to offer.

With a fondness for staggered patterns and upbeat rhythms, new single 'Somewhere Far' makes you think of a scenario involving early Red Hot Chili Peppers or Arctic Monkeys borrowing some gear from a classic ska band (think The Specials) and starting a spontaneous, but articulated jam session; moving from upbeat indie rock vibes to groovy and lush dub breakdowns; topped by bright and compelling female vocals.

'Somewhere Far' depicts a solid and cohesive band, dedicated to an eclectic and forward-thinking sound, refusing to get stuck in a box!

'Somewhere Far' is available from all download stores. Impact date is March 10th 2014.

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Natasha England's 1982 version of 'Iko Iko' has been licensed to the soundtrack of 'UN BOSS IN SALOTTO', a new comedy feature film produced by Cattleya in collaboration with Warner Bros. Entertainment Italy - released on January 1st 2014. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures Italy

See the Official Trailer here:

Natasha England's 'Iko Iko' licensed to Sony Music UK compilation 'Candy Candy'

Natasha England's take on much-covered New Orleans song 'Iko Iko' is the most successful charting version in the UK, reaching number 10 in the summer of 1982.The track also reached number 5 in New Zealand and number 7 in Ireland.

The master tape was mislaid for decades and the recording has only in recent years been made available digitally, firstly via Platform Records.

Sony Music Germany recently licensed the track from us to their 80's compilation 'Musikladen', and now Sony Music UK have included it on 3-CD hits collection 'Candy Candy', released September 9th 2013: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Candy-Various/dp/tracks/B00DTWUK74/ref=dp_tracks_all_3#disc_3

With Tony Blackburn recently airplaying the track on his BBC 'Pick Of The Pops' show on June 29th, the track is once again receiving the attention it deserves!

Lloyd James Fay releases debut solo album on Platform Records

Having already caught the critics’ ear (Radio 1, Channel 4) as frontman of acclaimed Scottish alternative rock quartet Thula Borah, Lloyd James Fay embarks on his first foray into solo territory with the highly anticipated release of his beguiling debut LP, The Black River Chronicles.

An introspective reflection of his formative years, childhood stories and forlorn first loves in suburban Lanarkshire’s creaking post-steel-industry suburbs, the album sees the Glaswegian suburbanite rocker turn pastoral singer-songwriter and embrace the subtler ambient and acoustic textures that pepper his band’s catalogue.

Recorded in 2012 at the famous Gargleblast Studios in Hamilton with renowned engineer and producer Andy Miller, who’s production credits include albums by such Scottish luminaries as Mogwai, Arab Strap, De Rosa and Martin John Henry, 'The Black River Chronicles' is truly a testament to Fay’s prowess as one of the UK’s most gifted troubadours.

A reference to the American Midwestern location of Michael Lesley’s non-fiction book Wisconsin Death Trip, which uses photographs and newspaper cuttings to highlight the harshness of life in Black River Falls during the late nineteenth century and the effects it had on the psychology of the inhabitants, the album combines the autobiographical, heart-on-his-sleeve lyrical style of Mark Kozelek (Red House Painters) with James Taylor’s calm and understated croon and minor key melodies.

As you’d imagine, with such pedigree to draw inspiration from it’s difficult not to fall instantly for 'The Black River Chronicles', especially when the compositions are as pretty as lead single From The Eyewall. A classic love song that reflects on Fay’s first love and all the drama that went with it, a cascade of delicately plucked and arpeggiated chords combine with ambient brushes of distortion to provide a lulling backdrop to Fay’s atmospheric vocals and Miller’s sweet backing harmonies, making for a tender and evocative ballad.

Elsewhere, standout tracks like the wistful 'Such Are Memories' demonstrate Fay’s dexterity and musicianship as a fuller sound – replete with bass, drums, added percussion (all played by Fay) and unexpected blasts of distortion – imbues this melancholic yet uplifting and hopeful tune. According to Fay, the song “is really about how memories, even happy ones, stick with you and can wear away at you, haunting you over the years.”

Just as poignant, the beautiful 'Joy Thief' is a sinister ode to obsessive love with intensely personal lyrics like “Break my heart/I know you want to/In the dark/My ghost will haunt you” granting the listener with an alarmingly intimate portrait of an author who’s bravely chosen to render his soul bare.

Album 'The Black River Chronicles' and lead single 'From The Eyewall' are released on Platform Records. Impact date is June 10th .

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DEAD SEA SOULS release AA single 'Brave' / 'The Comet' on Platform Records

Not a band to rest on their laurels, the relentless Dead Sea Souls follow up the well-deserved success of last year’s debut LP, We Were Always Electric, with blistering standalone double A-Side single Brave / The Comet.

Released via Platform Records, Brave / The Comet sees Gary Burns (bass & vocals), James Sweeney (guitar), David Clark (drums) and Colin Sneddon (guitar & vocals) build on their upbeat, bouncy and disco-funk indebted power pop sound, resulting in undoubtedly their strongest work yet.

“I know bands do this a lot and it sometimes gets met with sighs, but to be totally honest we couldn’t agree on the lead track!” says Gary of the West Lothian quartet’s inspired decision to release a double A-Side. “Originally The Comet was the undisputed single, however, during production, Brave became such a strong track for completely different reasons.

“We now have two tracks that are completely different,” adds Gary, “which is awesome as we wanted to see where we could take this new batch of songs and do something you maybe wouldn’t expect from Dead Sea Souls.”

Indeed, such is the undeniable star quality of both songs that choosing between the two would only do an injustice to the listening public. A melodic, feel-good summer tune designed to get festival crowds dancing, The Comet kicks into force with a lilting guitar hook and irresistibly breezy vibe that nods toward both Vampire Weekend and Paul Simon’s Graceland. Meanwhile, Brave provides further depth and substance with its spine-tingling atmospherics, anthemic chord progression, slick guitar solo and Futureheads-esque call-and-response mass chanting.

Gary Burns’ unmistakeable and idiosyncratic Scottish-inflected vocals soar majestically across both tracks while his song writing reaches new levels of astuteness with Brave’s uplifting lyrics (Be as bold as you can/There’s no room for a worried man/In this life that you lead) and The Comet’s cautionary tale of a loved one’s unbridled hedonism (You live your life like a comet/Just waiting to crash/Punching holes through my head/Like the crust of the earth).

A play on the Dead Sea Scrolls - a collection of ancient Middle Eastern religious texts – Dead Sea Souls are rightfully garnering a lot of attention. With ringing endorsements from the likes of The Sunshine Underground’s Craig Wellington (“Well crafted tunes”) and Scottish new music guru Jim Gellatly (“An amazing live act, they totally blew me away”), not to mention high-profile support slots with Ocean Colour Scene and The View, and an ever-growing US fan base, Dead Sea Souls are very much a band in the ascendancy.

AA Single:Brave / The Comet is released on Platform Records - impact date May 20th

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