Archived News
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Live at Rich Mix
On November 12 at Rich Mix, Nitin will perform an exclusive set featuring blistering sounds including cutting edge Asian breakbeat, dubstep and ambiences infused with his unique feel. Accompanied by the astounding talents of regular band members, Ashwin Srinivasan on flute/vox, Aref Durvesh on tabla/dholak, Jason Singh on beatbox and Tina Grace on vox for a unique blend drawn from flamenco, Indian classical music, Brazilian samba and hip hop.
For full details, including where to get tickets, visit the Live Appearances page.
September/24/2009
Win Tickets to Oxjam
Oxfam is running a competition to win a pair of tickets to one of the four Oxjam one-off gigs happening in October. Visit the Oxjam site to enter, and you may be seeing Nitin performing with Tony Allen and Shlomo on September 29. Hurry - the competition closes at midnight BST on September 22.
September/21/2009
Taking The Lead
Nitin Sawhney shortlisted for London 2012 Cultural Olympiad: Have your say on who you would choose.
Artists Taking the Lead is one of the major projects of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad and is being developed by Arts Council England in partnership with London 2012 and the arts councils of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Twelve commissions of up to £500,000 will be awarded to create 12 new works of art across the country. The project was launched in March 2009 with a call to artists to submit their ideas. Over 2,000 artists applied. The submissions were judged by panels of artists and producers in each of the nations and regions. Nitin has been shortlisted with his project Global Bedroom Orchestra. Go to www.artiststakingthelead.org.uk/london to have your say on which project you would choose to go forward if you were on the panel.
September/02/2009
Nitin to Headline the Musicport Festival
On October 23, Nitin will be headlining the opening night of "UK's largest indoor world music Festival". The Musicport Festival is celebrating it's 10th anniversary at The Spa Bridlington, East Yorkshire. Full evening tickets £27.50. Other acts include Abdullah Chhadeh & Syriana, The Ukrainians & Carmen Souza.
For tickets and further details please go to www.musicportfestival.com
September/02/2009
In Support of Oxfam
Nitin will be among a number of artist playing in support of Oxfam, as part of the Oxjam Music Festival. Other artists involved in Oxjam include Basement Jaxx, Fatboy Slim, Stereo MCs and Tony Allen. The festival kicks off on September 28, with Nitin playing on September 29.
Oxfam is happy to offer a special ticket presale, starting today, to Nitin's fans. Visit the Oxjam presale page for your chance to get tickets before anyone else.
Tickets for the Oxfam shop gigs will be available to the general public from 9:00 am on Friday, September 4 from WeGotTickets.com.
September/02/2009
Aftershock Genoa
Earlier this month, Nitin was in Genoa, Italy, working with eleven emerging artists on a new Aftershock project. The collaborative musical creation culminated in a one-off performance in Genoa on June 19.
There are two upcoming Aftershock projects scheduled for Marseilles (Sept 2009) and Manchester (Jan 2010). Stay tuned for updates and check the Upcoming Educational Appearances page. In the meantime, visit the Aftershock site for behind the scenes photos and video from the participating artists.
June/23/2009
Nitin Sawhney and Akram Khan curate India festival at Sadler’s Wells
Sadler's Wells Artistic Director and CEO Alistair Spalding appoints two pioneering figures to curate a two week festival of Indian music and dance from Monday 16 – Saturday 28 November 2009.
Multi-award winning composer Nitin Sawhney and dancer-choreographer Akram Khan are two of Britain's most exciting artists. Both are long-time collaborators whose previous productions for Sadler's Wells include the critically acclaimed bahok and the universally celebrated zero degrees. Appointed as curators of Svapnagata, a brand new Sadler's Wells initiative, Khan and Sawhney bring together a host of exceptional talent, uniting the best of both Indian and British Asian musicians, dancers and choreographers. Offering a wide range of events across the main house and the Lilian Baylis Studio, this unique festival features over 60 performers and a dazzling array of presentations from some of the finest artists working today.
Meaning 'dreaming' in Sanskrit, Svapnagata begins and ends with new works commissioned by Sadler's Wells. Sawhney and Khan each open the festival with an evening of work, on Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 November respectively. The festival culminates in the world premiere of Confluence from Thursday 26 to Saturday 28 November, a collaborative Sadler's Wells Production with both artists which celebrates their history and personal journey together from their earliest piece Kaash to the most recent bahok.
Alistair Spalding comments "I'm thrilled that Sadler's Wells is able to produce this landmark festival and to appoint as curators two exceptional artists with a shared British Asian background and creative vision. For Svapnagata they have gathered together classical artists at the highest level who are keen to show their work within a contemporary context. I have no doubt the results will be fascinating."
In the course of the two week festival are performances by a host of internationally acclaimed Asian artists spanning; former child prodigy and electric mandolin player U Shrinivas (Wednesday 18 November), international Sitar star and Grammy nominee Anoushka Shankar (Tuesday 24 November) and British Asian actor Riz Ahmed. Presenting an evening of music in the Lilian Baylis Studio on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 November under his alter ego title Riz MC, Ahmed is perhaps best known for his latest role as Shifty in the eponymous film released in April 2009 “consolidating his position as one of the UK's brightest talents” (The Guardian).
Dance highlights include former Pina Bausch dancer Shantala Shivalingappa, presenting Shiva Ganga, a solo evening of the classical southern Indian dance form kuchipudi on Monday 23 November and emerging British kathak dancer Aakash Odedra performing in the Lilian Baylis Studio on Thursday 19 and Friday 20 November. The festival also includes talks and discussions with the artists. These end with an afternoon debate chaired by award-winning cultural journalist Maya Jaggi, in the Lilian Baylis Studio on Saturday 28 November.
Nitin Sawhney says "I am very excited and proud for Akram and I to be presenting such a range of artistic talent at Svapnagata. Although all the artists have a strong base in South Asian Arts and heritage, their work is universal, contemporary, globally relevant and ultimately entrenched in the language of humanity."
Akram Khan says "To bring these artists under one umbrella is incredibly exciting. They all come from different places, yet have a common denominator in that they work from a base within the Indian art forms, and are able to transcend boundaries of tradition, genre, or culture."
For further information and tickets please visit
Sadler's Wells
Akram Khan Company
May/21/2009
Nitin to play Europe this summer
We're pleased to announce four new dates Nitin will be playing in the UK and Italy this summer. Joining him for these dates will be Aref Durvesh (tabla and dhalok), Ian Burdge (cello), Martyn Kaine (drums), and Luci Jules and Tina Grace (voice). Nitin will be visiting Brighton and Cornwall in the UK, and Rome and Locorotondo in Italy.
For full information on these shows, including where to get tickets, visit the Live Appearances page.
May/20/2009
New Date Announced
Nitin will be taking part in Norway's Mai:Jazz later this spring. On May 8, Nitin will be performing at Folken in Stavanger. Mai:Jazz is the city's longest-running music festival, and features a wide array of artists throughout the city.
Tickets for the show cost 180 to 230 NOK, and are available right now through Ticketmaster Norway. For more details visit the Live Appearances page.
March/26/2009
Blindsight DVD Release
They lost their sight, not their vision.
Voted by The Times as one of ‘The 100 Best Films of 2008’, award-winning documentary Blindsight, featuring music by Nitin Sawhney, is released on DVD on March 30th 2009. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Himalayas, Blindsight follows the gripping adventure of six Tibetan teenagers who set out to climb the 23,000 foot Lhakpa Ri on the north side of Mount Everest. A dangerous journey soon becomes a seemingly impossible challenge made all the more remarkable by the fact that the teenagers are blind. Led by inspirational blind mountain climber Erik Weihenmayer.
Available from all good retailers, including Amazon UK.
March/17/2009
Nitin on the Verb
Nitin will be joining Peter Belgvad and host Ian McMillan to record an upcoming episode of BBC Radio 3's The Verb. Free tickets to be in the studio at the BBC Radio Theatre on February 6 are available now through the BBC's website. In case you can't be there in person, stay tuned for an air date for this episode of the program.
More details are available on the Appearances page.
January/13/2009
Nitin artist-in-residence at Traces Festival in Tilburg
The Dutch Traces Festival, hosted by 013 Popcentre, Theaters Tilburg, Paradox and Factorium, will be the playground for Nitin as artist-in-residence from January 16 till January 25. Traces is a festival in Tilburg about cultural diversity, cross-overs and collaboration between professionals, students and amateur musicians.
Nitin will perform two orchestral shows at the Traces festival with the Dutch Metropole Orchestra. First, on January 16, a retrospective of his own work, with participation from Natacha Atlas; then on January 18 A Throw Of Dice, the 1929 Franz Osten silent film, will be screened with Nitin performing on piano accompanied by members of his band.
On January 17, the Nitin Sawhney Sound System will perform a drum 'n bass gig, with guests including drum 'n bass pioneers Instra:Mental. On January 22, Nitin will be the curator at Theaters Tilburg. He has selected film themes and rhythms for the "Around the World" concert, with a chamber orchestra of talented students from the Tilburg Fontys Conservatorium. On January 23 he will perform an improvised Playlab session with Jeroen van Vliet and other Dutch jazz musicians. On January 24 he will be interviewed by Dutch music journalist Leon Verdonschot, at Paradox, about his working process, projects and the festival. For his final performance, Nitin will participate in the project "London-Tilburg Undersounds" on January 25. This event is a Community Arts Project of the city of Tilburg with Jeroen van Vliet and amateur students of Factorium Tilburg in the industrial Zwijssen Complex.
For full details on these events, visit the Live Appearances section.
January/09/2009
Nitin Interview on New Year's Day
Earlier this month, Nitin did an interview with Aad van Nieuwkerk for De Wissel (Radio 6) in The Netherlands. Beginning January 1, the interview will be airing on Radio 6, as well as video on the De Wissel web site. Be sure to tune in.
December/24/2008
Nitin Mentoring at Ctrl.Alt.Shift
Nitin is giving his support to a charity performance, happening on November 22.
Ctrl.Alt.Shift, in association with Sadler's Wells, presents five young contemporary dance companies from the UK and Africa, tackling issues surrounding HIV through dance and movement. In his role as Ambassador, Nitin will be
attending a rehearsal of the performance to mentor some of the artists involved.
I'm big on creative collaborations and am trying my hand at something a bit different this month. I'm all for young people making a difference so have committed time to working as an ambassador, offering creative support and guidance, on a project which combines music and dance, exploring the issues around HIV. It's with Sadler's Well's, the country's leading dance venue, and Ctrl.Alt.Shift, Britain's first user-generated initiative, which aims to engage with issues of global development. The whole thing will culminate on November 22nd, with a show at the Peacock Theatre, where hip hop dancers and other artists - both from the UK and Africa - will perform. Lend your support by signing up to Ctrl.Alt.Shift at www.ctrl.alt.shift.co.uk and by coming to the show.
- Nitin Sawhney
Alongside OYO from Namibia, groups Boy Blue Entertainment, East London Dance Youth Company, Bennu Youth Dance, and FuzzyLogic will be performing to music by artists such as Mike Skinner, Mystery Jets, Goldilocks and Boy Better Know. Audiences will also get insight into the creative process of the pieces on stage through audio-visual segments.
The event takes place at the Peacock Theatre in Holborn. Tickets are £5 and can be booked through Sadler's Wells.
November/13/2008
Where to Get "London Undersound"
London Undersound is out now. You can pick it up from the following retailers.
October/20/2008
Unplugged audiovisual performance at the BFI
onedotzero, supported by the Arts Council England, commissioned and produced this exclusive collaboration between one of Britain's most influential and versatile musicians, Nitin Sawhney, and visionary stage designer Es Devlin, whose impressive creative experience ranges from Carmen to Kanye.
This incredible interdisciplinary project is part of the onedotzero_adventures in motion festival at BFI Southbank [November 14,15 + 16] - the most innovative international showcase of audio-visual arts which presents the brightest up and coming talents alongside new works by world leading creative luminaries.
Remixing and merging soundscapes and alternative tracks from Nitin's impressive catalogue including elements for Nitin's new album London Undersound, along with stunning immersive visualisations which integrate real time footage of the audience, Es and Nitin present a dramatic unplugged audiovisual performance in exploration of this years festival thematic 'citystates' – a creative enquiry in to the modern metropolis.
The show includes additional vocal performances by Natty, Luci Jules, Reena Bhardwaj and Tina Grace, with vocal and flute by Ashwin Srinivasan, instrumental accompaniment by Aref Durvesh, Martyn Kaine and Ian Burdge, and dance performance by Dan Van Huynh.
Utilising the stunning scale of Imax's screen, stage and surround sound system, Es and Nitin bring to life a truly unique vision and dialogue around the festival theme of citystates.
"From the diversity and collective emotions of the London Diaspora comes a cohesive sound .... This is both a celebration and lament for the surges of social, human & political change that define the ever-shifting character of London."
- Nitin Sawhney
_________________________________________
"The collaboration on the theme of citystates began with thoughts about time lived in London, and developed into a meditation about thinking about Time itself, with London as a metaphor, broadened by the philosophical, meditational quality of Nitin's music plus the visual lateral-thinking introduced by onedotzero.
It is about living in London over time, applying layers of our many-aged selves over re-trodden maps of the city. When I walk up Tottenham Court Road now I am also walking over the memory of my 28 year old and 18 year old selves treading that same pavement. The city is represented as an evolving multi-verse of rooms, the individual framed by a single window - a vantage point for mapping the quality of this reality."
- Es Devlin
For more details and ticket information, please visit our Appearances page.
Production, content + support by onedotzero_industries.
onedotzero tv | onedotzero | onedotzero blog
October/17/2008
Nitin provides score for new short film
Noise of the Past presents a Premier Launch Event of the film Unravelling
Unravelling, a new short film premiering at the Coventry Cathedral on November 8, 2008, is inspired from an inter-generational dialogue in poetry which asks and tells of the experiences of war between Sawarn Singh - a WII veteran - and his grandson Kuldip Powar. The director Powar, posed questions about memories of War in Urdu poetry to his Grandfather - an Indian soldier who fought for the British in Burma, the Middle East and Africa before moving to Coventry in the 1950s.
The production of the film was developed from a unique 'call and response' process. Acclaimed music composer Nitin Sawhney responded to and incorporated the poetic dialogue to produce an original haunting score. In turn, the director weaved textured visuals with Nitin's score to deliver a powerful 'unravelling'. This film is an evocative and searching exploration of colonial legacy and belonging in contemporary Britain.
Unravelling will continue to be screened 11th – 23rd November 2008, The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Jordan Well, Coventry, CV1 5QP.
The film has been produced by the AHRC project Noise of the Past, which creatively engages with post-colonial histories of war.
For more information on this event, visit our Appearances page.
October/17/2008
Electric Proms Video
Right now on the Electric Proms site, you can watch a video of Nitin, and a few of his London Undersound collaborators.
The video follows the creative process for the lead up to the electric Proms, as well as discussions about the new album. It shows the press launch for the album with Reena Bhardwaj commenting and Antony Gormley.
Please note, this video is not viewable in all regions.
October/14/2008
Volunteers Needed
As you no doubt know, Nitin will soon be embarking on a nationwide tour in celebration of his upcoming new album London Undersound.
Tickets are on sale for all dates now, but how would you like to go for free?
We are looking for 2 Nitin fans for each date of the tour to spend some time handing out flyers promoting the new album as people arrive at the venue. In return for this you will receive a pair of free tickets to the evening’s show!
Interested? Send an email to Pete@CookingVinyl.com stating which date of the tour you would like to cover.
The tour dates in full are:
- Oct 27/08 - Manchester Academy
- Oct 28/08 - Birmingham Town Hall
- Oct 29/08 - Bristol Anson Rooms
- Nov 1/08 - Sheffield Leadmill
- Nov 3/08 - Leeds Stylus
- Nov 5/08 - Cambridge Junction
- Nov 6/08 - Brighton Corn Exchange
- Nov 7/08 - Oxford Academy
UPDATE - OCT 15, 2008
A big thank you to everyone who volunteered! All of the required help needed has been found.
October/02/2008
New Date Announced
Nitin will be playing Shepherds Bush Empire as part of his upcoming London Undersound tour. The gig takes place on February 26, 2009, and tickets go on sale through LiveNation this Monday, September 22. For full details, check the Appearances page.
September/19/2008
Distant Dreams Video Released
You can now see the video for the forthcoming single "Distant Dreams" on NitinSawhney.com before it's available anywhere else. The second release from London Undersound features the vocalist Roxanne Tataei. Visit the Media page to look and listen.
September/19/2008
Singapore Grand Prix Performances
As part of the world's "first Formula One™ night race", Nitin will give two Sound System performances at the Singtel Singapore Grand Prix. The event happens at Circuit Park in the Marina Bay area from September 26 to 28. Capping off each race day will be live performances from "some of the biggest names in the entertainment scene", including Nitin Sawhney. Nitin will be doing two Sound System sets, accompanied by Aref Durvesh from the UK on Tabla and Ashwin Srinivasan from Mumbai on flute, on September 26 and 28. Visit the Singapore Grand Prix site for more details on the event.
August/29/2008
Nitin at the BBC Electric Proms
From October 22-26, BBC's annual Electric Proms take place in London. Nitin will once again be taking part in the festival, along with The Last Shadow Puppets, The Streets, and more. Nitin will be joined by the London Undersound Orchestra "in taking on classical, Asian, Latin and pop formats, blending them into a spellbinding BBC Electric Proms performance." Tickets for this year's event go on sale September 17. In the meantime, you can visit Nitin's Proms blog and read what it's like for him to prepare for the show.
August/25/2008
Special Presale from Recordstore.co.uk
Recordstore.co.uk is currently running a special presale of Nitin's upcoming album together with tour tickets.
When you buy a bundle containing one ticket for the Nitin Sawhney show of your choice in October and November PLUS the new forthcoming CD London Undersound, you also receive a free poster AND a free download of the 'October Daze' track from the album.
The gig ticket will be posted to you in time for the show and the album will be sent out for its release date (13 October, 2008). Booking fee is included in the price. Visit Recordstore.co.uk for full details.
August/11/2008
New Gig Announced
The Nitin Sawhney Sound System will be performing as part of the SAMA
Festival on
October 11. The festival takes place October 6-12, 2008 in
Newcastle/Gateshead. Joining Nitin at the Northumbria University Students Union
will be Radio 1 DJ Bobby Friction and BBC Asian Network DJ Sonny G. For full
details and ticket information, visit the DJ Appearances page.
In other tour news, tickets for Nitin's gig at Tripod in Dublin are now on sale. Ticketing information for this and other shows are
on the Live Appearances page.
August/07/2008
London Undersound Tour Dates
In support of his upcoming album, London Undersound, Nitin will be playing a number of dates around the UK in October and November. He'll be hitting the road with a full band to showcase the songs from the new record. Presales for these shows begin this Friday, August 1 at AEG Live and Artist Ticket.
Visit the Live Appearances page for full details on these dates. Stay tuned for more dates as they are confirmed, including an October date in London.
July/30/2008
Sample Tracks from "London Undersound"
As you know, Nitin's latest album, London Undersound, will be released in the UK on October 13. We're pleased to bring our members samples from the album. Once a week, beginning today, we'll be adding a new 30-second clip to the London Undersound discography page. The first track is "Days of Fire", featuring Natty. Visit the Music page to check it out.
July/22/2008
Nitin Participates in the "T for Tibet" Campaign
"T for Tibet" is a new
awareness campaign to re-highlight the conditions in Tibet under Chinese
occupation. With the world's eyes on China right now, with the upcoming
Olympic Games, the campaign has been launched as "a quick, simple way for
athletes in Beijing - or anyone, anywhere in the world - to show their
support for Tibetan people."
Photos by Clive Arrowsmith
Click image for larger
view
Part of the campaign is a series of portraits shot by Clive
Arrowsmith, featuring well-known people flashing the "T". Nitin has
lent his face to the series, along with celebrities like Jeremy Irons,
Joanna Lumley and Tsultrim Machu. As Nitin says on his portrait page, "The problems in Tibet are not about
politics, about one form of government or another. It's about human rights
and freedom."
July/17/2008
"London Undersound" news
The new album from Nitin, London Undersound, will be released in the UK on October 13, 2008 on Cooking Vinyl/Positiv-iD. The album not only features musical collaborations - with the likes of Imogen Heap, Natty, Anoushka Shankar and Sir Paul McCartney - but Nitin also worked with esteemed visual artist Antony Gormley, who created an original image for each track on the album, as well as the cover images.
Album cover image
Drawing by Antony Gormley
© Courtesy of the artist & Jay Jopling/White Cube (London)
Thematically, the album focuses "on a range of different perspectives on London from the artists and participants involved. It is an impressionistic portrayal of a city in flux, disharmony and turmoil".
Track Listing:
- Days of Fire (featuring Natty)
- October Daze (featuring Tina Grace)
- Bring It Home (featuring Imogen Heap)
- Interlude I - Ghost Image
- My Soul (featuring Paul McCartney)
- Interlude II - Soledad
- Distant Dreams (featuring Roxanne Tataei)
- Interlude III - Street Sounds
- Shadowland (featuring Ojos de Brujo)
- Daybreak (featuring Faheem Mazhar)
- Interlude IV - Identity
- Ek Jaan (featuring Reena Bhardwaj)
- Transmission (featuring Tina Grace)
- Interlude V - Tension
- Last Train To Midnight (featuring Aruba Red)
- Interlude VI - Ronald Gray
- Firmament
- Charu Keshi Rain (featuring Anoushka Shankar)
The first single, "Distant Dreams", will be released on October 6. Stay tuned for more news, including information about a NitinSawhney.com presale, as it comes available.
July/09/2008
"A Throw of Dice" In Chicago
A Throw of Dice will be screened at the Grant Park Music Festival in downtown Chicago on July 30. The free event will take place at Millenium Park, with the Grant Park Orchestra. For more information, visit the Appearances section.
July/09/2008
New film score project
In addition to working on some new video game scores, Nitin is also scoring Oscar®-nominated director Deepa Mehta's latest project, Exclusion. The film follows a group of Indians, fleeing British oppression, aboard the Komagata Maru at the turn of the 20th century. They are ultimately turned away by the Canadian government and forced to return to India. The film is currently scheduled to be released later this year.
July/09/2008
More Luminato Tickets Up For Grabs
The folks at Luminato have reserved 9 spots at Wednesday's video game workshop for the NitinSawhney.com community. Happening at the Gladstone Hotel at 7:30 PM EST on June 11, Nitin is leading a workshop on the unique process of creating a score for video games.
The first 9 individuals to answer the following question correctly will be put on the list for the workshop.
How many Luminato 2008 events is Nitin participating in?
Send your answer to us by noon EST on Wednesday June 11 to be eligible to win. You can read the full Rules and Regulations at NitinSawhney.com. Good luck!
June/09/2008
Win Tickets to See Nitin in Toronto
We have a special offer for those of you who plan to attend Luminato this June. If you buy tickets to see A Throw of Dice at the Molson Amphiteatre on June 13, you will be eligible to win one of 5 pairs of tickets to attend Nitin's DJ gig the next night!
This contest is exclusive to members of NitinSawhney.com, so you'll need to log in to find out the code for entry. You can find the code in the full Rules and Regulations. Once you know the code, visit Ticketmaster to get your tickets for A Throw of Dice and enter the code in the "Nitin Sawhney Fanclub offer" area. Your name will then be entered in a draw to win tickets to the Revival gig on June 14. The prize includes line bypass and access to the Luminato VIP Lounge area!
May/28/2008
New Live Gig This Summer
It's now confirmed that Nitin will be performing at the Sudoeste Festival in Zambujeira do Mar, Portugal. The four-day festival runs August 7 through 10, with Nitin performing a full-band live gig on the 9th. Other confirmed guests include Björk, Franz Ferdinand, Chemical Brothers and Goldfrapp. Visit our Appearances page for more details and ticketing information.
May/28/2008
LIPA Honours Nitin Sawhney
This July, Nitin will be among the six honorees at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts' (LIPA) 2008 graduation ceremony. Friend, Sir Paul McCartney will be conferring LIPA Companionships to Nitin, along with Cathy Dennis, Trevor Horn, Ann Harrison, Lea Anderson, and Richard Hudson. According to the Liverpool Echo, "Companionships are awarded to industry figures who give practical support and guidance to Lipa’s students."
(thanks to member michaelk for the tip)
May/26/2008
Nitin to play Big Chill
The Big Chill is once again taking place at Eastnor Castle this summer, and that’s where you can catch a DJ set by Nitin. On August 3, Nitin will be spinning at the Shaanti session in the Club Tent. With the beautiful surroundings of the Deer Park, this is sure to be an unforgettable event. For more details and ticket information, visit the Appearances page.
May/14/2008
Nitin Appearing at Luminato Festival
We're very pleased to announce that Nitin will be participating in this year's Luminato Festival in Toronto, Canada. The "Festival of Arts and Creativity", now in its 2nd year, was "Conceived out of our city's unique vibrancy and cultural diversity, and designed to showcase Toronto's bustling downtown core and the cultural renaissance transforming our renowned concert halls, galleries, museum collections, and performing arts companies." Nitin will be presenting a number of events as an Artist-in-Residence at Luminato.
June 7 & 8
There will be a screening of Tim Supples Channel 4 film Twelfth Night - scored by Nitin - at the National Film Board Mediatheque. Nitin will be present for a Q&A after the 7:30 screening on the Sunday evening.
June 10
Taking place at the Berkeley Street Theatre on June 10, Nitin will be part of a panel discussion between internationally renowned artists, including director Deepa Mehta, for "South Asian Expressions: East Meets West".
June 11
Nitin will be leading a workshop on composing for video games on Wednesday June 11 commencing at 7:30 pm. The workshop takes place at the Gladstone Hotel.
June 13
There will be a presentation of A Throw of Dice at the Molson Amphitheatre. Nitin will be
performing with members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
June 14
To wind up his visit, Nitin will be working the dancefloor at Revival on Saturday June 14. He'll be joined at this DJ gig by Aref Durvesh from the UK on Tabla and Ashwin Srinivasan from Mumbai on flute.
For further details and ticketing information, check the Appearances section.
April/23/2008
A Disappearing Number Gets Second Run
Another Nitin-scored stage production will be playing at the Barbican Theatre this October. As part of the Barbican's 2008/09 season, Complicite's multi-award winning play, A Disappearing Number, will return to London for 3 weeks, from October 10 to November 1.
April/03/2008
Akram Khan and Nitin Sawhney's Latest Collaboration
Having already seen it's world premiere in Beijing this past January, Akram Khan's new work Bahok will hit the stage at the New York City Center April 23-27, and Sadler's Wells June 11-14.
The show is a collaboration by Khan and the National Ballet of China. The score is provided by Nitin, and is his and Khan's fourth project together. Meaning "carriers" in Bengali, Bahok "explores the ways in which the body carries national identity and a sense of belonging."
April/03/2008
Nomination for Heavenly Sword Score
Nitin Sawhney's
lush score for Ninja Theory's Playstation 3 game, Heavenly Sword, has been
nominated for an Interactive Achievement Award. Presented by The Academy of
Interactive Arts and Sciences, the 11th Annual
Interactive Achievement Awards are being held to showcase "the
greatest and most innovative games" of the last year. This year's awards
are being held at the Red Rock Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, NV on February
7. In a new development, you can watch the awards, hosted for the third year by
Jay Mohr, via a live webcast on GameSpot.
February/01/2008
HOLIDAY GREETINGS FROM NITIN
In the spirit of the season, Nitin wanted us to
pass along this message to you all.
"Thanks for all your support and
wishing you all an amazing 2008. Next year we'll be releasing the new album
London Undersound and playing/recording with a whole host of exciting
collaborators. Keep watching this space for more details. Looking forward to
seeing you in the New Year."
December/21/2007
New Dates Announced for "A Throw Of Dice"
Following the successful screening of Franz Osten's film at Trafalgar Square last month, there will be three more screenings of this silent film classic in October. The
performers for the evening will be:
Nitin Sawhney (celeste, grand piano)
Aref Durvesh (tabla)
Ashwin Srinivasan (flutes)
Reena Bhardwaj (vocals)
Tina Grace (vocals)
Davinder Singh (vocals)
The Northern Sinfonia
Conducted by Stephen Hussey
Performances will be:
Friday October 26 @ 7:30 pm - The Sage Gateshead
Saturday October 27 @ 6:15 pm - Birmingham Symphony Hall
Sunday October 28 @ 8:00 pm - The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
For more information, and to get tickets to these screenings, click the venue name.
September/11/2007
Watch “Making the Music of Heavenly Sword”
As you likely know, Nitin has composed the score for the highly anticipated Playstation game "Heavenly Sword". Sony has created a series of "Making Of" videos, including one about creating the score. Click
the link to see Nitin talking about the game’s music and working with
the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
http://www.us.playstation.com/heavenlysword/media_video.html?v=16647
September/11/2007
NitinSawhney.com has been redesigned
Welcome to the new NitinSawhney.com. We’ll be making frequent adjustments and additions to the site, and welcome your comments and suggestions. You can visit the Forums to let us know what you think.
The new site features a music player containing four full-length tracks, a new photo gallery, an audience reaction area, and a Discography. We’ve also got more to come, including the official NitinSawhney.com Store. Join the mailing list and check back regularly to stay informed and see what’s new. Thanks for visiting.
September/06/2007
Free Concert in Trafalgar Square
A very special live screening of Franz Osten’s 1929 silent film classic, A Throw of Dice, accompanied by a live orchestral performance of Nitin Sawhney’s original score, will be performed by Nitin Sawhney, the London Symphony Orchestra, and special guests Ashwin Srinivasan, Tina Grace, and Reena Bhardwaj, on Thursday, August 30. This will be the first open-air performance of this show in England since its sold-out premiere at the the Barbican last year.
The film has been digitally restored by the BFI National Archive, and this special event is currently touring with some of the world’s leading orchestras, having already been performed in Holland, Italy, and Australia. The show begins at 9:00 pm and is part of the India Now Festival. This event is free of charge.
The performers for the evening will be:
Nitin Sawhney (celeste, grand piano)
Aref Durvesh (tabla)
Ashwin Srinivasan (flutes)
Reena Bhardwaj (vocals)
Tina Grace (vocals)
The London Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Stephen Hussey
August/16/2007
How To Get Tickets For Proms And More Guests Announced!
As part of the Proms tradition, 1400 tickets known as “Prommers” will be released on the day of the show at a cost of £5 each. The doors open one hour before the show and tickets are sold on a first come first served basis. We would suggest you arrive early and queue so as not to be disappointed.
Further guests confirmed for Nitin Sawhney’s Prom
Guests include Imogen Heap, Fink, and Anoushka Shankar
10 August 2007, 9.00pm
Royal Albert Hall (and live on BBC Radio 3)
Nitin Sawhney, one of the most significant creative forces in modern music, is gathering together a sensational group of friends including Natacha Atlas, Jason Singh, Reena Bhardwaj, Fink, Tina Grace, Imogen Heap, Akram Khan, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, and Anoushka Shankar to explore the many aspects of his album and collaborative works for the first time. The concert will feature the London Undersound Symphony Orchestra, a specially created 60-piece collective of both Indian and Western classical musicians brought together for this event. Nitin will also showcase new material at this one-off BBC Proms concert in the Royal Albert Hall on 10 August.
He says: “For many years I have been working not only as an album and live artist but also as a composer for film, theatre, videogames, and dance. Having worked extensively with orchestras across the world, the BBC Proms is giving me the unprecedented opportunity to bring together some of that work through a specially created symphony orchestra of talent from both India and the UK. I will also be joined on stage by some of my favourite artists and past collaborators to complete a night of evocative journeys, shifting from the intimate to the epic”.
Following the success of his Electric Proms appearance in 2006, Nitin, his special guests, and his London Undersound Symphony Orchestra will deliver a high-powered performance comprising of his past and current works, which between them have garnered around a dozen awards including a South Bank Show Award, a MOBO, two EMMAs, two BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards and Ivor Novello, Laurence Olivier and Technics Mercury Music Prize nominations.
The current line-up for this BBC Proms includes:
Nitin Sawhney (piano, guitar)
The London Under Sound Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Stephen Hussey
| Akram Khan (dancer/choreographer) |
| Anoushka Shankar (sitar) |
| Aref Durvesh (tabla) |
| Ashwin Srinivasan (flute) |
| Fink (vocals) |
| Ges-e and Osmani Soundz (FX) |
| Hazel Fernandes (vocals) |
| Ian Burdge (cello) |
| Imogen Heap (vocals) |
|
| Jason Singh (vocal percussion) |
| Karlos Edwards (drums) |
| Lucita Jules (vocals) |
| Natacha Atlas (vocals) |
| Reena Bhardwaj (vocals) |
| Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (dancer/choreographer) |
| Steve Shehan (percussion) |
| Tina Grace (vocals) |
| |
|
August/07/2007
Excitement Building Over "Heavenly Sword"
Excitement has been building in the video gaming community, based on demo reviews of the highly-anticipated PS3 game from Ninja Theory, Heavenly Sword.
IGN Entertainment had this to say of the score composed by Nitin, after trying out the game:
One of the first, most notable aspects of the game is the rich and illustrious music. An apparent blend of eastern and western mentalities, the lilting strings and eerie chimes create an almost perfect tone for Heavenly Sword. If the opening tracks are any indication of the quality of the game's score, fans are in for a real treat.
Pro-G noted that the score "...has a range and depth that matches its creator. Both the soundtrack and the audio effects are incredibly reactive to on-screen action".
The game is being released exclusively by Sony for Playstation 3 and is expected to be on store shelves in September of 2007.
August/01/2007
Nitin To Speak at AIM AGM
Nitin will be the keynote speaker at the UK's Association of Independent Music's (AIM) June 28 Annual General Meeting. The AGM is being held at London Calling at Earls Court. AIM will also have a presence at the event with the AIM UK Pavilion, which is "[t]ailored specifically for UK indie labels, publishers and managers to promote their business to the thousands of delegates attending London Calling by having a physical presence at the show."
Nitin will be speaking primarily about his multi award-winning work, and the challenges facing record companies in understanding and harnessing the potential of artists capable of working across a broad range of media platforms.
June/19/2007
Nitin Taking Part In Benefit At Royal Court
Nitin will be taking part in a special weekend event to benefit Human Rights Watch. Cries from the Heart is
a one-off charity performance at the Royal Court Downstairs. The
“evening of readings, poetry and music on the theme of migration” will
also feature performances by Julie Christie, Sophie Okonedo, Eileen
Atkins, Jeremy Irons, Sinéad Cusack, Juliet Stevenson, and playwright
Tom Stoppard. Although tickets for the event are sold out, patrons can
e-mail Human Rights Watch to be put on a waiting list.
June/14/2007
'A Throw Of Dice' at Italy’s Arezzo Wave Festival on July 17!
Nitin Sawhney’s live orchestral performances of his score to Franz Osten’s 1929 silent classic “A Throw of Dice” continues to capture people’s imagination around the world.
Having been performed in London, Amsterdam, and most recently Auckland, the next live orchestral Throw of Dice performance will be held at Italy’s Arezzo Wave Festival on July 17th.
See here for more information.
May/31/2007
Nitin Sawhney In Conversation
Monday April 30 @ 8.45pm
Nitin Sawhney will appear at the NFT for the first in their 'Music & Film' series with record label V2, currently celebrating their 10th Anniversary. Artists associated to the label discuss the role cinema has played in their careers and how they approach film scoring. Sawhney has released seven critically acclaimed albums and scored over 80 film, television and theatre productions. Recent credits include a symphony for the LSO to accompany the 1929 silent film, A Throw of Dice, and an original score for Mira Nair's The Namesake.
For NFT tickets, book online at http://www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/southbank/film/7287 or call the Box Office 020 7928 3232 (lines open 11.30am - 8.30pm)
April/24/2007
Fallujah
The Nitin Sawhney-scored theatrical production Fallujah draws on research and interviews carried out by the playwright and triple Nobel Prize nominee Dr. Scilla Elworthy. This play presents testimony from those at the heart of the siege.: Iraqi civilians, clerics, US military and politicians, journalists, medics, aid workers, and the British Army. None of this testimony has been heard before. Every word of thisplay is verbatim. This unique event stars Harriet Walter and marks the first time collaboration between writer Jonathan Holmes, composer Nitin Sawhney, and artists Lucy and Jorge Orta.
Fallujah: {www.fallujah.co.uk}
May 1st - June 2nd at The Old Truman Brewery, Bricklane, London
April/13/2007
6 Nights At The Jazz Cafe
After years of touring the world and releasing award-winning records, Nitin Sawhney makes a welcomed return to London’s 400 capacity Jazz Cafe for 6 consecutive nights to round off another hugely successful year. The set of shows, at £35 a ticket, will see Sawhney perform a new 90-minute acoustic set. Sawhney will be performing new renditions of tracks from his vast catalogue, and will be joined by a myriad of special guests. Nasha DJs Ges-e and Osmani Soundz will open the evening, and the show will feature vocals from Fink, Reena Bhardwaj, Natacha Atlas, Sharon Duncan, Tina Grace, and Ashvin Srinivasan. Instrumentation by Nitin Sawhney (guitar, keys, Rhodes, vox), Karlos Edwards (percusssion), Jason Singh (vocal percussion), Ian Burdge (cello), Ashvin Srinivasan (flute), and Aref Durvesh (tablas). Without question the hottest ticket in town.
{Click here for more info}
December/01/2006
BBC Electric Proms 2006 - Watch the Show Online!
Nitin Sawhney and Special Guests, Electric Proms 2006 - Footage now available to watch online!
{Click Me!}
October/10/2006
BBC Electric Proms 2006
In the intimate 100-capacity Roudhouse Freedom Studio, Nitin Sawhney will play host to a two-hour event featuring a very special line-up of guest musicians and vocalists. Nasha DJs Ges-e and Osmani Soundz will open the night, which will see performances by Nitin Sawhney and members of his band, alongside the vocal talents of Laura Izibor, Fink, Natacha Atlas, Reena Bhardwaj, Tina Grace, and Will Young.
The Full Line-up:
Hosted by Nitin Sawhney on piano and guitar
Musicians:
Ashwin Srinivasan (Indian flute)
Aref Durvesh (Tabla/Dholak)
Ges-e Osmani Soundz (Opening DJ set)
Ian Burdge (Cello)
Jason Singh (Vocal Percussion)
Karlos Edwards (Percussion)
Vocalists:
Fink (also on Guitar)
Laura Izibor (also on Piano)
Natacha Atlas
Reena Bhardwaj
Tina Grace
Will Young (guest appearance)
Visuals:
Yeast
Nitin Sawhney will also be playing a select set of dates at the Jazz Cafe, London on December 5th, 6th, and 7th. Check the tour section for more info.
Click {here} to find out how to win tickets to Nitin Sawhney at the Electric Proms.
September/26/2006
PS3 / Heavenly Sword
We can now announce that 'Heavenly Sword', perhaps the most anticipated game in videogames history, will be scored by Nitin Sawhney. Heavenly Sword is an action-packed and visually breathtaking martial arts adventure designed and developed by Ninja Theory exclsuively for Sony Playstation 3. Sawhney's score will be delivered in December and we expect the game to be released in early 2007.
More on the game from Ninja Theory:
Heavenly Sword is a stunningly beautiful martial arts drama designed exclusively as a next-generation console game. The storyline concerns a girl with only a few days left to live who embarks on one final act of redemption against a king and his invading army. Heavenly Sword employs state-of-the-art technology and gameplay to take players through a roller coaster of emotion and action that truly exploits the potential of gaming as the new artistic entertainment medium.
Following the first peak of the game at this year's E3 Conference, Heavenly Sword/Ninja Theory picked up this impressive list of honours, which you can read more about on their website.
{Click here for Ninja Theory's website}
August/14/2006
A Throw Of Dice Live With The Auckland Philharmonia
"A Throw of Dice (Live)" will be staged at the Auckland Festival 2007 in New Zealand. Since its premiere with the London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican Centre, A Throw of Dice has been performed with the Metropole Orchestra in Holland as part of the Holland Festival. Next year will see this show travel to New Zealand where Nitin Sawhney and his guest musicians will perform the score with the The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra at the stunning Civic Theatre on the 16th and 17th of March 2007.
See the live section of the website for updates on A Throw of Dice confirmed shows.
{Auckland Festival 2007 Website}
August/13/2006
'The Namesake' Tailer Online
The official trailer for Mira Nair's 'The Namesake' is now online. The film is set for release in the Autumn of this year, and features an original score by Nitin Sawhney.
{Watch the Trailer here}
June/01/2006
BBC Radio Crossing 3 Boundary Crossing Award
Nitin Sawhney has won the BBC Radio 3 Boundary Crossing Award. The Award Ceremony will be held at London's Brixton Academy on Friday April 7th, where Sawhney will perform 1 track on the evening.
BBC Radio 3 will broadcast the concert on Monday 10th April at 7.30pm. Highlights of the concert will be broadcast on BBC 4 on Saturday 8th April.
{More info}
February/28/2006
Nitin Sawheny and LSO Bring Back 'A Throw of Dice'
{Official website}
German Director Franz Osten's 1929 classic 'A Throw of Dice' will be brought back to life at London's Barbican Theatre on April 21st, 2006 courtesy of Nitin Sawhney, special guest musicians, and the London Symphony Orchestra.
A Throw of Dice is the third silent film in a trilogy by Franz Osten, seen by many as one the finest and most accomplished directors of all time. The film has not been on general release for over 70 years and is an undiscovered treasure from the British Film Institute Archive.
Based on the pivotal gambling episode from the Maharabata 'A Throw of Dice' is a love story that tells the story of Ranjit and the nefarious Sohat, two kings with a passion for gambling and the same woman, Sunita. One day Ranjit wagers everything in a crooked game of dice and loses it all, his crown and Sunita (his bride to be) and is forced to become the scheming Sohat's slave. Through a turn of fate Sohat's evil deeds are uncovered and undone, and as a result, he hurls himself off a cliff into the raging rapids below. Sunita and Ranjit are reunited, finding true love.
A Throw of Dice - World Premiere
FRIDAY APRIL 21, 2006
:THE BARBICAN THEATRE:
Barbican Centre
Silk Street
London EC2Y 8DS
Doors open: 7 PM
Box Office:
+44 (0)20 7638 8891
9am-8pm daily
February/01/2006
Nitin Sawhney Completes Score for 'The Namesake'
Nitin Sawhney has completed his score for Mira Nair's next feature film, 'The Namesake.' Based on the novel by Pulitzer-Prize winning author Jhumpa Lahiri, the film stars Irfan Khan, Tabu, Kal Penn, Zuleikha Robinson, and Jacinda Barrett.
The music was recorded in Mumbai, London, and New York City. The Philharmonia Orchestra were recorded at Angel Studios, London.
'The Namesake' will be released in the Autumn of this year through Fox Searchlight Pictures.
Mirabai films can be found here: www.mirabai.com
{READ MORE ABOUT THE SCORE HERE!}
January/31/2006
Nitin Sawhney to Support the Stop the War Coalition
Nitin Sawhney will be making a special guest appearance on Sunday November 27th at London's Astoria to support the Stop the war Coalition alongside Imogen Heap, Brian Eno, and The Rachid Taha Band. He will perform 3 acoustic tracks on the night. Eclectic Method will also be in the house, serving up their unique audio/visual experience.
The gig's purpose is to raise money to support military families who are seeking an independent inquiry into the legality of the war and who have been refused legal aid. They need thousands of pounds to be able to continue their action which will force Tony Blair and his cohorts into the witness box.
Stop the War Coalition is the main organised opposition to the Government’s war policies; capable of putting hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets and represented in most cities and towns across the country.
Bring The Troops Home
SUNDAY 27 NOVEMBER
:THE ASTORIA:
Charing Cross Road, London
Doors open: 7 PM
Tickets: £20, from
See Tickets: 0870 0603 777
Stargreen 020 7734 8932
Ticketweb 0870 0600 100
Firstcall 0870 906 3838
Ticketline 0161 832 111
www.seetickets.com, www.ticketweb.co.uk, www.ticketline.co.uk, www.lastminute.com, www.meanfiddler.com,
(or without extra charge at Astoria or Jazz Cafe Camden - cash only.)
{Stop the War Coalition}
November/18/2005
Nitin Sawhney with Max and Marina from Ojos de Brujo!
Koko, London HEADLINE show announced!
Nitin Sawhney will be performing live with full band and special guests Max and Marina from Ojos de Brujo. Ojos de Brujo feature on the Philtre album on "Noches En Vela" and "Footprints" and will definitely bring the Spanish heat to the stage! This is the last UK gig of the Philtre tour and we want to see all of you there. Miss it at your peril!
October/10/2005
Zero Degrees Garners Rave Reviews
Zero Degrees has now concluded its run at London's Sadler's Wells Theatre. The dance received rave reviews from the British press and was undoubtedly the hottest ticket in town.
The Times
Sawhney's exciting score takes a journey of its own, from visceral, sensuous rhythms that burst with life, to beautiful, plangent melodies that linger in the air like the spectre of death....There are times when Zero Degrees may be too oblique, but all doubts are erased by its ending. Khan starts to quiver, then shake with such a force that you fear for his safety. It's almost as if his memories have overwhelmed him. Larbi carries him off stage, leaving us with two inanimate dummies and Sawhney's ineffably beautiful music.
The Guardian
Sawhney's score is a superbly eloquent piece of theatre music, powerful without being macho, beautiful without a shiver of mawkishness.
The Observer
Sawhney's score reflects Asian, Arabic and contemporary musical influences. Instruments take over from spoken words as the dancers' hand-and-arm gestures become intertwined in Moorish arabesques....The ending abandons the stage to our imaginations and Sawhney's keening music.
The Independent
Sawhney's music - generated live on stage behind a screen - is gloriously varied and affecting, ranging through swooning melismas on Indian sarod, to Asian dub and classical string trio.
The Telegraph
Sawhney's music gently summons up Indian songs and memories...The climax is hugely moving, sentimental and visionary.
July/20/2005
Akram Khan's 'Zero Degrees'
An exciting collaboration between Akram Khan and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, this is an opportunity to see these remarkable artists working with sculptor Antony Gormley and composer Nitin Sawhney.
Khan and Larbi first met in 2000 when they quickly discovered strong similarities. Both are sons of Islamic families brought up in Europe, and both draw upon this meeting of cultures in their work. However, each has developed his own, distinct dance language. Zero Degrees is borne out of their longing to create work together, and follows them on a journey to seek the reference point, the source, the '0' at life's core. Inspired by their own dual identities, the two search for this middle point through polar opposites; becoming/death, light/dark, chaos/order. Creating the environment for this journey is artist Antony Gormley, most famous for his Angel of the North sculpture. Working closely with the two dancers, his design will reflect their exploration of duality. Specially commissioned music is by composer/producer Nitin Sawhney.
Sawhney also scored Khan's 'Kaash,' in 2002 (Khan collaborated with sculptor Anish Kapoor on this production).
Please visit {Akram Khan Company} for more info.
Zero Degrees Tour Dates
2005:
8-9 July: London (previews) - Sadler's Wells Theatre
12-16 July: London (World Premiere on 12th) - Sadler's Wells Theatre
11-16 October: Paris
18-20 October: Antwerp
22-23 October: Gent
25-26 October: Torino
28-29 October: Ferrara
3-5 November: Berlin
8-9 November: Dusseldorf
11-12 November: Rotterdam
16-17 November: Bordeaux
2006:
15-17 June: Lyon
21 June: Brussels
30 June: Chateau Vallon
June/18/2005
Philtre: The Press Reviews
'His most free-flowing, natural and effortlessly impressive album to date!' ***** THE TIMES
'Ambitious and accessible, Philtre rocks all the boats and ticks all the boxes!' ***** THE SUN
'Philtre is amazing!' ***** DAILY STAR
'A record that recognises no boundaries.' ***** SONGLINES
'His most assured, relaxed and successful work yet.' **** THE GUARDIAN
'Big, bold and beautiful' **** DAILY EXPRESS
'Philtre is FULL of surprises.' TIME OUT LONDON
'Sawhney has produced a beautifully balmy album.' DAILY TELEGRAPH
'Playful and upbeat.' OBSERVER MUSIC MONTHLY
'Bewitching & vivid' Q MAGAZINE
'Well worth the wait!' MUSIC WEEK
June/01/2005
Philtre Out Now!
Nitin Sawhney's awesome seventh studio album, Philtre, is available in shops now! The album has already received rave reviews, including:
"Bewitching and Vivid."
- Q Magazine
"A record that recognises no boundaries. 5/5"
- Songlines
"Dramatic flamenco, storming drum n bass, and a rich cast of vocalists proves surprisingly refreshing."
- Observer Music Monthly
"Nitin's quivering string arrangements, production prowess, and use of remarkable voices mean that Philtre is always full of surprises."
- Time Out
"Well worth the wait."
- Music Week
May/02/2005
Pre-Order Philtre Online at Amazon and HMV
Philtre is available to purchase by pre-order NOW on Amazon.co.uk and
HMV.co.uk, upfront of release!
April/29/2005
Nitin Sawhney No. 1 on iTunes Music Chart
Nitin Sawhney's Philtre EP (the 5 track album sampler from the forthcoming album) has topped the iTunes Music Store download chart one day after going online!
The first 500 user to purchase the 5-track bundle will be eligible to receive a 3-track Nitin Sawhney Live EP from V2 Records.
April/08/2005
Buy Philtre Tracks from iTunes and Receive a Free Limited Edition CD
We are pleased to announce that 5 tracks from Philtre will be exclusively available to download at the iTunes Music Store from April 4th!
The 5 tracks will cost å£3.95 and the first 500 customers will receive an exclusive, limited edition 3 track CD of previously unreleased live tracks from "Nitin Sawhney: Live at Royal Albert Hall, 2001."
THE 5 PHILTRE TRACKS ARE:
1. Journey
(Vocals - Victor Duplaix)
2. Mausam
(Vocals - Reena Bhardwaj &
Murtaza Khan)
3. Dead Man
(Vocals - Fink, Jayanta Bose &
Reena Bhardwaj)
4. Noches En Vela Part 2
(ft. Ojos de Brujo)
5. The Search
(Vocals - Reena Bhardwaj)
HOW TO ENTER:
In order to claim the free 'Nitin Sawhney: Live At The Royal Albert Hall' CD, purchasers must buy all 5 tracks and forward their proof of purchase email to:
{receipt@v2music.com}
The first 500 customers to email in will receive an exclusive - limited edition - three track CD promo of previously unreleased live tracks from Nitin.
On 2 May all 17 tracks of the new album Philtre will be available on iTunes for å£9.99 and this promotion will be discontinued.
March/30/2005
1st Philtre Audio Previews Online Now!
We are pleased to announce that 90 second sneak previews of 5 (yes, FIVE!) tracks from Philtre will be made available starting today in the Audio section of NitinSawhney.com. We will be adding a new preview track every Monday, so make sure you come back to hear the rest as and when they become live.
The tracks will be uploaded on the following days:
Monday, March 28: Deadman
Monday, April 04: Mausam
Monday, April 11: Journey
Monday, April 18: Noches en Vela
(Part 2)
Monday, April 25: The Search*
*Exclusive Ges-e remix
March/28/2005
Buxton Opera House Gig Cancelled
Due to unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances we regret to inform you that Nitin Sawhney's show at Buxton Opera House, scheduled for this Saturday, February 26th has been cancelled.
This does not affect the forthcoming PHILTRE tour in May/June of this year.
March/23/2005
New Philtre Tour Date Announced: The Arches, Glasgow
May 9th, 2005
The Arches
Glasgow
Tickets:
0870 240 7528 (Arches box office)
0870 220 1116 (Scotland)
Price: å£14/å£12 conc
March/23/2005
Nitin Sawhney: Semi Acoustic DJ Set @ Cargo, London
Nitin Sawhney headlines Bobby Friction's (Radio One) first ever monthly club night at London's Cargo. Nitin will be on stage with Aref Durvesh (tablas/percussion) and Jason Singh (beatbox) for a club set that will smash the dancefloor to pieces. Nitin will also be playing exclusive tracks from the new album, Philtre.
Don't miss this show....!
March/16/2005
Philtre Sampler Exclusively Available on iTunes
First taste of Nitin Sawhney's new album available on-line from 4 April
Nitin Sawhney fans eager to get a first listen to his forthcoming album Philtre should check out the iTunes Store on 4 April when five tracks will be exclusively available to download, four weeks ahead of the album's official release! The sampler will cost å£3.95 to download, and the first 500 customers will receive an EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED EDITION three track CD promo of previously unreleased live tracks from "Nitin Sawhney: Live at the Royal Albert Hall, 2001."
Philtre, Nitin's seventh studio album in eleven years, is without doubt his finest work to date. Inspired by elements of all his recent projects, in particular his return to DJ'ing, Sawhney collated ideas for the album over several months last year and by the time he locked himself away to record, found the music flowed more easily than ever. The result is an astonishing collection of songs that take the listener on a journey through global club culture, Indian classical music, Bengali folk, traditional flamenco, blues, old soul and R&B. On Philtre, drum'n'bass beats rub shoulders with sitars, flutes float over classical piano. Hip-hop, scratching, trip-hop, castanets and flamenco guitars sit alongside hypnotic strings and funky basslines.
Renowned for the quality of his vocal collaborators, Sawhney has sourced his strongest line-up to date for Philtre. Philadelphia-based Vikter Duplaix, Bollywood soundtrack star Reena Bhardwaj, Spanish collective Ojos de Brujo, Ninja Tune's Fink and human beatbox Jason Singh join regular collaborators Tina Grace, Jayanta Bose, Taio and the soulful Sharon Duncan, as well as striking new discovery Jacob Golden and, on Rag Doll, even Sawhney's mum.
In order to claim the free 'Nitin Sawhney: Live At The Royal Albert Hall' CD, purchasers must forward their proof of purchase email to receipt@v2music.com. On 2 May all 17 tracks of the new album Philtre will be available on iTunes for å£9.99 and the sampler will be deleted.
The five tracks available from iTunes on 4 April are:
1. Journey (Vocals - Victor Duplaix)
2. Mausam (Vocals - Reena Bhardwaj & Murtaza Khan)
3. Dead Man (Vocals - Fink, Jayanta Bose & Reena Bhardwaj)
4. Noches En Vela Part 2 (ft. Ojos de Brujo)
5. The Search (Vocals - Reena Bhardwaj)
For more information on Nitin Sawhney please contact Dan Stevens at Darling Department on 020 7379 8787 / {dan@darlinguk.com}
March/15/2005
Philtre Album Press Release
Nitin Sawhney
Philtre
Released May 2nd, 2005
V2 Records
To most artists, two years between albums means just enough time to tour, take a break somewhere sunny and write and record a new set of songs. Not so Nitin Sawhney. Since the release of his last studio album, 2003's Human, Sawhney has consolidated his position as Britain's most versatile musician with an impressive array of projects. He returned to DJ'ing with a vengeance, playing major cities across the world, including a packed appearance at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, released "All Mixed Up" (an album of his own work remixed by other artists), and compiled "Fabric.Live 15" for London superclub Fabric. He composed classical scores for The City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Britten Sinfonia, with whom he toured the UK, easily selling out London's Royal Festival Hall. Sawhney also composed soundtracks for more than half a dozen films (Sawhney was a BAFTA judge this year) and several high profile TV productions (one of which won him an Ivor Novello award nomination). With all this, he still found time to write, score, and direct workshops for his first ever play commissioned by the Royal National Theatre.
This overdriven blaze of activity attracted the attention of CAA, arguably Hollywood's most powerful film agency, who signed Nitin to their composer roster earlier this year (alongside Missy Elliot, Alicia Keys, and Marilyn Manson).
If it sounds like there was little time left for Philtre, Sawhney's seventh studio album in 11 years, the musical maverick insists the opposite was true. Inspired by elements of all his recent projects, in particular his return to DJ'ing, Sawhney collated ideas for the album over several months last year and by the time he locked himself away to record, found the music flowed more easily than ever.
The result is an astonishing collection of songs that take the listener on a journey through global club culture, Indian classical music, Bengali folk, traditional flamenco, blues, old soul and R&B. On Philtre, drum'n'bass beats rub shoulders with sitars, flutes float over classical piano. Hip-hop, scratching, trip-hop, castanets and flamenco guitars sit alongside hypnotic strings and funky basslines. For vocals, Sawhney has sourced his strongest line-up to date, with Philadelphia-based Vikter Duplaix, Bollywood soundtrack star Reena Bhardwaj, Spanish collective Ojos de Brujo, Ninja Tune's Fink and human beatbox Jason Singh joining regular collaborators Tina Grace, Jayanta Bose, Taio and the soulful Sharon Duncan, as well as striking new discovery Jacob Golden and, on Rag Doll, even Sawhney's mum.
The diversity of styles and sounds on Philtre will come as no surprise to fans of the man who, in his teens studied Western and Indian Classical Music, flamenco guitar, and jazz piano, before playing in punk and rock bands, jazz outfits and eventually The James Taylor Quartet. While Sawhney's previous albums have devoured these and many other influences, sonically, Philtre raises the bar. The production, programming and arrangements are Sawhney's best yet and subtle links between songs give the album the feel of a film soundtrack or DJ set.
"With every new album, I try to use what I've learnt since the last one," says Sawhney, "and this time, I had so many different experiences to draw from. From working with an orchestra, I learnt more about building a song and playing with a sense of scale. From DJ'ing, I saw how changing the speed of a song or using different rhythms can impact on an audience. From working with film directors, it was how a certain sound can evoke a mood or emotion. All those experiences have improved me as both a musician and a producer. There are things I've done on this album I couldn't even have attempted two years ago."
Perhaps the biggest step on for Sawhney is in terms of beats. On Philtre, as on his previous albums, the songs have an intimate, emotional feel, but this time, they are driven by infectious grooves capturing the relentless energy of a dancefloor. In keeping with the music, lyrically, the album is largely upbeat and optimistic.
"I didn't want to be political," says Sawhney, who admits to being left-wing and has a political opinion on almost any subject you could mention. "I got so sick of hearing all these justifications for us going to war and being bombarded with misinformation. I was reading about global warming and it felt as though people were becoming almost a virus on our planet. It seemed to me that music is a universal way of getting us through all the daily crap. Philtre means 'healing' or 'magic' potion and that's how I feel music.
"On Rag Doll, my mum reads a lovely poem she wrote in Hindi. It's very simple. It's about a woman walking by the River Ganges. She has nothing and she doesn't know where she's going. Then she leans down to the river and sees a firefly, which gives her this sense of hope and freedom. That became a theme to the album. The world at the moment is a very dark place, but every day I see hope in unexpected places. It gives you a good feeling for the future."
Certainly, the future of music is safe in the hands of Sawhney. From the funky, Meters-inspired Flipside to the fiery fiesta that is Noches En Vela (Part 2), from the old soul of Throw to The Search's frantic finale and from the sweet, delicate Spark to the lush, multi-tracked Void, Philtre is a sublime reminder of the possibilities of music. Wildly ambitious, yet instantly accessible, pilfering the past and looking to the future, with Philtre, Sawhney has upped the ante all over again.
March/12/2005
New Album 'Philtre' in May 2005
Nitin's forthcoming album will be released on 2nd May 2005 through V2 Records.
5 new album tracks will be available exclusively through iTunes Music Store from 4th April.
And don't miss Nitin's Philtre UK Tour in May 2005.
March/08/2005
Nitin Sawhney Live and DJ Dates (February 2005)
Nitin Sawhney DJ Set
25 Feb (Friday)
Medicine Bar
Birmingham
Nitin Sawhney Live
[CANCELLED]
26 Feb (Saturday)
Four Four Time Festival 2005
Buxton Opera House
February/08/2005
Nitin Announces New Album Title: 'Philtre'
Nitin's next studio album is called Philtre. The album is due for release in April / May 2005. Philtre is a pseudonym for magic potion.
Keep checking back for more information.
December/16/2004
Brilliant Gig Reviews!
Nitin received some fantastic reviews from The Guardian, The Times, The Independent, The Evening Standard & The Telegraph for his show with Britten Sinfonia last Wednesday!
Click {here} to read them.
November/25/2004
No. 1 on DJ Mag's Breaks Charts
Nitin Sawhney's All Mixed Up has climbed straight to the top of DJ Magazine's Breaks and Beats Chart!
Check out some of the reactions:
"A great album."
- Bonobo (Ninja Tune)
"Some truly beautiful music on this. The man is a genius and the mixes hold him in great esteem"
- Mixmaster Morris
"Some brilliant mixes of some contemporary classics"
- James Hyman (The Rinse XFM)
"The broken beats and chilled stuff is great."
- Andy Smith (Portishead)
"Very good - not a duff track amongst them! A true complementary remix package" - Pressure Drop (Various UK)
"It's lovely stuff all round"
- Freeform Five
"Love these mixes, great to have them on one CD will play out again and again. 9/10"
- Domu
November/01/2004
'All Mixed Up' Out Today!
Nitin's latest album 'All Mixed Up' is available in shops this Monday 27th September.
The album contains collaborations with some of the most talented remixers around, including the likes of Joe Clausell, Ges-e (Nasha), Quantic, Freeform Five, Seiji and MJ Cole.
The album includes 9 previously unreleased mixes across the double CD and double vinyl. The double CD includes a bonus mix CD.
Click {here} to buy a copy now.
September/24/2004
'Hari Om' Festival Success
Nitin Sawhney scored 'Hari Om' finds continued success at recent film festivals.
Go to {www.hariomfilm.com} for more details.
September/20/2004
DJ Reactions are In! 'All Mixed Up' Enters DJ Magazine's Breaks and Beats Chart!
Nitin Sawhney's All Mixed Up has entered DJ Magazine's Breaks and Beats Chart at No. 10, and is picking up massive reactions from DJs across the board.
"Really like the freeform five and Aaron Jerome mixes."
Mr Scruff
(Various, Europe)
"At least my mix is coming out after 5 years! It's lovely stuff all round. Favourite cuts are Seiji and Dirty Bugz mix."
Anu / Freeform Five
(Various, UK)
"After excellent LPs from Nitin Sawhney, I wasn't sure that a remix album would work but top marks to V2 for choosing some ace remixes. My faves are Freeform Five, Bugz, Seiji and Ojos De Brujo Solea."
Simon Harrison
(Elektrik / Joining The Dots, Yorkshire)
"Quality."
Pressure Drop
(Various, UK)
"Very good little CD that delivers 2 step / breaks / downtempo soul and not a duff track amongst them! A true complementary remix package."
DJ Mish
(Bandwidth / Peepshow / TNT, Manchester)
"Ojos De Brujo Solea Dreams mix is excellent."
Tutto Matto
(333 / 3Block)
"Want that Seiji mix on vinyl now! Please fix it Jim! Always like what the man Fink comes up with, he doesn't disappoint here, really delicate, powerful sound! 'Rainfall' rocks it for me too, filthy bass N beats with Rodney P rockin it on vox. Ace!"
Vibra
(7 Hills / Phonetics, Sheffield)
"A bloody good all round remix package. There isn't a bad tune here - Spot on."
Ben & Lex
(Beatz N Bobz / Functional Breaks / NSB Radio)
"Fantastic set of reinterpretations! All strong but the Seiji / Aaron Jerrome / Bugz mixes are killers!"
Gareth Stephens
(Askew / Beat Jerky / Various, UK)
September/19/2004
Artist in Residence: Festival of World Cultures, Ireland
The Festival of World Cultures is Ireland's leading intercultural festival - a dazzling weekend of internationally renowned acts and local talent - music, film, circus, theatre, dance, club nights, markets, exhibitions, workshops and children's activities.
Nitin Sawhney is this year's artist in residence for the festival. He will be holding a music production masterclass and panel discussion at the event. The participants in the music production masterclass will perform their new work on Sunday, September 29th at Newtonsmith Green.
August/26/2004
Britten Sinfonia
In 2001, Britten Sinfonia commissioned Nitin Sawhney to write his first orchestral score. Now, he returns to lead the orchestra on stage with an extraordinary line-up of classical, jazz and world musicians in a programme of music ranging from the Bollywood sounds of AR Rahman through to Steve Reich's rhythmic minimalism. The programme includes Sawhney's new orchestral arrangements of some of his best known music (including Prophesy, Homelands, Breathing Light and Pieces of Ten) and features the world premiere of a new work commissioned by Britten Sinfonia. Featured musicians include Aref Durvesh (tabla), Leo Taylor (drums); Oroh Angiama (bass); Chandru (violin) and Tina Grace (vocals). Stephen Hussey conducts, with sound by David McEwan.
Tickets are now on sale at the Palais de Beaux Arts, Royal Festival Hall, Brighton Dome, Symphony Hall Birmingham and Cambridge Corn Exchange.
New DJ dates and Britten Sinfonia performances announced:
06.11.2004
Nitin Sawhney DJ set
Music in Mind, Belgium
10.11.2004
Nitin Sawhney DJ set
Magazzini Generali, Italy
17.11.2004
NS & Britten Sinfonia
Royal Festival Hall, London
18.11.2004
NS & Britten Sinfonia
Brighton Dome, Brighton
19.11.2004
Nitin Sawhney DJ set
Fabric, London
August/19/2004
New Album 'All Mixed Up'
Nitin Sawhney is set to release 'All Mixed Up' in September of this year. The album is a collection of some of the best remixes created for Nitin over the years. CD1 features mixes from MJ Cole, Bugz in the Attic, KV5, Quantic, Ges-e, Free Form Five, and others. CD2 is an exclusive remix CD featuring Ninja Tune's Fink and Spain's Ojos de Brujo among others. A limited double-pack vinyl will also be available.
August/18/2004
New Message Board Up!
Nitin Sawhney's message board has been completely revamped. It's now under the Community section of the site. Click {here} to find out more.
August/17/2004
Nitin - Jazz Cafe Picnic
Nitin plays the Jazz Cafe Picnic at Marble Hill House,Twickenham. Line up includes Zero 7, Lambchop, Matthew Herbert Big Band, Willis and Two Banks of Four
This event is now sold out...
August/09/2004
New Projects from Nitin...
Nitin has been commissioned to create the next album in the Fabric Live series (www.fabriclondon.com)
He has also been asked to compose the film score for a new French film 'Lila Says'.
February/06/2004
New Live Dates In India & Australia
Please check the live section for info on Nitin's upcoming DJ dates in India and his live dates in Australia.
December/10/2003
Nitin On "Later" This Friday
Nitin Sawhney will be appearing on 'Later with Jools Holland' this Friday 31st October. The show is broadcast on BBC2 at 11.35pm.
October/30/2003
Nitin London DJ Gig
Nitin will be DJ'ing this Wednesday (22nd October) at the Whitenoise party at AKA, 18 West Central St, London, WC1.
It is free entry before 11pm but if you want to be put on the guestlist then send an e-mail to info@whitenoisepromo.com.
October/10/2003
New "Rainfall" Single Released
The next release from 'Human' will be 'Rainfall' featuring Taio and Rodney P.
The release is set for November the 10th, the single will be released on 12" and two CD's.
The package will include remixes from Rishi Rich, Bugz In The Attic, Wookie, Mentor and Nitin himself.
The second CD will include an enhanced section with Nitin performing live at Glastonbury, it will also include a track from his recent Radio One session and a rare remix of 'Sunset'.
CD1
- Rishi Rich Remix
- Wookie's Sunshine Remix (featuring Rodney P)
- Nitin Sawhney's Clean Rinse Remix (featuring Rodney P)
- Mentor Hip Hop Remix (featuring Rodney P)
CD2
- Rainfall (BBC Radio 1 Session)
- Sunset (KV5 Remix)
- Breathing Light (Live At Glastonbury Festival 2003)
12"
A1. Rishi Rich Remix
A2. Wookie's Sunshine Remix (featuring Rodney P)
B1. Nitin Sawhney's Clean Rinse Remix (featuring Rodney P)
B2. Bugz In The Attic's Coop Remix
October/02/2003