Violeta de Outono
Brazilian progressive rock band
Violeta de Outono (Portuguese for Autumn Violet) is a Brazilian psychedelic/progressive rock band from São Paulo. Heavily influenced by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Gong, they were originally a post-punk band with some psychedelic elements intertwined, but would gradually drop their post-punk influences and add more prog elements to their sonority as time went by.
The band underwent numerous changes in its line-up since its inception; the only founding member remaining today is vocalist/guitarist Fabio Golfetti.
History.
Fabio Golfetti founded Violeta de Outono in 1985 alongside Cláudio Souza; both had just parted ways with pioneering New Romantic band Zero. They would later be joined by Angelo Pastorello, and with this line-up they released a demo tape, "Memories", in the same year. The tape got the attention of independent record label Wop-Bop Records, that released their first recording, the extended play "Reflexos da Noite", in 1986.
In 1987, Violeta de Outono's eponymous debut was released through RCA Records. It was very well-received; particular praise went to their cover of The Beatles' song "Tomorrow Never Knows".
In 1988 they released a four-track EP called "The Early Years", containing cover versions of The Rolling Stones' "Citadel", Pink Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive", The Beatles' "Within You Without You" and Gong's "Blues for Findlay". Those recordings trace to as far as 1985–1986. In the next year, their second studio album, "Em Toda Parte", was released by Ariola Records. Beginning with this album, Violeta de Outono would drop their previous post-punk instrumentation, heading towards a more progressive and experimental vein.
In 1990, Cláudio Souza left the band, and was replaced by Cláudio Fontes (Souza would return to the band in 1993 though). From 1993 to 1995, Violeta de Outono entered a short hiatus period; they returned to active with a live album, "Eclipse", and their third full-length, "Mulher na Montanha", that began to be recorded in 1995 but would be released only in 1999. In 2000, they would release their second live album, "Live at Rio ArtRock Festival '97", a recording of their performance at the in Rio de Janeiro in 1997. (A DVD containing the footage of their performance at the festival would be released 15 years later.) During Violeta de Outono's hiatus, Golfetti released three albums with The Invisible Opera Company of Tibet (Tropical Version Brazil), a side project he formed in 1988; however, the project was not as successful and memorable as Violeta de Outono itself and would come to an end in 1995, only to return in 2010.
Also in 2000, Violeta de Outono changed its line-up almost completely, with Gregor Izidro replacing Cláudio Souza and Sandro Garcia replacing Pastorello. However, they would return for the recording of the band's fourth studio album in 2003, "Ilhas", that was released in 2005.
"Violeta de Outono & Orquestra", their first video release, came out in 2006, recorded during a performance in São Paulo two years prior, with the special participation of the USP Symphonic Orchestra. In the same year, Pastorello left the band and was replaced by Gabriel Costa, while new member Fernando Cardoso assumed the position of keyboardist. With this line-up they released their fifth full-length album (and seventh studio release overall), "Volume 7", in 2007.
In 2009, Cláudio Souza left Violeta de Outono for the third time, but beforehand they recorded another video release, "", in which they covered songs by Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett live, and also played their first studio album in its entirety in a show which took place in the Theatro Municipal in São Paulo. Souza was replaced by Fred Barley – however, Barley left the band in 2011 in order to join O Terço, and was replaced by José Luiz Dinola (former A Chave do Sol member); Violeta de Outono's line-up remains unchanged ever since.
Their sixth full-length album, "Espectro", was released in 2012.
On September 19, 2016, the band announced that they began work on their seventh studio album, "Spaces", which was eventually released on October 14, 2016.
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Ilhas (album)
Ilhas (Portuguese for "Islands") is the fourth studio album by Brazilian psychedelic rock band Violeta de Outono, released on May 9, 2005, by Voiceprint Records. It was the last album of the band to feature the original line-up of Fabio Golfetti, Cláudio Souza and Angelo Pastorello.
The track "Dança" previously appeared in "Em Toda Parte", and was re-recorded for this release.
João Parahyba of Trio Mocotó fame provided additional percussion instruments for some of the tracks.
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Ils (musician)
Illian Walker, better known as Ils or iLS, is an English musician and producer, who has released records on labels including Marine Parade and Distinct'ive Records.
Born in London, Ils started his production career on LTJ Bukem's drum and bass label, Good Looking Records. He was signed to Marine Parade by owner Adam Freeland, who cited Ils' unique breaks production. Ils is influenced by electro, funk, and techno artists in his "Idiots Behind the Wheel" album. His "Soul Trader" album represented a more even sound, with few particularly energetic or downbeat tracks. He also mixed an album for Distinct'ive Records' "Y4k" series.
His 2002 single, "Next Level", on Marine Parade spent one week at #75 in the UK Singles Chart, in February 2002. It was released on his second studio album, "Soul Trader", as "6 Space (Next Level)".
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Julio Iglesias
Spanish singer-songwriter (born 1943)
Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva (; born 23 September 1943) is a Spanish singer, songwriter and former professional footballer. Iglesias is recognized as the most commercially successful Spanish singer in the world and one of the top record sellers in music history, having sold more than 300 million records worldwide in 14 languages. It is estimated that during his career he has performed in more than 5,000 concerts, for over 60 million people in five continents. In April 2013, Iglesias was inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame.
In 1983, Iglesias was credited as having recorded songs in the most languages in the world, and in 2013 for being the best-selling male Latin artist of all-time. In April 2013 in Beijing, he was honoured as the most popular international artist in China. In Brazil, France, Italy and elsewhere, Iglesias is the most successful foreign record seller, while in his home country, Spain, he has sold the most records in history, with 23 million records.
During his career, Iglesias has won many awards in the music industry, including the Grammy, Latin Grammy, World Music Award, Billboard Music Award, American Music Award and Lo Nuestro Award. He has been awarded the Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts of Spain and the Legion of Honour of France. UNICEF named him Special Ambassador for the Performing Arts in 1989. He has had a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame since 1985.
Early life.
Iglesias was born in Madrid to Julio Iglesias Sr., a medical doctor from Ourense who became one of the youngest gynecologists in the country, and María del Rosario de la Cueva y Perignat. His paternal grandparents, Manuela Puga Noguerol and Ulpiano Iglesias Sarria, were of Galician ancestry. His maternal grandparents were José de la Cueva y Orejuela (1887–1955) and Dolores de Perignat y Ruiz de Benavides, who was a native of Guayama, Puerto Rico.
The name "Iglesias" translates as "churches". Iglesias says that he is of Jewish ancestry on his maternal side, and that his mother's family name, "de la Cueva", meaning literally "of the cave" and referring to Jewish people in hiding, is a common Jewish name. He has proclaimed himself Jewish "from the waist up".
He alternated playing professional football with studying law at the CEU San Pablo University in Madrid. In his youth, he was a goalkeeper for Real Madrid Castilla in the "Segunda División". His professional football career was ruined when he was involved in a serious automobile accident in 1963 that left him unable to walk for two years. The accident smashed his lower spine and left his legs permanently weakened and requiring therapy for several years. He has said of those years, "I had more courage and attitude than talent". While he was in hospital after the accident, a nurse named Eladio Magdaleno gave him a guitar so that he could recover the dexterity of his hands. In learning to play, he discovered his musical talent. After his rehabilitation, Iglesias studied for three months at Bell Educational Trust's Language School in Cambridge, England. After that, he returned to obtain his law degree at Complutense University of Madrid.
Entertainment career.
In 1968, he won the Benidorm International Song Festival with the song "" (meaning "Life Goes On The Same") which was used in the 1969 film in which he played a fictionalized version of his own life. He then signed a deal with Discos Columbia, the Spanish branch of the Columbia Records company, and released his first studio album, titled . The album spent 15 weeks in the Spanish charts and peaked at No. 3. He represented Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest 1970 with the song "Gwendolyne", finishing in fourth place. Shortly after, he had a number one hit in many European countries with "", sung in Galician, in honour of his father, who hailed from Galicia. That single sold one million copies in Germany. In 1975, he found success in the Italian market by recording a song exclusively in Italian, called "". Notable albums from this decade are (1974, with the European hit "Manuela"), (1975), and (1973). He also sang in French: one of his popular songs in this language became "".
In 1979, he moved to Miami, in the United States, signed a deal with CBS International, and started singing in different languages such as French, Italian, Portuguese, and German. Two years later, he released the album in five languages, which he dedicated to his daughter Chabeli, who appeared on the cover with him. From it came the first English-language hit of his career, a cover of "Begin the Beguine" which became number 1 in the United Kingdom; he also released a collection, "Julio" (1983).
In 1984, he released "1100 Bel Air Place", the hit album which established him as a star in the English-speaking entertainment industry. It sold over three million albums in the United States alone. The first single, "To All the Girls I've Loved Before", a duet with Willie Nelson, hit No. 1 on the Country charts and went Top Five in the "Billboard" Hot 100. It also featured "All of You", in vocal duet with Diana Ross, a Top Twenty Pop hit, that climbed to No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary Chart with the help of a popular video. He also covered "The Air That I Breathe," written by Albert Hammond and popularized by The Hollies, on this album; Iglesias's version featured vocals from The Beach Boys.
Iglesias won a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album in the 1988 Grammy Awards for the album "Un hombre solo" ("A Man Alone"). In that year, he recorded a duet with Stevie Wonder, "My Love", in his "Non Stop" album, a crossover success in 1988.
Iglesias made a cameo appearance as himself on "The Golden Girls" as Sophia Petrillo's date on St. Valentine's Day 1989.
In 1993, he recorded Summer Wind with Frank Sinatra.
In 1994, released "Crazy", including duets with Dolly Parton, Sting and Art Garfunkel.
In 1995, Iglesias was the recipient of the Excellence Award at the 1995 Lo Nuestro Awards. In 2001, Iglesias was recognized as the Person of the Year by the Latin Recording Academy. A year later, Iglesias was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.
In 2003, Iglesias released his album "Divorcio" ("Divorce"). In its first day of sales, "Divorcio" sold a record 350,000 albums in Spain, and reached the number 1 spot on the charts in Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, and Russia. In 2003 and 2004, aided by the success of his "Divorcio" album, Iglesias went on a ten-month world tour which took him from Europe to Asia and then on to North America, South America and Africa. More than half the shows on that tour sold out within days of going on sale. In December 2004, his Dutch girlfriend Miranda Rijnsburger and Iglesias himself recorded a duet of the Christmas song "Silent Night". The song, which was not officially released, also included a voice message from Iglesias, Rijnsburger, and their four young children. The song was released online through the singer's official website and a CD was included on their Christmas card as a holiday gift from the Iglesias family to their friends and fans around the world.
In 2008, Iglesias recorded another song as a gift to his fans. The family recorded "The Little Drummer Boy" in Spanish and English and included it in the family's Christmas card. Iglesias also made investments in the Dominican Republic's eastern town of Punta Cana, a major tourist destination, where he took to spending most of the year. He became a Dominican citizen in 2005.
In September 2006, Iglesias released a new English-language album, which he titled "Romantic Classics." "I've chosen songs from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s that I believe will come to be regarded as the new standards," Iglesias stated in the album's sleeve notes. The album featured his interpretations of Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is", the George Michael selection "Careless Whisper", and Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting". "Romantic Classics" was Iglesias's highest debut on the Billboard charts, entering at number 31 in the United States, 21 in Canada, 10 in Australia, and top spots across Europe and Asia. He returned to the studio to record songs in Filipino and Indonesian for his Asian releases of "Romantic Classics", which helped propel record sales in the Asian entertainment industry. Iglesias promoted "Romantic Classics" in 2006; it was seen all over the world on television shows. In the United States, for example, he appeared on "Dancing With The Stars", where he sang his version of "I Want To Know What Love Is", "Good Morning America", "The View", "Fox and Friends" and "Martha Stewart".
In 2008, Iglesias made a music video with Gulnara Karimova, the daughter of Uzbek dictator Islam Karimov. In October 2012, he performed a concert in Equatorial Guinea where tickets were reportedly $1,000 each.
Iglesias's performance of the song "La Mer" ("The Sea") is featured in the soundtrack of the 2011 film "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy". The performance comes from a live album that he recorded live at the Olympia in 1976.
On 1 April 2013, in Beijing, he received two historic awards: First & Most Popular International Artist of All Time in China, an award given by Sony Music China and which was presented to Iglesias by the world-renowned Chinese artist Lang Lang, and the Guinness World Records for the Best-selling Male Latin Artist. As Iglesias is a composer and lyricist, some of his songs being of his own authorship and composition, on 23 April 2013, he was inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame, alongside Armando Manzanero and José Feliciano.
In 2015, Iglesias was slated to perform a complete concert for the first time with his son Julio Iglesias Jr. in a tour in Romania, on 22 May at Sala Polivalentă in Cluj-Napoca and 2 July at Sala Palatului in the capital city, Bucharest.
Berklee College of Music awarded Iglesias an Honorary Doctorate in May 2015 in recognition of his achievements and influence in music and for his enduring contribution to American and international culture.
Personal life.
On 29 January 1971, Iglesias married Isabel Preysler, a Filipina television host. Preysler, a Filipina of Spanish ancestry, was also a member of the wealthy and aristocratic Pérez de Tagle family. The couple had three children: Chábeli (born 3 September 1971), a socialite; Julio Jr. (born 25 February 1973), a singer; and Enrique (born 8 May 1975), an internationally successful singer-songwriter, actor, and record producer. In the 1970s, Iglesias and his family were extensively depicted on the front pages of international newspapers and magazines. The marriage ended in divorce in 1979. The couple also applied for marriage annulment by the Catholic Church which was granted in 1980.
Whenever Iglesias was not on tour, he spent his time at his Miami residence, purchased in 1978 for $650,000. The mansion on the private Indian Creek Island, whose interior design was made by Virginia Sipl, was placed on the market in 2006 for a quoted $28 million, making it one of the "Ten Most Expensive Homes in the South" in 2006 according to "Forbes" magazine.
After his divorce, Iglesias lived with Dutch model Miranda Rijnsburger, 22 years his junior, whom he married on 26 August 2010 in a small church in Marbella, Spain. They had five children: Miguel Alejandro Iglesias (born 7 September 1997), Rodrigo Iglesias (born 3 April 1999), twins Cristina and Victoria Iglesias (born 1 May 2001), and Guillermo Iglesias (born 5 May 2007). They took up residence in the Dominican Republic, where Iglesias had acquired several hotel complexes, as well as the Punta Cana International Airport, which he acquired jointly with other investors, including fashion designer Oscar de la Renta.
On 19 December 2005, Iglesias's father died of a heart attack at the age of 90. A week before his father's death, it became known that Ronna Keitt, his father's 42-year-old wife, was pregnant with their second child. Their first child, Jaime, had been born on 18 May 2004. The second child, Ruth, was born on 26 July 2006.
In 2008, after his house in Indian Creek did not sell at his asking price, he ordered it razed and said he planned to build another on the lot. In 2012, he purchased the property next door for $15 million and announced that he planned to build a new home on the combined properties. In 2020, he agreed to sell it to Jared Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump, a daughter of then-U.S. President Donald Trump.
In 2019, a court in Valencia ruled that Iglesias is the father of Javier Sánchez, son of Portuguese former dancer Maria Edite Santos. Sánchez had been pursuing his paternity suit in court since 1992, arguing that he was conceived when his mother allegedly had an affair with Iglesias in the Catalonia region in July 1975. The singer, who rejected all those claims, had refused on several occasions to undergo a paternity test. The Sánchez legal team argued that DNA evidence obtained in the US by an investigator proved their case; however, the DNA sample did not come directly from the singer but was collected from "a bottle of water" used by his son, Julio Iglesias Jr, which he left on a Miami beach. The presiding judge, José Miguel Bort, rejected this DNA claim but ruled in favor of Sánchez. Delivering the verdict, Judge Bort said his decision was reached in part because of the "resemblance between the two men" and on the basis of Edite's testimony. Iglesias appealed the verdict and the Provincial Court of Valencia reversed Judge Bort's ruling, declaring it cannot be proven that Sánchez is the son of Iglesias. The matter was taken to the Supreme Court of the country, and, in April 2021, the Court dismissed the claims made by Sánchez, imposing also the costs of the process on him.
Discography.
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Mauricio Islas
Mexican actor
Mauricio Islas (born Juan Mauricio Islas Ilescas, August 16, 1973) is a Mexican actor. He is best known for his work in telenovelas produced by Televisa, TV Azteca, Telemundo, and Venevision.
Early life.
Born in Mexico City, Mexico, Islas is the son of businessman, Juan Islas, and Rosalinda Ilescas, and the youngest of two brothers.
Career.
After working in various telenovelas, Islas had his first starring role with "Preciosa", alongside Irán Castillo in 1998.
From then on he continued working mainly as a leading actor, but occasionally playing antagonic roles, as in his 2000 participation in "Primer amor... a mil por hora" where he interpreted the malicious Demián and in 2006 "Amores de Mercado", starring as Fernando Leyra.
In 2001, he starred in "El manantial", alongside Adela Noriega. He won a TVyNovelas Award for his performance. In 2003, he starred in the acclaimed historical telenovela, "Amor real", interpreting the army soldier Adolfo Solis.
In 2004, he signed a contract with Telemundo and starred in "Prisionera", "Amores de Mercado", "Pecados Ajenos" and other successful productions from the network.
He returned to Mexico in 2010 and starred in the TV Azteca telenovelas, "La Loba" and "Cielo Rojo".
Personal life.
On November 29, 2001, he married Venezuelan singer, Patricia Villasaña. They had a daughter, Camila, born on May 3, 2002. They divorced in 2006.
He later had a son, Emiliano, with his current partner Paloma Quezada. The baby was born on February 24, 2011, in El Paso, Texas.
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Hassan Ilham
Maldivian singer
Hassan Ilham is a Maldivian singer.
Career.
Ilham made his career debut in the late 1990s though his professional career is noted to be initiated in the year 2000 with the studio album "Hamaroalhi" where he rendered ten songs for it. The following year, he released the song "Yaaraage Moonu Ma Dhusheemey" from the album "Mendhan" and "Rey Nidheegaa E Fenunu HUvafeneh" from the album "Huvafen", which were marked as his breakthrough performances in his career. The song being a chartbuster leads him to be a prominent voice in the industry where several music directors and producers roped him to lend his voice for several upcoming film releases and studio albums.
In 2010, Ilham appeared as a vocal coach in the local singing reality show "Voice of Maldives" for its two seasons. Though all his participants get eliminated early in the competition in its first season, the following season was a fruitful challenge for him, where the title was awarded to one of his participants. Afterwards, he slowly disappeared from the music scene though he collaborates few film releases including "Naughty 40" (2017) and "Kos Gina Mistake" (2021). At the 2nd Maldives Film Awards ceremony, Ilham was bestowed with the Best Male Playback Singer award for his soulful and emotional rendition of the song "Kalaa Beevumun" from the film "Dhin Veynuge Hithaamaigaa" (2010). Nominations for the major categories were announced on 25 June 2012. In 2018, Ilham was ranked third in the list of the "Most Desired Comeback Voices", compiled by "Dho?".
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Ilha (Santana)
Ilha (Portuguese for "island") is a civil parish in the municipality of Santana in the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira. The population in 2011 was 255, in an area of 14.19 km².
History.
The history of this parish extends from the end of the 20th century, when it was created in 1989 by de-annexation from the civil parish of São Jorge. Its name was an extension of geomorphological characteristics, since it was an "island" between many of its other neighbours ("ilha" is the Portuguese word for "island"), one of the few landlocked parishes on the island of Madeira.
Geography.
Ilha is located along the northern coast, buttressed by the neighbouring civil parishes of Arco de São Jorge (in the west) and São Jorge (to the east). It contains the localities Achadinha, Corrida, Ermida, Garnal, Lombada do Meio and Lombo Grande.
The site of Achada do Marques is classified as a protected landscape () and part of the "Parque Natural da Madeira". The classification was made to not only preserve the natural environment and landscape, but also to maintain the habits and traditions of the zone. Caldeirão Verde, another popular tourist destination in the parish, is part of the pedestrian trails that cross the island. In particular, from Caldeirão Verde, it is possible to follow a trail through the UNESCO protected Laurisilva forests to the locally-known "Cascata do Caldeirão Verde" ("waterfall of Caldeirão Verde"). In addition, Pico Ruivo, the highest point on the island at falls within the parishes frontiers, and although a highly difficult climb (third highest nationally), its summit can be reached from within the trail network. Other pedestrian trails of note: Levada da Ilha-Vale da Lapa-Caldeirão Verde and Pico Ruivo-Encumeada.
Economy.
Its primary economic resource is the agricultural industry, served by dairy and cattle-raising. In addition it supports a small economic collectivity that includes small shops, cafes and bars, in addition to health care centre. A locally produced beverage/liquor, "Ponchilha", based on lemons is produced in this region and originally commercialized by the "Empresa de Inserção Social da Casa do Povo da Ilha" (the local community/social centre).
Culture.
In the month of August, the Casa do Povo da Ilha organizes a "Dia do Emigrante" ("Emigrant Day") for those former residents who left Ilha in search of better economic conditions. On the last weekend of September and first of October, the festivals in honour of the "Santissimo Sacramento" ("Holy Sacrament") and patron saint ("Our Lady of the Rosary") are also celebrated. Finally, at the end of November and beginning of December, the "Semana Cultural da Ilha" ("Cultural Week of Ilha") result in various cultural activities based on a specific theme.
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Ilha Record 1
The first season of "Ilha Record" premiered on Monday, July 26, 2021, at 10:30 p.m. on RecordTV.
The show features a group of celebrities, known as Explorers, living together on a desert island and competing against each other in extreme challenges to avoid being exiled and continue their quest for lost treasures and the grand prize of R$500.000. Prior to the live finale, a public vote is held to determine who would become the season's Favorite Explorer and win the special prize of R$250.000. The inaugural season of "Ilha Record" was filmed in Paraty, Rio de Janeiro from June 1 to July 6, 2021.
Any Borges won competition after defeating Pyong Lee at the Island's final treasure hunt and took home the grand prize of R$500.000. Mirella Santos won the public's special prize of R$250.000 with 79.33% of the final vote against Nadja Pessoa. In addition, Pyong Lee received R$100.000 as runner-up, while Claudinho Matos and Nanah Damasceno earned R$10.000 each for being part of Any's crew in the final.
Cast.
Explorers.
The celebrities were officially revealed by RecordTV on May 27, 2021.
Future Appearances.
After this season, in 2022, Dinei appeared with his wife Erika Dias in "Power Couple Brasil 6", they finished in 12th place in the competition.
In 2022, Thomaz Costa appeared in "A Fazenda 14", he finished in 17th place in the competition.
In 2023, Nadja Pessoa also appeared in "A Fazenda 15", she finished in 7th place in the competition.
Ratings and reception.
Brazilian ratings.
All numbers are in points and provided by Kantar Ibope Media.
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Island Records
Multinational record label
Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another label recently acquired by PolyGram, were both at the time the largest independent record labels in history, with Island having exerted a major influence on the progressive music scene in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s.
Island Records operates four international divisions: Island US, Island UK, Island Australia, and Island France (known as Vertigo France until 2014). Current key people include Imran Majid and Justin Eshak who were named co-CEOs of Island Records in 2021. Partially due to its significant legacy, Island remains one of UMG's pre-eminent record labels.
History.
Rise of the brand.
Island Records was founded in Jamaica on 4 July 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall and Leslie Kong, and financed by Stanley Borden from RKO. Its name was inspired by the Harry Belafonte song "Island in the Sun". Blackwell explained in 2009: "I loved music so much, I just wanted to get into it, or be as close to it as I could." Blackwell's first album was "Lance Hayward at the Half Moon Hotel", which was recorded in late 1959.
Tom Hayes, the label's sales manager between 1965 and 1967, referred to the early period of the label in the UK as "organized chaos". The 1964 hit, "My Boy Lollipop", sung by Jamaican singer Millie Small (1947–2020), was the label's first success in the UK and led to a world tour that also involved Blackwell. Blackwell explained in a 50th anniversary documentary that he was only interested in building long-term careers at that stage in time, rather than short-term projects. Suzette Newman has been a close colleague of Chris Blackwell's since working together in the early days of Island Records, and while there she ran the Mango world music label. Suzette Newman and Chris Salewicz were the editors for the book "The Story of Island Records: Keep On Running".
Blackwell relocated to England in May 1962 to garner greater levels of attention after the local Jamaican sound systems proved to be overwhelmingly successful. The label was based at a now demolished basement in Kilburn, London Borough of Brent, in a property that was used by Sonny Roberts's Planetone label and whose landlord was Lee Gopthal who would later create Trojan Records. The vast majority of the artists who had signed to Blackwell's fledgling label while he was in Jamaica agreed to allow the musical entrepreneur to release their music in the UK. While in England, Blackwell travelled throughout the city carrying his stock with him and sold to record stores in the city. He did not provide any copies to radio stations, as they would not play any of the Island music; the music was also not reviewed by the press. Meanwhile, Goodall left to start the Doctor Bird record label in 1965.
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Island Records logo used between 1967 and 1970
Blackwell signed the Spencer Davis Group to the label (at that time, many Island releases were being distributed by Philips/Fontana). The group became very popular and Island started their own independent series to spotlight UK rock talent. They signed artists such as John Martyn, Fairport Convention, Free, and greatly influenced the growing FM radio market. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, they were a major label in England with artists including Roxy Music, King Crimson, Sparks, Traffic, the Wailers, Cat Stevens, Steve Winwood and many others. (In the US, many of their releases were licensed to A&M prior to signing up distribution deals with Capitol and later Atlantic, and also independent distribution.)
For Toots and the Maytals, the group that introduced the term "reggae" in song with their 1968 single "Do the Reggay", Chris Blackwell was the one who decided on the line-up of the group before introducing them to an international audience. Blackwell had signed Bob Marley, and now Toots and the Maytals. In November 2016, Jackie Jackson described the formation of the group in a radio interview for Kool 97 FM Jamaica. Accompanied by Paul Douglas and Radcliffe "Dougie" Bryan in studio, Jackson explained:
We're all original members of Toots and the Maytals band. First it was Toots and the Maytals, three guys: Toots, Raleigh, and Jerry. ... And then they were signed to Island Records, Chris Blackwell. And we were their recording band. One day we were summoned to Chris' house. And he says, "Alright gentleman, I think it's time. This Toots and the Maytals looks like it's going to be a big thing". By this time he had already signed Bob (Marley). So in his camp, Island Records, there was Toots and the Maytals], the late Bob Marley; we were talking about reggae is going international now. We kept on meeting and he (Blackwell) decided that the backing band that back all of the songs, the recording band, should be the Maytals band. So everything came under Toots and the Maytals. So we became Maytals also. And then we hit the road in 1975 ... we were the opening act for the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, and Jackson Browne. We were the opening act for The Who for about two weeks.
In 1969, Island Records acquired a deconsecrated 17th century church building at 8-10 Basing Street, in the Ladbroke Grove area of Notting Hill in West London. The building was refurbished to create the Island Studios recording studio, while also serving as the new location for Island Records' offices.
The first Toots and the Maytals album released and distributed by Chris Blackwell's Island Records was "Funky Kingston." The Maytals had recently added a full-time backing band that included drummer Paul Douglas and bassist Jackie Jackson, and Chris Blackwell joined the group in the studio as a co-producer for the album. Music critic Lester Bangs described the album in "Stereo Review" as "perfection, the most exciting and diversified set of reggae tunes by a single artist yet released." As Blackwell says, "The Maytals were unlike anything else ... sensational, raw and dynamic." Blackwell had a strong commitment to Toots and the Maytals, saying: "I've known Toots longer than anybody – much longer than Bob (Bob Marley). Toots is one of the purest human beings I've met in my life, pure almost to a fault."
Despite the initial establishment work that Blackwell completed almost single-handedly, Island struggled as a business in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Bob Marley's 1981 death was detrimental to the label, especially after its having engineered Marley's international breakthrough only a few years earlier, while Irish rock band U2, which had signed to Island in March 1980, was growing in popularity, but had not yet reached the international superstar status that was to come. In 1981, Blackwell also used the label to finance a new film production and distribution company, producing the film "Countryman". In 1982, Paul Morley and producer Trevor Horn started the ZTT label under the Island banner and Blackwell was known to approve excessive spending by the label. Morley recalls in a 2009 book about Island Records:
I eventually grew to appreciate how Chris Blackwell, and therefore Island Records, was not about one thing, or one style, or one system, or one way of doing things ... [I began] reflecting how the world functions and reinvents itself precisely because it is a fluid, sometimes dangerous, always exhilarating union of systems and beliefs and the best way of allowing the world to progress is to mix up and place in glorious conflict these various systems and beliefs.
In 1983, the film production company formed a partnership with Shep Gordon's Alive Enterprises to form Island Alive and had success with "Kiss of the Spider Woman", "Koyaanisqatsi", and "Stop Making Sense". The partnership was dissolved in 1985. In August 1987, the company was not able to pay US$5 million that it owed to U2 in royalties for "The Joshua Tree" album, as it had diverted the funds to finance several unsuccessful films. U2 responded by negotiating a deal whereby they received a stake in the label that was estimated to be around 10 per cent.
The label's 4th & Broadway division, operating since the mid-1980s, achieved some success marketing alternative hip hop and dance-pop music with artists such as Eric B. and Rakim and the Stereo MCs. Mango (Chaka Demus and Pliers) was another Island dance-oriented subsidiary, while it was singer Robert Palmer who achieved worldwide success with the rock song "Addicted to Love" in 1986. African musicians such as King Sunny Adé and Angélique Kidjo were also championed by Blackwell.
PolyGram acquisition.
In July 1989, Blackwell sold Island Records and Island Music to the PolyGram UK Group for £180 million; he explained in 2009: "It had gotten too big and too corporate for me and I couldn't really handle it." Following the sale, Island was no longer an independent company, but Blackwell was given a position on PolyGram's board and stayed on as CEO of PolyGram's new Island Entertainment division for ten years. PolyGram immediately began reissuing much of the Island back catalogue on compact disc and expanded Island's reach through its global manufacturing and distribution network, but the label was relatively unfocused in the 1990s. Between 1993 and 1995, Island had a sub-label called the Island Red Label, which focused on independent artists.
Blackwell eventually ended his association with the company in 1997, as the corporate life hindered the independent ethos of his personal life. "I never really had a job until I sold Island to PolyGram in 1989. It had gotten too corporate," he commented afterwards. After Blackwell left, PolyGram closed Island's film business. Blackwell left to found the Palm Pictures company and run a chain of boutique hotels in Miami, US and the Caribbean, including the very exclusive Goldeneye, once the Jamaican home of James Bond creator Ian Fleming. Then in May 1998, all of PolyGram and its associated labels were purchased by Seagram which announced its plan to integrate PolyGram with UMG to produce an estimated cost savings, within a couple of years, of between US$275 million and $300 million annually. Seagram further explained that the acquisition would unite a significant international presence with a thriving domestic business, as more than three-quarters of PolyGram's sales were outside the US.
Under Universal Music Group.
In December 1998 and the first three months of 1999, UMG placed three divisions under the management of the Island brand: one in the UK, one in the US, and one in Germany. In each territory, these companies were merged under umbrella groups:
However, in 2001, UMG was merged with French company Vivendi S.A. to create Vivendi Universal S.A.; but the music company remains under the name Universal Music Group (UMG).
In the US, Island became a predominantly pop/rock label, as their urban artists were assigned to either Def Jam or Def Soul, a new Island/Def Jam R&B imprint. Following the takeover of Island by UMG, flagship band U2 were dissatisfied after chief Jason Iley moved to the Mercury label in the mid-2000s and signed with Mercury for the UK and Interscope Records for the US. However, successful artists such as Tricky and PJ Harvey were impressed by the label and signed on as artists. Tricky explained: "I knew I could get freedom. I knew I could do what I wanted to do.", while Harvey later stated:
I came to work with them, sort of fully formed—the way that I looked, the way that I sounded: that was already there. And I felt, like, that they just supported where that was going to go.
The label celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009.
Island 50.
In 2009, Island Records marked the 50th anniversary of its foundation in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell with a series of live concerts and an exhibition under the Island 50 banner. The events were a celebration of the street-cool, independent outlook and striking visual imagery at the label's creative core. These festivities centred around a week-long run of shows at Shepherd's Bush Empire and Bush Hall in London. The concerts featured performances tracing the label's history from its reggae and jazz roots to the modern era. Among the artists who appeared were Sly & Robbie, Ernest Ranglin, Paul Weller, The Compass Point All Stars, The I Threes, Aswad, Kid Creole & the Coconuts, Grace Jones, Steel Pulse, Keane, Tom Tom Club, Toots & The Maytals, The Mighty Diamonds, Yusuf Islam/ Cat Stevens, Bombay Bicycle Club, Baaba Maal and U2. Another Island 50 tribute event was held over four nights at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, with Marianne Faithfull, Grace Jones and Sly & Robbie all appearing, and Chris Blackwell holding a Question & Answer session.
There was also a major exhibition at the Vinyl Factory Gallery in Soho, held in an open space beneath the record shop Phonica. The exhibition featured a display of treasured musical artifacts, including the Trabant car from the sleeve of U2's "Achtung Baby", Nick Drake's guitar, the dress worn by Amy Winehouse at the 2008 Grammy Awards, the handwritten lyric sheet for Winehouse's song "Love Is a Losing Game" and Bob Marley's passport application form. The exhibition contained 800 prints showcasing the work for Island of the photographers Adrian Boot, Jean-Paul Goude, Anton Corbijn, Gered Mankowitz, Keith Morris and Brian Cooke, and the London exhibition also featured live performances at the Vinyl Factory Gallery by DJ Shadow and PJ Harvey.
Into Island's sixth decade: 2009–2017.
Following its 50th anniversary in 2009, Island Records entered its sixth decade on a tide of optimism. The years that followed saw fresh success for a number of established acts, including PJ Harvey, Keane, Paul Weller and Bombay Bicycle Club and an exciting wave of new signings. In its largest live production since its 2009 anniversary, the label also staged a concert by The Weeknd and Jack Garratt on Osea Island, a small island in Essex, as part of a bespoke one-day festival for 400 guests, including label staff, media and 200 fans who obtained tickets via a ballot.
2016 proved a particularly successful year for the label in the UK: over a seven-week period between April and June, four separate Island acts spent at least one week at number one. The albums concerned were PJ Harvey's "The Hope Six Demolition Project", Drake's "Views" (which spent two weeks at number one), Ariana Grande's "Dangerous Woman" and Catfish & The Bottlemen's "The Ride".
Island's sixth decade: the artists.
PJ Harvey's eighth studio album, 2011's "Let England Shake", was one of the key records of Island's sixth decade. Made in a cliff-top church in Dorset, it won the 2011 Mercury Music Prize, making Harvey the only artist to land the prestigious award twice (she had prevailed ten years previously with "Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea"). Mumford & Sons, who grew out of a series of jam sessions in London in 2007, signed a licensing deal with Island in 2009. Heralded as standard bearers for a vibrant new wave of folkish, countrified rock, their debut album, "Sigh No More", sold two million, reaching number two in Britain and America. It also won best British album at the BRIT Awards in February 2011. The follow-up, "Babel", did even better in 2012, becoming the UK's fastest-selling album of that year, going to number one in Britain and the US and winning album of the year at the 2013 Grammy Awards. Island also secured the signing of English indie rock band Florence and the Machine whose debut studio album "Lungs" (2009) sold four million copies, and spent over 12 months on the UK Albums Chart before being crowned British Album Of The Year at the 2010 BRIT Awards ceremony. "Lungs" was followed by the studio albums "Ceremonials" (2011), and "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful" (2015).
Keane were another of the big successes of Island's sixth decade. Having topped the charts with their five million-selling debut album "Hopes and Fears" in 2004, they went on to secure five consecutive number-one albums in the UK (a feat bettered only by The Beatles), with subsequent releases "Under the Iron Sea" (2006), "Perfect Symmetry" (2008), "Night Train" (2010) and "Strangeland" (2012) all topping the charts. Paul Weller's relationship with Island dates back to his fourth solo album, 1997's "Heavy Soul", and its 2000 follow-up Heliocentric. He returned to the label in 2008 and began an outstanding trilogy of releases that contained some of his strongest solo work "22 Dreams" (2008), the Mercury Music Prize-nominated "Wake Up The Nation" (2010) and "Sonik Kicks" (2012).
North London quartet Bombay Bicycle Club also released four albums on Island, with each one signalling a change of direction: the indie-rock of 2009's "I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose" paved the way for 2010's folkier "Flaws", the modern rock of 2011's "A Different Kind Of Fix" and the broad-based invention of 2014's "So Long, See You Tomorrow". Having built a loyal live following, Catfish & The Bottlemen signed to Island in 2014. After reaching platinum sales status in the UK with their Top Ten debut album, "The Balcony", the Welsh rock band won the BBC Introducing Award at the first BBC Music Awards in 2014 and were crowned British Breakthrough Act at the BRIT Awards in 2016 (an award voted for by Radio 1 listeners). Their second album, 2016's "The Ride", was a UK number one.
Island was also responsible for securing major British breakthroughs for two of the 21st century's biggest international superstars in Drake and The Weeknd. The success of Toronto hip-hop artist Drake came after the label had worked patiently to build his profile over a number of years, culminating in the success of his fourth album "Views" and its attendant singles in 2016. "One Dance", Drake's first number one single in the UK, had 1.95 million sales to become Britain's biggest-selling single of 2016. The single's 15-week run at number one equalled the mark for the second longest in UK chart history. With the Island-signed Mike Posner having held the number one spot with "I Took a Pill in Ibiza" for four consecutive weeks before being replaced by "One Dance", Island held the top spot in the UK singles chart for 19 consecutive weeks between March and August 2016. To crown a record-breaking year, Drake was named the world's best-selling recording artist of 2016 by international music industry organisation IFPI in February 2017.
Canadian singer and songwriter The Weeknd also cemented his position as one of the world's leading recording artists, with the 2016 success of his third album "Starboy". Its success was the culmination of a strategy that had seen Island build his UK profile over a four-year period that dated from his 2013 studio album "Kiss Land". Island's commitment to further nurturing the careers of global superstars was reiterated in June 2016 with the signing of Sean Paul. The Jamaican singer, rapper and songwriter released "No Lie" (featuring the Youngest English-Albanian Dua Lipa), his first single for Island, in November 2016.
Signed to Island via a licensing deal with independent label PMR, Disclosure were formed by two brothers from Reigate in Surrey, Guy and Howard Lawrence. The duo discovered the joys of nineties house, techno and two-step garage while studying music production at college, and went on to enjoy success with their two Island albums "Settle" (2013) and "Caracal" (2015), making extensive use of an array of guest vocalists including Sam Smith, Jamie Woon, Eliza Doolittle, Lorde and Gregory Porter. One of the acts who guested on "Settle" was AlunaGeorge, a boy-girl duo from London (singer Aluna Francis and musician and producer George Reid), who released their debut album, "Body Music", on Island in 2013. Like Disclosure, Jessie Ware signed to Island through a link with independent label PMR. A soulful singer-songwriter from Brixton, Ware was nominated for the 2012 Mercury Music Prize with her smooth debut album, Devotion, and enjoyed further success with 2014's Tough Love. Another Island act to enjoy a significant breakthrough was Yorkshire singer John Newman, who topped the UK charts with his first solo single, "Love Me Again", and his debut album Tribute.
In May 2018, incumbent president David Massey left Island to join Sony Music Entertainment's relaunch of Arista Records. Darcus Beese, OBE took on the role of president upon Massey's departure. To make the transition, Beese relocated from the United Kingdom to Island's offices at Universal Music Group's New York City building.
In June 2021, Imran Majid and Justin Eshak were named co-CEOs of Island Records. They assumed the position on January 1, 2022.
Seventh decade and further expansions: 2019–present.
On 23 July 2020, Universal Music Group and its local subsidiary MCA Music launched Island Records Philippines, the first Southeast Asian branch of the 61-year old label. The Philippines branch is led by former Sony Music Philippines and Sindikato Management executive Enzo Valdez.
Manga Entertainment.
Island World Communications, under the leadership of Blackwell and Andy Frain, created Manga Entertainment Ltd, the anime and live action Japanese film division of Island in 1991. In that year, Laurence Guinness, the Senior VP at Island World Communications bought the distribution license for "Akira" from ICA Projects in London, and the distribution of what was the label's first release is considered a crucial milestone in the establishment of anime in the UK. In 1994, Island sold the distribution licenses for most of Manga's releases to Siren Entertainment, an independent entertainment company in Australia. Those rights were then given to Madman Entertainment in 1999 when Siren became solely an acquisitions company.
Artists and recordings.
The recording roster of Island Records, both past and present, has been and continues to be diverse. The label continues to champion new music, a practice that was highlighted at the Island Records 50th anniversary event, at which new artists provided the entertainment.
Subsidiaries and labels.
This list is probably incomplete, and some of the dates are uncertain.
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References.
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Future Islands
American synth-pop band
Future Islands is an American synth-pop band based in Baltimore, Maryland, comprising Gerrit Welmers (keyboards and programming), William Cashion (bass, acoustic and electric guitars), Samuel T. Herring (lyrics and vocals), and Michael Lowry (percussion). The band was formed in January 2006 by Welmers, Cashion and Herring—the remaining members of the performance art college band Art Lord & the Self-Portraits—and drummer Erick Murillo.
Future Islands came to prominence in 2014 with their fourth album "Singles" released by 4AD. Its lead single "Seasons (Waiting on You)" was considered the best song of 2014 by "Pitchfork", and "NME" and its performance at the "Late Show with David Letterman" in March 2014, became the most-viewed video on the show's YouTube page.
History.
2003–2005: Origins – Art Lord & the Self-Portraits.
Sam Herring and Gerrit Welmers grew up in Morehead City, North Carolina, two streets away from each other, and attended the same middle school in Newport, North Carolina. They became friends around 1998, when they were in 8th grade. Herring had started making hip-hop music when he was 13 or 14, while Gerrit was a skater with interests in metal and punk music who bought his first guitar at age 14. Having different musical backgrounds, they did not consider making music together during high school.
William Cashion started playing guitar when he was around 13, having had a couple of bands as a teenager in Raleigh, where he commuted to high school from Wendell, North Carolina. In 2002 he enrolled in the painting and drawing program at East Carolina University and had drawing classes with Sam Herring.
The idea to form a band came while Cashion was helping Herring study for an art history exam. They invited local record shop personality Adam Beeby to play rhythmic keyboards and fellow art student Kymia Nawabi for percussion and backing vocals. After a tumultuous debut on Valentine's Day February 14, 2003, at Soccer Moms' House, Herring also invited Welmers to join the band. Only Cashion and Welmers already played a musical instrument—the guitar—but Cashion took the bass and Welmers the keyboards, for a Kraftwerk-inspired sound.
Sam Herring played Locke Ernst-Frost, an arrogant narcissistic artist from Germany, Ohio, dressed in a 70s-inspired white suit with slicked-back hair, and a heavy German accent. The character's name originally was meant to be Oarlock Ernest Frost but it got shortened as a reference to John Locke, the seventeenth-century philosopher; Max Ernst, the artist; and Robert Frost, the American poet.
The band quickly gained a local reputation and started touring the underground venues in the Southeast, playing shows with North Carolina acts like Valient Thorr and Baltimore artists such as Height, Videohippos, OCDJ, Nuclear Power Pants, Santa Dads, Ecstatic Sunshine, Blood Baby, Ponytail and electronic musician Dan Deacon whom they met during a show on May 26, 2004.
Nawabi who was already a senior when Cashion, Herring and Welmers were freshmen, left the band to prepare for her graduation project in June–July 2003. When Adam Beeby had to leave Greenville in September 2005, the remaining members dissolved the band.
2006–2007: Formation – "Little Advances".
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The name is meant to be vague. ... We were either gonna be called Already Islands or Future Shoes. Because, seriously, you don't know what future shoes look like, but you know you'd want a pair! (you know?). So after deciding Already Shoes was a bad name, we combined them to Future Islands. That's the boring truth, sorry!
—William Cashion, stated to BMore Musically Informed – September 30, 2009.
When Art Lord & the Self Portraits disbanded in late 2005, its members forgot they had discussed with alt-country band The Texas Governor the possibility of touring together. Future Islands was formed in early 2006 to keep that commitment, with an original line-up consisting of Cashion, Herring, Welmers and Erick Murillo—bassist for The Kickass —who played an electronic drum kit.
Already as Art Lord & the Self-Portraits, the band wanted to change their image and took this opportunity to do so. William Cashion stated: "Me and Gerrit had been talking for a while about how we wanted to get rid of the gimmick. We wanted to be taken seriously. Our songs had outgrown the gimmick that the band was made on. The songs were starting to deal with bigger, personal, universal themes. We wanted to be taken seriously."
The band played their first show on February 12, 2006, at an anti-Valentine's Day party in a venue called the Turducken house, opening for about a dozen bands. After writing 6-7 songs in only one week, they had to come up with a new name quickly, narrowing it down to two choices—Future Shoes and Already Islands—and combining them into one. Future Islands self-released the EP "Little Advances" on April 28, 2006, which they recorded in March 2006.
A couple of months later, Herring dropped out of college and left Greenville to deal with a substance abuse problem he had acquired: "In June, I left town and didn't come back. It was just drug problems, man. I got sucked into the darkness of partying and shit college kids do. I came clean to my parents and said, 'Look, I have a problem and need your help.' I stayed at my parent's for about a month and then moved across the state to Asheville, North Carolina. It took about a year for me to get my act together."
The band still continued and on January 6, 2007, they self-released a split CD with Welmers' solo project Moss of Aura, recorded in December 2006.
2007–2008: "Wave Like Home".
In July 2007, Future Islands recorded their debut album "Wave Like Home" with Chester Endersby Gwazda at Backdoor Skateshop in Greenville. As Cashion describes: "When we did "Wave Like Home", we were working with a really tight schedule. Sam lived in Asheville and could only be in Greenville to record for a week or so, and we had to work very fast. We recorded the whole album in 3 days, and we spent about a month mixing it."
After a Halloween party in 2007, Erick Murillo quit the band. Having finished his degree, Cashion moved back to Raleigh: "We were scattered across North Carolina. I was living in Raleigh on friends' couches, Gerrit was in Greenville and Sam was in Asheville, which was five hours away." Between November 2007 and June 2008, Future Islands—encouraged by Dan Deacon and Benny Boeldt from Baltimore band Adventure—relocated to Baltimore. Cashion moved in November, Herring in January and finally Welmers. There, they could have access to cheap rent, be part of a supportive community and be closer to cities like New York and Washington, which allowed them to tour more extensively.
During the first half of 2008, the band added another drummer, Sam Ortiz from the Baltimore band Thrust Lab, who left weeks before the start of their first national tour in late July. On August 5, 2008, the band released the track "Follow You (Pangea Version)" as part of a split 7-inch with Deacon, through the label 307 Knox Records. Future Islands' track on the EP "Follow You (Pangea version)" was recorded in April 2006 at the Bonque house in Greenville, North Carolina during the Pangea sessions: the band's first proper session with Chester Endersby Gwazda.
London-based label Upset The Rhythm released "Wave Like Home" on August 25, 2008, which made sales difficult in the US due to the import costs. The cover art was designed by Kymia Nawabi, a former member of Art Lord & the Self-Portraits. She also designed the cover art of the "Feathers and Hallways" 7-inch which was recorded in Oakland, California, on July 21, 2008, during their first U.S. tour. Produced by Chester Endersby Gwazda, it was released on April 15, 2009, by Upset The Rhythm. This single was their first release as a focused three-piece: "We have definitely talked about adding a drummer at some point, when the time is right, but right now it just makes sense to be a three piece if, for nothing else, the fact that it is really easy to tour as a three piece. We really have very little gear. We really just have PA speakers for the keyboard and a bass amp."
2008–2010: "In Evening Air".
The strain of the band's first two consecutive national tours led to the end of Herring's long-term relationship in late 2008. This became the theme of Future Islands' second album "In Evening Air" whose first songs were written right after the breakup. In early 2009, the band toured Europe for the first time. The song "Tin Man" took the band through Dan Deacon's "Bromst" US and European tour.
Later that year, the band signed to independent record company Thrill Jockey. It was Double Dagger's bassist Bruce Willen who was responsible for giving the label a demo that contained early mixes of "Tin Man", "Walking Through That Door", "Long Flight" and "As I Fall". Future Islands began writing the rest of the album after Whartscape 2009 and recorded it in the band's living room in the historic Marble Hill neighborhood in Baltimore, with Chester Enderby Gwazda in July 2009. Released May 4, 2010, the cover art was again designed by Kymia Nawabi.
In February 2010, Future Islands released through the NYC art collective Free Danger the EP "The Post Office Chapel Wave" with remixes by Pictureplane, Javelin, Jones and Moss Of Aura, and collaborations with No Age and Victoria Legrand from Beach House. Future Islands debut with Thrill Jockey was the EP "In the Fall" released in April 2010 and produced by Chester Enderby Gwazda. Its title track featured vocals by Katrina Ford from Celebration. The EP also included an extended version of "Tin Man", a 2007 track "Virgo Distracts" and "Awake and Dreaming" which had been written for "In Evening Air" but did not fit the mood of the album. The cover art was shot by Bruce Willen from Post Typography.
Interested in expanding their sound, on July 7, 2010, the band recorded "Undressed", an acoustic EP at Mobtown Studios, Baltimore for a radio broadcast. Produced by Mat Leffler-Schulman, the art cover was again designed by Kymia Nawabi. Played live at an art opening and at Whartscape 2010, the EP was released in September of that year: "We had been talking about arranging and performing an acoustic show for a while, and in the summer of 2010, Elena Johnston and Natasha Tylea invited us to do an acoustic performance at the opening of the "Wild Nothing" photography show that they curated. We got some friends together and figured out the acoustic versions."
On November 4, 2010, Future Islands released a split 7-inch with the Raleigh band Lonnie Walker featuring the track "The Ink Well". The cover art was by Elena Johnston and the single lead to the creation of the Baltimore independent label Friends Records.
2011–2012: "On the Water".
Following a year of solid touring, Future Islands recorded their third album "On the Water" in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, between late May and early June 2011 with producer Chester Endersby Gwazda. William Cashion commented "Being secluded and free from distractions was the most important aspect of our going to North Carolina. Our friend Abe [Sanders] pretty much let us take over his house for ten days, and that gave us a lot of freedom to focus on writing and recording."
Not wanting to be pigeonholed, the band went against the expectation generated by "In Evening Air", and the upbeat tone of the previous album was followed by a slow-burning record. Welmers' dance-floor-ready synthesizer and Cashion's uptempo bass were stripped down. The tone of the lyrics changed, according to Herring: "Because I didn't have that same anger, so I don't write about it."
Friction between the band and Thrill Jockey started to appear during the recording sessions, as Herring commented: "We had some issues. There was someone from the label hanging around talking about deadlines. Can we not talk about business while writing a song? Do you want it to be a good album, or do you want it to come out on time?"
Pressured by their label, the band rushed the mix and promotion of the album. The lead single "Before the Bridge/Find Love" was released on July 19, 2011, and the album on October 11, 2011. It featured a duet with Jenn Wasner from Wye Oak on the track "The Great Fire" and the art cover was designed by Baltimore artist Elena Johnston. After one year of touring "On the Water", the band broke ties with their label.
On July 17, 2012, Future Islands released a charity split single with Baltimore band Ed Schrader's Music Beat through Famous Class records, featuring the song "Cotton Flower" and on September 3, 2012, they released the single "Tomorrow/The Fountain" through their previous label—Upset the Rhythm.
2013–2015: "Singles".
Having toured for five consecutive years, in 2013 Future Islands was finally able to afford taking a break from the road, to write their fourth album: "We sank everything we had into ["Singles"]. It's definitely our most polished record. We were able to take time off the road because of the money we had saved from years of touring, so were able to write while not under the pressure of being in between tours."
They started writing in February 2013 in a rented hunting cabin in rural North Carolina, while rehearsing for the tenth anniversary of Art Lord & the Self-Portraits' first show. About the writing process, Herring described: "We ended up demoing about 24 or 25 songs, then went into the studio and decided to do 13 of those, and by the end of it we decided it would be a ten-track record. The writing process started in February – there were two or three songs that we had from the year before that we'd demoed – we stopped writing in the last week of July, and went into the studio in the first week of August. So there was a good five and a half, six months of writing, and getting together two or three times a week over that period to just jam and see what came up."
The band financed the album and recorded it at the Dreamland studios in Hurley, New York, in August 2013 with producer Chris Coady. In early 2014, the Future Islands announced they had signed a three-album deal to 4AD, who released "Singles" on March 24, 2014. The cover art was by mixed media artist Beth Hoeckel.
The band made their network television début on March 3, 2014, on "The Late Show with David Letterman", performing the lead single "Seasons (Waiting on You)". Their performance on the show, particularly Herring's onstage antics, became an internet success, and garnered millions of views on YouTube. "Seasons (Waiting on You)" was eventually named the best song of 2014 by Pitchfork Media, the Pazz & Jop critics' poll, and Consequence of Sound. The success of the album led the "Singles" tour to extend itself until November 2015.
In February 2015, Future Islands wrote the single "The Chase"/"Haunted by You" and recorded it in March with producer Jim Eno at Public Hi-Fi, Austin, Texas. The single was released on April 29, 2015, with a cover art by Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez.
2016–2019: "The Far Field".
In 2016, Future Islands took a break from touring and started writing their fifth