LONDON, UK (Top40 Charts/ Sony
Music Entertainment UK) -
Calvin Harris has surpassed the success of his get-up-and-dance debut album 'I Created Disco', by scoring the trump card: a UK no. 1 with its successor 'Ready For The Weekend'.
'Ready For the Weekend' already boasts two UK no. 1 singles: 'Dance Wiv Me' (with Dizzee Rascal) and 'I'm Not Alone', plus a top 3 single with the title track 'Ready For the Weekend. The pioneering vision and determination of Calvin Harris has very much paid off.
"What I'm into at the moment", says Calvin Harris, "is the idea of stadium dance. Playing football stadiums with massive riffs, big hands-in-the-air moments." A bold ambition, but such boldness is justified, coming from a man who ascended from the bedroom to the big time.
Calvin has come a long way since his trademark sound took over the charts in 2007. Now a sought after producer, international DJ and bonafide star, Calvin has picked up awards, collaborated with everyone from Kylie Minogue to Example, clocked up record sales well in excess of a million copies and sold out tours across the UK. Now he has brought us the soundtrack of 2009.
Aforementioned no. 1 single 'I'm Not Alone' is one Harris describes as "somewhere between Snow Patrol, Faithless and Grandaddy". The track still remains unbeaten as one of the biggest singles of the year - challenged only perhaps by his other no. 1 'Dance Wiv Me', released with friend and fellow chart-topper Dizzee Rascal.
'Ready For The Weekend' - the single release - scored a top 3 smash. The track, straightforwardly upbeat, featured the formidable lungs of Mary Pearce (prolific backing singer for the likes of Beverly Knight, Lionel Richie and Chaka Khan), handbag house piano riffs, and the girl-friendly chorus "I put on my shoes and I'm ready for the weekend". An electro pop master class of a single, which included remixes courtesy of Fake Blood & Dave Spoon, with the amazing High Contrast completing the package in fine style. Says Calvin: "'Ready For The Weekend' is a good example of pop song meets piano house record, it's my favourite thing I've done so far."
The single 'Ready For The Weekend' also comes with its own very special film, a recorded performance of the track played on a unique human synthesiser. The ground-breaking instrument itself employed 16 bikini clad models decorated with a new electricity-conducting body ink developed by students at the Royal College of Art, London. When the performers touched the connection, it completed a circuit, triggering a sound. Calvin played the main keyboard and effects by interacting with the row of nine girls. All choreographed to perfection. You can see the Humanthesiser HERE.
It's no wonder really that Calvin Harris's YouTube channel 'I Created Disco' is the ninth most viewed in the UK.
Other key moments on the album include "Relax" (an acoustic guitar based track which has a similarly mixed mood to "I'm Not Alone"), and "Worst Day", (something of a N.E.R.D./Outkast sound, Calvin's vocals sharing time with rapper Izza Kizza from Timbaland's Mosley Music stable). All of which is messing with many people's expectations of a Calvin Harris record.
Following the rapturous response to his recent live dates - including coveted spots at all the big summer festivals, including headlining Glastonbury's Dance Tent and playing diverse slots from iTunes & T4 on the beach to Ibiza rocks - Calvin is continuing to tour the UK throughout October, cementing his 2009 takeover. Dates and further information can be found at his official website.
www.calvinharris.co.uk
'Ready For The Weekend' is out now.
