The Dream Girls

One of the most versatile musicians of his generation, Richard Rodney Bennett was at the forefront of British musical life for nearly half a century. This new recording from the National Youth Choir of Scotland's National Girls Choir compiles a programme of Bennett's choral works from across his compositional life, as well as a collection of charming folk-tunes and nursery rhymes for piano duet (Over the Hills and Far Away). This is Signum's second release with NYCoS, who in 2011 became the first youth arts organisation to receive a Royal Philharmonic Society Award. It follows their 2010 debut release of Benjamin Britten's 'A Ceremony of Carols' and Elizabeth Poston's 'An English Day-Book' (SIGCD228).

A beautiful and indelible record, firmly establishing Tashaki Miyaki's singular sound and voice. Beautiful dream pop.On their debut LP The Dream, Tashaki Miyaki assuredly expand beyond the minimalist sound of their acclaimed EP. Lush, sweeping arrangements float around the steady groove of the rhythm section and Luke Paquin's other-worldly, atmospheric guitar work. Lyrical themes of existential crisis, contemporary American culture, & romantic love are given an extra ache by Paige Stark's haunting, molasses vocals.

During the latter half of the 1980s, a wave of alternative artists began to explore a gentler, more ethereal sound, bringing a dream-like aesthetic to the rock and pop idiom. Taking its lead from the UK (and the 4AD label in particular), this refined approach soon spread, particularly to the United States, slowly picking up the moniker “dream pop” – a catch-all term rather than a genre within itself.
Curated by the same team as our successful ‘Still In A Dream’ 2016 shoegaze set, ‘Cherry Stars Collide’ explores that sound as it emerged in the mid-80s and proceeded to define a less grounded, more thoughtful approach to musical expression than was offered elsewhere. Fusing and blending with other genres along the way. – from the guitar driven shoegaze movement and proto-Britpop to the post ‘C-86’ generation and the nascent leftfield clubbing scene – that sound both drew in artists already operating elsewhere and inspired new artists to embark their own journey.