Martin Solveig: Do it right

A new single and clip from Martin Solveig for the track Do it Right.

The new song comes in perfect time for summer, and its release coincides with the French Open Tennis championship in Paris, an event Solveig's been associated with since the release of his 2011 Smash album, with the tracks Hello and Ready to Go bringing hin to international attention, thanks in some way no doubt to the memorable videos.

Since then of course, he's worked with Madonna and has released tracks like +1. This release sees him collaborate with Australian singer and rapper Tkay Maidza.

The new video is a colourful and arty affair, and with more attention on France over the next few weeks on account of the Euro 2016 football, it will no doubt help to keep his profile high.

Solveig's got a full schedule of live dates over the summer, with regular appearances at Pacha in Ibiza as well as festival appearances across Europe including Creamfields in the UK on August 24.

Martin Solveig: +1

 A piece of electro-house by Martin Solveig, with a new video for the track +1.

The track features Sam White was unveiled on Beatport last week.

His track Intoxicated gave him a hit in France earlier this year, reaching the top 20.

His last full album was 2011's Smash, which produces a string of international hits including Hello and Ready to Go.

Solveig has weekly dates in Ibiza over the summer, as well as dates around Europe and some further afield in Las Vegas and Chicago.

Martin Solveig: Intoxicated

A new track by French DJ Martin Solveig, the DJ/producer  behind the massive hit Hello and the album Smash.

The track Intoxicated comes out ahead of the release of his fifth album.

Smash provided a number of international hits with songs like The NIght Out and a series of memorable videos, featuring locations like Stade de France and Roland Garros tennis stadium.

In the years since the release of Smash, Solveig was one of the producers involved in Madonna's MDNA album and working with her on the subsequent tour.

2013 saw the track Hey Now emerge,  a collaboration with LA act The Cataracs and rapper Kyle.

For his first show in 2015, Solveig is scheduled to play at the Coachella festival in California in April.

No video as yet for the new song, which becomes available for download from Monday, but it will hopefully be something as equally memorable as the ones from Smash

 

SACEM Grands Prix 2014

Today's the day of the SACEM Grands Prix 2014, where the organisation celebrates some of the biggest players in the field.

The Société des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs de musique performs a job like the Performing Rights Society does in the UK, collecting payments of the rights of artists and then distributing these to the songwriters, composers and music publishers.

The ceremony at the Olympia in Paris sees an award going to Johnny Hallyday , who receives the Prix Spécial.

Among the other awards, there's recognition for Lilly Wood and the Prick for Prayer in C, getting the Rolf Marbot Prize for song of the year.

Martin Solveig gets an award for best Electro, The Grand Prize for French Song, creator-performer goes to Pascal Obispo and the Grand Prize for French Song creator goes  Jean-Pierre Bucolo, who has worked with Johnny Hallyday and others.

There are awards for Jazz, traditional and world music, symphonic, humour as well as awards for film directors and music publishing.

The event is being streamed on the sacem.fr website from 8pm Paris time.


Grands Prix Sacem 2014 by SACEM

Martin Solveig: Hey Now

A new clip from DJ/Producer Martin Solveig, for the track Hey Now.

Solveig's perhaps best known for his song Hello, a huge hit from his 2011 album Smash.

This new song, which has a huge summer vibe, is a collaboration with LA act The Cataracs and rapper Kyle, and it first emerged at the beginning of the month.

The video was filmed in LA

He's always put a lot of work into his videos, Hello being filmed at Roland Garros tennis stadium, and subsequent videos from the Smash album building into a narrative of the DJ and his manager, including Ready to go which was shot at the Stade de France at half time of a France v Croatia game.

Solveig also collaborated with Madonna on her MDNA album and tour.

As for why he chose such a summery video, he told the Huffington Post: "We had the most depressing winter ever in Europe, so I really wanted to bring a summer vibe.

"This is where it gets tricky, because typically making a summery video in Los Angeles for a sweet song is always on the edge of cheese.

"So, of course, the tricky part is to bring those elements and visually bring all the fun that we had making the song - the sun - without the cheese. I think I managed to do that."

Madonna at the Olympia in Paris

A special performance of Madonna at the Olympia in Paris is being streamed on YouTube tonight (July 26)

The stream is being presented at LoveLiveTV on YouTube and will be made available for viewing after the show.

The website explains: "LoveLive TV will be hosting the live stream of an EXCLUSIVE Madonna show, performed in the intimate club surroundings of the Olympia in Paris.

"Experience Madonna performing live as you've never seen her before: up-close and personal, exclusively on YouTube.

"She will be playing to a global audience on the LoveLiveTV YouTube channel on July 26 2012 at 22:15 (Paris), 21:15 (London), 16:15 (New York)."

It will, I expect be a more low key show than the one she presented at the Stade De France and to other stadiums around Europe on her MDNA tour.

Interesting that she's chosen to put on the a special show at the Olympia.

Madonna's website notes: "The Olympia, founded in 1888 has been the site of legendary shows by performers such as Marlene Dietrich, Charles Aznavour and Jacques Brel."

It's hard to imagine a more historic venue and given the French connection with her most recent album, it's certainly appropriate that she puts on a special show in France.

Madonna takes to the stage at the Stade de France at the weekend, facing the possibility of offending Front National leader Marine Le Pen.

The show comes after a spokesperson for the FN told 20 Minutes newspaper that Marine Le Pen is considering legal action if Madonna if uses a video of that features Le Pen with a swastika on her face during the show.

While performing the song Nobody Knows Me, a video showed images accompanying the song, including the controversial image of Le Pen. It's a brief image, which quickly changes to one that looks like a portrait of Hitler. Viewers are left to draw their own conclusion with regard a link between Le Pen, Nazis and Hitler.

Not exactly subtle, but it will be interesting to see whether Madonna uses the footage or is intimidated by legal threats from the Front National.

It's not been the successful comeback she'd have hoped for, despite the involvement of Solveig with her music, and a feeling that for all the scandal and controversy she's engineered through her career, most of the controversy this time is old fashioned  bad publicity.

Her tour has so far been dogged by controversy, the Marine Le pen issue likely to cause some waves in France, but reactions to her costume choice were not entirely what she would have wanted, and the reaction to her showing some flesh also put her in the spotlight for reasons she'd probably avoid.

Her single Give Me All Your Luvin' didn't sell in the quantities that might have been expected given its performance at the superbowl and the associated hype, the second single Girl Gone Wild did not fare much better. Still, number one and top ten across a huge number ouf countries probably isn't that bad. I doubt she's all that worried at the end of the day.

Meanwhile, Madonna has confirmed that her next single is to be Turn Up the Radio, another track that was co-produced by DJ Martin Solveig.

Madonna also plays in Nice on August 21

Festival: Vieilles Charrues

Details of the acts playing at this year's Vieilles Charrues festival in Brittany have been released, with acts ranging frm Bob Dylan to Martin Solveig playing at what has become one of France's most significant music events.

The Cure, Sting, Portishead and Justice are also set to play.

The event features three main stages each day, each named after major Breton figures, Glenmor, Jack Kerouac and Xavier Grall.

It's the 21st time the festival's been held, and it features some big names in French and international music, as well as many more interesting acts.

The first day, Thursday July 19, sees Portishead, Keziah Jones, Don Rimini and Django Django on the Glenmor stage, and on the Kerouac stage LMFAO, Zebda, Stuck in the Sound and Rover. The Grall stage features Beat Assaillant, Breakbot, La Rumeur, Baadman and Im Takt.

Friday night sees The Cure, Martin Solveig, Thomas Dutronc and Brigitte taking to the Glenmor stage. Metronomy, Bloc Party, Youssoupha and Other Lives appear on the Kerouac stage, and M83 tops the bill on the Grall stage.

Meanwhile, Saturday features Sting, Justice, Hubert-Félix Thiéfaine and Kiril Djaikowski on the Glenmor stage, Selah Sue, Rodrigo & Gabriela and  C.U.B.A., The Rapture and Irma on the Kerouac stage

The final day sees Bob Dylan, Gossip and Garbage on the Glenmor stage, with  Kasabian, Amadou and Mariam and Santigold on the Kerouac stage. The Grall stage sees Orlesan and 1995 and others on the bill.

The event takes place between July 19-22 at Carhaix in Brittany.

Martin Solveig: The Night Out

A new video by Martin Solveig, another track - the fifth to come out as a single - from 2011's Smash album.

 The video's a treat for any fan of Paris, that most cinematic of cities. Although as a long-time francophile I accept my judgement may be somewhat open to question.

Anyway, another catchy dancefloor filler and a raft of remixes that remodel the track.

Whether it's as big a smash (sorry!) as Ready to Go or Hello really doesn't matter as the album's raised Solveig's world DJ Rankings - as the Hello video would have it - to the premier league.

Since the Smash album came out he's collaborated with Madonna and while Give Me All Your Luvin' might not have been the hit that it was expected to be, the other tracks on the album and Madonna's tour will certainly keep the spotlight on him.

The new video also brings the Smash video story cycle to a happy ending, with Solveig getting the girl and Lafaille getting to steer the ship.

Madonna and Martin Solveig - Give Me all Your Luvin'

Madonna has announced a world tour, and has confirmed a show at the Stade de France in Paris on July 14, as well as a date in Nice on August 21

The announcement of tour follows a week that saw her perform at the half time of the Superbowl, a highlight of the USA's sporting calendar which was screened in over 200 countries.

Among the tracks she performed was her new single Give Me All Your Luvin', co-written and produced by French DJ and producer Martin Solveig, one of several of the producers working with her on her new album MDNA.

It is her first major tour since her Sticky and Sweet tour which ran in 2008 and 2009, and will coincides with the release of MDNA, out on March 26.

Arthur Fogel, CEO Live Nation Entertainment Global Touring and Madonna tour promoter said: "Madonna's track record as a world class entertainer and touring artist speaks for itself. Her artistry, talent and creative productions get bigger and better with each tour and Madonna 2012 will be no exception.

"We are thrilled to have her back on the road and know her fans feel the same."

Her previous shows in France were marred by tragedy, after a stage that was being built for a show at the Stade Velodrome in Marseilles collapsed the day before the concert, resulting in two deaths and several workers being injured. The concert was cancelled.

Madonna's last CD Hard Candy, debuted at Number 1 in 37 countries including France as well as the US, UK, Canada and Australia.

Tickets for the Paris show go on sale on February 14, as do tickets for the show at the Stade Charles-Erhmann in Nice.

Coachella Festival 2012

Details have emerged of this year's Coachella fesival in California, with some of France's biggest acts on the bill of the festival that is considered by many to be the USA's equivalent of Glastonbury.

While The Black Keys, Radiohead and Snoop Dog and Dr Dre are headlining, acts like Justice and David Guetta are high on the list of star attractions.

Also on the bill are M83 and Martin Solveig. Dragonette, who he has worked with on some of his biggest singles, are also playing as is their fellow Canadian Feist.

Pulp, Florence + the Machine, Arctic Monkeys, Noel Gallagher and Swedish House Mafia are among those on the list. Last year 190 acts played at the festival.

The event in held in the desert near Palm Springs in California, and takes place over two weekends, 13- 15 April and 20- 22 April.

While playing a festival is not news for most bands, playing at a festival that will be probably one of the most influential showcase for a North American market can only be a good thing for some of the most significant Francophone acts around.

Martin Solveig - Big in Japan

A new video from Martin Solveig, Big in Japan, the latest to come from this Smash album.

Like his earlier song Hello it features the vocals of Canadian electro-pop act Dragonette.

The video continues the "story" begun with the Hello video, which came out last year and continued with the Initials S.H.E. video, previewing tracks from the Smash album, and the Ready 2 Go video, released earlier this year.

Both were massive international hits, hello reaching the top ten in ten countries, and number one in several charts, Ready 2 go although not reaching such peaks still reaching the US Billboard top 50 and the top 20 in France and the UK Dance charts.

Solveig has been named as one of the producers of Madonna's next studio album. It's a big break for Solveig to be working with such a massive selling artist.

I've always thought that Madonna's career has been as much about her choosing her collaborators well than about her own talent, so I'm sure he'll have a big influence on her sound.

It also comes at a time when she'll be keen to retain her Queen of Pop title, with Lady Gaga seemingly taking on the role of biggest female figure in the music world without too much opposition.

Whether this is the last chapter of Smash I don't know, but one thing that is certain is that Solveig is a bigger star now than his 'manager' Lafaille would ever have hoped for in the videos.

New: Martin Solveig - Ready 2 Go

A quick mention of Martin Solveig again, on account of his playing on Glasgow at the weekend as part of Coloursfest, a dance and music event that has been held in the city for the last ten years.

Coloursfest has been Scotland's longest-running dance event, with 10,000 people attending the event over five arenas at Braehead and Clyde waterfront, Solveig playing as a special guest.

Solveig's latest single Ready 2 Go has not long been released in the UK, and it's already getting airplay on the music TV channels, probably because it makes a more than decent job of following up the remarkable video for Hello.

Over 7 million people watched that video, which was filmed live at the Roland Garros tennis stadium in Paris, on YouTube. The new video takes things quite a bit further, with the quirky DJ and producer backed with a team of majorettes taking to the field of France's national stadium.

The song features vocal contribution by Kele, vocalist with the UK indie band Bloc Party.

This video was shot live at Stade de France, and while stadium rock is nothing new, the idea of filming a house music video live in front of a football crowd is a bold one, and a move that certainly works well here.

Solveig's album Smash - his fifth - is due to be released later this month.

News: Martin Solveig and the French Open Tennis

With the French Open under way, I thought it appropriate to give this video a mention on the blog, featuring as it does the Roland Garros tennis stadium.

Martin Solveig's Hello was a top ten hit in France, and made the top 20 in the UK, and number one in other European countries. It still enjoys significant airplay in the UK, particularly on music TV channels, probably on the strength of the video.

Solveig, from Paris, was awarded the Chevalier Des Arts et Des Lettres from the French Minister of Culture in 2009 in recognition of his contribution to the arts and literature,

The song comes from the DJ and producer's album Smash, his fifth studio album, which is released in June 2011.

The video was filmed at Roland Garros the day before the 2010 Open started and was filmed in front of a live audience.

It features cameos by French number one ranked tennis star Gaël Monfil and Serbia's Novak Djokovic, the World number two ranked player.Neither would win the open in 2010, but both came out champions in this video.