''A Map of the Floating City'' is the fifth studio album by English
new wave/
synth-pop
Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s ...
musician
Thomas Dolby
Thomas Morgan Robertson (born 14 October 1958), known by the stage name Thomas Dolby, is an English musician, producer, composer, entrepreneur and teacher.
Dolby came to prominence in the 1980s, releasing hit singles including "She Blinded Me ...
, released on 24 October 2011.
[ It was Dolby's first full-length studio album since 1992's '']Astronauts & Heretics
''Astronauts & Heretics'' is the fourth studio album by English new wave/synth-pop musician Thomas Dolby, released in 1992. It was Dolby's last studio album until 2011's '' A Map of the Floating City'' and his last album to be released on viny ...
'' and his last to date.
Background
The album was recorded "aboard a solar and wind-powered 1930s lifeboat" on the coast of East Anglia
East Anglia is an area in the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, a people whose name originated in Anglia, in ...
, and includes contributions from Mark Knopfler
Mark Freuder Knopfler (born 12 August 1949) is a British singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Born in Scotland and raised in England, he was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits. He pursued a s ...
, Regina Spektor
Regina Ilyinichna Spektor (russian: Регинa Ильинична Спектор, ; born February 18, 1980) is a Russian–born American singer, songwriter, and pianist.
After self-releasing her first three records and gaining popularity in ...
, Natalie MacMaster
Natalie MacMaster (born June 13, 1972) is a Canadian fiddler from Troy, Inverness County, Nova Scotia who plays Cape Breton fiddle music. MacMaster has toured with the Chieftains, Faith Hill, Carlos Santana, and Alison Krauss, and has recorded ...
, Bruce Woolley
Bruce Martin Woolley (born 11 November 1953) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He wrote songs with artists such as The Buggles and Grace Jones, including "Video Killed the Radio Star" and " Slave to the Rhythm", an ...
, Ethel
Ethel (also '' æthel'') is an Old English word meaning "noble", today often used as a feminine given name.
Etymology and historic usage
The word means ''æthel'' "noble".
It is frequently attested as the first element in Anglo-Saxon names, b ...
and Imogen Heap
Imogen Jennifer Heap (born 9 December 1977) is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. Her work has been considered pioneering in pop and electropop music.
Heap classically trained in piano, cello and clarinet starting at ...
.
Many tracks from the album were released/premiered prior to the release of the complete album. "Love Is a Loaded Pistol" was premiered at the TED
TED may refer to:
Economics and finance
* TED spread between U.S. Treasuries and Eurodollar
Education
* ''Türk Eğitim Derneği'', the Turkish Education Association
** TED Ankara College Foundation Schools, Turkey
** Transvaal Education Depa ...
conference in Long Beach, CA in February 2010, and was later released as a free MP3
MP3 (formally MPEG-1 Audio Layer III or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III) is a coding format for digital audio developed largely by the Fraunhofer Society in Germany, with support from other digital scientists in the United States and elsewhere. Origin ...
download. "Road to Reno", "The Toad Lickers", and "17 Hills" were released as a digital EP, ''Amerikana'', that was sold on Dolby's website in June 2010. "Oceanea", "Simone", and "To the Lifeboats" were released as another digital EP, ''Oceanea'', in November 2010, and as a physical disc in March 2011. Three tracks were performed live for WNYC Soundcheck in February 2011 with the help of New York string quartet Ethel and accordion player Rachelle Garniez.[
The album's concept, set in an ]alternate history
Alternate history (also alternative history, althist, AH) is a genre of speculative fiction of stories in which one or more historical events occur and are resolved differently than in real life. As conjecture based upon historical fact, altern ...
, was accompanied by a web-based social networking game designed with the help of Andrea Phillips
Andrea Phillips (born 20 July 1974) is an American transmedia game designer and writer. She has been active in the genres of transmedia storytelling and alternate reality games (ARGs), in a variety of roles, since 2001. She has written for, desig ...
and J. J. Abrams
Jeffrey Jacob Abrams (born June 27, 1966) is an American filmmaker and composer. He is best known for his works in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. Abrams wrote and produced such films as '' Regarding Henry'' (1991), '' F ...
. The game ran from June to September 2011, and the group that won the game received a private Dolby concert.
"Nothing New Under the Sun", "Spice Train", "Evil Twin Brother", and "A Jealous Thing Called Love" were revealed within the online game in July and August 2011. Prior to the inception of the game, Dolby had planned to release these songs as a third EP, ''Urbanoia''.[https://huffingtonpost.com/mike-ragogna/emted-solar-power-windpow_b_769720.html , Mike Ragogna, "TED, Solar Power, Windpower, and All Things Amerikana: A Conversation with Thomas Dolby," Oct 2010]
Track listing
All songs written by Thomas Dolby.
#"Nothing New Under the Sun" – 4:35
#"Spice Train" – 5:08
#"Evil Twin Brother" – 5:25
#"A Jealous Thing Called Love" – 4:27
#"Road to Reno" – 4:00
#"The Toad Lickers" – 4:24
#"17 Hills" – 7:42
#"Love Is a Loaded Pistol" – 2:57
#"Oceanea" – 4:28
#"Simone" – 5:56
#"To the Lifeboats" – 3:36
Deluxe edition bonus disc
#"Nothing New Under the Sun" (Instrumental) – 4:30
#"Spice Train" (Instrumental) – 5:09
#"Evil Twin Brother" (Instrumental) – 5:04
#"A Jealous Thing Called Love" (Instrumental) – 4:27
#"Road to Reno" (Instrumental) – 4:02
#"The Toad Lickers" (Instrumental) – 4:24
#"17 Hills" (Instrumental) – 7:42
#"Love Is a Loaded Pistol" (Instrumental) – 2:57
#"Oceanea" (Instrumental) – 3:59
#"Simone" (Instrumental) – 5:56
#"To the Lifeboats" (Instrumental) – 3:38
#"Spice Train" (Radio Edit) – 3:42
#"17 Hills" (Demo) – 5:46
#"I'm Not Your Dog" – 5:48
Personnel
Credits refer to original album and are attributed as per liner notes.
Musicians
*Thomas Dolby
Thomas Morgan Robertson (born 14 October 1958), known by the stage name Thomas Dolby, is an English musician, producer, composer, entrepreneur and teacher.
Dolby came to prominence in the 1980s, releasing hit singles including "She Blinded Me ...
– vocals (tracks 1–11), keyboards (tracks 1–4, 11), synthesizer (tracks 5–7, 9, 10), piano (tracks 5–10), sampler (tracks 9, 10)
*Kevin Armstrong
Kevin Armstrong (1922–1992 ) was a dual player who played Gaelic football, football and hurling for his local club O'Connell's GAA, O'Connell's and for the Antrim GAA, Antrim senior inter-county teams in both codes from the 1940s until the 19 ...
– guitar (tracks 1–7), backing vocals (track 10), electric guitar (track 11), acoustic guitar (track 11)
*Matthew Seligman
Matthew Seligman (14 July 1955 – 17 April 2020) was an English bassist, best known for his association with the new wave music scene of the 1980s. Seligman was a member of the Soft Boys and the Thompson Twins, and was a sideman for Thomas Do ...
– bass (tracks 1, 5, 6, 11)
*Mat Hector – drums (track 1)
*Nat Martin – additional rhythm guitar (track 1)
*Kevin Robinson – trumpet (tracks 1, 2)
*Francis Shelley – backing vocals (track 2)
*Nicki Wells – backing vocals (track 2)
*Ethel
Ethel (also '' æthel'') is an Old English word meaning "noble", today often used as a feminine given name.
Etymology and historic usage
The word means ''æthel'' "noble".
It is frequently attested as the first element in Anglo-Saxon names, b ...
– strings (tracks 2, 3, 7, 8)
*Jeffrey Wash – fretless bass (tracks 3, 7)
*Jason Paige
Jason Paige (born January 6, 1969) is an American singer, writer, record producer and actor best known for singing the first theme song for the English version of the ''Pokémon'' television series.
Early life and education
He is an alumnus of ...
– guest lead vocal (track 3)
*Regina Spektor
Regina Ilyinichna Spektor (russian: Регинa Ильинична Спектор, ; born February 18, 1980) is a Russian–born American singer, songwriter, and pianist.
After self-releasing her first three records and gaining popularity in ...
– Russian voiceover (track 3)
*Chucho Merchán
Jesús Alfredo Merchán (born December 24, 1952)), known professionally as Chucho Merchán, is a session jazz and rock bassist and guitarist. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cambridge University in 1980. He has performed with Nucle ...
– acoustic bass (tracks 4, 10)
*Bruce Woolley
Bruce Martin Woolley (born 11 November 1953) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He wrote songs with artists such as The Buggles and Grace Jones, including "Video Killed the Radio Star" and " Slave to the Rhythm", an ...
– backing vocals (track 4), theremin
The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone/etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named afte ...
(track 10)
* The Jazz Mafia Horns – brass (track 4)
*Nic France – drums (tracks 4, 10)
*Bosco de Oliveira – percussion (tracks 4, 10)
*Liam Genockey
Liam Genockey (born 12 August 1948) is an Irish musician, who is the drummer with British folk rock band Steeleye Span.
Biography
Genockey was born in Dublin, Ireland. During the 1960s he lived in Plymouth, Devon, U.K, playing in local semi-p ...
– drums (tracks 5–7), percussion (track 11)
*Rich Armstrong – flugelhorn (track 5)
*Geoff Grange – harmonica (tracks 5, 6, 11)
*Crackers – accordion (track 6)
*Adele Bertei
Adele Maria Bertei (born 1955) is an American singer, songwriter, writer and director.
Early life
Bertei was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1955. She is the oldest of three children born to Katherine (née Murphy) and Umberto Bertei. Her father wa ...
– backing vocals (track 6)
*Barbara Ann Spencer – backing vocals (track 6)
*Natalie MacMaster
Natalie MacMaster (born June 13, 1972) is a Canadian fiddler from Troy, Inverness County, Nova Scotia who plays Cape Breton fiddle music. MacMaster has toured with the Chieftains, Faith Hill, Carlos Santana, and Alison Krauss, and has recorded ...
– fiddle (tracks 6, 7)
*Imogen Heap
Imogen Jennifer Heap (born 9 December 1977) is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. Her work has been considered pioneering in pop and electropop music.
Heap classically trained in piano, cello and clarinet starting at ...
– Jew's harp (track 6)
*Mark Knopfler
Mark Freuder Knopfler (born 12 August 1949) is a British singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Born in Scotland and raised in England, he was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits. He pursued a s ...
– lead guitar (track 7)
* Bruce Kaphan – pedal steel (track 7)
*Eddi Reader
Sadenia "Eddi" Reader MBE (born 29 August 1959) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, known for her work as frontwoman of Fairground Attraction and for an enduring solo career. She is the recipient of three BRIT Awards. In 2003, she showcased the wo ...
– guest vocal (track 9)
*John Parricelli
John Parricelli (born 5 April 1959 in Evesham, Wychavon, Worcestershire, England) is a jazz guitarist who has worked mainly in the United Kingdom.
Parricelli began his career as a guitarist in 1982. He was one of the founding members of the Bri ...
– acoustic guitar (track 10)
*Lyndon J. Connah – backing vocals (track 10)
*Pedro Eustache
Pedro Eustache (born August 18, 1959) is a Venezuelan-born flautist, reed player, world woodwind player, composer, and instrument maker. He has more than seven years of symphonic experience and a collection of around 600 instruments from all ...
– duduk
The duduk ( ; hy, դուդուկ ) or tsiranapogh ( hy, ծիրանափող, meaning “apricot-made wind instrument”), is an ancient Armenian double reed woodwind instrument made of apricot wood. It is indigenous to Armenia. Variations of th ...
(track 10)
*Joe Cohen – tenor sax (track 10)
*Neill MacColl – acoustic guitar (track 11)
*Pat Mastelotto
Lee Patrick Mastelotto (born September 10, 1955) is an American rock drummer and record producer. He has been a member of King Crimson, Stick Men, Mr. Mister and O.R.k., as well as working as a session drummer with XTC, The Pointer Sisters an ...
– drums (track 11)
Technical
*Thomas Dolby – producer, string arrangements (tracks 2, 3, 7, 8), mixing (tracks 2–4, 8–11)
*Ralph Farris Ralph Farris (born Ralph Howard Farris, Jr., 1970) is an American violist, violinist, composer, arranger, producer and conductor, best known as a founding member and artistic director of the ensemble ETHEL. Farris is an electric string player wit ...
– string orchestration (tracks 2, 3, 7)
* Dorothy Lawson – string arrangement and orchestration (track 8)
*Mike Shipley
Michael Shipley (6 October 1956 – 25 July 2013) was an Australian mixing engineer, audio engineer, and record producer. Shipley's music career spanned more than 30 years – mostly working in Los Angeles. At the Grammy Awards of 2012 he ...
– mixing (track 1)
*Bill Bottrell
William A. Bottrell (born October 27, 1952) is an American record producer and songwriter. He has collaborated with Michael Jackson, Madonna, Electric Light Orchestra and Sheryl Crow.
Biography
Between 1967 and 1970, Bottrell attended Cresc ...
– mixing (tracks 5–7)
*Simon Heyworth – mastering
*Kathleen Beller
Kathleen Beller (born February 19, 1956) is an American actress who was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in '' Promises in the Dark'' (1979) and was well known for her role as Ki ...
– map art/handwriting/drawings
*Atherton-Chillieno – photography
*Nick Sinclair
Nick Sinclair (born 1963) is a British photographer. The National Portrait Gallery (London), National Portrait Gallery in London holds 148 of his portrait photographs. – photography
*Richard Skidmore – collage photograph
*Paul Sizer – graphic design
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Map Of The Floating City
2011 albums
Thomas Dolby albums