eugene francis jnr
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"Everyone’s future favourite computer whizz"

Everyone’s future favourite computer whizz Eugene Francis Jnr will soon release his electronic mischief on a grander scale.

Following the digital release of his sophomore Death and Das Love Bites last year, the Cardiff native will now give the album a physical release later in the year, with lead song “Necronomicon” due out as a single on June 11th.

Read our review of and listen to the album below:

Kris Williams claims his sophomore album is “personal to the experiences and situations [he’s] found himself in”. Introspective albums carry the heavy burden of being honest while teetering dangerously close to self-absorbed reflection. Thankfully for Eugene Francis Jnr, Williams’ “experiences and situations” are so bizarre Death and Das Love Bytes defies convention. You’re more likely to find the Cardiff native singing about witchcraft and roadside hallucinations than you are his ex-girlfriend and what he’s having for tea.

Fans of debut The Golden Beatle will know the project grew on simple beauty and relatable debate. The themes of philosophy and science haven’t been obliterated – if anything Death and Das Love Bytes uses science to philosophise – but it’s certainly less of a focal point. Instead declarations of providence and prophetic wisdom litter the album with flighty arrogance, made acceptable by regular references to Eugene Francis Jnr being inebriated and/or lost in the underbelly of the Southern states.

The album’s tour de force is its ability to incorporate a medley of genres without losing site of Eugene Francis Jnr’s trademark sound. The album crosses Williams’ established Bright Eyes influence with Late of the Pier and The Flaming Lips, resulting in a coo-coo crazy variation on Digital Ash in a Digital Urn. “Panda Horses” and “Le Petit Prince: Le Roi du Monde” peak through with his more standard direction, but by and large the electro vibe prevails. Opener “Necronomicon (I aM pRoVid3nCe)” and “Que Que Que ? Huevon !” take top place, with “Salsipuedes” coming in a close third. - Drunken Werewolf


"Eminently danceable but a little disturbing at the same time"

Eugene Francis Jnr is one of those people that makes it easier to understand why so many in this world want to live the musician's lifestyle. Whilst many complain of living out of suitcases, touring non-stop whilst losing money hand over fist and being screwed out of every last penalty by a combination of evil pirates and vile record label executives, there are a handful of artists who seem to be doing just fine. Mr Francis here is one of them – having spent an age on the road in support of acts including Tegan & Sara, Coldplay and Todd Rundgren as part of folktronica practitioners The Juniors, Eugene saw out his commitments before jumping on his bike and spent a year cruising the whole of the Western Hemisphere in search of relaxation, inspiration, and plenty of other things which get lost in the jealousy you're probably feeling about now. Well, he did sell all his worldly possessions first, so fair enough.

So, what does he have to show for all this gallavanting about on his mechanical beast? A new album is what, with 'Death And Das Love Bytes' ready for release in the not-too-distant future. Maybe, just maybe, we can forgive him his excesses. The first single, the ominously-titled 'Necronomicon,' is an obvious sign of a new digital direction for Francis, metronomic beats and expertly-layered loops taking precedence in a more minimalist style, whilst all the time retaining the vocal power he has gained a reputation for. It may have been four years since his last solo album, but his distractions in the Americas have clearly served him well, for none of that original enigma has faded in the intervening period.

If you're after a slice of the dark side, something eminently danceable but a little disturbing at the same time, and layered with infectious beats throughout, Eugene is your man. The album drops later in the year, but you can download a Leopold remix of 'Necronomicon' from the widget below. Enjoy. - Shout For Music


"Impressive reinvention"

What’s this?
Having been involved in several bands such as Dirty Perfect, The Fantastic Super Foofs and Kaptain Black, Cardiff-based multi-instrumentalist Eugene Francis Jr decided to go it alone and released his debut solo album The Golden Beatle in 2008. Catching the ear of Coldplay, he and his band were invited to support them at their O2 Arena show. ’Necronomicon’ is the first single from Eugene Francis Jnr’s second studio album Death and Das Love Bites, due for release in September.

What’s it sound like?
‘Necronomicon’ marks a sharp departure from the sound of The Golden Beatle. Whilst his previous work on tracks like ’Sometimes the Good’ and ‘Savour’ were marked for their acoustic, minimal vibe, ‘Necronomicon’ fuses synth and dirty guitars to produce a deep, multi-layered sound.

Francis’s vocals, more than a little reminiscent of Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst, remain unchanged, but along with his other folk influences are combined with the electronica of Hot Chip and Delphic. The results are fantastically enjoyable, and reflect Francis’s continuing development as a songwriter.

Is there a music video?


What’s the final verdict?
‘Necronomicon’ marks an admirable and impressive reinvention of Francis’s sound, and is sure to gather him a legion of new fans. - Electric Banana


Discography

2007 & 2008 - Poor Me, My Own Pollution Singles
2008 - The Golden Beatle Album
2009 - Beginners and Hobo Occupation Singles
2012 - Necronomicon and Calliope Fuxwar Singles
2013 - Death and das Love Bytes Album and LOVERS Single

Photos

Bio

Eugene Francis Jnr Releases Sophomore Album

‘DEATH AND DAS LOVE BYTES’ on March 18th 2013

Eugene Francis Jnr is a very busy man, a talented UK multi-instrumentalist and a troubadour in every sense of the word. Having released his debut LP (The Golden Beatle) in 2008 he spent the best part of the following year touring the record with his seven-piece folktronica outfit (The Juniors). After supporting Todd Rundgren, Tegan & Sara and Coldplay, Eugene sold everything he had accumulated, flew to Los Angeles, bought a motorcycle and set off on a sixteen-month adventure throughout the US, Canada and Latin America. After 26,000 miles he was back in the City Of Angels with stories of an arrest in Acapulco, a fall from a building in La Paz and a haunting at an indigenous burial site. Mostimportantly however, he was overflowing with new song ideas, a sprig of production magic and a brainful of the vivacity catalysed by momentous life experiences. It transpired that the rumours of his death had been greatly exaggerated and ever since then Eugene has been recording his sophomore album (Death And Das Love Bytes) in his own little Californian studio.

It’s definitely a more electronic departure from his previous dalliances with lashings of analogue goodness and hunks of dirty digital meat writhing together in a symbiotic, sweaty mass. The diversity that can be heard throughout the album reflects his many influences and years spent in different groups. Joyful folktronica in places and sinister, minimal and avantgarde in others, he playfully fuses beats, loops and synthesized samples together to form multi-layered and infectious pop songs. Despite overflowing into the electronic stratosphere more than ever before, the songs still carry his trademark vocal –a spliced approximation of Jonathan Richman and Conor Oberst.

TRACKLISTING:

1.NECRONOMICON (1st Single – June 11th 2012)

2.QUE QUE QUE : HUEVON!

3.ADDEROLLING

4.ZIHUATANEIO

5.L.O.V.E.R.S (3rd Single – March 4th 2013)

6.SALSIPUEDES

7.CALLIOPE FUXWAR (2nd Single – November 12th 2012)

8.YOUTH IN ASIA

9.THE SILENCE OF PUGET SOUND

10. LE PETIT PRINCE : LE ROI DU MONDE