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Ella Montclare's beautifully original music is a kinda cross-over between her beloved trip-hop and something altogether more transcendental; the kinda thing you'd get if Morcheeba, Portishead and Dido pooled resources and really went for it!!
'Between Islands' has a wonderfully lazy vibe about it; Montclare vocalises atop of an instrumental backdrop that combines subtle beats and ambient noises washing behind jagged piano that provide the perfect foil for Montclare's whispery but pretty sexy sounding voice. The overall result is something approaching a nu-jazzy-electro-hop kinda effect - modern sounds for the discerning modern ear methinks!
'Between Islands' is a sensitive sounding work made poignant by the reality of Montclare's obvious uncertainty regarding her origins, roots and loyalties. But, that same turmoil boiling up in Montclare's head is the very stuff that makes 'Between Islands' so compelling; I think most of us have similar uncertainties that we juggle with on a day-to-day basis, maybe not exactly the same as Montclare's but certainly resulting in a similarly unsettling mind-set that can be just as emotionally challenging. So, we are all somewhat 'Between Islands' so we should be able to relate to Ella Montclare as she tries to make sense of her situation by sharing her thoughts with us, the music lovers of the world.
'Between Islands' by Ella Montclare is a moody but delicately executed single and regardless of meaning it has the potential to be a nice little earner for Montclare. This is exactly the kinda thing that radio 'jocks' are looking for, especially late at night when the mood is perhaps a little more chilled. 'Between Islands' by Ella Montclare is a kinda leftfield poppy number that could just work its magic and get up there into the charts; it's a nice little starter from Ella Montclare, I wander what she'll come up with next!!
http://www.toxicpete.co.uk/ellamontclare.html - ToxicPete
Ella Montclare looks set to take the music scene by storm in 2009 with her new record, Between Islands, and with Dr Dre, Julio Eglasias and Babyface amongst her celeb best mates, as well as being number one in the MySpace Trip Hop charts for over a year, is there little doubt?
http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/music/interviews/Ella+Montclare+Interview-65664.html - Female First
Between Islands is the limited edition debut single from rising UK singer-songwriter Ella Montclare, released after spending no less than a year at the #1 spot on the UK MySpace Trip Hop Chart where her plays exceed half a million.
After singing backing vocals around the world with artists as diverse as Babyface and Julio Iglesias, Montclare began work on her album during recording sessions for Dr Dre's Aftermath label in LA. After forming an instant connection with Dre's engineer, Steve B, they began to co-write and co-produce some of her own material. Together, they began to hone Montclare's own unique sound; a subtle, contemporary and highly original incorporation of her first love trip hop, the hippie folk music of her mother's affections, and the righteous power of the hip-hop played in the underground clubs of her teens. As a result, Between Islands invites comparisons to the likes of Portishead and Massive Attack, bands Montclare grew up listening to, as well as singers like Joan Baez, Kate Bush and Simon and Garfunkel.
Hip-hop beats, poetic, sweeping and often melancholic lyrics and melodies are not all that Montclare's music is about. Between Islands is an exploration of her mixed-race heritage, of English, Caribbean and Spanish and the conflicting freedoms and sense of alienation she experienced growing up on the North East coast of Durham, England.
Here, on Between Islands, Ella Montclare invites you into her world. It marks her out not only as the rising voice of a niche market but also an artist like Massive Attack, with the potential to have huge mainstream crossover potential. - Ilikemusic
Ella Montclare (Be In The Know / Friday Lunch Edition)
UK songstress Ella Montclare came through for lunch today in Venice for lunch at my favorite Italian Spot. Had a good time chopping it up about her forthcoming album. Tomorrow she leaves to San Francisco to work with Dan The Automator. I loved how I got squeezed in between Dan and Russell Simmons who she met with yesterday! Really? We talked about London, LA, food and marketing strategy’s for what looks to be a great album.
She is a positive vocalist getting her feet with both the artistic and business side of this industry but with so much energy. Ill be sure to support her music on KCRW so make sure to check her out at her myspace page. Also her video looks incredible. Be on the look out for her work as well as her collabo’s with Dan The Automater in 2010!
Ps.. Biggup C & O! Best Garlic rolls in the world! Trust!
http://antvala.wordpress.com/2009/12/12/ella-montclare-be-in-the-know/ - Anthony Valadez
Discography
"Ella" Trip 2010 - Debut Album
Released on 22nd March, 2010
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Bio
Tripped out beats and vocal sweets confess soaring tales of love and melancholy….
“Ella Montclare looks set to take the music scene by storm in 2010” Female First
“Ms Montclare weaves a mesmerising melodic myriad” Losing Today
"Ella Montclare's beautifully original music is …. Transcendental” Toxic Pete
“Having heard the sublime “I Surrender”…. Montclare is an exciting proposition" Zap Bang Magazine
“The combination of languid beats, little girl lost vocals and breathy rhythms is just so dashed addictive” The Rocker
#1 on the Myspace Trip-Hop charts for over a year, rising UK singer-songwriter Ella Montclare's album began after a chance meeting with Steve "B" Buchanan, Dr Dre’s #1 engineer and beatmaster in LA. After discovering a mutual love of 90s Bristol bands, they began to co-write and co-produce some songs; honing Montclare’s sound, a quirky, sensuous mash-up of tripnotic beats and down-tempo soul.
When Ella posted her music on myspace, her page quickly went to the top of the Trip-Hop charts, with almost a million plays to date. Buoyed by the enthusiasm of her loyal online following, Ella went on to record her album, 'Ella Trip', a truly global collaboration with producers from all over the world, as diverse as a French schoolboy, Degi Heugi, and the legendary Dan The Automator, producer of The Gorillaz, and Kasabian.
It's all a far cry from the remote mining village in County Durham at the edge of the North Sea where Ella grew up. Mixed-race, of English, Barbadian and Spanish decent, she wasn't accepted by the local community and music became her escape. First the hippie folk music of her mother’s affections, artists like Joan Baez, Kate Bush, Simon & Garfunkel, then melancholy Bristol bands like Portishead and Massive Attack, and the righteous power of hip-hop played in the underground clubs of her teens.
“I Surrender” is the debut mainstream release from "Ella Trip", already in rotation on KCRW in Los Angeles and radio stations across the UK, a song about relationship being a bigger concept than the individual, asking the question: is love only real if you completely surrender to it? Ella has been described as "Massive Attack meets Bats For Lashes, a powerful and flamboyant performer who transcends the stage". In short, this is one of the most original and ambitious albums to come out this year.
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