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News Archive

Last updated: 11 February, 2008

February 2008

Robin Guthrie on Tour

02/09/2008
08:00 PM - Zo
Catania, Italy

02/10/2008
08:00 PM - B-Side
Cosenza, Italy

02/12/2008
08:00 PM - Iroko
Salerno, Italy

02/13/2008
08:00 PM - Circolo Degli Artisti
Roma, Italy

02/14/2008
08:00 PM - Garage
Milano, Italy

02/15/2008
08:00 PM - Viper
Firenze, Italy

02/16/2008
08:00 PM - Teatro Dissonanze Armoniche
Rovereto, Italy

02/17/2008
08:00 PM - Locomotive
Bologna, Italy

02/29/2008
08:00 PM - Mexico City Intl Contemporary Film Festival
Mexico City, Mexico
http://www.ficco.com.mx/

03/05/2008
08:00 PM - La Java
105 rue du Faubourg du Temple, Paris, France, Ile-de-France 75010 - EUR10

January 2008

HAPPY 46th BIRTHDAY ROBIN GUTHRIE! (January 4)

Simon has provided a list of his top 10 albums of 2007.

Cocteau Twins social networking groups:

December 2007

Cocteau Twins appear in December's issue of Mojo magazine in an article on the best and worst Christmas songs ever. The Cocteau track "Winter Wonderland" was rated one of the best and the reviewer wrote—"Never mind When Mama Was Moth, this song will convince you that Elizabeth Fraser's theremin of a voice was made for Christmas."

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

October 2007

Rhino Records have released a new compilation entitled Brit Box: U.K. Indie, Shoegaze, and Brit Pop Gems of the Last Millennium, in which Cocteau Twins' "Lorelei" (Treasure, 1984) is featured on Disc 1. (Incidentally, Felt's Primitive Painters, featuring Elizabeth's guest vocals and Robin's production, is the track immediately following.) Learn more at the Rhino Records Web site.

September 2007

A recent interview of both Robin Guthrie and Harold Budd is available online for download from Echoes.org (MP3).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUCY BELLE GUTHRIE! (September 17)

August 2007

The 2007 CocteauFest has been cancelled. There will be NO official event this year. However, a private party is being held in New York City on September 21. Full details are available at CocteauFest.com.

HAPPY 44th BIRTHDAY LIZ FRASER! (August 29)

Treasure is listed in a recent Mojo magazine feature as being one album from the 80's you definitely must own. There is a full page dedicated to the release in a special supplement, featuring 80 great albums from the 80's.

Simon was interviewed by CocteauTwins.org to discuss all things Bella Union. Check it out!

July 2007

Documentary to feature Cocteau Twins

Beautiful Noise is an in depth exploration of the music culture in the late 80’s and early 90’s, a fascinating period when experimental musicians were on the brink of mainstream culture. It was a time when weekly music magazines, truly indie labels and legendary DJ John Peel were the ultimate tastemakers. Some of the most original bands of the time period were Cocteau Twins, The Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine. Their unique and singular voices spawned a whole generation of bands such as AR Kane, Ride, Slowdive, Lush, Cranes, Boo Radleys, Pale Saints, Swervedriver, Curve, Chapterhouse, Flying Saucer Attack and Seefeel among countless others including an exciting current wave of bands. On the verge of potential success they were eclipsed by burgeoning movements which were more marketable and press friendly.

Beautiful Noise features interviews with many of the luminaries of this time period including Robin Guthrie, Simon Raymonde, Jim Reid, Bobby Gillespie, Douglas Hart, Kevin Shields, Debbie Googe, Mark Gardener, Andy Bell, Neil Halstead, Emma Anderson, Martin Carr, Ian Masters, Adam Franklin, Toni Halliday, Alan Moulder and Alan McGee. The film also includes notable personalities: Wayne Coyne, Trent Reznor, Billy Corgan and Robert Smith.

In other news, the "Ultimate Cocteau Twins Audio Quiz" is now available at CocteauTwinsForums.com. Check it out!

June 2007

With nearly two years of filming under his belt, filmmaker Eric Green of L.A.-based Hypnagogia Films is nearing completion of his documentary chronicling the 1985-91 shoegaze movement of Great Britain. Titled Beautiful Noise, it's about the influence of the Cocteau Twins, Jesus & Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine and the subsequent rise of outfits such as Ride, Curve, Slowdive, Lush, Chapterhouse, Swervedriver, Pale Saints and Boo Radleys, as well as more ambient-inclined and experimental artists like Flying Saucer Attack, AR Kane and Seefeel.

According to Hypnagogia, these stories will be told through contemporary interviews and via archival concert footage, outlining how, for the most part, the groups "resisted having a marketable image and sound, and how their individuality, while sabotaging their mainstream commercial appeal, eventually led to an indelible impact on modern music."

Among the personalities interviewed for the film: Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymonde (Cocteau Twins), Jim Reid and Bobby Gillespie (Jesus & Mary Chain), Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine), Dave Pearce (Flying Saucer Attack), Mark Gardener (Ride), Neil Halstead (Slowdive), Martin Carr (Boo Radleys), Emma Anderson (Lush), Alan Moulder, Alan McGee, Wayne Coyne, Trent Reznor, Billy Corgan and Robert Smith.

The film company adds that the documentary is a labor of love—"a DIY, passion project." Aficionados of the shoegaze scene would no doubt agree, and suggest that such a welcome project is long overdue.

May 2007

Robin Guthrie Live Performances

Robin is on tour and will be performing live this summer...

Jun 2 2007 8:00P
La Batuta Santiago, Chile

Jun 2 2007 11:00P
La Batuta Santiago, Chile

Jun 3 2007 8:00P
Blondie's (ex Teatro Alameda) Santiago, Chile

Jun 3 2007 9:30P
Sala Rubén Darío Valparaíso, Chile

Jun 6 2007 9:00P
Teatro Julieta Lima, Peru
Performing with Resplandor...

Jun 28 2007 11:00P
Studio B Brooklyn, New York
Appearing with Mahogany, Soundpool, Resplandor and Elika

Jul 20 2007 8:00P
Nocturama 07 Seville, Spain

Jul 28 2007 4:00P
Midi Festival Toulon, France

Aug 13 2007 11:30P
Baby Belly 1 Edinburgh, Scotland

Aug 14 2007 11:30P
Baby Belly 1 Edinburgh, Scotland

Sep 1 2007 8:00P
Punkt 07 Kristiansand, Norway

Sep 22 2007 8:00P
DB Festival Seattle, Washington
Performance with Harold Budd

April 2007

Podcasts available at .org site

You can now access a few podcasts courtesy of the fan site at www.cocteautwins.org.

March 2007

ElizabethFraser.com Gets Official; Guthrie and Budd to Release More Material

It's official—ElizabethFraser.com, that is. Liz's management are in charge of her official Web site as of 21 March, so be sure to check the site out regularly for (what we hope will be) regular updates. Additionally, for all you folks who write to us asking for Liz's contact information, here it is:

Elizabeth D. Fraser
c/o Rough Trade
66 Golborne Road
London
W10 5PS
United Kingdom

So there.

And it appears that Robin and Harold Budd's recent collaboration on the soundtrack to the indie film "Mysterious Skin" continues to bear fruit. For details, check out Robin's blog.

In other news... There's a great interview with Robin on BBC Scotland about the LP Heaven or Las Vegas, which was named one of the greatest Scottish albums ever. If you missed it you can still listen online at BBC Scotland. (You even get to hear Liz recite some of the lyrics to "Cherry-coloured funk"!)

CocteauTwins.org Redesign

CocteauTwins.org, the Official Fan Site, has been redesigned! Webmistress Leesa says:

Fans are welcome to submit their photographs to be added to the online gallery of Cocteau Twins fans from around the globe! (Provide usernames only to maintain privacy).
The section on Cocteau Twins promotional items has been completely revamped and now includes even more rare items, including pictures wherever possible.
The discography has been updated to include more recent releases like remasters, remixes and special editions.
The lyrics section is almost 100% complete—some of it still stumps me!

February 2007

New Web Site for Robin Guthrie

Leesa Beales has just launched a new official Web site for Robin at http://www.cocteautwins.org/~robin. Leesa is also looking for a webmaster! If you're interested, please contact her through Robin's site.

January 2007

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We really do think it might be time for a redesign of this little site—don't you? Look for one this year. Promise.

Meanwhile, feast your eyes on this fresh new interview of Simon Raymonde by dear Leesa Beales (mmmender to most of you) over at CocteauTwinsForums.com.

December 2006

Liz Fraser Update

Two big things to announce: First, she has agreed to contribute to an upcoming Royal Shakespeare Company production in which a handful of artists—including Antony of Antony and the Johnsons and Natalie Merchant (formerly of 10,000 Maniacs), along with a number of classical musicians—will compose contemporary sounds to run alongside a Shakespearean sonnet. It remains unclear as yet which sonnet Elizabeth has chosen. Get more details here.

The really big news, though, is that Liz's long-awaited, much-anticipated solo record will finally be released in spring 2007. The album will feature 8 tracks plus one cover song. This information was originally reported in the NME, but no further details are yet available.

November 2006

Robin and Lucy Belle appear on new Mahogany LP

Robin Guthrie and his daughter Lucy Belle (also the daughter of Elizabeth Fraser, for the two or three Cocteau fans on the planet who don't know) make appearances on the new LP from Mahogany, entitled Connectivity. Actually, on the bonus disc, you get three remixes by Robin, one of which features the vocal contributions of Lucy. You can order Connectivity from Darla Records.

More Guthrie contributions

Robin has also been working with other bands, namely Amber Smith and broaddaylight. Check them out!

September 2006

Elizabeth Fraser on Tour with Massive Attack

While this was mentioned some months back when Massive Attack began their world tour, it bears repeating: Liz Fraser is indeed touring with the band, providing vocal accompaniment for at least three songs, while Massive Attack currently tour North America. Tickets and dates are available online from Ticketmaster.com.

The Great Jock 'n' Roll Single - Have You Voted?

(Press Release/Announcement from JockNRoll.co.uk)

What is the greatest Scottish single ever released? Send us your Top 10 (plus one nomination for the Worst Scottish single ever) and we'll formulate the results into a snazzy little chart/poll for future publication. Also, feel free to give us your memories of any of the tracks, especially if it's one of your own, as we'll be looking to publish those memories too.

The website www.jocknroll.co.uk is up and is there to remind you of (almost) every Scottish artist who has released a single in the UK. Have a good look around at the potential choices before you settle on your Top 10 (make sure you tell us which one is your number 1 choice). We've only listed the bands as there are far too many singles to list them all but you'll know what you like.

One of the rules is that you can only vote for each artist once but check the Rules on the website for more details. The site will be regularly updated with the ongoing results and there will be a Featured Voter (could it be you?) and also the Scottish Pop Trivia will contain loads of useless information on the great and good of the Scottish music scene.

When you vote let us know what you do (especially if you're in the music/media/writing "business") and where you come from. The poll is not limited to Scottish people so spread the word.

We're looking to get the results published, hopefully in a book, and we're looking to publicise it all over the place. We've already have a link to your excellent site on our Links page.

Now get voting at www.jocknroll.co.uk.

Cocteaus Featured on Forthcoming John Peel Favourites Compilation

9 October will see the release of a new 2-disc compilation from the late legendary DJ John Peel's radio show. Entitled John Peel--Right Time, Wrong Speed: 1977-1987, its release comes prior to the second annual John Peel Day, where gigs all over the UK take place in honour of the man who single-handedly thrust so many artists—Cocteau Twins included—into the public ear. The Cocteas' contribution to this lovely addition to your collection is "Musette and Drums" (BBC Sessions, 1999).

Cocteaus also Featured in Upcoming Box Set from Rhino

Rhino Records will be releasing A Life Less Lived: The Gothic Box on September 19 that includes 4 discs (3 CDs and one DVD). Cocteau Twins will be represented by the track "Blood Bitch" (Garlands, 1982).

Here's the press release from Rhino:

Long before its black velvet and pale skin fashions crept into American malls, Goth music represented an underground movement led by fans who favored songs that tapped into the antisocial energy of punk but celebrated dark introspection, tempestuous atmospherics and visual panache. Rhino brings together influential bands that rarely or never participate in Gothic music compilations to create a fascinating cross-section of all matters pertaining to Goth with A Life Less Lived: The Gothic Box. This four-disc boxed set-three CDs and one DVD-will be available September 19.

In support of the release, MTV2 will be airing a special episode of Subterranean on September 17th that will take a look at the history of Goth and play videos from new artists like The Editors and AFI to classic videos from the artists featured on the box set.

With 53 songs and 12 videos originally released between 1978 and 1998, this boxed set provides a uniquely comprehensive listen into the largest underground scene in the world. Or as the collection's producer, Liz Goodman, explains in the extensive liner notes, the box showcases "the essential hit bands from a scene that arguably never had hits."

Make your phone Gothic!

Text Goth to 74466* for Goth ringtones and more...

* Requires compatible handset and service through participating carriers. Standard text messaging rates apply. See your contract for details. Available content subject to change at any time. (c) 2006 rhino.

CocteauFest Photos

The photographic evidence is now in-hand! Photos from CocteauFest 2006 (and all previous years, too) are now available online at www.cocteaufest.com.

August 2006

Win Free CocteauFest Tickets

For all you UK fans, we're giving away two free tickets to this year's CocteauFest in Manchester! All you have to do is enter the contest at cocteautwinsforums.com. The contest ends August 25.

July 2006

CocteauFest on BBC Radio

This year's CocteauFest is in Manchester, UK on 2 September. To help get the word out, BBC Radio Manchester interviewed Fest organizers Leesa Beales (of Toronto, Canada) and Mancunian Michael Gordon to find out what it's all about. Listen to the full interview here courtesy of CocteauTwins.org and the BBC.

CD Giveaway Contest Winners

Here are the three winning submissions from the Essence Contest. Each winner will receive both a copy of the remastered Four Calendar Café and Milk & Kisses albums. Winners: Your CD's will be sent to you directly from Universal Records. Please check your email for instructions ASAP. Thanks to all of you who submitted entries. We will be having another Cocteau Twins contest very shortly. Stay tuned to the forums for details.

Winning Submission #1 "Know who you are at every age":

"I adore this song for it's honesty and clarity. A confessional about the worst aspect of abuse. Not the pain or the memory, but how we trap ourselves from healing... become the chroniclers of our continuing shame. And that sometimes we must force our own breakdown to breakout of it. Nope, no butterflies or athol-brose here. A intimate account of emotional failure and devaluing ourselves down to nothing. I'm proud of Liz for this one. A process not many would sing about, much less write about." — Rob Scott

Winning Submission #2 "Evangeline":

"One of my most beloved things about the Cocteau Twins is their evolution. Each step of evolution created something fresh and original. With this evolution the butterfly was Evangeline. I can remember the exact time and place my friends and I first heard it. I can still see the expression on their faces. These memories are precious to me." — Craig Hardesty

Winning Submission #3 "Pur":

"Pur is what we heard when we met, what we saw falling in love, what we felt saying," I do". It's what we tasted when we divorced. Ever now and again, when I hear that song come over my ipod, It brings it back for a moment but I always let it go." — No name attached to submission, just an email address

June 2006

CocteauFest 2006

It's official—CocteauFest 2006 will be held in the UK this year! Manchester, England, to be exact, on September 2. Tickets are £8 in advance or £12 at the door. For full details, including helpful links to assist you in your travel planning, visit www.cocteaufest.com. Other specific details can be obtained from www.ctfest06.info.

Remastered Discs Giveaway Contest

Universal records are providing some free copies of the upcoming remastered editions of both Four Calendar Café and Milk & Kisses. (See below for details about this upcoming release.)

We would like to give fans the opportunity to win one of these CDs. All you have to do is enter our "Essence" contest. Here are the contest rules and guidelines:

Write a paragraph of no more than 60 words about ONE song from either of the upcoming remastered albums, Four Calendar Café or Milk & Kisses. Do not pick one song from each album, just ONE song in total. One song, one paragraph.
The goal here is originality. Try your best to express something about the song you've picked....the ESSENCE of the song....perhaps why you love it, why you think it's an historically important Cocteau Twins song, why you think it's misunderstood, what it means to you, how you discovered it, what you were doing when you first heard it. These are just suggestions, the rest is really up to you. Just remember we are looking for originality here.
Once you've written your paragraph, submit it via email to webmaster@cocteautwins.org with the subject "Essence Contest Entry" Entries can only be submitted via e-mail.
Your entry must be received by July 10th, 2006. Your email's date mark will serve as our guideline for cut-off.
Please include the following along with your entry: a) your full name b) your e-mail address c) your forum username (if you have one).
You may only make ONE ENTRY PER PERSON, that means you may submit only ONE paragraph for this contest.
Michael Borum of cocteautwins.com and Leesa Beales of cocteautwinsforums.com and cocteautwins.org will be judging the entries.
We are unsure exactly how many winners we will pick at the moment, this depends on exactly how many copies of the CDs that Universal sends out.
The winners will be notified by e-mail as well as an announcement posted on both this forum as well as cocteautwins.com. Announcements will take place in mid July.
Good Luck!

This contest is not judged by Universal Music or any of the individual members of Cocteau Twins. Universal Music is providing the free limited-edition digipak CDs based on the winners we select. No other endorsement or compensation has been offered or should be implied.

May 2006

NEW Robin Guthrie LP and EP Released

Robin's new LP, Continental, and two companion EPs entitled Everlasting and Waiting for Dawn are now available! Online sales are being provided by Darla Records in the USA and Rocket Girl in the UK.

Robin Guthrie Lumière UK Tour Update/Highlights

(Please note there are 12 scheduled performances in all. These are simply highlights of upcoming shows. Click here for the full details and dates.)

Saturday 3rd June 2006
Cameo Cinema
Edinburgh
Screen 1/Café Bar
8pm - 1am
Advance Booking: 08707 551 231
Featuring a special convergence with a surprise secret guest, a post-performance Q&A, plus fluorescence n' froth, a companion club evening featuring guest djs from the estimable Benbecula Records and Kevin Long (One Little Indian/Ryko)

Sunday 4th June 2006
Foundation for Arts and Creative Technology (FACT Centre)
Liverpool
Screen 1/Exhibition Room
8pm - 1am
Advance Booking: 08707 583 217
Featuring a special convergence with Sonic Boom (Spacemen 3/Spectrum), a post-performance Q&A, plus fluorescence n' froth, a companion club evening featuring guest djs Sonic Boom and Kevin Long (One Little Indian/Ryko)

Tuesday 6th June 2006
Phoenix Picturehouse
Oxford
Ticketline: 08707 583 218
Screen 1
7.30pm
Featuring special guest dj Mark Gardener (Ride)

Monday 12th June 2006
Gate Cinema
Notting Hill, London
Ticketline: 08707 550 063
8pm-midnight
Featuring a special convergence with Emma Anderson (Lush/Sing-Sing)
Plus a post-performance Q & A plus fluorescence n' froth, a companion club evening featuring guest djs Ulrich Schnauss, Vinita Rocket Girl (Rocketgirl/Resonance FM) and Kevin Long (One Little Indian/Ryko)

Tuesday 13th June 2006
Ritzy Cinema
Brixton, London
Ticketline: 08707 550 062
Screen 1
8pm-1am
Featuring a special convergence with a surprise secret guest.
Plus a post-performance Q & A plus fluorescence n' froth, a companion club evening upstairs in the Ritzy café featuring guest djs Ulrich Schnauss, Emma Anderson (Lush/Sing-Sing), Vinita Rocket Girl (Rocketgirl/Resonance FM) and Kevin Long (One Little Indian/Ryko)

Additional Info

There are other exclusive event evenings within the Lumière tour, namely in Edinburgh (Sat 3rd June) and Liverpool (Sun 4th). More info about artists appearing there shortly.

As well as having the opportunity of purchasing the superb Continental prior to it's official UK release, there will also be new EPs, one of which specifically created for this Picturehouse tour + a limited edition set of postcards for sale exclusively at each of the twelve venues.

Milk & Kisses and Four-Calendar Café Remasters - UPDATED!

The last two Cocteau Twins LPs, Milk & Kisses and Four-Calendar Café, have been digitally remastered by Robin Guthrie and will be re-released by Universal Music in June. The albums will each be initially available in a limited edition digipack.

The Milk and Kisses digipack will feature the white cover, while the jewel case version will be the red cover. The digipack version features a 12-page booklet which will feature the red cover artwork. Both releases contain 12-page booklets with sleevenotes for the album. These sleevenotes include interviews with Robin and Simon and give an insight into the recording and circumstances of each album. The release date is 10th July.

CocteauTwinsForums.com Design Contest

CocteauTwinsForums.com is having a design contest for those of you who are artistically inclined. It involves creating a graphic banner for their official forum. The winner will be choosen by the other forum members and your artwork will be on display for a period of one month. If you would like to submit your artwork or get more details, please check out this thread on the forum.

Liz Performs with Massive Attack at Coachella Festival

Much to the surprise of nearly all Cocteau Twins fans everywhere, Elizabeth Fraser appeared with Massive Attack during their live performance at the Coachella Festival in California last week. There was virtually no advance publicity announcing Fraser's appearance on-stage, and the reaction from fans—many of whom are still stinging from Liz's last-minute scuttle of Cocteau Twins' reunion show at Coachella a year ago—has been mixed, to say the least. Video of the performance is available from various online outlets, including YouTube. Fraser reportedly sang two songs, "Teardrop" and "Group Four."

April 2006

Simon Raymonde in Bass Guitar Magazine

An interview with Simon appears in the current issue of Bass Guitar, where he shares his Bass Essentials with us. He also discusses his work with Cocteau Twins, setting up and running his own record label and nearly playing with Nick Cave! For details, visit www.bassguitarmagazine.com. The issue is available from most news agents in the UK, including WH Smiths.

Robin Guthrie Tour Update

Robin will be on the road for his first ever solo tour of the UK promoting Continental and his film and music creation Lumière. Click here for the full details and dates.

March 2006

Lullabies to Violaine Volumes 1 and 2 available from 4AD

4AD is set to release the second phase of Lullabies to Violaine, this time as two separate discs, Volume 1 (the 4AD years) and Volume 2 (the Capitol/Mercury years). As part of the promotion, they're offering fans the opportunity to submit any question they like to Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymonde, who will each provide answers that will be posted at a future date. Check out 4AD's lovely L to V page to listen to tracks from the collection, buy CDs and submit your questions to Robin and Simon!

Here are some of the reviews so far:

"...a gateway to another, entirely more beautiful world—there will never be anything quite like them" — Q

"59 tracks of the most rapturous music you'll ever hear...Every moment of this is a gift. In the most literal sense, Cocteau Twins remain peerless" — The Guardian

"Consider Lullabies to Violaine an early gift to oneself." — Billboard

New Robin Guthrie LP on the way!

Robin Guthrie will release his second full-length solo LP, Continental, in May on Darla Records. You can hear the samples of tracks from the album (they're amazing) at his new MySpace page.

January 2006

Happy New Year! Plus New News on Liz Fraser Collaborations

Finally, we have some word on the upcoming releases from Massive Attack and Scott Walker. It turns out that "Collected...," the "best-of" from Massive Attack, will be released 27 March (see the countdown at the official Massive Attack web site). The initial limited edition version will have the second CD/DVD with the unheard Liz Fraser track entitled "Silent Spring." There is also a live version of "Black Milk" supposedly entitled "Black Melt." Visit the above link for all the delicious details.

4AD has confirmed that the new Scott Walker LP, Drift, does not feature Elizabeth after all. Too bad.

Robin Guthrie recently spent some time in California meeting with record company people... Read his blog to keep up with the latest from the maestro.