March 05, 2016

The Foreign Films: stream "Side 4" from the double album "The Record Collector"

Bill Majoros of Hamilton one-man band The Foreign Films has put up Side 4 of his work-in-progress project, the double album The Record Collector, after kicking thins off with Side 2 (2014 )and Side 3 (2015). In fact, it's no longer a double album, but it will be a triple: the third record will be filled with the all new "Fall Of The Summer Heart" suite and unreleased tracks.

Final sides of double albums are used to rethink and summarize the contents of the preceding sides. The tracks are slower and often fully orchestrated, with a melancholic finale looking to the future beyond the last track. Side 4 carefully follows that blueprint. Majoros is very much in love with the lavish pop sounds of the late Sixties and early Seventies, and has come up with his own brand of layered, complex melodies, weaving sonic tapestries containing elements of jazz, West Coast pop and even Caribbean percussion. Dutch musician Wim Oudijk took care of the arrangements, connecting the dots between Brian Wilson, Elton John and Billy Joel.

When a project of this size takes a few years to reach completion, changes are that finished product will suffer from overthinking. Majoros stays clear of the pitfalls and is now nearly done fulfilling his dream of making his own contribution to the pantheon of classic double albums a reality.

The Foreign Films:
Bill Majoros: lead vocals, lead guitars, drums and percussion, piano, synthesizers, organ, electric piano, theremin
Carl Jennings: bass, bk vocals, additional guitar, moog bass pedals, omni-chord, synthesizer, percussion
Wim Oudijk: string and horn arrangements, additional keyboards, pedal steel, assorted tone percussion
Scott Neilson: saxophone
Kirk Starkey: cellos
Rebecca Everett: bk vocals on "Aloha Blue Sky, "Sunset Beyond The Sea"
Kori Pop, Steve Eggers: bk vocals on "A Letter (to our future selves)"

The Record Collector will be released later this year as a triple vinyl album. Majoros in a piece for The Vinyl District:

The record comes in a special-edition 3-disc set that includes a vinyl-only bonus disc of rare and unreleased tracks including the 13 minute “Fall Of The Summer Heart” suite—all available on wax for the first time. This collector’s edition includes exclusive artwork from Japanese artist Madoka Kumagai, Kori Pop, and Canadian designer Greg Vickers (Afternoons In Stereo). Released on vivid blue swirl vinyl housed in a sturdy custom-die-cut sleeve, this release includes a full-colour 8-page booklet containing lyrics and photos. It’ll be out later this year. But today I release “Side 4.”

Buy (pay-what-you want) Side 4 from his website.

Tracks:
  1. Aloha Blue Sky
  2. Falling Like a Star
  3. Time Disappears (la lune de l'amour)
  4. Dream Another Dream
  5. Sunset Beyond the Sea
  6. A Letter (to our future selves)

» theforeignfilms.com

HCTF review of Side 3.

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