NEW YORK (AFP) ― Bjork, three years after her wildly ambitious “Biophilia” multimedia project, says she is working on a new album coproduced by the Venezuelan DJ Arca.The Icelandic musical icon, known for her sweeping vocal range and conceptual imagery, apologized in a Facebook message for missing the London premiere of the “Biophilia Live” film and said she was “already working on her next album,” which will be out in 2015.Arca, whose real name is Alejandro Ghersi, said on Twitter that he and B

Corporate engagement in cultural activities is not only based on capitalistic motives. Rather, its impact is immensely positive in terms of encouraging people’s cultural awareness. The Herald Philharmonic Orchestra, an ensemble founded by Herald Corp., the publisher of The Korea Herald, held its debut concert Wednesday night at the Concert Hall of Seoul Arts Center.The newly created orchestra’s music director and conductor, Kim Bong-mee, opened the concert with the famous trumpet fanfare of “Tri

NEW YORK (AP) ― When John R. Waters first heard the Beatles on the radio as a teenager, he made more than one mistake. He thought they were Yanks. And he suspected not all of them were male. “They sounded like a Motown band and I thought there was a chick singer in there somewhere,” said Waters laughing. The British-born, Australian-based Waters soon learned the truth, but it never stopped his adoration of a band that he says “changed the face of song-writing.” Waters, an actor and musician, has

Streisand’s timeless ‘Partners’ soarsBarbra Streisand“Partners” (Sony)Barbra Streisand’s “Partners” isn’t just about star-powered duets, but partnerships of love and family. It’s a love album for the ages, as fit for your anniversary as your parents’ or your child’s wedding. It could have been called “Timeless,” but Babs already used that title in 2000.Streisand sings with a stellar list of partners on her 34th studio album, including the awesome and unexpected: Andrea Bocelli, Kenneth “Babyface

Brother-sister duo Akdong Musician’s new track “Time and Fallen Leaves” topped major K-pop charts within hours of its release at midnight on Friday. Siblings Lee Chan-hyuk, 17, and Soo-hyun, 14, topped all nine Korean online charts with their new digital single. “Time and Fallen Leaves” is written and composed by the brother Chan-hyuk, who also composed most of Akdong Musician’s songs. The song was originally made for their debut album “Play,” which came out in April. But label YG Entertainment

Luhan, the Chinese member of K-pop boy band EXO, filed for the termination of his exclusive contract against S.M. Entertainment chief executive Lee Young-man and the star agency on Thursday.Luhan submitted the legal documents to the Seoul Central District Court allegedly to partially nullify the exclusive contract that he had signed on entering the country’s largest entertainment agency by market capitalization. Although the specific cause of the lawsuit was not publicly revealed, he is expected

One of the most respected names in R&B, Mariah Carey finally made her way back to Seoul for the diva’s first concert in Korea in 11 years. But rather than leaving her local fans shouting for more, many in the audience seemed to have one overwhelming feeling ― the show was not worth the money.The self-proclaimed “elusive chanteuse” serenaded thousands of local fans with an outdoor concert at the 88 Field at Seoul Olympic Park on Wednesday night. The singer opened the show to much anticipation wit

For some Korean musicians, the world is definitely shrinking. Following the K-pop explosion in Asia and the Psy sensation in the U.S., Korean indie bands are making their strides, trying to carve out their unique spots in the international music scene. MU:CON Seoul 2014, a music conference-cum-fair currently running in Itaewon, Seoul, highlighted three groups that are at the vanguard of what Korean officials hope will evolve into the “next big wave” of Korean music. Jambinai, one of the three gr

As a producer at the U.K.-based independent music label XL Recordings, Rodaidh McDonald has helped produce albums by a wide range of internationally renowned artists including Adele, The xx, The Horrors, Bobby Womack, Vampire Weekend, King Krule and many others.McDonald participated as one of the keynote speakers at the annual MU:CON Seoul music conference this week, discussing his experiences and his small indie label’s methods of creating internationally successful albums. In his first visit t

Korean singer Psy’s music video “Gangnam Style.” (YG Entertainment)“Gangnam Style,” a megahit single by South Korean rapper Psy, has surpassed the 2.1 billion mark in YouTube views two years after it was released, his management agency said Tuesday.The video hit the 2.1 billion milestone on Monday and 2.1 billion views as of 8 a.m. Tuesday, YG Entertainment said.Uploaded on July 15, 2012, “Gangnam Style” topped 100 million views after 52 days and 1 billion views after 161 days. In May this year,

Herald Corp., the publisher of The Korea Herald, will launch the Herald Philharmonic Orchestra with a concert at Seoul Arts Center on Wednesday. The orchestra was established as part of the company’s efforts to give back to society. It aims to expand the reach of orchestral music in Korea and spread the spirit of harmony through music. It is directed and conducted by Kim Bong-mee and comprised of about 70 musicians who were educated at some of the finest music institutions in Korea and abroad. A

MU:CON to highlight diverse, cutting-edge genres of Korean music in Seoul

NEW YORK (AP) _ When Pretty Yende walked on stage for her Metropolitan Opera debut 21 months ago, she immediately fell for the audience.　 But not nearly as hard as the audience fell for her.　 The South African soprano tripped on steps leading down from a wooden platform during a pantomime in the opening minutes of Rossini‘s “Le Comte Ory.’‘ She did more than quickly recover _ she went on to score a dazzling success in the difficult role of the Countess Adele, earning a standing ovation from a ch

Thousands of local electronic dance music fans flocked to Jamsil Olympic Stadium on Saturday night for the annual worldwide Global Gathering music festival in Seoul.More than 30 acts performed across the stadium’s three stages ― Main, Sub and Bunker Stage ― including Axwell & Ingrosso and Krewella, who took the spotlight on the main stage.Although the lineup initially had Australian duo Knife Party as the following act to Krewella, it was announced that the group was unable to make the show. Ins