Alternative rock originator and one of music's most influential figures, Perry Farrell, has announced that on May 15, 2007 he will hit the airwaves with his most anticipated creation to date: Satellite Party. His new group is a bold and ambitious project that finds the founder of Lollapalooza in his first post-Jane's Addiction recording effort, creating an innovative conceptual album entitled Ultra Payloaded (Columbia Records). The idea behind Satellite Party was born out of Farrell's passionate belief that one step at a time people can change the world, and with this endeavor, he is launching a musical movement to do just that. Weaving together an array of genres with Farrell's modernist thinking, the music of Satellite Party tells a story through a collaborative brain trust of artists, musicians and environmentalists called The Solutionists, who seek to redesign and come up with solutions for the world.
Blending sounds as varied as rock, electro, urban beats and symphony, Farrell enlisted guitar virtuoso Nuno Bettencourt with new musicians Kevin Figueiredo on drums, Etty Lau Farrell on background vocals and Carl Restivo on bass. The album, produced by Farrell, co-produded by Nuno Bettencourt and executive produced by Steve Lillywhite, features a host of guests participating in the recording, including The Red Hot Chili Peppers Flea and John Frusciante, UK production duo/beat-makers Hybrid, New Order/ Joy Division bassist Peter Hook, down tempo pioneers Thievery Corporation, Porno for Pyros' guitarist Peter DiStefano, Black Eyed Pea's Fergie, film composer Harry Gregson-Williams (Chronicles of Narnia, Kingdom of Heaven), and a 30-piece orchestra.
One of the album's highlights features an unreleased Jim Morrison vocal track, the first unheard Morrison performance in almost 30 years. Entitled "Woman In The Window," Morrison sings against a backdrop of Farrell's music, "Just try and stop us, we're going to love" before the song culminates with an elegant piano outro. Farrell calls the track the mantra of The Solutionists. Other tracks include the "Wish Upon A Dog Star," which is also the album's first single, "Kinky," and "Celebrate," a Sly Stone-like groove marrying calypso and disco. Farrell also shows his softer side on the tender "Awesome," written about seeing the world from the heavens, which marries David Bowie-esque vocals with the understated beauty of Nick Drake.
After assembling what would become one of the greatest rock bands of all time, Jane's Addiction, in the early 80's, Perry Farrell has continued to be one of music's cultural leaders and most important figureheads. Farrell and Jane's Addiction revolutionized the rock scene, and from there Farrell went on to conceive Lollapalooza, the seminal music festival that encapsulated youth culture and launched the traveling concert experience touring industry in the US . With a successful transformation from a "touring rock show" to a "destination festival" in 2005, Lollapalooza gave Chicago in 2006 its largest party in the city's history with 180,000 people attending over a three day weekend. Now Farrell is preparing to do it all again with his landmark Satellite Party project.
Three years in the making, Ultra Payloaded is an album that will further cement Farrell's status as one of world's true artistic visionaries. In continuing to look at ways to marry his love for music and drive to inspire change, the project marks a new chapter in his recording career. More than just an album, Ultra Payloaded is a wake-up call that is imbued with the same passion and idealism with which Farrell has lived his life-- from working to better the environment when he took his proceeds from Lollapalooza to work with the Costa Rican government to help preserve the rainforest, to human rights when he raised a substantial amount of money for the relief fund and the rescuing of slaves in Sudan. Perry Farrell and Satellite Party are currently working closely with Stop Global Warming (www.stopglobalwarming.com) and Global Cool (www.global-cool.com) to cool off the planet Yet, while there is a story within Satellite Party, it is still an album first and foremost, and it's a record that finds Farrell in prime form.
Satellite Party will be making their debut live appearance in Aspen, Colorado on January 25th as part of the 2007 ESPN Winter X-Games. Additional tour and exclusive live dates to be announced shortly. Please stay tuned to www.satelliteparty.com
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